Silverquill Influence Precon Upgrade Guide: Killian, Decisive Mentor
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SOC precon
Silverquill Influence
- Commander
- Killian, Decisive Mentor
- Colors
- White, Black
- Released
- 24 April
- Card value
- ≈ $96.47
- Key cards
- Land Tax, Animate Dead, Ghostly Prison
Silverquill Influence is the white-black deck from Secrets of Strixhaven Commander, led by Killian, Decisive Mentor. Every enchantment you play taps and goads an opposing creature, and whenever your Aura-wearing creatures attack, Killian draws you a card.
Below you’ll find the full interactive decklist, what the deck does well, where it struggles and our recommended upgrades, split into budget ($6.74), mid-range ($10.57) and premium ($46.58). Start with the cheapest swaps and work your way up.
The decklist
Commander (1)
- 1Killian, Decisive Mentor$0.81
Creatures (25)
- 1Ajani’s Chosen$0.29
- 1Archon of Sun’s Grace$0.34
- 1Armored Skyhunter$0.44
- 1Breena, the Demagogue$0.86
- 1Combat Calligrapher$0.29
- 1Defacing Duskmage$0.32
- 1Doomwake Giant$0.25
- 1Eidolon of Countless Battles$0.29
- 1Eiganjo Dynastorian$0.72
- 1Eriette of the Charmed Apple$0.36
- 1Firemane Commando$0.98
- 1Hateful Eidolon$0.27
- 1Herald of Amity$0.25
- 1Keen Duelist$0.34
- 1Killian, Ink Duelist$0.33
- 1Kor Spiritdancer$0.42
- 1Mangara, the Diplomat$0.35
- 1Nils, Discipline Enforcer$0.27
- 1Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor$0.27
- 1Scriv, the Obligator$0.56
- 1Shadrix Silverquill$0.33
- 1Sram, Senior Edificer$1.65
- 1Starfield Mystic$0.32
- 1Tomik, Wielder of Law$0.32
- 1Transcendent Envoy$0.30
Instants (4)
- 1Anguished Unmaking$1.70
- 1Fracture$0.32
- 1Inkshield$4.98
- 1Vanishing Verse$0.31
Sorceries (3)
- 1Promise of Loyalty$0.29
- 1Secret Rendezvous$0.32
- 1Winds of Rath$0.32
Artifacts (4)
- 1Arcane Signet$0.76
- 1Fellwar Stone$1.08
- 1Sol Ring$2.15
- 1Talisman of Hierarchy$0.59
Enchantments (26)
- 1Angelic Destiny$0.38
- 1Animate Dead$7.46
- 1Chains of Custody$0.29
- 1Changing Loyalty$1.61
- 1Coercive Impetus$0.32
- 1Darksteel Mutation$1.05
- 1Eldrazi Conscription$1.45
- 1Fallen Ideal$0.29
- 1Flickering Ward$0.41
- 1Forum Filibuster$0.25
- 1Ghostly Prison$6.60
- 1Ghoulish Impetus$0.51
- 1Gift of Immortality$0.42
- 1Intermediate Chirography$0.17
- 1Land Tax$16.73
- 1Martial Impetus$0.31
- 1Parasitic Impetus$0.30
- 1Raffine’s Guidance$0.22
- 1Redemption Arc$0.28
- 1Sage’s Reverie$0.34
- 1Screams from Within$0.25
- 1Sentinel’s Eyes$0.35
- 1Sheltered by Ghosts$1.53
- 1Shielded by Faith$0.40
- 1Songbirds’ Blessing$0.42
- 1Spirit Mantle$0.40
Lands (37)
- 1Arcane Lighthouse$1.80
- 1Bojuka Bog$1.44
- 1Caves of Koilos$0.83
- 1Command Tower$0.21
- 1Desolate Mire$0.25
- 1Eclipsed Steppe$4.57
- 1Exotic Orchard$0.28
- 1Fabled Passage$0.94
- 1Fetid Heath$0.38
- 1Forum of Amity$0.18
- 1Isolated Chapel$0.37
- 1Path of Ancestry$0.63
- 4Plains$0.14
- 4Plains$0.14
- 1Shineshadow Snarl$0.31
- 1Silverquill Campus$0.28
- 1Study Hall$0.22
- 1Sunlit Marsh$0.28
- 4Swamp$0.24
- 4Swamp$0.18
- 1Temple of Silence$0.24
- 1Terramorphic Expanse$0.31
- 1Turbulent Moor$7.10
- 1Umbral Expanse$0.42
- 1War Room$5.14
Hover a card to see it (tap on mobile). Prices are for the precon printing, via Scryfall.
