EDH Optimizer
Zaffai, Thunder Conductor
Legendary Creature — Human Shaman · 2UR
Color identity: Red · Blue · Izzet
Zaffai, Thunder Conductor is Izzet (red and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Magecraft — Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, scry 1. If that spell's mana value is 5 or greater, create a 4/4 blue and red Elemental creature token. If that spell's mana value is 10 or greater, Zaffai deals 10 damage to an opponent chosen at random.
Reference price of the card: €1.10
Average lands in decks for Zaffai, Thunder Conductor: 35
SpellslingerSpell CopyX SpellsTokensBig ManaStormBurnCombo
Build your Zaffai, Thunder Conductor deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Zaffai, Thunder Conductor 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Zaffai, Thunder Conductor deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play per EDHREC (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: C+ (59/100)
- Consistency59
- Speed41
- Interaction69
- Resilience89
- Closing52
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (25 nonbasic, 5 Island, 5 Mountain)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Mana Geyser · Veyran, Voice of Duality · Izzet Signet · Talisman of Creativity · Apex of Power · Storm-Kiln Artist · Rousing Refrain · Brass's Bounty · Seething Song · Volcanic Vision · Blasphemous Act · Expressive Iteration · Pyromancer's Goggles · Dig Through Time · Ponder · Archmage Emeritus · Brainstorm · Goblin Electromancer · Inspiring Refrain · Creative Technique · Epic Experiment · Resonating Lute · Mind Stone · Swarm Intelligence · Aetherspouts · Muse Vortex · Treasure Cruise · Surge to Victory · Aether Gale · Mind's Desire · Harmonic Prodigy · Metallurgic Summonings · Reinterpret · Sunbird's Invocation · Talrand, Sky Summoner · Faithless Looting · Resculpt · Counterspell · Dualcaster Mage · Explosive Singularity · Mizzix's Mastery · Serum Visions · Electrodominance · Jaya Ballard · Molten-Core Maestro · Rootha, Mercurial Artist · Stormcatch Mentor · Frantic Search · Furygale Flocking · Hedron Archive · Rapturous Moment · Chaos Warp · Double Vision · Fiery Encore · Mystic Confluence · Crackle with Power · Thought Vessel · Mindsplice Apparatus · Dirgur Focusmage // Braingeyser · Elementalist's Palette · Expansion // Explosion · Galvanic Iteration · Command Tower · Shivan Reef · Reliquary Tower · Temple of Epiphany · Izzet Boilerworks · Sulfur Falls · Exotic Orchard · Myriad Landscape · Temple of the False God · Frostboil Snarl · Cascade Bluffs · Prismari Campus · Steam Vents · Mage-Ring Network · Stormcarved Coast · Scavenger Grounds · Forgotten Cave · Lonely Sandbar · Mystic Sanctuary · Training Center · Study Hall · Scorched Geyser · Desert of the Mindful · Ferrous Lake · Memorial to Genius
🃏 Recommended cards for Zaffai, Thunder Conductor
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Zaffai, Thunder Conductor, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Apex of Power | 72% | +69% |
| Rousing Refrain | 69% | +64% |
| Volcanic Vision | 61% | +58% |
| Mana Geyser | 80% | +56% |
| Veyran, Voice of Duality | 77% | +55% |
| Brass's Bounty | 62% | +55% |
| Pyromancer's Goggles | 56% | +53% |
| Inspiring Refrain | 52% | +51% |
| Creative Technique | 51% | +49% |
| Swarm Intelligence | 50% | +48% |
| Muse Vortex | 48% | +48% |
| Epic Experiment | 51% | +46% |
| Aetherspouts | 48% | +46% |
| Dig Through Time | 55% | +43% |
| Surge to Victory | 47% | +42% |
| Seething Song | 62% | +42% |
| Aether Gale | 44% | +41% |
| Metallurgic Summonings | 43% | +40% |
| Reinterpret | 42% | +40% |
| Sunbird's Invocation | 42% | +39% |
| Mind's Desire | 44% | +39% |
| Temple of the False God | 46% | +37% |
| Myriad Landscape | 50% | +36% |
| Mage-Ring Network | 36% | +36% |
💰 The best cards for your Zaffai, Thunder Conductor 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.
- Apex of Power
- Rousing Refrain
- Volcanic Vision
- Mana Geyser
- Brass's Bounty
- Pyromancer's Goggles
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Veyran, Voice of Duality
- Seething Song
- Dualcaster Mage
- Harmonic Prodigy
- Time Stretch
- Crackle with Power
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Improvisation Capstone
- Mnemonic Deluge
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
♾️ Known combos with Zaffai, Thunder Conductor
- Reiterate + Jeska's Will → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count, Exile your library with the ability to play the exiled cards until end of turn
- Narset's Reversal + Isochron Scepter → Infinite turns, Lock
- Reiterate + Mana Geyser → Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite red mana, Infinite storm count
- Storm-Kiln Artist + Seething Song + Reiterate → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite artifact tokens, Infinite colored mana, Infinite copies of instant and sorcery spells on the stack, Infinite power for any creature, Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite storm count, Infinite Treasure tokens
- Twinning Staff + Narset's Reversal → Infinite magecraft triggers
- Storm-Kiln Artist + Thousand-Year Storm + Narset's Reversal → Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB, Infinite artifact sacrifice triggers, Infinite artifact tokens, Infinite colored mana, Infinite copies of instant and sorcery spells on the stack, Infinite power for any creature, Infinite magecraft triggers, Infinite storm count, Infinite Treasure tokens
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Zaffai, Thunder Conductor's color identity?
Zaffai, Thunder Conductor 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, Thunder Conductor come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Zaffai, Thunder Conductor deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.9 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 99 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 18 % of the time and floods 7 %. Deck health: C+ (59/100).
How many lands should a Zaffai, Thunder Conductor deck run?
Real Zaffai, Thunder Conductor 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, Thunder Conductor?
The three highest-synergy cards are Apex of Power, Rousing Refrain, Volcanic Vision. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Zaffai, Thunder Conductor decks.
What combos does Zaffai, Thunder Conductor have?
Zaffai, Thunder Conductor has 6 known combos. The most popular one is Reiterate + Jeska's Will. 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, Thunder Conductor deck cost?
You can start cheap: Apex of Power, Rousing Refrain, Volcanic Vision 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.