Tidus, Yuna's Guardian costs {G}{W}{U}. At the beginning of combat on your turn he can move a counter from one creature you control to another, and whenever one or more creatures you control with counters on them deal combat damage to a player, you may draw a card and proliferate, once each turn. Counters on attackers mean cards.
The precon already has the counter payoffs, including Sphere Grid, Yuna, Grand Summoner and Hardened Scales. Each swap below pairs a cut with an add, and every card is scored with the same numbers the Oracle uses to build decks: synergy and inclusion from the Tidus decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Tidus decks than in decks that could play it. The precon is close to what players build, so this guide has six swaps.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Counter Blitz precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough proliferate
Tekuthal, Thrummingbird and Evolution Sage are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out, and each proliferates, in some cases twice. Tidus proliferates once a turn, and more is better.
Cards almost nobody plays
Generous Patron, Tireless Tracker, Lord Jyscal Guado, Altered Ego and Path of Discovery are each played in about one Tidus deck in five or fewer, and none of them proliferates or doubles counters.
A lot of lands for a counters deck
Thirty-seven lands include Ash Barrens, Temple of the False God and Evolving Wilds, which are slow. The slots in the deck's cheap creatures are where the upgrades go.
The 8 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Generous Patron is a 1/4 for {2}{G} that supports 2 when it enters and draws a card when you put counters on a creature you do not control. It is played in about one Tidus deck in seven.
Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus is a flier for {2}{U}{U}. If you would proliferate, you proliferate twice instead. Tidus's draw-and-proliferate trigger becomes two proliferates, and it is the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Tireless Tracker is a 3/2 for {2}{G} that investigates whenever a land enters under your control. It is a good card, but it is played in about one Tidus deck in six and does nothing with counters.
Thrummingbird is a 1/1 flier for {1}{U}: whenever it deals combat damage to a player you proliferate. A two-drop that proliferates on its own, on top of Tidus's trigger.
Lord Jyscal Guado is a 2/1 flier for {1}{W} that investigates at each end step if you put a counter on a creature this turn. It is played in about one Tidus deck in six.
Evolution Sage is a 3/2 for {2}{G}: landfall, proliferate. Every land you play adds a counter to everything, and it is a body that matters in a deck with 37 lands.
Altered Ego is an X creature that copies any creature on the battlefield and enters with X extra counters. It is played in about one Tidus deck in five.
Reluctant Role Model is a 2/2 for {1}{W}. At the beginning of your second main phase, if it is tapped, it gets a flying, lifelink or +1/+1 counter, and when it or another creature you control dies with counters on it, those counters move to another creature. A cheap creature that makes counters and saves them when a creature dies.
Path of Discovery makes each creature you control explore when it enters. It is a four-mana enchantment played in about one Tidus deck in five.
Kami of Whispered Hopes is a 1/1 for {2}{G}: if one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a permanent you control, that many plus one are put on it instead, and it taps for mana equal to its power. A second Hardened Scales that also ramps.
Pull from Tomorrow is an X draw spell for {X}{U}{U} that makes you discard a card. It is played in about one Tidus deck in five.
Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar is a 3/3 for {1}{G}{W}: your opponents can't cast spells during your turn, and whenever one or more creatures you control each with power greater than its base power deal combat damage to a player, you draw a card. A creature with counters has power above its base, so every counter attacker draws a card, and opponents cannot respond with spells.
Summoner's Sending is a two-mana enchantment that exiles a creature card from a graveyard each end step for a Spirit. It is played in about one Tidus deck in four.
Arwen, Mortal Queen is a 2/2 for {1}{G}{W} that enters with an indestructible counter. For {1} and the counter she makes another creature indestructible and puts a +1/+1 counter and a lifelink counter on it and on herself. Counters for Tidus to move, and counters for his draw trigger.
Sunscorch Regent is a 4/3 flying Dragon for {3}{W}{W} that grows when opponents cast spells. It is played in about one Tidus deck in three.
Herald of Secret Streams is a 2/3 Merfolk Warrior for {3}{U}. Creatures you control with +1/+1 counters can't be blocked. Tidus draws when creatures with counters deal combat damage, and now they always do.
The full swap list
Cut
- Generous Patron
- Tireless Tracker
- Lord Jyscal Guado
- Altered Ego
- Path of Discovery
- Pull from Tomorrow
- Summoner's Sending
- Sunscorch Regent
Add
- Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus
- Thrummingbird
- Evolution Sage
- Reluctant Role Model
- Kami of Whispered Hopes
- Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
- Arwen, Mortal Queen
- Herald of Secret Streams
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Sphere Grid$4.88
Played in 88% of Tidus decks. Puts a +1/+1 counter on each creature that deals combat damage to a player. - Yuna, Grand Summoner$3.76
Taps for mana and gives the next creature spell you cast two additional counters. - Damning Verdict$2.75
Destroys all creatures with no counters on them, a one-sided sweeper in a deck full of counters. - Hardened Scales$1.77
Played in 89% of Tidus decks. Puts one extra +1/+1 counter every time counters would go on a creature. - Rikku, Resourceful Guardian$0.37
Whenever you put counters on a creature it can't be blocked by creatures your opponents control until end of turn.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Karn's Bastion$3.20
A land that proliferates for {4} and a tap.
Counter Blitz is already close to what Tidus players build. Eight swaps add more proliferate and more counter doublers, and replace a few cards almost nobody plays with Tidus. These eight swaps cost about $22 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Tidus, Yuna's Guardian from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Counter Blitz precon?
Using data from 22,443 Tidus decks, the highest-scoring additions are Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus (for Generous Patron), Arwen, Mortal Queen (for Summoner's Sending) and Kami of Whispered Hopes (for Path of Discovery). The full list has 8 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Counter Blitz?
All 8 swaps cost about $21.69 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-27). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Karn's Bastion ($3.20).
What should I cut from Counter Blitz?
The weakest cards for this commander are Generous Patron, Tireless Tracker and Lord Jyscal Guado. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Counter Blitz?
Keep Sphere Grid, Yuna, Grand Summoner, Damning Verdict, Hardened Scales and Rikku, Resourceful Guardian. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Tidus do?
Tidus, Yuna's Guardian costs {G}{W}{U}. At the beginning of combat on your turn he can move a counter from one creature you control to another, and whenever one or more creatures you control with counters on them deal combat damage to a player, you may draw a card and proliferate, once each turn. Counters on attackers mean cards.
More Final Fantasy Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Tidus, Yuna's Guardian decks (22,443 of them when this was written, 2026-10-27) that play the card. Synergy is how much more often they play it than other decks in the same colours. Oracle score is synergy × 0.6 plus inclusion × 0.4, the same blend The Oracle uses to rank cards for a deck. Lift compares how often the card appears in these decks with how often it could, capped at 8× here; it is shown for context and does not change the score.
Two cautions. Players who run the precon unmodified count as Tidus decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is moderate for most of these cards because they are played in many counter decks, so use lift to compare cards, not to judge one in isolation. Prices are the cheapest non-foil paper printing on TCGplayer (via Scryfall), in USD, and move daily.