The Ur-Dragon costs {4}{W}{U}{B}{R}{G} and is a 10/10 Legendary Dragon Avatar with flying. Its eminence makes other Dragon spells you cast cost {1} less while it is in the command zone or on the battlefield, and whenever one or more Dragons you control attack, you draw that many cards, then may put a permanent card from your hand onto the battlefield. More Dragons means more cards and a cheaper hand.
The precon already has the Dragon cost reducers and payoffs, including Dragon Tempest, Crux of Fate, Atarka, World Render, Dragonspeaker Shaman and Dragonlord's Servant. 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 Ur-Dragon decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Ur-Dragon decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Draconic Domination precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough Dragon copiers and cost reducers
Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm, Lathliss, Dragon Queen, Sarkhan, Soul Aflame, Thrakkus the Butcher and Dragon's Hoard all do something extra for each Dragon you play. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Sorceries and artifacts outside the lists
Fortunate Few, Fractured Identity, Painful Truths, Rain of Thorns, Armillary Sphere, Darksteel Ingot, Dreamstone Hedron, Mirror of the Forebears and Nihil Spellbomb are not cards The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Expensive top end
The deck has 20 nonland cards at mana value six or more, so cheap Dragon enablers like Sarkhan, Soul Aflame and Korlessa, Scale Singer smooth the curve.
The 9 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Fortunate Few is a five-mana sorcery that destroys all other nonland permanents. It is not a card The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm is a 6/6 Legendary Dragon Spirit for {3}{G}{U}{R} with flying and ward {2}. Whenever another nontoken Dragon you control enters, you create a token copy of it, except the token isn't legendary. A six-drop that doubles every Dragon, and the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Fractured Identity is a five-mana sorcery that exiles a nonland permanent and gives each other player a copy. It is not a card The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Lathliss, Dragon Queen is a 6/6 Legendary Dragon for {4}{R}{R} with flying. Whenever another nontoken Dragon you control enters, you create a 5/5 red Dragon creature token with flying, and for {1}{R} Dragons you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. A six-drop that makes a 5/5 Dragon from each Dragon you play.
Painful Truths is a three-mana sorcery that draws cards equal to the colours spent. It is not a card The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Dragonlord Dromoka is a 5/7 Legendary Elder Dragon for {4}{G}{W}. It can't be countered, has flying and lifelink, and your opponents can't cast spells during your turn. A six-drop that cannot be countered and shuts off instant-speed interaction on your turn.
Rain of Thorns is a six-mana sorcery that destroys an artifact, enchantment and land. It is not a card The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Sarkhan, Soul Aflame is a 2/4 Legendary Human Shaman for {1}{U}{R}. Dragon spells you cast cost {1} less to cast, and whenever a Dragon you control enters, Sarkhan may become a copy of it until end of turn. A three-drop that makes Dragons cheaper and triggers any Dragon that enters.
Armillary Sphere is a two-mana artifact that sacrifices itself for two basic lands. It is not a card The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Dragon's Hoard costs {3}. Whenever a Dragon you control enters, it gets a gold counter, and you may tap and remove a counter to draw a card. It also taps for one mana of any color. A three-mana rock that also draws a card for each Dragon.
Darksteel Ingot is a three-mana indestructible rock. It is not a card The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Korlessa, Scale Singer is a 1/4 Legendary Dragon Bard for {G}{U}. You may look at the top card of your library any time, and you may cast Dragon spells from the top of your library. A two-drop Dragon that turns the top of the library into extra Dragons.
Dreamstone Hedron is a six-mana rock that taps for three colourless. It is not a card The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Thrakkus the Butcher is a 3/4 Legendary Dragon Peasant for {3}{R}{G} with trample. Whenever Thrakkus attacks, you double the power of each Dragon you control until end of turn. A five-drop Dragon that makes every attack twice as big.
