We describe the concept of increasing the nuclearity of a previously reported high-spin Cu5Gd2 core using a "fine-tuning" ligand approach. Thus, two Cu9Ln2 coordination clusters, with Ln = Dy (1) and Gd (2), were synthesized with the Gd compound having a ground spin state of (17)/2 and the Dy analogue showing single-molecule-magnet behavior in zero field.