Leinore, Autumn Sovereign costs {2}{G}{W} and is a 0/4 Legendary Human Noble. At the beginning of combat on your turn you put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature you control, then if you control three or more creatures with different powers you draw a card. Every turn one creature grows, and a deck full of differently sized creatures draws a card on top.
The precon already has the counter creatures and the coven payoffs, including Abzan Falconer, Champion of Lambholt, Mikaeus, Inspiring Call and Heronblade Elite. 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 Leinore decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Leinore decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Coven Counters precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Too few counter doublers and cheap counter makers
Hardened Scales, Conclave Mentor, Luminarch Aspirant and Katilda put extra counters on or make mana from Humans. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Seven-drops and curses
Trostani's Summoner, Hour of Reckoning and Somberwald Beastmaster cost seven, and Curse of Conformity and Curse of Clinging Webs do little for a deck of creatures with counters. The deck has 10 nonland cards at mana value six or more.
Cards that Leinore decks skip
Wall of Mourning, Orzhov Advokist, Moonsilver Key and Growth Spasm are each played in about one Leinore deck in four to seven.
The 12 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Curse of Conformity is a five-mana Aura that makes an opponent's nonlegendary creatures 3/3. It is played in about one Leinore deck in eight.
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 Leinore's counter every turn bigger, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Bestial Menace is a five-mana sorcery that makes a 1/1 Snake, a 2/2 Wolf and a 3/3 Elephant. It is played in about one Leinore deck in eight.
Augur of Autumn is a 2/3 Human Druid for {1}{G}{G}. You may look at the top card of your library any time and play lands from the top, and with three or more creatures with different powers you may cast creature spells from the top. A three-drop that gives card advantage in exactly the coven shape.
Trostani's Summoner is a seven-mana 1/1 that makes three tokens. It is played in about one Leinore deck in seven.
Katilda, Dawnhart Prime is a 1/1 Legendary Human Warlock for {G}{W} with protection from Werewolves. Human creatures you control have "{T}: Add one mana of any of this creature's colors," and for {4}{G}{W} and a tap it puts a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. A two-drop that ramps and puts counters on the whole team late.
Curse of Clinging Webs is a three-mana Aura that makes a Spider whenever an enchanted player's nontoken creature dies. It is played in about one Leinore deck in seven.
Conclave Mentor is a 2/2 Centaur Cleric for {G}{W}. If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a creature you control, that many plus one are put on that creature instead, and when it dies you gain life equal to its power. A two-drop that stacks with Hardened Scales.
Moonsilver Key is a two-mana artifact that sacrifices itself to find a mana artifact or a basic land. It is played in about one Leinore deck in seven.
Luminarch Aspirant is a 1/1 Human Cleric for {1}{W}. At the beginning of combat on your turn it puts a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. A two-drop that adds a second counter each combat, at the same time as Leinore.
Kessig Cagebreakers is a five-mana 3/4 that makes Wolves for each creature card in your graveyard when it attacks. It is played in about one Leinore deck in six.
Sigarda, Champion of Light is a 4/4 flying, trample Legendary Angel for {1}{G}{W}{W}. Humans you control get +1/+1, and with three or more creatures with different powers it looks at the top five cards whenever it attacks and may put a Human into your hand. A four-drop that flies and keeps finding Humans.
Dearly Departed is a six-mana 5/5 flying Spirit. It is played in about one Leinore deck in six.
Torens, Fist of the Angels is a 2/2 Legendary Human Cleric for {1}{G}{W} with training. Whenever you cast a creature spell you create a 1/1 green and white Human Soldier token with training. A three-drop that makes a body, with a counter whenever it attacks with a bigger creature, from every creature you cast.
Hour of Reckoning is a seven-mana sorcery with convoke that destroys all nontoken creatures. It is played in about one Leinore deck in five.
Thalia's Lieutenant is a 1/1 Human Soldier for {1}{W}. When it enters it puts a +1/+1 counter on each other Human you control, and whenever another Human enters it gets a +1/+1 counter. A two-drop that puts counters on your Humans every time it or another Human arrives.
Wall of Mourning is a two-mana 0/4 defender that sets aside a card from your library. It is played in about one Leinore deck in five.
