Zaffai, Thunder Conductor costs {2}{U}{R} and is a 1/4 Legendary Human Shaman. Magecraft: whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell you scry 1. If that spell's mana value is 5 or greater, you create a 4/4 blue and red Elemental creature token, and if it is 10 or greater, Zaffai deals 10 damage to an opponent chosen at random. Every big spell and every copy of it is a 4/4.

The precon already has the big spells and the mana, including Apex of Power, Mana Geyser, Rousing Refrain, Veyran and Volcanic Vision. 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 Zaffai decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Zaffai decks than in decks that could play it.

Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Prismari Performance precon guide.

12
Swaps
$5.64
Cost of the adds
37→37
Lands
11→26
Avg Oracle score

What is holding the deck back

Not enough cost reducers and copy effects

Goblin Electromancer, Stormcatch Mentor, Dirgur Focusmage and Mindsplice Apparatus make big spells cheaper, and Double Vision and Galvanic Iteration copy them. Each copy is another trigger for Zaffai. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.

Creatures that do not cast spells

Humble Defector and Sly Instigator are not cards Zaffai, and Living Lore, Erratic Cyclops and Crackling Drake are each played in about one Zaffai deck in seven to eleven decks usually play.

A very top-heavy deck

The deck has 19 nonland cards at mana value six or more, including several seven-drops, and 37 lands plus a lot of ramp spells.

The 12 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 12
Humble Defector
Cut
Humble Defector
Creature — Human Rogue · 1R
Not a card this commander's decks usually play, so it scores below the cards that are
Goblin Electromancer
Add
Goblin Electromancer
Creature — Goblin Wizard · UR
Inclusion53%
Synergy26%
Lift2.0×
Oracle score 37

Humble Defector is a two-mana 2/1 that draws two cards and gives itself to an opponent. It is not a card Zaffai decks usually play.

Goblin Electromancer is a 2/2 Goblin Wizard for {U}{R}. Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost {1} less. A two-drop that makes every big spell cheaper, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.

Swap 2 of 12
Sly Instigator
Cut
Sly Instigator
Creature — Human Wizard · 3U
Not a card this commander's decks usually play, so it scores below the cards that are
Archmage Emeritus
Add
Archmage Emeritus
Creature — Human Wizard · 2UU
Inclusion54%
Synergy19%
Lift1.6×
Oracle score 33

Sly Instigator is a four-mana 2/4 that makes a creature unblockable and goads it. It is not a card Zaffai decks usually play.

Archmage Emeritus is a 2/2 Human Wizard for {2}{U}{U}. Magecraft: whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell you draw a card. A four-drop that draws a card from every spell and every copy.

Swap 3 of 12
Traumatic Visions
Cut
Traumatic Visions
Instant · 3UU
Inclusion8%
Synergy8%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 8
Mystic Confluence
Add
Mystic Confluence
Instant · 3UU
Inclusion29%
Synergy24%
Lift6.8×
Oracle score 26

Traumatic Visions is a five-mana counterspell with basic landcycling. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in twelve.

Mystic Confluence costs {3}{U}{U}. Choose three modes, which may repeat: counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}, return target creature to its owner's hand, or draw a card. A five-mana instant that triggers Zaffai's 4/4 Elemental and does three things.

Swap 4 of 12
Fiery Fall
Cut
Fiery Fall
Instant · 5R
Inclusion9%
Synergy9%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 9
Electrodominance
Add
Electrodominance
Instant · XRR
Inclusion34%
Synergy28%
Lift5.3×
Oracle score 30

Fiery Fall is a six-mana instant that deals 5 damage to a creature, with basic landcycling. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in eleven.

Electrodominance costs {X}{R}{R}. It deals X damage to any target, and you may cast a spell with mana value X or less from your hand without paying its mana cost. An instant that burns something and casts a free spell, which both trigger Zaffai.

