Magic has a lot of price barriers to entry. It seems like every older staple rare you need for your deck has a $20+ price tag on it, and it's easy to spend a car payment or more on just a single commander deck. This is where the extreme budget deck challenge comes in. Our goal is to build the strongest commander deck possible, using a strict budget anyone can afford. Let's prove you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a fun yet semi competitive deck!
If you don't have a lot of money to spend on cards but you want a good deck, or you love a good challenge and want to test your skills, you are in the right place!
*** RULES ***
-Standard Banlist: Anything WOTC puts on their banlist isn't allowed
-Budget: $5 total using tcgplayer "low" as our metric
-Timestamps: Because prices can fluctuate, we timestamp our total price to show accuracy at time of building.
-Competitive: The finished deck should be competitive for the kitchen table, and have potential to defeat more expensive decks.
*** BACKGROUND ***
I decided to change up my first commander deck, and move into two colors. I don't like playing green, and the mana base was just too shaky in three colors w/o pricy duals. I had a Wrexial lying around, so I decided instead of milling myself, just mill everyone else and use Wrex to steal spells.
The deck doesn't really have too many reliable win cons, but it has tons of stuff that makes people angry. Hard counters, discard, bounce, creature kill, draw, and annoying creatures. Mill gets annoying after a while, too. It's fun to play, and that's much more important than winning, to me anyway. I play commander to have FUN!
Suggestions if you have more budget: Higher quality mill, and higher quality bombs. Heck, higher quality everything. I'd start with the manabase, but get out your checkbook haha.
-Lots of suboptimal card choices as usual, but the budget was tight on this one.
-Black does discard, creature kill and disruption
-Blue adds counters, bounce, draw and a bomb or two
-I have access to pretty much standard cards, but can use my trade thread to get access to a few more cards.
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BUDGET DECK BUILDER SINCE 93'
Modern ------------------------- WU Azorius Titan Midrange
Commander ------------------- WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
***Are you looking for cards priced below TCG NM "LOW" and with FREE SHIPPING? - Click HERE! for my sales thread - 485 Feedback 100% positive!***
I'm currently working on doing some trades, I'm going to include more hard counters, and more spells, and less creatures.
I want to push towards more hexproof creatures, unblockables, and stuff to carry equipment, and run it like a U/B control deck. Maybe drop to 30 or less creatures.
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BUDGET DECK BUILDER SINCE 93'
Modern ------------------------- WU Azorius Titan Midrange
Commander ------------------- WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
***Are you looking for cards priced below TCG NM "LOW" and with FREE SHIPPING? - Click HERE! for my sales thread - 485 Feedback 100% positive!***
You've lowered your curve a lot haven't you? The deck seems to be working around the 3-4 spot now. I'd still add a Chancellor of the Spires if I were you, though.
As you said, your creature list could do with some cuts. Perilous Myr, as cute as it might be, doesn't win EDH games.
If you can fit it into your budget, Undead Alchemist deserves a spot in any multiplayer mill deck, even if you're not running many zombies. It wouldn't hurt squeezing a Relentless Skaabs and a Ghoulraiser into your creature list if you add the alchemist, though, and Highborn Ghoul isn't a bad equipment holder.
What worries me is your fixing, now you've dropper green. Can't you add a Dimir Signet and a Mistvein Borderpost to your list of mana rocks?
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Commander:GB Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord (list) - U Talrand, Sky Summoner - GRU Maelstrom Wanderer
@Solemn Simulator: I do have a dimir signet in there. Mistvein Borderpost looks solid, just gotta find one.
You are right on Myr. I'll cut him. I was thinking of doing zombies, but I just don't have enough in standard that are good quality.
I lost green for fixing, but honestly I'm in two colors now which smooths it out. I can only mana fix with green if I have forests, and many times I didn't.
