I've always wanted to build an equipment deck using Kemba, Raksha, or Jor Kadeen, but I can't afford the Swords of X and Y, Jitte, Batterskull, SFM, and all of the fun equipment-related shenanigans. I know there's cheap stuff like Sword of Vengeance, Loxodon Warhammer, and Open the Armory, but they just pale in comparison to the big boys. Voltron is one of the few strategies I've never tried, but I feel like I'd be better off running an aura-based strategy with Uril or Bruna since many of the great ones aren't nearly as expensive.
Does anyone have experience using a "budget" equipment deck (IE nothing over ten bucks)? If so, how was it? Are there enough good cheap equipment (and supporting cards) to make it worthwhile?
Kemba without Swords, Batterskull, and SFM is actually great. Focus on bulking up your cat tokens and use a lot of cheap equipment plus card advantage to suit her up.
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One of these day I have to get myself organizized.
Infiltration Lens and Mask of Memory do so much work for me in Jor Kadeen. The elite stuff often costs more to equip, too, so I have more mana open more often (good for wrathing, animating a Blinkmoth Nexus, and then swinging!).
A few years ago, maybe not. Now, there are so many decent equipment and tutors that a Kembha deck is very reasonable. Just make sure to grab things like Intangible Virtue and stuff because you will really care about those tokens. Grab a Mask of memory and one of the Unblockable equips and maybe a Sword of the Animist and go to town. Commander damage one guy while getting some value, kill another with tokens, IV gives them vigilance to block, crack in on the third guy and win.
i'd say its defo do-able. like pulli says, expect that your deck would be able to pull its weight in the 'big-leagues' tables, but not a showstopper. make sure that your deck is as synergistic as possible, and stick to a single strategy (i.e. making cats with kemba, or voltroning kemba up, or some other strategy; not ALL the strategies), and you'll surprise yourself.
one thing, having those high priced equipment won't make your deck go from rubbish to awesome; it'd only notch it up powerwise a tiny bit. its the synergies in your deck that does most of the power-up-ness.
I don't have the experience with the budget choices (My equipment "slot" is a subtheme at best under Alesha so I need the big-ticket items to make up for the lack of synergy in the Command Zone and the rest of the deck), but it's definitely achievable, especially with Commanders that care about the quantity of equipment (since I would say lack of big-ticket items hurts the direct Voltron plan slightly more than alternative-synergy plans like Kemba and Jor Kadeen).
It'll probably be faster to purely Voltron with Zurgo Helmsmasher honestly, but he also places less emphasis on equipment themselves overall and provides little alternatives via the equipment route when the plan fails. So Kemba would be the best, but Jor Kadeen is a great choice if you want to go two color (Sunforger isn't that expensive and is great utility).
I don't think skull clamp is actually that pricey.
There's some neat red equipment stuff which most people ignore, like Goblin Gaveleer, Vulshok Battlemaster, Bludgeon Brawl, Weapons Trainer, and Kazuul's Toll Collector. I would run Jor Kadeen for that second color and because he's less threatening than Kemba (a lot of good defensive equipment is expensive, like greaves and swords. Kemba will just get nuked if she starts wearing too much swag)
Because she gets double strike, I think you can work wonders with Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas and budget equipment. Even ignoring her Experience Counters ability, starting with (essentially) a 6/6 for 4 CMC is nice, and any thing else you add on just gets more and more value. Hit twice with Mask of Memory! Hit twice with Quietus Spike! She's cheap and efficient for a budget voltron deck.
Skullclamp is the best one and it is budget (sub $10). I find the Sword of XYs make you more of a target than what they give you. They can all be powerful in very specific situations but often i found the extra card or raise dead you would get makes you enemy number 1. People will be hesitant to use removal to get rid of Sword of the Animist which gives you more time to get cats/extra lands.
I run an esper 'voltron'-y deck where the most expensive equipment is Sword of the Animist.
