Exquisite Invention

Commander Deck from Commander 2018, 2018

Commander: Saheeli, the Gifted
Cards: 100
Current value: $80.26
Grade: B

How it grades

Fundamentals 78/100. Plays like Artifacts and Tokens.

This reads as Artifacts · Tokens, built around Saheeli, the Gifted. An artifact engine deck: cost reducers and cheap trinkets snowball into board states and card advantage that scale with the artifact count itself. The pieces are individually weak but the whole is far more than the sum, and a single well-timed Vandalblast is the scariest card in the room. Its strongest fundamental is card draw (14 draw effects (want 10+ for Artifacts)); the first thing to tighten is mana curve: 23% of spells cost ≤2, 26% cost 6+.

A-Mana reliability
B+Land count
C+Mana curve
ARamp
A+Card draw
A-Interaction
A+Commander synergy
AWin conditions
A-Card quality
A+Legality & size

Where it falls short

B+Land count38 lands. About 41 fits this curve for Artifacts, with Etherium Sculptor's discount counted.
C+Mana curve23% of spells cost ≤2, 26% cost 6+.

Strong on mana reliability, ramp, card draw, interaction, commander synergy, win conditions, card quality and legality & size.

78 cards graded: A- 6, B+ 25, B 36, B- 6, C+ 4, C 1. The command zone is the plan, so it isn't graded.

Upgrades

The 10 swaps that lift the grade most, about $37.69 together

Made together, they take Exquisite Invention from B to A-.

Emry, Lurker of the Loch2U$0.63
In place of Saheeli's Directive: its R cost is heavy for this mana base; expect it several turns late (48/100)
Pays off your artifact engine (41 producers). Top-5% staple by play data. Chases the same artifact plan as your commanders.
Reckless Fireweaver1R$0.44
In place of Tidings: weakest slot in the deck (52/100)
EDHREC Artifacts staple. Pays off your artifact engine (41 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Urza, Lord High Artificer2UU$16.28
In place of Echo Storm: weakest slot in the deck (52/100)
Pays off your artifact engine (41 producers). Top-5% staple by play data. Chases the same artifact plan as your commanders.
Walking BallistaXX$10.72
In place of Magmaquake: weakest slot in the deck (66/100)
Fills the removal gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Fuels your artifact payoffs (9 in deck). Feeds the commanders' artifact payoff.
Solemn Simulacrum4$0.26
In place of Saheeli's Artistry: weakest slot in the deck (56/100)
Fuels your artifact payoffs (9 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data. Feeds the commanders' artifact payoff.
Ornithopter of Paradise2$2.30
In place of Maverick Thopterist: weakest slot in the deck (58/100)
Fuels your artifact payoffs (9 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data. Feeds the commanders' artifact payoff.
Foundry Inspector3$0.40
In place of Reverse Engineer: weakest slot in the deck (59/100)
Fuels your artifact payoffs (9 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data. Feeds the commanders' artifact payoff.
Phyrexian Metamorph3φ$2.14
In place of Aether Gale: weakest slot in the deck (60/100)
Fuels your artifact payoffs (9 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data. Feeds the commanders' artifact payoff.
Steel Overseer2$0.38
In place of Scuttling Doom Engine: weakest slot in the deck (61/100)
Fuels your artifact payoffs (9 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data. Feeds the commanders' artifact payoff.
Conjurer's Closet5$4.14
In place of Unstable Obelisk: weakest slot in the deck (71/100)
Pays off your enters-the-battlefield engine (12 producers). Fills the removal gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Fuels your artifact payoffs (9 in deck).

Save a copy to try them. The editor's Improve list has these and more, with the swaps one click each.

Decklist

100 cards, worth about $80.26

Commander 1

Creatures 27

B-
B+
B
B+
B
B
B+
B+
B+
B+
B
A-
B
A-
B+
B+
B+
B+
C
B
B
B
B+
B
B+
B+
B

Instants 4

B+
B
B
B

Sorceries 7

B-
A-
B-
C+
C+
C+
B

Artifacts 21

B
B
B+
B
B+
B+
B
B+
B+
B
A-
B+
B+
A-
A-
B+
B
B
B
B+
B

Enchantments 2

B+
B-

Lands 38

C+
B
B
B×5
B×5
B×5
B×4
B×4
B×4
B
B
B-
B-
B+
B
B
B

How it grades

Fundamentals 78/100. Plays like Artifacts and Tokens.