Silverquill Influence precon: decklist, what it is worth, and five upgrades under $5

September 8, 2026

Silverquill Influence precon: Killian, Decisive Mentor, Scriv, Eiganjo Dynastorian, Intermediate Chirography and Turbulent Moor

Silverquill Influence is the white and black deck from the five Secrets of Strixhaven Commander precons, released 24 April 2026. Killian, Decisive Mentor commands it, and the plan is to put Auras on creatures, send those creatures at other people, and draw cards while the rest of the table fights.

What the deck does

The commander. Killian has two triggers. Whenever an enchantment you control enters, you tap up to one target creature and goad it, so until your next turn it has to attack each combat and attack someone other than you. And whenever one or more creatures enchanted by an Aura you control attack, you draw a card. Twenty-two of the deck's cards are Auras: every one of them goads something on the way in, and any of them on an attacker is a card each combat.

Goad. Five of the Auras goad the creature they enchant and pay you for the trouble. Coercive Impetus draws you a card whenever the creature attacks, Parasitic Impetus drains two, Martial Impetus gives every other creature attacking your opponents +1/+1, Ghoulish Impetus adds deathtouch and comes back when the creature dies, and Redemption Arc makes it indestructible until you pay two to exile it. Scriv, the Obligator attaches a Contract to an opponent's creature whenever it enters or attacks: +2/+0 when it attacks your opponents, two life from its controller if it attacks you. Combat Calligrapher gives any player attacking one of your opponents a tapped 2/1 flying Inkling on the attack, and Inklings can't attack you at all. Breena, the Demagogue draws the attacker a card and puts two counters on your creature whenever someone attacks the opponent with the most life, and Shadrix Silverquill hands out an Inkling, a card or counters to two different players every combat.

The Aura engine. Sram, Senior Edificer draws a card for every Aura, Equipment or Vehicle spell; Kor Spiritdancer may draw for every Aura spell and gets +2/+2 for each Aura on it; Transcendent Envoy and Starfield Mystic make them cheaper, and Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor gives enchantment spells affinity for Auras and draws when you enchant a modified permanent. Herald of Amity casts an Aura for free from your top eight when it enters, Songbirds' Blessing finds one whenever the creature attacks, Armored Skyhunter digs six cards for an Aura or Equipment on the attack, and Sage's Reverie draws a card for each attached Aura when it lands. Eidolon of Countless Battles is the finisher: bestowed, it and the creature each get +1/+1 for every creature and every Aura you control.

Enchantments entering. Archon of Sun's Grace makes a 2/2 flying Pegasus with lifelink each time, Ajani's Chosen a 2/2 Cat, and can attach the Aura to it, Doomwake Giant gives your opponents' creatures -1/-1, and Intermediate Chirography makes an Inkling and levels into counters and more Inklings. Eriette of the Charmed Apple stops any creature wearing your Aura from attacking you and drains each opponent for the number of Auras you control at your end step.

The rest. Animate Dead, Gift of Immortality and Changing Loyalty are Auras that return creatures, the last one under your control when the creature it was on dies. Darksteel Mutation turns a commander into a 0/1 Insect, Sheltered by Ghosts and Chains of Custody exile a permanent for as long as they stay. Winds of Rath destroys every creature that isn't enchanted, which in this deck means everyone else's. Inkshield prevents all combat damage to you and makes an Inkling per point, Ghostly Prison and Nils, Discipline Enforcer tax attacks aimed at you, and Land Tax keeps the lands coming while everyone else is busy.

What it is worth

The 100 cards add up to $95.37 in singles at today's TCGplayer market prices (4 November 2026). Land Tax alone is about 21% of it. With Turbulent Moor, Animate Dead, Inkshield, Ghostly Prison, War Room and Eclipsed Steppe the top seven are about 60%, and the new Silverquill cards are still bulk, which is normal five months after a Commander release.

Card	Printing	Market
Land Tax	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #153	$16.71
Turbulent Moor	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #56	$7.58
Animate Dead	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #207	$7.40
Inkshield	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #316	$4.94
Ghostly Prison	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #146	$6.77
War Room	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #422	$3.41
Eclipsed Steppe	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #53	$4.88
Sol Ring	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #128	$1.75
Bojuka Bog	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #363	$1.39
Sheltered by Ghosts	Secrets of Strixhaven Commander #171	$1.02

Five upgrades under $5

Together they cost $4.73. The deck already draws plenty; what it lacks is cheap ways to remove a problem and a way to get the big creature through.

Swords to Plowshares ($0.10). Exile any creature for one white mana at instant speed. The deck's own exile spells cost two and three, and the life the opponent gains is nothing next to a commander leaving for good.
Phyrexian Arena ($3.06). An enchantment entering is a goad from Killian, a Pegasus from the Archon and a Cat from Ajani's Chosen, and then it is a card every upkeep for a point of life. The best three mana this deck can spend.
Feed the Swarm ($0.22). Black's answer to an enchantment, and it kills a creature just as well: two mana, sorcery speed, life equal to the target's cost. The deck has Fracture for artifacts and enchantments and nothing else that cheap.
Rogue's Passage ($0.37). The creature wearing Eidolon of Countless Battles and three Auras is the whole game; for four mana it cannot be blocked. A land, so it costs no slot.
Generous Gift ($0.98). Destroy any permanent at instant speed: a land, a token, an artifact, whatever is winning. The 3/3 Elephant you hand over is a fair price for an answer with no restrictions.

What to cut: Keen Duelist (you lose the life too), Secret Rendezvous (three cards for you, three for an opponent), Promise of Loyalty (five mana and everyone keeps their best creature), Screams from Within (a -1/-1 Aura that shrinks whatever it touches), and Tomik, Wielder of Law (affinity for planeswalkers in a deck that has none).

Where to get it

The sealed deck: Silverquill Influence Commander Deck. Every card below links to its own page with every printing and current prices, and the whole set is at Secrets of Strixhaven Commander.