It works just fine. Yeah it'd be better with the same sword of dollars and tears type stuff as all the other monied equipment decks, but thats the advantage of EDH - it doesn't really matter.
Seconding Deep_Woods on the target comment. If someone lands a sword I generally go after them because of how strong those equipment are. And if your lacking artifact destruction the only way to get rid of it is to kill the player...
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EDH RRGrenzo plays your deck, GGYeva's mono green control, WW9-tails trys desperately for monowhite not to suck RWBUTymna and Kraum's saboteur tribal, UWG Kestia's Enchantress Aggro, RUB Jeleva casts big dumb spells, RGB Vaevictis' big critters can kill your critters hard
It does depend on your meta. If it ain't too cutthroat, it can work. Few years back I had a Kemba voltron based on cheap equipment. Puresteel Paladin and Leonin Shikari were absolute beasts in that deck. The issue back then was that tucking was still a part of the game, which horribly nerfed the deck. Still, it was fun to play and held its own, but in my current playgroup it probably wouldn't fly due to how we've grown.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
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Does anyone have experience using a "budget" equipment deck (IE nothing over ten bucks)? If so, how was it? Are there enough good cheap equipment (and supporting cards) to make it worthwhile?
EDIT: Also easier to get foil versions.
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
Marath, Will of the Wild Tokens!! / Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund Dragons! / Muzzio, Visionary Architect / Brago, King Eternal / Daretti, Scrap Savant / Narset, Enlightened Master / Alesha, Who Smiles at Death / Bruna, Light of Alabaster / Marchesa, the Black Rose / Iroas, God of Victory / Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury / Omnath, Locus of rage / Titania, Protector of Argoth / Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Modern
Elves / Titanshift / Merfolk
one thing, having those high priced equipment won't make your deck go from rubbish to awesome; it'd only notch it up powerwise a tiny bit. its the synergies in your deck that does most of the power-up-ness.
Legacy - Solidarity - mono U aggro - burn - Imperial Painter - Strawberry Shortcake - Bluuzards - bom
It'll probably be faster to purely Voltron with Zurgo Helmsmasher honestly, but he also places less emphasis on equipment themselves overall and provides little alternatives via the equipment route when the plan fails. So Kemba would be the best, but Jor Kadeen is a great choice if you want to go two color (Sunforger isn't that expensive and is great utility).
There's some neat red equipment stuff which most people ignore, like Goblin Gaveleer, Vulshok Battlemaster, Bludgeon Brawl, Weapons Trainer, and Kazuul's Toll Collector. I would run Jor Kadeen for that second color and because he's less threatening than Kemba (a lot of good defensive equipment is expensive, like greaves and swords. Kemba will just get nuked if she starts wearing too much swag)
- Rabid Wombat
WU Bruna UW | R Kiki-Jiki R | RB New Chainer BR
Legacy - Burn | Pauper - Reanimator | Aristocrats | Burn
@votechainer2016
Short answer... run it.
In Progress
GBIshkanah, Grafwidow ~ BWGRTymna the Weaver & Tana, the Bloodsower ~ UGRashmi, Eternities Crafter ~ RGAtarka, World Render
It works just fine. Yeah it'd be better with the same sword of dollars and tears type stuff as all the other monied equipment decks, but thats the advantage of EDH - it doesn't really matter.
Seconding Deep_Woods on the target comment. If someone lands a sword I generally go after them because of how strong those equipment are. And if your lacking artifact destruction the only way to get rid of it is to kill the player...
RRGrenzo plays your deck, GGYeva's mono green control, WW9-tails trys desperately for monowhite not to suck
RWBUTymna and Kraum's saboteur tribal, UWG Kestia's Enchantress Aggro, RUB Jeleva casts big dumb spells, RGB Vaevictis' big critters can kill your critters hard
Arena Standard
UUUU Tempo, since before it was cool
Various Wx decks running Fountain of Renewal and Day of Glory
Anything I can cram Chaos Wand in to
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.