My local casual community is really competetive, the are no bans and no restrictions, but deck has to be below 70$ and it can't be combo.
So the question is, what is the strongest deck I could make below the price gap?
it all comes down to your play style and what you like. You dont want to go building something within that gap and then not liking it or it doesnt work for you and you losing out on that cash. Also what is your meta like? Does your group usually play the same kinds of decks? maybe we can brain storm and come up with something.
I enjoy playing everything so this is not a problem, I just want something really strong.
There is always someone playing infect, burn, elves, most of the decks are aggro. There are also some midranges like abzan but almost no one plays control.
Maybe you could go for a control themed deck something mono like black it can be cheap and powerful. Swing over to the multiplayer section of casual look at the top for "Multiplayer Strategies Guides by Color" then check out "Black Multiplayer Cards and Strategies - Guide by Prid3". Prid3 has the best of the best for black there and most of it's on the cheap side. I myself love black and i think you'll have a blast with one of those types of control deck's and you'll probably make your friends mad haha.
Black is not efficient enough to beat burn and infect, maybe if I would play Fatal Push but it is quite expensive for a standard uncommon.
Maybe something involving blue, with counterspells, gush, daze, brainstorm, dig through time?
My playgroup has a $40 legacy format ($15 sideboard). I run an 8-rack deck and it has been the deck to beat so far. With an extra $30 you could improve the deck by adding things like Inquisition of Kozilek, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Sinkhole, and since you have no banned list Strip Mine.
The list crushes infect, is 55/45 with reanimator, has a decent match-ups against affinity and, depending on the build, mid-range and tempo decks. You can tune it more anti-aggro if necessary. Pox, wrench mind, and necroplasm are meta slots.
Alternatively with no banned list you could just run 4x mind twist 4x sol ring and some rituals.
Is this for 1v1 or multiplayer? Waste not only really works in multiplayer and at that point is an oppressive combo deck. I think someone tried to make a waste not storm deck for 1v1, but again that's a combo deck. The rack tends to work well as a finisher in more control oriented discard decks since they are still useful if you draw them after your opponent's hand is empty.
I'm sure there are other options too if you aren't into the slow grindy pox deck.
If you are more of a fan of tempo, threshold is an option.
I have a mono-U aggro deck that is off-beat from the usual blue but is super fun and pretty budget. I leave it to you to decide if it's your cup of tea, but should still be under $70 since the Efreets and Psi-blasts have seen reprints.
I recently decided to limit the frenetic activity and limit 2-for-1 losses, taking out the Brainstorms and Unstable Mutations to add:
4 Wash Out
4 Boomerang
I would like to play something like this but the meta is too harsh.
Right now I am thinking about:
1. Bogles
2. R/U Delver, Pyromancer
3. Pure burn
4. Elves
5. Threshold
No worries, I also like playing red burn. My mono-R deck below is made for dueling in a creature-heavy meta, so it can definitely use some tuning against other deck archetypes. That being said, here it is.
It's not optimized or current, largely because it shreds every other deck in my meta pretty badly and changes have not been needed. But, I did get feedback from someone on a different site that showed their infect deck (as optimized as they can get) regularly beat mine. So, if you like the base, maybe some of the other guys here can tear this apart for some more optimized choices since you have a pretty harsh meta. But, it's still a pretty good place to start.
I generally don't care that they have a choice of which modes to choose on three of the cards, I'm just focusing on damage. If I realize I'll need to sweep, however, then I'll race ahead on damage from spells to permit me to Breaking Point and Browbeat to reload. Or, sometimes I'm sitting on a bunch of damage spells already and I Breaking Point or Browbeat with the intention of them choosing the damage to shorten the damage needs. Flamebreak usually sweeps most of the creature threats, so I have some flexibility in how I play the rest of it.
Edit: Wow, the Vexing Devil's a lot more expensive than when I put this together! The deck might not fit cleanly under the $70 mark as is.
Again, this burn deck isn't good enough for my meta, there are plenty of better burn spells out there.
Yesterday when I was going to bed I've came across a brilliant idea! Since my meta is burn heavy I didn't want to play another burn, so I decided to play a Boros Burn!!
This is my list, feel free to share your opinion!
Hmm, if that red deck isn't even in the playing field (since it is actually pretty vicious in a "casual" meta) then I'm going to bow out. I don't play in uber-optimized metas, so that kind of game is not my forte. Cheers.
This black control is cool, I will change something and soon test it out.
Finally, Ive decided to build 4 decks!
1. Tempo Treshold
2. Boros Burn
3. Red Burn
4. UR Delver
I really recommend monoblack control in that price range. Pestilence/life gain variants have excellent matchups against creature based decks. Boggles and infect die to diabolic intent and similar. At this budget you don't really have to worry about inkmoth nexus, so burn variants are your worst matchups.
So the question is, what is the strongest deck I could make below the price gap?
There is always someone playing infect, burn, elves, most of the decks are aggro. There are also some midranges like abzan but almost no one plays control.
