facebook

CoolStuffInc.com

MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction available now!
   Sign In
Create Account

Budget Commander #74 ? Zoyowa?s Cheap Group Slug

Reddit

Hello awesome Commander fans who don't have much of a budget! Welcome to the next installment of my Budget Series! It's also my third Commander article in the newly released LCI set! Each article's budget must come in at or under the previous one, a Yenna deck. that cost just $32.14! Nicely done! As someone who was unemployed for a while, I know what being on a budget is actually like, therefore, enter this series!

So...who am I building around here?

Zoyowa Lava-Tongue

This two-drop uncommon Rakdos that costs 49 cents. I have never tried a Rakdos Group Slug in this series before so let's see if I can make it work! Also did you note that he has deathtouch, so he plays keep away. At the end of your end step, if you descended which means anything from discarding to sacrificing a dork, you can trigger him, and your foes will discard or sac and if they can't they'll shoot themselves in the face for three damage each.

Mana, Ramp, Lands

Even though I have a limited barely more than $30 budget I always start with mana first and really emphasize it, since I want this to be playable and cheap. Let's start this thing! I'll give you the breakdown cost here under a heading:

0.75:

0.49:

0.35:

0.25:

0.15:

Since our leader costs two mana, we don't need rocks with the right amount of mana to accelerate his dropping, instead I am running on theme stuff, like Commander's Sphere and Stonespeaker Crystal. The three-drop common can tap for all of our colors so it's a Rakdos Signet here. Then you can sacrifice it for free to draw a card and trigger your leader's descend EOT trigger. That's why I am running things like Rakdos Locket and Mind Stone. This uncommon taps for two colorless and you can tap it with two mana to exile all other graveyards and then draw that card as well!

Armillary Sphere costs two, sacrifices for two with a tap, and then you can tutor up two basics and toss them into your hand! Terramorphic Expanse gets you a land tapped, and this pair will trigger your commander!

Barren Moor
Hidden Necropolis

Now let's turn to this Black tapping ETB tapped common pair that are part of a cycle! The former will cycle for a Black to go from your hand to your graveyard to trigger your dork and then draw a card too. I have all six non-rare cyclers here as well since they are all pretty cheap. The latter one was just printed and then you can tap it with five mana to sacrifice to get a free discover 4, which is card value since you can draw it if it's not feasible unlike cascade 4, and then you can trigger your leader!

Now let's turn to special lands! Geier Reach Sanitarium taps for colorless, arrives untapped, and then taps with two to have everyone draw and discard, and if you discard a permanent, you'll trigger Zoyowa! Then I also tossed in uncommon everyone discards Rakdos land Rix Maadi. Field of Ruin taps for colorless too, can be tapped with two and sacrificed to destroy another nonbasic and everyone ramps out a basic from their library untapped, so it's a multiplayer-friendly Wasteland.

Total after this section - $7.78

Card Flow

Normally at this stage I wouldn't move to card flow next, but In Budget Commanders I want to make sure I can draw the good stuff, so let's turn to it now!

0.99:

0.49:

0.35:

0.25:

0.15:

We have a few ways to draw cards that are cheap in this color combo - life for cards in Black, impulsive card flow in Red where you exile from the top of your library but have a limited cast window, rummaging in Red to discard and draw, and then sacrifice for cards in Black. I am running everything but impulsive stuff here. Let's start with my instant speed sacrifice for cards like Village Rites or the just-printed Fanatical Offering! It costs two, sacrifices an artifact or dork to trigger Zoyowa, draws two and then make a Map for future sacrifice or card flow.

The discard to draw is good since you can trigger Zoyowa if you discard a permanent. Bitter Reunion will discard one, draw two on arrival to the battlefield, and then you can sac it for one mana to give your stuff haste for the turn, so you can trigger descend twice over two turns here.

