Wyleth, Soul of Steel costs {1}{R}{W} and is a 2/2 Legendary Human Warrior with trample. Whenever it attacks, you draw a card for each Aura and Equipment attached to it. The more Equipment on Wyleth, the more cards he draws, so the deck wants cheap Equipment and creatures to wear them.
The precon already has the Equipment and the cost reducers, including Sigarda's Aid, Sram, Blackblade Reforged, Danitha and Swiftfoot Boots. 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 Wyleth decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Wyleth decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Arm for Battle precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Too few creatures to wear the Equipment
The deck has 16 artifacts and 11 creatures, and 22 instants. Puresteel Paladin, Bruenor, Reyav, Akiri and Ardenn are creatures that reward Equipment. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Burn spells and combat tricks
Comet Storm, Volcanic Fallout, Jaya's Immolating Inferno, Expedite, Word of Seizing, Fists of Flame and Temur Battle Rage are each played in about one Wyleth deck in six to twelve.
Land fetchers and tokens that do not carry Equipment well
Kor Cartographer and White Sun's Zenith are played in about one Wyleth deck in nine to fourteen, and Martial Coup in about one in six.
The 12 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Flickerwisp is a three-mana 3/1 flyer that exiles and returns a permanent. It is not a card Wyleth decks usually play.
Reyav, Master Smith is a 2/2 Legendary Dwarf Artificer for {R}{W}. Whenever a creature you control that's enchanted or equipped attacks, it gains double strike until end of turn. A two-drop in exactly Wyleth's colors that gives every equipped creature double strike, and the highest-scoring cheap creature the precon leaves out.
White Sun's Zenith is an {X}{W}{W}{W} instant that makes Cats. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in fourteen.
Astor, Bearer of Blades is a 4/4 Legendary Human Warrior for {2}{R}{W}. When it enters you look at the top seven cards and may put an Equipment or Vehicle into your hand, Equipment you control have equip {1}, and Vehicles you control have crew 1. A four-drop that finds an Equipment and makes every one cheap to equip.
Expedite is a one-mana instant that gives haste and draws a card. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in ten.
Thran Power Suit is an Equipment for {2} with equip {2}. Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each Aura and Equipment attached to it and has ward {2}. A two-mana Equipment that makes the wearer grow with every other piece of Equipment.
Word of Seizing is a five-mana instant with split second that steals a permanent for a turn. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in twelve.
Maul of the Skyclaves is an Equipment for {2}{W}. When it enters, it attaches itself to target creature you control, and equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has flying and first strike. A three-mana Equipment that attaches itself when it enters, which means Wyleth draws a card on his next attack.
Dualcaster Mage is a three-mana 2/2 flash creature that copies an instant or sorcery. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in ten.
Bruenor Battlehammer is a 5/3 Legendary Dwarf Warrior for {2}{R}{W}. Each creature you control gets +2/+0 for each Equipment attached to it, and you may pay {0} rather than pay the equip cost of the first equip ability you activate each turn. A four-drop that makes the first equip free and every Equipment worth +2.
Comet Storm is an {X}{R}{R} instant with multikicker. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in ten.
Puresteel Paladin is a 2/2 Human Knight for {W}{W}. Whenever an Equipment you control enters you may draw a card, and with metalcraft, Equipment you control have equip {0}. A two-drop that draws a card for every Equipment and makes equipping free.
Volcanic Fallout is a three-mana instant that deals 2 damage to each creature and each player. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in ten and hurts your own small creatures.
Akiri, Fearless Voyager is a 3/3 Legendary Kor Warrior for {1}{R}{W}. Whenever you attack a player with one or more equipped creatures you draw a card, and for {W} you may unattach an Equipment from a creature you control to tap it and give it indestructible. A three-drop that draws a card whenever Wyleth attacks equipped.
Jaya's Immolating Inferno is an {X}{R}{R} legendary sorcery. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in nine.
Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist is a 2/2 Legendary Kor Scout for {2}{W} with partner. At the beginning of combat on your turn you may attach any number of Auras and Equipment you control to target permanent or player. A three-drop that moves every Equipment onto Wyleth before combat.
Kor Cartographer is a four-mana 2/2 that fetches a Plains. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in nine.
