Gisa and Geralf costs {2}{U}{B} and is a 4/4 Legendary Human Wizard. When it enters it mills four cards, and once during each of your turns you may cast a Zombie creature spell from your graveyard. Every Zombie that dies or is milled is a second hand of Zombies, and the cheaper they are, the more you recast.
The precon already has the Zombie lords and the payoffs, including Diregraf Captain, Lord of the Accursed, Gray Merchant, Champion of the Perished and Cemetery Reaper. 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 Gisa and Geralf decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Gisa and Geralf decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Grave Danger precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough cheap Zombies to recast
Gravecrawler, Zul Ashur, Stitcher's Supplier, Cryptbreaker and Headless Rider are cheap Zombies that are worth casting from the graveyard or that fill it. Rooftop Storm makes Zombie creature spells cost {0}. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Heavy cards outside the lists
Lotleth Giant, Overseer of the Damned and Vela the Night-Clad cost six or seven and none of them is played in many Gisa and Geralf decks. The deck has 10 nonland cards at mana value six or more.
Rocks and spells that do little for Zombies
Unstable Obelisk, Wayfarer's Bauble, Deep Analysis, Cruel Revival and Syphon Flesh are each played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in four to eight.
The 12 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Spark Reaper is a three-mana 2/3 Zombie that sacrifices creatures to draw. It is not a card Gisa and Geralf decks usually play.
Rooftop Storm costs {5}{U}. You may pay {0} rather than pay the mana cost for Zombie creature spells you cast. A six-mana enchantment that makes every Zombie in your hand, and from the graveyard, free, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Unstable Obelisk is a three-mana rock that can destroy a permanent for {7}. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in eight.
Gravecrawler is a 2/1 Zombie for {B} that can't block. You may cast it from your graveyard as long as you control a Zombie. A one-drop that keeps coming back.
Withered Wretch is a two-mana 2/2 Zombie Cleric that exiles cards from a graveyard, including your own. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in six.
Zul Ashur, Lich Lord is a 2/2 Legendary Zombie Warlock for {1}{B} with ward - pay 2 life. For a tap you may cast target Zombie creature card from your graveyard this turn. A two-drop that casts a second Zombie from the graveyard each turn.
Wayfarer's Bauble is a one-mana artifact that fetches a basic land for {2}. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in four.
Stitcher's Supplier is a 1/1 Zombie for {B}. When it enters or dies you mill three cards. A one-drop Zombie that fills the graveyard twice.
Deep Analysis is a four-mana sorcery that draws two cards and has flashback. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in five.
Bladestitched Skaab is a 2/3 Zombie Soldier for {U}{B}. Other Zombies you control get +1/+0. A two-mana lord in exactly the commander's colors.
Vela the Night-Clad is a six-mana 4/4 that gives intimidate and drains when your creatures leave. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in five.
Liliana, Death's Majesty is a five-mana planeswalker. Its +1 creates a 2/2 Zombie token and mills two cards, its -3 returns a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield as a Zombie, and its -7 destroys all non-Zombie creatures. A planeswalker that makes a Zombie every turn and fills the graveyard.
Curse of Disturbance is a three-mana Aura that makes Zombies when the enchanted player is attacked. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in five.
Cryptbreaker is a 1/1 Zombie for {B}. For {1}{B}, a tap and a discarded card you create a 2/2 black Zombie token, and tapping three untapped Zombies draws you a card at the cost of 1 life. A one-drop that turns spare cards into Zombies.
Lazotep Reaver is a two-mana 1/2 Zombie Beast that amasses Zombies 1. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in four.
Accursed Marauder is a 2/1 Zombie Warrior for {1}{B}. When it enters each player sacrifices a nontoken creature of their choice. A two-drop that fills the graveyard with a Zombie you can recast and costs opponents a creature.
Cruel Revival is a five-mana instant that destroys a non-Zombie creature and returns a Zombie card to your hand. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in four.
Headless Rider is a 3/1 Zombie for {2}{B}. Whenever it or another nontoken Zombie you control dies, you create a 2/2 black Zombie token. A three-drop that doubles every dead Zombie.
