Hakbal of the Surging Soul costs {2}{G}{U} and is a 3/3. At the beginning of combat on your turn, each Merfolk you control explores, and whenever Hakbal attacks you may put a land from your hand onto the battlefield, or draw a card if you do not. Every Merfolk gets a counter or a land each turn.
The precon already has the Merfolk core, including Nicanzil, Master of the Pearl Trident, Svyelun of Sea and Sky and Emperor Mihail II. 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 Hakbal decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Hakbal decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Explorers of the Deep precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Missing Merfolk engines
Deeproot Pilgrimage, Vodalian Hexcatcher and Forerunner of the Heralds make Merfolk tokens, pump the Merfolk and find the next one. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Few Merfolk that explore
Deepfathom Echo explores every turn on its own, and Tishana's Tidebinder is a flash Merfolk that answers an ability.
Rocks and off-plan cards
Commander's Sphere, Xolatoyac, Coralhelm Commander, Curse of the Swine and Sage of Fables are each played in about one Hakbal deck in four or fewer.
The 7 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Commander's Sphere is a three-mana rock that sacrifices itself to draw a card. It is played in about one Hakbal deck in six, in a deck with Sol Ring and Arcane Signet.
Deeproot Pilgrimage costs {1}{U}. Whenever one or more nontoken Merfolk you control become tapped, you create a 1/1 blue Merfolk with hexproof. Attacking makes Merfolk, and it is the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood is a six-mana 6/6 that turns a land into an Island. It is played in about one Hakbal deck in five.
Vodalian Hexcatcher is a 1/1 Merfolk Wizard for {1}{U} with flash. Other Merfolk you control get +1/+1, and you can sacrifice a Merfolk to counter a noncreature spell unless its controller pays {1}. A two-drop lord that is also a counterspell.
Coralhelm Commander is a {U}{U} Merfolk that needs level counters to become a flier and a lord. It is played in about one Hakbal deck in six.
Tishana's Tidebinder is a 3/2 Merfolk Wizard for {2}{U} with flash. When it enters you counter an activated or triggered ability, and if it was a permanent's ability that permanent loses all abilities. A Merfolk with a trick.
Curse of the Swine exiles X creatures and gives each controller a 2/2 Boar. It is played in about one Hakbal deck in four.
Forerunner of the Heralds is a 3/2 Merfolk Scout for {3}{G}. When it enters you may search your library for a Merfolk and put it on top, and whenever another Merfolk enters it gets a +1/+1 counter. A creature that finds your next Merfolk.
Sage of Fables is a 2/2 Merfolk Wizard for {2}{U} that rewards Wizards and pays counters for cards. It is played in about one Hakbal deck in four.
Deepfathom Echo is a 4/4 Merfolk Spirit for {2}{G}{U}. At the beginning of combat it explores, then you may have it become a copy of another creature you control until end of turn. A Merfolk that explores by itself and copies your best creature.
Thassa, God of the Sea is an indestructible God that is only a creature with devotion to blue of five. It is played in about one Hakbal deck in four.
Lord of Atlantis is a 2/2 Merfolk for {U}{U}. Other Merfolk get +1/+1 and have islandwalk. A two-drop lord, and one of the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Bygone Marvels is a two-mana sorcery with descend 8 that returns a permanent card. It is played in about one Hakbal deck in four.
Merrow Commerce is a two-mana Merfolk enchantment. At the beginning of your end step you untap all Merfolk you control. Every Merfolk that attacked is untapped to block, and mana Merfolk are ready again.
The full swap list
Cut
- Commander's Sphere
- Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood
- Coralhelm Commander
- Curse of the Swine
- Sage of Fables
- Thassa, God of the Sea
- Bygone Marvels
Add
- Deeproot Pilgrimage
- Vodalian Hexcatcher
- Tishana's Tidebinder
- Forerunner of the Heralds
- Deepfathom Echo
- Lord of Atlantis
- Merrow Commerce
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Nicanzil, Current Conductor$0.18
Played in 97% of Hakbal decks. Puts a land onto the battlefield when a creature explores a land, and grows when it explores a nonland card. - Master of the Pearl Trident$0.67
Gives other Merfolk +1/+1 and islandwalk. - Svyelun of Sea and Sky$0.44
Draws a card when it attacks and gives your other Merfolk ward {1}. - Emperor Mihail II$0.35
Lets you cast Merfolk from the top of your library and make a Merfolk token for {1}. - Herald of Secret Streams$5.92
Creatures you control with +1/+1 counters cannot be blocked.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Merrow Harbinger$2.71
Searches for a Merfolk when it enters. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Daughter of the Deep$2.15
Makes a Merfolk token whenever you draw your second card each turn. - Ozolith, the Shattered Spire$6.65
Adds an extra counter to every creature that explores.
Explorers of the Deep is a Merfolk deck that most Hakbal lists barely change, so seven swaps are enough. They trade a rock and four off-plan cards for Merfolk that make tokens, pump the team and find the next Merfolk. These seven swaps cost about $26 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Hakbal of the Surging Soul from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Explorers of the Deep precon?
Using data from 25,628 Hakbal of the Surging Soul decks, the highest-scoring additions are Deeproot Pilgrimage (for Commander's Sphere), Vodalian Hexcatcher (for Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood) and Lord of Atlantis (for Thassa, God of the Sea). The full list has 7 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Explorers of the Deep?
All 7 swaps cost about $26.26 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-27). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Merrow Harbinger ($2.71), Daughter of the Deep ($2.15) and Ozolith, the Shattered Spire ($6.65).
What should I cut from Explorers of the Deep?
The weakest cards for this commander are Commander's Sphere, Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood and Coralhelm Commander. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Explorers of the Deep?
Keep Nicanzil, Current Conductor, Master of the Pearl Trident, Svyelun of Sea and Sky, Emperor Mihail II and Herald of Secret Streams. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Hakbal of the Surging Soul do?
Hakbal of the Surging Soul costs {2}{G}{U} and is a 3/3. At the beginning of combat on your turn, each Merfolk you control explores, and whenever Hakbal attacks you may put a land from your hand onto the battlefield, or draw a card if you do not. Every Merfolk gets a counter or a land each turn.
More Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Hakbal of the Surging Soul decks (25,628 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 Hakbal of the Surging Soul decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is moderate for most of these cards because they are played in many Merfolk decks, 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.