Brass's Tunnel-Grinder
Tecutlan, the Searing Rift

Now let's turn to this rare land just printed in this set as well! It costs four for an artifact and when it ETBs you can discard any number of card and draw that many plus one! That's nasty card flow here. Then in your end step you can put a bore counter here if you descended and then after three, you can transform it to the Searing Rift which can tap for Red and then when you use it for a permanent, likely here, you get a free discover trigger equal to its mana value!! Nasty card flow and synergy here in one card!

Plundering Predator costs five, has a 3/3 flying body to swing and win, and an ETB trigger with you discarding and drawing a card, which is a may effect. It's only been printed in a Jumpstart as a common, but is just a quarter on the secondary market. I like it here as a body that can be sacrificed and then trigger your dork twice wth the discard first.

Faithless Looting so good it was banned in many formats where legal. Also note that this Commander Classic is actually cheap on the seconday market here. You draw two and then discard two too, so it's better than Red's normal discard to draw.

Total after this section - $12.59

Answers

Now let's turn to answers next rather than synergies to make sure I have enough interaction to stay alive!

0.75:

0.49:

0.25:

0.20:

0.15:

Into the Core
Feed the Swarm

Let's start this section with this targeted removal pair. The instant is a Budget Commander Staple for me since you can answer, at instant speed, two artifacts permanently by exiling them and that's two for one for less than a quarter. The sorcery costs two, answers any creature or enchantment and then you'll lose life equal to its mana value. I wanted to drop it here since it's the only targeted enchantment removal spell here in my colors.

Now let's turn to a synergetic removal pair. Every deck needs mass removal, even a budget one like this, so I tossed in Terror Tide. This four-cost rare will sweep all creatures by giving them power and toughness reductions equal to your permanent in your graveyard. Since we are filling it out, that should be a lot! This will slip past indestructible dorks since they'll die too. Fatal Grudge will sacrifice a nonland and draw you a card to replace it. Then your foes have to sacrifice something that shares a type with it, so if you sacrifice a creature, your foes will each sacrifice a creature too. Note that scales up as you do against more foes and will trigger your leader.

Let's finish with removal on stick options! Can you see why Shriekmaw is here? He is here to spend two, kill something, then trigger your leader and recur later. I am also running Ingot Chewer that does this too. Then the Edicts like Fleshbag Marauder on sticks are all here since they will sacrifice your stuff or themselves and then Edict everyone else too, so you can get a great removal effect that counts as descending for you too. Great group to end this with!

Total after this section - $15.83

First Run of Key Synergies and Winning Conditions

We won't hit this section hard I just want to run key stuff this first run through.

1.99:

0.99:

0.49:

0.25:

0.20:

0.15:

Now let's turn to synergies and win cons and we'll start with other things with descend EOT triggers. The Fungus Broodrage Mycoid costs four, drops as a 4/3, and EOT you'll make a free 1/1 Fungus token that cannot block. Since you are getting a free token EOT, this is sacrifice fodder or going wide to win too. Child of the Volcano costs four for a 3/3 trampling body. EOT you get a free +1/+1 counter on it if you descended, and with trample, that should win pretty quickly as you focus on growing this for a win in the Red zone or to finish off wounded players. See also the menace three-drop Deep Goblin Skulltaker that also wins.

Wound Reflection
Chainer, Nightmare Adept

The enchantment costs six for a mono-Black synergy. Each time your foes lose life they lose double. That's a backup win con for your combat damage or EOT descend trigger with your Commander. The creature costs four in Rakdos colors for a 3/2. You can discard a card from your hand and then cast a dork from your graveyard, but just once per turn. Whenever a nontoken critter ETBs under your control, if it wasn't cast from your hand it gains haste, so that works for your free graveyard casts! It's here for a free discard that doesn't require mana or tapping, discard to trigger your leader, and then recur with haste what you discarded if a dork or cast something else instead!

Rankle, Master of Pranks has flying and haste on an on-curve 3/3 body. It can swing immediately at open stuff and has a combat damage trigger for everyone! You can all discard a card, lose a life and draw a card, or sacrifice a dork! That trio of removal, draw, or discard is great here with your discards of permanents triggering your descend as well as sacrificing or you can just have everyone draw.

