World Shaper Upgrade Guide: 10 Card Swaps for Epic Plays

So, you’ve got your new Jund precon and want to improve it. You’d like to make more fun and enable additional epic plays. Our World Shaper Upgrade Guide can help with that.

There won’t be too many recommendations — just 10 card swaps, with a few additional suggestions sprinkled in. (Once you start to swap 20+ cards, it’s likely better to just build the deck around a specific commander from zero.)

The additions won’t be obvious generic staples like Heroic Intervention, instead the focus is on fun and strong cards that really fit the deck’s theme. Speaking of which, let’s see what the deck wants to do.

World Shaper Game Plan

Sometimes the main and secondary commander try to do completely different things. That’s not the case with Herthhull and Szarel.

Quick note on Hearthhull: That’s a new artifact subtype — spacecraft. You can find exactly how it works in our Spacecraft Rules article. You could try to include high power creatures to crew it faster, but just playing regular creatures that fit the deck’s theme will also do the trick, while keeping synergies on point.

While there are obviously some differences between the two commanders, they both work with land sacrifice, which is the main theme of the deck, as you can see from the decklist below.

The list is pretty solid for a precon already. Still, there are plenty of potential upgrades, mainly cards that go well with the whole “sacrifice lands” shtick. With that said, why don’t we get right to them.

#1 Sylvan Safekeeper

This one mana creature is so powerful that even some green decks without that many land synergies play it. As the name suggests, it keeps your creatures safe — including itself. At least from targeted removal.

Plus, it allows you to sacrifice lands without any additional costs. Always having the option to sac a land is powerful, no matter which of the two commanders you end up using. You can safely go for the win with fully stationed Hearthhull, as Safekeeper makes sure your opponents won’t mess with it.

Replaces: Formless Genesis

You need lots of lands in your graveyard before Formless Genesis creates a meaningfully large creature for three mana. Sure, you can replay it and get a land into your graveyard, but you aren’t even sacrificing a land, and the token is still not that relevant to your game plan.

Safekeeper will do a lot more work, is cheaper, and actually works with the deck’s theme.

#2 Zuran Orb

This is another card that allows you to do the same thing — sacrifice as many lands as you want at instant speed — with some differences. In most scenarios, protecting your creatures is better than gaining a couple of life.

However, artifacts are usually a bit harder to remove than creatures, plus it costs zero mana. You don’t need to play it before you can actually benefit from it. Simply hold it in your hand until the proper moment.

Replaces: Rakdos Charm

Charm can be a useful card in the right scenario. Its problem is that it’s just too situational for a card that doesn’t really do anything for the deck’s theme. Sure, Zuran Orb isn’t interaction, but it does fit the deck perfectly.

(If you feel like you need artifact removal, you should opt for Vandalblast instead.)

#3 Nahiri’s Lithoforming

With this sorcery you can also sacrifice a bunch of lands. But contrary to the previous two cards, you can actually put more lands in play. This triggers all of your landfall cards multiple times, and gives you fuel for more sacrificing.

You can use Nahiri’s Lithoforming as a big finisher with the right supporting cast, or just use it mid game for some value.

If you don’t mind the higher price, you could also go with Scapeshift. Another budget-friendly option would be Devastating Summons, albeit that one works on a completely different axis.

Replaces: Night’s Whisper

This is a perfectly fine draw spell, and you could opt for another card to cut instead. However, it feels like this deck has enough forms of card advantage that it doesn’t really need this one.

#4 Epicenter

You might want to sacrifice your lands, but your opponents probably aren’t so eager to do so. In order to unlock this card’s full potential you’ll need at least seven cards in your graveyard. In a deck like this this isn’t too hard to achieve.

At that point you can just force everyone to sacrifice their lands. Even when you don’t win on the spot, you’ll gain a massive advantage. You probably have ways to get lands back from your graveyard.

For example, if you have say 10 lands in play, you could tap all of them, then use five mana to cast Epicenter. With the leftover mana, you cast Splendid Reclamation and get so ahead in mana that you’ve essentially won the game.

Just note that some play groups really hate playing against cards like that. If that’s true for your opponents, you could opt for something more one-sided, say Overlaid Terrain.

Replaces: Hammer of Purphoros

Hammer was a fine card once upon a time, but it feels like it’s been powercrept lately. While, it is a repeatable sacrifice-land effect, three mana for activation is just too much to ask. A one-time effect that lets you sacrifice all lands at once will probably play out better.

#5 Ancient Greenwarden

A few ways to return lands from your graveyard are already included in the deck (Szarel, Genesis Shepherd, Splendid Reclamation, and Worldsoul’s Rage for example.)

Still, the deck will play more smoothly with more cards that allow you to do that. Greenwarden is a solid option, as it also doubles your landfall effects. There’s no shortage of those in the World Shaper precon, so adding this six drop makes a lot of sense.

Perhaps you’ll want to add even more similar effects, particularly some that you can play earlier. One option is Ramunap Excavator, which has gotten fairly budget-friendly. The second one is Crucible of Worlds, but that one is quite pricey.

Replaces: Centaur Vinecrasher

This card is just a potentially large creature with clunky recursion, that doesn’t even contribute to your theme by itself. Plus, your plan is to return lands from your graveyard, so it often won’t even be that huge.

It’s not an unplayable card, but also not something this deck actually needs.

#6 Lord Windgrace

If there’s one planeswalker that deserves to be in this deck, that’s certainly Lord Windgrace. While it doesn’t sacrifice lands, all of its abilities work really well with the theme.

His +2 allows you to bin lands for a couple of cards. As you know, lands in graveyard are very useful here, with so many ways to bring them back. That’s actually what its second ability does — returns a couple of lands. Finally, if you ever ultimate, you’ll get six Cats that destroy a bunch of stuff.