Syphon Flesh is a five-mana sorcery that makes each other player sacrifice a creature and gives you Zombies. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in four.
Grimgrin, Corpse-Born is a 5/5 Legendary Zombie Warrior for {3}{U}{B}. It enters tapped and doesn't untap, but sacrificing another creature untaps it and adds a +1/+1 counter, and whenever it attacks you destroy target creature defending player controls. A five-drop Zombie that kills a creature every attack.
Lotleth Giant is a seven-mana 6/5 Zombie Giant that deals damage for each creature card in your graveyard. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in four.
Death Baron is a 2/2 Zombie Wizard for {1}{B}{B}. Skeletons you control and other Zombies you control get +1/+1 and have deathtouch. A three-drop lord that gives every Zombie deathtouch.
Overseer of the Damned is a seven-mana 5/5 flyer that destroys a creature and makes Zombies when opposing creatures die. It is played in about one Gisa and Geralf deck in four.
Diregraf Colossus is a 2/2 Zombie Giant for {2}{B} that enters with a +1/+1 counter for each Zombie card in your graveyard. Whenever you cast a Zombie spell you create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie token. A three-drop that makes a Zombie every time you recast one.
The full swap list
Cut
- Spark Reaper
- Unstable Obelisk
- Withered Wretch
- Wayfarer's Bauble
- Deep Analysis
- Vela the Night-Clad
- Curse of Disturbance
- Lazotep Reaver
- Cruel Revival
- Syphon Flesh
- Lotleth Giant
- Overseer of the Damned
Add
- Rooftop Storm
- Gravecrawler
- Zul Ashur, Lich Lord
- Stitcher's Supplier
- Bladestitched Skaab
- Liliana, Death's Majesty
- Cryptbreaker
- Accursed Marauder
- Headless Rider
- Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
- Death Baron
- Diregraf Colossus
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Diregraf Captain$0.34
Played in 89% of Gisa and Geralf decks. A deathtouch Zombie that gives others +1/+1 and drains when a Zombie dies. - Gray Merchant of Asphodel$0.63
Played in 77% of Gisa and Geralf decks. A Zombie that drains each opponent for your devotion to black. - Lord of the Accursed$0.17
Played in 76% of Gisa and Geralf decks. Gives other Zombies +1/+1 and menace. - Champion of the Perished$0.24
Played in 70% of Gisa and Geralf decks. Grows whenever another Zombie enters. - Cemetery Reaper$0.17
Played in 69% of Gisa and Geralf decks. A lord that turns graveyard creature cards into Zombie tokens.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Endless Ranks of the Dead$1.02
An enchantment that makes Zombies every upkeep equal to half the Zombies you control. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - The Scarab God$2.85
A five-mana God that drains for each Zombie you control and reanimates creatures as 4/4 Zombies. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Grave Danger already has the Zombie lords, the payoffs and Gisa and Geralf's recursion. The upgrade is cheap Zombies to recast and Rooftop Storm, in place of seven-drops and cards that Gisa and Geralf decks leave out. These twelve swaps cost about $9 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Gisa and Geralf from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Grave Danger precon?
Using data from 8,022 Gisa and Geralf decks, the highest-scoring additions are Rooftop Storm (for Spark Reaper), Gravecrawler (for Unstable Obelisk) and Death Baron (for Lotleth Giant). The full list has 12 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Grave Danger?
All 12 swaps cost about $9.01 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Endless Ranks of the Dead ($1.02) and The Scarab God ($2.85).
What should I cut from Grave Danger?
The weakest cards for this commander are Spark Reaper, Unstable Obelisk and Withered Wretch. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Grave Danger?
Keep Diregraf Captain, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Lord of the Accursed, Champion of the Perished and Cemetery Reaper. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Gisa and Geralf do?
Gisa and Geralf costs {2}{U}{B} and is a 4/4 Legendary Human Wizard. When it enters it mills four cards, and once during each of your turns you may cast a Zombie creature spell from your graveyard. Every Zombie that dies or is milled is a second hand of Zombies, and the cheaper they are, the more you recast.
More Starter Commander Decks upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Gisa and Geralf decks (8,022 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 Gisa and Geralf decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many Zombie cards because few decks play them outside a Zombie 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.