Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients costs {3}{R}{G} and is a Legendary Dragon Barbarian. Enrage: whenever Vrondiss is dealt damage you may create a 5/4 red and green Dragon Spirit creature token with "When this token deals damage, sacrifice it." Whenever you roll one or more dice you may have Vrondiss deal 1 damage to itself. Every die roll is a Dragon Spirit, if you want it to be.
The precon already has the Dragons, the dice and the ramp, including Chaos Dragon, Component Pouch, Scourge of Valkas, Dragon's Hoard and Garruk's Uprising. 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 Vrondiss decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Vrondiss decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Draconic Rage precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough dice rollers and Dragon payoffs
Wyll, Hoarding Ogre, Chaos Channeler and Overwhelming Encounter roll dice, and Thrakkus, Lathliss and Dragon Tempest make Dragons hit harder. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Pump spells and cards outside the lists
Chameleon Colossus and Skyship Stalker are not cards Vrondiss, and Decree of Savagery and Indomitable Might are each played in about one Vrondiss deck in ten or fewer decks usually play.
A top-heavy curve
The deck has 14 nonland cards at mana value six or more, including an eight-drop and a nine-drop, plus 39 lands.
The 11 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.

Chameleon Colossus is a four-mana 4/4 changeling with protection from black. It is not a card Vrondiss decks usually play.
Thrakkus the Butcher is a 3/4 Legendary Dragon Peasant for {3}{R}{G} with trample. Whenever it attacks you double the power of each Dragon you control until end of turn. A five-drop that is itself a Dragon and doubles all the others.

Skyship Stalker is a four-mana 3/3 flying Cat Dragon with firebreathing. It is not a card Vrondiss decks usually play.
Lathliss, Dragon Queen is a 6/6 flying Legendary Dragon for {4}{R}{R}. Whenever another nontoken Dragon enters under your control you create a 5/5 red Dragon token with flying, and for {1}{R} your Dragons get +1/+0. A six-drop that makes a Dragon for every Dragon.

Decree of Savagery is a nine-mana instant that puts four +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, with cycling. It is played in about one Vrondiss deck in seventeen.
Overwhelming Encounter costs {3}{G}{G}. Creatures you control gain vigilance and trample until end of turn, then you roll a d20: on 1-9 they get +2/+2, on 10-19 they get two +1/+1 counters, on 20 they get four. A five-mana sorcery that rolls a die and pumps the team.

Indomitable Might is a four-mana Aura with flash that gives +3/+3. It is played in about one Vrondiss deck in ten.
Where Ancients Tread costs {4}{R}. Whenever a creature you control with power 5 or greater enters, you may have it deal 5 damage to any target. A five-mana enchantment that shoots something for every Dragon with power 5.

Taurean Mauler is a three-mana changeling that grows whenever an opponent casts a spell. It is played in about one Vrondiss deck in six.
Goblin Anarchomancer is a 2/2 Goblin Shaman for {R}{G}. Each spell you cast that's red or green costs {1} less. A two-drop in exactly the commander's colors that makes every Dragon cheaper.

Wulfgar of Icewind Dale is a five-mana 4/4 with melee that doubles triggers from attacking creatures. It is played in about one Vrondiss deck in seven.
Wyll, Blade of Frontiers is a 1/1 Legendary Human Warlock for {1}{R}. If you would roll one or more dice, you instead roll that many dice plus one and ignore the lowest roll, and whenever you roll dice it gets a +1/+1 counter. A two-drop that improves every roll and triggers Vrondiss's damage.

Bogardan Hellkite is an eight-mana flash Dragon that deals 5 damage divided among targets when it enters. It is played in about one Vrondiss deck in seven.
Hoarding Ogre is a 3/3 Ogre for {3}{R}. Whenever it attacks you roll a d20: 1-9 you create a Treasure, 10-19 two, and 20 three. A four-drop that rolls a die every attack and pays for the Dragons.

Heirloom Blade is a three-mana Equipment that gives +3/+1 and fetches a creature that shares a type when its wearer dies. It is played in about one Vrondiss deck in seven.
Fiendlash is an Equipment for {1}{R}. Equipped creature gets +2/+0 and has reach, and whenever it is dealt damage it deals damage equal to its power to target player or planeswalker. A two-mana Equipment that turns Vrondiss's own damage into damage to an opponent.

