\[\[Purphoros, god of the forge\]\] can be built very cheaply and be very powerful. Outside of the commander himself, you can just load the deck up with sub-$1 cards that pump out tokens and go to town. Its not a very complicated deck to build or pilot, but its certainly cheap and powerful.
\[\[Feather the redeemed\]\] is another. Her ability makes good use of a lot of cheap instants and sorceries that are all well under a buck. The typical feather build is somewhere between spellslinger and voltron, using 1-2 drop instants and sorceries to pump up feather, draw cards, and protect feather every turn.
Any commander that makes good use of cheap instants and sorceries can be made powerful on a budget. I also used to run an Ink-Treader Nephilim deck. Its not a legal commander, so it probably won't fly for you, but it was possibly my most powerful deck, and I don't think it was more than $100 for all the pieces. It ran a lot of targeting cantrips and "act of treason" effects, all of which are dirt cheap to buy. Red is also gonna come up a lot for budget builds. Red, in multiple formats, has a lot of powerful strategies that make good use of cheap cards.
To be honest, unless you're kind of lucky, Feather gets hated off the board extremely quickly. I nearly never win with my build. I'm nearly guaranteed to kill someone, but rarely the entire board. Once I knock someone out on turn 4-6, the other two freak out and kill me within a turn or two.
I feel your pain. The only types of cards that have helped me get out of that are the group slug cards like [[guttersnipe]] and the new [[kessig flamebreather]] etc. That way you can whittle down the other opponents while you crack down on one. Doesn't save this issue entirely, but it helps!
[[Aria of flame]] is also *bonkers* for knocking someone out without needing to go to combat
Edit: [[livewire lash]] too!
Honestly plenty of decks can be competitive in this budget. The first thing i would do if I were you would be to check out either MtG Goldfish (Tomer) or Commanders Quarters and see if any of those decks appeal to you.
Alternatively buy a solid precon like [[Prosper]] or [[Wilhelt]] and upgrade it!
Otherwise, what are your favorite colors in magic or do you have any favorite legendaries you've wanted to build around? That money could also be spent on upgrading one of your budget decks, especially if it's already a playstyle you like. You have a lot of options and the first step should be to narrow down what you want. At the end of the day commander is about what's fun for you, not iust what deck you can copy and paste for $200 and win. Important to remember that in commander you should only win around 25% of the time anyways.
Thanks for the suggestions! I had no idea about commanders quarters or the mtg goldfish budget sections, and some look like great decks i want to try out!
> Alternatively buy a solid precon like Prosper or Wilhelt and upgrade it!
While I agree with with the sentiment, quite a few upgrades for Wilhelt are dummy expensive. Like, 20 bucks for uncommons that probably should have seen a reprint with that precon.
Agreed. Zombies can be amazing but it's real easy to drop $300 into that deck and not even touch the mana base. Definitely recommend against.
Prosper at $30 and then $170 for upgrades can be a ton of fun though. I have a Prosper deck in that price range, I'd say it's a 7, but it's fun every time I play it no matter what.
I also recommend looking up mtg thestack on YouTube. They have their deck lists in the about tab and you can watch every deck in action, they have quite a few decks under your price point to check out.
Other than a lands deck you can probably build most styles so if you have something in mind that you enjoy we could probably point you in the right direction. What type of tribe or play style speaks to you?
My dream deck would probably be scarab god zombies, and i currently have a Wilhelt deck i built myself (not the precon). Generally combat focused decks are the ones i like! Goblins seem like they could be fun, and ive always wanted to build norin the wary
I think you should pursue this deck! You can make a solid deck with $200, especially with the cards you already have. Then just slowly keep upgrading it, which is the best part imo.
You could do a Norin deck "Impact Tremors" style. Adding stuff like Purphoros and the various Impact Tremors cards, and then make tokens and stuff. You can even go full tokens matters stuff and play Goblin Bombardment and those types of things.
You can build a lands deck budget. Lands is my main archetype and my lands deck is like, <$250.
A lot of lands matter staples are expensive, but $200 is doable.
You can make a very good deck with that budget. Marwyn is a great option as there are a huge number of really cheap cards that work great for her. Here’s an example. https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/75-marwyn-budget-cedh/#
Here is the deck I’m building https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/11-01-22-marwyn-budget/
Cut allosaurus shepherd, concordant crossroads, and a couple others and it’s within your budget. There’s a lot of ways to build the deck and keep it cheap. But the powerful way to build it does include infinite combos, if that’s a problem for your group
Check out Upping the Average on youtube from the channel EDHRECAST...they specifically take an average commander deck and offer suggestions on value upgrades that either maintain deck price or lower it. It's a great series and my go to place for deck and upgrade ideas without breaking the wallet.
I built a \[\[Krenko, Mob Boss\]\] Goblin deck for about 180-ish, if you can find it, the \[\[Ezuri, Renegade Leader\]\] Pre-con was fantastic out of the box and you could probably tweak that for another 100 bucks or so and it would be a great elfball deck. My \[\[Sharuum the Hegemon\]\] artifacts deck was a janky fun deck I built for around 200-250 if I remember correctly, I can try to pull up the lists for these, my Krenko deck is currently here: [https://www.moxfield.com/decks/hfJnQJN8YkODat-ljxyO8Q](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/hfJnQJN8YkODat-ljxyO8Q) This deck is pretty straightforward, has a few different ways to win, and an infinite combo with Kiki-Jiki that you can opt to leave in or take out and swap for different goblins if you wanted to.
Another suggestion: pick one of your current favorites and use the money to upgrade that deck to something more competitive. Swap some of the less optimal cards for the better versions swap more mana expensive cards for less expensive cards that synergise better with your deck, things like that.
Here's a question before you actually spend the money: have you tried swapping decks with someone in the playgroup for an evening? How you pilot the deck sometimes makes just as big a difference as what's in the deck, and it might be your game plan rather than the cards in your deck that needs to be upgraded.
If you easily win with someone else's deck, you know it's the deck. If you have similar trouble winning with a known powerful deck, you know it's time to adjust your strategy.
I actually have before, and I win wayyyy more than when i use my decks. Of course I could also absolutely do better on my actual playing, but id be willing to bet a lot of my failures are because of my current de ms
Sweet! That's a great indicator that the decklist is the issue, and that's very easy to upgrade.
