Jirina Kudro costs {1}{R}{W}{B} and is a 3/3 Legendary Human Soldier. When it enters you create a 1/1 white Human Soldier creature token for each time you've cast a commander from the command zone this game, and other Humans you control get +2/+0. Every Human you play hits for two more.
The precon already has the Human lords and the removal, including General's Enforcer, Thalia's Lieutenant, Call the Coppercoats, Shared Animosity and Dire Tactics. 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 Jirina decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Jirina decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Ruthless Regiment precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough cheap Human lords and token makers
General Kudro of Drannith, Coppercoat Vanguard, Jirina, Dauntless General, Champion of the Parish and Lossarnach Captain are Humans that pump or protect other Humans. Horn of Gondor and Hanweir Garrison make more Humans. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Goad Auras and Humans outside the lists
Martial Impetus, Parasitic Impetus and Shiny Impetus goad creatures, and Captivating Crew, Fumiko the Lowblood, Humble Defector, Kelsien and Titan of Eternal Fire are not cards Jirina decks usually play.
Weak artifacts and removal
Bonder's Ornament and Sanctuary Blade are each played in about one Jirina deck in twelve to fourteen, and Unexpectedly Absent is an {X}{W}{W} instant played in about one in ten.
The 11 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Captivating Crew is a four-mana 4/3 Human Pirate that steals creatures for {3}{R}. It is not a card Jirina decks usually play.
General Kudro of Drannith is a 3/3 Legendary Human Soldier for {1}{W}{B}. Other Humans you control get +1/+1, whenever it or another Human you control enters you exile target card from an opponent's graveyard, and for {2} and two sacrificed Humans you destroy target creature with power 4 or greater. A three-drop lord, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Fumiko the Lowblood is a four-mana 3/2 Human Samurai that forces opponents' creatures to attack. It is not a card Jirina decks usually play.
Coppercoat Vanguard is a 2/2 Human Soldier for {1}{W}. Each other Human you control gets +1/+0 and has ward {1}. A two-drop that pumps and protects the whole team.
Humble Defector is a two-mana 2/1 Human Rogue that draws two cards and gives itself to an opponent. It is not a card Jirina decks usually play.
Jirina, Dauntless General is a 2/2 Legendary Human Soldier for {W}{B}. When it enters you exile target player's graveyard, and you can sacrifice it to give Humans you control hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. A two-drop that protects your team from a sweeper.
Kelsien, the Plague is a three-mana 2/2 Human Assassin with vigilance and haste that pings creatures. It is not a card Jirina decks usually play.
Champion of the Parish is a 1/1 Human Soldier for {W}. Whenever another Human you control enters, it gets a +1/+1 counter. A one-drop that grows with every Human.
Titan of Eternal Fire is a six-mana 5/6 Giant that gives Humans a ping ability. It is not a card Jirina decks usually play.
Lossarnach Captain is a 3/1 Human Soldier for {3}{W} with first strike. Whenever it or another Human you control enters you tap target creature an opponent controls, and at the beginning of your upkeep you create a 1/1 Human Soldier. A four-drop that makes a Human every turn and taps a blocker.
Martial Impetus is a three-mana Aura that goads the enchanted creature. It is not a card Jirina decks usually play.
Théoden, King of Rohan is a 2/3 Legendary Human Noble for {1}{R}{W}. Whenever it or another Human you control enters, target creature gains double strike until end of turn. A three-drop that gives double strike whenever a Human arrives.
Parasitic Impetus is a three-mana Aura that goads the enchanted creature and drains. It is not a card Jirina decks usually play.
Beregond of the Guard is a 3/3 Legendary Human Soldier for {3}{W}. Whenever it or another Human you control enters, creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain vigilance until end of turn. A four-drop that pumps the team every time a Human enters.
Shiny Impetus is a three-mana Aura that goads and makes Treasure. It is played in about one Jirina deck in seventeen.
Hanweir Garrison is a 2/3 Human Soldier for {2}{R}. Whenever it attacks you create two 1/1 red Human creature tokens that are tapped and attacking. A three-drop that makes two Humans every attack.
