Table of Contents
Start your engines and get ready!
Sliding in as not quite the first set of the year, we have Aetherdrift. This is Wacky Racers or Mario Kart meets Magic: The Gathering.
The set follows Chandra Nalaar and the Ghirapur Grand Prix with a race across 3 different planes (Avishkar, Amonkhet and Muraganda). All to win The Aetherspark.
Here’s an interesting little fact for Avishkar; this has been renamed from Kaladesh due to cultural reasons by Wizards. This has also been tied into the lore as a revolution in Kaladesh.
Muraganda is also a plane that has little lore or interaction, with only brief references originally from Future Sight. It also had a Battle card, Invasion of Muraganda, from March of the Machines.
Usually we are locked into one scene with a set, but Aetherdrift allows us to explore a few. The idea from Wizards is to be able to use some existing planes, but to also give into the desire to explore.
Coming back to the commander decks, we also have something different. We only two decks this time, compared to the recent standard of four. Living Energy and Eternal Night. For this blog we will be going into Living Energy.
So, Living Energy. It’s Yet Another Aether Vortex… sorry, energy deck. While I get Wizards are wanting to try and branch out by make the mechanic less parasitic and giving it more cards to work with, it's always going to be an energy deck.
I think the biggest problem with this deck is the timing. They have jammed multiple energy decks into the space of a year. The first was Science! from the Fallout set in March 2024, and the Creative Energy from Modern Horizons 3 in June 2024. If it was given another year, it would feel less pushed.
That being said, it does tie into the Avishkar theme, so it's one of the better places to have another energy Commander deck.
Living Energy is a mash of both Science! and Creative Energy. The secondary commander, Pia Nalaar, Chief Mechanic, is a colourshifted impression of Dr. Madison Li. But the face commander is Saheeli, Radiant Creator.
Saheeli, Radiant Creator reads:
Whenever you cast an Artificer or artifact spell, you get an energy counter.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may pay 3 energy counters. When you do, create a token that’s a copy of target permanent you control, except it’s a 5/5 artifact creature in addition to its other types and has haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
She is able to copy a permanent you control for 3 energy. This is similar to Satya, Aetherflux Genius from the Creative Energy deck, but more flexible, as it can copy anything, not just your creatures. This allows for some interesting additions.
Speaking of additions, let's get into the upgrades.
Budget Upgrades
Upgrade 1/2
OUT: Forest, IN: Stone Idol Generator
As I mentioned, this is the third energy deck of recent time. Both the Creative Energy precon upgrades and the Science precon upgrades have cards relevant to this deck, but I'm going to avoid duplicating any upgrades that I previously covered.
I'm going to start it with the obvious upgrades; additional energy generators. Stone Idol Generator and Aether Refinery, which both come from the Creative Energy deck.
I did have a third card to possibly add (Izzet Generatorium), but I didn’t want to fill this list with exclusively energy generators. I want to show some different ideas. But I felt like I should have some energy generators.
Both Stone Idol Generator and Aether Refinery are similar. They gain you more energy and make a creature.
Stone Idol Generator is the simpler of the two. It gains you energy whenever a creature attacks. This effectively only costs you one energy to make a token copy with Saheeli, Radiant Creator, as you would gain back two from attacking with the copy. If you have at least one other creature to attack with you will, in fact, gain energy.
It also has the ability to tap and pay 6 energy to create a 6/12 body. This is great for defending yourself if needed.
OUT: Island, IN: Aether Refinery
My other card is Aether Refinery. This has a triggered ability of doubling any energy you would make. So if you make a copy with Saheeli then you get 4x as much! Save any of your energy generation for your second main phase to make the most of this.
Even without any other cards the two Aether Refineries can make 8 energy just by themselves from their tap ability. But it also does more, as when you tap it, you can then pay energy into it to make a X/X aetherborn token, where X is equal to the amount of energy paid back in.
This gives you the option for generating energy to use elsewhere/store so you can get bodies if you need them.
I am cutting some lands. This is a running theme in all my upgrades, as the precons come with too many lands for my taste. 38 is too much. You are likely to just flood out.
You can cut one or two more if you put in more card draw or other cheap ramp spells. I am taking out a Forest and an Island.
