Jace, Multiverse Architect is a planeswalker commander. At the beginning of combat on each opponent's turn they may pay {2}, and if they do not, their creatures cannot attack your Jaces that turn. His +1 draws two cards and puts one back on the bottom of your library, and his -3 exiles another creature or planeswalker you control and reveals until you hit a creature or planeswalker to put onto the battlefield.

The set's new keyword is empower: put loyalty counters on a Jace token you control, creating a blue Jace token first if you have none. Each swap below pairs a cut with an add, and every card is scored with the same numbers the Oracle uses to build decks: synergy and inclusion from the Jace decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Jace decks than in decks that could play it.

Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Multiverse Reforged precon guide.

10
Swaps
$22.85
Cost of the adds
39→39
Lands
12→22
Avg Oracle score

What is holding the deck back

Almost nothing empowers Jace

Only two cards in the precon empower Jace (Plan for All Outcomes and Fatehold Charm), and the only other planeswalker is Elspeth, Sun's Champion. A deck built around a planeswalker commander needs more ways to put loyalty counters on a Jace. Several of the adds do exactly that.

The curve is very top-heavy

Twenty-two nonland cards cost six or more, including The Ur-Sphinx at nine mana, Akroma, Angel of Fury at eight and Omnath, Locus of the Void at seven. Jace's -3 can cheat a big creature onto the battlefield, but the deck still has to survive until it can cast the rest.

More mana than the deck can use

Thirty-nine lands plus thirteen mana rocks, including Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Chromatic Lantern, Fellwar Stone and a Signet or Talisman for several colour pairs. With that much mana the deck wants cheap, impactful cards to spend it on, not more nine-drops.

The 10 swaps

Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.

Swap 1 of 10
Dack Fayden, Helping Hand
Cut
Dack Fayden, Helping Hand
Legendary Creature — Human Advisor · 4WW
Inclusion9%
Synergy3%
Lift1.5×
Oracle score 6
Sanctum Lurker
Add
Sanctum Lurker
Creature — Horror · 2B
Inclusion32%
Synergy13%
Lift1.7×
Oracle score 21

Dack Fayden costs six, and when it enters you put creature cards onto the battlefield that are goaded and then handed to your opponents. It is in under one Jace deck in ten.

Sanctum Lurker costs {2}{B}: when it enters, empower Jace 1, planeswalkers you control are not put into the graveyard for having 0 loyalty, and your planeswalkers gain a +2 that deals 1 damage to each opponent and gains you 1 life. It makes a Jace token and keeps every walker alive and useful.

Swap 2 of 10
Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel
Cut
Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel
Legendary Creature — Spirit Dragon · 2WWBB
Inclusion16%
Synergy5%
Lift1.5×
Oracle score 9
Jace's Machinations
Add
Jace's Machinations
Instant · 2U
Inclusion31%
Synergy13%
Lift1.7×
Oracle score 20

Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel is a six-mana flier that needs {W}{W}{B}{B} in a four-colour deck, and it is played in about one Jace deck in twenty.

Jace's Machinations is an instant for {2}{U}: until end of turn you may activate the loyalty abilities of your Jaces at instant speed on any player's turn, and you empower Jace 8. Eight loyalty counters on a Jace token for three mana, and a surprise extra activation of his +1 or -3.

Swap 3 of 10
Omnath, Locus of the Void
Cut
Omnath, Locus of the Void
Legendary Creature — Elemental · 7
Inclusion19%
Synergy2%
Lift1.1×
Oracle score 9
Identity Echo
Add
Identity Echo
Enchantment · 2R
Inclusion27%
Synergy11%
Lift1.6×
Oracle score 17

Omnath, Locus of the Void costs seven colourless mana, and everything it does is colourless mana, which does nothing for the plan.

Identity Echo is {2}{R}, and for {3}{R} at sorcery speed you exile a creature or planeswalker you control, reveal cards until you reveal another creature or planeswalker, and put it onto the battlefield. That is Jace's -3 as a repeatable ability on an enchantment.

