Proving you don't need to spend money to have fun one deck at a time!
What is it?
-It's a type of Modern deck made for the ultimate in affordability. The community asked for a mirror thread to the one in Standard to make decks easy on the wallet for those of us that want to play a lot of fun decks, but either can't afford or don't want to commit to expensive decks. The goal is to make the most competive deck for the casual kitchen table as is possible within the restrictions.
General Rules:
-Deck must be Modern Legal
-Total deck cost has to be $20.00 or less.
-Price Evaluation is as follows:
*Basic Lands = FREE (because people just give these away)
*Everything Else = magiccards.info "low" value (the decks will be timestamped for price for the day it's accurate)
Being within budget really only means the day you sleeve it up and it's active, timestamp and you are legit no matter price fluctuations.
The best decks will get highlighted in the OP. Decks will be organized by price (<$5, $5-10, $10-20).
Please use the following Sample format for your decks:
TYPE: EXTREME BUDGET ($5.00 LIMIT)
CURRENT COST: $4.12
REMAINING BUDGET: $0.88
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: Clifftop Retreat and Champion of the Parish would add consistency.
Strategies:
-Basic Aggro Deck
-Drop cheap creatures fast and furious
-Hit a turn 3 ringleader and swing for massive damage
-Rally for flexible mass pump
________________________________________________
Edit: If anyone really wants to own this thread and provide budget decklist advice, post below.
Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
20 $ or less is very hard. This is a deck thats roughly 29.72 on low. Holy cow. I didn't know it costed that much. It's a deck I have been playing a lot casually and tweaked many times.
How to Play:
Basically, play Doomed Traveler and Gideon's Lawkeeper early to stave off opponents attack, and once the pump spells comes into play, the flying tokens should more than overwhelm the opponent. Duress for removing spells we have problem dealing with or wrath effets, and Tragic Slip as cheap and budget creature removal spell.
Strategies:
- Control deck
- Play out draw Artifacts and fog attacks until opponent runs out of cards
- Luminarch Ascension is an alternate win condition
- Leyline of Sanctity is the bulk of the price but it is very necessary to hate discard/storm. Cheaper option is Witchbane Orb.
I guess we do. I didn't think the extreme budget part was that enforced. I could cut the tap lands and daybreak coronets obviously but I don't like the deck after that.
BTW how do you gets the curve and cost statistics? I feel like a fool doing mental math here.
Strategies:
- Aggro deck
- Pump out creatures onto the table as fast as possible and turn em sideways.
- Bloodthrone Vampires and Viscera Seers combo with disciples and blood artists to win the game, but the deck can aggro well enough to not be 100% dependant on them.
[/QUOTE]
I guess we do. I didn't think the extreme budget part was that enforced. I could cut the tap lands and daybreak coronets obviously but I don't like the deck after that.
BTW how do you gets the curve and cost statistics? I feel like a fool doing mental math here.
You have to do them yourself. I copied this out of another thread and made a few changes (the Standard limit is $5).
One thing I would like to see are the next non budget upgrades that still keep the deck's theme.
Basically if I had $20 I'd play this, but if I had $40 more I'd add a play set of ...
Modified the OP.
Private Mod Note
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Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
I like budget building and I read in an old article somewhere that when building a budget deck, don't take a good deck and make it be budget with worse choices, take a deck that is naturally budget and make minor changes. So naturally infect came to mind.
Type: Budget
Current Cost: $18.76
Remaining Budget: $1.24
Non-Budget Upgrades:Breeding Pools, Misty Rainforests, and other duals for a more consistent manabase
Strategies:
Aggro/Combo
Use pump spells to quickly increase your opponents poison count to ten.
Wild Defiance causes all of your spells to give an additional +3/+3.
Storm, quite a competitive deck, is surprisingly cheap to build. It is a great option for anyone that wants a reasonably solid modern deck that is also reasonably priced. Only the manabase is costly in comparison to the rest of the deck (like most modern decks), but the prevalence of manafixing makes it less of an issue. Plus, it's a blast to play.
Here is an example budget decklist:
Name: URStorm
Cost: $22.85 (TIMESTAMP: 7/6/2012)
These are slightly budget versions of the Gargageddon deck I actually play. The $5 version is probably not especially competitive, but by the time you hit the $15 version, you can give competitive decks a run for their money. The $25 version is actually a legitimate deck that can take even take top tier decks by surprise, especially the first game.