What the deck does well
- Killian turns every enchantment into tempo, tapping blockers and forcing opposing creatures to attack someone else.
- Plenty of Auras and Impetus effects mean card draw from Killian comes online quickly.
- Ghostly Prison, Sheltered by Ghosts and Winds of Rath give it strong defensive tools for a precon.
Where it struggles
- A political subtheme pulls the deck in two directions, with cards like Tomik, Wielder of Law and Secret Rendezvous doing little for the Aura plan.
- Several cards only work in narrow spots, such as Screams from Within and Fallen Ideal without sacrifice fodder.
- Card flow beyond Killian is thin, and Raffine’s Guidance and Sentinel’s Eyes are too weak on their own.
Recommended upgrades
Pick a budget tab. Every row tells you which card to take out and what to put in.
Cheap swaps (under $2 each): more Auras, more enchantment draw and better removal.
| Cut | Add | From | Why | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate Chirography | Ethereal Armor | $0.34 €0.20 | A one-mana Aura that makes an attacker huge and triggers Killian’s card draw | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Secret Rendezvous | Mesa Enchantress | $0.53 €0.43 | Draws a card for every enchantment you cast, only for you | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Keen Duelist | Light-Paws, Emperor’s Voice | $1.42 €4.67 | Tutors a free Aura onto the battlefield every time you cast one | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Tomik, Wielder of Law | Eye of Nidhogg | $0.39 €2.34 | Goads an opposing creature and keeps coming back from the graveyard | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Combat Calligrapher | All That Glitters | $0.55 €0.41 | Another cheap Aura that grows with your enchantments | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Nils, Discipline Enforcer | Visions of Brutality | $0.24 €0.30 | A negative Aura that drains when Killian’s goaded creatures attack | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Screams from Within | Minimus Containment | $0.17 €0.09 | Enchantment-based removal for any nonland permanent | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Fallen Ideal | Kaya’s Ghostform | $1.74 €1.42 | A one-mana Aura that brings your best creature back | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Firemane Commando | Danitha Capashen, Paragon | $0.36 €0.26 | Makes your Auras cheaper and carries them well | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Ajani’s Chosen | Soaring Lightbringer | $1.00 €1.42 | Gives your enchantment creatures flying and makes more of them | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Total | $6.74 | |||
Stronger Aura engines ($2–$8 each).
| Cut | Add | From | Why | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breena, the Demagogue | Lurrus of the Dream-Den | $2.15 €1.63 | Rebuys a cheap Aura every turn | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Raffine’s Guidance | Nurgle’s Rot | $5.50 €6.84 | A cheap negative Aura that comes back and makes tokens | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Sentinel’s Eyes | Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist | $2.92 €3.85 | Moves your Auras onto the best attacker every combat | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Total | $10.57 | |||
Premium upgrades for the strongest version of the deck. None of these are on the official Game Changers list, so the deck stays friendly for most casual tables.
| Cut | Add | From | Why | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadrix Silverquill | Ondu Spiritdancer | $10.08 €12.91 | Doubles your enchantment triggers | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Temple of Silence | Hall of Heliod’s Generosity | $10.41 €9.61 | A land that puts your best enchantments back on top | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Inkshield | Black Market Connections | $10.79 €10.65 | Mana, cards and tokens on demand every turn | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Flickering Ward | Codsworth, Handy Helper | $15.30 €23.22 | Protects Killian, makes mana for Auras and moves them around | TCGplayer · Cardmarket |
| Total | $46.58 | |||
Where to buy the precon
Don’t own the deck yet? Find Silverquill Influence on TCGplayer or on Cardmarket.
Verdict
Silverquill Influence has a clear and fun engine, but it carries too many political and Inkling cards that dilute it. Trim those for cheap Auras, enchantress draw and repeatable goad, and Killian becomes a real threat at a casual table.