Gandalf, Shadow's Foe
Vigilance When Gandalf enters, exile up to three target lands you control, then return them to the battlefield tapped under their owner's control. Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, draw a card and put a +1/+1 counter on Gandalf.
How Gandalf decks play in EDH
Gandalf, Shadow's Foe is a mono-blue commander costing 5UU, and its legendary creature - avatar wizard line shapes the whole deck around it. It cares about +1/+1 counters, so counter-doubling effects and creatures that grow on their own carry the deck. It draws extra cards, so the deck can afford a lower curve and lean on volume. The cards below are the ones Gandalf, Shadow's Foe decks actually play most often, grouped by the job they do.
Most-played cards
20 cards · about $92.90Play rates from EDHREC. Prices from Scryfall, refreshed daily.
Card draw (2)
Creatures (9)
Synergy & payoffs (8)
Lands (1)
Build the full 100
Grimoire generates a complete, Commander-legal Gandalf, Shadow's Foe decklist with a written strategy, a full mana base and live prices — from the whole card pool, or only from cards you already own.
Start with GandalfGandalf deck questions
What colours can I use in a Gandalf, Shadow's Foe deck?
Gandalf, Shadow's Foe has a mono-blue colour identity, so every card in the deck must be blue or colourless. That includes mana symbols in rules text, not just casting cost.
What are the best cards for Gandalf, Shadow's Foe?
The cards played most often in Gandalf, Shadow's Foe decks include Elven Raft-Steerer, Wizard's Staff, Troop of Ponies. The full list of staples above is grouped by the job each card does, so you can see the deck's skeleton rather than just a pile of names.
How much does a Gandalf, Shadow's Foe deck cost?
The 20 most-played cards shown above come to roughly $92.90 at current market prices. A complete 100-card build costs more, and Grimoire can generate a budget version instead if you set a price ceiling.
Can I build a Gandalf, Shadow's Foe deck from cards I already own?
Yes. Import your collection into Grimoire and choose "my cards" when you build. The generator will only use cards you actually own, and the Missing Cards page shows what you would need to buy to finish any list.