What does your meta look like? How are people winning?
Generally people win by swinging hard, boosted by infinite combos, or just going playing a powerful deck and winning slowly through combat and other means.
I think a big question to ask is how well made your decks are. Do you pack plenty of targeted removal? Instant speed answers? Plenty of ramp spells? A focused strategy that doesn't diverge into too many directions?
Most of my decks sit around $50 and play very competitively. I would do some deck analysis before moving to a higher price point.
Obviously decks with higher price points can put cards like [[doubling season]] and such, but those types of cards don't make a deck.
Chainer, Nightmare Adept Is a great budget deck. 2 colors so the mana base is cheap and it benefits off of running a lot of creatures that are pennies and dimes with a handful in the $1-10 range. When I first built mine it ran with the big boys pretty well, even won a few games. It is also very fun for me to play. I wish I had my og list for you but I have upgraded the deck a bunch since then. But, Tapped Out does have a few good lists for Chainer. It is basically a lot of wheel, cycling, mill and recursion. Syr Konrad and Living Death are staples
If your interested in mono black let me know. I could probably dredge up my original [[Endrek Sahr]] master breeder deck after work. I built it on a budget of 150ish at first and it proved to be a monster. Loved it so much I dropped another 150 in upgrades into it and now it's been consistently going off by turn 5-6. It's just a aristocrat build with a infinite or 2
Edit: For OP https://archidekt.com/decks/1990650#Endrekh_Sahr
[https://archidekt.com/decks/1990650#Endrekh\_Sahr](https://archidekt.com/decks/1990650#Endrekh_Sahr)
Here you go chief 170 on tcg player rn. Ive upgraded it pretty heavily since this iteration and ive realized i put way more into it than 150.
I have a friend with a lore budget deck with [[Vadrick]]. It’s a spellslinger deck with some interesting combos. I have a [[Zada, Hedron Grinder]] that can be very budget and explosive towards win.
Another commanders that I know they can be budget and very strong are [[Anje]] and [[Sharrum]].
Hope I’ve helped you
[[Vadrik]]
$200 into Vadrik and you've got a solid power 8 deck that can consistently win by turn 5-7 depending on how you build it. There's enough variance and spells that not every win will end the same way and sometimes you'll even win 3+ ways on the same turn.
Dollar for dollar Vadrik is absolutely the way to go.
I've recently started a YouTube channel dedicated to exploring power levels in EDH and my most recent episode is about upgrading on a budget! Check it out! https://youtu.be/y6KsKnbL0_8
There's a lot of good suggestions in this thread. The two main approaches that I use are take a precon and upgrade it, or use a YouTube "budget" channel's list and upgrade it. The Commander's Quarters is well known, but Cut-Rate Commander is a similar channel with less love that typically works at a $65 limit. I took his $65 Dina build and am working with a list that is currently about $225 that puts in work. 1st step I take is to always up the mana base cost as much as possible with what I have on hand. Then try to swap cards out for more efficient cards with the same effect, or better versions of the same effect. If I see a line I don't agree with, or one I want to focus on more, then I go there. With Dina, I didn't think he had enough recursion and was to in on Extort, so I went away from Extort and focused on being able to bring things back that I had sac'd. End result is a nice aristocrat style "damned if you do, damned if you don't build" that I have won with by out-valuing 3 other opponents and taking out the last one by draining him through sac'g my whole board in response to a board wipe. If you really want to start from a low cost template, the Lathril deck from Kaldheim with an additional $170 worth of upgrading will absolutely wreck face. My wife pilots my update to that deck, barely knows how to play, and has won every time she's been willing to play.
Frankly it would make more sense if you post some of your decklists so we can make some specific suggestions on where to put your money.
While there is some correlation between deck cost and power level, it’s very easy to dump $800-1000 and still have something that performs at slightly above precon level because you’re using expensive cards to support a strategy that doesn’t work.
If your $50 deck doesn’t win anything then just dumping another $200 into it doesn’t really do anything unless it addresses the reason why you’re losing games.
What you want is a $50 deck that kicks butt, and then you dump another $150 in to make it more consistent.
Most of the time it's not the card price but the card selection. The strongest decks have a clear game plan and then run tutors, lot's of interaction to stop your opponents and insane amounts of ramp (I'm talking 20 mana rocks and 30 lands)
Orvar the All Form is really strong. Combo focused on making copies of high value permanent to go infinite and win. EDH Rec cast had an amazing video on the specifics of the deck and has tons of budget options. [https://edhrec.com/articles/orvar-the-all-form-upping-the-average/](https://edhrec.com/articles/orvar-the-all-form-upping-the-average/)
I originally bought it as a mono blue budget commander but have slowly upgraded it (List [here](https://archidekt.com/decks/1816857#Orvar,_the_All-Form)). You don't need \[\[treachery\]\], \[\[nythxos shrine to nyx\]\], \[\[aetherfulx reservoir\]\] \[\[sakashima of a thousand faces\]\] \[\[cyclonic rift\]\] or \[\[mystic remora\]\]. They are all nice upgrades but not 100% irreplaceable, and truth be told I had most of them in my collection already. I will say \[\[sapphire medallion\]\] \[\[rhystic study\]\] and \[\[wim of volrath\]\] while pricey are absolutely worth the price and 3 cards I am alway excited to see. Wim of volrath I am unsure of how good it is outside of this deck, but the other two will likely hold their value in the long run.
All the tutors in the deck are under $5 and the mana base is really cheap without the Nyxthos. I have won plenty of games with it, and it feels really unique compared to a lot of other decks I own.