Armored Skyhunter is a 3/3 flying Cat Knight for {3}{W}. Whenever it attacks you look at the top six cards and may put an Aura or Equipment onto the battlefield, attaching an Equipment to a creature you control. A four-drop that flies and puts Equipment onto the battlefield.
Fists of Flame is a two-mana instant that draws a card and gives trample and power. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in seven.
All That Glitters is an Aura for {1}{W}. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each artifact and/or enchantment you control. A two-mana Aura that makes Wyleth huge and counts as an Aura for his draw.
Martial Coup is an {X}{W}{W} sorcery that makes Soldiers and can wipe the board. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in six.
Raiyuu, Storm's Edge is a 3/3 Legendary Human Samurai for {2}{R}{W} with first strike. Whenever a Samurai or Warrior you control attacks alone, you untap it, and if it is the first combat phase there is an additional combat phase. A four-drop that gives Wyleth, a Warrior, a second attack.
Temur Battle Rage is a two-mana instant that gives double strike. It is played in about one Wyleth deck in six.
Hyena Umbra is an Aura for {W}. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has first strike, and it has umbra armor. A one-mana Aura that protects Wyleth and draws him a card.
The full swap list
Cut
- Flickerwisp
- White Sun's Zenith
- Expedite
- Word of Seizing
- Dualcaster Mage
- Comet Storm
- Volcanic Fallout
- Jaya's Immolating Inferno
- Kor Cartographer
- Fists of Flame
- Martial Coup
- Temur Battle Rage
Add
- Reyav, Master Smith
- Astor, Bearer of Blades
- Thran Power Suit
- Maul of the Skyclaves
- Bruenor Battlehammer
- Puresteel Paladin
- Akiri, Fearless Voyager
- Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist
- Armored Skyhunter
- All That Glitters
- Raiyuu, Storm's Edge
- Hyena Umbra
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Swiftfoot Boots$1.80
Played in 88% of Wyleth decks. Gives hexproof and haste for an equip cost of {1}. - Sigarda's Aid$15.48
Played in 86% of Wyleth decks. Lets you cast Auras and Equipment with flash and attaches Equipment when it enters. - Sram, Senior Edificer$1.71
Played in 84% of Wyleth decks. Draws a card whenever you cast an Aura, Equipment or Vehicle spell. - Blackblade Reforged$2.86
Played in 74% of Wyleth decks. Gives +1/+1 for each land and equips a legendary creature for {3}. - Danitha Capashen, Paragon$0.37
Played in 70% of Wyleth decks. Makes Aura and Equipment spells cost {1} less.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Open the Armory$2.51
A two-mana sorcery that finds an Aura or Equipment card. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Colossus Hammer$0.63
An Equipment that gives +10/+10 for a large equip cost, which Bruenor and Astor make cheap. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Arm for Battle already has 16 Equipment, the cost reducers and Wyleth. The upgrade is cheap creatures that carry Equipment and reward it, in place of burn spells and combat tricks. These twelve swaps cost about $9 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Wyleth, Soul of Steel from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Arm for Battle precon?
Using data from 2,699 Wyleth decks, the highest-scoring additions are Puresteel Paladin (for Comet Storm), Bruenor Battlehammer (for Dualcaster Mage) and Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist (for Jaya's Immolating Inferno). The full list has 12 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Arm for Battle?
All 12 swaps cost about $8.79 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Open the Armory ($2.51) and Colossus Hammer ($0.63).
What should I cut from Arm for Battle?
The weakest cards for this commander are Flickerwisp, White Sun's Zenith and Expedite. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Arm for Battle?
Keep Swiftfoot Boots, Sigarda's Aid, Sram, Senior Edificer, Blackblade Reforged and Danitha Capashen, Paragon. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Wyleth do?
Wyleth, Soul of Steel costs {1}{R}{W} and is a 2/2 Legendary Human Warrior with trample. Whenever it attacks, you draw a card for each Aura and Equipment attached to it. The more Equipment on Wyleth, the more cards he draws, so the deck wants cheap Equipment and creatures to wear them.
More Commander Legends upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Wyleth, Soul of Steel decks (2,699 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 Wyleth decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many Equipment cards because few decks play them outside an Equipment 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.