Best Commander Precons to Buy and Upgrade in 2026

Preconstructed Commander decks are the best entry point into the format. For $40-50, you get a playable 100-card deck with a commander, lands, and a coherent strategy. No deckbuilding required - just shuffle and play.

But not all precons are equal. Some are excellent out of the box and easy to upgrade. Others have awkward mana bases, unfocused strategies, or too many draft chaff cards to be worth the price. Here is a guide to the best recent precons and how to get the most out of them.

What Makes a Good Precon?

Before diving into specific decks, here is what separates a great precon from a mediocre one.

Focused strategy: The best precons have a clear game plan. Every card should support the deck's theme. Precons that try to do three different things usually do none of them well.

Playable mana base: A precon with 15 tapped lands is going to feel sluggish no matter how good the nonland cards are. The best precons include at least a few untapped dual lands.

Valuable reprints: Some precons include cards worth $5-20 that you would want even outside the precon. These make the purchase feel better even if you eventually take the deck apart.

Upgrade path: A great precon should be easy to improve with $20-30 of targeted upgrades. If the deck needs $100 of changes to function, it is not really a $40 entry point.

Top Precons Worth Buying

Undead Unleashed (Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver)

Colors: Blue-Black

Strategy: Zombie tribal with sacrifice synergies

Why it is great: Wilhelt is one of the strongest precon commanders ever printed. The deck's strategy is focused (Zombie tribal), the commander provides both card draw and board presence, and the upgrade path is cheap because good Zombies are inexpensive.

Out-of-box power: 7/10. Competes well at casual tables immediately.

Key included cards: Wilhelt (commander), Hordewing Skaab, Cleaver Skaab, Rooftop Storm.

$20 upgrade suggestions: Add Gravecrawler, Carrion Feeder, Diregraf Captain, Plague Belcher, and Skullclamp. Cut the weakest non-Zombie creatures and expensive, unfocused spells.

Elven Empire (Lathril, Blade of the Elves)

Colors: Black-Green

Strategy: Elf tribal with mana dork synergies

Why it is great: Elf tribal has an enormous card pool of cheap, powerful creatures. Lathril's tap-ten ability gives the deck a clear win condition that does not require combat damage. The mana dork package also means the deck ramps fast.

Out-of-box power: 6.5/10. Needs a few upgrades to really sing.

Key included cards: Lathril (commander), Elvish Archdruid, Imperious Perfect.

$20 upgrade suggestions: Add Priest of Titania, Ezuri, Renegade Leader, Beastmaster Ascension, and Elvish Champion. Cut the cards that are not Elves or do not support the tribal theme.

Planar Portal (Prosper, Tome-Bound)

Colors: Black-Red

Strategy: Exile value and Treasure generation

Why it is great: Prosper generates so much value that the deck almost plays itself. The impulse draw and Treasure generation mean you rarely run out of things to do or mana to do them with.

Out-of-box power: 7/10. One of the strongest precons in recent memory.

Key included cards: Prosper (commander), Chaos Warp, Xorn.

$20 upgrade suggestions: Add Reckless Impulse, Light Up the Stage, Professional Face-Breaker, and Marionette Master. Cut the weakest creatures and cards that do not synergize with exile themes.

The Hosts of Mordor (Sauron, Lord of the Rings)

Colors: Blue-Black-Red

Strategy: Amass Orcs, tempo, and value

Why it is great: The Lord of the Rings Commander decks had some of the highest production value of any precons. Sauron provides card draw, amass triggers, and board control in one package. The Grixis color combination gives access to excellent removal and card advantage.

Out-of-box power: 7/10. Strong strategy with good reprints.

$20 upgrade suggestions: Focus on more efficient amass payoffs and better mana rocks. Cut the high-cost creatures that do not contribute to the amass strategy.

Enduring Enchantments (Anikthea, Hand of Erebos)

Colors: White-Black-Green

Strategy: Enchantress with reanimation

Why it is great: Enchantress strategies are powerful and resilient because enchantments are harder to remove than creatures. Anikthea brings enchantments back from your graveyard as creature tokens, giving you a recursive game plan that is hard to stop.

Out-of-box power: 6.5/10. Solid foundation that rewards upgrades.

$20 upgrade suggestions: Add Sythis, Harvest's Hand (if budget allows), Mesa Enchantress, Sigil of the Empty Throne, and Sphere of Safety.

General Precon Upgrade Principles

Regardless of which precon you buy, these principles apply to every upgrade.

What to Cut First

1. Cards that do not match the theme: Most precons include 5-10 cards that seem random. If a Zombie deck has a 6-mana non-Zombie creature that does not interact with Zombies, cut it.
2. Overcosted spells: Cards that cost 6+ mana and do not immediately impact the board are usually too slow.
3. Tapped lands with no upside: Gain lands (enter tapped, gain 1 life) are the first lands to replace with untapped alternatives.
4. Low-impact cards: Cards that sound cool but do very little in practice. If you have played five games and never been happy to draw a card, cut it.

What to Add First

1. Sol Ring (if not included): Every precon should have Sol Ring. Some recent ones do not.
2. Better targeted removal: Swap overcosted removal for efficient options like Swords to Plowshares, Beast Within, or Chaos Warp.
3. More card draw: Most precons are light on card draw. Add 2-3 efficient draw spells.
4. Mana base improvements: Replace 3-4 tapped lands with untapped dual lands or pain lands. Even cheap upgrades like Command Tower and Exotic Orchard make a big difference.
5. Synergy pieces that the precon missed: Every precon leaves out obvious synergy cards, usually because those cards were too expensive to include.

Budget Upgrade Order

If you have $30 to spend on upgrades, allocate it like this:

• $10 on mana base: 3-4 better lands
• $10 on removal and card draw: 4-5 efficient staples
• $10 on synergy pieces: 3-4 cards that specifically support your commander's strategy

Where to Find Precons

Commander precons are available at local game stores, big box retailers, and online. Prices typically start at MSRP ($40-50) and may increase for popular or out-of-print decks. Older precons from 2020-2023 can sometimes be found at a discount.

Before buying, check the secondary market value of the included cards. Some precons contain $30-40 worth of singles, making them excellent value even if you plan to take the deck apart.

For help planning your precon upgrades, try Manacove - describe which precon you have and your upgrade budget, and the AI will suggest targeted swaps that maximize your deck's performance without breaking the bank.