March of the Machine Call for Backup Upgrade Guide | MTG Commander Decks

[@MrJustintreat]

Yesterday I got managora hydra up to 160 counters. It was magical

[@TheGibson93]

Yesterday my kalonian hydra was over 200 lmao. Bright-palm + kalonian + strionic resonator

[@IronTigrex]

Nice suggestions as always, keep up the good work! +1/+1 counters decks have been quite numerous lately, between the Coven Counters from Midnight hunt, Upgrades Unleashed from Kamigawa, the Tyranid Swarm and now this deck, but it's nice because a lot of the upgrades you could put in one go very nicely into the others. The deck is really cool but has one very, VERY big problem out of the box: it has 2 card draw spells, in [Mindless Automaton[ and [Armorcraft Judge]. Plenty of pretty cool beaters and support pieces, but 2 real card advantage spells is just not possible. Throw in [Harmonize], [Return of the Wildspeaker], [Rishkar's Expertise], [Hunter's Insight], [Kami of Celebration] , [Leinore, Autumn Sovereign] , [Garruk, Primal Hunter], [Shamanic Revelation] and [Dusk Legion Duellist]. Playing beaters is cool and all but someone casts [Farewell] and you are left crying with absolutely no gas. For this deck specifically, since combat is so important for backup, haste enablers are the second priority. Lucky us, we got very good ones in [Rhythm of the Wild] (bit pricey but totally worth it) and [Invigorating Hot Springs]. [Halana and Alena, partners] are really good for that as well, and since they give back the counters you put on them with backup, they are an excellent target for the buffs. Removal and interaction is okay but the deck only has 1 card that exile stuff from the graveyard. Just throw a [Scavenging Ooze] in here. It's a cheap creature that will grow nicely, gain a few points of life and carry counters all on its own. [Cankerbloom] will be able to use all its modes and being a creature for backup is perfect. [Unbreakable formation] is in the knight deck but it clearly should be in this one as well instead of [Hindervines], and [Gaea's Gift] will slot in nicely to protect our beater and give it evasion. For winning the game, assuming you don't go combo, [Akki Battle Squad] will be the best option for crazy combats were you get to triggers Bright-Palm, Kalonian Hydra and all your backup payoffs multiple times. [Sigarda's Summons] will be quite at home here as well.

[@slippypenguin12]

Thanks for the thoughts! Curious, which cards would you take out to replace the ones your mentioned for this deck?

[@IronTigrex]

@@slippypenguin12 If we went something like 10ish in, 10ish out and trying to stay budget, I would go: [Dusk Legion Duelist] in -> [Falkenrath Exterminator] out. The exterminator is too slow to grow on its own and 3 manas to only remove creatures is underwhelming. Duelist is both a cheap creature, repeatable card draw and vigilance is great once it gets big enough [Return of the Wildspeaker] in -> [Alharu Solemn Ritualist] out. We need card draw, and Alharu is one of our weaker creatures [Leinore, Autmun Sovereign] in -> [Slurrk, All-ingesting] out. Same as the previous point. Leinore is also a pretty decent blocker with 4 toughness. [Shamanic Revelation] in -> [Constable of the Realms] out. Again, we need card draw and Constable is both a bit too expensive and fragile as a removal piece. Revelation will often draw us 3/4 cards and gain us a bit of life to recoup from our focus on attacking (and thus leaving ourselves open) [Invigorating Hot Spring] in -> [Ion Storm] out. We want to put counters on our stuff, not remove it. And certainly not at such a high cost for a measly 2 damage. Haste with our backup creatures is even better since their abilities are all combat related and is amazing with something like [Kalonian Hydra]. If you have the money, you can also put in [Rythm of the Wild] [Doomskar Warrior] in -> [Ichor Elixir] out. A strong Creature that can provide repeatable card advantage instead of a subpar ramp spell (unless you are playing planechase). [Unbreakable Formation] in -> [Hindervines] out. Hindervines is cute but not ideal. Better to slot in a real protection spell. [Halana and Alena, Partners] in -> [Path of the Pyromancer] out. The partners are both a good target for counters, a haste enabler and a solid defender once they get a bit bigger. Path of the Pyromancer is cute but does not synergises with our deck except for discarding [Brawn]. [Akki Battle-squad] in -> [Triskellion] out. The squad gives us at worst another trigger for our backup creatures and at best a finisher. Triskelion isn't terrible if we can double its counters once or twice but it really needs help to be menacing. [Kami of Whispered Hopes] in -> [Brawn] out. Obviously trample is great with our plan to grow our creatures into massive beaters, but we need ramp for that. Kami is both ramp and another version of [Hardened Scales], which we can never have too many of. Since we have no real way to make sure [Brawn] gets into our graveyard and other ways to give our creatures evasion, the incarnation gets out. [Scavenging Ooze] in -> [Field of Ruins] out. No graveyard hate at all in the base precon is mind-boggling. Ooze gets reprinted all the time, so it's a cheap but efficient way to get both graveyard hate and a mana sink. [Lion Sash] would also be a good inclusion. Hope that helped ^^

