Davros, Dalek Creator costs {1}{U}{B}{R} and is a Legendary Alien Scientist artifact creature with menace. At the beginning of your end step you create a 3/3 black Dalek artifact creature token with menace if an opponent lost 3 or more life this turn, and then each opponent who lost 3 or more life faces a villainous choice: you draw a card, or that player discards a card. Every turn an opponent loses 3 life, Davros makes a Dalek and a card.
The precon already has the Daleks and the removal, including Exterminate!, The Dalek Emperor, Dalek Squadron, Dalek Drone and Cult of Skaro. 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 Davros decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Davros decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Masters of Evil precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough cheap ways to make opponents lose 3 life
Loyal Subordinate, Perforating Artist, Maestros Charm, Boltwave and Flame Rift all make opponents lose 3 or more life, which is the condition for Davros's end step trigger. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Master variants and goad cards
The Master, Formed Anew, The Beast, Vislor Turlough and The Master, Mesmerist are each played in about one Davros deck in seven or fewer, and Day of the Moon and The Toymaker's Trap do little to make a Dalek.
A heavy top end
The deck has 11 nonland cards at mana value six or more and 37 lands.
The 11 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
The Master, Formed Anew is a two-mana 0/1 that copies a creature you exiled. It is played in about one Davros deck in seventeen.
Loyal Subordinate is a 3/1 Zombie for {2}{B} with menace. Lieutenant: at the beginning of combat on your turn, if you control your commander, each opponent loses 3 life. A three-drop that meets Davros's condition on its own, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
The Beast, Deathless Prince is a four-mana 6/6 that enters tapped with six stun counters. It is played in about one Davros deck in eleven.
Labyrinth Raptor is a 2/2 Nightmare Dinosaur for {B}{R} with menace. Whenever a creature you control with menace becomes blocked, defending player sacrifices a creature that is blocking it, and for {B}{R} creatures you control with menace get +1/+0. A two-drop that rewards Davros's menace Daleks.
Vislor Turlough is a four-mana 2/5 that can give an opponent a creature and draws a card at your end step. It is played in about one Davros deck in twelve.
Perforating Artist is a 3/2 Devil for {1}{B}{R} with deathtouch. Raid: at the beginning of your end step, if you attacked this turn, each opponent loses 3 life unless they sacrifice a nonland permanent or discard a card. A three-drop that threatens 3 life loss every turn you attack.
Time Reaper is a five-mana 4/4 flying, haste creature that puts exiled cards back in a library. It is played in about one Davros deck in ten.
Unlicensed Disintegration costs {1}{B}{R}. It destroys target creature, and if you control an artifact it deals 3 damage to that creature's controller. A three-mana instant that removes a creature and, with Davros an artifact, drains 3.
Don't Blink is a two-mana instant with cycling that shuffles creatures from exile. It is played in about one Davros deck in ten.
Maestros Charm costs {U}{B}{R}. Choose one: look at the top five cards and put one in your hand, each opponent loses 3 life and you gain 3, or it deals 5 damage to a creature or planeswalker. A three-mana instant in exactly the commander's colors that drains 3.
Rassilon, the War President is a five-mana 3/4 that costs 2 life each upkeep to exile and play the top card. It is played in about one Davros deck in nine.
Tectonic Giant is a 3/4 Elemental Giant for {2}{R}{R}. Whenever it attacks or becomes the target of a spell an opponent controls, you choose one: it deals 3 damage to each opponent, or you exile the top two cards, choose one and may play it. A four-drop that deals 3 damage whenever it attacks.
The Toymaker's Trap is a three-mana enchantment with a secret number game. It is played in about one Davros deck in eight.
Pain Magnification costs {1}{B}{R}. Whenever an opponent is dealt 3 or more damage by a single source, that player discards a card. A three-mana enchantment that punishes the same big hits Davros wants.
Day of the Moon is a three-mana Saga that goads creatures with a chosen name. It is played in about one Davros deck in eight.
Flame Rift costs {1}{R}. It deals 4 damage to each player. A two-mana sorcery that makes each opponent lose 4 life, so Davros makes a Dalek.
