EDH Optimizer
Zul Ashur, Lich Lord
Legendary Creature — Zombie Warlock · 1B
Color identity: Black
Zul Ashur, Lich Lord is black: its deck can only run cards of that color plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Ward—Pay 2 life. (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays 2 life.)
{T}: You may cast target Zombie creature card from your graveyard this turn.
Reference price of the card: €0.64
Average lands in decks for Zul Ashur, Lich Lord: 37
ZombiesReanimatorGraveyardTokensAristocratsComboSelf-MillMill
Build your Zul Ashur, Lich Lord deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Zul Ashur, Lich Lord 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Zul Ashur, Lich Lord deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play (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: C+ (60/100)
- Consistency53
- Speed67
- Interaction29
- Resilience78
- Closing70
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 37 lands (13 nonbasic, 24 Swamp)
Sol Ring · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Gravecrawler · Undead Augur · Death Baron · Diregraf Colossus · Headless Rider · Lord of the Accursed · Accursed Marauder · Champion of the Perished · Cemetery Reaper · Cryptbreaker · Fleshbag Marauder · Midnight Reaper · Jet Medallion · Undead Warchief · Stitcher's Supplier · Carrion Feeder · Tormod, the Desecrator · Arcane Signet · Archghoul of Thraben · Endless Ranks of the Dead · Zombie Apocalypse · Dark Ritual · Bontu's Monument · Feed the Swarm · Zombie Master · Vile Entomber · Village Rites · Buried Alive · Lord of the Undead · Victimize · Noxious Ghoul · Plague Belcher · Liliana, Dreadhorde General · Mikaeus, the Unhallowed · Vengeful Dead · Warren Soultrader · Withering Torment · Mire Triton · Tomb Tyrant · Lost Monarch of Ifnir · Army of the Damned · Fell Stinger · Phyrexian Arena · Deadly Dispute · Grim Servant · Reanimate · Shepherd of Rot · Unstoppable Slasher · Liliana's Mastery · Open the Graves · Corrupted Conviction · Liliana, Death's Majesty · Undead Butler · Crowded Crypt · Relentless Dead · Entomb · Grave Titan · Ashnod's Altar · Shambling Ghast · Grave Pact · Cabal Coffers · Bojuka Bog · Unholy Grotto · Phyrexian Tower · Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth · Crypt of Agadeem · Cabal Stronghold · Path of Ancestry · Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx · Myriad Landscape · Three Tree City · Witch's Cottage · Accursed Duneyard
🃏 Recommended cards for Zul Ashur, Lich Lord
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Zul Ashur, Lich Lord, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Undead Augur | 73% | +69% |
| Death Baron | 72% | +67% |
| Diregraf Colossus | 70% | +67% |
| Headless Rider | 69% | +66% |
| Lord of the Accursed | 69% | +66% |
| Champion of the Perished | 64% | +60% |
| Cemetery Reaper | 62% | +59% |
| Gravecrawler | 73% | +58% |
| Cryptbreaker | 60% | +56% |
| Undead Warchief | 55% | +51% |
| Archghoul of Thraben | 52% | +51% |
| Tormod, the Desecrator | 53% | +51% |
| Midnight Reaper | 59% | +50% |
| Zombie Apocalypse | 51% | +49% |
| Endless Ranks of the Dead | 52% | +48% |
| Stitcher's Supplier | 54% | +48% |
| Accursed Marauder | 67% | +45% |
| Zombie Master | 47% | +45% |
| Lord of the Undead | 45% | +43% |
| Fleshbag Marauder | 59% | +42% |
| Noxious Ghoul | 44% | +42% |
| Plague Belcher | 44% | +42% |
| Carrion Feeder | 53% | +41% |
| Vile Entomber | 46% | +40% |
💰 The best cards for your Zul Ashur, Lich Lord 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.
- Undead Augur
- Death Baron
- Diregraf Colossus
- Headless Rider
- Lord of the Accursed
- Champion of the Perished
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Undead Warchief
- Lord of the Undead
- Carrion Feeder
- Tomb Tyrant
- Liliana, Dreadhorde General
- Unstoppable Slasher
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
- Relentless Dead
- Warren Soultrader
- Poxwalkers
- Three Tree City
- Entomb
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Zul Ashur, Lich Lord
- Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood → Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite lifegain
- Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Ashnod's Altar → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- Warren Soultrader + Gravecrawler + Blood Artist → Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite lifegain triggers, Infinite lifeloss, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite storm count
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Phyrexian Altar → Infinite colored mana, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Carrion Feeder → Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature, Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature sacrifice triggers, Infinite death triggers
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Zul Ashur, Lich Lord's color identity?
Zul Ashur, Lich Lord is black: 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 Zul Ashur, Lich Lord come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Zul Ashur, Lich Lord deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 37 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 2.1 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 25 % of the time and floods 19 %. Deck health: C+ (60/100).
How many lands should a Zul Ashur, Lich Lord deck run?
Real Zul Ashur, Lich Lord decks run 37 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 Zul Ashur, Lich Lord?
The three highest-synergy cards are Undead Augur, Death Baron, Diregraf Colossus. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Zul Ashur, Lich Lord decks.
What combos does Zul Ashur, Lich Lord have?
Zul Ashur, Lich Lord has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Sanguine Bond + Exquisite Blood. 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 Zul Ashur, Lich Lord deck cost?
You can start cheap: Undead Augur, Death Baron, Diregraf Colossus 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.