Firkraag, Cunning Instigator costs {3}{U}{R} and is a 3/3 Dragon with flying and haste. Whenever one or more Dragons you control attack an opponent, you goad target creature that player controls, and whenever a creature deals combat damage to one of your opponents, if that creature had to attack this combat, you put a +1/+1 counter on Firkraag and draw a card. Goad forces attacks, and forced attackers draw cards.
The precon already has the goad spells and the Dragons, including Vengeful Ancestor, Disrupt Decorum, Chaos Dragon and Territorial Hellkite. 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 Firkraag decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Firkraag decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Draconic Dissent precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough Dragon cost reducers
Dragonspeaker Shaman, Dragonlord's Servant, Sarkhan, Soul Aflame and Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind make Dragons cheaper or hasty. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Dragons that make more Dragons
Lathliss, Dragon Queen, Dragon Tempest and Iymrith, Desert Doom make Dragon tokens, damage opponents or draw cards when Dragons enter or connect.
Planeswalkers, rocks and cards outside the lists
Pursued Whale and Stuffy Doll are not cards Firkraag, and Will Kenrith, Rowan Kenrith, Hedron Archive and Burnished Hart are each played in about one Firkraag deck in seven or fewer decks usually play.
The 13 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Pursued Whale is a seven-mana 8/8 that gives each opponent a Pirate token. It is not a card Firkraag decks usually play.
Dragonspeaker Shaman is a 2/2 Human Barbarian Shaman for {1}{R}{R}. Dragon spells you cast cost {2} less. A three-drop that makes every Dragon cheaper, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Stuffy Doll is a five-mana indestructible Construct that redirects damage. It is not a card Firkraag decks usually play.
Bident of Thassa costs {2}{U}{U}. Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card, and for {1}{U} and a tap creatures your opponents control attack if able. A card engine and an effect that forces attacks for Firkraag.
Artificer Class is a two-mana Class that cheapens artifacts and finds one. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in seventeen.
Lathliss, Dragon Queen is a 6/6 flying Dragon for {4}{R}{R}. Whenever another nontoken Dragon enters under your control, you create a 5/5 flying Dragon token, and for {1}{R} your Dragons get +1/+0. Every Dragon is two Dragons.
Clan Crafter is a Background that does nothing for a commander without Choose a Background. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in twenty.
Sarkhan, Soul Aflame is a 2/4 Human Shaman for {1}{U}{R}. Dragon spells you cast cost {1} less, and whenever a Dragon enters under your control it may become a copy of it until end of turn. A cost reducer that copies your best Dragon.
Will Kenrith is a six-mana planeswalker that shrinks creatures and draws cards. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in eleven.
Dragonlord's Servant is a 1/3 Goblin Shaman for {1}{R}. Dragon spells you cast cost {1} less. A two-drop that stacks with Dragonspeaker Shaman.
Loot Dispute is a four-mana enchantment that takes the initiative and makes Treasure. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in nine.
Dragon Tempest costs {1}{R}. Whenever a creature you control with flying enters it gains haste, and whenever a Dragon enters it deals X damage to any target, where X is the number of Dragons you control. A two-mana enchantment that burns with every Dragon.
Hedron Archive is a four-mana rock that taps for {C}{C}. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in seven.
Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind costs {2}{R}. For a tap it adds {R}, and if that mana is spent on a Dragon creature spell, the Dragon gains haste until end of turn. A rock that is also a Dragon haste enabler.
Rowan Kenrith is a six-mana planeswalker that makes a player's creatures attack. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in eight.
Iymrith, Desert Doom is a 5/5 flying Dragon for {3}{U}{U} with ward {4} while untapped. Whenever it deals combat damage to a player you draw a card, then if you have fewer than three cards in hand you draw until you have three. A Dragon that refills your hand.
Burnished Hart is a three-mana artifact creature that fetches two basic lands. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in seven.
Public Enemy is an Aura for {2}{U}. All creatures attack the enchanted creature's controller each combat if able, and when it dies you draw a card. Forced attackers hit one player, and Firkraag draws for each.
Compulsive Research is a three-mana draw spell that discards. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in seven.
