$30 Upgrade Turns Calling All Angels Into A Lean Lifegain Engine

The full set of five Foundations Commander decks, affordable precons intended to get new players into the format, were finally revealed a couple of weeks back. In a welcome surprise, all of these lists look pretty solid right out of the box, and pack decent reprint value to boot.

That said, there’s always room for improvement, and, being beginner products, there’s more here than usual. If you’re planning to pick up the Calling All Angels precon from this batch, then the following upgrades will give it a huge boost for under $30.

Budget Upgrades for Calling All Angels

Out of the box, Calling All Angels suffers from the classic Commander precon problem of pulling in too many different directions at once. It wants to go wide with Angels on the board, gain life, and ramp into big Angels as well. To address this issue, we’ll be cutting down heavily on the big Angel package, freeing up room to include more go-wide and Lifegain synergy.

Pricey Angels like Emeria Shepherd Emeria Shepherd Flying
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you may return target nonland permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. If that land is a Plains, you may return that nonland permanent card to the battlefield instead. , Herald of Eternal Dawn Herald of Eternal Dawn Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
Flying
You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game. and Reya Dawnbringer Reya Dawnbringer Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. are all easy cuts here. While they can be powerful, they’re ultimately too low-impact, even if we were to keep the ramp theme in. You can also easily cut some of the more mediocre Midrange Angels in the deck, too, such as Merchant of Truth Merchant of Truth Flying
Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, investigate.
Clues you control have exalted. (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each instance of exalted among permanents you control.) and Seraph of the Sword Seraph of the Sword Flying
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to this creature. .

With these cards out of the way, you can start building in a lower, more synergistic curve. Cards like Guide of Souls Guide of Souls Whenever another creature you control enters, you gain 1 life and get {E} (an energy counter).
Whenever you attack, you may pay {E}{E}{E}. When you do, put two +1/+1 counters and a flying counter on target attacking creature. It becomes an Angel in addition to its other types. and Soul Warden Soul Warden Whenever another creature enters, you gain 1 life. provide early, consistent lifegain, which enables a lot of existing cards in the deck. You can also add in some more lifegain synergy pieces, like Lyra, Archangel of Dawn Lyra, Archangel of Dawn Flying
Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on each Angel you control. and Resplendent Angel Resplendent Angel Flying
At the beginning of each end step, if you gained 5 or more life this turn, create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying and vigilance.
{3}{W}{W}{W}: Until end of turn, this creature gets +2/+2 and gains lifelink. , to maximize the effectiveness of your other upgrades.

There are also plenty of more general upgrades you can make to this list, removing low-synergy cards for more on-theme goodies. You can cut generic ramp like Commander’s Sphere Commander’s Sphere {T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.
Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card. for honorary Angel Firdoch Core Firdoch Core Changeling (This card is every creature type.)
{T}: Add one mana of any color.
{4}: This artifact becomes a 4/4 artifact creature until end of turn. , for example, or a basic Plains Plains ({T}: Add {W}.) for the Angel-making MDFC Emeria’s Call Emeria’s Call Create two 4/4 white Angel Warrior creature tokens with flying. Non-Angel creatures you control gain indestructible until your next turn. . Since it’s so cheap these days, there’s even room in the budget to cut Valorous Stance Valorous Stance Choose one —
• Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)
• Destroy target creature with toughness 4 or greater. for format super-staple Path to Exile Path to Exile Exile target creature. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. .

OUT:

• Emeria Shepherd Emeria Shepherd Flying
  Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you may return target nonland permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. If that land is a Plains, you may return that nonland permanent card to the battlefield instead.
• Herald of Eternal Dawn Herald of Eternal Dawn Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
  Flying
  You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game.
• Reya Dawnbringer Reya Dawnbringer Flying
  At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
• Angelic Destiny Angelic Destiny Enchant creature
  Enchanted creature gets +4/+4, has flying and first strike, and is an Angel in addition to its other types.
  When enchanted creature dies, return this card to its owner's hand.
• Plains Plains ({T}: Add {W}.)
• Commander’s Sphere Commander’s Sphere {T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.
  Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.
• Merchant of Truth Merchant of Truth Flying
  Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, investigate.
  Clues you control have exalted. (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each instance of exalted among permanents you control.)
• Valorous Stance Valorous Stance Choose one —
  • Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)
  • Destroy target creature with toughness 4 or greater.
• Seraph of the Sword Seraph of the Sword Flying
  Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to this creature.
• Wojek Investigator Wojek Investigator Flying, vigilance
  At the beginning of your upkeep, investigate once for each opponent who has more cards in hand than you. (To investigate, create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
• Norn’s Choirmaster Norn’s Choirmaster Flying, first strike
  Whenever a commander you control enters or attacks, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
• Endless Atlas Endless Atlas {2}, {T}: Draw a card. Activate only if you control three or more lands with the same name.