Swap 4 of 10
The Ur-Sphinx
Cut
The Ur-Sphinx
Legendary Creature — Sphinx Avatar · 6WUB
Inclusion16%
Synergy5%
Lift1.5×
Oracle score 10
Vraska, Betrayal's Sting
Add
Vraska, Betrayal's Sting
Legendary Planeswalker — Vraska · 4BB/P
Inclusion23%
Synergy18%
Lift1.7×
Oracle score 20

The Ur-Sphinx costs {6}{W}{U}{B}, nine mana, and it is the only Sphinx in the deck, so its cost reduction does nothing.

Vraska, Betrayal's Sting costs {4}{B}{B/P}: her 0 draws a card, loses you 1 life and proliferates (which can add counters to your Jaces and Elspeth), and her -2 turns a creature into a Treasure. A real planeswalker that draws every turn, for under $5.

Swap 5 of 10
Akroma, Angel of Fury
Cut
Akroma, Angel of Fury
Legendary Creature — Angel · 5RRR
Inclusion13%
Synergy10%
Lift1.5×
Oracle score 11
Jace, Reality Sculptor
Add
Jace, Reality Sculptor
Legendary Planeswalker — Jace · 3UU
Inclusion29%
Synergy12%
Lift1.7×
Oracle score 19

Akroma costs {5}{R}{R}{R}. Triple red is a lot to ask in four colours, and it is played in about one deck in eight.

Jace, Reality Sculptor costs {3}{U}{U}, and his +1 empowers Jace X, where X is the number of Islands you control. His -3 makes creatures attacking you or your planeswalkers get -5/-0 for a turn. A second Jace to protect and a way to grow.

Swap 6 of 10
Venser, Fervent Forger
Cut
Venser, Fervent Forger
Legendary Creature — Human Sorcerer · 4RR
Inclusion19%
Synergy6%
Lift1.5×
Oracle score 11
Propaganda
Add
Propaganda
Enchantment · 2U
Inclusion20%
Synergy12%
Lift1.3×
Oracle score 15

Venser costs {4}{R}{R}. His flash modes copy an opponent's spell or make copies of one of their permanents, but he is played in about one Jace deck in five.

Propaganda costs {2}{U} and keeps creatures from attacking you or your Jaces unless their controller pays {2} for each attacker. It stacks with Jace's own attack tax and gives the planeswalkers time to untap and build up.

Swap 7 of 10
Currency Converter
Cut
Currency Converter
Artifact · 1
Inclusion21%
Synergy16%
Lift1.6×
Oracle score 18
Theorist's Sanctum
Add
Theorist's Sanctum
Land — Island
Inclusion25%
Synergy11%
Lift1.7×
Oracle score 17

Currency Converter is a one-mana artifact that loots for {2} and can turn exiled cards into Treasures or Rogues. It does nothing for Jace and the deck has plenty of mana.

Theorist's Sanctum is a land that taps for {U} and enters untapped if you behold a Jace (reveal one from your hand or control one, including a Jace token from empower). For {2}{U}, {T} it empowers Jace 2, a land that grows your planeswalker every turn.

Swap 8 of 10
Ginger, Queen of Sweets
Cut
Ginger, Queen of Sweets
Legendary Artifact Creature — Food Noble · 6
Inclusion24%
Synergy9%
Lift1.6×
Oracle score 15
Way of the Pyromancer
Add
Way of the Pyromancer
Legendary Enchantment · 1R
Inclusion21%
Synergy9%
Lift1.7×
Oracle score 14

Ginger costs six and makes you the monarch, a title that is easy to lose to any opponent who connects, and at the table it gives them an incentive to attack you.

Way of the Pyromancer costs {1}{R}: when it enters you empower Jace 2, and your planeswalkers gain +1: add {R}. Cheap, it makes the Jace token on turn two and it turns every planeswalker you control into a mana source.

Swap 9 of 10
Teferi's Reproach
Cut
Teferi's Reproach
Instant · 2W
Inclusion25%
Synergy9%
Lift1.5×
Oracle score 15
Spark Double
Add
Spark Double
Creature — Illusion · 3U
Inclusion46%
Synergy34%
Lift1.5×
Oracle score 39

Teferi's Reproach ({2}{W}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 15 in the Oracle: it is in 25% of Jace decks with 9% synergy. It reads: Choose target opponent. Until that player's next turn, they gain protection from everything and their life total can't change.