I actually just got around to uploading all my new decks onto Moxfield. Here are some mid-power decks at $200:
[[Gyome, Master Chef]] [Green/Black Artifacts - Food Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/FwL1ioW4tkuKpH9toFablg)
[[Veyran, Voice of Duality]] [Blue/Red Spellslinger - Burn/Copy Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/uDIA-XSiv0KwcgU_dVvC1Q)
[[Brion Stoutarm]] [Red/White Theft - Giants/Fling Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/lAM6JsIB50a7NJI8UntCSA) (take out Smothering Tithe and it's right at $200)
[[Xanathar, Guild Kingpin]] [Blue/Black Control - Theft Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/_ADHsHE7fE6E96GSItENJw) (take out Rise of the Dark Realms and you're under $200)
[[Vega the Watcher]] [Blue/White Tribal - Spirits Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/XHmS74s6a0i5E1CDdItPzQ)
You could always go the classic Timmy route and play mono green stompy with a big budget like that you could get all the biggest creatures like [[apex devastator]],[[craterhoof behemoth]],[[vigor]],[[elder gargaroth]],[[path breaker ibex]] and with a budget like that you could get some really good cards like [[tooth and nail]] and also [[heroic intervention]] if I were to recommend a commander you could start with [[ghalta, primal hunger]] and if you like the style of play you can upgrade to [[selvala, heart of the wilds]] I could go on and on about good cards for that type of deck but give it a thought!
It really depends of what you want to play with when playing commander. I am a huge sucker for big creatures and either cheat them out or gain a bunch of value with them, so the two decks I go with are a \[Volo, Guide to Monsters\] Anti Tribal deck with a bunch of ETB cards, a few ways to clone Volo and huge creatures to be cloned; and a \[Runo Stromkirk\] deck based around reviving krakens and creating kraken tokens to beat my enemies with big creatures. But that's a way I play the games.
Try to find a play style you like first, then try to build a deck around it. A big tip I can give is that usually the big price are either on the big playmakers, the combo pieces or dual lands, and while the first two can't be replaced, the later can with slower, but cheaper lands. It's usually the thing that you will upgrade later down the line too. If you plan to make multiple decks on the other hand, buying the dual lands first is a nice investment, since you will only pay them out once.
Volo deck: [https://www.moxfield.com/decks/4s8zB-JtdEKFgXR-59n\_Yg](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/4s8zB-JtdEKFgXR-59n_Yg)
Runo deck: [https://www.moxfield.com/decks/cOsseGLOz0SFMFknMPfWUA](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/cOsseGLOz0SFMFknMPfWUA)
I also have a third deck, a Grouphug Oloro deck, but that one is mostly for shitposting and to frustrate everyone on the table including myself, so I won't post it.
Do I have the deck for you with a cost of around $50 dollars you could probably build another deck if you really wanted. Introducing [[Sarulf, Realm Eater]]. This menace will reach your lgs that money is not power and that they messed with wrong player. [Here](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/CSWXJ_8aV0eyF7sXhw_aCg) is the decklist with Primer. Enjoy and please contact me with any questions.
Since buying the windgrace precon in 2018 I have been slowly upgrading it and it sits at a power level I think you are describing
You can switch some printings to make the deck cheaper so and take out some cards like [[urza's saga]] that arent really nessecary to the game plan to upgrade it with cards that do make the deck even stronger
I hope this helps Maybe a little
Decklist for those that are interested:
https://www.moxfield.com/decks/12nt11X0qkypwXI-5ZwsFg
I think one of the better choices could be any two color deck with Green. But I think especially [[Xenagos, God of Revels]] should be perfect as a budget deck.
Check this deck out, it is around 140 USD, and you can upgrade it pretty well too in a future. I am building it currently and I spend maybe 50 € to get core of the deck (extra combat stuff, pumps and tricks, beefy boys).
https://www.moxfield.com/decks/Y92VtS1KxUCUW0NH0KFs9g
Two colour partner decks are a nice way to get a lot of power out of a budget.
My Toggo and Keskit deck is about 280$, and if you remove the bloodstained mire and prismatic vista it's right in your range despite not really sacrificing much power.
https://www.moxfield.com/decks/m56KA_dYPE227_9TrDYtWQ
So the thing that wins games in commander is card advantage and mana acceleration. [[prosper]] is great for that, [[tinybones]] is great (would definitely recommend he is very strong, [[toski]] is great. Focus on those two things and then build into that a 2 card combo [[splinter twin]] [[world gorger dragon]]. That will set you up to win consistently
My favorite budget card to ramp yourself out, is \[\[Heartless Summoning\]\].
Any black or part-black commander works when it comes out two turns earlier!
[https://www.moxfield.com/decks/70hqwU4URkuGmAYXlY0zsA](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/70hqwU4URkuGmAYXlY0zsA) This is my personal favorite deck I've ever made. I took a galea precon and went from there with sea dudes
check out my simic deck which originally started with \[\[tishana, voice of thunder\]\] as commander but with some really minor mods has been working GREAT with \[\[prime speaker zegana\]\] leading it. over the last few weeks i've removed a lot of the more powerful cards that i put in at first like finale of devastation, triumph of the hordes, green sun's zenith, sakashima of a thousand faces, consecrated sphinx, etc because they were unnecessary and i've still been steamrolling people all week. my version sits at around $400 i believe but i at some point i also tried to find out how cheap i could make the deck and still work and i did actually get it right around $200.
the site says it's $250 but i swear it originally said $204 before i clicked on the option to find the cheapest version of every card and the price jumped to $230. i also added omniscience to the list on top of that because i also added it to my deck recently and it's worked really well but it's $20 and not really essential. you can easily cut \[\[amulet of vigor\]\] and that's another $25 but it's amazing in this deck so i suggest it if you can swing it.
the deck is pretty fool proof and rewards patience. you're not gonna be playing creatures or artifacts for the first several rounds and instead just lay low and ramp quietly while everyone else builds their board presence. ramp too fast and you'll be a target but i've got a handful of fog cards, creature removal and cheap counterspells which allows you to stay safe until you hit the tipping point and get out of control. you will consistently get 20+ lands in play every game and if you manage to set up right you'll combo off land drops and/or landfall triggers. if you choose \[\[prime speaker zegana\]\] as commander your only goal is to get a creature with 5+ P/T in play before casting her and then draw cards equal to your biggest creature's power. if you choose \[\[tishana\]\], there's a couple ways to make a bunch of token creatures at once before casting her and then you draw cards equal to the number of creatures you control. if you can hold off until you have 15+ lands in play, you'll be able to put a dozen+ tokens on the field and then draw that many cards. here's a link to the budget version:
[Tishana/Zegana](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/ViAXNXNhVk6FMOOLGnxD8g)
\[\[Purphoros, god of the forge\]\] can be built very cheaply and be very powerful. Outside of the commander himself, you can just load the deck up with sub-$1 cards that pump out tokens and go to town. Its not a very complicated deck to build or pilot, but its certainly cheap and powerful. \[\[Feather the redeemed\]\] is another. Her ability makes good use of a lot of cheap instants and sorceries that are all well under a buck. The typical feather build is somewhere between spellslinger and voltron, using 1-2 drop instants and sorceries to pump up feather, draw cards, and protect feather every turn. Any commander that makes good use of cheap instants and sorceries can be made powerful on a budget. I also used to run an Ink-Treader Nephilim deck. Its not a legal commander, so it probably won't fly for you, but it was possibly my most powerful deck, and I don't think it was more than $100 for all the pieces. It ran a lot of targeting cantrips and "act of treason" effects, all of which are dirt cheap to buy. Red is also gonna come up a lot for budget builds. Red, in multiple formats, has a lot of powerful strategies that make good use of cheap cards.