Strategy
- Play 1 land, replace it with a border post. Repeat every turn.
- Suspend a creature or two. Nihiliths and Cloudskates are best, save Detritivores for late game.
- As soon as you have the mana, play a cascade spell into a Restore Balance, wiping all lands and creatures your opponent has. If you can, bounce your own land with a Cloudskate.
- Drop Manabarbs so they hurt as they try to rebuild. You get most your mana from borderposts, so you don't care.
- Eventually some of your creatures will unsuspend and finish them off.
- If the game goes long, Reminisce to shuffle your cascade spells and balances back in.
The next step up replaces the Detritivores with Greater Gargadon. At this point we now deserve the 'Gargageddon' moniker.
This version is more consistent. It does not tend to leave lands on your board (sac them to the Gargadon), so the Restore Balances are more effective. And at 9 power when they unsuspend, they close out the game much faster.
Strategy
- Same, but try to get a Gargadon suspended as soon as you can. Turn 1 is actually ideal.
The Bloodbraids serve as additional chances to cascade into Restore Balance or as ramp by hitting Borderposts. Again, this adds some consistency. The downside is that you have slightly fewer tricks than the Cloudskates provide, and unless you've also got a Gargadon suspended, you risk leaving the opponent with a creature of their own on the field after a Balance.
The final upgrade is to $25, which is more or less the full version I actually play. At this point the Nihiliths come out, being replaced by a pair each of Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas and Ajani Vengeant
Nihilith is a good beater with synergy in the deck, but you'd prefer not to have creatures on the field unless you're about to win, and Tezzert and Ajani both offer much better utility to the deck. Tezzert is card advantage (more borderposts) or damage every turn, and the ultimate is generally a deal closer. Ajani keeps tapped problematic artifacts like Vials or lands that escaped a Balance and his minus abilities can buy time and serve as a secondary replacement Balance if necessary.
Strategy Differences
- Same basic game plan. Suspend, Cascade into Balance.
- Tezzeret should +1 until you have at least 5-6 borderposts out, then -4 for the 20+ swing in life. Don't -2 unless you really need a blocker.
- Ajani should generally +1 a troublesome artifact, creature, or land, until you can -7. -2 if needed, to buy a turn to hit another Restore Balance.
Final potential upgrades
The only thing I might do further with this deck is to replace the Reminisces with Loaming Shaman. He offers a body and control over what goes back, at the downside of leaving another potential body around that needs to be sac'd to get best utility of out of Balance. Liliana of the Veil could possibly replace Ajani Vengeant, but thus far I've found Ajani useful enough that I'm not terribly tempted. Liliana's utility meshes well with the deck, but the double B can make her hard to play if you don't get the right combo of borderposts and lands.
I'm thinking zealous persecution fits pretty well. What to cut for it though..
Zealous Persecution is one sick card :D, I never knew this card existed so thanks for pointing it out.
I'll probably pull the Leylines out and stick this in if it goes into the maindeck. Otherwise it'll be a crazily good sideboard card against other aggro decks - especially weenies matchups ;).
Strategies
Dredge yourself with a Crypt of Agadeem and 2 swamps.
Flashback either Army of the Damned or Unearth Extractor Demons and Rotting Rats. Use Demon to mill self and swing in for damage.
Also have a ton of fun while doing so.
Strategy: Drop a Genesis Chamber and/or any amount of Soul Attendants and Soul Wardens and have your side of the board pile up as Norin and Glitterfang repeatedly come into play. Then, overwhelm the opponent with your massive Ajani's Pridemate or army of myrs or watch the enemy slowly wear themself away with each creature they play to keep up with your Suture Priests.
This is a little ditty I call Izzet for the win. A lot of burn some recursion and draw. It also soothes my inexplainable love for Izzet Decks. Also I do like decks with a hundred cards (or More) in them.
Inspired by the popular limited deck... Lost in the woods!
58 Forest
4 Lost in the woods
62 cards because you want to be able to mill them out even if they choose for you to go first. No serum powder, because what happens if you reveal one off the lost in the woods? You'd be found! You'd no longer be lost! Until the next attack at the least, but at that point I think your just trying to get lost.
