Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel

Legendary Creature — Spirit Dragon · from $3.95

Flying Whenever you gain life, you may pay that much life. If you do, draw that many cards. {T}: Each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

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

52 of 100 at $5 or less · 36 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	Swords to Plowshares	Instant	1	$0.98
7	Swiftfoot Boots	Artifact	2	$1.43
8	Lightning Greaves	Artifact	2	$3.86
9	Path of Ancestry	Land	0	$0.16
10	Path to Exile	Instant	1	$0.71
11	Fellwar Stone	Artifact	2	$0.47
12	Rogue's Passage	Land	0	$0.31
13	Evolving Wilds	Land	0	$0.09
14	Thought Vessel	Artifact	2	$2.23
15	Bojuka Bog	Land	0	$1.12
16	Terramorphic Expanse	Land	0	$0.10
17	Myriad Landscape	Land	0	$0.25
18	Mind Stone	Artifact	2	$0.21
19	Dark Ritual	Instant	1	$0.44
20	Polluted Delta	Land	0	$19.85
21	Flooded Strand	Land	0	$12.78
22	Skullclamp	Artifact	1	$4.85
23	Solemn Simulacrum	Creature	4	$0.27
24	Misty Rainforest	Land	0	$35.98
25	Bloodstained Mire	Land	0	$14.54
26	Fabled Passage	Land	0	$0.65
27	Windswept Heath	Land	0	$11.19
28	Wooded Foothills	Land	0	$17.96
29	Verdant Catacombs	Land	0	$29.16
30	Scalding Tarn	Land	0	$36.86
31	Marsh Flats	Land	0	$32.04
32	Commander's Sphere	Artifact	3	$0.19
33	Reanimate	Sorcery	1	$6.56
34	Arid Mesa	Land	0	$31.40
35	Godless Shrine	Land	0	$8.47
36	Generous Gift	Instant	3	$0.93
37	Demonic Tutor	Sorcery	2	$62.80
38	Smothering Tithe	Enchantment	4	$56.09
39	Toxic Deluge	Sorcery	3	$5.04
40	Ancient Tomb	Land	0	$56.94
41	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	Land	0	$56.13
42	Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth	Land	0	$16.76
43	Esper Sentinel	Creature	1	$58.03
44	Temple of the False God	Land	0	$0.19
45	Chromatic Lantern	Artifact	3	$0.38
46	Isolated Chapel	Land	0	$0.21
47	Feed the Swarm	Sorcery	2	$0.19
48	City of Brass	Land	0	$9.17
49	The One Ring	Artifact	4	$109.88
50	Phyrexian Arena	Enchantment	3	$1.92
51	Deadly Rollick	Instant	4	$26.52
52	Teferi's Protection	Instant	3	$34.90
53	Cavern of Souls	Land	0	$47.72
54	Vampiric Tutor	Instant	1	$48.13
55	Mana Confluence	Land	0	$34.75
56	Urza's Saga	Enchantment	0	$34.67
57	Lotus Petal	Artifact	0	$35.11
58	Enlightened Tutor	Instant	1	$21.99
59	Caves of Koilos	Land	0	$0.30
60	Wayfarer's Bauble	Artifact	1	$0.31
61	Black Market Connections	Enchantment	3	$10.78
62	Victimize	Sorcery	3	$0.57
63	Deadly Dispute	Instant	2	$0.29
64	Roaming Throne	Creature	4	$47.06
65	Ashnod's Altar	Artifact	3	$8.15
66	Talisman of Hierarchy	Artifact	2	$0.45
67	War Room	Land	0	$0.79
68	Blood Artist	Creature	2	$2.78
69	Herald's Horn	Artifact	3	$2.88
70	Mana Vault	Artifact	1	$91.59
71	Anguished Unmaking	Instant	3	$1.58
72	Chrome Mox	Artifact	0	$51.19
73	Ghostly Prison	Enchantment	3	$5.72
74	Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx	Land	0	$45.68
75	Reflecting Pool	Land	0	$5.50
76	Vault of Champions	Land	0	$16.60
77	Austere Command	Sorcery	6	$0.33
78	Flawless Maneuver	Instant	3	$9.24
79	Farewell	Sorcery	6	$4.44
80	Three Tree City	Land	0	$29.09
81	Gemstone Caverns	Land	0	$62.05
82	Night's Whisper	Sorcery	2	$0.23
83	Command Beacon	Land	0	$7.99
84	Akroma's Will	Instant	4	$16.21
85	Orzhov Signet	Artifact	2	$0.33
86	Idol of Oblivion	Artifact	2	$2.40
87	Prismatic Vista	Land	0	$28.10
88	Buried Ruin	Land	0	$0.38
89	Phyrexian Tower	Land	0	$29.06
90	Thran Dynamo	Artifact	4	$1.94
91	Fell the Profane // Fell Mire	Instant	4	$5.80
92	Cabal Coffers	Land	0	$20.77
93	Stroke of Midnight	Instant	3	$0.20
94	Patchwork Banner	Artifact	3	$1.52
95	Village Rites	Instant	1	$0.30
96	Mox Amber	Artifact	0	$86.45
97	Karn's Bastion	Land	0	$2.51
98	Ash Barrens	Land	0	$0.15
99	Secluded Courtyard	Land	0	$0.31
100	Ornithopter of Paradise	Creature	2	$0.35

Curve of these staples

Combos with Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel

2 combos using this commander that fit its color identity, from Commander Spellbook.

Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel + Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
Infinite card draw · Infinite draw triggers · Near-infinite lifegain triggers · Near-infinite lifegain
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel + Starving Revenant
Infinite card draw · Infinite draw triggers · Near-infinite lifegain triggers · Near-infinite lifeloss
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo

Top finishes

One finish placing top 16 at 16+ player events with this commander. Results from Topdeck.gg.

3rd of 16 — Second City Games cEDH Monthly -> October 2026 on Topdeck.ggOct 3, 2026 · 1–2–1 · by Shauna Gilles

All 1 finish →

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.

Commanders