Of all four Commander decks released with Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes, Wakanda Forever is the precon I was the most excited to play.
Artifact decks are nothing new to Commander, but Wakanda Forever puts a fun twist on the archetype. Rather than filling the deck with cheap artifacts or building a straightforward Voltron strategy, this deck wants to create Vibranium tokens and use them to cast massive artifacts.
That is the direction I want to push with this upgrade. We are going to make it easier to cast those expensive artifacts, protect them once they reach the battlefield, and add a few more massive threats that are worth spending all that Vibranium on.
This is not exclusively a Voltron deck, but Black Panther can still become a serious threat when equipped with the right artifacts. The deck can balance a powerful commander with an entire army of artifact creatures, giving you multiple ways to overwhelm the table.
How to Upgrade Wakanda Forever
Wakanda Forever already has a strong and unique foundation. The deck wants to create as much Vibranium as possible before spending those tokens to cast increasingly powerful artifacts.
Because of that, this upgrade is not about completely rebuilding the strategy. Instead, we are going to remove some cards that feel disconnected from the main game plan and replace them with artifact cost reducers, protection, card advantage, and more expensive artifacts that give us a better payoff for all that mana.
The original deck also includes several cards focused on +1/+1 counters, commander recasting, and token replacement effects. While those cards can provide some value, they distract from what makes Wakanda Forever exciting.
We want to manufacture Vibranium, cast enormous artifacts, and make our board increasingly difficult to stop.
10 Cards to Cut From Wakanda Forever
Divine Visitation - I understand why Divine Visitation is included. Replacing your Vibranium tokens with 4/4 flying Angels can create a powerful army, but it also prevents you from using those tokens as artifacts and mana. The deck wants to spend its Vibranium on massive spells, so Divine Visitation works against the strategy more than it helps.
Everett K. Ross, Hapless Attaché - Everett K. Ross is a perfectly fine card, but he does not fit the playstyle we are building. His abilities do not do enough to help cast expensive artifacts or improve the artifact engine, making him an easy character to remove from the roster.
Hatut Zeraze Strike Force - I do not really like cards that become stronger based on how many times you have cast your commander. The main goal should be to keep Black Panther alive, not repeatedly send him back to the command zone so another card can improve.
Heart-Shaped Herb - Heart-Shaped Herb is a fantastic card from a flavor standpoint, but it does not provide enough value here. Wakanda Forever has access to much stronger artifacts that either protect the board, reduce costs, or become major threats themselves.
King Solomon’s Frogs - This card feels like it is primarily included because it is an artifact. There are better removal options available, and simply having the correct card type is not enough to justify keeping it in the deck.
Loyal Guardian - Loyal Guardian is a good Commander card, but +1/+1 counters are not a major part of this deck’s strategy. We would rather spend this slot supporting the artifacts and Vibranium that actually drive the deck.
M’Baku, Jabari Chieftain - M’Baku has a strange goad-like ability that feels disconnected from the rest of the deck. The additional buff he provides is also not powerful enough to justify building around it. I would rather replace him with a card that helps our artifact strategy every turn.
Skybreaker, Sword of Bashenga - We are playing green, which means we have access to some of the best ramp in Commander. Skybreaker feels like it is included mostly because it is an artifact, but we can find more efficient ways to produce mana and reduce the cost of our spells.
Trading Post - Trading Post can do a little bit of everything, but every one of its abilities requires another payment or resource. It is simply too taxing for what it provides. This deck wants to spend its mana casting enormous artifacts rather than repeatedly paying into a slow utility engine.
Wakandan War Panther - Wakandan War Panther is a cool card, but it does not fit the strategy of this deck. It does not make our artifacts cheaper, generate meaningful artifact value, or provide the kind of payoff we want after creating a large supply of Vibranium.
10 Cards to Add to Wakanda Forever
These additions make the artifact strategy faster, safer, and much more explosive. We are adding cards that reduce artifact costs, protect the battlefield, provide card advantage, and give the deck more powerful artifacts to cast once the Vibranium engine is online.
Brightglass Gearhulk - Adding any and all Gearhulks you can would be great for this deck, but Brightglass Gearhulk is an especially strong inclusion. This Selesnya Gearhulk gives the deck a massive artifact creature that also acts as a tutor, helping you find the permanents you need while adding another threat to the battlefield.
Bronze Guardian - Bronze Guardian provides much-needed protection by giving your other artifacts ward. Once you have spent several turns building a battlefield full of valuable artifacts, making them more difficult to remove is extremely important. Its power also scales with the number of artifacts you control, allowing it to become a serious attacker.
Foundry Inspector - Wakanda Forever wants to cast expensive artifacts, and Foundry Inspector makes each of them cheaper. It may not be the flashiest addition, but reducing the cost of nearly every major spell in the deck will make the entire strategy run much more smoothly.
Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar - Kutzil fits the deck thematically as another Cat Warrior, but the main reason to include her is protection. Preventing opponents from casting spells during your turn allows you to attack, equip creatures, and cast important spells without worrying about interruption. Kutzil could also be replaced with Jennifer Walters // The Sensational She-Hulk, who provides another flavorful way to keep opponents from interfering with your plans.
The Vision - The Vision rewards you for doing exactly what the deck is already built to do: cast artifacts. The more artifacts you play, the more value he can provide. He is also an appropriately powerful Marvel character to add to a deck built around advanced technology.