[@davenelmes9520]

I think the pre-con suffers from a lack of draw / card advantage effects so I added Beast Whisperer, Tome of Legends, Lifecrafter's Bestiary, Leinore Autumn Sovereign, Dusk Legion Duelist, Kami of Celebration and Soul's Majesty. I wanted to add Rishkar's Expertise too but I only have one copy and it's in a another deck.

[@GamerX13X]

I was gonna say, car draw would be a good direction, along with some land-fetching. Also, proxy that rishkar. Card is pricy enough to warrant it imo

[@unanon_user]

I always say good manna base is much more important than card draw or advantage. Drawing cards with this deck is in the problem. It's the lack of a good defense package and the mana base could stand to have some improvements as well. Throw in some good mana filters like prismatic omen or chromatic lantern. Add in manner reflection. There you go. Throw in a good man of rock or two to supplement.😅

[@Mulletdog1]

Emergent woodwurm is the TRUTH! I managed to put the wurms ability on my biggest creature multiple times, dig 30 cards deep each time, then have lethal on board. This isn’t CEDH, but it’s still excellent Imo, and shouldn’t be overlooked

[@unanon_user]

This deck is super fun to upgrade it and just as easy as well. I have one with it quite a few times. Really awesome, even though you do become the threat pretty quickly if you're not careful.

[@Konartist22]

All Will Be One is a really nice card with this deck either helps with going for the kill or keeping board in check

[@RenzZlax]

I was thinking about getting this deck and deconstructing and mixing it between my chishiro deck and making another deck with agrus as the commander

[@RenzZlax]

Actually i think both commanders could be viable in call for backup deck as well, but i committed to the chishiro and agrus kos deck already

[@BlueGriffin20]

Neat. I’m going to pick some of the backup cards out of it for my mentor/training Marisi, Breaker of the Coil deck, but it’s nice to see upgrade options.

[@chillnerd3143]

I picked up this precon to upgrade and the cavalry charge precon to keep for precon play…. I plan on upgrading this precon w shalai and Hallar as the commander

[@ethanadler3600]

Umm ima just say I made Mindless Automaton have like 40+ counters once game. Card seems perfectly fine if you’re using Bright-Palm

[@IronTigrex]

And the deck definitely needs more card advantage, not less.

[@dragonknite314]

My upgrade route was Hamletback Goliath, a few dragons and some blinking

[@SilvanOrion]

Just wanting to add to this, Forgotten Ancient. Typically 2 to 3 bucks, and just a good way yo get more counters from your friends.

[@davenelmes9520]

That comes in the pre-con already

[@ArmageddonAsh]

Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier. Going to be fun in this deck. board wide Back up trigger for 2 extra mana? Yes please.

[@RazielNightfall]

I put a flicker sub theme in my upgrade.

[@Rococorico]

My cuts would be Enduring Scalelord, Juniper Order Ranger, Ion Storm, Brawn and Inscription of Abundance.

[@zonimi]

Isn't Blade of Selves an auto-include in this deck?

[@wastelandbrutti2430]

hello, can we create a deck with Bloodfeather Phoenix? I like it too much as paper and I want to find a place for it :) What do you think about it?

[@virgilhoward9071]

Cavalry charge is my favorite

[@abrahammarrero4930]

Lets go new set

[@seeess925]

Thumbs down! Another upgrade video. No info how to actually play this deck as is.