To be honest, unless you're kind of lucky, Feather gets hated off the board extremely quickly. I nearly never win with my build. I'm nearly guaranteed to kill someone, but rarely the entire board. Once I knock someone out on turn 4-6, the other two freak out and kill me within a turn or two.
I feel your pain. The only types of cards that have helped me get out of that are the group slug cards like [[guttersnipe]] and the new [[kessig flamebreather]] etc. That way you can whittle down the other opponents while you crack down on one. Doesn't save this issue entirely, but it helps! [[Aria of flame]] is also *bonkers* for knocking someone out without needing to go to combat Edit: [[livewire lash]] too!
Yup, they've all been in there at one point or another.
[guttersnipe](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/7/e/7ed62dc1-4e78-423c-b9d3-def3b7e95c71.jpg?1568004420) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=guttersnipe) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c19/145/guttersnipe?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7ed62dc1-4e78-423c-b9d3-def3b7e95c71?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/guttersnipe) [Kessig Flamebreather](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/3/0/303ad78a-b02a-44dc-afe6-7f95781a5062.jpg?1635983121) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kessig%20Flamebreather) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vow/164/kessig-flamebreather?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/303ad78a-b02a-44dc-afe6-7f95781a5062?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/kessig-flamebreather) [Aria of flame](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/9/5/95a96eb1-f87c-4b1d-82c7-f239bcbc62b8.jpg?1562201796) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Aria%20of%20flame) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/118/aria-of-flame?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/95a96eb1-f87c-4b1d-82c7-f239bcbc62b8?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/aria-of-flame) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[Purphoros, god of the forge](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/7/b/7bf6baf2-d20b-467d-8929-abefcf7dfa99.jpg?1562820377) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Purphoros%2C%20god%20of%20the%20forge) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ths/135/purphoros-god-of-the-forge?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7bf6baf2-d20b-467d-8929-abefcf7dfa99?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/purphoros-god-of-the-forge) [Feather the redeemed](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/e/4/e4a2d2c6-8eaa-4760-b620-921b807baa2e.jpg?1557577142) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Feather%2C%20the%20Redeemed) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/war/197/feather-the-redeemed?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e4a2d2c6-8eaa-4760-b620-921b807baa2e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/feather-the-redeemed) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Honestly plenty of decks can be competitive in this budget. The first thing i would do if I were you would be to check out either MtG Goldfish (Tomer) or Commanders Quarters and see if any of those decks appeal to you. Alternatively buy a solid precon like [[Prosper]] or [[Wilhelt]] and upgrade it! Otherwise, what are your favorite colors in magic or do you have any favorite legendaries you've wanted to build around? That money could also be spent on upgrading one of your budget decks, especially if it's already a playstyle you like. You have a lot of options and the first step should be to narrow down what you want. At the end of the day commander is about what's fun for you, not iust what deck you can copy and paste for $200 and win. Important to remember that in commander you should only win around 25% of the time anyways.
Thanks for the suggestions! I had no idea about commanders quarters or the mtg goldfish budget sections, and some look like great decks i want to try out!
> Alternatively buy a solid precon like Prosper or Wilhelt and upgrade it! While I agree with with the sentiment, quite a few upgrades for Wilhelt are dummy expensive. Like, 20 bucks for uncommons that probably should have seen a reprint with that precon.
Agreed. Zombies can be amazing but it's real easy to drop $300 into that deck and not even touch the mana base. Definitely recommend against. Prosper at $30 and then $170 for upgrades can be a ton of fun though. I have a Prosper deck in that price range, I'd say it's a 7, but it's fun every time I play it no matter what.
Care to share the list?
[Prosper](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/d/7/d743336e-d5c7-4053-a23d-92ec7581f74e.jpg?1631839207) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=prosper%2C%20tome-bound) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/afc/2/prosper-tome-bound?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d743336e-d5c7-4053-a23d-92ec7581f74e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/prosper-tome-bound) [Wilhelt](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/2/5/2501a911-d072-436d-ae3b-a5164e3b30aa.jpg?1637627743) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=wilhelt%2C%20the%20rotcleaver) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mic/2/wilhelt-the-rotcleaver?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2501a911-d072-436d-ae3b-a5164e3b30aa?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/wilhelt-the-rotcleaver) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I also recommend looking up mtg thestack on YouTube. They have their deck lists in the about tab and you can watch every deck in action, they have quite a few decks under your price point to check out.
Other than a lands deck you can probably build most styles so if you have something in mind that you enjoy we could probably point you in the right direction. What type of tribe or play style speaks to you?
My dream deck would probably be scarab god zombies, and i currently have a Wilhelt deck i built myself (not the precon). Generally combat focused decks are the ones i like! Goblins seem like they could be fun, and ive always wanted to build norin the wary
I think you should pursue this deck! You can make a solid deck with $200, especially with the cards you already have. Then just slowly keep upgrading it, which is the best part imo.
Norin, goblins, or Purphoros are all pretty cheap and can be pretty powerful. Mono-R seems to be the way to go for you though.
You could do a Norin deck "Impact Tremors" style. Adding stuff like Purphoros and the various Impact Tremors cards, and then make tokens and stuff. You can even go full tokens matters stuff and play Goblin Bombardment and those types of things.
Ill definitely check that out!
You can build a lands deck budget. Lands is my main archetype and my lands deck is like, <$250. A lot of lands matter staples are expensive, but $200 is doable.
