Captain N'ghathrod costs {3}{U}{B} and is a 3/6. Horrors you control have menace, whenever a Horror you control deals combat damage to a player that player mills that many cards, and at the beginning of your end step you put an artifact or creature card an opponent put into their graveyard from their library this turn onto the battlefield under your control. Every milled creature is yours.

The precon already has the mill payoffs, including Consuming Aberration, Nemesis of Reason, Zellix, Mindcrank and Fractured Sanity. 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 N'ghathrod decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in N'ghathrod decks than in decks that could play it.

Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Mind Flayarrrs precon guide.

11
Swaps
$38.98
Cost of the adds
38→38
Lands
8→42
Avg Oracle score

What is holding the deck back

Not enough cheap mill

Ruin Crab, Mind Grind, Syr Konrad and Drown in Dreams mill opponents for one to four mana, and the captain steals what hits the graveyard. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.

Unblockable Horrors

Silent Hallcreeper and Vashta Nerada are Horrors that are hard to block, so the captain's combat damage trigger happens every turn.

Expensive creatures and a sweeper

Dusk Mangler, Dark Hatchling, Psychosis Crawler and Hex cost five to seven, and Hex destroys the Horrors the deck wants to attack with. Dross Harvester and Plague Spitter are not played in the commander's decks.

The 11 swaps

Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.

Swap 1 of 11
Dross Harvester
Cut
Dross Harvester
Creature — Horror · 1BB
Not a card this commander's decks usually play, so it scores below the cards that are
Silent Hallcreeper
Add
Silent Hallcreeper
Enchantment Creature — Horror · 1U
Inclusion60%
Synergy52%
Lift7.7×
Oracle score 55

Dross Harvester is a 4/4 Horror for {1}{B}{B} that costs you 4 life each end step. It is not a card N'ghathrod decks usually play.

Silent Hallcreeper is a 1/1 Horror enchantment creature for {1}{U} that cannot be blocked. When it deals combat damage to a player you choose one that has not been chosen: two +1/+1 counters, a card, or a copy of another creature you control. A Horror that connects every turn, which makes the captain mill.

Swap 2 of 11
Plague Spitter
Cut
Plague Spitter
Creature — Phyrexian Horror · 2B
Not a card this commander's decks usually play, so it scores below the cards that are
Ruin Crab
Add
Ruin Crab
Creature — Crab · U
Inclusion59%
Synergy50%
Lift6.9×
Oracle score 54

Plague Spitter is a 2/2 Phyrexian Horror for {2}{B} that damages every creature and player each upkeep. It is not a card N'ghathrod decks usually play.

Ruin Crab is a 0/3 Crab for {U}. Landfall: whenever a land enters under your control, each opponent mills three cards. A one-drop that mills the table on every land drop.

Swap 3 of 11
Dusk Mangler
Cut
Dusk Mangler
Creature — Horror · 5BB
Inclusion8%
Synergy7%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 7
The Mindskinner
Add
The Mindskinner
Legendary Enchantment Creature — Nightmare · UUU
Inclusion43%
Synergy36%
Lift6.0×
Oracle score 39

Dusk Mangler is a seven-mana 5/4 Horror with an additional cost. It is played in about one N'ghathrod deck in twelve.

The Mindskinner is a 10/1 legendary Nightmare for {U}{U}{U} that cannot be blocked. If a source you control would deal damage to an opponent, that damage is prevented and each opponent mills that many cards. A three-mana threat that mills for its power every turn.

Swap 4 of 11
Psychosis Crawler
Cut
Psychosis Crawler
Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Horror · 5
Inclusion8%
Synergy6%
Lift3.9×
Oracle score 7
Mind Grind
Add
Mind Grind
Sorcery · XUB
Inclusion34%
Synergy28%
Lift6.5×
Oracle score 30

Psychosis Crawler is a five-mana artifact Horror whose size is your hand. It is played in about one N'ghathrod deck in twelve.

Mind Grind costs {X}{U}{B}. Each opponent reveals cards until they reveal X lands and puts all revealed cards into their graveyard, which gives the captain a lot to steal. A mill spell that scales.