Upgrade 3/4
OUT: Elder Gargaroth, IN: Gruff Triplets
My next two upgrades are another double, as these are some big top end targets to copy. Gruff Triplets and Threefold Thunderhulk.
These are both excellent targets for Saheelis' copy ability, gaining you even more value. Both of these have something to do with the number 3, which is funny, as there is already a version in the deck with Triplicate Titan. So they all come together to make another 3.
Gruff Triplets is 9 power-worth of bodies for 6 mana. While being triple green in the casting cost makes it tough, I think it's worth it. If you manage to get a copy out, you end up with a permanent 24 power which can keep on growing.
OUT: Pia and Kiran Nalaar, IN: Threefold Thunderhulk
The only downside is you won’t get another two copies from Saheelis' copy ability, as this makes token copies, and due to Gruff Triplets wording, you don’t get more.
But if you use some clone cards, ones that aren't tokens, then you get more copies.
Threefold Thunderhulk is my other addition. It reads:
Threefold Thunderhulk enters with three +1/+1 counters on it.
Whenever Threefold Thunderhulk enters or attacks, create a number of 1/1 colorless Gnome artifact creature tokens equal to its power.
(2), Sacrifice another artifact: Put a +1/+1 counter on Threefold Thunderhulk.
So when it enters, you get 6 power over four creatures for 7 colourless mana. While this is worse than Gruff Triplets, the upside is it also triggers on attacks. Additionally, the token copy from Saheeli will also make the gnome tokens.
To summarise the combo:
Cast Threefold Thunderhulk, which makes you three gnome tokens
Copy it with Saheeli, Radiant Creator, which makes 8 more gnomes tokens
As the copy of Threefold Thunderhulk's base power and toughness is now 5/5 and enters with three additional +1/+1 counters
Attack with Threefold Thunderhulk and make another 8 gnome tokens
You would be left with the original Threefold Thunderhulk as a 3/3 and nineteen 1/1 gnome tokens
There is a little bonus to the Threefold Thunderhulk, as it has one more ability. You can pay (2) and sacrifice an artifact to put a +1/+1 counter on it. So you can sacrifice the copy to the original if you have some extra mana for even more value.
I am taking out Elder Gargaroth.
While this is a decent body and sort of worth copying, it feels like it has been shoehorned into the deck as a value reprint. If you copy it, the best two options are usually going to be to draw a card, or make the 3/3 elephant token. So you would pay 3 energy for up to 6 damage and either a card or a 3/3.
While it’s not bad, I think both Gruff Triplets and Threefold Thunderhulk are better value.
This is also why I'm cutting Pia and Kiran Nalaar. Thematically, this is a great card, as it is an artificer and it makes artifact tokens. But copying it isn't even that good, you are only doing this for two thopter tokens.
This is because Pia and Kiran Nalaar are legendary, so you will have to choose one to sacrifice to the Legendary rule. This would happen before you go to do anything with them, hence you would not gain much value from copying it.
Upgrade 5
OUT: Aethertide Whale, IN: Clone Shell
Let’s start with the cut; Aethertide Whale. I have just added in two better finishers than this.
While Aethertide Whale does generate a chunk of energy (6), that is all it can do. Copying it with Saheeli will net you three energy, but I want to clone other cards instead of this.
Also, at six mana for the Whale, it's very expensive for not a lot of value.
My next addition might look similar; a 2/2 for five mana that doesn’t even make energy. You’re probably thinking this is absolutely terrible. But where Clone Shell makes up for it is with its abilities. It reads:
Imprint — When Clone Shell enters, look at the top four cards of your library, exile one face down, then put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
When Clone Shell dies, turn the exiled card face up. If it’s a creature card, put it onto the battlefield under your control.
Imprint is similar to the hideaway ability, if you played with any of the lands with it (Mosswort Bridge etc). You’re aiming to choose a creature to be exiled, otherwise the exiled card is wasted.
It’s important to remember tokens do actually go to the graveyard, though they cease to exist when they are in any place other than the battlefield.
This is important for death triggers, like on Clone Shell, as ‘dying’ has a very specific meaning in Magic. A creature goes from the battlefield to the graveyard.
