Zhou Yu, Chief Commander
Zhou Yu can't attack unless defending player controls an Island.
How Zhou Yu decks play in EDH
Zhou Yu, Chief Commander is a mono-blue commander costing 5UU, and its legendary creature - human soldier 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 Zhou Yu, Chief Commander decks actually play most often, grouped by the job they do.
Most-played cards
20 cards · about $57.86Play rates from EDHREC. Prices from Scryfall, refreshed daily.
Card draw (2)
Counterspells (1)
Creatures (12)
Synergy & payoffs (5)
Build the full 100
Grimoire generates a complete, Commander-legal Zhou Yu, Chief Commander 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 Zhou YuZhou Yu deck questions
What colours can I use in a Zhou Yu, Chief Commander deck?
Zhou Yu, Chief Commander 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 Zhou Yu, Chief Commander?
The cards played most often in Zhou Yu, Chief Commander decks include Geist of Saint Thalia, Confusticate and Bebother, Riddles in the Dark. 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 Zhou Yu, Chief Commander deck cost?
The 20 most-played cards shown above come to roughly $57.86 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 Zhou Yu, Chief Commander 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.