Grenzo, Havoc Raiser is a 2/2 for {R}{R}. Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you choose one: goad a creature that player controls, or exile their top card and cast it this turn. A two-drop that goads again.
Midnight Clock is a three-mana rock that takes twelve hour counters to refill your hand. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in five.
Goldspan Dragon is a 4/4 flying, haste Dragon for {3}{R}{R}. Whenever it attacks or becomes the target of a spell it makes a Treasure, and your Treasures tap for two mana. A Dragon that attacks the turn it lands, which triggers Firkraag's goad.
Aether Gale is a five-mana sorcery that returns six nonland permanents to their owners' hands. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in five.
Wrathful Red Dragon is a 5/5 flier for {3}{R}{R}. Whenever a Dragon you control is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to any target that isn't a Dragon. Goaded creatures attack and fight your Dragons, and every point they deal comes back at them.
Angler Turtle is a seven-mana 5/7 hexproof Turtle that makes opponents' creatures attack each combat. It is played in about one Firkraag deck in five.
Ganax, Astral Hunter is a 3/4 flying Dragon for {4}{R}. Whenever it or another Dragon you control enters, you create a Treasure. A Dragon that pays for the next Dragon.
The full swap list
Cut
- Pursued Whale
- Stuffy Doll
- Artificer Class
- Clan Crafter
- Will Kenrith
- Loot Dispute
- Hedron Archive
- Rowan Kenrith
- Burnished Hart
- Compulsive Research
- Midnight Clock
- Aether Gale
- Angler Turtle
Add
- Dragonspeaker Shaman
- Bident of Thassa
- Lathliss, Dragon Queen
- Sarkhan, Soul Aflame
- Dragonlord's Servant
- Dragon Tempest
- Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind
- Iymrith, Desert Doom
- Public Enemy
- Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
- Goldspan Dragon
- Wrathful Red Dragon
- Ganax, Astral Hunter
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Vengeful Ancestor$0.53
Played in 93% of Firkraag decks. A flying Dragon that goads whenever it enters or attacks. - Disrupt Decorum$4.04
Goads all creatures you do not control. - Chaos Dragon$4.26
A hasty flying Dragon for {1}{R}{R} that rolls d20s to pick whom it attacks. - Territorial Hellkite$0.25
A 6/5 flying haste Dragon for {2}{R}{R} that attacks a different opponent each combat. - Dragon's Hoard$0.28
Gains a gold counter whenever a Dragon enters, taps for mana and draws cards.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Parapet Thrasher$0.53
A flying Dragon that destroys artifacts or damages players when Dragons connect. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Haven of the Spirit Dragon$0.31
A land that taps for any color for Dragon spells and can return a Dragon from the graveyard.
Draconic Dissent already has the goad spells and the Dragons. The upgrade is cheap Dragon cost reducers, Dragons that make more Dragons and cards that force attacks, in place of planeswalkers, rocks and cards outside the lists. These thirteen swaps cost about $34 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Firkraag, Cunning Instigator from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Draconic Dissent precon?
Using data from 3,647 Firkraag decks, the highest-scoring additions are Dragonspeaker Shaman (for Pursued Whale), Bident of Thassa (for Stuffy Doll) and Lathliss, Dragon Queen (for Artificer Class). The full list has 13 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Draconic Dissent?
All 13 swaps cost about $33.69 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-27). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Parapet Thrasher ($0.53) and Haven of the Spirit Dragon ($0.31).
What should I cut from Draconic Dissent?
The weakest cards for this commander are Pursued Whale, Stuffy Doll and Artificer Class. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Draconic Dissent?
Keep Vengeful Ancestor, Disrupt Decorum, Chaos Dragon, Territorial Hellkite and Dragon's Hoard. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Firkraag do?
Firkraag, Cunning Instigator costs {3}{U}{R} and is a 3/3 Dragon with flying and haste. Whenever one or more Dragons you control attack an opponent, you goad target creature that player controls, and whenever a creature deals combat damage to one of your opponents, if that creature had to attack this combat, you put a +1/+1 counter on Firkraag and draw a card. Goad forces attacks, and forced attackers draw cards.
More Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Firkraag, Cunning Instigator decks (3,647 of them when this was written, 2026-10-27) 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 Firkraag decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many Dragon cards because few decks play them outside a Dragon 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.