Zaffai, Thunder Conductor

Legendary Creature — Human Shaman · from $0.30

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.

Build with this commander Start with a starter shell Card details, printings & prices

A typical Commander deck

A starting template, not a rule — counts to fill in around the commander.

Lands3736–38 for most decks; fewer with cheap curves
Ramp10mana rocks, dorks, land ramp — mostly 2–3 mana
Card draw10repeatable engines beat one-shot cantrips
Targeted removal6answers for creatures AND artifacts/enchantments
Board wipes3sweepers reset boards you've lost
Synergy & win conditions33the deck's actual plan

Staples in these colors

The 100 cards that fit this color identity in the most EDHREC decklists (EDHREC rank via Scryfall).

Budget

56 of 100 at $5 or less · 32 at $1 or less

#	Card	Type	MV	Price
1	Sol Ring	Artifact	1	$1.07
2	Command Tower	Land	0	$0.26
3	Arcane Signet	Artifact	2	$0.34
4	Exotic Orchard	Land	0	$0.19
5	Reliquary Tower	Land	0	$4.28
6	Swiftfoot Boots	Artifact	2	$1.43
7	Lightning Greaves	Artifact	2	$3.86
8	Path of Ancestry	Land	0	$0.16
9	Counterspell	Instant	2	$1.33
10	Fellwar Stone	Artifact	2	$0.47
11	Rogue's Passage	Land	0	$0.31
12	Evolving Wilds	Land	0	$0.09
13	Thought Vessel	Artifact	2	$2.23
14	Blasphemous Act	Sorcery	9	$0.72
15	Terramorphic Expanse	Land	0	$0.10
16	Chaos Warp	Instant	3	$0.32
17	Myriad Landscape	Land	0	$0.25
18	Mind Stone	Artifact	2	$0.21
19	An Offer You Can't Refuse	Instant	1	$3.01
20	Polluted Delta	Land	0	$19.85
21	Flooded Strand	Land	0	$12.78
22	Skullclamp	Artifact	1	$4.85
23	Solemn Simulacrum	Creature	4	$0.27
24	Misty Rainforest	Land	0	$35.98
25	Bloodstained Mire	Land	0	$14.54
26	Fabled Passage	Land	0	$0.65
27	Windswept Heath	Land	0	$11.19
28	Rhystic Study	Enchantment	3	$61.06
29	Wooded Foothills	Land	0	$17.96
30	Verdant Catacombs	Land	0	$29.16
31	Scalding Tarn	Land	0	$36.86
32	Marsh Flats	Land	0	$32.04
33	Arcane Denial	Instant	2	$1.88
34	Commander's Sphere	Artifact	3	$0.19
35	Negate	Instant	2	$0.12
36	Arid Mesa	Land	0	$31.40
37	Cyclonic Rift	Instant	2	$29.75
38	Steam Vents	Land	0	$9.63
39	Swan Song	Instant	1	$10.72
40	Ancient Tomb	Land	0	$56.94
41	Brainstorm	Instant	1	$0.56
42	Deflecting Swat	Instant	3	$70.85
43	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	Land	0	$56.13
44	Sulfur Falls	Land	0	$0.20
45	Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth	Land	0	$16.76
46	Fierce Guardianship	Instant	3	$59.21
47	Temple of the False God	Land	0	$0.19
48	Chromatic Lantern	Artifact	3	$0.38
49	Otawara, Soaring City	Land	0	$26.57
50	City of Brass	Land	0	$9.17
51	The One Ring	Artifact	4	$109.88
52	Faithless Looting	Sorcery	1	$0.36
53	Frantic Search	Instant	3	$0.82
54	Mystic Remora	Enchantment	1	$10.97
55	Vandalblast	Sorcery	1	$1.74
56	Jeska's Will	Sorcery	3	$39.58
57	Cavern of Souls	Land	0	$47.72
58	Propaganda	Enchantment	3	$1.84
59	Shivan Reef	Land	0	$0.22
60	Mana Confluence	Land	0	$34.75
61	Urza's Saga	Enchantment	0	$34.67
62	Mana Drain	Instant	2	$50.65
63	Lotus Petal	Artifact	0	$35.11
64	Talisman of Creativity	Artifact	2	$0.45
65	Wayfarer's Bauble	Artifact	1	$0.31
66	Roaming Throne	Creature	4	$47.06
67	Ashnod's Altar	Artifact	3	$8.15
68	Big Score	Instant	4	$0.41
69	War Room	Land	0	$0.79
70	Abrade	Instant	2	$0.17
71	Ponder	Sorcery	1	$1.82
72	Herald's Horn	Artifact	3	$2.88
73	Mana Vault	Artifact	1	$91.59
74	Training Center	Land	0	$17.67
75	Pongify	Instant	1	$2.21
76	Chrome Mox	Artifact	0	$51.19
77	Lightning Bolt	Instant	1	$0.75
78	Windfall	Sorcery	3	$4.78
79	Mystical Tutor	Instant	1	$14.99
80	Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx	Land	0	$45.68
81	Reflecting Pool	Land	0	$5.50
82	Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs	Instant	3	$9.68
83	Izzet Signet	Artifact	2	$0.24
84	Mystic Sanctuary	Land	0	$1.01
85	Three Tree City	Land	0	$29.09
86	Gemstone Caverns	Land	0	$62.05
87	Command Beacon	Land	0	$7.99
88	Stormcarved Coast	Land	0	$2.08
89	Idol of Oblivion	Artifact	2	$2.40
90	Prismatic Vista	Land	0	$28.10
91	Buried Ruin	Land	0	$0.38
92	Thran Dynamo	Artifact	4	$1.94
93	Storm-Kiln Artist	Creature	4	$1.74
94	Force of Will	Instant	5	$26.56
95	Impact Tremors	Enchantment	2	$2.52
96	Patchwork Banner	Artifact	3	$1.52
97	Mox Amber	Artifact	0	$86.45
98	Karn's Bastion	Land	0	$2.51
99	Professional Face-Breaker	Creature	3	$4.99
100	Rapid Hybridization	Instant	1	$0.81