Strategies:
-Basic RDW Deck
-Turn Creatures, Burn Creatures
-Spells target both creatures and players for versatility
Great example of how you can play a fast, consistent deck against the Tier 1 expensive decks and do well.
Only thing left to do is upgrade the Hellsparks into Goblin Guides for $14.60!
TYPE: $5.00 Deck
CURRENT COST: $4.96
REMAINING BUDGET: $0.04
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: Swords of x/x
Strategies:
Use one of the 10 turn 1 flyers to enable quick ninjas, all the while backing your critters up with control magic.
Private Mod Note
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UGW Hunting Grounds ||||||||||||||||||||||| URWBG Pauper Cube GB Death Cloud ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| R Peasant Kuldotha W Soul Sisters ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| U Pauper Faeninja UR Affinity |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| G Ezuri EDH B Pox |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| R Norin EDH
TYPE: COMPETITIVE BUDGET ($20.00 Limit)
CURRENT COST: $16.20
REMAINING BUDGET: $3.80
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: None that I can tell. Non-basic dual lands won't work.
Slightly complicated. Check out the primer link above for details. This deck deviates in a few ways:
1) Establish mana engine
- Use Ancient Stirring early to search for a Krark-Clan Ironworks, Ghost Quarter or a land (in that priority order). If your hand is already full of lands (16 land deck means that's pretty rare), grab any 'card draw' artifact (aka Eggs) instead.
- Edge of Autumn should ramp for an Island for any Etherium Sculptors in hand/soon to be drawn.
2) Survive until mana engine is in play (Krark-Clan Ironworks, or 2 Ghost Quarters)
- Without Ironworks or Quarters, the combo doesn't generate enough mana to be recursive. This is usually achieved around turn 4.
- Chump-block (if you've got one), break eggs to draw, then play a Sunrise/Reward to get them all back in the same turn.
3) With a mana engine in place, start the combo: sac artifacts for mana, fix with eggs, draw, drop more eggs, Sunrise/Reward and repeat.
- Primer suggests expensive Banefire. Exsanguinate is cheap, causes loss of life (sidesteps damage prevention), and doesn't target your opponent (sidesteps Leyline of Sanctity)/Witchbane Orb. Plus it makes playing this deck in multiplayer hilarious.
TYPE: EXTREME BUDGET ($5.00 LIMIT)
CURRENT COST: $3.64
REMAINING BUDGET: $1.36
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: Darkslick Shore and Watery Grave for consistency
Strategy:
-Aggro-Control
-Cheap, evasive creatures ensure Prowl triggers
-Oona's Blackguard and Stinkdrinker Bandit can end games really quickly
I am playing this deck for a while now (with a better mana base) and it is the fastest budget deck I ever played. I only now realised how very budget it really is
We've only got one image and a tag line to go on. For all we know the portrait could just have been 'taken' on a gloomy day and the world could be populated by Pegasus's, squid-folk, and bear people who sing songs about friendship and ride rainbow rafts of chocolate.
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Proving you don't need to spend money to have fun one deck at a time!
What is it?
-It's a type of Modern deck made for the ultimate in affordability. The community asked for a mirror thread to the one in Standard to make decks easy on the wallet for those of us that want to play a lot of fun decks, but either can't afford or don't want to commit to expensive decks. The goal is to make the most competive deck for the casual kitchen table as is possible within the restrictions.
General Rules:
-Deck must be Modern Legal
-Total deck cost has to be $20.00 or less.
-Price Evaluation is as follows:
*Basic Lands = FREE (because people just give these away)
*Everything Else = magiccards.info "low" value (the decks will be timestamped for price for the day it's accurate)
Being within budget really only means the day you sleeve it up and it's active, timestamp and you are legit no matter price fluctuations.
The best decks will get highlighted in the OP. Decks will be organized by price (<$5, $5-10, $10-20).
Please use the following Sample format for your decks:
-------------------------------------------------------
Name: WR Hockey Night in Canada
Cost: $4.12 (TIMESTAMP: 4/30/2012)
13 Plains
9 Mountains
CREATURES (35)
3 Doomed Traveler
4 Elite Vanguard
2 Gideon's Lawkeeper
4 Somberwald Vigilante
4 Accorder Paladin
4 Elite Inquisitor
4 Lightning Mauler
2 Mentor of the Meek
4 Fiend Hunter
4 Riot Ringleader
3 Rally the Peasants
TYPE: EXTREME BUDGET ($5.00 LIMIT)
CURRENT COST: $4.12
REMAINING BUDGET: $0.88
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: Clifftop Retreat and Champion of the Parish would add consistency.