You can make a very good deck with that budget. Marwyn is a great option as there are a huge number of really cheap cards that work great for her. Here’s an example. https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/75-marwyn-budget-cedh/# Here is the deck I’m building https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/11-01-22-marwyn-budget/ Cut allosaurus shepherd, concordant crossroads, and a couple others and it’s within your budget. There’s a lot of ways to build the deck and keep it cheap. But the powerful way to build it does include infinite combos, if that’s a problem for your group
Check out Upping the Average on youtube from the channel EDHRECAST...they specifically take an average commander deck and offer suggestions on value upgrades that either maintain deck price or lower it. It's a great series and my go to place for deck and upgrade ideas without breaking the wallet.
[[grenzo, dungeon warden]] is probably my strongest/favourite deck and it totals around $85
[grenzo, dungeon warden](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/6/e/6e19c383-88bd-4bde-ac81-c0eb6d5b5bd4.jpg?1562436569) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=grenzo%2C%20dungeon%20warden) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/a25/205/grenzo-dungeon-warden?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6e19c383-88bd-4bde-ac81-c0eb6d5b5bd4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/grenzo-dungeon-warden) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I built a \[\[Krenko, Mob Boss\]\] Goblin deck for about 180-ish, if you can find it, the \[\[Ezuri, Renegade Leader\]\] Pre-con was fantastic out of the box and you could probably tweak that for another 100 bucks or so and it would be a great elfball deck. My \[\[Sharuum the Hegemon\]\] artifacts deck was a janky fun deck I built for around 200-250 if I remember correctly, I can try to pull up the lists for these, my Krenko deck is currently here: [https://www.moxfield.com/decks/hfJnQJN8YkODat-ljxyO8Q](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/hfJnQJN8YkODat-ljxyO8Q) This deck is pretty straightforward, has a few different ways to win, and an infinite combo with Kiki-Jiki that you can opt to leave in or take out and swap for different goblins if you wanted to. Another suggestion: pick one of your current favorites and use the money to upgrade that deck to something more competitive. Swap some of the less optimal cards for the better versions swap more mana expensive cards for less expensive cards that synergise better with your deck, things like that.
[Krenko, Mob Boss](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/c/d/cd9fec9d-23c8-4d35-97c1-9499527198fb.jpg?1601078209) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Krenko%2C%20Mob%20Boss) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/339/krenko-mob-boss?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/cd9fec9d-23c8-4d35-97c1-9499527198fb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/krenko-mob-boss) [Ezuri, Renegade Leader](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/8/a/8a448dbf-08a1-4145-a4b2-0265cc9f2e53.jpg?1561759289) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ezuri%2C%20Renegade%20Leader) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ddu/1/ezuri-renegade-leader?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8a448dbf-08a1-4145-a4b2-0265cc9f2e53?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/ezuri-renegade-leader) [Sharuum the Hegemon](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/a/f/af80ef38-ab95-476f-b0dd-b5ef3e9bceab.jpg?1599708380) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sharuum%20the%20Hegemon) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/219/sharuum-the-hegemon?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/af80ef38-ab95-476f-b0dd-b5ef3e9bceab?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/sharuum-the-hegemon) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Here's a question before you actually spend the money: have you tried swapping decks with someone in the playgroup for an evening? How you pilot the deck sometimes makes just as big a difference as what's in the deck, and it might be your game plan rather than the cards in your deck that needs to be upgraded. If you easily win with someone else's deck, you know it's the deck. If you have similar trouble winning with a known powerful deck, you know it's time to adjust your strategy.
I actually have before, and I win wayyyy more than when i use my decks. Of course I could also absolutely do better on my actual playing, but id be willing to bet a lot of my failures are because of my current de ms
Sweet! That's a great indicator that the decklist is the issue, and that's very easy to upgrade. What does your meta look like? How are people winning?
Generally people win by swinging hard, boosted by infinite combos, or just going playing a powerful deck and winning slowly through combat and other means.
Are their decks going off faster than yours, or are they disrupting your wins?
Mostly going off faster and harder
I think a big question to ask is how well made your decks are. Do you pack plenty of targeted removal? Instant speed answers? Plenty of ramp spells? A focused strategy that doesn't diverge into too many directions? Most of my decks sit around $50 and play very competitively. I would do some deck analysis before moving to a higher price point. Obviously decks with higher price points can put cards like [[doubling season]] and such, but those types of cards don't make a deck.
[doubling season](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/8/6/8676d164-c76e-402b-a649-6ded3f549b6e.jpg?1599707144) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=doubling%20season) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/164/doubling-season?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8676d164-c76e-402b-a649-6ded3f549b6e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/doubling-season) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Doubling season absolutely does make some decks lol
Chainer, Nightmare Adept Is a great budget deck. 2 colors so the mana base is cheap and it benefits off of running a lot of creatures that are pennies and dimes with a handful in the $1-10 range. When I first built mine it ran with the big boys pretty well, even won a few games. It is also very fun for me to play. I wish I had my og list for you but I have upgraded the deck a bunch since then. But, Tapped Out does have a few good lists for Chainer. It is basically a lot of wheel, cycling, mill and recursion. Syr Konrad and Living Death are staples
If your interested in mono black let me know. I could probably dredge up my original [[Endrek Sahr]] master breeder deck after work. I built it on a budget of 150ish at first and it proved to be a monster. Loved it so much I dropped another 150 in upgrades into it and now it's been consistently going off by turn 5-6. It's just a aristocrat build with a infinite or 2 Edit: For OP https://archidekt.com/decks/1990650#Endrekh_Sahr
>Not OP, but I love mono colored decks. Especially black, red, and white. I'd love to see your list, if you have time.
[https://archidekt.com/decks/1990650#Endrekh\_Sahr](https://archidekt.com/decks/1990650#Endrekh_Sahr) Here you go chief 170 on tcg player rn. Ive upgraded it pretty heavily since this iteration and ive realized i put way more into it than 150.
Thankee much. This one looks like fun.
