Ghave, Guru of Spores costs {2}{W}{B}{G} and is a 0/0 Legendary Fungus Shaman that enters with five +1/+1 counters. For {1} and a +1/+1 counter removed from a creature you control you create a 1/1 green Saproling token, and for {1} and a sacrificed creature you put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Ghave turns counters into bodies and bodies into counters.
The precon already has the ramp and some synergy, including Skullclamp, Sol Ring, Cultivate, Aura Shards, Golgari Signet and Necrogenesis. 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 Ghave decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Ghave decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Counterpunch precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough Saproling makers and counter doublers
Slimefoot, the Stowaway, Corpsejack Menace, Mycoloth, Utopia Mycon, Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest and Winding Constrictor make Saprolings or increase counters. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Slow sorceries and tricks outside the lists
Alliance of Arms, Bestial Menace, Death Mutation, Hex, Storm Herd, Syphon Flesh, Afterlife, Cobra Trap, Footbottom Feast, Nemesis Trap, Tribute to the Wild and Aquastrand Spider are not cards Ghave decks usually play.
A very top-heavy sorcery package
Storm Herd costs ten mana and Hour of Reckoning seven, which is a lot for a deck that wants to make tokens every turn.
The 12 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Alliance of Arms is a one-mana sorcery with join forces that makes Soldier tokens. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Slimefoot, the Stowaway is a 2/3 Legendary Fungus for {1}{B}{G}. Whenever a Saproling you control dies, Slimefoot deals 1 damage to each opponent and you gain 1 life, and for {4} you create a 1/1 green Saproling token. A three-drop that makes Saprolings and drains whenever Ghave sacrifices one, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Bestial Menace is a five-mana sorcery that makes three tokens. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Corpsejack Menace is a 4/4 Fungus for {2}{B}{G}. If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a creature you control, twice that many are put on it instead. A four-drop that doubles Ghave's counters, including the five it enters with.
Death Mutation is an eight-mana sorcery that destroys a creature and makes Saprolings. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Mycoloth is a 4/4 Fungus for {3}{G}{G} with devour 2. At the beginning of your upkeep, you create a 1/1 green Saproling for each +1/+1 counter on it. A five-drop that makes a pile of Saprolings every turn.
Hex is a six-mana sorcery that destroys six target creatures. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Utopia Mycon is a 0/2 Fungus for {G}. At the beginning of your upkeep, it gets a spore counter, and removing three of them creates a 1/1 green Saproling, and you can sacrifice a Saproling for one mana of any color. A one-drop that makes Saprolings and mana.
Storm Herd is a ten-mana sorcery that makes Pegasi equal to your life total. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest is a 2/2 Legendary Insect Shaman for {3}{B}{G} with flying. Whenever a player sacrifices another permanent, you put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. A five-drop flyer that grows your team every time Ghave sacrifices.
Syphon Flesh is a five-mana sorcery that makes each other player sacrifice a creature and gives you Zombies. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Winding Constrictor is a 2/3 Snake for {B}{G}. If one or more counters would be put on an artifact or creature you control, that many plus one of each of those kinds are put on that permanent instead. A two-drop that adds a counter to every counter Ghave places.
Afterlife is a three-mana instant that destroys a creature and gives its controller a Spirit. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Good-Fortune Unicorn is a 2/2 Unicorn for {1}{G}{W}. Whenever another creature you control enters, you put a +1/+1 counter on that creature. A three-drop that gives every new Saproling a counter.
Cobra Trap is a six-mana instant that makes four Snakes, cheaper in some cases. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Tendershoot Dryad is a 2/2 Dryad for {4}{G} with ascend. At the beginning of each upkeep, you create a 1/1 green Saproling token, and Saprolings you control get +2/+2 while you have the city's blessing. A five-drop that makes a Saproling on every upkeep.
Footbottom Feast is a three-mana instant that puts creature cards from your graveyard on top of your library and draws. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Moldervine Reclamation costs {3}{B}{G}. Whenever a creature you control dies, you gain 1 life and draw a card. A five-mana enchantment that draws a card for every Saproling Ghave sacrifices.
