Ghoulcaller Gisa costs {3}{B}{B}, and for {B}, a tap and a sacrificed creature she makes a number of 2/2 Zombies equal to that creature's power. The bigger the creature you sacrifice, the more Zombies you get back.
The precon already plays the lords that make those Zombies matter, including Death Baron, Lord of the Accursed and Cemetery Reaper. 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 Gisa decks, plus lift, which shows how much more often a card turns up in Gisa decks than in decks that could play it.
Looking for the unmodified list first? Read the Wretched Ranks precon guide.
What is holding the deck back
Too few high-power bodies for Gisa
Gisa pays out by power, so the best fodder is a cheap creature with a big number on it. Several of the top-scoring cards the precon is missing, like Plague Belcher and Unbreathing Horde, are three-mana Zombies that arrive large.
Slow mana and filler
Thirty-nine lands (thirty-three of them Swamps) plus seven mana rocks, including Commander's Sphere and Infernal Idol, which cost three each and are slow. Two of the swaps below replace them with cards that do something for the Zombies.
A few cards pull against the plan
Marchesa's Decree makes you the monarch, which gives the whole table a reason to attack you. Syphon Flesh is a five-mana edict in a deck that wants to spend its mana building a board.
The 14 swaps
Each pair shows the numbers for the card coming out and the card going in. Click a card image to zoom.
Marchesa's Decree makes you the monarch and drains an attacker for 1 life each time a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control. It is played in about one Gisa deck in twelve.
Liliana, Death's Majesty costs {3}{B}{B}: +1 makes a 2/2 Zombie and mills two, -3 returns a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield as a Zombie, and her -7 destroys every non-Zombie creature. A planeswalker that makes a Zombie every turn, and every Zombie it makes is more fodder for Gisa.
Infernal Idol is a three-mana rock that taps for {B}, and it can be sacrificed for {1}{B}{B} to draw two cards and lose 2 life. It is a slow mana source in a deck with seven of them.
Plague Belcher is a 5/4 Zombie with menace for {2}{B}. When it enters you put two -1/-1 counters on a creature you control, so aim them at a token or a creature you were about to sacrifice, and whenever another Zombie you control dies, each opponent loses 1 life. A big Zombie for three mana to feed to Gisa.
Ambition's Cost draws three cards and costs you 3 life for four mana, with nothing else on the card.
Unbreathing Horde costs {2}{B} and enters with a +1/+1 counter for each other Zombie you control and each Zombie card in your graveyard. It prevents damage by removing a counter instead. With a few Zombies out it is a huge body for three mana, and an excellent sacrifice to Gisa.
Tendrils of Corruption is a four-mana instant that deals damage equal to the number of Swamps you control. It is good removal, but it is played in about one Gisa deck in eight, and the deck has several other removal spells.
Mirkwood Bats is a 2/3 flier for {3}{B}: whenever you create or sacrifice a token, each opponent loses 1 life. Gisa's ability creates tokens and sacrifices creatures, and so does every Zombie maker in the deck, so Bats drains constantly.
Commander's Sphere is a three-mana rock that taps for one mana of your commander's colours, and a mono-black deck already has Sol Ring, Arcane Signet and several other rocks.
Graf Harvest costs {B}. Your Zombies have menace, and for {3}{B} you can exile a creature card from your graveyard to create a 2/2 Zombie. Menace makes every Zombie harder to block, and the graveyard turns into a supply of bodies.
Syphon Flesh costs {4}{B}: each other player sacrifices a creature and you create a 2/2 Zombie for each one. It is slow and a sorcery.
Archghoul of Thraben is a 3/2 Zombie for {2}{B}. Whenever it or another Zombie you control dies, you look at the top card of your library and may put it into your hand if it is a Zombie. Every sacrifice to Gisa becomes a chance at a card.
Geier Reach Sanitarium taps for {C}, and its {2} and tap ability makes each player draw and then discard a card, which gives your opponents the same rummage you get.
Crowded Crypt costs {2}{B} and taps for {B}. Whenever a creature you control dies it gets a corpse counter, and for {4}{B}{B}, a tap and a sacrifice it makes a 2/2 decayed Zombie for each counter. The rock stores up all the sacrifices Gisa makes.
Eternal Taskmaster is a 2/3 Zombie that enters tapped and, when it attacks, lets you pay {2}{B} to return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand. It is played in about one Gisa deck in nine.
Lost Monarch of Ifnir is a 4/4 Zombie Noble for {3}{B} with afflict 3, and your other Zombies have afflict 3 as well. At the beginning of your second main phase, if a Zombie dealt combat damage to a player this turn, you mill three cards and may return a creature card to your hand.
Consumed by Greed is a three-mana instant: an opponent sacrifices their creature with the greatest power, and you may gift them a card to return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Tomb Tyrant is a 3/3 Zombie Noble for {3}{B}: other Zombies you control get +1/+1, and once you have three Zombie cards in the graveyard it sacrifices a creature for {2}{B} to return a random Zombie. It is another lord for the deck, and a reanimation engine.
Mire Triton is a 2/1 deathtouch Zombie that mills two cards and gains you 2 life. It is a fine Zombie, but it has little impact on the board.
Victimize costs {2}{B}: you sacrifice a creature and return two creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped. Two bodies back for one sacrifice, and each returned Zombie is more fodder for Gisa. It is played in about half of Gisa decks.
Moan of the Unhallowed ({2}{B}{B}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 8 in the Oracle: it is in 8% of Ghoulcaller Gisa decks with 8% synergy. It reads: Create two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens. Flashback {5}{B}{B}.