Swap 5 of 11
Hex
Cut
Hex
Sorcery · 4BB
Inclusion9%
Synergy8%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 8
Syr Konrad, the Grim
Add
Syr Konrad, the Grim
Legendary Creature — Human Knight · 3BB
Inclusion36%
Synergy23%
Lift2.8×
Oracle score 28

Hex is a six-mana sorcery that destroys six target creatures, so it kills your Horrors too. It is played in about one N'ghathrod deck in eleven.

Syr Konrad, the Grim is a 5/4 for {3}{B}{B}. Whenever another creature dies, or a creature card is put into a graveyard from anywhere other than the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to each opponent, and for {1}{B} each player mills a card. A mill outlet that pings the table.

Swap 6 of 11
Dark Hatchling
Cut
Dark Hatchling
Creature — Horror · 4BB
Inclusion9%
Synergy8%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 9
Drown in Dreams
Add
Drown in Dreams
Instant · X2U
Inclusion30%
Synergy26%
Lift7.4×
Oracle score 28

Dark Hatchling is a six-mana 3/3 flying Horror that destroys a nonblack creature. It is played in about one N'ghathrod deck in eleven.

Drown in Dreams costs {X}{2}{U} at instant speed. A player draws X cards or mills twice X, and if you control a commander you may choose both. A flexible spell that fills a graveyard at instant speed.

Swap 7 of 11
Leyline of Anticipation
Cut
Leyline of Anticipation
Enchantment · 2UU
Inclusion11%
Synergy7%
Lift2.7×
Oracle score 9
Vashta Nerada
Add
Vashta Nerada
Creature — Alien Horror · 2B
Inclusion31%
Synergy28%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 29

Leyline of Anticipation is a four-mana enchantment that gives your spells flash. It is played in about one N'ghathrod deck in nine.

Vashta Nerada is a 1/1 Alien Horror for {2}{B} with indestructible and shadow. At each end step, if a creature died this turn, it gets a +1/+1 counter. A Horror that is nearly unblockable and grows as creatures die.

Swap 8 of 11
From the Catacombs
Cut
From the Catacombs
Sorcery · 3BB
Inclusion12%
Synergy10%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 11
Maddening Cacophony
Add
Maddening Cacophony
Sorcery · 1U
Inclusion67%
Synergy56%
Lift6.2×
Oracle score 60

From the Catacombs ({3}{B}{B}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 11 in the Oracle: it is in 12% of Captain N'ghathrod decks with 10% synergy. It reads: Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control with a corpse counter on it. You take the initiative.

Maddening Cacophony ({1}{U}) scores 60: it is in 67% of Captain N'ghathrod decks with 56% synergy. It reads: Kicker {3}{U}. Each opponent mills eight cards. If this spell was kicked, instead each opponent mills half their library, rounded up.

Swap 9 of 11
Everflowing Chalice
Cut
Everflowing Chalice
Artifact · 0
Inclusion14%
Synergy9%
Lift2.6×
Oracle score 11
The Water Crystal
Add
The Water Crystal
Legendary Artifact · 2UU
Inclusion52%
Synergy43%
Lift5.8×
Oracle score 46

Everflowing Chalice ({0}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 11 in the Oracle: it is in 14% of Captain N'ghathrod decks with 9% synergy. It reads: Multikicker {2}. This artifact enters with a charge counter on it for each time it was kicked. {T}: Add {C} for each charge counter on this artifact.

The Water Crystal ({2}{U}{U}) scores 46: it is in 52% of Captain N'ghathrod decks with 43% synergy. It reads: Blue spells you cast cost {1} less to cast. If an opponent would mill one or more cards, they mill that many cards plus four instead. {4}{U}{U}, {T}: Each opponent mills cards equal to the number of cards in your hand.

