<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai, Master Thopterist|FDC|5" href="#" target="_blank">Sai, Master Thopterist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://bryansola.com/">Bryan Sola</a></em></p>
<p><em>Keen Engineering </em>is a new beginner Commander preconstructed deck associated with <em>Foundations </em>and released Oct. 2, 2026. What's in the deck, who are the commanders, and is it a good buy?</p>
<p>Let's find out.</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/foundationscommanderTHOPTERS.png

<p>The <i>Keen Engineering</i> Commander deck contains the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>1 Ready-to-play 100-card Commander deck</li>
<li>1 Traditional foil face commander with borderless art</li>
<li>99 Non-foil cards</li>
<li>10 Non-foil double-sided tokens</li>
<li>1 Reference card</li>
<li>1 Deck box</li>
</ul>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai, Master Thopterist|FDC|5" href="#" target="_blank">Sai, Master Thopterist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sai, Master Thopterist|FDC|5"></div></div>
<p>With Sai, every artifact we cast nets us a Thopter token. Furthermore, we can spend two mana (including a blue) to sacrifice two artifacts to draw a card. All on a 1/4 body. Sai is not the commander of choice if you want to win through commander damage, but he teaches us a lot about accruing value, which is a main goal of every Commander game. New players balk at having to sacrifice artifacts to draw a card, but there are a few cards in the 99 that tell us it's actually not as bad as it seems.</p>
<p>Besides, we're going to be casting a lot of artifacts, meaning we're getting a lot of Thopters as a result. Then, they can be used to fuel Sai's activated ability, or to attack. They may be measly 1/1s, but we have ways to make them more lethal in the deck.</p>


<h3>The Best Reprints</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Propaganda|FDC|72"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All Is Dust|FDC|9"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vedalken Archmage|FDC|82"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda|FDC|72" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: I'm honestly surprised to see this here. Not just because of its price tag, but it's a great way to deter attackers, especially against decks that go wide. The other decks can mount pressure very quickly, and this helps even that playing field.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All Is Dust|FDC|9" href="#" target="_blank">All Is Dust</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: If you ask me, this is the premier board wipe of the deck. A large portion of our deck is colorless (by virtue of them being artifacts), including the Thopter tokens Sai makes. Yes, this will get rid of colored artifacts, but that price is small compared to what everyone else will be losing.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vedalken Archmage|FDC|82" href="#" target="_blank">Vedalken Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: In a deck full of artifacts, this is going to draw quite a few cards, keeping our hand stocked up. Note, however, that this is a cast trigger. You won't get to draw cards off of tokens entering (or any artifact that's not being cast, but put onto the battlefield). That being said, it's great at what it does here.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skysovereign, Consul Flagship|FDC|285" href="#" target="_blank">Skysovereign, Consul Flagship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Its inclusion here teaches how vehicles work. With the Thopters our commander makes, we can crew this easily (by tapping them, so turning them sideways), giving us a big creature that can attack and remove a potential blocker through its attack trigger. Just note that you do have to crew it each turn if you want to attack with it.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forsaken Monument|FDC|258" href="#" target="_blank">Forsaken Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Don't sleep on this card. Our colorless sources now ramp us by an additional one, and each colorless source we cast with this out helps buoy our life total. That +2/+2 is not a small buff, and those tiny 1/1 Thopters suddenly become 3/3s, which can spell trouble for our opponents in large numbers.</p>


<p>The objective of this precon is to drop artifacts, getting Thopters along the way. We'll want to get Sai out early so we can start doing that.</p>
<p>Accrue value along the way and, in doing so, find ways to buff those Thopter tokens into lethal threats, then swing in. A major weakness, though is that artifacts are almost as easy to remove as creatures are. Artifact creatures stand among the easiest to destroy, but blue is home to the ever-tilting [[Counterspell]] and its kinfolk.</p>
<p>Most of the decks in the <em>Foundations Commander</em> line up push for kindred strategies. Sai is <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/artifacts/mono-blue">more an Artifacts deck</a> than a Thopter deck, but it's those Thopters that are the lynchpin to our plans.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thopter Spy Network|FDC|79" href="#" target="_blank">Thopter Spy Network</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: As long as we have an artifact out, we get a Thopter during each of our upkeeps. In addition, we draw cards when artifacts deal damage to players (up to three, at least one for each opponent). It's easy to get the upkeep trigger, especially when Sai is out.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut|FDC|260" href="#" target="_blank">Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Yes, this costs a hefty eight mana, but it's actually the best way in the precon to buff all of those Thopter tokens. A horde of 5/3 fliers is nothing to sneeze at, and can end games outright. Graaz itself is no slouch either, as it's effectively a +2/+2 difference, and makes for a good attacker.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichor Wellspring|FDC|265" href="#" target="_blank">Ichor Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Again, newer players tend to not appreciate having to sacrifice their own stuff (something we'll return to in a future precon, stay tuned), but the Wellspring is one of those cards you have to sacrifice to get the full value. It's useless outside of that (and its entering trigger).</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thopter Spy Network|FDC|79"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut|FDC|260"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ichor Wellspring|FDC|265"></div></div>