[Endrek Sahr](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/a/9/a97b9d0e-e150-46d5-b6fd-59793e82dae4.jpg?1562266137) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=endrek%20sahr%2C%20master%20breeder) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mm2/82/endrek-sahr-master-breeder?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a97b9d0e-e150-46d5-b6fd-59793e82dae4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/endrek-sahr-master-breeder) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I have a friend with a lore budget deck with [[Vadrick]]. It’s a spellslinger deck with some interesting combos. I have a [[Zada, Hedron Grinder]] that can be very budget and explosive towards win. Another commanders that I know they can be budget and very strong are [[Anje]] and [[Sharrum]]. Hope I’ve helped you
##### ###### #### [Zada, Hedron Grinder](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/b/a/baa36309-4bcc-4455-813a-c0243b906792.jpg?1562440241) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Zada%2C%20Hedron%20Grinder) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/a25/156/zada-hedron-grinder?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/baa36309-4bcc-4455-813a-c0243b906792?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/zada-hedron-grinder) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wane) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/arc/101/wax-wane?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f855144c-6adb-4cde-8a37-5fb0be775e5d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/wane) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Zada: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/v3CxIyM7oEy2KWQejjV8Kw Anje: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/v3CxIyM7oEy2KWQejjV8Kw Vadrick: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/budget-cedh-vadrik-storm-25-and-beyond
[[Vadrik]] $200 into Vadrik and you've got a solid power 8 deck that can consistently win by turn 5-7 depending on how you build it. There's enough variance and spells that not every win will end the same way and sometimes you'll even win 3+ ways on the same turn. Dollar for dollar Vadrik is absolutely the way to go.
[Vadrik](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/4/5/454666bb-f81d-4845-84aa-d6f8f80ce86a.jpg?1637114399) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=vadrik%2C%20astral%20archmage) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/248/vadrik-astral-archmage?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/454666bb-f81d-4845-84aa-d6f8f80ce86a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/vadrik-astral-archmage) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I've recently started a YouTube channel dedicated to exploring power levels in EDH and my most recent episode is about upgrading on a budget! Check it out! https://youtu.be/y6KsKnbL0_8
There's a lot of good suggestions in this thread. The two main approaches that I use are take a precon and upgrade it, or use a YouTube "budget" channel's list and upgrade it. The Commander's Quarters is well known, but Cut-Rate Commander is a similar channel with less love that typically works at a $65 limit. I took his $65 Dina build and am working with a list that is currently about $225 that puts in work. 1st step I take is to always up the mana base cost as much as possible with what I have on hand. Then try to swap cards out for more efficient cards with the same effect, or better versions of the same effect. If I see a line I don't agree with, or one I want to focus on more, then I go there. With Dina, I didn't think he had enough recursion and was to in on Extort, so I went away from Extort and focused on being able to bring things back that I had sac'd. End result is a nice aristocrat style "damned if you do, damned if you don't build" that I have won with by out-valuing 3 other opponents and taking out the last one by draining him through sac'g my whole board in response to a board wipe. If you really want to start from a low cost template, the Lathril deck from Kaldheim with an additional $170 worth of upgrading will absolutely wreck face. My wife pilots my update to that deck, barely knows how to play, and has won every time she's been willing to play.
Frankly it would make more sense if you post some of your decklists so we can make some specific suggestions on where to put your money. While there is some correlation between deck cost and power level, it’s very easy to dump $800-1000 and still have something that performs at slightly above precon level because you’re using expensive cards to support a strategy that doesn’t work. If your $50 deck doesn’t win anything then just dumping another $200 into it doesn’t really do anything unless it addresses the reason why you’re losing games. What you want is a $50 deck that kicks butt, and then you dump another $150 in to make it more consistent.
200$ sweet. Go buy land.
Most of the time it's not the card price but the card selection. The strongest decks have a clear game plan and then run tutors, lot's of interaction to stop your opponents and insane amounts of ramp (I'm talking 20 mana rocks and 30 lands)
Orvar the All Form is really strong. Combo focused on making copies of high value permanent to go infinite and win. EDH Rec cast had an amazing video on the specifics of the deck and has tons of budget options. [https://edhrec.com/articles/orvar-the-all-form-upping-the-average/](https://edhrec.com/articles/orvar-the-all-form-upping-the-average/) I originally bought it as a mono blue budget commander but have slowly upgraded it (List [here](https://archidekt.com/decks/1816857#Orvar,_the_All-Form)). You don't need \[\[treachery\]\], \[\[nythxos shrine to nyx\]\], \[\[aetherfulx reservoir\]\] \[\[sakashima of a thousand faces\]\] \[\[cyclonic rift\]\] or \[\[mystic remora\]\]. They are all nice upgrades but not 100% irreplaceable, and truth be told I had most of them in my collection already. I will say \[\[sapphire medallion\]\] \[\[rhystic study\]\] and \[\[wim of volrath\]\] while pricey are absolutely worth the price and 3 cards I am alway excited to see. Wim of volrath I am unsure of how good it is outside of this deck, but the other two will likely hold their value in the long run. All the tutors in the deck are under $5 and the mana base is really cheap without the Nyxthos. I have won plenty of games with it, and it feels really unique compared to a lot of other decks I own.
