Commander 2018 · 2018 Commander precon
Exquisite Invention upgrade guide
Budget upgrades, cuts and the full decklist for Saheeli, the Gifted.
Exquisite Invention is an Izzet (blue-red) Commander precon from Commander 2018 (2018), led by Saheeli, the Gifted. Out of the box it runs 38 lands, 12 ramp pieces, 15 card-draw effects, 4 removal spells and 3 board wipes, with an average mana value of 4.16.
Measured against a typical Commander build, it's lightest on removal, and 4 of its lands enter tapped. Its game plan leans on artifacts and tokens, so the plan below favors cards that push that. The $50 plan below makes 10 swaps for $29.31.
Deck health
$50 budget plan
Best upgrades for Exquisite Invention
10 swaps for $29.31, built around artifacts and tokens. Prices as of November 6, 2026.
Add 10
Removal: deck has 4 of ~8 · #16 on EDHREC$2.18
Removal: deck has 4 of ~8 · #33 on EDHREC$2.92
Removal: deck has 4 of ~8 · #154 on EDHREC$1.73
Removal: deck has 4 of ~8 · #65 on EDHREC$11.77
Fits your Artifacts plan · #801 on EDHREC$0.25
Fits your Tokens plan · #191 on EDHREC$2.12
Fits your Artifacts plan · #197 on EDHREC$1.44
Untapped land for all your colors · #9 on EDHREC$0.21
Untapped land for all your colors · #75 on EDHREC$0.27
Untapped land for all your colors · #62 on EDHREC$6.42
Cut 10
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Trims you to 37 lands — the deck runs 38
Costs 6 mana · Doesn't support the deck's plan
Rarely played (#16,981 on EDHREC) · Extra card draw: deck already has 15 (~10 is plenty)
Rarely played (#8,040 on EDHREC) · Extra card draw: deck already has 15 (~10 is plenty)
Rarely played (#11,864 on EDHREC) · Doesn't support the deck's plan
Rarely played (#17,172 on EDHREC) · Doesn't support the deck's plan
Rarely played (#11,132 on EDHREC) · Doesn't support the deck's plan
Exquisite Invention decklist
Commander (1)
- 1Saheeli, the Gifted$1.97
Creatures (27)
- 1Ancient Stone Idol$1.05
- 1Bosh, Iron Golem$0.22
- 1Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer$0.36
- 1Chief of the Foundry$0.23
- 1Darksteel Juggernaut$1.45
- 1Duplicant$0.33
- 1Etherium Sculptor$1.53
- 1Geode Golem$0.33
- 1Hellkite Igniter$0.30
- 1Inkwell Leviathan$0.52
- 1Loyal Apprentice$0.29
- 1Loyal Drake$0.72
- 1Maverick Thopterist$0.17
- 1Myr Battlesphere$0.27
- 1Pilgrim's Eye$0.30
- 1Psychosis Crawler$1.01
- 1Scuttling Doom Engine$0.24
- 1Sharding Sphinx$0.34
- 1Soul of New Phyrexia$0.82
- 1Steel Hellkite$0.34
- 1Tawnos, Urza's Apprentice$0.40
- 1Thopter Assembly$0.30
- 1Thopter Engineer$0.30
- 1Treasure Nabber$1.81
- 1Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor$3.01
- 1Vedalken Humiliator$0.35
- 1Whirler Rogue$0.13
Instants (4)
- 1Chaos Warp$0.46
- 1Into the Roil$0.27
- 1Magmaquake$0.37
- 1Thirst for Knowledge$0.20
Sorceries (7)
- 1Aether Gale$0.27
- 1Blasphemous Act$0.88
- 1Echo Storm$0.21
- 1Reverse Engineer$0.20
- 1Saheeli's Artistry$0.27
- 1Saheeli's Directive$1.01
- 1Tidings$0.27
Artifacts (21)
- 1Blinkmoth Urn$1.82
- 1Commander's Sphere$0.25
- 1Coveted Jewel$0.42
- 1Dreamstone Hedron$0.25
- 1Endless Atlas$2.24
- 1Hedron Archive$0.29
- 1Izzet Signet$0.53
- 1Magnifying Glass$0.31
- 1Mimic Vat$0.57
- 1Mind Stone$0.32
- 1Mirrorworks$1.90
- 1Prismatic Lens$0.33
- 1Prototype Portal$0.71
- 1Retrofitter Foundry$1.10
- 1Scrabbling Claws$0.34
- 1Sol Ring$2.05
- 1Swiftfoot Boots$2.39
- 1Unstable Obelisk$0.24
- 1Unwinding Clock$19.40
- 1Vessel of Endless Rest$0.32
- 1Worn Powerstone$0.48
Enchantments (2)
- 1Enchanter's Bane$0.43
- 1Thopter Spy Network$0.69
Lands (38)
- 1Buried Ruin$0.62
- 1Command Tower$0.37
- 1Darksteel Citadel$1.30
- 1Forge of Heroes$0.31
- 1Foundry of the Consuls$0.35
- 1Great Furnace$3.00
- 1Highland Lake$0.20
- 5Island$0.13
- 5Island$0.11
- 5Island$0.22
- 1Izzet Boilerworks$0.36
- 1Izzet Guildgate$0.30
- 4Mountain$0.18
- 4Mountain$0.21
- 4Mountain$0.25
- 1Seat of the Synod$1.03
- 1Swiftwater Cliffs$0.32
FAQ
How much is the Exquisite Invention precon worth?
At current prices the 100 cards in Exquisite Invention are worth about $73.90 as singles (cheapest printings, TCGplayer market price as of November 6, 2026).
What are the best budget upgrades for Exquisite Invention?
For about $29.31, our top picks are Counterspell, An Offer You Can't Refuse, Pongify, Swan Song, Sai, Master Thopterist. The full 10-card plan with cuts is above, and the upgrade tool can rebuild it for any budget.
What should I cut from Exquisite Invention?
Start with Highland Lake, Izzet Guildgate, Swiftwater Cliffs, Izzet Boilerworks. These are the least-played or slowest cards that don't support the deck's plan.
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