Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver costs {2}{U}{B} and is a 3/3 Legendary Zombie Warrior. Whenever another Zombie you control dies, if it didn't have decayed, you create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token with decayed, which can't block and is sacrificed at end of combat after attacking. At the beginning of your end step you may sacrifice a Zombie, and if you do you draw a card. Every dead Zombie becomes a decayed one, and every decayed one that attacks dies and, because it has decayed, does not make another.
The precon already has the Zombie lords and the payoffs, including Diregraf Captain, Rooftop Storm, Diregraf Colossus, Undead Augur and Death Baron. 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 Wilhelt decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Wilhelt decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Undead Unleashed precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough cheap Zombies that replace themselves
Headless Rider, Archghoul of Thraben, Plague Belcher and Vengeful Dead are Zombies that make a token, find a card or drain whenever a Zombie dies, and Gravecrawler and Zul Ashur bring Zombies back. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Seven-drops and non-Zombies
Butcher of Malakir, Eater of Hope, Overseer of the Damned and Curse of Unbinding cost seven, and Gorex costs eight. None of the twelve cuts is a card Wilhelt decks usually play, and the deck has 10 nonland cards at mana value six or more.
A very land-heavy base
The deck has 40 lands plus several mana artifacts, so cheap creatures do more than another land or rock.
The 12 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Butcher of Malakir is a seven-mana 5/4 flyer that makes each opponent sacrifice a creature whenever one of your creatures dies. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
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 creature token. A three-drop that doubles every dead Zombie, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Eater of Hope is a seven-mana 6/4 flying Demon that sacrifices creatures to regenerate or destroy. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
Plague Belcher is a 5/4 Zombie Beast for {2}{B} with menace. When it enters it puts two -1/-1 counters on target creature you control, and whenever another Zombie you control dies each opponent loses 1 life. A three-drop that is a 5/4 for three and drains with every Zombie.
Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth is a five-mana 4/4 that investigates whenever another creature you control dies. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
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 dead Zombie every turn.
Gorex, the Tombshell is an eight-mana 4/4 Zombie Turtle with deathtouch. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
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 and costs 1 life. A one-drop that makes Zombies out of spare cards.
Havengul Runebinder is a four-mana 2/2 that exiles creature cards from your graveyard to make a Zombie and grow Zombies. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
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 you can sacrifice to Wilhelt every turn, and cast again.
Overseer of the Damned is a seven-mana 5/5 flyer that destroys a creature and makes Zombies when opponents' creatures die. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
Vengeful Dead is a 3/2 Zombie for {3}{B}. Whenever it or another Zombie dies, each opponent loses 1 life. A four-drop that drains for every Zombie that dies, including yours and theirs.
Ruthless Deathfang is a six-mana 4/4 flying Dragon that makes an opponent sacrifice a creature when you sacrifice one. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
Archghoul of Thraben is a 3/2 Zombie Cleric for {2}{B}. Whenever it or another Zombie you control dies, you look at the top card of your library, and if it is a Zombie card you may reveal it and put it into your hand. A three-drop that draws Zombies from every death.
Shadow Kin is a four-mana 2/2 flash Shapeshifter that mills each player and copies a creature. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
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.
Spark Reaper is a three-mana 2/3 Zombie that sacrifices a creature or planeswalker for {3} to gain 1 life and draw a card. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
Carrion Feeder is a 1/1 Zombie for {B} that can't block. Sacrifice a creature: put a +1/+1 counter on it. A one-drop sacrifice outlet that grows into a threat.
Stitcher Geralf is a five-mana 3/4 that mills each player and makes a big Zombie. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
Geralf, Visionary Stitcher is a 1/4 Legendary Human Wizard for {2}{U}. Zombies you control have flying, and for {U}, a tap and a sacrificed nontoken creature you create an X/X blue Zombie token, where X is its toughness. A three-drop that gives your whole army flying.
Hour of Eternity is a sorcery that exiles creature cards from your graveyard to make 4/4 Zombie copies, for {X}{X}{U}{U}{U}. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
Lazotep Plating costs {1}{U}. It amasses Zombies 1, which puts a +1/+1 counter on an Army or makes a 0/0 Zombie Army first, and you and your permanents gain hexproof until end of turn. A two-mana instant that makes a Zombie and protects the team.
Curse of Unbinding is a seven-mana Aura that steals a creature from the enchanted player's library each upkeep. It is not a card Wilhelt decks usually play.
Bastion of Remembrance costs {2}{B}. When it enters you create a 1/1 white Human Soldier token, and whenever a creature you control dies each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. A three-mana enchantment that drains for each death and makes a body to sacrifice.
The full swap list
Cut
- Butcher of Malakir
- Eater of Hope
- Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth
- Gorex, the Tombshell
- Havengul Runebinder
- Overseer of the Damned
- Ruthless Deathfang
- Shadow Kin
- Spark Reaper
- Stitcher Geralf
- Hour of Eternity
- Curse of Unbinding
Add
- Headless Rider
- Plague Belcher
- Zul Ashur, Lich Lord
- Cryptbreaker
- Gravecrawler
- Vengeful Dead
- Archghoul of Thraben
- Bladestitched Skaab
- Carrion Feeder
- Geralf, Visionary Stitcher
- Lazotep Plating
- Bastion of Remembrance
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Diregraf Captain$0.34
Played in 92% of Wilhelt decks. A deathtouch Zombie that gives others +1/+1 and drains when a Zombie dies. - Rooftop Storm$2.43
Played in 91% of Wilhelt decks. Lets you cast Zombie creature spells for {0}. - Diregraf Colossus$0.59
Played in 87% of Wilhelt decks. Makes a Zombie token whenever you cast a Zombie spell. - Undead Augur$0.14
Played in 82% of Wilhelt decks. Draws a card whenever it or another Zombie you control dies. - Death Baron$0.87
Played in 81% of Wilhelt decks. Gives other Zombies +1/+1 and deathtouch.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Gray Merchant of Asphodel$0.63
A Zombie that drains each opponent for your devotion to black when it enters. 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.
Undead Unleashed already has the Zombie lords, the sacrifice outlets and Rooftop Storm. The upgrade is cheap Zombies that make more Zombies when they die and come back from the graveyard, in place of seven-drops and cards that Wilhelt decks leave out. These twelve swaps cost about $6 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Undead Unleashed precon?
Using data from 22,952 Wilhelt decks, the highest-scoring additions are Gravecrawler (for Havengul Runebinder), Headless Rider (for Butcher of Malakir) and Carrion Feeder (for Spark Reaper). The full list has 12 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Undead Unleashed?
All 12 swaps cost about $5.98 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Gray Merchant of Asphodel ($0.63) and The Scarab God ($2.85).
What should I cut from Undead Unleashed?
The weakest cards for this commander are Butcher of Malakir, Eater of Hope and Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Undead Unleashed?
Keep Diregraf Captain, Rooftop Storm, Diregraf Colossus, Undead Augur and Death Baron. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Wilhelt do?
Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver costs {2}{U}{B} and is a 3/3 Legendary Zombie Warrior. Whenever another Zombie you control dies, if it didn't have decayed, you create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token with decayed, which can't block and is sacrificed at end of combat after attacking. At the beginning of your end step you may sacrifice a Zombie, and if you do you draw a card. Every dead Zombie becomes a decayed one, and every decayed one that attacks dies and, because it has decayed, does not make another.
More Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver decks (22,952 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 Wilhelt 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.