Strategies:
-Basic Aggro Deck
-Drop cheap creatures fast and furious
-Hit a turn 3 ringleader and swing for massive damage
-Rally for flexible mass pump
________________________________________________
Edit: If anyone really wants to own this thread and provide budget decklist advice, post below.
4 Sunpetal Grove
8 Forest
9 Plains
2 Stirring Wildwood
Creatures (17)
4 Kor Spiritdancer
3 Troll Ascetic
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
2 Avacyn's Pilgrim
2 Llanowar Elves
2 Abundant Growth
3 Hyena Umbra
3 Spider Umbra
4 Daybreak Coronet
2 Spirit Mantle
3 Prison Term
4 Rancor
1 Gigantiform
Hexproof beaters with lifelink, first strike, reach, protection from creatures, trample, and totem armor is serious business.
Also did I mention we have card draw creating advantage along the way?
This deck can do some serious work against control decks that have no board wipe and aggro decks that doesn't beat it before it starts the beats.
2 Spirit Link
3 Naturalize
3 Torpor Orb
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
To think, this deck used to be budget... LOL @MAGIC PRICES 11/5/13
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
Here is my attempt at a super budget yet playable deck:
Name: BW Modern Tokens
Cost: $16.12 (TIMESTAMP: 6th, July 2012)
4 Intangible Virtue
4 Leyline of the Meek
Tokens Generators [18]
4 Doomed Traveler
4 Raise the Alarm
4 Spectral Procession
4 Lingering Souls
2 Midnight Haunting
4 Gideon's Lawkeeper
Spell [8]
4 Duress
4 Tragic Slip
Lands [22]
14 Plains
8 Swamp
CURVE (0-1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6+): 16 / 8 / 10 / 4 / 0 / 0
AVERAGE CMC:
TYPE: BUDGET ($20.00 LIMIT)
CURRENT COST: $16.12
REMAINING BUDGET: $3.88
How to Play:
Basically, play Doomed Traveler and Gideon's Lawkeeper early to stave off opponents attack, and once the pump spells comes into play, the flying tokens should more than overwhelm the opponent. Duress for removing spells we have problem dealing with or wrath effets, and Tragic Slip as cheap and budget creature removal spell.
Signature by Syndarion from Aeternal Studios!
[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
Name: WG Turbofog
Cost: $19.94 (TIMESTAMP: 7/6/2012)
13 Plains
11 Forest
SPELLS (36)
4 Fog
4 Pollen Lullaby
4 Howling Mine
4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Temple Bell
1 Elixir of Immortality
3 Rites of Flourishing
1 Spellbook
4 Clinging Mists
4 Ethereal Haze
2 Luminarch Ascension
1 Safe Passage
CURVE (0-1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6+): 9 / 10 / 13 / 4 / 0 / 0
AVERAGE CMC: 3.13
TYPE: Basic Budget ($20.00 limit)
CURRENT COST: $19.94
REMAINING BUDGET: $0.06
Name: WG Tight Budget Turbofog
Cost: $8.54 (TIMESTAMP: 7/6/2012)
13 Plains
11 Forest
SPELLS (36)
4 Fog
4 Pollen Lullaby
4 Howling Mine
4 Witchbane Orb
4 Temple Bell
1 Elixir of Immortality
3 Rites of Flourishing
1 Spellbook
4 Clinging Mists
4 Ethereal Haze
2 Luminarch Ascension
1 Safe Passage
CURVE (0-1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6+): 9 / 10 / 13 / 4 / 0 / 0
AVERAGE CMC: 3.13
TYPE: Tight Budget ($10.00 limit)
CURRENT COST: $8.54
REMAINING BUDGET: $1.46
NEXT NON-BUDGET UPGRADES (for both versions of the deck): Sunpetal Grove and Font of Mythos
Strategies:
- Control deck
- Play out draw Artifacts and fog attacks until opponent runs out of cards
- Luminarch Ascension is an alternate win condition
- Leyline of Sanctity is the bulk of the price but it is very necessary to hate discard/storm. Cheaper option is Witchbane Orb.
