Short answer: The best upgrades for the Final Fantasy XIV Scions & Spellcraft Commander deck are Curiosity, Frantic Search, Ghostly Prison, Unwind and Helm of the Ghastlord, the cards EDHREC players add most often. All 10 picks below cost about $29 on TCGplayer, and seven of them are under $3. The first cards to cut are Sage’s Nouliths, Coveted Jewel and Tome of Legends.
Keep Reading: Limit Break Commander Deck Upgrade Guide: 10 Cards to Add, 10 to Cut for Cloud · Top 5 Esper Commanders Right Now (October 2026) · Hatsune Miku Commander Deck Upgrade Guide: 10 Cards to Add, 10 to Cut
Updated October 25, 2026 · Picks and percentages from EDHREC’s Scions & Spellcraft precon page (11,126 decks) · Prices are the cheapest TCGplayer printing, checked October 25, 2026
How does the Scions & Spellcraft deck win?
Scions & Spellcraft is the Final Fantasy XIV Commander deck, led by Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed (Esper: white, blue and black, 4 mana, a 2/4 with vigilance). Whenever you cast a noncreature spell with mana value 3 or more, she deals 2 damage to each opponent and you gain 2 life. At the beginning of each end step, if a player lost 4 or more life that turn, you draw a card. So the plan is to cast lots of 3-plus-mana instants, sorceries and enchantments, drain the whole table 2 life at a time, and draw a card on any turn where two of those spells land. Instants you cast on an opponent’s turn count too.
The most popular upgrades follow one idea: spells that cost 3 or more on paper but are cheap or free to cast. Y’shtola checks mana value, not the mana you actually paid.
What are the best Scions & Spellcraft deck upgrades?
1. Curiosity
What it does: Enchant creature. Whenever the enchanted creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.
Why it fits Y’shtola: Y’shtola’s trigger deals damage to each opponent, so with Curiosity on her, every 3-plus-mana noncreature spell draws you one card per opponent. In a four-player game that’s three cards a spell for 1 mana.
Price: about $0.73 (TCGplayer) · in 38% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
2. Frantic Search
What it does: Draw two cards, then discard two cards. Untap up to three lands.
Why it fits Y’shtola: It has mana value 3, so it triggers Y’shtola, and untapping three lands means it costs you nothing.
Price: about $0.71 (TCGplayer) · in 34% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
3. Ghostly Prison
What it does: Creatures can’t attack you unless their controller pays {2} for each creature attacking you.
Why it fits Y’shtola: This deck wins slowly by draining, and Y’shtola is only a 2/4, so taxing attackers buys you turns. It also triggers her when you cast it.
Price: about $5.88 (TCGplayer) · in 30% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
4. Unwind
What it does: Counter target noncreature spell. Untap up to three lands.
Why it fits Y’shtola: A free counterspell that also triggers Y’shtola. Cast it on an opponent’s turn and the drain can help turn on her end-step card draw.
Price: about $1.46 (TCGplayer) · in 27% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
5. Helm of the Ghastlord
What it does: If the enchanted creature is blue, it gets +1/+1 and draws you a card whenever it deals damage to an opponent. If it’s black, it gets +1/+1 and that opponent discards a card whenever it deals damage to them.
Why it fits Y’shtola: Y’shtola is both blue and black, so she gets +2/+2 and both abilities. Every drain trigger then draws you a card and makes each opponent discard one.
Price: about $9.01 (TCGplayer) · in 25% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
6. Dismember
What it does: Target creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn. Its two black symbols can be paid with 2 life each.
Why it fits Y’shtola: Its mana value is 3 even if you pay life, so for as little as 1 mana you kill a creature and trigger Y’shtola.
Price: about $2.12 (TCGplayer) · in 25% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
7. Rewind
What it does: Counter target spell. Untap up to four lands.
Why it fits Y’shtola: A hard counter that pays for itself and triggers Y’shtola, so you can hold up protection without slowing down.
