Art: Mark Winters · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast

Nekusar, the Mindrazer

UBR

Legendary Creature — Zombie Wizard · from $2.40

At the beginning of each player's draw step, that player draws an additional card. Whenever an opponent draws a card, Nekusar deals 1 damage to that player.

Build with this commander Start with a starter shell Card details, printings & prices

A typical Commander deck

A starting template, not a rule — counts to fill in around the commander.

Lands3736–38 for most decks; fewer with cheap curves
Ramp10mana rocks, dorks, land ramp — mostly 2–3 mana
Card draw10repeatable engines beat one-shot cantrips
Targeted removal6answers for creatures AND artifacts/enchantments
Board wipes3sweepers reset boards you've lost
Synergy & win conditions33the deck's actual plan

Staples in these colors

The 100 cards that fit this color identity in the most EDHREC decklists (EDHREC rank via Scryfall).

Budget

57 of 100 at $5 or less · 40 at $1 or less

#	Card	Type	MV	Price
1	Sol Ring	Artifact	1	$1.07
2	Command Tower	Land	0	$0.26
3	Arcane Signet	Artifact	2	$0.34
4	Exotic Orchard	Land	0	$0.19
5	Reliquary Tower	Land	0	$4.28
6	Swiftfoot Boots	Artifact	2	$1.43
7	Lightning Greaves	Artifact	2	$3.86
8	Path of Ancestry	Land	0	$0.16
9	Counterspell	Instant	2	$1.33
10	Fellwar Stone	Artifact	2	$0.47
11	Rogue's Passage	Land	0	$0.31
12	Evolving Wilds	Land	0	$0.09
13	Thought Vessel	Artifact	2	$2.23
14	Blasphemous Act	Sorcery	9	$0.72
15	Bojuka Bog	Land	0	$1.12
16	Terramorphic Expanse	Land	0	$0.10
17	Chaos Warp	Instant	3	$0.32
18	Myriad Landscape	Land	0	$0.25
19	Mind Stone	Artifact	2	$0.21
20	Dark Ritual	Instant	1	$0.44
21	An Offer You Can't Refuse	Instant	1	$3.01
22	Polluted Delta	Land	0	$19.85
23	Flooded Strand	Land	0	$12.78
24	Skullclamp	Artifact	1	$4.85
25	Solemn Simulacrum	Creature	4	$0.27
26	Misty Rainforest	Land	0	$35.98
27	Bloodstained Mire	Land	0	$14.54
28	Fabled Passage	Land	0	$0.65
29	Windswept Heath	Land	0	$11.19
30	Rhystic Study	Enchantment	3	$61.06
31	Wooded Foothills	Land	0	$17.96
32	Verdant Catacombs	Land	0	$29.16
33	Scalding Tarn	Land	0	$36.86
34	Watery Grave	Land	0	$9.86
35	Marsh Flats	Land	0	$32.04
36	Arcane Denial	Instant	2	$1.88
37	Commander's Sphere	Artifact	3	$0.19
38	Reanimate	Sorcery	1	$6.56
39	Negate	Instant	2	$0.12
40	Arid Mesa	Land	0	$31.40
41	Cyclonic Rift	Instant	2	$29.75
42	Steam Vents	Land	0	$9.63
43	Demonic Tutor	Sorcery	2	$62.80
44	Toxic Deluge	Sorcery	3	$5.04
45	Swan Song	Instant	1	$10.72
46	Blood Crypt	Land	0	$8.68
47	Ancient Tomb	Land	0	$56.94
48	Brainstorm	Instant	1	$0.56
49	Deflecting Swat	Instant	3	$70.85
50	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	Land	0	$56.13
51	Sulfur Falls	Land	0	$0.20
52	Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth	Land	0	$16.76
53	Fierce Guardianship	Instant	3	$59.21
54	Temple of the False God	Land	0	$0.19
55	Dragonskull Summit	Land	0	$0.45
56	Chromatic Lantern	Artifact	3	$0.38
57	Sunken Hollow	Land	0	$0.29
58	Otawara, Soaring City	Land	0	$26.57
59	Feed the Swarm	Sorcery	2	$0.19
60	Talisman of Dominance	Artifact	2	$0.49
61	Smoldering Marsh	Land	0	$0.27
62	City of Brass	Land	0	$9.17
63	The One Ring	Artifact	4	$109.88
64	Faithless Looting	Sorcery	1	$0.36
65	Frantic Search	Instant	3	$0.82
66	Mystic Remora	Enchantment	1	$10.97
67	Vandalblast	Sorcery	1	$1.74
68	Phyrexian Arena	Enchantment	3	$1.92
69	Jeska's Will	Sorcery	3	$39.58
70	Drowned Catacomb	Land	0	$0.50
71	Deadly Rollick	Instant	4	$26.52
72	Cavern of Souls	Land	0	$47.72
73	Propaganda	Enchantment	3	$1.84
74	Shivan Reef	Land	0	$0.22
75	Vampiric Tutor	Instant	1	$48.13
76	Mana Confluence	Land	0	$34.75
77	Urza's Saga	Enchantment	0	$34.67
78	Mana Drain	Instant	2	$50.65
79	Lotus Petal	Artifact	0	$35.11
80	Talisman of Creativity	Artifact	2	$0.45
81	Wayfarer's Bauble	Artifact	1	$0.31
82	Talisman of Indulgence	Artifact	2	$0.47
83	Black Market Connections	Enchantment	3	$10.78
84	Victimize	Sorcery	3	$0.57
85	Deadly Dispute	Instant	2	$0.29
86	Roaming Throne	Creature	4	$47.06
87	Ashnod's Altar	Artifact	3	$8.15
88	Big Score	Instant	4	$0.41
89	War Room	Land	0	$0.79
90	Blood Artist	Creature	2	$2.78
91	Underground River	Land	0	$0.51
92	Sulfurous Springs	Land	0	$0.49
93	Abrade	Instant	2	$0.17
94	Ponder	Sorcery	1	$1.82
95	Morphic Pool	Land	0	$28.50
96	Herald's Horn	Artifact	3	$2.88
97	Mana Vault	Artifact	1	$91.59
98	Training Center	Land	0	$17.67
99	Pongify	Instant	1	$2.21
100	Chrome Mox	Artifact	0	$51.19

