Upgrades Unleashed is one of two new preconstructed Commander decks released alongside Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. This deck focuses on a new ability called Modified which cares about suiting up your creatures with Auras, Equipment, and +1/+1 counters.
This deck is playable directly out of the box. But there are key cards that seriously improve the deck. This guide will break down the best upgrades for Upgrades Unleashed.
Upgrades Unleashed
Before I get into all the ways to upgrade this Commander deck, you’ll probably want a copy of the deck itself. So, if you have not yet purchased your copy of Upgrades Unleashed, you can do so at TCGPlayer.
This deck comes loaded with some great reprints such as:
- Bear Umbra
- Rhythm of the Wild
- Whiptongue Hydra
- Mage Slayer
- Elemental Mastery
You can check out the full Upgrades Unleashed decklist here.
Chishiro, the Shattered Blade
The face-Commander of Upgrades Unleashed is Chishiro, the Shattered Blade. Chishiro makes Spirit tokens whenever an Aura or Equipment enters the battlefield under your control. And it puts +1/+1 counters on each of your modified creatures every turn.
The game plan of this deck centers on developing a wide board of creatures, making those creatures bigger, and attacking for the win!
Best Auras to Add to Upgrades Unleashed
Chishiro’s ability does not require your Auras to target creatures you control. Any Aura does the trick!
Auras that Mana Ramp
These Auras help ramp Chishiro onto the battlefield as early as possible. But they’re still good if Chishiro is already in play because the Snake Samurai Commander will still make tokens when you play them.
Aura Removal Spells
Green has access to some devastating Auras. Both Song of the Dryads and Kenrith’s Transformation are perfect solutions to an opponent’s Commander. Neither Aura actually removes its targetted creature from play. So if you target a Commander with them, your opponent does not have the option to return them to the Command Zone.
Whip Silk & Crown of Flames
Both of these Auras can return themselves to your hand for a single mana. You can repeatedly cast and return them to your hand, and Chishiro will make a token every time you do.
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Best Equipment to Add to Upgrades Unleashed
Bloodforged Battle-Aze is hands down the best equipment you can play in Chishiro, the Shattered Blade. This single piece of equipment can modify multiple creatures because it makes a copy of itself every time its equipped creature deals combat damage to a player.
Because our commander generates a lot of tokens, Embercleave will almost always cost just two mana! You can flash it in as a sneaky double striking combat trick.
Sword of Truth and Justice can modify our creatures with +1/+1 counters and proliferate all the counters on our entire team.
Read More: An OP Aura Tutor In the Command Zone Will Kill Opponents in One Blow
Spreading Counters
The Ozolith offers some insurance on all of the counters placed on your creatures. Hardened Scales will double the number of +1/+1 counters that Chishiro places on your creatures in the end step. And Vivien, Monsters’ Advocate, makes modified creatures with her +1 ability.
Here are some additional ways to add counters and modify your creatures:
- Verdurous Gearhulk | Buy At TCGPlayer
- Titanoth Rex | Buy At TCGPlayer
- Evolution Sage | Buy At TCGPlayer
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Double Trouble in Upgrades Unleashed
Doubling effects are some of the best in the Commander format. They lead to some truly epic games.
Both Primal Vigor and Doubling Season double the tokens that Chishiro makes and the +1/+1 counters he puts on your creatures.
Read More: New Artifact “Dig Through Time” From MTG Neon Dynasty
Upgrade Your Mana Base
Sadly, the worst part about any preconstructed Commander deck is often the quality of its mana base. Fetch lands like Wooded Foothills and shock lands like Stomping Grounds are useful for any commander deck. But there are a bunch of dual-colored lands that help ensure you have access to all the colored mana you need.
- Rootbound Crag | Buy At TCGPlayer
- Rockfall Vale | Buy At TCGPlayer
- Cragcrown Pathway | Buy At TCGPlayer
- Spire Garden | Buy At TCGPlayer
- Wooded Foothills | Buy At TCGPlayer
- Stomping Grounds | Buy At TCGPlayer
On top of color-fixing lands, there are some interesting utility lands that can do some neat tricks in this deck:
Llanowar Reborn can modify a creature with a +1/+1 counter when it enters play. Nesting Grounds can move around counters to maximize your number of modified creatures. And Karn’s Bastion can proliferate, amplifying the number of counters on all of your permanents.
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Best Upgrades from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Modified is a brand new mechanic from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, so there is a lot of support for
Kodama of the West Tree
Kodama of the West Tree is practically made for this deck. It gives all of your modified creatures trample. And it provides some serious mana ramp, as any time a modified creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you can put a basic land from your library onto that battlefield.
Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
Chishiro is a relatively aggressive deck. It pumps out multiple creatures each turn. But you’ll need a way to grant haste to the entire squad.
That’s where Goro-Goro comes in. The Goblin Samurai can give haste to all of your creatures for just one red mana. And it can make massive 5/5 Dragon tokens if you control a modified creature.
Thundering Raiju
This card is a game-finisher in our deck. Thundering Raiju modifies a creature with a +1/+1 counter whenever it attacks. But it also deals damage to each opponent equal to the number of modified creatures you control.
Because Chishiro develops a wide board state full of modified creatures, Thundering Raiju can potentially close out games.
Jugan Defends the Temple//Remnant of the Rising Star
Jugan Defends the Temple makes a useful creature token that taps for mana and puts +1/+1 counters on two of our creatures. Both of these effects are perfect for Chishiro.
But to top it all off, the Saga transforms into Remnant of the Rising Star. The Dragon Spirit has an ability that can modify our creatures with +1/+1 counters as soon as they enter play.
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