BTW how do you gets the curve and cost statistics? I feel like a fool doing mental math here.
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
Cost: $5.11 (TIMESTAMP: 7/6/2012)
9 Swamp
9 Mountain
CREATURES(34)
4 Blood Artist
3 Bloodthrone Vampire
3 Disciple of the Vault
4 Memnite
4 Mogg War Marshal
4 Myr Moonvessel
4 Myr Sire
4 Perilous Myr
4 Viscera Seer
4 Dragon Fodder
4 Kuldotha Rebirth
CURVE (0-1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6+): 19 / 20 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
AVERAGE CMC: 1.41
TYPE: Tight Budget ($10.00 limit)
CURRENT COST: $5.11
REMAINING BUDGET: $4.89
NEXT NON-BUDGET UPGRADES: Blackcleave Cliffs and Bloodghast
Strategies:
- Aggro deck
- Pump out creatures onto the table as fast as possible and turn em sideways.
- Bloodthrone Vampires and Viscera Seers combo with disciples and blood artists to win the game, but the deck can aggro well enough to not be 100% dependant on them.
[/QUOTE]
You have to do them yourself. I copied this out of another thread and made a few changes (the Standard limit is $5).
One thing I would like to see are the next non budget upgrades that still keep the deck's theme.
Basically if I had $20 I'd play this, but if I had $40 more I'd add a play set of ...
Modified the OP.
U/Name: All-Infect
Cost: $18.76 (Timestamp: 7/6/12)
4 Glistener Elf
4 Blighted Agent
4 Ichorclaw Myr
ENCHANTMENTS 4
4 Wild Defiance
SORCERIES 8
4 Distortion Strike
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Groundswell
4 Vines of Vastwood
4 Mutagenic Growth
2 Predator's Strike
1 Veil of Secrecy
3 Yavimaya Coast
4 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Pendalhaven
7 Forest
6 Island
Type: Budget
Current Cost: $18.76
Remaining Budget: $1.24
Non-Budget Upgrades:Breeding Pools, Misty Rainforests, and other duals for a more consistent manabase
Strategies:
Aggro/Combo
Use pump spells to quickly increase your opponents poison count to ten.
Wild Defiance causes all of your spells to give an additional +3/+3.
Long live CLAN FLAMINGO
Make wall support cards or a legendary wall
Winner is also Judge = 2
Club Flamingo/Megiddo's Magic Pimp Shack = 4
Here is an example budget decklist:
Name: UR Storm
Cost: $22.85 (TIMESTAMP: 7/6/2012)
4 Pyretic Ritual
4 Desperate Ritual
4 Seething Song
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Manamorphose
3 Past in Flames
4 Grapeshot
2 Empty the Warrens
4 Serum Visions
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Peer Through Depths
1 See Beyond
8 Islands
10 Mountains
TYPE: $25.00
CURRENT COST: $22.85
REMAINING BUDGET: $2.15
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: Dual Lands.
Strategies:
-Play cards.
-Play more cards.
-Storm.
-Win.
4 Violent Outburst
4 Ardent Plea
4 Riftwing Cloudskate
4 Detritivore
4 Nihilith
4 Manabarbs
2 Reminisce
4 Firewild Borderpost
4 Mistvein Borderpost
4 Veinfire Borderpost
4 Wildfield Borderpost
4 Evolving Wilds
2 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Swamp
$4.58 on 2012-07-07
Strategy
- Play 1 land, replace it with a border post. Repeat every turn.
- Suspend a creature or two. Nihiliths and Cloudskates are best, save Detritivores for late game.
- As soon as you have the mana, play a cascade spell into a Restore Balance, wiping all lands and creatures your opponent has. If you can, bounce your own land with a Cloudskate.
- Drop Manabarbs so they hurt as they try to rebuild. You get most your mana from borderposts, so you don't care.
- Eventually some of your creatures will unsuspend and finish them off.
- If the game goes long, Reminisce to shuffle your cascade spells and balances back in.
The next step up replaces the Detritivores with Greater Gargadon. At this point we now deserve the 'Gargageddon' moniker.
