Neyali, Suns' Vanguard costs {2}{R}{W} and is a 3/3. Attacking tokens you control have double strike, and whenever one or more tokens you control attack a player, you exile the top card of your library and may play it during any turn you attacked with a token. A board of 1/1 tokens becomes a board of double strikers that also draws cards.
The precon already has the token makers and the anthems, including Roar of Resistance, Intangible Virtue, Otharri, Suns' Glory and Call the Coppercoats. 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 Neyali decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Neyali decks than in decks that could play it. Scores are low across the board, because only about two thousand Neyali decks exist.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Rebellion Rising precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Not enough token makers that make tokens on attack
Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin and Rabble Rousing make tokens whenever you attack. They are among the top-scoring cards the precon leaves out.
Equipment in a token deck
Loxodon Warhammer, Maul of the Skyclaves and Goldwardens' Gambit need Equipment, which a deck of 1/1 tokens does not want.
Cards that do not make or use tokens
Myr Battlesphere and Soul-Guide Lantern do little in a deck that wants tokens, and Cut a Deal gives each opponent a card.
The 6 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Loxodon Warhammer is a three-mana Equipment that gives +3/+0, trample and lifelink for {3} to equip. It is played in about one Neyali deck in five.
Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon is a 1/2 Human Soldier for {1}{R}{W}. Whenever you attack with one or more non-Gnome creatures, it gets a +1/+1 counter and you create X tapped and attacking 1/1 Gnomes, where X is the number of counters on it. Tokens that arrive attacking, and Neyali gives every one of them double strike. It is the highest-scoring card the precon leaves out.
Myr Battlesphere is a seven-mana 4/7 that makes four Myr. It is played in about one Neyali deck in six.
Adeline, Resplendent Cathar is a vigilance Human Knight for {1}{W}{W} whose power equals the number of creatures you control. Whenever you attack, you create a 1/1 Human that is tapped and attacking for each opponent. A three-drop that makes a double-striking token on every attack.
Maul of the Skyclaves is a three-mana Equipment that gives +2/+2, flying and first strike. It is played in about one Neyali deck in five.
Divine Visitation costs {3}{W}{W}. If one or more creature tokens would be created under your control, that many 4/4 white Angel tokens with flying and vigilance are created instead. Every token you make is a 4/4 flier with double strike when it attacks.
Goldwardens' Gambit is an eight-mana sorcery with affinity for Equipment that makes five Rebels. It is played in about one Neyali deck in five, and the deck has few Equipment to cheapen it.
Elspeth, Sun's Champion is a six-mana planeswalker whose +1 makes three 1/1 Soldiers every turn, and whose -3 destroys all creatures with power 4 or greater. Three tokens a turn, and a way to remove the creatures that block them.
Soul-Guide Lantern is a one-mana artifact that exiles graveyards or draws a card. It is played in about one Neyali deck in four.
Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin is a 1/2 Goblin for {2}{R}. Whenever it attacks, it gets a +1/+1 counter and you create a number of 1/1 Goblins equal to its power. A three-drop that makes more tokens every attack.
Cut a Deal gives each opponent a card to draw you one back. It is played in about one Neyali deck in four.
Rabble Rousing costs {4}{W}. It has hideaway 5, and whenever you attack with one or more creatures, you create that many 1/1 Citizen tokens, and with ten or more creatures you may play the exiled card for free. One token for every attacker.
The full swap list
Cut
- Loxodon Warhammer
- Myr Battlesphere
- Maul of the Skyclaves
- Goldwardens' Gambit
- Soul-Guide Lantern
- Cut a Deal
Add
- Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon
- Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
- Divine Visitation
- Elspeth, Sun's Champion
- Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
- Rabble Rousing
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Roar of Resistance$3.12
Played in 82% of Neyali decks. Gives your creature tokens haste, and pumps your attackers for {1}{R}. - Intangible Virtue$0.16
Gives creature tokens +1/+1 and vigilance. - Otharri, Suns' Glory$5.58
A flying lifelink haste creature that makes more Rebel tokens each attack. - Call the Coppercoats$6.28
An instant that makes Human Soldier tokens equal to the creatures the chosen opponents control. - Martial Coup$0.21
Makes X Soldiers and, for seven mana, destroys all other creatures and leaves you an army.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Urabrask's Forge$1.40
Makes a bigger hasty token every combat. It costs more than a budget upgrade should. - Hero of Bladehold$0.75
Makes two tapped and attacking Soldiers every attack, with battle cry. - Secure the Wastes$0.32
An instant that makes X Warrior tokens.
Rebellion Rising is a token deck that most Neyali lists change very little, so six swaps are enough. They trade Equipment and filler artifacts for creatures and enchantments that make tokens whenever you attack. These six swaps cost about $12 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Neyali, Suns' Vanguard from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Rebellion Rising precon?
Using data from 2,430 Neyali decks, the highest-scoring additions are Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon (for Loxodon Warhammer), Adeline, Resplendent Cathar (for Myr Battlesphere) and Divine Visitation (for Maul of the Skyclaves). The full list has 6 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Rebellion Rising?
All 6 swaps cost about $11.91 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-27). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Urabrask's Forge ($1.40), Hero of Bladehold ($0.75) and Secure the Wastes ($0.32).
What should I cut from Rebellion Rising?
The weakest cards for this commander are Loxodon Warhammer, Myr Battlesphere and Maul of the Skyclaves. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Rebellion Rising?
Keep Roar of Resistance, Intangible Virtue, Otharri, Suns' Glory, Call the Coppercoats and Martial Coup. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Neyali do?
Neyali, Suns' Vanguard costs {2}{R}{W} and is a 3/3. Attacking tokens you control have double strike, and whenever one or more tokens you control attack a player, you exile the top card of your library and may play it during any turn you attacked with a token. A board of 1/1 tokens becomes a board of double strikers that also draws cards.
More Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Neyali, Suns' Vanguard decks (2,430 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 Neyali decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is moderate for most of these cards because they are played in many token decks, 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.