Swap 5 of 12
Living Lore
Cut
Living Lore
Creature — Avatar · 3U
Inclusion9%
Synergy9%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 9
Molten-Core Maestro
Add
Molten-Core Maestro
Creature — Goblin Bard · 1R
Inclusion33%
Synergy27%
Lift6.1×
Oracle score 29

Living Lore is a four-mana creature that exiles an instant or sorcery from your graveyard to set its size. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in eleven.

Molten-Core Maestro is a 2/2 Goblin Bard for {1}{R} with menace. Opus: whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell it gets a +1/+1 counter, and if five or more mana was spent you add {R} equal to its power. A two-drop that grows and pays you back on big spells.

Swap 6 of 12
Call the Skybreaker
Cut
Call the Skybreaker
Sorcery · 5U/RU/R
Inclusion12%
Synergy12%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 12
Double Vision
Add
Double Vision
Enchantment · 3RR
Inclusion29%
Synergy26%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 27

Call the Skybreaker is a seven-mana sorcery that makes a 5/5 flying Elemental and can be retraced. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in eight.

Double Vision costs {3}{R}{R}. Whenever you cast your first instant or sorcery spell each turn, you copy it and may choose new targets. A five-mana enchantment that doubles your biggest spell, and Zaffai triggers on the copy.

Swap 7 of 12
Erratic Cyclops
Cut
Erratic Cyclops
Creature — Cyclops Shaman · 3R
Inclusion12%
Synergy12%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 12
Stormcatch Mentor
Add
Stormcatch Mentor
Creature — Otter Wizard · UR
Inclusion32%
Synergy10%
Lift1.4×
Oracle score 19

Erratic Cyclops is a four-mana 0/8 trampler that gets +X/+0 from the spells you cast. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in eight.

Stormcatch Mentor is a 1/1 Otter Wizard for {U}{R} with haste and prowess. Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost {1} less. A two-drop that is a second Goblin Electromancer.

Swap 8 of 12
Crackling Drake
Cut
Crackling Drake
Creature — Drake · UURR
Inclusion15%
Synergy12%
Lift6.9×
Oracle score 13
Dirgur Focusmage // Braingeyser
Add
Dirgur Focusmage // Braingeyser
Creature — Djinn Monk // Sorcery · 2U // XUU
Inclusion28%
Synergy22%
Lift5.1×
Oracle score 25

Crackling Drake is a four-mana flyer whose power is the number of instants and sorceries in your graveyard and exile. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in seven.

Dirgur Focusmage is a 1/4 Djinn Monk for {2}{U}. Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost {1} less, and whenever you cast an instant or sorcery with mana value 5 or greater from your hand it becomes prepared, which lets you cast Braingeyser to draw X cards. A three-drop cost reducer that draws on your big spells.

Swap 9 of 12
Letter of Acceptance
Cut
Letter of Acceptance
Artifact · 3
Inclusion15%
Synergy14%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 15
Mindsplice Apparatus
Add
Mindsplice Apparatus
Artifact · 3U
Inclusion26%
Synergy23%
Lift7.3×
Oracle score 24

Letter of Acceptance is a three-mana rock that can draw a card. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in seven.

Mindsplice Apparatus is an artifact for {3}{U} with flash. At the beginning of your upkeep it gets an oil counter, and instant and sorcery spells you cast cost {1} less for each oil counter on it. A four-mana artifact that makes your spells cheaper every turn.

Swap 10 of 12
Inferno Project
Cut
Inferno Project
Creature — Elemental · 6R
Inclusion15%
Synergy15%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 15
Zaffai and the Tempests
Add
Zaffai and the Tempests
Legendary Creature — Human Bard Sorcerer · 5UR
Inclusion24%
Synergy20%
Lift6.7×
Oracle score 21

Inferno Project is a seven-mana trampler that enters with counters equal to the mana value of the instants and sorceries in your graveyard. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in seven.

Zaffai and the Tempests is a 5/7 Legendary Human Bard Sorcerer for {5}{U}{R}. Once during each of your turns you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand without paying its mana cost. A seven-drop that casts your biggest spell for free, which is exactly what Zaffai wants.

