Tidus, Yuna's Guardian

EDHREC Average Deck for the #71 most-played commander

Commander: Tidus, Yuna's Guardian
Cards: 100
Current value: $323.52
Grade: A

How it grades

Fundamentals 94/100. Plays like +1/+1 counters.

This reads as +1/+1 counters, built around Tidus, Yuna's Guardian. Every creature is a mana sink for growth: counters snowball across the board, doublers turn increments into avalanches, and payoffs convert size into evasion, draw, or the kill. The deck's weakness is exponential dependence: protect the doublers and watch out for clean board resets. Its strongest fundamental is land count (36 lands. About 37 fits this curve for +1/+1 counters); the first thing to tighten is card draw: 9 draw effects, counting Tidus (want 10+ for +1/+1 counters).

A-Mana reliability
A+Land count
A+Mana curve
A+Ramp
B+Card draw
A+Interaction
A+Commander synergy
A+Win conditions
A+Card quality
A+Legality & size

Where it falls short

B+Card draw9 draw effects, counting Tidus (want 10+ for +1/+1 counters).

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

91 cards graded: A 1, A- 13, B+ 39, B 35, B- 3. The command zone is the plan, so it isn't graded.

Upgrades

The 10 swaps that lift the grade most, about $146.89 together

Made together, they take Tidus, Yuna's Guardian from A to A+.

Champion of Lambholt1GG$4.79
In place of Endless Detour: weakest slot in the deck (56/100)
Pays off your go-wide engine (23 producers). Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (24 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Mentor of the Meek2W$4.77
In place of O'aka, Traveling Merchant: weakest slot in the deck (72/100)
Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (4 in deck). Fits the commander's plan.
Tireless Tracker2G$0.27
In place of Bred for the Hunt: weakest slot in the deck (73/100)
Fuels your +1/+1 counter payoffs (16 in deck). Feeds the commanders' +1/+1 counter payoff. Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+).
Abzan Falconer2W$0.88
In place of Destroy Evil: conditional removal: dead against some boards (58/100)
EDHREC +1/+1 counters staple. Fuels your go-wide payoffs (4 in deck). Fuels your +1/+1 counter payoffs (16 in deck).
Esper SentinelW$58.41
In place of Summon: Yojimbo: expensive for ramp: the help arrives late (59/100)
Works with the commander directly. Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (4 in deck).
Evolution Sage2G$2.94
In place of Protection Magic: weakest slot in the deck (60/100)
Chases the same +1/+1 counter plan as your commanders. Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (24 producers). Top-5% staple by play data.
Evolution Witness2G$0.28
In place of Yuna's Whistle: weakest slot in the deck (61/100)
Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (24 producers). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (4 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
Managorger Hydra2G$1.55
In place of Resourceful Defense: weakest slot in the deck (62/100)
Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (24 producers). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (4 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
Kalonian Hydra3GG$7.26
In place of Promise of Loyalty: weakest slot in the deck (63/100)
Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (24 producers). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (4 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
The Great Henge7GG$65.74
In place of Yuna, Grand Summoner: expensive for ramp: the help arrives late (64/100)
Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (24 producers). Fuels your +1/+1 counter payoffs (16 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 $323.52

Commander 1

Creatures 33

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

Planeswalkers 1

B+

Instants 9

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

Sorceries 6

B
B
B+
B+
B
B+

Artifacts 6

B+
B+
B
B+
B+
B+

Enchantments 8

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

Lands 36

B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B×4
B
B+
B
B
B×4
B
B
B+
B×3
B+
B
B
B+
B
B
B
B+
B+
B+
B+

How it grades

Fundamentals 94/100. Plays like +1/+1 counters.