A token which dies allows for death triggers to work with them. Which is good news for us, as a token copy of Clone Shell will work how we want.
With Saheeli, Radiant Creator you pay three energy to put a creature from the top four cards of your library onto the battlefield and deal 2 damage.
There is a slight problem though. Your opponents do get some opportunities to interrupt this. The most obvious one is exile. As this is not the creature ‘dying’, you wouldn’t get the second ability which reveals the exiled card.
The other potential interrupt is with instant speed removal spell. As imprint is a triggered ability, your opponents will get a chance to kill the Clone Shell before you get to imprint anything. Hence, there would be no card to reveal when the Clone Shell dies.
This isn't the worst thing though and I refuse to use the “dies to removal” argument to exclude cards. If they are killing Clone Shell they are leaving your other cards alone and it's a gamble for them as they won’t know what you exiled.
Upgrade 6
OUT: Loyal Apprentice, IN: Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer
Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer is one I cut from the Creative Energy deck as it didn't work with Satya, Aetherflux Genius. Brudiclad makes the tokens before Satya could.
But when Brudiclad is used with Saheeli, Radiant Creator, they both trigger at the start of combat. Meaning you get to stack the triggers.
This allows you to first create the token copy with Saheeli, then Brudiclad makes your Myr token and then can transform all the tokens into whatever you copied with Saheeli.
We could use some of my other suggested upgrades as examples:
Aether Refinery - you could get 8x the energy, meaning you can get 24 energy just off the Refineries.
Threefold Thunderhulk - you would get disgusting amounts of value and tokens. This is because all the gnome tokens will get haste thanks to Brudiclad and then also be transformed.
You would initially get 3 gnomes tokens from the enters effect, then Saheeli makes a copy with base power 5/5 with three additional +1/+1 counters, making you eight more gnome tokens.
Then Brudiclad makes you a myr token, giving you twelve tokens that can be transformed into copies of the 5/5 Thunderhulk.
It is important to note that Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer, makes them become a copy, so you won’t get the enters effects again. In other words, they won't get the additional counters to make them 8/8 or the trigger to make more gnome tokens.
Notably, the Thunderhulk token copies will still get the on attack trigger.
At this point, you would have twelve 5/5 Thunderhulk copies and an 8/8 version all with haste and ready to attack.
This means you will get an additional 68 more 1/1 gnome tokens. That is on top of your 68 worth of power attacking. That's going to end the game quickly.
I am cutting Loyal Apprentice, which is another token maker. This has the same effect as Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer. Both are artificers and make artifact tokens, so they both get energy from Saheeli, Radiant Creator. But this has none of the upside of Burdiclad.
Upgrade 7
OUT: Retrofitter Foundry, IN: Saheeli, the Sun's
My next card does a similar effect to Brudiclad, but not as broken; Saheeli, the Sun’s Brilliance. It reads:
(U)(R), (tap): Create a token that’s a copy of another target creature or artifact you control, except it’s an artifact in addition to its other types. It gains haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
Saheeli, the Sun’s Brilliance works without any other needed targets, or even Saheeli, Radiant Creator. You can get a copy of any permanent you control or one that Saheeli, Radiant Creator copies.
It also allows you to copy an extra land/planeswalker/etc. with Saheeli, Radiant Creator, though these tokens also go away, so that land better have extra value that isn't just a mana ability. The base list has some already in there, for example Treasure Vault.
I am cutting Retrofitter Foundry, as I have already cut a number of the thopter makers. Which is where Retrofitter Foundry shines. It’s able to turn them into 4/4s, but even then it's not the greatest. Past that, it’s a mana sink and a way to generate energy from Saheeli, Radiant Creator…
I feel like if you're at that stage of a game then something has gone wrong.
Upgrade 8
OUT: Reckless Fireweaver, IN: Scrap Trawler
OUT: Reckless Fireweaver, IN: Scrap Trawler
The next card I am adding is Scrap Trawler. It reads:
Whenever Scrap Trawler or another artifact you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, return to your hand target artifact card in your graveyard with lesser mana value.
