MTGCheap Logo

FDC · 2026-10-02 · Artifact Tokens

Keen Engineering Upgrade Guide

Sai, Master Thopterist

Commander: Sai, Master Thopterist

U

Sai rewards each artifact spell with a Thopter. Cheap artifacts and artifact recursion turn those tokens into sustained pressure and card draw.

Out-of-the-box list sourced from MTGJSON KeenEngineering_FDC <https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/foundations-commander-decklists>.

Where to start upgrading

Deck-specific one-for-one ideas. Check current prices before buying; the budget plans below use live card data when available.

Cut Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut → Add Emry, Lurker of the Loch

Recasts cheap artifacts so Sai produces more Thopters and can turn spent artifacts into cards.

Cut Meteor Golem → Add Mystic Forge

Lets an artifact-heavy deck cast cards from the top rather than wait for a seven-mana removal creature.

Upgrade plans

$6.43 of $25.00 · 15 swaps · $18.57 left over

3 validation notes
  • "Misleading Signpost" has no known price; deck price cannot be computed.
  • "Mind Stone" has no known price; deck price cannot be computed.
  • "Thought Vessel" has no known price; deck price cannot be computed.
  1. 1Sage of Lat-Nam
    BroodstarSage of Lat-Nam$0.20

    Card Draw · MV 2 — adds card draw in place of a low-impact card; shares 5 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; shares Human kinship with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 8 MV; $0.20 (was $1.16 in the box).

  2. 2Trading Post
    All Is DustTrading Post$0.27

    Card Draw · MV 4 — adds card draw in place of a low-impact card; shares 6 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 3 MV; $0.27 (was $5.44 in the box).

  3. 3Skystrike Officer
    Myr BattlesphereSkystrike Officer$0.31

    Card Draw · MV 3 — adds card draw in place of a low-impact card; shares 5 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; shares Human kinship with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 4 MV; $0.31 (was $0.34 in the box).

  4. 4Leonardo da Vinci
    Graaz, Unstoppable JuggernautLeonardo da Vinci$0.90

    Card Draw · MV 3 — adds card draw in place of a low-impact card; shares 4 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; shares Human kinship with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 5 MV; $0.90 (was $0.30 in the box).

  5. 5Efficient Construction
    DuplicantEfficient Construction$0.45

    Support · MV 4 — replaces a low-synergy support; shares 5 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 2 MV; $0.45 (was $0.32 in the box).

  6. 6Golem Foundry
    Kappa CannoneerGolem Foundry$0.24

    Support · MV 3 — replaces a low-synergy support; shares 5 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 3 MV; $0.24 (was $0.38 in the box).

  7. 7Threefold Thunderhulk
    Darksteel JuggernautThreefold Thunderhulk$0.31

    Support · MV 7 — replaces a low-synergy support; shares 5 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; costs 2 more MV for a stronger effect; $0.31 (was $1.46 in the box).

  8. 8Etherium Spinner
    Meteor GolemEtherium Spinner$0.26

    Support · MV 3 — replaces a low-synergy removal & interaction; shares 4 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; shares Human kinship with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 4 MV; $0.26 (was $0.26 in the box).

  9. 9Iron Lad, Diverging Destiny
    Spire GolemIron Lad, Diverging Destiny$0.19

    Card Draw · MV 3 — adds card draw in place of a low-impact card; shares 4 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; shares Human kinship with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 3 MV; $0.19 (was $0.31 in the box).

  10. 10Nyssa of Traken
    Forsaken MonumentNyssa of Traken$0.29

    Card Draw · MV 4 — adds card draw in place of a low-impact card; shares 4 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; shares Human kinship with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 1 MV; $0.29 (was $6.63 in the box).

  11. 11Senator Peacock
    Skysovereign, Consul FlagshipSenator Peacock$0.44

    Card Draw · MV 5 — adds card draw in place of a low-impact card; shares 4 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; shares Human kinship with Sai, Master Thopterist; $0.44 (was $2.07 in the box).

  12. 12Leitmotif Composer
    Chief of the FoundryLeitmotif Composer$0.21

    Card Draw · MV 3 — adds card draw in place of a low-impact card; shares 4 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; shares Human kinship with Sai, Master Thopterist; $0.21 (was $0.21 in the box).