<p>As these are starter precons, we shouldn't expect any combos. That said, artifact decks tend to rank among the most synergistic in the game, and this precon does touch on that considerably.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myr Retriever|FDC|274" href="#" target="_blank">Myr Retriever</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: When this dies, we get to bring an artifact card from our graveyard to hand. Sacrifice this to our commander's ability to not only draw a card, but get the Retriever's effect to get something back. Note that, while we can get back the other artifact, we can't recur the Retriever itself.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shimmer Dragon|FDC|75" href="#" target="_blank">Shimmer Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This creature has an identical ability to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai, Master Thopterist" href="#" target="_blank">Sai, Master Thopterist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The only difference is that we tap those artifacts instead of sacrificing them. Here's the thing: why not both? For two mana, we tap and sacrifice two artifacts to draw two cards. Value!</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kappa Cannoneer|FDC|64" href="#" target="_blank">Kappa Cannoneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: While yes, this counts among our finishers, there are some nifty tricks here. One, we could tap the artifacts we plan to sacrifice to Sai's ability to pay for the Cannoneer, then sacrifice them to draw a card (or cards, if you got the mana and artifacts). Also, each time we cast an artifact spell with Sai out, we get a Thopter, triggering the Cannoneer not once, but twice. A second dose of being unblockable is redundant, but those +1/+1 counters won't be.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Myr Retriever|FDC|274"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shimmer Dragon|FDC|75"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kappa Cannoneer|FDC|64"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


<p>Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't cover the lands and mana rocks (artifacts that ramp) here, especially in a color that utilizes them in significant ways.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Misleading Signpost|FDC|69" href="#" target="_blank">Misleading Signpost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: While this taps for blue, it's best to save it for when an opponents send a major threat our way. Then we can cast this, and tell them to go bother someone else. If Sai's out, we get a Thopter for our trouble, too.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan|FDC|251" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator&#039;s Caravan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: The Vehicle is actually a neat, flexible tool: we can either use it to ramp early on, or we can crew it, and turn it sideways for some damage. Even better if it were to get vigilance somehow (spoilers: we don't in this precon).</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buried Ruin|FDC|298" href="#" target="_blank">Buried Ruin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This is one of those lands that's best to save for when you need it. Early on, it can make for a land drop to ramp us, and it can be cashed in later to get an artifact back to our hand from the graveyard. Maybe it's a beater. Maybe it's that Myr Retriever I mentioned above. Who knows?</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Misleading Signpost|FDC|69"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan|FDC|251"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buried Ruin|FDC|298"></div></div>