Mirror of the Forebears is a two-mana artifact that becomes a copy of a creature of the chosen type. It is not a card The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Rivaz of the Claw is a 3/3 Legendary Lizard Warlock for {1}{B}{R} with menace. It taps for two mana in any combination of colours to cast Dragon creature spells, and once during each of your turns you may cast a Dragon creature spell from your graveyard. A three-drop that ramps into Dragons and replays them from the graveyard.
Nihil Spellbomb is a one-mana artifact that exiles a graveyard and can draw a card. It is not a card The Ur-Dragon decks usually play.
Call the Spirit Dragons costs {W}{U}{B}{R}{G}. Dragons you control have indestructible, and at the beginning of your upkeep you put a +1/+1 counter on a Dragon of each colour, and if you put counters on five Dragons you win the game. A five-colour enchantment that protects your Dragons and can end the game.
The full swap list
Cut
- Fortunate Few
- Fractured Identity
- Painful Truths
- Rain of Thorns
- Armillary Sphere
- Darksteel Ingot
- Dreamstone Hedron
- Mirror of the Forebears
- Nihil Spellbomb
Add
- Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm
- Lathliss, Dragon Queen
- Dragonlord Dromoka
- Sarkhan, Soul Aflame
- Dragon's Hoard
- Korlessa, Scale Singer
- Thrakkus the Butcher
- Rivaz of the Claw
- Call the Spirit Dragons
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Dragon Tempest$1.43
Played in 77% of Ur-Dragon decks. Gives flying creatures haste and deals damage whenever a Dragon enters. - Crux of Fate$0.30
Played in 71% of Ur-Dragon decks. Destroys all Dragons or all non-Dragons, so you choose which side survives. - Atarka, World Render$0.38
Played in 65% of Ur-Dragon decks. Gives every attacking Dragon double strike. - Dragonspeaker Shaman$0.37
Played in 57% of Ur-Dragon decks. Makes Dragon spells cost {2} less. - Dragonlord's Servant$0.23
Played in 52% of Ur-Dragon decks. Makes Dragon 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.
- Morophon, the Boundless$7.08
A seven-mana Changeling that makes spells of the chosen type, such as Dragons, cost {W}{U}{B}{R}{G} less. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Hellkite Courser$4.19
A six-mana flyer that puts your commander onto the battlefield with haste for a turn. It costs more than a budget upgrade should.
Draconic Domination already has the Dragon cost reducers, the sweepers and The Ur-Dragon's card draw. The upgrade is more Dragons and Dragon copiers, in place of sorceries and artifacts that Ur-Dragon decks leave out. These nine swaps cost about $12 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around The Ur-Dragon from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Draconic Domination precon?
Using data from 51,586 The Ur-Dragon decks, the highest-scoring additions are Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm (for Fortunate Few), Lathliss, Dragon Queen (for Fractured Identity) and Dragonlord Dromoka (for Painful Truths). The full list has 9 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Draconic Domination?
All 9 swaps cost about $11.95 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-28). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Morophon, the Boundless ($7.08) and Hellkite Courser ($4.19).
What should I cut from Draconic Domination?
The weakest cards for this commander are Fortunate Few, Fractured Identity and Painful Truths. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Draconic Domination?
Keep Dragon Tempest, Crux of Fate, Atarka, World Render, Dragonspeaker Shaman and Dragonlord's Servant. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does The Ur-Dragon do?
The Ur-Dragon costs {4}{W}{U}{B}{R}{G} and is a 10/10 Legendary Dragon Avatar with flying. Its eminence makes other Dragon spells you cast cost {1} less while it is in the command zone or on the battlefield, and whenever one or more Dragons you control attack, you draw that many cards, then may put a permanent card from your hand onto the battlefield. More Dragons means more cards and a cheaper hand.
More Commander 2017 upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of The Ur-Dragon decks (51,586 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 The Ur-Dragon decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is high for many Dragon cards because few decks play them outside a Dragons 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.