Maybe something involving blue, with counterspells, gush, daze, brainstorm, dig through time?
This thread might give you some ideas: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/budget-modern/601023-50-shinbatsus-budget-modern-challenge-more-deck?page=5
These are the decks that I have constructed, and are ready to play:
01. Ankh Sligh to be exact.
2 Cabal Pit
1 Dakmor Salvage
4 Mishra's Factory
17 Swamp
//Spells
4 Duress
4 Funeral Charm
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Innocent Blood
1 Pox
3 Raven's Crime
4 Shrieking Affliction
4 Smallpox
4 The Rack
2 Wrench Mind
2 Necroplasm
4 Bottomless Pit
2 Flaying Tendrils
3 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Noetic Scales
2 Powder Keg
2 Pox
The list crushes infect, is 55/45 with reanimator, has a decent match-ups against affinity and, depending on the build, mid-range and tempo decks. You can tune it more anti-aggro if necessary. Pox, wrench mind, and necroplasm are meta slots.
Alternatively with no banned list you could just run 4x mind twist 4x sol ring and some rituals.
CoolLink19, maybe I could add Waste Not and cards that discard the entire hand and draw another cards? Would it be a combo?
I'm sure there are other options too if you aren't into the slow grindy pox deck.
If you are more of a fan of tempo, threshold is an option.
4 Evolving Wilds
4 Forest
8 Island
2 Yavimaya Coast
//Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Mana Leak
2 Mental Note
2 Ponder
2 Predict
2 Preordain
4 Snap
2 Spell Pierce
4 Vapor Snag
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Werebear
With a slightly higher budget, the mana base could be greatly improved.
4 Serendib Efreet
4 Cloud of Faeries
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
4 Illusory Angel
4 Brainstorm
4 Unsummon
4 Vapor Snag
4 Unstable Mutation
4 Psionic Blast
16 Island
4 Halimar Depths
I recently decided to limit the frenetic activity and limit 2-for-1 losses, taking out the Brainstorms and Unstable Mutations to add:
4 Wash Out
4 Boomerang
Right now I am thinking about:
1. Bogles
2. R/U Delver, Pyromancer
3. Pure burn
4. Elves
5. Threshold
4 Vexing Devil
4 Spark Elemental
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Ball Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
4 Flame Javelin
4 Browbeat
4 Breaking Point
4 Flamebreak
20 Mountains
It's not optimized or current, largely because it shreds every other deck in my meta pretty badly and changes have not been needed. But, I did get feedback from someone on a different site that showed their infect deck (as optimized as they can get) regularly beat mine. So, if you like the base, maybe some of the other guys here can tear this apart for some more optimized choices since you have a pretty harsh meta. But, it's still a pretty good place to start.
I generally don't care that they have a choice of which modes to choose on three of the cards, I'm just focusing on damage. If I realize I'll need to sweep, however, then I'll race ahead on damage from spells to permit me to Breaking Point and Browbeat to reload. Or, sometimes I'm sitting on a bunch of damage spells already and I Breaking Point or Browbeat with the intention of them choosing the damage to shorten the damage needs. Flamebreak usually sweeps most of the creature threats, so I have some flexibility in how I play the rest of it.
Edit: Wow, the Vexing Devil's a lot more expensive than when I put this together! The deck might not fit cleanly under the $70 mark as is.
Yesterday when I was going to bed I've came across a brilliant idea! Since my meta is burn heavy I didn't want to play another burn, so I decided to play a Boros Burn!!
This is my list, feel free to share your opinion!
2 Bedlam Reveler
4 Monastery Swiftspear
//Instant (23)
4 Boros Charm
1 Burst Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
2 Needle Drop
2 Searing Blaze
4 Searing Blood
2 Skullcrack
4 Chain Lightning
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
//Land (19)
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Inspiring Vantage
9 Mountain
2 Plains
4 Deflecting Palm
3 Exquisite Firecraft
3 Price of Progress
2 Skullcrack
3 Sulfuric Vortex
List please?
4 mind twist
4 hymn to tourach
4 strip mine
4 blight
4 innocent blood
4 abyssal persecutor
4 gatekeeper of malakir
4 vampire nighthawk
4 gray merchant of asphodel
20 swamp
You might have to remove 1 or two things, but ever card is under $5 and are extremely powerful.
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
Finally, Ive decided to build 4 decks!
1. Tempo Treshold
2. Boros Burn
3. Red Burn
4. UR Delver
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
4 Blisterpod
4 Blood Artist
4 Doomed Traveler
4 Squadron Hawk
4 Tukatongue Thallid
4 Viscera Seer
4 Young Wolf
4 Zulaport Cutthroat
4 Rally the Ancestors
//Land (20)
2 Hissing Quagmire
2 Sandsteppe Citadel
4 Shambling Vent
3 Stirring Wildwood
3 Temple of Malady
2 Temple of Plenty
4 Temple of Silence
Later I will try to make my own mono black list.