Price: about $0.36 (TCGplayer) · in 25% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
8. Counterspell
What it does: Counter target spell.
Why it fits Y’shtola: At mana value 2 it doesn’t trigger Y’shtola, but it protects her and your best spells for just 2 mana. (No card image here, because this art is already on the site.)
Price: about $2.07 (TCGplayer) · in 24% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
9. Cornered by Black Mages
What it does: Target opponent sacrifices a creature of their choice. You create a 0/1 Wizard token that deals 1 damage to each opponent whenever you cast a noncreature spell.
Why it fits Y’shtola: It triggers Y’shtola, removes a creature, and leaves a Wizard that adds 1 more damage to every noncreature spell. With both out, a 3-mana spell hits each opponent for 3.
Price: about $0.24 (TCGplayer) · in 21% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
10. Kambal, Consul of Allocation
What it does: Whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, that player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Why it fits Y’shtola: It punishes opponents for casting the same kind of spells you do, and the extra life loss helps hit the 4-life mark for Y’shtola’s card draw.
Price: about $6.72 (TCGplayer) · in 21% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks
How much does it cost to upgrade the Scions & Spellcraft deck?
All 10 cards cost about $29.30 at their cheapest TCGplayer printings. The three priciest are Helm of the Ghastlord ($9.01), Kambal ($6.72) and Ghostly Prison ($5.88). The other seven cost about $7.69 combined, so this is one of the cheapest precons to upgrade well.
Which cards should you cut from the Scions & Spellcraft deck?
- Sage’s Nouliths (cut from 83% of decks): an Equipment that makes a 1/1 attacker, in a deck that wins by casting spells, not attacking.
- Coveted Jewel (68%): 6 mana, and any opponent who attacks you with unblocked creatures takes it and draws three cards.
- Tome of Legends (67%): it only gains page counters when your commander enters or attacks, and a 2/4 Y’shtola isn’t built to attack.
- Summon: Good King Mog XII (65%): a 5-mana creature spell, so it doesn’t trigger Y’shtola.
- Bastion of Remembrance (63%): it drains only when your creatures die, which this deck doesn’t plan for.
- Hildibrand Manderville (63%): it pumps creature tokens, which aren’t this deck’s plan.
- Crux of Fate (61%): a board wipe that also kills Y’shtola.
- Hypnotic Sprite (61%)
- Urianger Augurelt (60%)
- Astrologian’s Planisphere (59%)
Is the Scions & Spellcraft deck worth buying now?
Yes, especially on a budget. The regular deck is about $57 at TCGplayer market price, with listings from about $45 (October 25, 2026), and the full upgrade above adds only about $29. It’s the second most-built Final Fantasy precon on EDHREC, with 11,126 decks, and Y’shtola was the most-built Esper commander of the past month when we checked on October 24 (see our top 5 Esper commanders). The Collector’s Edition is about $234, so only buy that one for the foils. For newer decks, see our best Commander precons of 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best upgrade for the Scions & Spellcraft deck?
Curiosity. It’s in 38% of EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft decks, and on Y’shtola it draws a card for every opponent she hits.
How much does it cost to upgrade Scions & Spellcraft?
About $29 for all 10 cards in this guide. Seven of them cost under $3 each.
Who is the Scions & Spellcraft commander?
Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed, a white, blue and black (Esper) 2/4 that drains each opponent for 2 whenever you cast a noncreature spell with mana value 3 or more.
Does Dismember trigger Y’shtola if I pay life?
Yes. Its mana value is always 3, no matter how you pay for it.
What should I cut first from Scions & Spellcraft?
Sage’s Nouliths, Coveted Jewel and Tome of Legends. Sage’s Nouliths is cut from 83% of upgraded decks on EDHREC.
Scions & Spellcraft upgrades
Sources: EDHREC Scions & Spellcraft precon page (Cards to Add and Cards to Cut, 11,126 decks), checked October 25, 2026; card text from Scryfall; prices from TCGplayer. Card images: Wizards of the Coast, via Scryfall.
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