When Starving Revenant ETBs, you surveil two and then for each card you put on top of your library you draw it and lose three life or you can trigger your stuff with a descend surveil. Whenever you go to draw a card, if you have at least eight permanents then your foes you'll lose a life and you'll gain it, so that's winnowing life drain here. That's pretty likely here.

Total after this section - $21.82 with 15 cards left heading to the next key section.

Group Slug Stuff

1.49:

1.25:

0.99:

0.75:

0.49:

0.35:

Sulfuric Vortex
Pain Magnification

Now let's turn to Group Slug stuff with these two uncommon Rakdos three-drop enchantments, The mono-Red one will have everyone take two damage in their upkeep, you too! Then if someone would gain life they instead don't so this shuts down life gain to get out of your life loss effects. The Rakdos one has a trigger. When you would deal three or more damage from a single source of yours to a foe, they'll discard too. Our Commander's descend trigger can shoot them for three and now they'll discard and most of our creatures have at least three power so that'll strip out cards too.

Now let's turn to mono-Black rare five cost enchantments! Painful Quandary is a trigger when your foes cast any spell, they can lose 5 life unless they discard a card, and with all of our discards that could be loads of life loss. Polluted Bonds is a landfall trigger for your foes and they will lose two life and you'll gain it back too, so it's a break on mass land drop rampers.

Let's turn to mono-Red dorks! Sin Prodder costs three for an on-curve 3/2 with menace. In your upkeep you'll reveal the top card of your libray and then draw it unless your foe loses life equal to it's mana cost. Either you'll draw or they'll take damage and you'll mill it maybe triggering descend, either way its good for you!

Just printed, Scytheclaw Raptor has a bigger 4/3 body with a disadvantage for everyone. When someone casts a spell other than on their turn, they are shot for a massive four damage to their face!! We only have a handful of instants here, since this is a permanent heavy brew! You can save your Into the Cores until your turn. But how is your foe interacting with things like Heroic Intervention or Counterspell with you? Get it? Great!

Total after this section - $29.20 - With 5 cards left

I have $2.94 so I have a budget of around a bulk rare each card left and some for lands. This is where I often run my synergy I liked but wasn't key of my cards I already ran. I could also run key Group Slug, card flow, ramping or answers that I missed in my stuff. For example, I cut in the numbers for ramp the budget friendly Burnished Hart that costs just a quarter since you can sac It for two lands ramped and then it counts as a creature in your graveyard for things that care, but just a quarter when I have almost three bucks free in five cards?

0.75:

0.49:

0.25:

Oversold Cemetery
Cryptolith Fragment
Aurora of Emrakul

Now let's turn to this pair of stuff. See why the enchantment was added? With it here, you can Raise Dead in your upkeep for free without casting or using any resources if you have at least four dorks in your graveyard. See how great that is here? The Fragment arrives tapped and taps for any color and drains everyone (you too) of life loss and is a Group Slug classic. It transforms if everyone has less than 10 life - hard with a 40-life starting format like Commander - but becomes a 1/4 flying deathtouch to play keep away from bigger things and then when it swings you gain a trio of life. Strong stuff here!

Total after this section - $31.63

0.25:

Total after this section - $32.13 - one cent fewer!!!

Zoyowa Budget Group Slug | Commander | Abe Sargent

I hope you enjoyed this budget brew! Other more pricey options include Expedition Map, Bitter Triumph, Living Death, Nihil Spellbomb (0.99), Diabolic Intent, Liliana of the Veil, Angrath, the Flame-Chained, Stalactite Stalker (1.49), Bloodletter of Aclazotz, and the Monarch making Court of Ambition! You can dig and do a deep dive your own cards for a Zoyowa Group Slug deck for cheap stuff!

