Welcome to the Nitpicking Nerds Precon Upgrade Guide for the Spirit Squadron deck, where we cut the chaff and add synergy, power, and consistency so that this deck can generate a formidable Spirit army!

When upgrading any Commander precon, it’s important to stick pretty closely to this basic checklist:

• Focus on the strengths of your commander.
• Stick to one main strategy to avoid having an unfocused final product.
• Cut the cards that belong to other strategies altogether.
• Increase the deck’s overall power by including win conditions that don’t rely solely on combat.

The Spirit Squadron deck wants to get onto the board early with nontoken Spirits that will reduce the cost of Millicent and connect for even more Spirit tokens, creating a chain that will lead to lethal attacks, especially with pump effects.

Knowing the deck’s strategy, we can now cut some of the cards from this precon that don’t fit our game plan at all.

• The precon has a subtheme of tapping creatures, and that might work as a separate deck, but Spirit tribal has no interest in this, so Rhoda, Geist AvengerRhoda, Geist Avenger, Timin, Youthful GeistTimin, Youthful Geist, Verity CircleVerity Circle, and Breath of the SleeplessBreath of the Sleepless can be cut.
• Kami of the Crescent MoonKami of the Crescent Moon and Disorder in the CourtDisorder in the Court are decent cards, but serve virtually no purpose for this particular deck.
• Ghostly PrisonGhostly Prison and Windborn MuseWindborn Muse don’t progress our game plan and aren’t very good anyway.

While this is a Spirit tribal deck first and foremost, some of the Spirits in the precon just aren’t at the power level we’re looking for.

• Nebelgast HeraldNebelgast Herald and ShacklegeistShacklegeist belong to this other deck that wants to tap creatures. We’re going to have plenty of chump blockers to deter giant monsters.
• Angel of Flight AlabasterAngel of Flight Alabaster is super slow and isn’t a Spirit.
• Oyobi, Who Split the HeavensOyobi, Who Split the Heavens is a decent effect, but is just too expensive.

What about other Spirit cards that don’t quite make the cut?

• Haunting ImitationHaunting Imitation and Custodi SquireCustodi Squire are bad cards in our opinion, and we’re going to avoid them.
• Geist of Saint TraftGeist of Saint Traft has no evasion and we can’t reliably protect him enough.
• Custodi SoulbindersCustodi Soulbinders and Promise of BunreiPromise of Bunrei make Spirit tokens at a rate slightly below what we can make with the upgrades we’ll be adding.

Next on the chopping block are ramp, removal, and card draw.

• Sky DiamondSky Diamond, Marble DiamondMarble Diamond, Boreas ChargerBoreas Charger, Commander’s SphereCommander’s Sphere, and Azorius LocketAzorius Locket are below par for ramp, and Knight of the White OrchidKnight of the White Orchid was cut in favor of more Spirits, but is a decent card. Sudden SalvationSudden Salvation can serve as ramp or board wipe protection in some scenarios, but is too clunky either way.
• Crush ContrabandCrush Contraband falls off when your budget increases, so we don’t need it. Flood of TearsFlood of Tears actively works against our token strategy, so that should go. Fell the MightyFell the Mighty is a terrible board wipe, since you can’t always hit everything you want, and it can be fizzled by removal. Kirtar’s WrathKirtar’s Wrath does offer Spirit tokens, but we can do better.
• Distant MelodyDistant Melody is fine, but nowhere near as efficient as other card draw payoffs for having Spirits.

The last thing to look at is the lands, and we have trimmed quite a few of them.

• Unclaimed TerritoryUnclaimed Territory is a classic trap in tribal precon decks; sure it colorfixes for Spirits, but there are literally dozens of dual lands that do that for every spell we cast. The tribal payoff isn’t enough to make this playable.
• Temple of the False GodTemple of the False God is a classic Commander relic of old times and doesn’t cut it anymore due to its unreliability.
• Azorius ChanceryAzorius Chancery has no synergy and enters tapped, so it can be cut.
• We also cut four PlainsPlains and three IslandIslands!

