The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander · 2023 Commander precon
Explorers of the Deep upgrade guide
Budget upgrades, cuts and the full decklist for Hakbal of the Surging Soul.
Explorers of the Deep is a Simic (blue-green) Commander precon from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (2023), led by Hakbal of the Surging Soul. Out of the box it runs 36 lands, 8 ramp pieces, 17 card-draw effects, 6 removal spells and 0 board wipes, with an average mana value of 3.11.
Measured against a typical Commander build, it's lightest on board wipes, removal and ramp, and 6 of its lands enter tapped. Its game plan leans on merfolk tribal and +1/+1 counters, so the plan below favors cards that push that. The $50 plan below makes 10 swaps for $20.07.
Deck health
$50 budget plan
Best upgrades for Explorers of the Deep
10 swaps for $20.07, built around merfolk tribal and +1/+1 counters. Prices as of November 6, 2026.
Add 10
Board wipes: deck has 0 of ~3 · #1,246 on EDHREC$0.33
Board wipes: deck has 0 of ~3 · #2,033 on EDHREC$0.26
Board wipes: deck has 0 of ~3 · #860 on EDHREC$4.65
Removal: deck has 6 of ~8 · #16 on EDHREC$2.18
Fits your Merfolk tribal plan · #603 on EDHREC$0.86
Fits your +1/+1 counters plan · #405 on EDHREC$4.47
Fits your Merfolk tribal plan · #814 on EDHREC$0.36
Untapped land for all your colors · #9 on EDHREC$0.21
Untapped land for all your colors · #61 on EDHREC$6.45
Untapped land for all your colors · #139 on EDHREC$0.30
Cut 10
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Enters tapped — slows your early turns
Costs 10 mana · Extra card draw: deck already has 17 (~10 is plenty)
Costs 6 mana · Doesn't support the deck's plan
Rarely played (#9,712 on EDHREC) · Doesn't support the deck's plan
Costs 7 mana · Extra card draw: deck already has 17 (~10 is plenty)
Doesn't support the deck's plan
Doesn't support the deck's plan
Extra card draw: deck already has 17 (~10 is plenty)
Explorers of the Deep decklist
Commander (1)
Creatures (37)
- 1Benthic Biomancer$0.24
- 1Cold-Eyed Selkie$0.23
- 1Coralhelm Commander$0.26
- 1Deeproot Elite$0.21
- 1Deeproot Historian$0.25
- 1Emperor Mihail II$0.35
- 1Evolution Sage$3.84
- 1Herald of Secret Streams$9.92
- 1Kiora's Follower$0.35
- 1Kopala, Warden of Waves$0.39
- 1Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca$0.37
- 1Master of the Pearl Trident$1.47
- 1Merfolk Cave-Diver$0.16
- 1Merfolk Mistbinder$0.17
- 1Merfolk Skydiver$0.25
- 1Merfolk Sovereign$0.35
- 1Merrow Reejerey$0.31
- 1Metallic Mimic$2.86
- 1Mist Dancer$0.31
- 1Nicanzil, Current Conductor$0.18
- 1Prime Speaker Zegana$0.33
- 1Realmwalker$2.67
- 1Sage of Fables$0.28
- 1Seafloor Oracle$0.31
- 1Singer of Swift Rivers$0.22
- 1Stonybrook Banneret$0.33
- 1Surgespanner$0.23
- 1Svyelun of Sea and Sky$0.48
- 1Tatyova, Benthic Druid$0.26
- 1Thassa, God of the Sea$8.14
- 1Thieving Skydiver$0.37
- 1Tishana, Voice of Thunder$0.30
- 1Topography Tracker$0.30
- 1Tributary Instructor$0.23
- 1Vorel of the Hull Clade$0.32
- 1Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood$1.14
- 1Zegana, Utopian Speaker$0.28
Instants (9)
- 1Aetherize$0.55
- 1Beast Within$0.92
- 1Commit // Memory$0.36
- 1Growth Spiral$0.31
- 1Inspiring Call$0.38
- 1Quandrix Command$0.19
- 1Rapid Hybridization$1.45
- 1Ripples of Potential$6.98
- 1Ruinous Intrusion$0.33
Sorceries (6)
- 1Bygone Marvels$0.22
- 1Curse of the Swine$0.29
- 1Explore$0.32
- 1Kodama's Reach$2.10
- 1Ravenform$0.27
- 1Wave Goodbye$2.94
Artifacts (5)
- 1Arcane Signet$0.61
- 1Commander's Sphere$0.25
- 1Simic Signet$0.32
- 1Sol Ring$1.75
- 1Swiftfoot Boots$2.78
Enchantments (6)
- 1Branching Evolution$7.98
- 1Deeproot Waters$0.29
- 1Hardened Scales$2.70
- 1Kindred Discovery$6.75
- 1Reflections of Littjara$2.32
- 1Simic Ascendancy$0.57
Lands (36)
- 1Alchemist's Refuge$0.86
- 1Command Tower$0.30
- 4Forest$0.17
- 3Forest$0.22
- 1Hinterland Harbor$0.30
- 7Island$0.19
- 6Island$0.23
- 1Karn's Bastion$3.58
- 1Llanowar Reborn$0.35
- 1Mosswort Bridge$0.35
- 1Myriad Landscape$0.35
- 1Path of Ancestry$0.24
- 1Reliquary Tower$5.07
- 1Rogue's Passage$0.58
- 1Secluded Courtyard$0.37
- 1Simic Growth Chamber$0.29
- 1Temple of Mystery$0.20
- 1Temple of the False God$0.29
- 1Unclaimed Territory$0.33
- 1Vineglimmer Snarl$0.19
FAQ
How much is the Explorers of the Deep precon worth?
At current prices the 100 cards in Explorers of the Deep are worth about $100.74 as singles (cheapest printings, TCGplayer market price as of November 6, 2026).
What are the best budget upgrades for Explorers of the Deep?
For about $20.07, our top picks are Bane of Progress, Nevinyrral's Disk, Raise the Palisade, Counterspell, Emry, Lurker of the Loch. The full 10-card plan with cuts is above, and the upgrade tool can rebuild it for any budget.
What should I cut from Explorers of the Deep?
Start with Llanowar Reborn, Temple of Mystery, Simic Growth Chamber, Commit // Memory. These are the least-played or slowest cards that don't support the deck's plan.
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