Budget Commander Appendix

If you enjoyed today's cheap Selesnya Rabit making build, great! Here are the first 65 Budget Commander Options for your wallet-friendly happiness and joy:

  1. We kicked things off with Brion Stoutarm came in at $37.71
  2. Next up was Ghave, Guru of Spores, with a budget of $36.48, is a lot of fun!
  3. Talrand, Sky Summoner - $49.37. I increased the budget for this project due to the nature of the challenge, and it's the only entry in the series where the cost is increased rather than decreased.
  4. Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius is the next for our list rocking that $36.37 pricetag.
  5. Princess Lucrezia and Riven Turnbull feature in this fun throwback Commander deck that is just $35.68.
  6. Roon of the Hidden Realm demonstrates one of the Commander 2013 dorks in a $35.29 shell.
  7. Vhati il-Dal runs the table for just $35.17. It's also one of the more unique entries in this project.
  8. With all of the latest draconic lovin', Bladewing the Risen comes just a few cents less at $35.13. http://www.gatheringmagic.com/abesargent-042114-budget-commander-8-budget-bladewing/
  9. Lu Xun, Scholar General may not be a powerhouse, but there's enough utility under here to spark a very interesting EDH deck for just $35.07.
  10. Bosh, Iron Golem was a fun mono-red artifact centric deck that hits $35.06. That's right, one cent cheaper! It's a fun and different take on artifacts than good ol' Brago will be next.
  11. Brago, King Eternal is featured with a different artifact theme and a $35.04 budget.
  12. Let's finally get below that $35 mark with Lin Sivvi and her rebel horde! $34.98 for the witness.
  13. Wedges are cool. So is Teneb, the Harvester! $34.94 gets us a deck that wins and has fun.
  14. Who likes Surrak Dragonclaw? Who likes making a face-smashing deck for just $34.83? This guy!
  15. Tolsimir Wolfblood? $34.73? Selesnya aggro? We've got it in spades!
  16. Alesha, Who Smiles at Death is ready to bring some serious recursion, beats, and a modest budget to boot at $34.62.
  17. Want to Dragon up your deck? Why not roll with Dragonlord Kolaghan for $34.47.
  18. Who's thumping those mono-green beats with the Yeva, Nature's Herald stylings? Who clocks in at just $34.39? This article!
  19. Want to donate some stuff, play some politics, and draw a ton of cards? Then check out this Zedruu the Greathearted deck that came in at $34.29.
  20. I have a notion that a Five Color deck would be a fun budget challenge. Horde of Notions is a blast of Elemental fun that clocks in at $34.17. Check it out!
  21. Five color doesn't have to end with tribes. There are so many options that this Five Color Cromat deck with a bit of a smash-y board presence is ready to introduce itself to the red zone, and to winning. It also is just $34.20.
  22. Sometimes it's really nice to see how far we can push a popular commander with a cheaper budget. That's where this Nekusar, the Mindrazer deck comes in, clocking in at $34.03
  23. With a budget of just $33.98, this Daxos of Meletis deck is pretty cool without being too expensive. Check it out!
  24. We have a Snake flavored Kaseto, Orochi Archmage deck with a lot of fun, Snakes, and budget goodness at $33.91.
  25. Nahiri, the Lithomancer is calling for an equipment and Solider focused mono-white build that's just $33.85.
  26. Who's Born to be Wild? Mina and Denn are! Check out this Gruul Smash deck with lands and fun for just $33.75.
  27. Gods are cool, especially when they make you berries, fruits, and tasty veggies. Karametra, God of Harvests might fetch you a lot of lands and good times, but she won't set back your wallet. Check out her budget build, clocking in at $33.74
  28. She beats with auras and fun, sailing over her foes. It's Bruna, Light of Alabaster! She's bringing a strong game at a cheap $33.69.
  29. Rosheen Meanderer at $33.63 clocks in with a bunch of X spells and activations with a different take on the classic Elf-Ball deck.
  30. We take a look at a very old school sort of guy, Boris Devilboon, from the original Legends set, and then build a $33.58 deck around our good demonic friends.