<p>As always, precons have room to make some upgrades. Granted, we have to cut a few cards. These would be my first five cuts:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spire Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Spire Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: While we can easily cast this for free, it honestly don't do anything, especially when we have at least three other opponents to compete with.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fall from Favor" href="#" target="_blank">Fall from Favor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: The monarch mechanic is very fun, but this card doesn't really amount to anything. Besides, we're in blue. Card draw is in our blood.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: See Spire Golem above, but a tad better, though.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mazemind Tome" href="#" target="_blank">Mazemind Tome</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This is weak for card draw and, while we could sacrifice it to our commander instead of losing it forever in exile, there are better options to consider.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator&#039;s Caravan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: We have better ramp options, and this is easily replaced with a more powerful effect.</li>
</ul>
<p>The following would be my budget picks to upgrade the deck, all of them up to $5 at time of writing:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stridehangar Automaton" href="#" target="_blank">Stridehangar Automaton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: I'm still in shock that this did not get reprinted in the precon, where the game plan centers on Thopters. It's also one of the only cards in the game that boosts Thopters directly, and it makes an extra when we do (or any artifact token for that matter). For an extra buff, I'd consider <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Favorable Winds" href="#" target="_blank">Favorable Winds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which affects all flyers, including our Thopters.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Efficient Construction" href="#" target="_blank">Efficient Construction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: For a little redundancy with our commander, look no further. With both out, you'll have an army in no time.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sharding Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Sharding Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: As if the above pair wasn't fast enough, this Sphinx ensures that every time we hit an opponent with an artifact creature, our board explodes with Thopters. Specifically blue ones, in this case.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bident of Thassa" href="#" target="_blank">Bident of Thassa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: We're about poking opponents with pesky little flyers. This card (and there's other versions of this effect out there) will refill our hand in no time, giving you more stuff to do.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Idol of Oblivion" href="#" target="_blank">Idol of Oblivion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: A very good card for any deck that's going to make lots of tokens, like this one. It's also cheap to cast, too. We're rarely going to cash this in for the 10/10. The card draw is much more important.</li>
<li>(Honorable Mention) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Retrofitter Foundry" href="#" target="_blank">Retrofitter Foundry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Again, surprised this wasn't in the precon, as we can easily tap and sacrifice one of our many Thopters for a 4/4, and it can untap itself, too.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stridehangar Automaton"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sharding Sphinx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Idol of Oblivion"></div></div>
<p>These next five are for those who got more cash to burn. The good news is that most of the cards to really improve the deck aren't pricy, but picking these up certainly wouldn't hurt.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: While technically under $5 at the moment, this has been known to climb past that mark time and again. For a measly one mana, a mere 1/1 becomes two cards. A second becomes four and so on. An immensely powerful card.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Simulacrum Synthesizer" href="#" target="_blank">Simulacrum Synthesizer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Perhaps the most expensive card on this list we can pick up to improve the precon, the scry 2 (look at the top two cards of our library, then put them back on top or bottom) isn't the main draw. A lot of our artifacts cost three or more mana to cast, meaning we get a token that's going to be humongous with little effort. Multiples of these tokens can be outright scary.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krark-Clan Ironworks" href="#" target="_blank">Krark-Clan Ironworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Both of these allow us to sacrifice our creatures (or artifacts, in the case of the Ironworks) for mana. And that mana can be used to cast more expensive stuff. The best part? We can use the Thopters as sacrifice fodder to cast our bigger threats.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liberator, Urza&#039;s Battlethopter" href="#" target="_blank">Liberator, Urza&#039;s Battlethopter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This legendary Thopter can allow us to cast our artifact stuff at instant speed, but it can also make itself bigger if the mana value of the cast artifact is greater than Liberator's power.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worldwalker Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Worldwalker Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Each token we make, we also get a Map, which we can sacrifice to either get a land to our hand, or buff a creature that needs it. Note that we can also sacrifice the Maps to Sai for his effect.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skullclamp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Simulacrum Synthesizer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krark-Clan Ironworks"></div></div>
<p>Perhaps you want to take this precon to Bracket 3 instead? Here's my take:</p>
<p>The Game Changers are mostly staples you'd typically find in blue decks, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There are also some immensely powerful cards we can use here, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can make all of our artifacts tap for mana in a way that bypasses summoning sickness (like crew and improvise can). There are plenty of artifact tutors like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fabricate" href="#" target="_blank">Fabricate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that let us find our key pieces.</p>
<p>Also, Artifact decks are notorious for their myriad combos, so the world's your oyster here. I would check out the <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/">Commander Spellbook</a> to get some idea.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonic Rift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza, Lord High Artificer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fabricate"></div></div>


<p>If you're a new player who loves tinkering with artifacts and wants to play the long game, this deck is for you. However, I can't exactly recommend this to more experienced players. They're more likely to come up with something that's much more effective with a single rough draft. The lone exception is if they're looking for a template for their own <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sai, Master Thopterist" href="#" target="_blank">Sai, Master Thopterist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> build. That said, the precon does hold some pretty good value inside.</p>
<p>I'd give this a B for new players, and a C for experienced players.</p>


thopters

Keen Engineering - Foundations Precon Guide