Aminatou, the Fateshifter costs {W}{U}{B} and is a Legendary Planeswalker that can be your commander. Its +1 draws a card and then puts a card from your hand on top of your library, its -1 exiles another permanent you own and returns it to the battlefield under your control, and its -6 chooses left or right and has each player gain control of all the nonland permanents controlled by the next player in that direction. The -1 turns every enter-the-battlefield creature into a repeatable effect.
The precon already has the card selection and strong draw creatures, including Mulldrifter, Terminus, Brainstorm, Azorius Signet and Ponder. 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 Aminatou decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Aminatou decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Subjective Reality precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects
Felidar Guardian, Soulherder, Archaeomancer, Ravenous Chupacabra, Peregrine Drake, Aether Channeler and Restoration Angel all do something when they enter, or blink other creatures. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Clunky sorceries and filler outside the lists
Akroma's Vengeance, Army of the Damned, Dream Cache, Skull Storm, Treasure Hunt, Aethermage's Touch, Crib Swap, Predict and Crystal Ball are not cards Aminatou decks usually play.
Two oversized sorceries
Army of the Damned costs eight and Skull Storm costs nine, which is a lot for a deck that wants to keep blinking cheap creatures.
The 9 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Akroma's Vengeance is a six-mana sorcery that destroys all artifacts, creatures and enchantments, and it has cycling {3}. It is not a card Aminatou decks usually play.
Felidar Guardian is a 1/4 Cat Beast for {3}{W}. When it enters you may exile another target permanent you control, then return it to the battlefield. A four-drop that blinks your best permanent, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Army of the Damned is an eight-mana sorcery that makes thirteen tapped 2/2 Zombies, with flashback. It is not a card Aminatou decks usually play.
Soulherder is a 1/1 Spirit for {1}{W}{U}. Whenever a creature is exiled from the battlefield it gets a +1/+1 counter, and at the beginning of your end step you may exile another target creature you control and return it to the battlefield. A three-drop in two of Aminatou's colors that blinks a creature every turn.
Dream Cache is a three-mana sorcery that draws three cards, then puts two cards back. It is not a card Aminatou decks usually play.
Archaeomancer is a 1/2 Human Wizard for {2}{U}{U}. When it enters you return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand. A four-drop that gets back Terminus or a removal spell every time it is blinked.
Skull Storm is a nine-mana sorcery that makes each opponent sacrifice a creature, copied per commander cast. It is not a card Aminatou decks usually play.
Ravenous Chupacabra is a 2/2 Beast Horror for {2}{B}{B}. When it enters you destroy target creature an opponent controls. A four-drop that kills a creature, and does it again each time you blink it.
Treasure Hunt is a two-mana sorcery that reveals cards until you find a nonland card. It is not a card Aminatou decks usually play.
Peregrine Drake is a 2/3 flying Drake for {4}{U}. When it enters you untap up to five lands. A five-drop that costs nothing net, and refunds its mana whenever you blink it.
Aethermage's Touch is a four-mana instant that puts a creature from the top four cards onto the battlefield until your end step. It is not a card Aminatou decks usually play.
Aether Channeler is a 2/1 Human Wizard for {2}{U}. When it enters you choose one: create a 1/1 white Bird token with flying, return another target nonland permanent to its owner's hand, or draw a card. A three-drop with three modes that you can reuse every time it is blinked.
Crib Swap is a three-mana instant that exiles a creature and gives its controller a 1/1 Shapeshifter. It is not a card Aminatou decks usually play.
Restoration Angel is a 3/4 flying Angel for {3}{W} with flash. When it enters you may exile target non-Angel creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under your control. A four-drop with flash that blinks a creature at instant speed and protects it from removal.
Predict is a two-mana instant that mills a card and draws one or two. It is not a card Aminatou decks usually play.
Charming Prince is a 2/2 Human Noble for {1}{W}. When it enters you choose one: scry 2, gain 3 life, or exile another target creature you own and return it at the beginning of the next end step. A two-drop with three modes that you can blink for more value.
Crystal Ball is a three-mana artifact that scries 2 for {1}. It is not a card Aminatou decks usually play.
Wall of Omens is a 0/4 Wall for {1}{W} with defender. When it enters you draw a card. A two-drop that replaces itself and draws again every time it is blinked.
The full swap list
Cut
- Akroma's Vengeance
- Army of the Damned
- Dream Cache
- Skull Storm
- Treasure Hunt
- Aethermage's Touch
- Crib Swap
- Predict
- Crystal Ball
Add
- Felidar Guardian
- Soulherder
- Archaeomancer
- Ravenous Chupacabra
- Peregrine Drake
- Aether Channeler
- Restoration Angel
- Charming Prince
- Wall of Omens
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Mulldrifter$0.28
Played in 45% of Aminatou decks. Draws two cards, or can be evoked for three mana. - Terminus$0.35
Played in 40% of Aminatou decks. Puts all creatures on the bottom of their owners' libraries, for {W} with miracle. - Brainstorm$0.55
Played in 41% of Aminatou decks. Draws three and puts two back, which pairs with Aminatou's +1. - Azorius Signet$0.26
Played in 45% of Aminatou decks. Turns {1} into {W}{U}. - Sol Ring$1.25
Played in 86% of Aminatou decks. Two mana for one.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Ephemerate$4.55
A one-mana instant that blinks a creature you control and rebounds. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Baleful Strix$4.51
A two-mana flying, deathtouch artifact creature in Dimir colors that draws a card when it enters. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Subjective Reality already has the card selection, the draw creatures and Aminatou's -1. The upgrade is cheap enter-the-battlefield creatures to reuse, in place of clunky sorceries and filler that Aminatou decks leave out. These nine swaps cost about $7 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Aminatou, the Fateshifter from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Subjective Reality precon?
Using data from 6,939 Aminatou decks, the highest-scoring additions are Felidar Guardian (for Akroma's Vengeance), Soulherder (for Army of the Damned) and Peregrine Drake (for Treasure Hunt). The full list has 9 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Subjective Reality?
All 9 swaps cost about $6.68 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Ephemerate ($4.55) and Baleful Strix ($4.51).
What should I cut from Subjective Reality?
The weakest cards for this commander are Akroma's Vengeance, Army of the Damned and Dream Cache. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Subjective Reality?
Keep Mulldrifter, Terminus, Brainstorm, Azorius Signet and Sol Ring. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Aminatou do?
Aminatou, the Fateshifter costs {W}{U}{B} and is a Legendary Planeswalker that can be your commander. Its +1 draws a card and then puts a card from your hand on top of your library, its -1 exiles another permanent you own and returns it to the battlefield under your control, and its -6 chooses left or right and has each player gain control of all the nonland permanents controlled by the next player in that direction. The -1 turns every enter-the-battlefield creature into a repeatable effect.
More Commander 2018 upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Aminatou, the Fateshifter decks (6,939 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 Aminatou decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many blink cards because few decks play them outside a flicker deck, so use lift to compare cards, not to judge one in isolation. A card the commander's decks do not usually play counts as 0 in the average score. Prices are the cheapest non-foil paper printing on TCGplayer (via Scryfall), in USD, and move daily.