Precon Upgrade Guide
Feline Ferocity Upgrade Guide
What to cut, what to add, and how to play the Selesnya Cat and Equipment precon from Commander 2017, commanded by Arahbo, Roar of the World.
Commander 2017
Feline Ferocity
Cat tribal with a simple combat trigger to track. Out of the box, before any upgrades. How we rate precons
Buy Feline Ferocity on TCGplayer →Quick verdict
Feline Ferocity is a straightforward attacking deck. Arahbo, Roar of the World gives one of your Cats +3/+3 every combat, even from the command zone, and once it is on the battlefield it can double an attacking Cat's power. Pair that with the deck's Equipment, like Loxodon Warhammer and Quietus Spike , and one Cat becomes a serious threat. The deck is held back by a mana base full of tapped lands, a few cards that hurt your own plan, and a lack of cheap removal.
TurnZero HQ rates Feline Ferocity a 2 out of 5 on difficulty and a 3 out of 5 on power, as it comes in the box. That is our editorial read, not an official Wizards rating. The full hundred cards are on the Feline Ferocity decklist page, and every other precon we cover is on the precon directory.
How the precon plays
Arahbo, Roar of the World has eminence. At the beginning of combat on your turn, if Arahbo is in the command zone or on the battlefield, another target Cat you control gets +3/+3. With Arahbo on the battlefield you also get its second ability: whenever another Cat you control attacks, you may pay {1}{G}{W} to give it trample and +X/+X, where X is its power. A Cat with Equipment and the eminence bonus can end up dealing a huge amount of trample damage.
The deck splits its slots between Cats and Equipment. Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith and Taj-Nar Swordsmith find Equipment, Balan, Wandering Knight moves all of it onto one creature, and Raksha Golden Cub gives every Cat +2/+2 and double strike while it is equipped. Quietus Spike halves a player's life on a hit, which pairs well with a big trampling Cat.
The rest of the deck supports the attack. Herald's Horn makes Cats cheaper and finds more, Mirari's Wake pumps the team and doubles land mana, and Soul's Majesty and Hunter's Prowess turn a big Cat into a handful of cards.
What works out of the box
Arahbo, Roar of the World ↗
Gives a Cat +3/+3 every combat from the command zone, and once on the battlefield doubles an attacking Cat's power for three mana.
Raksha Golden Cub ↗
While equipped, every Cat you control gets +2/+2 and double strike. On a wide board of Cats, that ends games quickly.
Quietus Spike ↗
Deathtouch, and a player hit by the equipped creature loses half their life. One connection with a pumped Cat is often lethal soon after.
Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith ↗
Searches for an Equipment when it enters and taps a potential blocker whenever an equipped creature attacks.
Herald's Horn ↗
Name Cat: your Cats cost one less, and each upkeep you may put a Cat from the top of your library into your hand.
What needs improvement
Most of the nonbasic lands enter tapped. Guildgate, gain lands, bounce land, Vivid lands and several fetch-style lands all slow the deck down, and an aggressive deck feels that most.
A few cards work against the plan. Leonin Arbiter taxes your own searches, and this deck searches a lot. Rout destroys your board as readily as anyone's, and the deck's removal only covers attacking creatures, artifacts and enchantments. See how much removal a Commander deck needs for a target.
Upgrade ideas
Each upgrade below starts from something the deck does poorly and says what a replacement card has to do. The cards named are examples, not the only answer: if you own something else that does the same job, or a newer printing does it better, it goes in the same slot. Make one change at a time and play a few games between them, so you can tell which change helped. The general method is in how to upgrade a Commander precon →
1. Untap the lands
An attacking deck wants to curve out and start swinging early. Lands that always enter tapped cost the deck the tempo it is built around.
What to look for Green-white lands that usually enter untapped. Lands with the Forest or Plains type are a bonus, since Grasslands and Krosan Verge in the deck can fetch them.
Cut, for example
Elfhame Palace Always tapped, makes green or white, and does nothing else.
Tranquil Expanse The same plain tapped dual with a different name.
Selesnya Guildgate A third plain tapped dual. The deck has no Gate payoffs.
2. Replace cards that fight your plan with better Cats
Arahbo's eminence pumps a Cat every turn, so the deck wants as many good Cats as it can fit. A few slots go to cards that tax your own searches or help opponents as much as you.
What to look for Cats costing five mana or less that pump other Cats, make Cat tokens, or attack well on their own.
Cut, for example
Leonin Arbiter Stops searching unless a player pays two. This deck searches with Nazahn, Taj-Nar Swordsmith, Cultivate and several lands, so it taxes you most.
Curse of Vitality Gives 2 life to everyone attacking the cursed player, opponents included. It doesn't add a body or help a Cat connect.
Curse of Bounty Untaps nonland permanents for everyone attacking the cursed player. The deck has few permanents that care, and opponents get the same bonus.
Add, for example
Regal Caracal ↗
Other Cats get +1/+1 and lifelink, and it brings two 1/1 Cat tokens with it.
Brimaz, King of Oreskos ↗
Three mana for a 3/4 vigilance Cat that makes an attacking Cat token every time it attacks.
Feline Sovereign ↗
Three mana. Other Cats get +1/+1, and Cats connecting with a player destroy one of that player's artifacts or enchantments.
3. Swap wipes and defense for removal and protection
This deck wins with creatures, and its own wipe usually hurts it most. It needs cheap ways to remove a blocker or a threat, and something to save the board when an opponent wipes it.
What to look for Instant-speed removal costing three mana or less that hits any creature or permanent, plus cheap protection that covers the whole board.
Cut, for example
Rout Destroys all creatures. In a deck that wins with creatures, you rarely want to cast it.
Jareth, Leonine Titan A six-mana Cat built for blocking. An attacking deck gets little out of it.
Add, for example
Swords to Plowshares ↗
One mana, exiles any creature at instant speed.
Generous Gift ↗
Three mana, destroys any permanent at instant speed. The 3/3 token it leaves is rarely a problem for a pumped Cat.
Heroic Intervention ↗
Two mana: your permanents gain hexproof and indestructible for the turn. It protects your Cats and Equipment from a wipe.
4. Ramp earlier
Arahbo costs five and its pump ability costs three more per Cat. The deck's expensive rocks arrive too late to help with either.
What to look for Ramp costing two or three mana that puts a land onto the battlefield untapped or taps for colored mana.
Cut, for example
Dreamstone Hedron Six mana for a rock. By then you want to be attacking, not setting up mana.
Win conditions
The deck wins by making one or two Cats very large. Arahbo's eminence adds +3/+3 every turn, Equipment like Loxodon Warhammer or Sword of Vengeance adds more, and Arahbo's attack ability doubles the total with trample. Quietus Spike and Raksha Golden Cub speed that up. The upgrades above get you attacking sooner and keep the Cats on the battlefield.
Who should buy this precon
A good deck for newer players. The plan is easy to follow: put a Cat out, equip it, and attack. Arahbo's eminence works on its own each turn, and the only real decision is which Cat to pump and when to pay for the doubling. It is less suited to a player who wants a lot of interaction, though the upgrades above help with that.
Checked against the printed decklist on October 10, 2026.
Track how the upgrades actually perform.
TurnZero HQ keeps a win rate per deck version, so you can change a few cards, play some games, and see the difference instead of guessing.
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