Spark Double ({3}{U}) scores 39: it is in 46% of Jace decks with 34% synergy. It reads: You may have this creature enter as a copy of a creature or planeswalker you control, except it enters with an additional +1/+1 counter on it if it's a creature, it enters with an additional loyalty counter on it if it's a.

Swap 10 of 10
Tamiyo, Upriser Crowned
Cut
Tamiyo, Upriser Crowned
Legendary Creature — Moonfolk Warrior · 4RW
Inclusion27%
Synergy9%
Lift1.5×
Oracle score 16
Oath of Teferi
Add
Oath of Teferi
Legendary Enchantment · 3WU
Inclusion41%
Synergy32%
Lift1.7×
Oracle score 36

Tamiyo, Upriser Crowned ({4}{R}{W}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 16 in the Oracle: it is in 27% of Jace decks with 9% synergy. It reads: Flying, double strike, haste. When Tamiyo enters, you become the monarch.

Oath of Teferi ({3}{W}{U}) scores 36: it is in 41% of Jace decks with 32% synergy. It reads: When Oath of Teferi enters, exile another target permanent you control. Return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.

The full swap list

Cut

  • Dack Fayden, Helping Hand
  • Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel
  • Omnath, Locus of the Void
  • The Ur-Sphinx
  • Akroma, Angel of Fury
  • Venser, Fervent Forger
  • Currency Converter
  • Ginger, Queen of Sweets
  • Teferi's Reproach
  • Tamiyo, Upriser Crowned

Add

  • Sanctum Lurker
  • Jace's Machinations
  • Identity Echo
  • Vraska, Betrayal's Sting
  • Jace, Reality Sculptor
  • Propaganda
  • Theorist's Sanctum
  • Way of the Pyromancer
  • Spark Double
  • Oath of Teferi

What to keep

These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.

If you want to spend more

These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.

The verdict

Multiverse Reforged already plays the right interaction: sweepers, spot removal and card draw are all there. What it needs is more planeswalker and more reasons to want Jace on the table, and it can afford to drop the nine-mana and eight-mana creatures to make room. These ten swaps cost about $9 in total and turn the deck from a pile of wraths into one that grows its planeswalkers.

Want a full 100-card list built around Jace, Multiverse Architect from today's data?

Build with The Oracle →

Frequently asked questions

What are the best upgrades for the Multiverse Reforged precon?

Using data from 13,507 Jace decks, the highest-scoring additions are Spark Double (for Teferi's Reproach), Oath of Teferi (for Tamiyo, Upriser Crowned) and Sanctum Lurker (for Dack Fayden, Helping Hand). The full list has 10 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.

How much does it cost to upgrade Multiverse Reforged?

All 10 swaps cost about $22.85 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-27). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Jace, the Mind Sculptor ($21.58).

What should I cut from Multiverse Reforged?

The weakest cards for this commander are Dack Fayden, Helping Hand, Niv-Mizzet, Ghost Counsel and Omnath, Locus of the Void. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.

Which cards should I keep in Multiverse Reforged?

Keep Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Plan for All Outcomes, Fatehold Charm, Whirlwind of Thought and Shark Typhoon. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.

What does Jace do?

Jace, Multiverse Architect is a planeswalker commander. At the beginning of combat on each opponent's turn they may pay {2}, and if they do not, their creatures cannot attack your Jaces that turn. His +1 draws two cards and puts one back on the bottom of your library, and his -3 exiles another creature or planeswalker you control and reveals until you hit a creature or planeswalker to put onto the battlefield.

All precon upgrade guides

How the numbers work

Inclusion is the share of Jace, Multiverse Architect decks (13,507 of them when this was written, 2026-10-27) that play the card. Synergy is how much more often they play it than other decks in the same colours. Oracle score is synergy × 0.6 plus inclusion × 0.4, the same blend The Oracle uses to rank cards for a deck. Lift compares how often the card appears in these decks with how often it could, capped at 8× here; it is shown for context and does not change the score.

Two cautions. Players who run the precon unmodified count as Jace decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift runs low across this deck because most of its cards are played in many other decks. Use it to compare cards, not to judge one in isolation, and treat every score here as softer than on older decks: this precon is new and the deck data has fewer decks to learn from. Prices are the cheapest non-foil paper printing on TCGplayer (via Scryfall), in USD, and move daily.