It can also be your commander, allowing you to experience a slightly different gameplay by simply swapping it with your current commander.

Replaces: Skyshroud Claim

This is one of those cards that’s perfectly good on its own, so you could easily keep it in the deck. However, something needs to get cut, when you add a new card. Windgrace’s -2 ability does kinda similar thing, while providing you with more utility.

#7 Orcish Lumberjack

As far as mana dorks go, this one is pretty absurd. Keep in mind that you can tap the Forest for mana before you sacrifice it, so you get the maximum amount of mana. By going T1 Mountain, into Lumberjack, and T2 Forest, you actually get to five mana on your second turn. Just how insane is that?

Even later in the game, getting 3 mana ahead can be absurdly good. In most decks, sacrificing a Forest can be a real downside, but in this one you don’t mind it. With proper support cards in play, it can actually become a real benefit.

Replaces: Uurg, Spawn of Turg

Uurg can work in this deck, but it’s just a bit too clunky on all fronts. Paying two mana to sacrifice a land is a bit much, the upkeep effect is really small, and you plan to return your lands from your graveyard, so it might not even be that large.

You’d rather use Lumberjack to ramp into more expensive and stronger spells.

#8 Sakura-Tribe Elder

This two mana creature is so iconic, that it actually has a nickname among enfranchised Magic players. It’s Steve!

World Shaper precon likes to ramp, and has sacrifice synergies. Thus, it’s surprising that Steve was omitted from the original decklist. Thankfully, the card has been reprinted a bunch of times and is therefore a very budget-friendly pickup.

Replaces: Cultivate

This is probably the most controversial cut suggestion here. Why should one cut the iconic green Commander staple?

Well, this deck is already playing a bunch of ramp effects, and we’re adding yet another. A lot of them search the library for basic lands, so at some point you might very well run out. (Especially if you cut some basics when you upgrade your mana base.)

But why don’t we cut another ramp spell? Well, the two mana ones like Farseek are usually preferred, as you can get them online faster. Furthermore, for this specific deck, the three mana ones that actually sacrifice lands fit better. (Harrow, Roiling Regrowth)

Nevertheless, you could argue to cut something else, and that’s a perfectly reasonable stance too.

#9 Squandered Resources

Here’s an old card, that can make a potent addition to the World Shaper precon. You can use it in many ways. Perhaps you just need an additional mana to cast a key spell? Or perhaps you want to trigger a sacrifice-land effect? Maybe you need a land in your graveyard? Do you want to do a combo finish?

For all of these scenarios, this enchantment can do the job. Sometimes your effects like Splendid Reclamation return all of your lands, so you can sacrifice all of your lands in response, for a ton of mana. What’s not to like?

The biggest downside of this card actually isn’t game related. It’s the fact that it’s on the Reserved List, making it somewhat pricey. Thankfully, there are a couple of budget alternatives in Rain of Filth and Mana Seism. While they are one-time effects, they can still do the trick in a pinch.

Replaces: Gaze of Granite

Having a board clear is nice and all, but this one is pretty clunky. Even if you don’t end up adding “Squandered Resources” type of effect, you should still replace this card with something more efficient. Think Culling Ritual or Toxic Deluge, depending on what you expect to face.

#10 World Shaper

Come on Wizards, you didn’t put a World Shaper into the World Shaper precon? It even fits the deck really nicely. Getting you some self mill, but with the main goal of bringing all of your lands back when it dies.

If you want a slightly more powered-up version of the card, you could easily opt for Lumra, Bellow of the Woods instead. While it costs six mana, you do get the effects right away.

Replaces: Multani, Yavimaya’s Avatar

Multani isn’t quite what it used to be a few years ago. It’s still a playable card, but you’ll probably do better with something that comes in play earlier and has a more impactful effect on the game.

Limit Break Upgrade Recap

Here’s a quick overview of the suggestions. As always, pick and choose which additions and which cuts you personally like, this list is by no means set in stone. For each of the cards on the cutting block, an argument could be made for keeping it. So, cut the ones that you don’t like, or that don’t fit into your desired play patterns.

Mana Base

One important thing that we didn’t touch on is the mana base. The original one is solid, as far as Commander precons go, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

If you were to add just a single land, Lotus Field seems great. Sure, you need to sacrifice a couple of lands, but you’ll get that mana back, and you actually want to sac lands anyway. A zero mana way to do so is pretty neat.

Naturally, fetch lands will excel here, and if your play group doesn’t mind playing against land destruction, Strip Mine can work wonders.

There’s also Tomb of Urami, which has a little bit of downside, but can help you with a combo finish, by allowing you to sacrifice all of your lands.

As far as the mana producing lands go, you can find suggestions for Jund mana base here. Getting the ones that enter untapped is always a good idea.

When considering which lands to cut, you should probably go for the ones that enter tapped. Perhaps you could also trim a couple of basics, but don’t go too hard on those. There are plenty of cards in your deck that search for them, so you don’t want to run out of them too quickly.

Bonus Recommendations

When doing research for this article, I came across plenty of cards worth at least considering. They are of various power levels. Some are generic staples, such as Lotus Cobra and Azusa, Lost But Seeking, while others are niche cards like Keldon FIrebombers.

So, here are 36 cards that could potentially be added to the deck. Perhaps a card stands out to you, so you’ll try it out.

Shape a Better World

With that, we’re wrapping up with our World Shaper Upgrade Guide. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed it and will be able to improve your precon. If you don’t already own one, you can purchase it on Amazon.

Do you perhaps know of a card that would fit well in the deck, but we didn’t mention? With so many Magic cards, I’ve certainly missed some. Let us and our readers know about your recommendations in the comments below.

Until next time, have fun upgrading your deck, may it provide you with many unforgettable moments!