Swap 10 of 11
Woe Strider
Cut
Woe Strider
Creature — Horror · 2B
Inclusion12%
Synergy11%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 11
Ancient Cellarspawn
Add
Ancient Cellarspawn
Enchantment Creature — Horror · 1BB
Inclusion48%
Synergy43%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 45

Woe Strider ({2}{B}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 11 in the Oracle: it is in 12% of Captain N'ghathrod decks with 11% synergy. It reads: When this creature enters, create a 0/1 white Goat creature token. Sacrifice another creature: Scry 1. Escape:{3}{B}{B}, Exile four other cards from your graveyard.

Ancient Cellarspawn ({1}{B}{B}) scores 45: it is in 48% of Captain N'ghathrod decks with 43% synergy. It reads: Each spell you cast that's a Demon, Horror, or Nightmare costs {1} less to cast. Whenever you cast a spell, if the amount of mana spent to cast it was less than its mana value, target opponent loses life equal to the difference.

Swap 11 of 11
In Garruk's Wake
Cut
In Garruk's Wake
Sorcery · 7BB
Inclusion15%
Synergy11%
Lift3.6×
Oracle score 13
Phyrexian Obliterator
Add
Phyrexian Obliterator
Creature — Phyrexian Horror · BBBB
Inclusion47%
Synergy43%
Lift8.0×+
Oracle score 45

In Garruk's Wake ({7}{B}{B}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 13 in the Oracle: it is in 15% of Captain N'ghathrod decks with 11% synergy. It reads: Destroy all creatures you don't control and all planeswalkers you don't control.

Phyrexian Obliterator ({B}{B}{B}{B}) scores 45: it is in 47% of Captain N'ghathrod decks with 43% synergy. It reads: Trample. Whenever a source deals damage to this creature, that source's controller sacrifices that many permanents of their choice.

The full swap list

Cut

  • Dross Harvester
  • Plague Spitter
  • Dusk Mangler
  • Psychosis Crawler
  • Hex
  • Dark Hatchling
  • Leyline of Anticipation
  • From the Catacombs
  • Everflowing Chalice
  • Woe Strider
  • In Garruk's Wake

Add

  • Silent Hallcreeper
  • Ruin Crab
  • The Mindskinner
  • Mind Grind
  • Syr Konrad, the Grim
  • Drown in Dreams
  • Vashta Nerada
  • Maddening Cacophony
  • The Water Crystal
  • Ancient Cellarspawn
  • Phyrexian Obliterator

What to keep

These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.

If you want to spend more

These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.

The verdict

Mind Flayarrrs already has the mill payoffs. The upgrade is cheap mill and unblockable Horrors, in place of seven-drops and a sweeper that kills the Horrors. These eleven swaps cost about $39 in total.

Want a full 100-card list built around Captain N'ghathrod from today's data?

Build with The Oracle →

Frequently asked questions

What are the best upgrades for the Mind Flayarrrs precon?

Using data from 18,757 Captain N'ghathrod decks, the highest-scoring additions are Maddening Cacophony (for From the Catacombs), Silent Hallcreeper (for Dross Harvester) and Ruin Crab (for Plague Spitter). The full list has 11 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.

How much does it cost to upgrade Mind Flayarrrs?

All 11 swaps cost about $38.98 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-27). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Court of Cunning ($4.65) and Psychic Corrosion ($4.59).

What should I cut from Mind Flayarrrs?

The weakest cards for this commander are Dross Harvester, Plague Spitter and Dusk Mangler. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.

Which cards should I keep in Mind Flayarrrs?

Keep Consuming Aberration, Nemesis of Reason, Zellix, Sanity Flayer, Mindcrank and Fractured Sanity. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.

What does Captain N'ghathrod do?

Captain N'ghathrod costs {3}{U}{B} and is a 3/6. Horrors you control have menace, whenever a Horror you control deals combat damage to a player that player mills that many cards, and at the beginning of your end step you put an artifact or creature card an opponent put into their graveyard from their library this turn onto the battlefield under your control. Every milled creature is yours.

More Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate upgrade guides

All precon upgrade guides

How the numbers work

Inclusion is the share of Captain N'ghathrod decks (18,757 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 Captain N'ghathrod decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is moderate for most of these cards because they are played in many mill decks, 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.