I did some trades today, I'll smooth the deck over a bit.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
BUDGET DECK BUILDER SINCE 93'
Modern ------------------------- WU Azorius Titan Midrange
Commander ------------------- WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
***Are you looking for cards priced below TCG NM "LOW" and with FREE SHIPPING? - Click HERE! for my sales thread - 485 Feedback 100% positive!***
I had a similar 'limitation' in my Wrexial deck - lacking wincons. I added two cheap ones - they're two card combos, which will upset some people, but they're fragile, meaning they really have no excuse for not being able to deal with them -- and the upside as far as you're concerned is, they're pretty cheap.
I run the first two in my Wrexial. The third in my Sharuum deck. All are budget, fairly easy to assemble (and dismantle) and create a wincon in a deck that has a hard time reaching one. Now, I'll save the 'infinite combo' argument for another forum - these are just thoughts to help you get where you need to be to let the deck win.
" 見せてやる。。。安いカードの真髄を! "
Magic has a lot of price barriers to entry. It seems like every older staple rare you need for your deck has a $20+ price tag on it, and it's easy to spend a car payment or more on just a single commander deck. This is where the extreme budget deck challenge comes in. Our goal is to build the strongest commander deck possible, using a strict budget anyone can afford. Let's prove you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a fun yet semi competitive deck!
If you don't have a lot of money to spend on cards but you want a good deck, or you love a good challenge and want to test your skills, you are in the right place!
*** RULES ***
-Standard Banlist: Anything WOTC puts on their banlist isn't allowed
-Budget: $5 total using tcgplayer "low" as our metric
-Timestamps: Because prices can fluctuate, we timestamp our total price to show accuracy at time of building.
-Competitive: The finished deck should be competitive for the kitchen table, and have potential to defeat more expensive decks.
*** BACKGROUND ***
I decided to change up my first commander deck, and move into two colors. I don't like playing green, and the mana base was just too shaky in three colors w/o pricy duals. I had a Wrexial lying around, so I decided instead of milling myself, just mill everyone else and use Wrex to steal spells.
The deck doesn't really have too many reliable win cons, but it has tons of stuff that makes people angry. Hard counters, discard, bounce, creature kill, draw, and annoying creatures. Mill gets annoying after a while, too. It's fun to play, and that's much more important than winning, to me anyway. I play commander to have FUN!
Suggestions if you have more budget: Higher quality mill, and higher quality bombs. Heck, higher quality everything. I'd start with the manabase, but get out your checkbook haha.
*** THE DECKLIST ***
TIMESTAMP: 7/12/2012 @ 20:07 HST
1 Wrexial, the Risen Deep
Lands (39)
15 Island
15 Swamp
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Dreadship Reef
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Rupture Spire
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Barren Moor
1 Shimmering Grotto
Creatures (35)
1 Augury Owl
1 Azure Mage
1 Merfolk Mesmerist
1 Sage Owl
1 Shriekgeist
1 Black Cat
1 Onyx Mage
1 Reassembling Skeleton
1 Perilous Myr
1 Niblis of the Breath
1 Riddlekeeper
1 Selhoff Occultist
1 Vedalken Anatomist
1 Aether Adept
1 Dark Impostor
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Blind Zealot
1 Liliana's Specter
1 Royal Assassin
1 Elgaud Shieldmate
1 Stern Mentor
1 Tower Geist
1 Mist Raven
1 Gravedigger
1 Falkenrath Noble
1 Sewer Nemesis
1 Entomber Exarch
1 Skinrender
1 Belltower Sphinx
1 Shriekmaw
1 Morkrut Banshee
1 Geralf's Mindcrusher
1 Carnifex Demon
1 Extractor Demon
1 Phyrexian Ingester
1 Silent Departure
1 Traveler's Amulet
1 Peel from Reality
1 Doom Blade
1 Dimir Signet
1 Mask of Avacyn
1 Curse of the Bloody Tome
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Vow of Flight
1 Dissipate
1 Spell Crumple
1 Stoic Rebuttal
1 Gravepurge
1 Gruesome Encore
1 Vow of Malice
1 Druidic Satchel
1 Manalith
1 Trepanation Blade
1 Vessel of Endless Rest
1 Syphon Mind
1 Unnerve
1 Mind Control
1 Increasing Ambition
1 Rise from the Grave
1 Enslave
CURVE (0-1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6+): 2 / 13 / 23 / 11 / 7 / 6
AVERAGE CMC: 3.49
TYPE: EXTREME BUDGET ($5.00 LIMIT)
CURRENT COST: $5.00
REMAINING BUDGET: $0.00
*** DECKBUILDER'S NOTES ***
-Lots of suboptimal card choices as usual, but the budget was tight on this one.
