EDH Optimizer
Zaffai and the Tempests
Legendary Creature — Human Bard Sorcerer · 5UR
Color identity: Red · Blue · Izzet
Zaffai and the Tempests is Izzet (red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Once during each of your turns, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand without paying its mana cost.
Reference price of the card: €0.11
Average lands in decks for Zaffai and the Tempests: 35
SpellslingerExtra TurnsStormBig ManaComboSpell CopyTokensRamp
Build your Zaffai and the Tempests deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Zaffai and the Tempests 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Zaffai and the Tempests deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: B (69/100)
- Consistency63
- Speed43
- Interaction75
- Resilience87
- Closing83
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (23 nonbasic, 6 Island, 6 Mountain)
Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Resonating Lute · Talisman of Creativity · Izzet Signet · Wisdom of Ages · Improvisation Capstone · Sanar, Unfinished Genius // Wild Idea · Storm-Kiln Artist · Archmage Emeritus · Mana Geyser · Counterspell · Rapturous Moment · Apex of Power · Seething Song · Time Stretch · Aminatou's Augury · Big Score · Mnemonic Deluge · Molten-Core Maestro · Hit the Mother Lode · Prismari, the Inspiration · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Frantic Search · Blasphemous Act · Hexing Squelcher · Jeska's Will · Solve the Equation · Call Forth the Tempest · Expressive Iteration · Mizzix's Mastery · Nexus of Fate · Blazing Firesinger // Seething Song · Expropriate · Fellwar Stone · Tablet of Discovery · Enter the Infinite · Prismari Charm · Pyretic Ritual · Stock Up · Abstract Paintmage · Brainstorm · Goblin Electromancer · Thought Vessel · Displacer Kitten · Stormcatch Mentor · Thousand-Year Storm · Mana Drain · Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn · Chaos Warp · Thran Dynamo · Ponder · Swan Song · Zaffai, Thunder Conductor · Abrade · Mystical Tutor · Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak · Prismari Command · Return the Favor · Rhystic Study · Colorstorm Stallion · Flashback · Lightning Bolt · Vivi Ornitier · Command Tower · Sulfur Falls · Stormcarved Coast · Shivan Reef · Steam Vents · Reliquary Tower · Cascade Bluffs · Training Center · Frostboil Snarl · Mystic Sanctuary · Scalding Tarn · Exotic Orchard · Temple of Epiphany · Thundering Falls · Riverpyre Verge · Mistrise Village · Scorched Geyser · Spectacle Summit · Izzet Boilerworks · Turbulent Springs · Ferrous Lake · Volcanic Island · Fiery Islet
🃏 Recommended cards for Zaffai and the Tempests
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Zaffai and the Tempests, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Wisdom of Ages | 48% | +44% |
| Apex of Power | 43% | +40% |
| Sanar, Unfinished Genius | 47% | +39% |
| Time Stretch | 42% | +39% |
| Mnemonic Deluge | 41% | +39% |
| Improvisation Capstone | 47% | +38% |
| Aminatou's Augury | 41% | +37% |
| Rapturous Moment | 44% | +35% |
| Molten-Core Maestro | 41% | +35% |
| Resonating Lute | 57% | +34% |
| Hit the Mother Lode | 38% | +34% |
| Nexus of Fate | 34% | +32% |
| Expropriate | 33% | +31% |
| Call Forth the Tempest | 34% | +31% |
| Enter the Infinite | 32% | +30% |
| Prismari, the Inspiration | 38% | +30% |
| Blazing Firesinger | 33% | +28% |
| Displacer Kitten | 30% | +27% |
| Zaffai, Thunder Conductor | 27% | +26% |
| Tablet of Discovery | 33% | +25% |
| Abstract Paintmage | 31% | +24% |
| Stock Up | 32% | +23% |
| Solve the Equation | 35% | +23% |
| Seething Song | 43% | +22% |
💰 The best cards for your Zaffai and the Tempests deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Wisdom of Ages
- Apex of Power
- Aminatou's Augury
- Rapturous Moment
- Molten-Core Maestro
- Resonating Lute
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Time Stretch
- Nexus of Fate
- Enter the Infinite
- Prismari, the Inspiration
- Solve the Equation
- Seething Song
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Mnemonic Deluge
- Improvisation Capstone
- Expropriate
- Call Forth the Tempest
- Displacer Kitten
- Hexing Squelcher
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Zaffai and the Tempests
- Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring → Infinite colorless mana, Infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Lotus Petal + Brain Freeze → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite mill
- Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite mana nonland permanents you control can produce, Infinite storm count, Infinite untap of nonland permanents you control
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Brain Freeze → Infinite self-mill, Near-infinite colored mana, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite mill, Near-infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Wheel of Fortune + Jeska's Will → Infinite draw triggers for all players, Infinite looting for all players, Near-infinite magecraft triggers, Near-infinite storm count
- Underworld Breach + Lion's Eye Diamond + Wheel of Fortune → Infinite draw triggers, Infinite looting, Infinite looting for opponents, Near-infinite storm count
👥 Community decks with Zaffai and the Tempests
Full decklists published by players on EDH Optimizer, with their analysis, bracket and health. Clone them to your account and optimize them for free.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Zaffai and the Tempests's color identity?
Zaffai and the Tempests is Izzet (red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones. Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Zaffai and the Tempests come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Zaffai and the Tempests deck (the 99 cards most played with it, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 5.8 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 91 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 12 % of the time and floods 15 %. Deck health: B (69/100).
How many lands should a Zaffai and the Tempests deck run?
Real Zaffai and the Tempests decks run 35 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Zaffai and the Tempests?
The three highest-synergy cards are Wisdom of Ages, Apex of Power, Sanar, Unfinished Genius. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Zaffai and the Tempests decks.
What combos does Zaffai and the Tempests have?
Zaffai and the Tempests has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring. Note that two-card combos raise your deck's bracket, so it is worth knowing which ones you are running before you sit down.
How much does a Zaffai and the Tempests deck cost?
You can start cheap: Wisdom of Ages, Apex of Power, Aminatou's Augury are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.