Marath, Will of the Wild costs {R}{G}{W} and is a 0/0 Legendary Elemental Beast that enters with a number of +1/+1 counters equal to the mana spent to cast it. For {X} and X counters removed, you choose one: put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, deal X damage to any target, or create an X/X green Elemental creature token. Every counter is damage, a token or a bigger creature.
The precon already has the Naya charms and the ramp, including Boros Charm, Hull Breach, Naya Charm, Wrath of God, Cultivate and Harmonize. 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 Marath decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Marath decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Nature of the Beast precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough counter doublers and payoffs
Hardened Scales, Conclave Mentor, Cryptic Trilobite, Evolution Witness and Ivy Lane Denizen add counters or reward them. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Sorceries and utility spells outside the lists
Fiery Justice, Fireball, From the Ashes, One Dozen Eyes and Rain of Thorns are not cards Marath, and Fires of Yavimaya, Wrath of God, Hull Breach and Harmonize are each played in about one Marath deck in seven or fewer decks usually play.
Very many lands
The deck has 42 lands and 17 nonland cards at mana value six or more, so cheap creatures and mana fixers matter more than another sorcery.
The 9 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Fiery Justice is a three-mana sorcery that deals 5 damage divided among targets and gives an opponent 5 life. It is not a card Marath decks usually play.
Hardened Scales costs {G}. If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a creature you control, that many plus one are put on it instead. A one-mana enchantment that adds a counter to Marath's entry and every counter after, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Fireball is a sorcery that deals X damage divided among targets. It is not a card Marath decks usually play.
Conclave Mentor is a 2/2 Centaur Cleric for {G}{W}. If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a creature you control, that many plus one are put on it instead, and when it dies you gain life equal to its power. A two-drop in two of Marath's colours that adds a counter to every counter effect.
From the Ashes is a four-mana sorcery that destroys all nonbasic lands. It is not a card Marath decks usually play.
Cryptic Trilobite costs {X}{X}. It enters with X +1/+1 counters on it, you can remove a counter from it to add {C}{C} for abilities, and for {1} and a tap it gets a counter. A flexible creature that makes Marath's X ability cheaper.
One Dozen Eyes is a six-mana sorcery that makes a 5/5 Beast or five Insects, with entwine. It is not a card Marath decks usually play.
Evolution Witness is a 2/1 Elf Shaman Mutant for {2}{G}. For {1}{G} it adapts 2, and whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on it you return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. A three-drop that gets back a permanent when it grows.
Rain of Thorns is a six-mana sorcery that destroys an artifact, enchantment and land. It is not a card Marath decks usually play.
Ivy Lane Denizen is a 2/3 Elf Warrior for {3}{G}. Whenever another green creature you control enters, you put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. A four-drop that adds a counter whenever a green creature enters.
Fires of Yavimaya is a three-mana enchantment that gives haste and can be sacrificed for +2/+2. It is played in about one Marath deck in eleven.
Avacyn's Pilgrim is a 1/1 Human Monk for {G}. For a tap it adds {W}. A one-drop mana creature that fixes white.
Wrath of God is a four-mana sorcery that destroys all creatures. It is played in about one Marath deck in nine.
Forgotten Ancient is a 0/3 Elemental for {3}{G}. Whenever a player casts a spell, you may put a +1/+1 counter on it, and at the beginning of your upkeep you may move any number of counters from it onto other creatures. A four-drop that collects counters and hands them to Marath.
Hull Breach is a two-mana sorcery that destroys an artifact, an enchantment or both. It is played in about one Marath deck in eight.
Inspiring Call costs {2}{G}. You draw a card for each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it, and those creatures gain indestructible until end of turn. A three-mana instant that draws several cards and protects your team.
Harmonize is a four-mana sorcery that draws three cards. It is played in about one Marath deck in seven.
Basking Broodscale is a 2/2 Eldrazi Lizard for {1}{G} with devoid. For {1}{G} it adapts 1, and whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on it you may create a 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn that can be sacrificed for {C}. A two-drop that turns counters into mana.
The full swap list
Cut
- Fiery Justice
- Fireball
- From the Ashes
- One Dozen Eyes
- Rain of Thorns
- Fires of Yavimaya
- Wrath of God
- Hull Breach
- Harmonize
Add
- Hardened Scales
- Conclave Mentor
- Cryptic Trilobite
- Evolution Witness
- Ivy Lane Denizen
- Avacyn's Pilgrim
- Forgotten Ancient
- Inspiring Call
- Basking Broodscale
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Sol Ring$1.25
Played in 79% of Marath decks. Two mana for one. - Cultivate$0.39
Played in 38% of Marath decks. Puts a basic land onto the battlefield and one into your hand. - Boros Charm$4.55
Played in 29% of Marath decks. Deals 4 damage to a player, protects your team, or gives a creature double strike. - Naya Charm$0.32
Played in 16% of Marath decks. Deals 3 damage to a creature, returns a card, or taps a player's creatures.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Shalai and Hallar$6.00
A four-mana flying, vigilance Angel Elf that deals damage to an opponent whenever you put counters on a creature. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Kami of Whispered Hopes$4.38
A three-mana creature that adds one to every counter you would put on a permanent and taps for mana. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Nature of the Beast already has the Naya charms, the ramp and Marath's counter modes. The upgrade is cheap counter doublers and counter payoffs, in place of sorceries and utility spells that Marath decks leave out. These nine swaps cost about $5 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Marath, Will of the Wild from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Nature of the Beast precon?
Using data from 3,642 Marath decks, the highest-scoring additions are Hardened Scales (for Fiery Justice), Conclave Mentor (for Fireball) and Cryptic Trilobite (for From the Ashes). The full list has 9 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Nature of the Beast?
All 9 swaps cost about $5.26 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Shalai and Hallar ($6.00) and Kami of Whispered Hopes ($4.38).
What should I cut from Nature of the Beast?
The weakest cards for this commander are Fiery Justice, Fireball and From the Ashes. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Nature of the Beast?
Keep Sol Ring, Cultivate, Boros Charm and Naya Charm. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Marath do?
Marath, Will of the Wild costs {R}{G}{W} and is a 0/0 Legendary Elemental Beast that enters with a number of +1/+1 counters equal to the mana spent to cast it. For {X} and X counters removed, you choose one: put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, deal X damage to any target, or create an X/X green Elemental creature token. Every counter is damage, a token or a bigger creature.
More Commander 2013 upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Marath, Will of the Wild decks (3,642 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 Marath decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many counter cards because few decks play them outside a counters 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.