The preconstructed Commander deck built around Coram, the Undertaker gives new players a working shell — Legendary Creature — Human Warrior,...
The preconstructed Commander deck built around Coram, the Undertaker gives new players a working shell — Legendary Creature — Human Warrior, colour identity black, green, red — whose exact text is:
Coram gets +X/+0, where X is the greatest power among creature cards in all graveyards.
Whenever Coram attacks, each player mills a card.
During each of your turns, you may play a land and cast a spell from among cards in graveyards that were put there from libraries this turn.
Upgrading a precon is not about replacing it. It is about finding the roles the shell performs weakly — ramp, card draw, interaction, and closing power — and swapping the weakest cards in each role for stronger ones that serve the same job. This guide works by role, which is the honest way to upgrade any prebuilt deck without inventing a decklist you have not verified.
What to cut, by role
Cut cards that duplicate a role you already perform better, cards whose mana cost belongs to a later turn than the role needs, and cards that only function when the game is already going well. Work one role at a time, keep a written list of every swap, and play games between rounds of changes — a precon upgraded on evidence stays coherent, while one rebuilt in a single evening often loses the charm that made it fun.
What to add, by role
Real upgrade candidates that serve this commander's plan include: Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord (mana cost {B}{B}{G}{G}; Legendary Creature — Zombie Elf; 2/2; rarity: mythic; most recent printing listed by Scryfall: Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander): Jarad gets +1/+1 for each creature card in your graveyard.
{1}{B}{G}, Sacrifice another creature: Each opponent loses life equal to the sacrificed creature's power.
Sacrifice a Swamp and a Forest: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Lord of Extinction (mana cost {3}{B}{G}; Creature — Elemental; */*; rarity: mythic; most recent printing listed by Scryfall: Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander): Lord of Extinction's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in all graveyards. The Gitrog Monster (mana cost {3}{B}{G}; Legendary Creature — Frog Horror; 6/6; rarity: mythic; most recent printing listed by Scryfall: Edge of Eternities Commander): Deathtouch
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice The Gitrog Monster unless you sacrifice a land.
You may play an additional land on each of your turns.
Whenever one or more land cards are put into your graveyard from anywhere, draw a card.
Build and check your list with the MTGBrew AI deck builder, and browse every card mentioned here in the MTGBrew card database on MTGBrew.
If this topic is on your bench, keep going with Precon Upgrade Guide: Pantlaza, Sun-Favored — What to Cut, What to Add, by Role — it covers the neighbouring decisions from a different angle, and the two pieces together give you a fuller picture than either one alone.
Keep reading
Keep reading: Precon Upgrade Guide: Pantlaza, Sun-Favored — What to Cut, What to Add, by Role and Tymna the Weaver Commander Spotlight: What This Legend Brings to the Command Zone.
A sane upgrade order
Mind the curve before you mind the highlights. Count how many plays the deck has on each of the first four turns, and be honest about hands that do nothing until turn five. One cheaper role-player often improves a deck more than one expensive splash, because games are decided by who starts playing first as often as by who plays biggest.
Start with the mana base and the draw package, then interaction, then finishers. That order feels unglamorous and wins the most games, because a deck that always makes its land drops and always has cards in hand gets to show you what its exciting cards can actually do.
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