EDH Optimizer
Zo-Zu the Punisher
Legendary Creature — Goblin Warrior · 1RR
Color identity: Red
Zo-Zu the Punisher is red: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Whenever a land enters, Zo-Zu deals 2 damage to that land's controller.
Reference price of the card: €3.46
Average lands in decks for Zo-Zu the Punisher: 34
Land DestructionBurnGroup SlugStaxAggroControlLands MatterHatebears
Build your Zo-Zu the Punisher deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Zo-Zu the Punisher 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Zo-Zu the Punisher deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play per EDHREC (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: D (45/100)
- Consistency6
- Speed43
- Interaction65
- Resilience60
- Closing44
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 34 lands (8 nonbasic, 26 Mountain)
Ankh of Mishra · Sol Ring · Manabarbs · Torbran, Thane of Red Fell · Ruby Medallion · Arcane Signet · Sulfuric Vortex · Harsh Mentor · Vandalblast · Chaos Warp · Blasphemous Act · Burning Earth · Price of Progress · Price of Glory · From the Ashes · Blood Moon · Dingus Egg · Fire Diamond · Solphim, Mayhem Dominus · Spellshock · Cemetery Gatekeeper · Mind Stone · Iron Myr · Treasure Nabber · Heartless Hidetsugu · Ruination · Rampaging Ferocidon · Stoneshaker Shaman · Sunspine Lynx · Cleansing Wildfire · Furnace of Rath · Roiling Vortex · War's Toll · Lightning Greaves · Seething Song · Akki Blizzard-Herder · Tectonic Instability · Citadel of Pain · Jeska's Will · Magus of the Moon · Razorkin Needlehead · Tunnel Ignus · Abrade · Crucible of Worlds · Rug of Smothering · Scytheclaw Raptor · Faithless Looting · Impending Disaster · Lightning Bolt · Thrill of Possibility · Basilisk Collar · Mechanized Warfare · Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might // Temple of Power · Fiery Emancipation · Hexing Squelcher · Keldon Firebombers · Storm Cauldron · Tremble · Krenko's Buzzcrusher · Acidic Soil · Mana Geyser · Red Elemental Blast · Commander's Sphere · Deflecting Swat · Smoke · Field of Ruin · Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle · Ghost Quarter · Strip Mine · Darksteel Citadel · Demolition Field · Wasteland · Volatile Fault
🃏 Recommended cards for Zo-Zu the Punisher
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Zo-Zu the Punisher, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Ankh of Mishra | 89% | +87% |
| Manabarbs | 86% | +80% |
| Harsh Mentor | 69% | +64% |
| Sulfuric Vortex | 71% | +63% |
| Burning Earth | 66% | +63% |
| From the Ashes | 59% | +59% |
| Price of Progress | 65% | +57% |
| Price of Glory | 60% | +57% |
| Dingus Egg | 56% | +56% |
| Torbran, Thane of Red Fell | 75% | +53% |
| Cemetery Gatekeeper | 54% | +53% |
| Spellshock | 56% | +52% |
| Stoneshaker Shaman | 47% | +46% |
| Field of Ruin | 48% | +46% |
| Ruination | 48% | +45% |
| Cleansing Wildfire | 45% | +44% |
| Heartless Hidetsugu | 48% | +43% |
| Rampaging Ferocidon | 47% | +43% |
| Solphim, Mayhem Dominus | 56% | +42% |
| Ghost Quarter | 44% | +41% |
| War's Toll | 42% | +40% |
| Akki Blizzard-Herder | 40% | +40% |
| Tectonic Instability | 40% | +39% |
| Furnace of Rath | 44% | +39% |
💰 The best cards for your Zo-Zu the Punisher deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Harsh Mentor
- Sulfuric Vortex
- From the Ashes
- Dingus Egg
- Spellshock
- Stoneshaker Shaman
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Ankh of Mishra
- Manabarbs
- Burning Earth
- Price of Progress
- Price of Glory
- Torbran, Thane of Red Fell
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Solphim, Mayhem Dominus
- Crucible of Worlds
- Wasteland
- Ruby Medallion
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Zo-Zu the Punisher
- Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will → Infinite draw triggers for all players, Infinite looting for all players, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite looting, Infinite looting for opponents, Near-infinite storm count
- Dualcaster Mage + Twinflame → Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature tokens with haste, Infinite magecraft triggers
- Blasphemous Act + Repercussion → Near-infinite damage to all players
- Reiterate + Jeska's Will → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count, Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
- Reiterate + Mana Geyser → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Zo-Zu the Punisher's color identity?
Zo-Zu the Punisher is red: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones. Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Zo-Zu the Punisher come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Zo-Zu the Punisher deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 34 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.1 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 100 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 39 % of the time and floods 29 %. Deck health: D (45/100).
How many lands should a Zo-Zu the Punisher deck run?
Real Zo-Zu the Punisher decks run 34 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Zo-Zu the Punisher?
The three highest-synergy cards are Ankh of Mishra, Manabarbs, Harsh Mentor. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Zo-Zu the Punisher decks.
What combos does Zo-Zu the Punisher have?
Zo-Zu the Punisher has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will. Note that two-card combos raise your deck's bracket, so it is worth knowing which ones you are running before you sit down.
How much does a Zo-Zu the Punisher deck cost?
You can start cheap: Harsh Mentor, Sulfuric Vortex, From the Ashes are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.