Rotting Regisaur ({2}{B}) scores 35: it is in 36% of Ghoulcaller Gisa decks with 35% synergy. It reads: At the beginning of your upkeep, discard a card.
Razorlash Transmogrant ({2}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 15 in the Oracle: it is in 16% of Ghoulcaller Gisa decks with 15% synergy. It reads: This creature can't block. {4}{B}{B}: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
Liliana, Dreadhorde General ({4}{B}{B}) scores 29: it is in 38% of Ghoulcaller Gisa decks with 24% synergy. It reads: Whenever a creature you control dies, draw a card. +1: Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. :4: Each player sacrifices two creatures of their choice.
Wight of Precinct Six ({1}{B}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 16 in the Oracle: it is in 16% of Ghoulcaller Gisa decks with 15% synergy. It reads: This creature gets +1/+1 for each creature card in your opponents' graveyards.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed ({3}{B}{B}{B}) scores 28: it is in 33% of Ghoulcaller Gisa decks with 25% synergy. It reads: Intimidate. Whenever a Human deals damage to you, destroy it. Other non-Human creatures you control get +1/+1 and have undying.
Undead Butler ({1}{B}) is one of the lowest-scoring cards in the precon, at 16 in the Oracle: it is in 18% of Ghoulcaller Gisa decks with 15% synergy. It reads: When this creature enters, mill three cards. When this creature dies, you may exile it. When you do, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Zombie Apocalypse ({3}{B}{B}{B}) scores 28: it is in 30% of Ghoulcaller Gisa decks with 27% synergy. It reads: Return all Zombie creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped, then destroy all Humans.
The full swap list
Cut
- Marchesa's Decree
- Infernal Idol
- Ambition's Cost
- Tendrils of Corruption
- Commander's Sphere
- Syphon Flesh
- Geier Reach Sanitarium
- Eternal Taskmaster
- Consumed by Greed
- Mire Triton
- Moan of the Unhallowed
- Razorlash Transmogrant
- Wight of Precinct Six
- Undead Butler
Add
- Liliana, Death's Majesty
- Plague Belcher
- Unbreathing Horde
- Mirkwood Bats
- Graf Harvest
- Archghoul of Thraben
- Crowded Crypt
- Lost Monarch of Ifnir
- Tomb Tyrant
- Victimize
- Rotting Regisaur
- Liliana, Dreadhorde General
- Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
- Zombie Apocalypse
What to keep
These cards are doing the deck's heavy lifting. Do not cut them.
- Death Baron$0.92
Played in 82% of Gisa decks. Your Skeletons and other Zombies get +1/+1 and deathtouch. - Lord of the Accursed$0.18
Another +1/+1 for your other Zombies, and it can give all of them menace for {1}{B}. - Champion of the Perished$0.25
A one-mana Zombie that grows each time another Zombie enters, which Gisa does constantly. - Cemetery Reaper$0.17
A lord that also exiles a creature card from a graveyard to make a 2/2 Zombie, which stops opposing reanimation and adds a body. - Endless Ranks of the Dead$0.94
At the beginning of your upkeep it makes 2/2 Zombies equal to half the Zombies you control, so a big board gets bigger on its own.
If you want to spend more
These are strong but sit outside a budget upgrade. Prices are the cheapest paper printing.
- Gisa, the Hellraiser$6.23
Gives your Skeletons and Zombies +1/+1 and menace, and makes two Zombie Rogues whenever you commit a crime. - Unholy Grotto$0.41
A land that puts a Zombie card from your graveyard on top of your library for {B} and a tap, and a good use for a land slot. - Shepherd of Rot$0.47
Taps to make each player lose 1 life for each Zombie on the battlefield, which hurts the table more than it hurts you.
Wretched Ranks already plays the lords and the sacrifice outlet. The upgrade is cheaper, bigger Zombies for Gisa to feed on, more ways to profit from each death, and fewer slow rocks and cards that do nothing for the plan. These fourteen swaps cost about $41 in total.
Want a full 100-card list built around Ghoulcaller Gisa from today's data?
Build with The Oracle →Frequently asked questions
What are the best upgrades for the Wretched Ranks precon?
Using data from 6,496 Ghoulcaller Gisa decks, the highest-scoring additions are Plague Belcher (for Infernal Idol), Rotting Regisaur (for Moan of the Unhallowed) and Unbreathing Horde (for Ambition's Cost). The full list has 14 swaps, each scored with synergy, inclusion and lift.
How much does it cost to upgrade Wretched Ranks?
All 14 swaps cost about $40.94 at the cheapest paper printings (TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, 2026-10-27). If you want to spend more, the guide also covers Gisa, the Hellraiser ($6.23), Unholy Grotto ($0.41) and Shepherd of Rot ($0.47).
What should I cut from Wretched Ranks?
The weakest cards for this commander are Marchesa's Decree, Moan of the Unhallowed and Infernal Idol. The guide explains the reason for every cut, and swaps each one for a card that scores higher.
Which cards should I keep in Wretched Ranks?
Keep Death Baron, Lord of the Accursed, Champion of the Perished, Cemetery Reaper and Endless Ranks of the Dead. These are the cards doing the deck's heavy lifting.
What does Ghoulcaller Gisa do?
Ghoulcaller Gisa costs {3}{B}{B}, and for {B}, a tap and a sacrificed creature she makes a number of 2/2 Zombies equal to that creature's power. The bigger the creature you sacrifice, the more Zombies you get back.
More Foundations Commander upgrade guides
How the numbers work
Inclusion is the share of Ghoulcaller Gisa decks (6,496 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 Ghoulcaller Gisa decks, which flatters every card the precon contains. Lift is very high for many Zombie cards because they are rarely played outside Zombie 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.