Bonder's Ornament is a three-mana rock that taps for any color. It is played in about one Jirina deck in fourteen.
Horn of Gondor is a Legendary Artifact for {3}. When it enters you create a 1/1 white Human Soldier token, and for {3} and a tap you create X 1/1 Human Soldiers, where X is the number of Humans you control. A rock that also makes a Human and then a Human army.
Sanctuary Blade is a two-mana Equipment that gives +2/+0 and protection from a color. It is played in about one Jirina deck in twelve.
Outlaws' Merriment costs {1}{R}{W}{W}. At the beginning of your upkeep you choose one at random and create a red and white Human token: a 3/1 Warrior with trample and haste, a 2/1 Cleric with lifelink and haste, or a 1/2 Rogue with haste that deals 1 damage. A four-mana enchantment that makes a hasty Human every turn.
Unexpectedly Absent is an {X}{W}{W} instant that puts a nonland permanent into its owner's library. It is played in about one Jirina deck in ten.
Thalia, Heretic Cathar is a 3/2 Legendary Human Soldier for {2}{W} with first strike. Creatures and nonbasic lands your opponents control enter tapped. A three-drop Human that slows the table.
The full swap list
Cut
- Captivating Crew
- Fumiko the Lowblood
- Humble Defector
- Kelsien, the Plague
- Titan of Eternal Fire
- Martial Impetus
- Parasitic Impetus
- Shiny Impetus
- Bonder's Ornament
- Sanctuary Blade
- Unexpectedly Absent
Add
- General Kudro of Drannith
- Coppercoat Vanguard
- Jirina, Dauntless General
- Champion of the Parish
- Lossarnach Captain
- Théoden, King of Rohan
- Beregond of the Guard
- Hanweir Garrison
- Horn of Gondor
- Outlaws' Merriment
- Thalia, Heretic Cathar
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- General's Enforcer$0.32
Played in 77% of Jirina decks. Gives legendary Humans indestructible and exiles graveyard creatures for Human tokens. - Thalia's Lieutenant$0.47
Played in 67% of Jirina decks. Puts a +1/+1 counter on each other Human when it enters. - Call the Coppercoats$6.33
Played in 67% of Jirina decks. Makes Human Soldiers equal to the creatures opponents control. - Shared Animosity$4.52
Played in 67% of Jirina decks. Gives attackers +1/+0 for each other attacker that shares a creature type. - Dire Tactics$0.33
Played in 61% of Jirina decks. Exiles a creature for {W}{B}, at no life cost if you control a Human.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Adeline, Resplendent Cathar$2.70
A three-mana Human that makes an attacking Human token whenever you attack. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Blade Historian$4.46
A four-mana creature that gives attacking creatures you control double strike. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Ruthless Regiment already has the Human lords, the removal and Jirina's anthem. The upgrade is cheap Human lords and token makers, in place of goad Auras and Humans that Jirina decks leave out. These eleven swaps cost about $9 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Jirina Kudro from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Ruthless Regiment precon?
Using data from 1,305 Jirina Kudro decks, the highest-scoring additions are General Kudro of Drannith (for Captivating Crew), Coppercoat Vanguard (for Fumiko the Lowblood) and Horn of Gondor (for Bonder's Ornament). The full list has 11 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Ruthless Regiment?
All 11 swaps cost about $9.00 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Adeline, Resplendent Cathar ($2.70) and Blade Historian ($4.46).
What should I cut from Ruthless Regiment?
The weakest cards for this commander are Captivating Crew, Fumiko the Lowblood and Humble Defector. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Ruthless Regiment?
Keep General's Enforcer, Thalia's Lieutenant, Call the Coppercoats, Shared Animosity and Dire Tactics. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Jirina Kudro do?
Jirina Kudro costs {1}{R}{W}{B} and is a 3/3 Legendary Human Soldier. When it enters you create a 1/1 white Human Soldier creature token for each time you've cast a commander from the command zone this game, and other Humans you control get +2/+0. Every Human you play hits for two more.
More Commander 2020 (Ikoria) upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Jirina Kudro decks (1,305 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 Jirina Kudro decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many Human cards because few decks play them outside a Human 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.