Curve of these staples

Combos with Zaffai, Thunder Conductor

4 combos using this commander that fit its color identity, from Commander Spellbook.

Dual Casting + Intruder Alarm + Zaffai, Thunder Conductor
Infinite copies of instant or sorcery spells you cast · Infinite creature tokens · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite magecraft triggers · Infinite mana creatures you control can produce · Infinite scry 1 · Infinite untap of creatures
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Mana Echoes + Reality Strobe + The Tenth Doctor + Zaffai, Thunder Conductor
Infinite creature ETB · Infinite colorless mana · Infinite creature tokens · Infinite magecraft triggers · Mass Land Denial · Return any number of permanents to their owner's hand · Infinite scry 1
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Inspiring Refrain + Mana Echoes + The Tenth Doctor + Zaffai, Thunder Conductor
Infinite card draw · Infinite draw triggers · Near-infinite creature ETB · Near-infinite colorless mana · Near-infinite creature tokens · Near-infinite magecraft triggers
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Arc Blade + Mana Echoes + The Tenth Doctor + Zaffai, Thunder Conductor
Infinite creature ETB · Infinite colorless mana · Infinite creature tokens · Infinite damage · Infinite magecraft triggers · Infinite scry 1
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo

Top finishes

One finish placing top 16 at 16+ player events with this commander. Results from Topdeck.gg.

7th of 28 — Liga Mesão Presencial S3-E11 on Topdeck.ggSep 18, 2026 · 1–1–0 · by Gustavo Dias Gonçalves

All 1 finish →

Precons led by Zaffai, Thunder Conductor

Official preconstructed decks with Zaffai, Thunder Conductor at the helm.

Prismari Performance
PreconCommander· Released Apr 2021

Card data and images courtesy of Scryfall; popularity ranking from EDHREC decklist data included in Scryfall bulk. Combo data courtesy of Commander Spellbook. Tournament results courtesy of Topdeck.gg. Precon product lists via MTGJSON. Deckwarden is unofficial Fan Content and is not endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

Commanders