IN:

• Guide of Souls Guide of Souls Whenever another creature you control enters, you gain 1 life and get {E} (an energy counter).
  Whenever you attack, you may pay {E}{E}{E}. When you do, put two +1/+1 counters and a flying counter on target attacking creature. It becomes an Angel in addition to its other types.
• Resplendent Angel Resplendent Angel Flying
  At the beginning of each end step, if you gained 5 or more life this turn, create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying and vigilance.
  {3}{W}{W}{W}: Until end of turn, this creature gets +2/+2 and gains lifelink.
• Belonging Belonging When this creature enters, create three 1/1 colorless Shapeshifter creature tokens with changeling. (They're every creature type.)
  Encore {6}{W}{W} ({6}{W}{W}, Exile this card from your graveyard: For each opponent, create a token copy that attacks that opponent this turn if able. They gain haste. Sacrifice them at the beginning of the next end step. Activate only as a sorcery.)
• Empyrial Storm Empyrial Storm When you cast this spell, copy it for each time you've cast your commander from the command zone this game.
  Create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying.
• Emeria’s Call Emeria’s Call Create two 4/4 white Angel Warrior creature tokens with flying. Non-Angel creatures you control gain indestructible until your next turn.
• Firdoch Core Firdoch Core Changeling (This card is every creature type.)
  {T}: Add one mana of any color.
  {4}: This artifact becomes a 4/4 artifact creature until end of turn.
• Lyra, Archangel of Dawn Lyra, Archangel of Dawn Flying
  Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on each Angel you control.
• Path to Exile Path to Exile Exile target creature. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
• Flock Impostor Flock Impostor Changeling (This card is every creature type.)
  Flash
  Flying
  When this creature enters, return up to one other target creature you control to its owner's hand.
• Soul Warden Soul Warden Whenever another creature enters, you gain 1 life.
• Valkyrie Harbinger Valkyrie Harbinger Flying
  Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
  At the beginning of each end step, if you gained 4 or more life this turn, create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying and vigilance.
• Dawn of Hope Dawn of Hope Whenever you gain life, you may pay {2}. If you do, draw a card.
  {3}{W}: Create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token with lifelink.

Not-So-Budget Upgrades

If you’ve got a bit more cash to splash and want to really commit to Calling All Angels as a deck, then there are some fantastic high-budget upgrades available here too. On the lifegain front, both Serra Ascendant Serra Ascendant Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
As long as you have 30 or more life, this creature gets +5/+5 and has flying. and Ocelot Pride Ocelot Pride First strike, lifelink
Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.)
At the beginning of your end step, if you gained life this turn, create a 1/1 white Cat creature token. Then if you have the city's blessing, for each token you control that entered this turn, create a token that's a copy of it. are incredible, serving as both enablers and payoffs. Ocelot Pride is particularly good here, given the deck runs several ways of generating chunky Angel tokens.

Expanding the budget also gives you access to combo lines, which let Calling All Angels compete even at higher-bracket tables. Bring in The Book of Exalted Deeds The Book of Exalted Deeds At the beginning of your end step, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, create a 3/3 white Angel creature token with flying.
{W}{W}{W}, {T}, Exile The Book of Exalted Deeds: Put an enlightened counter on target Angel. It gains "You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game." Activate only as a sorcery. and Mutavault Mutavault {T}: Add {C}.
{1}: This land becomes a 2/2 creature with all creature types until end of turn. It's still a land. , for example, and you can make it near-impossible for you to lose the game. You can also add Twilight Shepherd Twilight Shepherd Flying, vigilance
When this creature enters, return to your hand all cards in your graveyard that were put there from the battlefield this turn.
Persist (When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.) and Altar of Dementia Altar of Dementia Sacrifice a creature: Target player mills cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power. , which form an infinite mill combo with your Commander, Giada, Font of Hope Giada, Font of Hope Flying, vigilance
Each other Angel you control enters with an additional +1/+1 counter on it for each Angel you already control.
{T}: Add {W}. Spend this mana only to cast an Angel spell. .

