using a gnome gemfinder instead of a gnome rider in the first deck saves a lot of earth quanta, giving you a far larger max health at the end in case of being unlucky in when you get most of your pendula. Since there is no advantage to NOT using a gemfinder and its only one card upgrade in a deck that goes for all upgraded cards except for the ones where the unupgraded card is better, using a gemfinder seems the most logical thing to put in there too.
(remember you will be rewinding the bugger 30 times or so, even any other free creature card is better, since you wont risk him being on the table subject to drain life at any time anyways)
with a gemfinder, 4 of my 5 pendulae in the last 8 cards, and being forced to use one granite skin earlier (at around 10-15 earth quants ) because my eternity just would not come (2nd last card) I still managed 480 health EM.