Adaptive Omnitool - Wakanda Forever may not be exclusively a Voltron deck, but with the number of artifacts you will control, there is no reason not to include Adaptive Omnitool. It gives Black Panther another powerful piece of Equipment and turns your growing artifact count into a dangerous combat threat.
Chimil, the Inner Sun - You want an expensive legendary artifact worth spending your Vibranium on? Chimil, the Inner Sun is one of the best options available. Making your spells uncounterable is an incredible ability, especially when you are investing so many resources into large artifacts. Discover 5 at the end of each of your turns also gives the deck a steady flow of additional value.
Mystic Forge - Mystic Forge provides exactly the kind of card advantage an artifact deck needs. Being able to cast artifacts and colorless spells from the top of your library allows you to keep building your battlefield even after your hand starts to empty. With enough cost reduction and Vibranium, Mystic Forge can help you play several cards in a single turn.
The Ten Rings - The Ten Rings raises your maximum hand size and provides some incredible card draw. Refilling your hand each turn gives you a constant supply of artifacts to cast, ensuring your Vibranium engine always has something worthwhile to power out. It is also another expensive and flavorful Marvel artifact that feels right at home in this deck.
Doubling Season - Normally, I would not add a card worth around $30 to a precon upgrade guide, but Doubling Season feels almost required in Wakanda Forever. Doubling the number of Vibranium tokens you create dramatically accelerates the deck and allows you to start casting your largest artifacts much earlier. It also supports any other token and counter synergies still present in the deck, making it one of the most impactful upgrades available.
Full upgraded decklist available here: Wakanda Forever Upgraded Precon
Higher-Budget Upgrades for Wakanda Forever
The core additions already give Wakanda Forever a stronger and more consistent artifact engine. However, these higher-budget cards can push the deck even further for players willing to invest more into the strategy.
The Aetherspark - The Aetherspark is a powerful Equipment and planeswalker artifact that is an easy inclusion in this deck.
Wakanda Forever already has enough creatures to attack and build loyalty counters on it, while its artifact synergies make it easier to cast and protect. Once The Aetherspark gets going, it can generate a huge amount of value and give the deck another unique way to take control of the game.
It also works perfectly with the deck’s ability to shift between building a wide artifact army and turning a single creature into a Voltron threat.
The Mind Stone - The Mind Stone is another higher-budget but extremely flavorful upgrade.
If the deck needs additional mana rocks, why not use one of the Marvel mana rocks? The Mind Stone helps accelerate you toward your expensive artifacts while also giving the deck another iconic legendary artifact.
It may not be necessary for the strategy to function, but it is an excellent inclusion for players who want the deck to feel as authentically Marvel as possible.
Gameplay Tips for Wakanda Forever After the Upgrades
After the upgrades, Wakanda Forever remains a relatively simple deck to pilot. Your first goal should be to create as much Vibranium as possible. Once you have a steady supply, you can begin casting so many powerful artifacts that your opponents will struggle to keep up.
Try to establish your cost reducers and card-advantage engines before spending all your resources. Foundry Inspector makes your artifacts cheaper, while Mystic Forge and The Ten Rings help ensure you always have more cards to play. Combining those effects with a large supply of Vibranium can lead to explosive turns where you cast several expensive artifacts in quick succession.
You should also protect the artifacts that make your engine work. Bronze Guardian makes your battlefield more difficult to target, while Kutzil prevents opponents from interrupting you during your own turn. Protecting your support pieces is especially important because the deck becomes much harder to stop once several of them are active at the same time.
Like I said, Wakanda Forever is not necessarily a Voltron deck, but that does not mean it cannot play like one when the opportunity appears. Equip Black Panther with Adaptive Omnitool and your other powerful Equipment while building an army of artifact creatures around him.
This flexibility is one of the best parts of the deck. You can win by making Black Panther enormous, overwhelming opponents with artifact creatures, or simply generating so much value from expensive artifacts that the rest of the table cannot keep up.
Create as much Vibranium as possible, use it to power out your strongest artifacts, and show your opponents why Wakandan technology is unmatched.
Final Thoughts
Wakanda Forever was the Marvel Super Heroes precon I was the most excited about, and upgrading it only makes its unique strategy more enjoyable.
This is not just another traditional artifact deck, and it is not a straightforward Voltron strategy either. Wakanda Forever combines token generation, artifact ramp, massive legendary artifacts, Equipment, and artifact creatures into something that feels different from many of the precons we have seen recently.
Removing the cards focused on +1/+1 counters, commander recasting, and unrelated combat effects allows the deck to fully embrace its Vibranium engine. Foundry Inspector and Mystic Forge help you cast more artifacts, Bronze Guardian protects them, and Chimil, The Ten Rings, and Brightglass Gearhulk give you exciting high-cost threats worth building toward.
Doubling Season may be an expensive addition, but creating twice as much Vibranium takes the deck to another level and allows its biggest plays to happen much earlier.
Whether you are equipping Black Panther with an arsenal of Wakandan technology or assembling an unstoppable army of artifact creatures, this is an incredibly fun deck that I highly recommend.
Looking for more upcoming Magic: The Gathering sets, Commander decks, board games, and tabletop releases? Check out our 2026 TCG and Tabletop Release Calendar to see what is coming next and plan which releases belong on your wishlist.
