Galea, Kindler of Hope costs {1}{G}{W}{U} and is a 4/4 Legendary Elf Knight with vigilance. You may look at the top card of your library any time and cast Aura and Equipment spells from the top of your library, and an Equipment cast this way gains "When this Equipment enters, attach it to target creature you control." The deck has 35 enchantments and artifacts, most of them Auras and Equipment, for a commander that plays them from the top of your library for free card advantage.
The precon already has the payoffs, including Sram, Puresteel Paladin, Mantle of the Ancients, Colossus Hammer and Swiftfoot Boots. Each swap below pairs a cut with an add, and every card is scored with the same numbers the Oracle uses to build decks: synergy and inclusion from the Galea decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Galea decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Aura of Courage precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough cost reducers and Aura payoffs
Danitha Capashen, Starnheim Courser and Armored Skyhunter make Auras and Equipment cheaper or put them onto the battlefield, and All That Glitters and Thran Power Suit make the creature that wears them much bigger. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Dice rolls and clunky creatures
Diviner's Portent, Song of Inspiration, Valiant Endeavor and Netherese Puzzle-Ward depend on dice, and none of Greater Good, Ebony Fly, Viridian Longbow, Clay Golem, Prognostic Sphinx or Realm-Cloaked Giant is a card Galea decks usually play.
Few creatures to wear the Auras
The deck has only 15 creatures for 35 enchantments and artifacts. Cheap Knights that cast Auras and Equipment for less, such as the Danithas, carry them well.
The 11 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Greater Good is a four-mana enchantment that sacrifices a creature to draw cards and discard three. It is not a card Galea decks usually play.
Danitha Capashen, Paragon is a 2/2 Legendary Human Knight for {2}{W} with first strike, vigilance and lifelink. Aura and Equipment spells you cast cost {1} less. A three-drop that carries Auras well and discounts every one, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Ebony Fly is a two-mana artifact that enters tapped and can become an X/X flyer. It is not a card Galea decks usually play.
All That Glitters is an Aura for {1}{W}. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each artifact and/or enchantment you control. A two-mana Aura that makes the wearer huge in this deck of 35 enchantments and artifacts.
Viridian Longbow is a one-mana Equipment that gives a creature a ping, with equip {3}. It is not a card Galea decks usually play.
Thran Power Suit is an Equipment for {2}. Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each Aura and Equipment attached to it and has ward {2}. A two-mana Equipment that grows with every Aura and Equipment on the creature and protects it.
Clay Golem is a four-mana 4/4 that needs {6} and a d8 roll to destroy a permanent. It is not a card Galea decks usually play.
Armored Skyhunter is a 3/3 flying Cat Knight for {3}{W}. Whenever it attacks you look at the top six cards of your library and may put an Aura or Equipment card from among them onto the battlefield, attaching an Equipment to a creature you control. A four-drop that flies and puts a card onto the battlefield each attack.
Prognostic Sphinx is a five-mana 3/5 flyer with scry 3. It is not a card Galea decks usually play.
Danitha, New Benalia's Light is a 2/2 Legendary Human Knight for {1}{G}{W} with vigilance, trample and lifelink. Once during each of your turns you may cast an Aura or Equipment spell from your graveyard. A three-drop that recasts your Auras and Equipment.
Realm-Cloaked Giant is a seven-mana 7/7 vigilance Giant with a Cast Off adventure that destroys non-Giant creatures. It is not a card Galea decks usually play.
Starnheim Courser is a 2/2 flying Pegasus for {2}{W}. Artifact and enchantment spells you cast cost {1} less. A three-drop that discounts Auras and Equipment and flies.
Diviner's Portent is an instant for {X}{U}{U}{U} that draws cards depending on a d20 roll. It is played in about one Galea deck in twenty.
Aqueous Form is an Aura for {U}. Enchanted creature can't be blocked, and whenever it attacks you scry 1. A one-mana Aura that makes any creature unblockable, which is enough for Equipment to do the rest.
Angel of Finality is a four-mana 3/4 flyer that exiles a player's graveyard when it enters. It is played in about one Galea deck in seventeen.
Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist is a 2/2 Legendary Kor Scout for {2}{W} with partner. At the beginning of combat on your turn you may attach any number of Auras and Equipment you control to target permanent or player. A three-drop that moves all your Auras and Equipment onto the best creature every turn.
Song of Inspiration is a five-mana instant that returns permanents to your hand depending on a d20 roll. It is played in about one Galea deck in seventeen.