-Black does discard, creature kill and disruption
-Blue adds counters, bounce, draw and a bomb or two
-I have access to pretty much standard cards, but can use my trade thread to get access to a few more cards.
BUDGET DECK BUILDER SINCE 93'
Modern ------------------------- WU Azorius Titan Midrange
Commander ------------------- WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
***Are you looking for cards priced below TCG NM "LOW" and with FREE SHIPPING? - Click HERE! for my sales thread - 485 Feedback 100% positive!***
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyway ill try building some of your budget decks and see how it works in my casual edh enviroment
cya
I'm currently working on doing some trades, I'm going to include more hard counters, and more spells, and less creatures.
I want to push towards more hexproof creatures, unblockables, and stuff to carry equipment, and run it like a U/B control deck. Maybe drop to 30 or less creatures.
BUDGET DECK BUILDER SINCE 93'
Modern ------------------------- WU Azorius Titan Midrange
Commander ------------------- WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
***Are you looking for cards priced below TCG NM "LOW" and with FREE SHIPPING? - Click HERE! for my sales thread - 485 Feedback 100% positive!***
As you said, your creature list could do with some cuts. Perilous Myr, as cute as it might be, doesn't win EDH games.
If you can fit it into your budget, Undead Alchemist deserves a spot in any multiplayer mill deck, even if you're not running many zombies. It wouldn't hurt squeezing a Relentless Skaabs and a Ghoulraiser into your creature list if you add the alchemist, though, and Highborn Ghoul isn't a bad equipment holder.
What worries me is your fixing, now you've dropper green. Can't you add a Dimir Signet and a Mistvein Borderpost to your list of mana rocks?
Pauper: UR some horrible homebrew izzet deck
You are right on Myr. I'll cut him. I was thinking of doing zombies, but I just don't have enough in standard that are good quality.
I lost green for fixing, but honestly I'm in two colors now which smooths it out. I can only mana fix with green if I have forests, and many times I didn't.
I did some trades today, I'll smooth the deck over a bit.
BUDGET DECK BUILDER SINCE 93'
Modern ------------------------- WU Azorius Titan Midrange
Commander ------------------- WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
***Are you looking for cards priced below TCG NM "LOW" and with FREE SHIPPING? - Click HERE! for my sales thread - 485 Feedback 100% positive!***
Sorry, I must have overlooked it.
I know that... I've been tryingt to stuff a zombie subtheme into that Plasm deck of yours, that's why I mentioned Alchemist.
Pauper: UR some horrible homebrew izzet deck
Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond is infinite with any damage source hitting an opponent.
Bloodchief Ascension + Mindcrank is infinite with 3 charges on Ascension
Leyline of the Void + Helm of Obedience kills with 1 mana spent to exile a library (they die on draw phase.) Only maximum of one opponent per turn eliminated, without un-tap effects. Turnabout, Unwinding Clock, Clock of Omens, and Voltaic Key are all cheap options here if you decide to pursue this theme and integrate more support for it. Otherwise I'd stick with just the two.
I run the first two in my Wrexial. The third in my Sharuum deck. All are budget, fairly easy to assemble (and dismantle) and create a wincon in a deck that has a hard time reaching one. Now, I'll save the 'infinite combo' argument for another forum - these are just thoughts to help you get where you need to be to let the deck win.
Any consideration for Mindshrieker?