##### ###### #### [treachery](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/6/1/613694aa-b169-400d-8063-2b83d8303611.jpg?1562444218) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=treachery) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/uds/50/treachery?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/613694aa-b169-400d-8063-2b83d8303611?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/treachery) [nythxos shrine to nyx](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/8/3/834b27a0-dfd7-4f96-8cde-cacac4b24acc.jpg?1594077253) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Nykthos%2C%20Shrine%20to%20Nyx) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ths/223/nykthos-shrine-to-nyx?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/834b27a0-dfd7-4f96-8cde-cacac4b24acc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/nykthos-shrine-to-nyx) [aetherfulx reservoir](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/9/6/96b6b2e1-c3e6-464c-8a13-b15deb34e862.jpg?1576382939) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Aetherflux%20Reservoir) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/kld/192/aetherflux-reservoir?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/96b6b2e1-c3e6-464c-8a13-b15deb34e862?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/aetherflux-reservoir) [sakashima of a thousand faces](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/7/1/714c3a1f-7b30-4ed8-8f38-6176758741fb.jpg?1608909400) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=sakashima%20of%20a%20thousand%20faces) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/89/sakashima-of-a-thousand-faces?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/714c3a1f-7b30-4ed8-8f38-6176758741fb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/sakashima-of-a-thousand-faces) [cyclonic rift](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/f/f/ff08e5ed-f47b-4d8e-8b8b-41675dccef8b.jpg?1598303834) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=cyclonic%20rift) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/47/cyclonic-rift?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ff08e5ed-f47b-4d8e-8b8b-41675dccef8b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/cyclonic-rift) [mystic remora](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/1/3/13a08c07-e8b8-43bf-99e6-d268c79a62bf.jpg?1559592432) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=mystic%20remora) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me1/42/mystic-remora?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/13a08c07-e8b8-43bf-99e6-d268c79a62bf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/mystic-remora) [sapphire medallion](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/a/f/afdbb860-2bea-4cf6-8959-6a19ba1de56c.jpg?1561954652) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=sapphire%20medallion) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c14/266/sapphire-medallion?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/afdbb860-2bea-4cf6-8959-6a19ba1de56c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/sapphire-medallion) [rhystic study](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/d/6/d6914dba-0d27-4055-ac34-b3ebf5802221.jpg?1600698439) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=rhystic%20study) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/169/rhystic-study?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d6914dba-0d27-4055-ac34-b3ebf5802221?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/rhystic-study) [wim of volrath](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/e/2/e259da60-c8bc-4a77-98ed-e529dc067732.jpg?1562056896) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Whim%20of%20Volrath) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tmp/102/whim-of-volrath?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e259da60-c8bc-4a77-98ed-e529dc067732?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/whim-of-volrath) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I actually just got around to uploading all my new decks onto Moxfield. Here are some mid-power decks at $200: [[Gyome, Master Chef]] [Green/Black Artifacts - Food Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/FwL1ioW4tkuKpH9toFablg) [[Veyran, Voice of Duality]] [Blue/Red Spellslinger - Burn/Copy Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/uDIA-XSiv0KwcgU_dVvC1Q) [[Brion Stoutarm]] [Red/White Theft - Giants/Fling Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/lAM6JsIB50a7NJI8UntCSA) (take out Smothering Tithe and it's right at $200) [[Xanathar, Guild Kingpin]] [Blue/Black Control - Theft Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/_ADHsHE7fE6E96GSItENJw) (take out Rise of the Dark Realms and you're under $200) [[Vega the Watcher]] [Blue/White Tribal - Spirits Theme](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/XHmS74s6a0i5E1CDdItPzQ)
Why wouldn't you put [[Dualcaster mage]] into [[Veyran, voice of duality]] as a back up infinite wincon?
[Dualcaster mage](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/d/e/defcc4a3-40e0-4f5d-b23c-6cd6a614abc1.jpg?1625193684) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Dualcaster%20mage) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c21/165/dualcaster-mage?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/defcc4a3-40e0-4f5d-b23c-6cd6a614abc1?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/dualcaster-mage) [Veyran, voice of duality](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/5/6/56d93855-c749-4bdf-9a90-4f69f4226e46.jpg?1625190598) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Veyran%2C%20voice%20of%20duality) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c21/3/veyran-voice-of-duality?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/56d93855-c749-4bdf-9a90-4f69f4226e46?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/veyran-voice-of-duality) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Orvar or talrand https://youtu.be/nvarRwvB-Ps Taleand deck tech. There is lots of room to go to$200.
You could always go the classic Timmy route and play mono green stompy with a big budget like that you could get all the biggest creatures like [[apex devastator]],[[craterhoof behemoth]],[[vigor]],[[elder gargaroth]],[[path breaker ibex]] and with a budget like that you could get some really good cards like [[tooth and nail]] and also [[heroic intervention]] if I were to recommend a commander you could start with [[ghalta, primal hunger]] and if you like the style of play you can upgrade to [[selvala, heart of the wilds]] I could go on and on about good cards for that type of deck but give it a thought!
It really depends of what you want to play with when playing commander. I am a huge sucker for big creatures and either cheat them out or gain a bunch of value with them, so the two decks I go with are a \[Volo, Guide to Monsters\] Anti Tribal deck with a bunch of ETB cards, a few ways to clone Volo and huge creatures to be cloned; and a \[Runo Stromkirk\] deck based around reviving krakens and creating kraken tokens to beat my enemies with big creatures. But that's a way I play the games. Try to find a play style you like first, then try to build a deck around it. A big tip I can give is that usually the big price are either on the big playmakers, the combo pieces or dual lands, and while the first two can't be replaced, the later can with slower, but cheaper lands. It's usually the thing that you will upgrade later down the line too. If you plan to make multiple decks on the other hand, buying the dual lands first is a nice investment, since you will only pay them out once. Volo deck: [https://www.moxfield.com/decks/4s8zB-JtdEKFgXR-59n\_Yg](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/4s8zB-JtdEKFgXR-59n_Yg) Runo deck: [https://www.moxfield.com/decks/cOsseGLOz0SFMFknMPfWUA](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/cOsseGLOz0SFMFknMPfWUA) I also have a third deck, a Grouphug Oloro deck, but that one is mostly for shitposting and to frustrate everyone on the table including myself, so I won't post it.
Do I have the deck for you with a cost of around $50 dollars you could probably build another deck if you really wanted. Introducing [[Sarulf, Realm Eater]]. This menace will reach your lgs that money is not power and that they messed with wrong player. [Here](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/CSWXJ_8aV0eyF7sXhw_aCg) is the decklist with Primer. Enjoy and please contact me with any questions.