Commander's Sphere is a three-mana rock that taps for any color in your commander's identity. It is played in about one Vrondiss deck in four.
Chaos Channeler is a 4/3 Human Shaman for {2}{R}{R}. Whenever it attacks you roll a d20 and exile the top one, two or three cards that you may play this turn. A four-drop that rolls a die and draws cards every attack.

Explore is a two-mana sorcery that lets you play an extra land and draws a card. It is played in about one Vrondiss deck in three.
Druid of the Emerald Grove is a 2/2 Dwarf Druid for {3}{G}. When it enters you search your library for up to two basic lands, reveal them and roll a d20, and on 9 or less they go to your hand, on 10-19 one goes onto the battlefield tapped, and on 20 both do. A four-drop that ramps and rolls a die.

Druid of Purification is a four-mana creature that lets each player destroy an artifact or enchantment you don't control. It is played in about one Vrondiss deck in four.
Dragon Tempest costs {1}{R}. Whenever a creature you control with flying enters it gains haste until end of turn, and whenever a Dragon you control enters it deals X damage to any target, where X is the number of Dragons you control. A two-mana enchantment that burns something for every Dragon and gives them haste.
The full swap list
Cut
- Chameleon Colossus
- Skyship Stalker
- Decree of Savagery
- Indomitable Might
- Taurean Mauler
- Wulfgar of Icewind Dale
- Bogardan Hellkite
- Heirloom Blade
- Commander's Sphere
- Explore
- Druid of Purification
Add
- Thrakkus the Butcher
- Lathliss, Dragon Queen
- Overwhelming Encounter
- Where Ancients Tread
- Goblin Anarchomancer
- Wyll, Blade of Frontiers
- Hoarding Ogre
- Fiendlash
- Chaos Channeler
- Druid of the Emerald Grove
- Dragon Tempest
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Garruk's Uprising$0.44
Played in 88% of Vrondiss decks. Gives your creatures trample and draws a card when a creature with power 4 or greater enters. - Chaos Dragon$4.21
Played in 72% of Vrondiss decks. A 4/4 flying, haste Dragon for {1}{R}{R} that makes every player roll a d20 each combat. - Component Pouch$4.68
Played in 69% of Vrondiss decks. Rolls a die for counters that turn into mana. - Scourge of Valkas$1.08
Played in 67% of Vrondiss decks. Deals damage whenever a Dragon enters. - Dragon's Hoard$0.27
Played in 67% of Vrondiss decks. A rock that gains gold counters whenever a Dragon enters, which draw cards.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Ganax, Astral Hunter$4.99
A five-mana flying Dragon that makes a Treasure whenever it or another Dragon enters. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Delina, Wild Mage$4.45
A creature that rolls a d20 and copies an attacking creature each combat. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Draconic Rage already has the Dragons, the dice and the ramp. The upgrade is cheap dice rollers and Dragon payoffs, in place of pump spells and cards that Vrondiss decks leave out. These eleven swaps cost about $5 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Draconic Rage precon?
Using data from 3,033 Vrondiss decks, the highest-scoring additions are Dragon Tempest (for Druid of Purification), Thrakkus the Butcher (for Chameleon Colossus) and Wyll, Blade of Frontiers (for Wulfgar of Icewind Dale). The full list has 11 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Draconic Rage?
All 11 swaps cost about $4.53 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Ganax, Astral Hunter ($4.99) and Delina, Wild Mage ($4.45).
What should I cut from Draconic Rage?
The weakest cards for this commander are Chameleon Colossus, Skyship Stalker and Decree of Savagery. 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 Rage?
Keep Garruk's Uprising, Chaos Dragon, Component Pouch, Scourge of Valkas and Dragon's Hoard. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Vrondiss do?
Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients costs {3}{R}{G} and is a Legendary Dragon Barbarian. Enrage: whenever Vrondiss is dealt damage you may create a 5/4 red and green Dragon Spirit creature token with "When this token deals damage, sacrifice it." Whenever you roll one or more dice you may have Vrondiss deal 1 damage to itself. Every die roll is a Dragon Spirit, if you want it to be.
More Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients decks (3,033 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 Vrondiss decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many Dragon and dice 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.