  13. 13Drake Hatcher
    Foundry InspectorDrake Hatcher$0.31

    Support · MV 2 — replaces a low-synergy support; shares 4 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; shares Human kinship with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 1 MV; $0.31 (was $0.39 in the box).

  14. 14Technodrome
    Master of EtheriumTechnodrome$1.95

    Card Draw · MV 2 — adds card draw in place of a low-impact card; shares 5 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; lowers the curve by 1 MV; $1.95 (was $0.71 in the box).

  15. 15Whirlermaker
    PropagandaWhirlermaker$0.10

    Support · MV 3 — replaces a low-synergy support; shares 4 synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist; $0.10 (was $2.24 in the box).

What improves

  • Only $6.43 of the $25.00 budget was needed — the rest of the precon holds up without changes.
  • 15 one-for-one swaps for $6.43 of a $25.00 budget, adding 9 card draw, 1 support.
  • Average spell mana value drops from 3.88 to 3.29 — the deck plays faster.
  • 15 incoming cards share synergy tags with Sai, Master Thopterist.

Remaining weaknesses

  • No board wipes after upgrades (most Commander decks want at least 1). A bigger upgrade budget should target this role first.
  • No protection after upgrades (most Commander decks want at least 2). A bigger upgrade budget should target this role first.
  • No win conditions after upgrades (most Commander decks want at least 2). A bigger upgrade budget should target this role first.
  • 3 cards kept (Misleading Signpost, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel) have no available price, so the plan neither cuts nor values them.

Keen Engineering · assumes you own the precon; cost covers added cards only.

Original decklist

The stock 99 (plus Sai, Master Thopterist) at current data prices — 3 cards have no available price and are excluded from the total. Estimated box value: $101.87

Other (99)

  • Adaptive Omnitool$1.12
  • Aether Spellbomb$0.35
  • Aetherize$0.48
  • All Is Dust$5.44
  • Arcane Signet$0.50
  • Broodstar$1.16
  • Buried Ruin$0.38
  • Chief of the Foundry$0.21
  • Counterspell$4.42
  • Cultivator's Caravan$0.18
  • Darksteel Citadel$2.63
  • Darksteel Juggernaut$1.46
  • Duplicant$0.32
  • Etherium Sculptor$0.68
  • Fall from Favor$0.14
  • Forsaken Monument$6.63
  • Foundry Inspector$0.39
  • Foundry of the Consuls$0.36
  • Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut$0.30
  • Hedron Archive$0.25
  • Ichor Wellspring$1.49
  • 34× Island$0.07
  • Kappa Cannoneer$0.38
  • Launch Mishap$0.24
  • Lonely Sandbar$0.23
  • Master of Etherium$0.71
  • Master Transmuter$5.49
  • Mazemind Tome$0.19
  • Memory Guardian$0.30
  • Meteor Golem$0.26
  • Mind Stoneunavailable
  • Mind's Eye$5.57
  • Misleading Signpostunavailable
  • Myr Battlesphere$0.34
  • Myr Retriever$2.84
  • Negate$0.24
  • Nettlecyst$4.33
  • Nevinyrral's Disk$1.45
  • Ornithopter of Paradise$2.16
  • Padeem, Consul of Innovation$2.48
  • Palladium Myr$1.19
  • Propaganda$2.24
  • Psychosis Crawler$2.33
  • Pull from Tomorrow$0.28
  • Remote Isle$0.23
  • Research Thief$1.72
  • Scrawling Crawler$6.37
  • Shimmer Dragon$0.34
  • Shimmer Myr$0.39
  • Silver Myr$0.70
  • Skysovereign, Consul Flagship$2.07
  • Sol Ring$1.48
  • Soul-Guide Lantern$0.26
  • Spire Golem$0.31
  • Steel Hellkite$0.36
  • Steel Overseer$0.34
  • Tamiyo's Logbook$0.29
  • Thirst for Knowledge$0.22
  • Thopter Fabricator$0.37
  • Thopter Spy Network$0.42
  • Thought Monitor$0.31
  • Thought Vesselunavailable
  • Thoughtcast$3.34
  • Vedalken Archmage$12.36
  • War Room$5.26
  • Whirler Rogue$0.21
All precon upgrade guides