Ethereal Armor is an Aura for {W}. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each enchantment you control and has first strike. A one-mana Aura that grows with the deck's 17 enchantments.
Valiant Endeavor is a six-mana sorcery that rolls dice to destroy creatures and make Knights. It is played in about one Galea deck in fourteen.
Strong Back is an Aura for {2}{G}. Equip abilities you activate that target the enchanted creature cost {3} less, Aura spells you cast that target it cost {3} less, and it gets +2/+2 for each Aura and Equipment attached to it. A three-mana Aura that makes every other Aura nearly free.
Netherese Puzzle-Ward is a four-mana enchantment that scries by rolling a d4. It is played in about one Galea deck in twelve.
Spirit Mantle is an Aura for {1}{W}. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has protection from creatures. A two-mana Aura that makes the wearer impossible to block or damage with creatures.
The full swap list
Cut
- Greater Good
- Ebony Fly
- Viridian Longbow
- Clay Golem
- Prognostic Sphinx
- Realm-Cloaked Giant
- Diviner's Portent
- Angel of Finality
- Song of Inspiration
- Valiant Endeavor
- Netherese Puzzle-Ward
Add
- Danitha Capashen, Paragon
- All That Glitters
- Thran Power Suit
- Armored Skyhunter
- Danitha, New Benalia's Light
- Starnheim Courser
- Aqueous Form
- Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist
- Ethereal Armor
- Strong Back
- Spirit Mantle
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Sram, Senior Edificer$1.71
Played in 84% of Galea decks. Draws a card whenever you cast an Aura, Equipment or Vehicle spell. - Puresteel Paladin$0.53
Played in 77% of Galea decks. Draws a card when an Equipment enters and can give your Equipment equip {0}. - Swiftfoot Boots$1.80
Played in 77% of Galea decks. Gives hexproof and haste for an equip cost of {1}. - Mantle of the Ancients$4.03
Played in 73% of Galea decks. Returns Auras and Equipment from the graveyard attached to a creature. - Colossus Hammer$0.63
Played in 71% of Galea decks. Gives +10/+10 for a large equip cost.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Open the Armory$2.51
A two-mana sorcery that finds an Aura or Equipment card. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - The Reality Chip$3.74
An Equipment creature that lets you play lands and cast spells from the top of your library while attached. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Aura of Courage already has the Aura and Equipment payoffs and a commander that plays them from the top of the library. The upgrade is cheap Knights and cost reducers, plus Auras that make one creature huge, in place of dice rolls and clunky cards. These eleven swaps cost about $10 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Galea, Kindler of Hope from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Aura of Courage precon?
Using data from 5,502 Galea decks, the highest-scoring additions are Danitha Capashen, Paragon (for Greater Good), All That Glitters (for Ebony Fly) and Danitha, New Benalia's Light (for Prognostic Sphinx). The full list has 11 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Aura of Courage?
All 11 swaps cost about $10.00 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Open the Armory ($2.51) and The Reality Chip ($3.74).
What should I cut from Aura of Courage?
The weakest cards for this commander are Greater Good, Ebony Fly and Viridian Longbow. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Aura of Courage?
Keep Sram, Senior Edificer, Puresteel Paladin, Swiftfoot Boots, Mantle of the Ancients and Colossus Hammer. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Galea do?
Galea, Kindler of Hope costs {1}{G}{W}{U} and is a 4/4 Legendary Elf Knight with vigilance. You may look at the top card of your library any time and cast Aura and Equipment spells from the top of your library, and an Equipment cast this way gains "When this Equipment enters, attach it to target creature you control." The deck has 35 enchantments and artifacts, most of them Auras and Equipment, for a commander that plays them from the top of your library for free card advantage.
More Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Galea, Kindler of Hope decks (5,502 of them when this was written, 2026-10-28) that play the card. Synergy is how much more often they play it than other decks in the same colours. Oracle score is synergy × 0.6 plus inclusion × 0.4, the same blend The Oracle uses to rank cards for a deck. Lift compares how often the card appears in these decks with how often it could, capped at 8× here; it is shown for context and does not change the score.
Two cautions. Players who run the precon unmodified count as Galea decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many Aura and Equipment cards because few decks play them outside a voltron deck, so use lift to compare cards, not to judge one in isolation. A card the commander's decks do not usually play counts as 0 in the average score. Prices are the cheapest non-foil paper printing on TCGplayer (via Scryfall), in USD, and move daily.