Call for Backup

Commander Deck from March of the Machine Commander, 2023

Official decklist

Commander: Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener
Cards: 100
Current value: $112.67
Grade: B-

B-

How it grades

Fundamentals 74/100. Plays like +1/+1 counters.

This reads as +1/+1 counters, built around Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener. Every creature is a mana sink for growth: counters snowball across the board, doublers turn increments into avalanches, and payoffs convert size into evasion, draw, or the kill. The deck's weakness is exponential dependence: protect the doublers and watch out for clean board resets. Its strongest fundamental is land count (38 lands. About 40 fits this curve for +1/+1 counters, with Hamza's discount counted); the first thing to tighten is card draw: 4 draw effects (want 10+ for +1/+1 counters).

A-Mana reliability
A+Land count
A-Mana curve
A+Ramp
DCard draw
A+Interaction
ACommander synergy
AWin conditions
A-Card quality
A+Legality & size

Where it falls short

DCard draw4 draw effects (want 10+ for +1/+1 counters).

Strong on mana reliability, land count, mana curve, ramp, interaction, commander synergy, win conditions, card quality and legality & size.

89 cards graded: A 1, A- 14, B+ 22, B 46, B- 4, C+ 2. The command zone is the plan, so it isn't graded.

Upgrades

The 10 swaps that lift the grade most, about $88.30 together

Made together, they take Call for Backup from B- to B+.

Tribute to the World TreeGGG$14.69
In place of Armorcraft Judge: weakest slot in the deck (73/100)
Fills the draw gap (you're at 4 of 10+). Pays off your go-wide engine (24 producers). Fuels your +1/+1 counter payoffs (17 in deck).
Tireless Tracker2G$0.27
In place of Mirror-Style Master: its R cost is heavy for this mana base; expect it several turns late (56/100)
Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (34 producers). Top-5% staple by play data. Pays off the commanders' +1/+1 counter plan.
Esper SentinelW$58.03
In place of Ion Storm: weakest slot in the deck (56/100)
Fuels your go-wide payoffs (9 in deck). EDHREC +1/+1 counters staple. Fills the draw gap (you're at 4 of 10+).
Beast Whisperer2GG$9.29
In place of Hindervines: weakest slot in the deck (56/100)
Fills the draw gap (you're at 4 of 10+). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (9 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
Evolution Witness2G$0.28
In place of Ichor Elixir: expensive for ramp: the help arrives late (58/100)
Fits the commander's plan. Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (34 producers). Fuels your go-wide payoffs (9 in deck).
Goblin AnarchomancerRG$0.93
In place of Slurrk, All-Ingesting: weakest slot in the deck (60/100)
Works with the commander directly. Fuels your go-wide payoffs (9 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.
Evolution Sage2G$2.94
In place of Death-Greeter's Champion: weakest slot in the deck (61/100)
Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (34 producers). Top-5% staple by play data. Pays off the commanders' +1/+1 counter plan.
Thundering Raiju2RR$0.45
In place of Uncivil Unrest: weakest slot in the deck (61/100)
Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (34 producers). Fuels your +1/+1 counter payoffs (17 in deck). Pays off the commanders' +1/+1 counter plan.
Casey Jones, Back Alley Brute3R$0.33
In place of Path of the Pyromancer: expensive for ramp: the help arrives late (61/100)
Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (34 producers). Fuels your +1/+1 counter payoffs (17 in deck). Pays off the commanders' +1/+1 counter plan.
Shalai, Voice of Plenty3W$1.09
In place of Flameshadow Conjuring: weakest slot in the deck (61/100)
Feeds the commanders' +1/+1 counter payoff. Fuels your +1/+1 counter payoffs (17 in deck). Top-5% staple by play data.

Save a copy to try them. The editor's Improve list has these and more, with the swaps one click each.

Decklist

100 cards, worth about $112.67

Commander 1

Creatures 39

B+
B
B-
B
B
B
A-
B+
B+
B
A-
B
A-
B
A-
B+
B+
A-
A-
B+
B+
B
B
A-
B+
B+
B
B+
B
A-
B
B
B
B
B+
B+
B
B+
B

Instants 9

B
B
B
B
B
B+
B-
A
A-

Sorceries 3

B
A-
A-

Artifacts 6

B-
B
A-
B
A-
A-

Enchantments 4

B
B
B-
B

Lands 38

B
B
B
B+
B+
B+
B
B
B
B
B
B+
B+
B+
B
B
B+
B
C+
B
B+
B
B
B
C+
B×5
B×2
B×6

How it grades

Fundamentals 74/100. Plays like +1/+1 counters.