Curve of these staples

Most played with Nekusar, the Mindrazer

The 25 most-played cards in 7 settled top-16 lists running Nekusar, the Mindrazer at 16+ player events since Apr 13, 2026, ranked by lists played — top-4 counts shown for context. Results from Topdeck.gg.

#	Card	Played in	Top 4
1	Arcane Signet	100% · 7 of 7	2
2	Command Tower	100% · 7 of 7	2
3	Dark Ritual	100% · 7 of 7	2
4	Sol Ring	100% · 7 of 7	2
5	Windfall	100% · 7 of 7	2
6	Exotic Orchard	71% · 5 of 7	2
7	Fellwar Stone	71% · 5 of 7	2
8	Island	71% · 5 of 7	2
9	Mountain	71% · 5 of 7	2
10	Scrawling Crawler	71% · 5 of 7	2
11	Swamp	71% · 5 of 7	2
12	Teferi's Puzzle Box	71% · 5 of 7	2
13	Arcane Denial	57% · 4 of 7	2
14	Blasphemous Act	57% · 4 of 7	2
15	Blood Crypt	57% · 4 of 7	0
16	Bloodstained Mire	57% · 4 of 7	0
17	Brainstorm	57% · 4 of 7	2
18	Dauthi Voidwalker	57% · 4 of 7	0
19	Demonic Tutor	57% · 4 of 7	0
20	Dictate of Kruphix	57% · 4 of 7	2
21	Fate Unraveler	57% · 4 of 7	2
22	Flooded Strand	57% · 4 of 7	0
23	Howling Mine	57% · 4 of 7	2
24	Lightning Greaves	57% · 4 of 7	2
25	Lotus Petal	57% · 4 of 7	0

Combos with Nekusar, the Mindrazer

The 10 most popular of 23 combos (by EDHREC decklist count) using this commander that fit its color identity, from Commander Spellbook.

Nekusar, the Mindrazer + Peer into the Abyss
Near-infinite card draw for target opponent · Near-infinite damage to one opponent · Near-infinite draw triggers for target opponent · Target opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Nekusar, the Mindrazer + Phyresis + Windfall
Each opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Echo of Eons + Nekusar, the Mindrazer + Phyresis
Each opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Nekusar, the Mindrazer + Tainted Strike + Windfall
Each opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Grafted Exoskeleton + Nekusar, the Mindrazer + Windfall
Each opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Glistening Oil + Nekusar, the Mindrazer + Windfall
Each opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Echo of Eons + Nekusar, the Mindrazer + Tainted Strike
Each opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Echo of Eons + Grafted Exoskeleton + Nekusar, the Mindrazer
Each opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Echo of Eons + Glistening Oil + Nekusar, the Mindrazer
Each opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Corrupted Conscience + Nekusar, the Mindrazer + Windfall
Each opponent loses the game
How it works on Commander Spellbook
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Top finishes

7 finishes placing top 16 at 16+ player events with this commander. Results from Topdeck.gg.

5th of 24 — September TGL Bracket 3 Commander Tournament on Topdeck.ggSep 12, 2026 · 1–2–1 · by Ethan Filipovic
14th of 42 — Mulligan Championship Series - August w/ Gauranteed Savannah on Topdeck.ggAug 2, 2026 · 1–2–2 · by NIALL KELLY [BAD]
2nd of 20 — Commander Budget - Magic Barcelona on Topdeck.ggMay 18, 2026 · 0–2–0 · by Dídac Diaz
10th of 37 — King of Games Series #14 on Topdeck.ggMay 17, 2026 · 1–3–1 · by Joseph switzer
9th of 24 — The Reoccurring Rhystic Study on Topdeck.ggMay 16, 2026 · 0–3–1 · by Matt H
6th of 25 — Commander Budget - Magic Barcelona on Topdeck.ggApr 20, 2026 · 0–2–0 · by Dídac Diaz
2nd of 23 — Commander Budget - Magic Barcelona on Topdeck.ggApr 13, 2026 · 0–2–0 · by Dídac Diaz

All 7 finishes →

Card data and images courtesy of Scryfall; popularity ranking from EDHREC decklist data included in Scryfall bulk. Combo data courtesy of Commander Spellbook. Tournament results courtesy of Topdeck.gg. Deckwarden is unofficial Fan Content and is not endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

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