Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener costs {1}{R}{G}{W} and is a 4/3. It has backup 1, so when it enters it puts a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Whenever it attacks, you double the number of +1/+1 counters on target creature, and that creature cannot be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less. Every counter is a doubling, and every doubling is bigger.
The precon already has the counter creatures, including Kalonian Hydra, Forgotten Ancient, Conclave Mentor and Shalai and Hallar. 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 Bright-Palm decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Bright-Palm decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Call for Backup precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough counter multipliers
Kami of Whispered Hopes and Hardened Scales put an extra +1/+1 counter whenever counters would be placed, and Halana and Alena puts counters on a creature every turn. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Few cheap counter enchantments
Invigorating Hot Spring and Mayael's Aria hold counters and give them out each turn.
Mana rocks and one-offs
Ichor Elixir, Fractured Powerstone and Path of the Pyromancer are tied to planar dice, and none of the three is played in more than about one Bright-Palm deck in fourteen.
The 9 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Ichor Elixir is a four-mana rock that taps for {C}{C} and changes planar dice. It is not a card Bright-Palm decks usually play.
Kami of Whispered Hopes is a 1/1 Spirit for {2}{G}. If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a permanent you control, that many plus one are put there instead, and for a tap it adds mana equal to its power. A mana creature that makes every counter bigger, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Fractured Powerstone is a two-mana rock that rolls the planar die. It is played in about one Bright-Palm deck in seventeen.
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 makes every backup, and every doubling, bigger.
Path of the Pyromancer is a five-mana sorcery that discards your hand and has a vote. It is played in about one Bright-Palm deck in fourteen.
Halana and Alena, Partners is a 2/3 reach, first strike creature for {2}{R}{G}. At the beginning of combat on your turn, it puts X +1/+1 counters on another target creature you control, where X is its power, and the creature gains haste. Free counters every turn.
Ion Storm is a three-mana enchantment that removes a counter to deal 2 damage. It is played in about one Bright-Palm deck in ten.
Invigorating Hot Spring costs {1}{R}{G}. It enters with four +1/+1 counters, modified creatures you control have haste, and once each turn you may move a counter from it onto a creature. Four counters for three mana, handed out at sorcery speed.
Alharu, Solemn Ritualist is a five-mana 3/3 that puts counters on two creatures. It is played in about one Bright-Palm deck in nine.
Mirror-Shield Hoplite is a 2/2 vigilance Human Soldier for {R}{W}. Whenever a creature you control becomes the target of a backup ability, you copy that ability, once each turn. Every backup creature puts counters twice.
Triskelion is a six-mana artifact creature that enters with three counters and shoots them away. It is played in about one Bright-Palm deck in eight.
Mayael's Aria costs {R}{G}{W}. At the beginning of your upkeep it puts a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control if you control a creature with power 5 or greater, then gains 10 life if you control one with power 10 or greater, then you win the game if you control a creature with power 20 or greater. Bright-Palm's doubling gets a creature to 20 power.
Falkenrath Exterminator is a 1/1 Vampire Archer for {1}{R} that grows when it connects. It is played in about one Bright-Palm deck in seven.
Branching Evolution costs {2}{G}. If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a creature you control, twice that many are put on it instead. Every backup counter and every doubling is twice as big.
High Sentinels of Arashin is a 3/4 flier for {3}{W} that grows with your other creatures that have counters. It is played in about one Bright-Palm deck in seven.
Ozolith, the Shattered Spire costs {1}{G}. If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on an artifact or creature you control, that many plus one are put on it instead, and for {1}{G} and a tap you put a counter on an artifact or creature. A two-mana counter engine that also cycles.
Flamerush Rider is a five-mana creature that copies another attacker, or dashes for {2}{R}{R}. It is played in about one Bright-Palm deck in six.
Rhythm of the Wild costs {1}{R}{G}. Creature spells you control can't be countered, and nontoken creatures you control have riot, so each enters with a +1/+1 counter or haste. A counter on every creature, which Bright-Palm doubles.
The full swap list
Cut
- Ichor Elixir
- Fractured Powerstone
- Path of the Pyromancer
- Ion Storm
- Alharu, Solemn Ritualist
- Triskelion
- Falkenrath Exterminator
- High Sentinels of Arashin
- Flamerush Rider
Add
- Kami of Whispered Hopes
- Hardened Scales
- Halana and Alena, Partners
- Invigorating Hot Spring
- Mirror-Shield Hoplite
- Mayael's Aria
- Branching Evolution
- Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
- Rhythm of the Wild
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Kalonian Hydra$6.19
Played in 70% of Bright-Palm decks. Enters with four counters and doubles the counters on each creature you control whenever it attacks. - Forgotten Ancient$0.36
Grows whenever any player casts a spell, and moves its counters onto your other creatures. - Conclave Mentor$0.34
Puts an extra +1/+1 counter whenever counters would be put on a creature you control. - Managorger Hydra$0.42
A trampler that gets a +1/+1 counter whenever a player casts a spell. - Shalai and Hallar$5.99
Deals damage to an opponent equal to the counters put on your creatures.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Uncivil Unrest$18.36
Gives your creatures riot and doubles damage from creatures with counters.
Call for Backup is a counters deck that most Bright-Palm lists change very little, so nine swaps are enough. They add counter multipliers and counter engines in place of mana rocks and one-offs that do nothing for counters. These nine swaps cost about $28 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Call for Backup precon?
Using data from 3,246 Bright-Palm decks, the highest-scoring additions are Kami of Whispered Hopes (for Ichor Elixir), Hardened Scales (for Fractured Powerstone) and Branching Evolution (for Falkenrath Exterminator). The full list has 9 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Call for Backup?
All 9 swaps cost about $27.69 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-27). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Uncivil Unrest ($18.36).
What should I cut from Call for Backup?
The weakest cards for this commander are Ichor Elixir, Fractured Powerstone and Path of the Pyromancer. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Call for Backup?
Keep Kalonian Hydra, Forgotten Ancient, Conclave Mentor, Managorger Hydra and Shalai and Hallar. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Bright-Palm do?
Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener costs {1}{R}{G}{W} and is a 4/3. It has backup 1, so when it enters it puts a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Whenever it attacks, you double the number of +1/+1 counters on target creature, and that creature cannot be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less. Every counter is a doubling, and every doubling is bigger.
More March of the Machine Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener decks (3,246 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 Bright-Palm decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many of these 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.