  31. It's time for a bit of an Orzhov Control loving, built around Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts and featuring a ton of removal, control, and more, all for the low, low price of $33.56.
  32. Captain Sisay leads a fun, legendary infused deck that has a lot of great cards and synergy, but a light price, checking in at $33.46.
  33. Ertai, the Corrupted sacrifices creatures and enchantments to counter spells. For $33.35, we have a great control-esque deck with some groovy sacrificing love.
  34. With a modest budget of $33.32, Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis have a fun event and morph focused theme, without running a bunch of cards from their Commander 2016 Appearance. Check them out!
  35. Built around the Old-School combo of Prodigal Sorcerer and Fungusaur, this Commander deck features a number of cards that deal damage to your own creatures so they get better. It clocks in at a humble $33.26.
  36. With a Golgari Toughness-Matters theme, this Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper deck won't hurt your budget, but will do some damage for $33.15.
  37. Grenzo, Dungeon Warden goes all crazy with graveyard and deck restocking shenanigans for a cheap $33.12. We even have an infinite combo in here!
  38. Commander 2017 brings some powerful new options for Commander players everywhere. I put together a multiplayer-friendly control deck around Mathas, Fiend Seeker for just $33.10.
  39. Don't you love the Izzet madness of Arjun, the Shifting Flame? No deck has more card drawing, or card drawing triggers, than this one! It clocks in at $33.04.
  40. It doesn't have to be Halloween for you to enjoy the Monster Mash. Here we have a Grusilda, Monster Mash deck that enjoys mashing your dorks together, but not mashing your budget. It clocks in at $32.98
  41. Don't Shatter your Budget with this build of the Shattergang Brothers, who's sacrificial ways won't sacrifice wallet, and just cost $32.94.
  42. I saw Muldrotha, the Gravetide and I just fell in love with that face. Who wouldn't? Here's a graveyard abuse deck that won't break your bank, just your battlefield. And maybe some friendships. It was $32.89.
  43. Who likes some Saprolings and having Fungal Fun? I do! Slimefoot, the Stowaway leads this cheap, flavorful deck that clocks in at $32.80. Every addition to the deck has to support the flavor of the Fungal concepts!
  44. Who wants to untap and en-creature Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle? Who wants a fun budget build that's just $32.77? ME!
  45. Next up is a budget build of Emmara, Soul of the Accord which is cheap and clocks in at $32.77. Check out it's token majesty!
  46. I randomly selected Kefnet the Mindful for a random Commander challenge, and was inspired to combine my two series and build a Budget Commander deck around card-drawing and fun times with Kefnet! Check it out and it's $32.73 glory.
  47. Let's build a fun graveyard and Mono-Green build around my second Portal: Three Kingdoms leader - Hua Tuo, Honored Physician. I really like this build, and for just $32.65, I hope you will too!
  48. I built a fun budget Burn and Life gain deck around Firesong and Sunspeaker for a price tag of only $32.57! Want to check it out?
  49. I built a fun deck around the partners Gorm the Great and Virtus the Veiled. This deck ran some cool cards, including the old school Basilisk and Lure combos. But it only cost $32.51. Don't you wanna check it out? Of course ya do!
  50. For my 50th Budget Commander article, I decide to do something crazy! Let's build a Warrior themed deck around a very expensive Najeela, the Blade-Blossom, rather than my normal way of a budget leader. We come in at $42.45. You know you want to read it...
  51. Want a Naya Gold deck? Literally? Built around the multicolored loving Rienne, Angel of Rebirth. It clocks it at $32.39. I know you want to find out how I ever could do that! Check it out!
  52. I built a fun +1/+1 counter and enchantment-matters build around Eutropia the Twice-Favored for $32.33. Don't you wanna check it out?
  53. I took the Skirmish deck I designed, Defy Death, and turned it into a Commander deck featuring Tariel, Reckoner of Souls for $32.28. Take a look and see what you think!