This is comparable to an artifact version of Eternal Witness, which reads:
When Eternal Witness enters, you may return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
Scrap Trawler is more limited compared to Eternal Witness, as it is only able to bring back artifacts. Though in Living Energy, this is less of a downside. Scrap Trawler, otherwise, has a couple of other benefits.
Firstly, Scrap Trawler has an artifact theme. Secondly, Saheeli makes copies as artifacts.
When you copy a permanent, it also copies the mana value of the card. This allows you to return more cards from the graveyard.
I am cutting Reckless Fireweaver. While it can be a great way to accrue incremental damage; it can also make you the target. I just don’t think this is doing enough in the deck to be included anymore.
Upgrade 9
OUT: Adaptive Omnitool, IN: Hoarding Dragon
Hoarding Dragon is a card that I wouldn’t normally use. It reads:
Flying
When this creature enters, you may search your library for an artifact card, exile it, then shuffle.
When this creature dies, you may put the exiled card into its owner’s hand.
It requires itself to die before you get the card back. So it usually needs you to have a sacrifice outlet to be able to get it.
The other problem is it's also limited to artifacts. But with Saheeli's copy ability, it also comes in with a built in sacrifice clause.
This means you get to tutor any artifact to your hand with the copy. A budget friendly tutor artifact tutor.
I am cutting Adaptive Omnitool. While it is a great card, I feel like its home isn’t quite in this deck. I feel it suits an equipment based strategy more. If you manage to get an army of thopters out, it can make one of them a serious threat. Otherwise, an artifact tutor would be more useful to you here.
Upgrade 10
OUT: Bootleggers' Stash, IN: Aether Revolt
I am cutting Bootleggers Stash.
I’m not a fan of this. While it’s better in this deck than many others as it will also generate energy from Saheeli's trigger, it usually ends up being a 6 mana ‘do nothing’ enchantment.
It really requires extra lands to get any benefit. This gives your opponents a round to answer it.
Even if you get a chance to untap with it, it only lets you “stockpile” extra mana in the form of Treasure tokens. I would much rather just optimally use the mana on that turn instead. How often are you having extra mana that you aren't using? Combined with that if requires 6 mana do nothing enchantment to try and get benefit from this.
I would rather have an independent card that synergises with the deck. Hence, my last pick, Aether Revolt. It reads:
Revolt — As long as a permanent you controlled left the battlefield this turn, if a source you control would deal noncombat damage to an opponent or a permanent an opponent controls, it deals that much damage plus 2 instead.
Whenever you get one or more energy, Aether Revolt deals that much damage to any target.
It’s another MH3 energy all star. This will be one of your finishers.
It's a fairly simple card. It deals damage to any target equal to the amount of energy gained. Any mass energy generation turns into BIG damage. Even incidental damage can add up or help keep problematic creatures off the table.
The revolt trigger is more of a useful secondary effect, as it adds 2 damage to any non combat damage dealt. So it will count itself in that, amplifying the damage dealt from Saheeli, Radiant Creator's energy generation, or any other source.
Final Thoughts
I think Wizards has hit it right with these decks. Both the Living Energy and the Eternal Night.
These feel powerful enough to hold their own out of the box, while having room for improvements if you want to upgrade them.
The cards synergise well with each other and enable a more cohesive strategy compared to earlier precon commander decks.
I will give a sneaky 11th pick.
I didn’t want to include this one as I felt it was too harsh to add in. Keiga, The Tide Star. If you copy this with Saheeli, you will immediately lose it to the legend rule but you will still get the death trigger. This allows you to permanently control another creature.
Then you would steal the scariest threat on the table or you could take your opponent's commander, if their deck relies on it heavily, effectively neutering them until they can remove it and recast the commander.
Another type of card I want to point out is one like Gamekeeper. The ones with the extra exile clause after they die.
This won’t work with the token copies. While the token does die, so you would get the trigger, it is no longer around to be able to exile it.
Hence, you can’t get the benefit of getting another creature. It would have been a great addition otherwise.
Thanks for staying with me through this and I hope to see you in the next blog for Eternal Night. As always, good luck and have fun.
PS. All the card prices were accurate at the time of writing.
Non-Budget Upgrades
Looking for even more upgrades? Try these 9 cards that didn't meet our budget requirement, but synergise with this deck:
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