4 Violent Outburst
4 Ardent Plea
4 Greater Gargadon
4 Riftwing Cloudskate
4 Nihilith
4 Manabarbs
2 Reminisce
4 Firewild Borderpost
4 Mistvein Borderpost
4 Veinfire Borderpost
4 Wildfield Borderpost
4 Evolving Wilds
2 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Swamp
$9.54 on 2012-07-07
This version is more consistent. It does not tend to leave lands on your board (sac them to the Gargadon), so the Restore Balances are more effective. And at 9 power when they unsuspend, they close out the game much faster.
Strategy
- Same, but try to get a Gargadon suspended as soon as you can. Turn 1 is actually ideal.
Next step is replacing Cloudskates with Bloodbraid Elves
4 Violent Outburst
4 Ardent Plea
4 Greater Gargadon
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Nihilith
4 Manabarbs
2 Reminisce
4 Firewild Borderpost
4 Mistvein Borderpost
4 Veinfire Borderpost
4 Wildfield Borderpost
4 Evolving Wilds
2 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Swamp
$14.58 on 2012-07-07
The Bloodbraids serve as additional chances to cascade into Restore Balance or as ramp by hitting Borderposts. Again, this adds some consistency. The downside is that you have slightly fewer tricks than the Cloudskates provide, and unless you've also got a Gargadon suspended, you risk leaving the opponent with a creature of their own on the field after a Balance.
The final upgrade is to $25, which is more or less the full version I actually play. At this point the Nihiliths come out, being replaced by a pair each of Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas and Ajani Vengeant
4 Violent Outburst
4 Ardent Plea
4 Greater Gargadon
4 Bloodbraid Elves
2 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
2 Ajani Vengeant
4 Manabarbs
2 Reminisce
4 Firewild Borderpost
4 Mistvein Borderpost
4 Veinfire Borderpost
4 Wildfield Borderpost
4 Evolving Wilds
2 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Swamp
$25.08 on 2012-07-07.
Nihilith is a good beater with synergy in the deck, but you'd prefer not to have creatures on the field unless you're about to win, and Tezzert and Ajani both offer much better utility to the deck. Tezzert is card advantage (more borderposts) or damage every turn, and the ultimate is generally a deal closer. Ajani keeps tapped problematic artifacts like Vials or lands that escaped a Balance and his minus abilities can buy time and serve as a secondary replacement Balance if necessary.
Strategy Differences
- Same basic game plan. Suspend, Cascade into Balance.
- Tezzeret should +1 until you have at least 5-6 borderposts out, then -4 for the 20+ swing in life. Don't -2 unless you really need a blocker.
- Ajani should generally +1 a troublesome artifact, creature, or land, until you can -7. -2 if needed, to buy a turn to hit another Restore Balance.
Final potential upgrades
The only thing I might do further with this deck is to replace the Reminisces with Loaming Shaman. He offers a body and control over what goes back, at the downside of leaving another potential body around that needs to be sac'd to get best utility of out of Balance. Liliana of the Veil could possibly replace Ajani Vengeant, but thus far I've found Ajani useful enough that I'm not terribly tempted. Liliana's utility meshes well with the deck, but the double B can make her hard to play if you don't get the right combo of borderposts and lands.
Zealous Persecution is one sick card :D, I never knew this card existed so thanks for pointing it out.
I'll probably pull the Leylines out and stick this in if it goes into the maindeck. Otherwise it'll be a crazily good sideboard card against other aggro decks - especially weenies matchups ;).
Signature by Syndarion from Aeternal Studios!
[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
Name:Crypt of the Damned
Cost: $17.55 (Timestamp: 7/8/12)
Creatures
4 Bloodghast
3 Narcomoeba
4 Architects of Will
2 Jhessian Zombies
1 Igneous Pouncer
1 Monstrous Carabid
4 Rotting Rats
4 Extractor Demon
3 Golgari Thug
4 Stinkweed Imp
3 Darkblast
Sorcery
2 Army of the Damned
4 Grim Discovery
Enchantments
4 Zombie Infestation
Lands
4 Crypt of Agadeem
4 Dakmor Salvage
12 Swamps
Strategies
Dredge yourself with a Crypt of Agadeem and 2 swamps.
Flashback either Army of the Damned or Unearth Extractor Demons and Rotting Rats. Use Demon to mill self and swing in for damage.
Also have a ton of fun while doing so.
