Hello all and welcome to this week's 'Budget Brews'! Winning is nice, but it isn’t our main goal here at Budget Brews. Instead we just try to have some fun! We tackle a few different ways to build here at Budget Brews. We either look at trying to make the more competitive decks cheaper on the wallet, or we just come up with something new that’s easy on the wallet!
It's been a couple of weeks that I've have been without a computer so I'm sorry that I haven't been able to type anything up for you. Thanks to my ever loving wife, I'm back in action and ready to brew up some all stars on a budget!
Before I do that though, I want to go over a few things. I know that a bunch of articles I have written lately had to do with Ad Nauseam Combo and going to SCG Syracuse with it. I didn't do great. I ended up going 5-4 losing to Kiki-Evolution, Jund, Infect, and Grixis Control. I won versus the decks you'd expect Ad Nauseam to win against: R/G Tron, Zoo, Bant Control, Bring to Light Scapeshift, and Death's Shadow. Overall the experience was great and I had a great time. SCG does nothing but put on great events and I always look forward to go to anything with the SCG brand name.
Moving Forward:
In the past I've just kind of used and done anything to make a deck. Moving forward I want to implement some hard and fast rules.
1: No decks over $100 U.S.. Sorry northern neighbours, I live in the U.S. and am more used to the prices. I know this around $130 - $140 Canadian, and I accept this.
2: No cards over $5. This might be the toughest rule to follow . In the past, many of my decks have featured a few heavy hitting expensive cards supported by many cheaper cards.
3. No Sideboard. I'm going to stop doing them. Sideboards are all meta dependent, and budget dependent. My meta is going to be different than yours. I will give some suggestions in the article where needed however.
Now, on to the brewing!
As per usual, with Standard getting ready for a new set to be released and two sets rotating out we're looking at a whole new format so I'm not really feeling like brewing anything with it. We're going to be looking at Modern, and nothing blue based this time either.
White / Black Tokens!
It's something I've played in the past, and it can be a pretty fun deck to play. If you're into flooding the field and punishing your opponent for using one for one removal, then Tokens might be a strategy for you.
All told the deck should run around $90 Canadian (Under budget! WOO! Actually, this is where the Sideboard would come in).
We're packing a full twenty four token generators that each make at least two knuckleheads, plus Timely Reinforcements which could make zero or three tokens but catch you up on life, if needed.
I'd call these the “All-Stars” of the token generators.
Lingering Souls we all know is value city, and has been pushing Modern Junk [Abzan] decks over the winning line more often than not.
Raise the Alarm I rate this card highly because it's instant speed. Making two guys at the end of their turn is amazing, and it's even better if you're able to follow it up with an Intangible Virtue
Triplicate Spirits I have in the deck a two of. It's an interesting spell. Convoke can be pretty crazy. Since we have so many creatures, it shouldn't really be a problem to get 3 1/1 Fliers for only 2 mana. Value? Value.
Sorin, Solemn Visitor and Vault of the Archangel are two must haves for the deck. Sorin was pretty much an auto-include once the card was released. Both these two cards give your creatures lifelink. Pound for pound your opponents creatures are going to be better. They're going to be bigger, tougher, and just... better. You're going to need to stay stable in the life department, and these two cards doit for you.
Vault of the Archangel has the added benefit of giving your little 1/1's deathtouch. While they're swinging in with 4/5's or 6/6's or whatever else, you're able to stave them off with 1/1's and trade in battle. This is a good thing, since you're going to be spamming the board with more creatures than them, lots more.
Sideboard
As promised, I'm going to give my thoughts on some sideboard options for the deck.
If you're afraid of sweepers,Selfless Spirit is where you're going to want to be. While it can't protect your team from something like Languish, it will protect them from Supreme Verdict with ease.
Tidehollow Sculler is a favourite of mine in the black and white colours. It might not be Thoughtseize but it can disrupt your opponent's hand enough to give your guys a chance.
Duress is something else that could easily be put into any black sideboard. Need to beat control? Discard is probably your best bet.
Upgrades
Bitterblossom obviously. An early Bitterblossom helps you keep the creatures flowing no matter what happens, and the life gain from Sorin, Solemn Visitor and Vault of the Archangel will help stem the blood flow.
Path to Exile is a strict upgrade to the Condemn we're playing.
Auriok Champion She's a Soul Sister and she's very hard to deal with. She is also pretty expensive. It seems being able to dodge Lightning Bolt and Abrupt Decay means you're valuable.
Hero of Bladehold instead of the Auriok Champion, is a little more on the aggressive side and is only a few dollars outside of our $5 for a card rule. She's a token maker, and buffs your guys at the same time. Muy Bueno in my book.
The last thing that would be an upgrade would be Fetches and Shocks: Marsh Flats and Godless Shrine. Isolated Chapel would also be quite easy to find a home in the deck.
Thanks for joining me while I try to Untap the Multiverse!
Have an idea for something you'd like me to brew up? Give me a shout in the comments!
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