The preconstructed Commander deck built around Xyris, the Writhing Storm gives new players a working shell — Legendary Creature — Snake Levi...
The preconstructed Commander deck built around Xyris, the Writhing Storm gives new players a working shell — Legendary Creature — Snake Leviathan, colour identity green, red, blue — whose exact text is:
Flying
Whenever an opponent draws a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, create a 1/1 green Snake creature token.
Whenever Xyris deals combat damage to a player, you and that player each draw that many cards.
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: Purphoros, God of the Forge (mana cost {3}{R}; Legendary Enchantment Creature — God; 6/5; rarity: mythic; most recent printing listed by Scryfall: Commander Masters): Indestructible
As long as your devotion to red is less than five, Purphoros isn't a creature.
Whenever another creature you control enters, Purphoros deals 2 damage to each opponent.
{2}{R}: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. Impact Tremors (mana cost {1}{R}; Enchantment; rarity: common; most recent printing listed by Scryfall: Foundations): Whenever a creature you control enters, this enchantment deals 1 damage to each opponent. Shared Animosity (mana cost {2}{R}; Enchantment; rarity: rare; most recent printing listed by Scryfall: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander): Whenever a creature you control attacks, it gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each other attacking creature that shares a creature type with it.
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 Feather, the Redeemed Commander Guide: How the Deck Actually Wins — 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: Feather, the Redeemed Commander Guide: How the Deck Actually Wins and Winota, Joiner of Forces Commander Spotlight: What This Legend Brings to the Command Zone.
A sane upgrade order
Ask what the deck looks like when it is merely fine. A resilient build still develops its board, still draws extra cards, and still threatens something through an average opening hand. The spectacular draws take care of themselves; spend your card choices making the average draw functional, because you will see far more average draws than perfect ones.
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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