  54. I created a fun token creature deck around Akim, the Soaring Wind from Commander 2020. It came in at $32.27! Enjoy it here!
  55. I built a Mono-Blue scry and flying matters deck around the partners Eligeth, Crossroads Augur and Siani, Eye of the Storm, that came in under $32.23. It was fun! You can find it here!
  56. I love a good crazy Commander to build around, like Hans Eriksson. My version of him ran cards like enrage led Dinosaurs, and mid-range cards you'd want to drop onto the battlefield with aplomb. The deck came in at $32.29. Want to check it out?
  57. For my Selensya fans I built this crazy life gain and going wide build around Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn! It came in at $32.27 just two cents fewer than #56! Enjoy it here!
  58. I built a big spells matter and ramp Simic deck around partners from Commander Legends Brinelin, the Moon Kraken and Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood. It features X spells like Hydras and big spells a go go! The budget? Just $32.73! Check it out here.
  59. If you want to check out a cheap Orzhov +1/+1 Counters Matter brew, great! I've got you covered! I built around Shaile, Dean of Radiance and Embrose, Dean of Shadow. The total for this awesome build is $32.68. You can view it here.
  60. This deck came in at $32.65 and it's a Peasant version Axelrod Gunnsaron from the first set that introduced legendary stuff. This one lets you use the version from Legends instead of Chronicles and it's a powerful Rakdos deck that uses ways to trigger Axelrod's ability like giving him ping effects like Fire Whip, deathtouch ones like Bladebrand, and I built the rest of the deck around deathtouchers and pingers. You can check it out here.
  61. Coming in at $32.60 was this mono-Black Jerren, Corrupted Bishop deck that cared about the Human tribe and going aggro. You can find it here!
  62. I was excited to write a mono-Blue toughness-matters brew around Geralf, Visionary Stitcher. It came in at $32.56.
  63. Then I created a deck around the incredibly popular Zaxara, the Exemplary and built and budget view of this powerful leader that came in at $32.54. Find it here!
  64. I built a Sphinx matters mono-Blue build around Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign that came in at $32.51! You can check out this bad boy here.
  65. I built a Mono-Black, 1-power creature matters theme around Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker. This is a fun unique deck Budget Commander: Hurray Shirei! | Article by Abe Sargent (coolstuffinc.com) with a budget of $32.46.
  66. I have a fun Rabbit-y deck led by Cadira, Caller of the Small that frumps around at $32.42- ready? Budget Commander: All the Rabbits with Cadira | Article by Abe Sargent (coolstuffinc.com)
  67. For $32.42 I built an Izzet deck around the Kenrith Planeswalker Twins that you can find here - Budget Commander #67: Befriending the Kenrith Twins | Article by Abe Sargent (coolstuffinc.com)
  68. I build a Boros Spellslinger and Power-pumping and token making build here - Budget Commander #68: Boros Spellslinger with Baird | Article by Abe Sargent (coolstuffinc.com) for $32.37 around Baird, Argivian Recruiter.
  69. For my first colorless deck, I built a $32.25 (sorta, I split up and gave that price to both lands and non-lands) Voltron deck around Traxos which you can find here - Budget Commander #69 - Colorless Voltron with Traxos! | Article by Abe Sargent (coolstuffinc.com)
  70. Since the cost of Doran, the Siege Tower had dropped to cheap limits, I built my first deck around him! You can find it here - Budget Commander #70 - Toughness Matters with Doran | Article by Abe Sargent (coolstuffinc.com) - my budget for this one was just $32.25 again.
  71. Let's try a unique Creature type matters brew like Volo in Mono-Green with Radagast the Brown, which you can find here - Budget Commander #71: Radagast the Brown | Article by Abe Sargent (coolstuffinc.com) for 5 cents cheaper at $32.20.
  72. Enchantress lovers of the world, unite! This Selesnya brew is built around Yenna at the cost fo $32.14 too! Check her out here - Budget Commander #73 - Yenna's Cheap Enchantments | Article by Abe Sargent (coolstuffinc.com)

Sell your cards and minis 25% credit bonus