Top this off with some generic efficiency upgrades, like Chronicle of Victory Chronicle of Victory As Chronicle of Victory enters, choose a creature type.
Creatures you control of the chosen type get +2/+2 and have first strike and trample.
Whenever you cast a spell of the chosen type, draw a card. for Vanquisher’s Banner Vanquisher’s Banner As this artifact enters, choose a creature type.
Creatures you control of the chosen type get +1/+1.
Whenever you cast a creature spell of the chosen type, draw a card. and Smuggler’s Share Smuggler’s Share At the beginning of each end step, draw a card for each opponent who drew two or more cards this turn, then create a Treasure token for each opponent who had two or more lands enter the battlefield under their control this turn. for Secret Rendezvous Secret Rendezvous You and target opponent each draw three cards. , and you’ve got yourself a serious deck. There are plenty of mediocre cards in the base list that you can cut to make these adds, such as Segovian Angel Segovian Angel Flying, vigilance and Defy Death Defy Death Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. If it's an Angel, put two +1/+1 counters on it. .

While some of these pricey upgrades work fine in a vacuum, they’re really designed to work in tandem with the budget upgrades above. Together, they take Calling All Angels from a scattered typal list, to a super-synergistic Lifegain powerhouse. These upgrades should let you play a reasonable game in bracket 3, which isn’t bad at all given the foundation is a beginner-focused product.

OUT:

• Segovian Angel Segovian Angel Flying, vigilance
• Serra Avenger Serra Avenger You can't cast Serra Avenger during your first, second, or third turns of the game.
  Flying, vigilance
• Search the Premises Search the Premises Whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control, investigate. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
• Always Watching Always Watching Nontoken creatures you control get +1/+1 and have vigilance.
• Radiant Fountain Radiant Fountain When this land enters, you gain 2 life.
  {T}: Add {C}.
• Tome of Legends Tome of Legends This artifact enters with a page counter on it.
  Whenever your commander enters or attacks, put a page counter on this artifact.
  {1}, {T}, Remove a page counter from this artifact: Draw a card.
• Thraben Watcher Thraben Watcher Flying, vigilance
  Other nontoken creatures you control get +1/+1 and have vigilance.
• Secret Rendezvous Secret Rendezvous You and target opponent each draw three cards.
• Vanquisher’s Banner Vanquisher’s Banner As this artifact enters, choose a creature type.
  Creatures you control of the chosen type get +1/+1.
  Whenever you cast a creature spell of the chosen type, draw a card.
• Defy Death Defy Death Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. If it's an Angel, put two +1/+1 counters on it.

IN:

• Serra Ascendant Serra Ascendant Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
  As long as you have 30 or more life, this creature gets +5/+5 and has flying.
• Ocelot Pride Ocelot Pride First strike, lifelink
  Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.)
  At the beginning of your end step, if you gained life this turn, create a 1/1 white Cat creature token. Then if you have the city's blessing, for each token you control that entered this turn, create a token that's a copy of it.
• Luminarch Ascension Luminarch Ascension At the beginning of each opponent's end step, if you didn't lose life this turn, you may put a quest counter on this enchantment. (Damage causes loss of life.)
  {1}{W}: Create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying. Activate only if this enchantment has four or more quest counters on it.
• The Book of Exalted Deeds The Book of Exalted Deeds At the beginning of your end step, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, create a 3/3 white Angel creature token with flying.
  {W}{W}{W}, {T}, Exile The Book of Exalted Deeds: Put an enlightened counter on target Angel. It gains "You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game." Activate only as a sorcery.
• Mutavault Mutavault {T}: Add {C}.
  {1}: This land becomes a 2/2 creature with all creature types until end of turn. It's still a land.
• Altar of Dementia Altar of Dementia Sacrifice a creature: Target player mills cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power.
• Twilight Shepherd Twilight Shepherd Flying, vigilance
  When this creature enters, return to your hand all cards in your graveyard that were put there from the battlefield this turn.
  Persist (When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)
• Smuggler’s Share Smuggler’s Share At the beginning of each end step, draw a card for each opponent who drew two or more cards this turn, then create a Treasure token for each opponent who had two or more lands enter the battlefield under their control this turn.
• Chronicle of Victory Chronicle of Victory As Chronicle of Victory enters, choose a creature type.
  Creatures you control of the chosen type get +2/+2 and have first strike and trample.
  Whenever you cast a spell of the chosen type, draw a card.
• Akroma’s Will Akroma’s Will Choose one. If you control a commander as you cast this spell, you may choose both instead.
  • Creatures you control gain flying, vigilance, and double strike until end of turn.
  • Creatures you control gain lifelink, indestructible, and protection from each color until end of turn.

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