Now that we’ve freed up 39 slots in the deck, we can fill them with strong Spirits that fit our game plan, awesome card draw, and reliable board state protection!

The first and most exciting additions will come in the form of Spirits and tribal synergies.

• Lantern BearerLantern Bearer, TopplegeistTopplegeist, Lantern KamiLantern Kami, and Mausoleum WandererMausoleum Wanderer might look terrible, but they’re all extremely cheap Spirits that will be crucial for getting on the board quickly and powering out Millicent, which will allow more Spirit tokens to be made that same turn when these tiny dorks connect.
• Skyclave ApparitionSkyclave Apparition, Spectral AdversarySpectral Adversary, Cemetery ProtectorCemetery Protector, Selfless SpiritSelfless Spirit, and Mirrorhall MimicMirrorhall Mimic are effective sources of removal, card draw, and advantage that all have the Spirit type.
• Katilda, Dawnhart MartyrKatilda, Dawnhart Martyr, along with Urza’s IncubatorUrza’s Incubator and Kindred DiscoveryKindred Discovery, help tie things together and pay off our Spirits. Kindred DiscoveryKindred Discovery might be the best card in this deck, and will easily draw almost your entire deck if left unchecked.

Let’s see how much the ramp, removal, and card draw can really be improved.

• Bident of ThassaBident of Thassa and Reconnaissance MissionReconnaissance Mission will keep your hand full at all times, and provide even more incentive to pack this deck full of tiny Lantern BearerLantern Bearers. SkullclampSkullclamp will be a well of almost infinite card draw, since this deck will produce more 1/1 Spirits than it knows what to do with.
• Wayfarer’s BaubleWayfarer’s Bauble, Mind StoneMind Stone, and Sword of the AnimistSword of the Animist help round out the ramp package, and are all much better than the clunky rocks we cut.
• Generous GiftGenerous Gift is a catch-all answer, and we can use Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship and Flawless ManeuverFlawless Maneuver to protect our army without investing any mana. Heliod’s InterventionHeliod’s Intervention puts Crush ContrabandCrush Contraband to shame, and Hour of ReckoningHour of Reckoning and Austere CommandAustere Command serve as board wipes that won’t level our own creatures, unlike the ones we cut.

Since Spirits aren’t the most supported tribe in the world, and we can’t just rely on lords and anthems to close out games, we packed a few win conditions into this deck for more guaranteed wins.

• Doubling our Spirit output with Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession is going to produce a clock twice as fast, letting us close out games before players get a chance to answer our threats.
• Cathars’ CrusadeCathars’ Crusade and Elesh Norn, Grand CenobiteElesh Norn, Grand Cenobite are going to rack up massive amounts of damage. One attack after landing one of these cards will almost assuredly be lethal damage on at least one opponent.
• Since Millicent has a combat damage trigger to make even more spirits, taking an extra turn will allow for a huge damage boost, and even more Spirits afterwards. Time WarpTime Warp and its twin brother Temporal ManipulationTemporal Manipulation are going to pull serious weight to help turn a solid turn into a game-ending sequence.

Lastly, we have to make sure to upgrade the land base!

• MDFC lands help us prevent flooding and screw, so we’ve added Sea Gate RestorationSea Gate Restoration, Emeria’s CallEmeria’s Call, and Kabira TakedownKabira Takedown, which are all very powerful and versatile. Never forget about MDFC’s when deckbuilding!
• There’s plenty of dual lands to go around to replace the basic lands in the precon, and we’ve chosen to include Flooded StrandFlooded Strand, Sea of CloudsSea of Clouds, Hallowed FountainHallowed Fountain, Nimbus MazeNimbus Maze, Deserted BeachDeserted Beach, Irrigated FarmlandIrrigated Farmland, and Glacial FortressGlacial Fortress. Now, the mana will be much more consistent!

That does it for our Spirit Squadron precon guide! Make these changes, and you’ll have a fully functional tribal deck that will overwhelm your opponents!

Nitpicking Nerds

The Nitpicking Nerds are two Commander-loving best friends who make awesome Youtube videos. Every fiber of their being is committed to helping people power up their decks, gain percentage points, and have more fun playing the best format in the world!