Galadriel, Elven-Queen costs {2}{G}{U} and is a 4/5. At the beginning of combat on your turn, if another Elf entered under your control this turn, each player votes for dominion or guidance. If dominion gets more votes, the Ring tempts you and you put a +1/+1 counter on your Ring-bearer. Otherwise you draw a card. Every turn an Elf arrives is a turn she does something.
The precon already has the Elf lords and the voting cards, including Elvish Archdruid, Elvish Warmaster, Galadhrim Ambush and Elrond of the White Council. 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 Galadriel decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Galadriel decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Elven Council precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough cheap Elves
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, Galadriel of Lothlórien, Thranduil, Arwen Undómiel and Priest of Titania are Elves that cost two or three mana, so Galadriel's trigger happens every turn. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Few scry payoffs
Elrond, Master of Healing, Arwen Undómiel and Legolas, Counter of Kills reward scrying, and Galadriel of Lothlórien and Elrond, Lord of Rivendell make you do it.
Seven-drops and cards that are not Elves
Colossal Whale and Hornet Queen cost seven, and Radagast, Gandalf and Seeds of Renewal are not Elves and score low in Galadriel decks.
The 7 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Colossal Whale is a seven-mana 5/5 with islandwalk that exiles a creature when it attacks. It is played in about one Galadriel deck in six.
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell is a 3/2 Elf Noble for {2}{U}. Whenever it or another creature you control enters, you scry 1, and the second time that ability resolves in a turn the Ring tempts you. A three-drop Elf that scries for every creature.
Hornet Queen is a seven-mana flier that makes four deathtouch Insects. It is played in about one Galadriel deck in five.
Galadriel of Lothlórien is a 3/3 Elf Noble for {1}{G}{U}. Whenever the Ring tempts you, if your Ring-bearer is another creature, you scry 3, and whenever you scry you may reveal the top card of your library and put it onto the battlefield tapped if it is a land. An Elf that ramps and scries.
Radagast, Wizard of Wilds is a 3/5 Avatar Wizard that makes Beasts and Birds when you cast expensive spells. It is played in about one Galadriel deck in six.
Thranduil, Sindarin Liege is a 2/3 Elf Noble for {2}{G/U}{G/U}. Other Elves you control get +1/+1, and whenever a land enters under your control you create a 1/1 Elf token. Every land drop is an Elf entering, so it turns on Galadriel's trigger.
Wose Pathfinder is a 1/1 for {1}{G} that taps for mana of any color and pumps a creature for {6}{G}. It is played in about one Galadriel deck in four.
Elrond, Master of Healing is a 4/4 Elf Noble for {2}{G}{U}. Whenever you scry, you put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to X target creatures, where X is the number of cards looked at, and you draw a card when a creature with a counter becomes the target of an opponent's spell or ability. Every scry makes the team bigger.
Gandalf, Westward Voyager is a 5/5 for {3}{G}{U} that copies spells with mana value 5 or greater. It is played in about one Galadriel deck in four.
Arwen Undómiel is a 2/2 Elf Noble for {G}{U}. Whenever you scry, you put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, and for {4}{G}{U} you scry 2. A two-drop Elf that turns every scry into a counter.
Seeds of Renewal is a seven-mana sorcery (cheaper with each opponent) that returns two cards from your graveyard to your hand. It is played in about one Galadriel deck in four.
Legolas, Counter of Kills is a 2/3 reach Elf Archer for {2}{G}{U}. Whenever you scry, if it is tapped, you may untap it, and whenever a creature an opponent controls dies you put a +1/+1 counter on it. An Elf that grows on every death and blocks again after a scry.
Learn from the Past is a four-mana instant that shuffles a graveyard into a library and draws a card. It is played in about one Galadriel deck in three, but it does little else.
Priest of Titania is a 1/1 Elf Druid for {1}{G} that taps for {G} for each Elf on the battlefield. A two-drop Elf that turns on Galadriel's trigger and makes mana for the rest.
The full swap list
Cut
- Colossal Whale
- Hornet Queen
- Radagast, Wizard of Wilds
- Wose Pathfinder
- Gandalf, Westward Voyager
- Seeds of Renewal
- Learn from the Past
Add
- Elrond, Lord of Rivendell
- Galadriel of Lothlórien
- Thranduil, Sindarin Liege
- Elrond, Master of Healing
- Arwen Undómiel
- Legolas, Counter of Kills
- Priest of Titania
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Elvish Archdruid$0.49
Played in 96% of Galadriel decks. Gives other Elves +1/+1 and taps for {G} for each Elf you control. - Elvish Warmaster$3.51
Makes a 1/1 Elf Warrior whenever one or more other Elves enter, once each turn. - Galadhrim Ambush$7.39
Makes an Elf Warrior for each attacking creature and prevents combat damage by non-Elves. - Elrond of the White Council$0.29
A secret vote that lets each player choose a creature for a bonus. - Arwen, Weaver of Hope$4.97
Each other creature you control enters with extra +1/+1 counters equal to Arwen's toughness.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Marwyn, the Nurturer$5.83
Grows whenever another Elf enters and taps for mana equal to its power. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Imperious Perfect$0.48
Gives other Elves +1/+1 and makes an Elf Warrior for {G}. - Lys Alana Huntmaster$1.01
Makes an Elf Warrior whenever you cast an Elf spell.
Elven Council already has the Elf lords and the voting cards. The upgrade is cheap Elves that enter every turn and scry payoffs that turn each scry into counters, in place of seven-drops and cards that are not Elves. These seven swaps cost about $3 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Galadriel, Elven-Queen from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Elven Council precon?
Using data from 2,496 Galadriel decks, the highest-scoring additions are Elrond, Lord of Rivendell (for Colossal Whale), Galadriel of Lothlórien (for Hornet Queen) and Thranduil, Sindarin Liege (for Radagast, Wizard of Wilds). The full list has 7 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Elven Council?
All 7 swaps cost about $2.98 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-27). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Marwyn, the Nurturer ($5.83), Imperious Perfect ($0.48) and Lys Alana Huntmaster ($1.01).
What should I cut from Elven Council?
The weakest cards for this commander are Colossal Whale, Hornet Queen and Radagast, Wizard of Wilds. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Elven Council?
Keep Elvish Archdruid, Elvish Warmaster, Galadhrim Ambush, Elrond of the White Council and Arwen, Weaver of Hope. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Galadriel do?
Galadriel, Elven-Queen costs {2}{G}{U} and is a 4/5. At the beginning of combat on your turn, if another Elf entered under your control this turn, each player votes for dominion or guidance. If dominion gets more votes, the Ring tempts you and you put a +1/+1 counter on your Ring-bearer. Otherwise you draw a card. Every turn an Elf arrives is a turn she does something.
More Tales of Middle-earth Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Galadriel, Elven-Queen decks (2,496 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 Galadriel decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many of these cards because they are Elves or scry cards that few decks play outside this kind of deck, so use lift to compare cards, not to judge one in isolation. Prices are the cheapest non-foil paper printing on TCGplayer (via Scryfall), in USD, and move daily.