Name: RW Norin the Wary
Timestamp: 7/8/2012
Cost: $8.13
4 Norin the Wary
4 Glitterfang
4 Soul's Attendant
4 Soul Warden
4 Suture Priest
4 Mentor of the Meek
4 Ajani's Pridemate
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Disenchant
Artifacts: 4
4 Genesis Chamber
Lands: 20
1 Kher Keep
7 Mountains
12 Plains
Strategy: Drop a Genesis Chamber and/or any amount of Soul Attendants and Soul Wardens and have your side of the board pile up as Norin and Glitterfang repeatedly come into play. Then, overwhelm the opponent with your massive Ajani's Pridemate or army of myrs or watch the enemy slowly wear themself away with each creature they play to keep up with your Suture Priests.
Non-budget improvements: Champion of the Parish is a huge one, I'd say him first. Path to Exile, Dual Lands, Ranger of Eos, Proclamation of Rebirth, Ghostly Prison and Serra's Ascendant are all worthwhile.
BUDGET = 30$
4 Aether Adept - 0.04
4 Mist Raven - 0.04
4 Murderous Redcap - $2
4 Keldon Marauders - 0.32
4 Mulldrifter - $0.84
4 Sea Gate Oracle - $0.08
4 Augur of Bolas - $1.28
Spells:35 - $5.55
4 Lightning Bolt - $0.20
4 Rift Bolt - $2.88
4 Incinerate - $0.36
2 Searing Spear - $0.10
3 Counsel of the Soratami - $0.03
3 Divination - $0.03
3 Flame Slash - $0.15
4 Flame Javelin - 1.72
4 Aether Tradewinds - $0.04
4 Peel from reality - $0.04
4 Crumbling Necropolis - 2.48
4 Terramorphic Expanse - 0.32
3 Evolving Wilds - 0.15
4 Shivan Reef - $12.28
4 Izzet Boilerworks - $0.60
9 Islands
9 Mountains
Total --> $25.98
Rift Bolts more expensive than real bolt. Go figure.
8 July 12 20:00
58 Forest
4 Lost in the woods
62 cards because you want to be able to mill them out even if they choose for you to go first. No serum powder, because what happens if you reveal one off the lost in the woods? You'd be found! You'd no longer be lost! Until the next attack at the least, but at that point I think your just trying to get lost.
Cost: 200 cents on 4:40 July 8th 2012
DECK: RRed Deck WinsR
COST: $17.12 ($19.01 with sideboard)
Timestamp: 09/07/12
17 Mountains - FREE
2 Teetering Peaks - .02c
1 Keldon Megaliths - .10c
CREATURES (20)
4 Mogg Fanatic - .60c
4 Keldon Marauders - .36c
4 Hellspark Elemental - 2.68
4 Grim Lavamancer - $3.76
4 Stormblood Berserker - $1.40
4 Rift Bolt - $2.88
4 Lightning Bolt - .20c
4 Incinerate - .36c
4 Flame Javelin - $1.72
4 Shrine of Burning Rage - $3.04
Even add in the sideboard and not break the budget.
2 Volcanic Fallout - .50c
2 Dismember - .88c
2 Dragon's Claw - .02c
1 Manic Vandal - .01c
2 Smash to Smithereens - .38c
4 Pyrite Spellbomb - .08c
Strategies:
-Basic RDW Deck
-Turn Creatures, Burn Creatures
-Spells target both creatures and players for versatility
Great example of how you can play a fast, consistent deck against the Tier 1 expensive decks and do well.
Only thing left to do is upgrade the Hellsparks into Goblin Guides for $14.60!
Cost: $4.93 (Timestamp: 7/10/12)
4x Invisible Stalker
4x Kor Spiritdancer
4x Slippery Bogle
4x Tallowisp
4x Convincing Mirage
4x Spreading Seas
4x Hyena Umbra
2x Shielding Plax
4x Spectral Flight
3x Crystallization
3x Spirit Mantle
11x Island
9x Plains
Strategy: Play small creatures, make them bigger, draw cards, bash unblockable/flying face. Mana fixing/disruption included.
Upgrades: Elspeth, Knight-Errant, Jace Beleren, Ajani, Caller of the Pride, Geist of Saint Traft, Sigil of the Empty Throne, Hallowed Fountain and Fetchlands.