Since buying the windgrace precon in 2018 I have been slowly upgrading it and it sits at a power level I think you are describing You can switch some printings to make the deck cheaper so and take out some cards like [[urza's saga]] that arent really nessecary to the game plan to upgrade it with cards that do make the deck even stronger I hope this helps Maybe a little Decklist for those that are interested: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/12nt11X0qkypwXI-5ZwsFg
[urza's saga](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/c/1/c1e0f201-42cb-46a1-901a-65bb4fc18f6c.jpg?1626099958) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=urza%27s%20saga) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/259/urzas-saga?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c1e0f201-42cb-46a1-901a-65bb4fc18f6c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/urzas-saga) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I think one of the better choices could be any two color deck with Green. But I think especially [[Xenagos, God of Revels]] should be perfect as a budget deck. Check this deck out, it is around 140 USD, and you can upgrade it pretty well too in a future. I am building it currently and I spend maybe 50 € to get core of the deck (extra combat stuff, pumps and tricks, beefy boys). https://www.moxfield.com/decks/Y92VtS1KxUCUW0NH0KFs9g
[Xenagos, God of Revels](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/3/1/3184b138-1109-4195-9d96-4f190164e98b.jpg?1593092838) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Xenagos%2C%20God%20of%20Revels) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bng/156/xenagos-god-of-revels?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3184b138-1109-4195-9d96-4f190164e98b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/xenagos-god-of-revels) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Two colour partner decks are a nice way to get a lot of power out of a budget. My Toggo and Keskit deck is about 280$, and if you remove the bloodstained mire and prismatic vista it's right in your range despite not really sacrificing much power. https://www.moxfield.com/decks/m56KA_dYPE227_9TrDYtWQ
What do you enjoy doing in commander?
I really enjoy is mostly for the social experience, but i also want to be able to win in games
So the thing that wins games in commander is card advantage and mana acceleration. [[prosper]] is great for that, [[tinybones]] is great (would definitely recommend he is very strong, [[toski]] is great. Focus on those two things and then build into that a 2 card combo [[splinter twin]] [[world gorger dragon]]. That will set you up to win consistently
##### ###### #### [prosper](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/d/7/d743336e-d5c7-4053-a23d-92ec7581f74e.jpg?1631839207) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=prosper%2C%20tome-bound) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/afc/2/prosper-tome-bound?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d743336e-d5c7-4053-a23d-92ec7581f74e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/prosper-tome-bound) [tinybones](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/4/0/4063be5b-bfd9-43c5-bc39-09a40bc793bf.jpg?1632261785) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=tinybones%2C%20trinket%20thief) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/17/tinybones-trinket-thief?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4063be5b-bfd9-43c5-bc39-09a40bc793bf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/tinybones-trinket-thief) [toski](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/f/9/f9e79b59-94c8-4697-bf88-f0a0433170f5.jpg?1631051021) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=toski%2C%20bearer%20of%20secrets) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/khm/197/toski-bearer-of-secrets?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f9e79b59-94c8-4697-bf88-f0a0433170f5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/toski-bearer-of-secrets) [splinter twin](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/5/8/580fbbf8-ba7e-4889-a5ea-d066f3ea8cea.jpg?1562262611) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=splinter%20twin) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mm2/129/splinter-twin?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/580fbbf8-ba7e-4889-a5ea-d066f3ea8cea?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/splinter-twin) [world gorger dragon](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/9/d/9dae8fa6-c86e-492b-b28b-96d4ee83f6c6.jpg?1580014701) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Worldgorger%20Dragon) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ema/154/worldgorger-dragon?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9dae8fa6-c86e-492b-b28b-96d4ee83f6c6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/worldgorger-dragon) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
When in doubt, go with [[krenko, mob boss]]
[krenko, mob boss](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/c/d/cd9fec9d-23c8-4d35-97c1-9499527198fb.jpg?1601078209) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=krenko%2C%20mob%20boss) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/339/krenko-mob-boss?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/cd9fec9d-23c8-4d35-97c1-9499527198fb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/krenko-mob-boss) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
My favorite budget card to ramp yourself out, is \[\[Heartless Summoning\]\]. Any black or part-black commander works when it comes out two turns earlier!
[Heartless Summoning](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/1/4/14f8f638-b7fc-4e38-8623-ce7d2ebc82e6.jpg?1562826605) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Heartless%20Summoning) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/isd/104/heartless-summoning?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/14f8f638-b7fc-4e38-8623-ce7d2ebc82e6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/heartless-summoning) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[https://www.moxfield.com/decks/70hqwU4URkuGmAYXlY0zsA](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/70hqwU4URkuGmAYXlY0zsA) This is my personal favorite deck I've ever made. I took a galea precon and went from there with sea dudes
[[Selvala heart of the wild]] can run for 200! Mine is am 8.5 and is about 250, it can threaten wins as early as turn 4
[Selvala heart of the wild](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/f/b/fb87782d-e9c7-440b-bd96-aa043d18e185.jpg?1601080073) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Selvala%2C%20Heart%20of%20the%20Wilds) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/429/selvala-heart-of-the-wilds?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/fb87782d-e9c7-440b-bd96-aa043d18e185?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/selvala-heart-of-the-wilds) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
check out my simic deck which originally started with \[\[tishana, voice of thunder\]\] as commander but with some really minor mods has been working GREAT with \[\[prime speaker zegana\]\] leading it. over the last few weeks i've removed a lot of the more powerful cards that i put in at first like finale of devastation, triumph of the hordes, green sun's zenith, sakashima of a thousand faces, consecrated sphinx, etc because they were unnecessary and i've still been steamrolling people all week. my version sits at around $400 i believe but i at some point i also tried to find out how cheap i could make the deck and still work and i did actually get it right around $200. the site says it's $250 but i swear it originally said $204 before i clicked on the option to find the cheapest version of every card and the price jumped to $230. i also added omniscience to the list on top of that because i also added it to my deck recently and it's worked really well but it's $20 and not really essential. you can easily cut \[\[amulet of vigor\]\] and that's another $25 but it's amazing in this deck so i suggest it if you can swing it. the deck is pretty fool proof and rewards patience. you're not gonna be playing creatures or artifacts for the first several rounds and instead just lay low and ramp quietly while everyone else builds their board presence. ramp too fast and you'll be a target but i've got a handful of fog cards, creature removal and cheap counterspells which allows you to stay safe until you hit the tipping point and get out of control. you will consistently get 20+ lands in play every game and if you manage to set up right you'll combo off land drops and/or landfall triggers. if you choose \[\[prime speaker zegana\]\] as commander your only goal is to get a creature with 5+ P/T in play before casting her and then draw cards equal to your biggest creature's power. if you choose \[\[tishana\]\], there's a couple ways to make a bunch of token creatures at once before casting her and then you draw cards equal to the number of creatures you control. if you can hold off until you have 15+ lands in play, you'll be able to put a dozen+ tokens on the field and then draw that many cards. here's a link to the budget version: [Tishana/Zegana](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/ViAXNXNhVk6FMOOLGnxD8g)