Commander 2020 · 2020 Commander precon
Arcane Maelstrom upgrade guide
Budget upgrades, cuts and the full decklist for Kalamax, the Stormsire.
Arcane Maelstrom is a Temur (blue-red-green) Commander precon from Commander 2020 (2020), led by Kalamax, the Stormsire. Out of the box it runs 38 lands, 11 ramp pieces, 17 card-draw effects, 6 removal spells and 2 board wipes, with an average mana value of 3.70.
Measured against a typical Commander build, it's lightest on board wipes and removal, and 11 of its lands enter tapped. Its game plan leans on spellslinger and +1/+1 counters, so the plan below favors cards that push that. The $50 plan below makes 10 swaps for $12.44.
Deck health
$50 budget plan
Best upgrades for Arcane Maelstrom
10 swaps for $12.44, built around spellslinger and +1/+1 counters. Prices as of November 6, 2026.
Add 10
Protection: deck has 1 of ~2 · #12 on EDHREC$1.89
Board wipes: deck has 2 of ~3 · #22 on EDHREC$0.78
Removal: deck has 6 of ~8 · #16 on EDHREC$2.18
Removal: deck has 6 of ~8 · #25 on EDHREC$0.61
Fits your Spellslinger plan · #197 on EDHREC$1.44
Fits your +1/+1 counters plan · #281 on EDHREC$0.34
Fits your Spellslinger plan · #252 on EDHREC$0.73
Untapped land for red & blue · #75 on EDHREC$0.27
Untapped land for green & blue · #98 on EDHREC$0.27
Untapped land for green & red · #70 on EDHREC$3.93
Cut 10
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Trims you to 37 lands — the deck runs 38
Rarely played (#17,949 on EDHREC) · Costs 7 mana
Rarely played (#13,963 on EDHREC) · Doesn't support the deck's plan
Rarely played (#8,889 on EDHREC) · Extra card draw: deck already has 17 (~10 is plenty)
Rarely played (#13,741 on EDHREC) · Extra card draw: deck already has 17 (~10 is plenty)
Extra card draw: deck already has 17 (~10 is plenty)
Rarely played (#10,502 on EDHREC) · Extra card draw: deck already has 17 (~10 is plenty)
Arcane Maelstrom decklist
Commander (1)
- 1Kalamax, the Stormsire$0.68
Creatures (21)
- 1Charmbreaker Devils$0.27
- 1Crackling Drake$0.31
- 1Djinn Illuminatus$0.27
- 1Dualcaster Mage$3.89
- 1Eon Frolicker$0.45
- 1Etali, Primal Storm$0.56
- 1Glademuse$0.32
- 1Goblin Dark-Dwellers$0.27
- 1Haldan, Avid Arcanist$0.69
- 1Lunar Mystic$0.21
- 1Melek, Izzet Paragon$0.32
- 1Murmuring Mystic$0.37
- 1Nascent Metamorph$0.29
- 1Niblis of Frost$0.37
- 1Pako, Arcane Retriever$1.10
- 1Rashmi, Eternities Crafter$0.53
- 1Ravenous Gigantotherium$0.27
- 1Solemn Simulacrum$0.37
- 1Talrand, Sky Summoner$0.59
- 1Wort, the Raidmother$0.35
- 1Xyris, the Writhing Storm$1.74
Planeswalkers (1)
Instants (25)
- 1Artifact Mutation$1.87
- 1Channeled Force$0.21
- 1Chaos Warp$0.57
- 1Chemister's Insight$0.28
- 1Clash of Titans$0.16
- 1Comet Storm$3.03
- 1Commune with Lava$0.61
- 1Crop Rotation$3.61
- 1Curious Herd$0.58
- 1Decoy Gambit$0.26
- 1Deflecting Swat$74.15
- 1Evolution Charm$0.35
- 1Frantic Search$1.06
- 1Growth Spiral$0.44
- 1Harrow$0.37
- 1Hunter's Insight$0.61
- 1Hunting Pack$0.08
- 1Natural Connection$0.11
- 1Prophetic Bolt$0.28
- 1Slice in Twain$0.26
- 1Starstorm$0.39
- 1Strength of the Tajuru$0.31
- 1Temur Charm$0.38
- 1Tribute to the Wild$0.14
- 1Whiplash Trap$0.24
Sorceries (1)
- 1Surreal Memoir$0.24
Artifacts (7)
- 1Arcane Signet$0.79
- 1Bonder's Ornament$0.74
- 1Commander's Sphere$0.26
- 1Lavabrink Floodgates$0.37
- 1Lightning Greaves$4.01
- 1Sol Ring$1.83
- 1Twinning Staff$14.20
Enchantments (6)
- 1Predatory Impetus$0.17
- 1Primal Empathy$0.18
- 1Psychic Impetus$0.34
- 1Shiny Impetus$0.33
- 1Swarm Intelligence$0.36
- 1Wilderness Reclamation$3.31
Lands (38)
- 1Cinder Glade$0.37
- 1Command Tower$0.34
- 1Desolate Lighthouse$0.24
- 1Exotic Orchard$0.30
- 3Forest$0.64
- 3Forest$0.19
- 2Forest$0.22
- 1Frontier Bivouac$0.34
- 1Gruul Turf$0.31
- 1Halimar Depths$1.12
- 2Island$0.13
- 2Island$0.14
- 1Island$0.18
- 1Izzet Boilerworks$0.36
- 1Kessig Wolf Run$0.43
- 1Mossfire Valley$0.27
- 1Mosswort Bridge$0.39
- 2Mountain$0.83
- 2Mountain$0.14
- 1Mountain$0.17
- 1Myriad Landscape$0.35
- 1Oran-Rief, the Vastwood$0.84
- 1Rugged Highlands$0.22
- 1Rupture Spire$0.35
- 1Scavenger Grounds$0.40
- 1Simic Growth Chamber$0.30
- 1Swiftwater Cliffs$0.22
- 1Thornwood Falls$0.20
- 1Yavimaya Coast$0.37
FAQ
How much is the Arcane Maelstrom precon worth?
At current prices the 100 cards in Arcane Maelstrom are worth about $145.66 as singles (cheapest printings, TCGplayer market price as of November 6, 2026).
What are the best budget upgrades for Arcane Maelstrom?
For about $12.44, our top picks are Swiftfoot Boots, Blasphemous Act, Counterspell, Beast Within, Storm-Kiln Artist. The full 10-card plan with cuts is above, and the upgrade tool can rebuild it for any budget.
What should I cut from Arcane Maelstrom?
Start with Rugged Highlands, Halimar Depths, Thornwood Falls, Swiftwater Cliffs. These are the least-played or slowest cards that don't support the deck's plan.
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