GW/R Enchantress (Legacy) R/WG
RW/G/ Norin The Champion/Norin the Artist (Modern) B//WR
GU Eternal Bouncing Command (Modern) UG
WUBRG Wish On A Stick (Modern) GRBUW
Cost: $4.96 (TIMESTAMP: 12 July 2012)'
4x Ninja of the Deep Hours
3x Mistblade Shinobi
Turn 1 Enablers
4x Ornithopter
4x Zephyr Sprite
3x Cloud Sprite
4x Latchkey Faerie
4x Spellstutter Sprite
Control
3x Familiar's Ruse
3x Mana Leak
3x Echoing Truth
4x Distortion Strike
2x Perilous Research
Lands
15x Islands
4x Ghost Quarter
TYPE: $5.00 Deck
CURRENT COST: $4.96
REMAINING BUDGET: $0.04
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: Swords of x/x
Strategies:
Use one of the 10 turn 1 flyers to enable quick ninjas, all the while backing your critters up with control magic.
GB Death Cloud ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| R Peasant Kuldotha
W Soul Sisters ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| U Pauper Faeninja
UR Affinity |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| G Ezuri EDH
B Pox |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| R Norin EDH
Cost: $16.20 (TIMESTAMP: 15 July 2012)
10x Forest
2x Island
4x Ghost Quarter - $0.48
Creatures (4)
1x Laboratory Maniac - $0.13
3x Etherium Sculptor - $2.79
Spells (40)
4x Ancient Stirrings - $0.04
4x Chromatic Sphere - $0.08
4x Chromatic Star - $0.84
4x Conjurer's Bauble - $0.08
4x Edge of Autumn - $0.12
3x Elsewhere Flask - $0.06
1x Exsanguinate - $0.02
4x Faith's Reward - $2.76
3x Ichor Wellspring - $0.03
4x Krark-Clan Ironworks - $1.56
1x Pyrite Spellbomb - $0.03
4x Second Sunrise - $6.36
2x Sylvok Replica - $0.02
4x Determined (Bound/Determined) - $0.80
TYPE: COMPETITIVE BUDGET ($20.00 Limit)
CURRENT COST: $16.20
REMAINING BUDGET: $3.80
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: None that I can tell. Non-basic dual lands won't work.
Overview
This is a modern Sunrise (Primer link), aka "Eggs" variant. Instead of going blue for Reshape into Lotus Bloom, which is too expensive, it goes green for Ancient Stirrings.
Strategies:
1) Establish mana engine
- Use Ancient Stirring early to search for a Krark-Clan Ironworks, Ghost Quarter or a land (in that priority order). If your hand is already full of lands (16 land deck means that's pretty rare), grab any 'card draw' artifact (aka Eggs) instead.
- Edge of Autumn should ramp for an Island for any Etherium Sculptors in hand/soon to be drawn.
2) Survive until mana engine is in play (Krark-Clan Ironworks, or 2 Ghost Quarters)
- Without Ironworks or Quarters, the combo doesn't generate enough mana to be recursive. This is usually achieved around turn 4.
- Chump-block (if you've got one), break eggs to draw, then play a Sunrise/Reward to get them all back in the same turn.
3) With a mana engine in place, start the combo: sac artifacts for mana, fix with eggs, draw, drop more eggs, Sunrise/Reward and repeat.
- Primer suggests expensive Banefire. Exsanguinate is cheap, causes loss of life (sidesteps damage prevention), and doesn't target your opponent (sidesteps Leyline of Sanctity)/Witchbane Orb. Plus it makes playing this deck in multiplayer hilarious.
Low-Cost: 3.64 as of 2012/07/18
4 Prickly Boggart
4 Nightshade Stinger
4 Oona's Blackguard
4 Looter il-Kor
3 Oona's Prowler
3 Stinkdrinker Bandit
4 Doom Blade
4 Duress
4 Noggin Whack
4 Mana Leak
3 Evolving Wilds
7 Island
12 Swamp
TYPE: EXTREME BUDGET ($5.00 LIMIT)
CURRENT COST: $3.64
REMAINING BUDGET: $1.36
NEXT NON BUDGET UPGRADES: Darkslick Shore and Watery Grave for consistency
Strategy:
-Aggro-Control
-Cheap, evasive creatures ensure Prowl triggers
-Oona's Blackguard and Stinkdrinker Bandit can end games really quickly
I am playing this deck for a while now (with a better mana base) and it is the fastest budget deck I ever played. I only now realised how very budget it really is