Nemesis Trap is a six-mana instant that exiles an attacker. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Deathspore Thallid is a 1/1 Zombie Fungus for {1}{B}. At the beginning of your upkeep it gets a spore counter, removing three creates a 1/1 green Saproling, and you can sacrifice a Saproling to give a creature -1/-1 until end of turn. A two-drop that makes Saprolings and kills small creatures.
Tribute to the Wild is a two-mana instant that makes each opponent sacrifice an artifact or enchantment. It is not a card Ghave decks usually play.
Nemata, Primeval Warden is a 3/4 Legendary Treefolk for {2}{B}{G} with reach. If a creature an opponent controls would die, it's exiled instead and you create a 1/1 Saproling, and you can sacrifice Saprolings for +2/+2 or to draw a card. A four-drop that makes a Saproling from every opposing death and uses them.
Hour of Reckoning is a seven-mana sorcery with convoke that destroys all nontoken creatures. It is played in about one Ghave deck in eleven.
Corpse Knight is a 2/2 Zombie Knight for {W}{B}. Whenever another creature you control enters, each opponent loses 1 life. A two-drop that drains for every Saproling Ghave makes.
The full swap list
Cut
- Alliance of Arms
- Bestial Menace
- Death Mutation
- Hex
- Storm Herd
- Syphon Flesh
- Afterlife
- Cobra Trap
- Footbottom Feast
- Nemesis Trap
- Tribute to the Wild
- Hour of Reckoning
Add
- Slimefoot, the Stowaway
- Corpsejack Menace
- Mycoloth
- Utopia Mycon
- Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest
- Winding Constrictor
- Good-Fortune Unicorn
- Tendershoot Dryad
- Moldervine Reclamation
- Deathspore Thallid
- Nemata, Primeval Warden
- Corpse Knight
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Skullclamp$4.67
Played in 62% of Ghave decks. Draws two cards whenever the equipped creature dies, which is perfect with Saprolings. - Sol Ring$1.25
Played in 83% of Ghave decks. Two mana for one. - Cultivate$0.39
Played in 49% of Ghave decks. Puts a basic land onto the battlefield and one into your hand. - Aura Shards$18.71
Played in 30% of Ghave decks. Destroys an artifact or enchantment whenever a creature enters. - Golgari Signet$0.36
Played in 19% of Ghave decks. Fixes black and green.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Hardened Scales$1.80
A one-mana enchantment that adds a +1/+1 counter to every counter you place. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Blood Artist$2.84
A two-mana creature that drains whenever any creature dies. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Counterpunch already has Skullclamp, the ramp and Ghave's token engine. The upgrade is cheap Saproling makers and counter doublers, in place of slow sorceries and tricks that Ghave decks leave out. These twelve swaps cost about $6 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Ghave, Guru of Spores from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Counterpunch precon?
Using data from 8,366 Ghave decks, the highest-scoring additions are Slimefoot, the Stowaway (for Alliance of Arms), Corpsejack Menace (for Bestial Menace) and Mycoloth (for Death Mutation). The full list has 12 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Counterpunch?
All 12 swaps cost about $6.24 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Hardened Scales ($1.80) and Blood Artist ($2.84).
What should I cut from Counterpunch?
The weakest cards for this commander are Alliance of Arms, Bestial Menace and Death Mutation. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Counterpunch?
Keep Skullclamp, Sol Ring, Cultivate, Aura Shards and Golgari Signet. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Ghave do?
Ghave, Guru of Spores costs {2}{W}{B}{G} and is a 0/0 Legendary Fungus Shaman that enters with five +1/+1 counters. For {1} and a +1/+1 counter removed from a creature you control you create a 1/1 green Saproling token, and for {1} and a sacrificed creature you put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Ghave turns counters into bodies and bodies into counters.
More Commander 2011 upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Ghave, Guru of Spores decks (8,366 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 Ghave decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many Saproling cards because few decks play them outside a Saprolings 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.