Swap 11 of 12
Charmbreaker Devils
Cut
Charmbreaker Devils
Creature — Devil · 5R
Inclusion17%
Synergy16%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 16
Ral, Storm Conduit
Add
Ral, Storm Conduit
Legendary Planeswalker — Ral · 2UR
Inclusion23%
Synergy17%
Lift3.6×
Oracle score 20

Charmbreaker Devils is a six-mana 4/4 that returns an instant or sorcery each upkeep and pumps. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in six.

Ral, Storm Conduit is a {2}{U}{R} planeswalker. Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell it deals 1 damage to target opponent or planeswalker, its +2 scries 1 and its -2 copies the next instant or sorcery you cast this turn. A four-mana planeswalker that copies a big spell.

Swap 12 of 12
Diluvian Primordial
Cut
Diluvian Primordial
Creature — Avatar · 5UU
Inclusion21%
Synergy20%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 20
Galvanic Iteration
Add
Galvanic Iteration
Instant · UR
Inclusion24%
Synergy16%
Lift2.9×
Oracle score 19

Diluvian Primordial is a seven-mana 5/5 flyer that casts an instant or sorcery from an opponent's graveyard for free. It is played in about one Zaffai deck in five.

Galvanic Iteration costs {U}{R}. When you next cast an instant or sorcery spell this turn, you copy that spell and may choose new targets, and it has flashback {1}{U}{R}. A two-mana instant that copies your best spell twice.

The full swap list

Cut

  • Humble Defector
  • Sly Instigator
  • Traumatic Visions
  • Fiery Fall
  • Living Lore
  • Call the Skybreaker
  • Erratic Cyclops
  • Crackling Drake
  • Letter of Acceptance
  • Inferno Project
  • Charmbreaker Devils
  • Diluvian Primordial

Add

  • Goblin Electromancer
  • Archmage Emeritus
  • Mystic Confluence
  • Electrodominance
  • Molten-Core Maestro
  • Double Vision
  • Stormcatch Mentor
  • Dirgur Focusmage
  • Mindsplice Apparatus
  • Zaffai and the Tempests
  • Ral, Storm Conduit
  • Galvanic Iteration

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

Prismari Performance already has the big spells, the ramp and Zaffai's Elementals. The upgrade is cheap cost reducers and copy effects, plus cheap creatures that reward every spell, in place of creatures that do little for a spell deck. These twelve swaps cost about $6 in total.

Want a full 100-card list built around Zaffai, Thunder Conductor from today's data?

Build with The Oracle →

Frequently asked questions

What are the best upgrades for the Prismari Performance precon?

Using data from 1,529 Zaffai decks, the highest-scoring additions are Goblin Electromancer (for Humble Defector), Archmage Emeritus (for Sly Instigator) and Electrodominance (for Fiery Fall). The full list has 12 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.

How much does it cost to upgrade Prismari Performance?

All 12 swaps cost about $5.64 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Magnus the Red ($7.10) and Time Stretch ($4.21).

What should I cut from Prismari Performance?

The weakest cards for this commander are Humble Defector, Sly Instigator and Traumatic Visions. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.

Which cards should I keep in Prismari Performance?

Keep Mana Geyser, Veyran, Voice of Duality, Apex of Power, Rousing Refrain and Volcanic Vision. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.

What does Zaffai do?

Zaffai, Thunder Conductor costs {2}{U}{R} and is a 1/4 Legendary Human Shaman. Magecraft: whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell you scry 1. If that spell's mana value is 5 or greater, you create a 4/4 blue and red Elemental creature token, and if it is 10 or greater, Zaffai deals 10 damage to an opponent chosen at random. Every big spell and every copy of it is a 4/4.

More Strixhaven Commander upgrade guides

All precon upgrade guides

How the numbers work

Inclusion is the share of Zaffai, Thunder Conductor decks (1,529 of them when this was written, 2026-10-28) 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 Zaffai decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many spell cards because few decks play them outside a spellslinger deck, so use lift to compare cards, not to judge one in isolation. A card the commander's decks do not usually play counts as 0 in the average score. Prices are the cheapest non-foil paper printing on TCGplayer (via Scryfall), in USD, and move daily.