Hopeful Initiate is a 1/2 Human Warlock for {W} with training. Whenever it attacks with another creature with greater power it gets a +1/+1 counter, and for {2}{W} and two counters from among your creatures you destroy an artifact or enchantment. A one-drop that makes counters on its own and answers an artifact or enchantment later.
Somberwald Beastmaster is a seven-mana 1/1 Human that makes three tokens and gives them deathtouch. It is played in about one Leinore deck in five.
Tuskguard Captain is a 2/3 Human Warrior for {2}{G} with outlast {G}. Each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it has trample. A three-drop that puts a counter on itself and gives your counter creatures trample.
Orzhov Advokist is a three-mana 1/4 that offers counters and a pact of non-aggression at your upkeep. It is played in about one Leinore deck in four.
Envoy of the Ancestors is a 2/3 Human Cleric for {2}{W} with outlast {W}. Modified creatures you control have lifelink, and counters count as modifications. A three-drop that puts a counter on itself and gives lifelink to every creature with a counter.
Growth Spasm is a three-mana sorcery that ramps a land and makes an Eldrazi Spawn. It is played in about one Leinore deck in five.
Laid to Rest costs {3}{G}. Whenever a Human you control dies you draw a card, and whenever a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it dies you gain 2 life. A four-mana enchantment that draws a card from the Humans and pays you for a creature that carries counters.
The full swap list
Cut
- Curse of Conformity
- Bestial Menace
- Trostani's Summoner
- Curse of Clinging Webs
- Moonsilver Key
- Kessig Cagebreakers
- Dearly Departed
- Hour of Reckoning
- Wall of Mourning
- Somberwald Beastmaster
- Orzhov Advokist
- Growth Spasm
Add
- Hardened Scales
- Augur of Autumn
- Katilda, Dawnhart Prime
- Conclave Mentor
- Luminarch Aspirant
- Sigarda, Champion of Light
- Torens, Fist of the Angels
- Thalia's Lieutenant
- Hopeful Initiate
- Tuskguard Captain
- Envoy of the Ancestors
- Laid to Rest
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Champion of Lambholt$2.65
Played in 81% of Leinore decks. Grows whenever another creature enters and keeps smaller creatures from blocking. - Abzan Falconer$0.26
Played in 79% of Leinore decks. Gives each creature with a +1/+1 counter flying. - Inspiring Call$0.29
Played in 79% of Leinore decks. Draws a card for each creature with a +1/+1 counter and makes them indestructible. - Mikaeus, the Lunarch$0.46
Played in 74% of Leinore decks. Grows and spreads +1/+1 counters to every other creature. - Heronblade Elite$2.26
Played in 69% of Leinore decks. Gets a counter whenever another Human enters and taps for mana equal to its power.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Branching Evolution$7.58
Doubles every +1/+1 counter put on a creature you control. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Gavony Township$2.61
A land that puts a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control for {2}{G}{W} and a tap. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Coven Counters already has the counter makers, Leinore's engine and the payoffs. The upgrade is cheap counter doublers and Humans that make counters, in place of seven-drops, curses and cards that Leinore decks skip. These twelve swaps cost about $5 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Leinore, Autumn Sovereign from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Coven Counters precon?
Using data from 2,003 Leinore decks, the highest-scoring additions are Hardened Scales (for Curse of Conformity), Augur of Autumn (for Bestial Menace) and Katilda, Dawnhart Prime (for Trostani's Summoner). The full list has 12 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Coven Counters?
All 12 swaps cost about $5.47 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Branching Evolution ($7.58) and Gavony Township ($2.61).
What should I cut from Coven Counters?
The weakest cards for this commander are Curse of Conformity, Bestial Menace and Trostani's Summoner. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Coven Counters?
Keep Champion of Lambholt, Abzan Falconer, Inspiring Call, Mikaeus, the Lunarch and Heronblade Elite. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Leinore do?
Leinore, Autumn Sovereign costs {2}{G}{W} and is a 0/4 Legendary Human Noble. At the beginning of combat on your turn you put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature you control, then if you control three or more creatures with different powers you draw a card. Every turn one creature grows, and a deck full of differently sized creatures draws a card on top.
More Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Leinore, Autumn Sovereign decks (2,003 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 Leinore decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many counter cards because few decks play them outside a counters deck, so use lift to compare cards, not to judge one in isolation. Prices are the cheapest non-foil paper printing on TCGplayer (via Scryfall), in USD, and move daily.