Xanathar, Guild Kingpin
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target opponent. Until end of turn, that player can't cast spells, you may look at the top card of their library any time, you may play the top card of their library, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast spells this way.
How Xanathar decks play in EDH
Xanathar, Guild Kingpin is a Dimir commander in blue and black costing 4UB, and its legendary creature - beholder line shapes the whole deck around it. Its ability is narrow enough that the deck is usually built to protect it and repeat the effect, rather than to go wide. The cards below are the ones Xanathar, Guild Kingpin decks actually play most often, grouped by the job they do.
Most-played cards
20 cards · about $38.01Play rates from EDHREC. Prices from Scryfall, refreshed daily.
Card draw (2)
Counterspells (2)
Creatures (9)
Synergy & payoffs (6)
Lands (1)
Build the full 100
Grimoire generates a complete, Commander-legal Xanathar, Guild Kingpin 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 XanatharXanathar deck questions
What colours can I use in a Xanathar, Guild Kingpin deck?
Xanathar, Guild Kingpin has a Dimir colour identity, so every card in the deck must be blue and black or colourless. That includes mana symbols in rules text, not just casting cost.
What are the best cards for Xanathar, Guild Kingpin?
The cards played most often in Xanathar, Guild Kingpin decks include Inside Information, Bilbo, Thief in the Night, Turbulent Wetlands. 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 Xanathar, Guild Kingpin deck cost?
The 20 most-played cards shown above come to roughly $38.01 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 Xanathar, Guild Kingpin 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.