The Master, Mesmerist is a four-mana 3/3 that gives creatures skulk and goads them. It is played in about one Davros deck in seven.
J. Jonah Jameson is a 2/2 Legendary Human Citizen for {2}{R}. When it enters, you suspect up to one target creature, and whenever a creature you control with menace attacks you create a Treasure token. A three-drop that makes a Treasure for every Dalek that attacks with menace.
Sontaran General is a five-mana 5/5 trampler with haste that goads blockers. It is played in about one Davros deck in six.
Entropic Battlecruiser is a Spacecraft for {3}{B} with station. With any charge counter, whenever an opponent discards a card they lose 3 life, and at 8 or more charge counters it flies, has deathtouch, and makes each opponent discard a card or lose 3 life whenever it attacks. A four-mana artifact that makes discards cost 3 life, which includes Davros's villainous choice.
Zygon Infiltrator is a three-mana 3/2 that taps a creature and copies it. It is played in about one Davros deck in six.
Boltwave costs {R}. It deals 3 damage to each opponent. A one-mana sorcery that makes every opponent lose exactly the 3 life Davros needs.
The full swap list
Cut
- The Master, Formed Anew
- The Beast, Deathless Prince
- Vislor Turlough
- Time Reaper
- Don't Blink
- Rassilon, the War President
- The Toymaker's Trap
- Day of the Moon
- The Master, Mesmerist
- Sontaran General
- Zygon Infiltrator
Add
- Loyal Subordinate
- Labyrinth Raptor
- Perforating Artist
- Unlicensed Disintegration
- Maestros Charm
- Tectonic Giant
- Pain Magnification
- Flame Rift
- J. Jonah Jameson
- Entropic Battlecruiser
- Boltwave
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Exterminate!$0.32
Played in 87% of Davros decks. Destroys a creature and makes its controller lose 3 life, and can be replicated by tapping Daleks. - The Dalek Emperor$0.33
Played in 86% of Davros decks. Gives other Daleks haste and makes opponents sacrifice a creature or give you a Dalek each combat. - Dalek Squadron$1.75
Played in 83% of Davros decks. A 3/3 with menace and myriad. - Dalek Drone$0.38
Played in 82% of Davros decks. A flying Dalek that destroys a creature and drains 3 when it enters. - Cult of Skaro$0.36
Played in 79% of Davros decks. Makes a Dalek, draws cards or drains 4 each attack.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Sygg, River Cutthroat$4.74
A two-mana creature that draws a card at each end step if an opponent lost 3 or more life this turn. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger$2.53
A two-mana creature that makes opponents discard or lose 3 life whenever it enters or attacks. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Masters of Evil already has the Daleks, the removal and Davros's token engine. The upgrade is cheap ways to make opponents lose 3 life every turn, in place of Master variants, goad cards and situational spells. These eleven swaps cost about $6 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Davros, Dalek Creator from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Masters of Evil precon?
Using data from 6,023 Davros decks, the highest-scoring additions are Loyal Subordinate (for The Master, Formed Anew), Labyrinth Raptor (for The Beast, Deathless Prince) and Maestros Charm (for Don't Blink). The full list has 11 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Masters of Evil?
All 11 swaps cost about $5.54 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Sygg, River Cutthroat ($4.74) and Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger ($2.53).
What should I cut from Masters of Evil?
The weakest cards for this commander are The Master, Formed Anew, The Beast, Deathless Prince and Vislor Turlough. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Masters of Evil?
Keep Exterminate!, The Dalek Emperor, Dalek Squadron, Dalek Drone and Cult of Skaro. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Davros do?
Davros, Dalek Creator costs {1}{U}{B}{R} and is a Legendary Alien Scientist artifact creature with menace. At the beginning of your end step you create a 3/3 black Dalek artifact creature token with menace if an opponent lost 3 or more life this turn, and then each opponent who lost 3 or more life faces a villainous choice: you draw a card, or that player discards a card. Every turn an opponent loses 3 life, Davros makes a Dalek and a card.
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Davros, Dalek Creator decks (6,023 of them when this was written, 2026-10-28) 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 Davros decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many life-loss cards because few decks play them outside a drain deck, 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.