Budget Alternatives to Commander Staples (Part 3) | Replace Expensive Commander Cards for Cheap!
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- Looking for an expensive card? You might be able to get a similar effect without spending more money than you want! Check out these budget alternatives to popular and expensive Commander staples and see if any of them tickle your fancy!
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There are simply no alternatives to me.
You weren't even worth discussing!
Grave-Titan... likely no card more powerful to synergize with Mimic Vat
@@NitpickingNerds oooooooh snap. Grave Titan been real quiet since this slam.
If you're in green tovolara huntmaster is 1/6 the price.
@@NitpickingNerds we all know how untouchable #gravetitan is.
As a guy that has all budget lightly optimized/casual decks ($100-200)... These are the video I love the MOST .... thank you so much guys, truly one of my favorite MTG channels
Thank you, glad to be one of your favorites :D
JOE: You should put Wandering Archaic in your playing other peoples’ spells deck
I like that!!!
Wandering Archaic is a one card chaos deck. I love how it makes your opponents question casting an instant or sorcery, and the amount of politicking you can pull with this card is amazing.
Also it's a stax piece
I played Sorcerer Class in my Locust God deck and really love the second level. Turns your tokens into mana if you can't push damage through via combat and helps feed into more wheels. Really fun card.
That is so goood!
The replacements you talked about for Avacyn are really focused on just protecting creatures. Yes, that's the most common thing you need to protect, but if someone is trying to do a Vandalblast or a Fracturing Gust or similar, none of these work. An even better option than most of these I love is Faith's Reward. I love that you can wait and see what happens before deciding to play it. You can send all your stuff to the graveyard, then wait till the end step, cast it, and return everything, making any sorcery speed removal irrelevant, and similar to Eerie Interlude, you get all the ETB effects back. Also at $2 this is a much more budget friendly option than many of the others.
I know you guys say you “aren’t a budget channel” but that is BS. You guys are actually the best budget channel on RUclips even though you aren’t a dedicated budget channel. Generally speaking I like all your content, so probably there is some bias, but I think it’s pretty clear cut when you consider this budget alternatives series along with budget bombs and grading staples. I know which cards I can skip buying while also just getting a constant flow of low cost gems to consider. That’s way more valuable than watching a video on like some weird budget deck tech no one would ever build.
We appreciate you saying that! We just mean we aren't a dedicated budget channel, so we try and clarify exactly where we're at for each video, but we love providing budget tips/advice to people so they can build cool and functional decks without spending more than they want to on the game!
@@NitpickingNerds I’m sure if you didn’t clarify you’d have an endless cavalcade of corrections about it. I just wanted my comment to sound provocative 😅
These videos are great because I don't like getting the pricey cards. There are always some decent alternatives.
It’s STILL really weird to see phyrexian arena as an “expensive” Commander staple lol. I’m pretty sure I have like three of them and I got them all for under five dollars, And I don’t even think it’s good enough to put in a deck lol
It depends what kind of level and strategy you are playing. If you are playing in a low level pod, it can draw you a good amount of cards passively.
I have a couple I pulled when I was a kid, I often put one in a new black deck to make sure I have enough card draw, and then rotate it out for stuff with more synergy or speed as I optimize.
@@iurirosa3155 yeah but it’s so expensive for low level. It’s just weirdly priced
@@elipetrou9308 it is expensive nowdays. I got mine for 3€ a few years ago
@@iurirosa3155 My playgroup is pretty high power, We have a mono green Omnath player who has cards like concordant crossroads, And the gaeas cradle. I get where you’re coming from it’s just too slow in my playgroup I’d rather have the cards immediately. I’m partial to cards like greater good in my Kyler deck where I can sac A 7/7 token and get a bunch of cards, or Skullclamp in my aristocrats deck.
Edit: Would like to add that greater good it’s pretty cheap if you make a lot of big tokens. It’s like $.82 and you get the effect as soon as you play the card you can immediately start sacrificing stuff to it.
My playgroup purposely plays cards you guys hate just to joke about it when they hit the board. Love your content.
Honestly that's some good value :P
What EDH/Commander deck does Gandalf play?
@@MTG69 obviously mono black devotion with Phyrexian Arena and Grave Titan.
I must be tired because I have been sleeping on a lot of these cards and the extra synergies they can add to decks more than the expensive staples can.
I'm so glad I found y'alls channel a couple months back.
Love you guys and this has got to be one of the most helpful episodes on the channel. Thank you for: Syphon Mind, Recurring Insight, Sire of Stagnation, Sentinel Tower!
Stay cool nerds
One card yall missed for an avacyn replacement is Semester's End. One mana more then Eerie but makes all your creatures ETB with a +1+1 or extra loyalty for walkers! Plus it's like 70 cents!! So good play it in my Selesyna human counter deck! But could work well in other white decks.
I'd like to say: Disciple of Bolas does really well in even higher power levels (~7 or 8) with the right commander, like say alesha
Totally agree!
Or meren
It’s like 🤔 hey I’d love a video on this topic of MTG then the nitpicking nerds dish out exactly what you want 🙌👏 guys rock!
We are in your head
@@NitpickingNerds Not only in his head
Hey Jordan from wich country are ya?My real name is Randy Pohl
Fun fact about Teferi's Protection and Commander damage: Opponent can still die from commander damage, even though their life total doesn't change. Commander damage will still count, as it's a separate damage that just gets counted. They'll go to their upkeep and die before anything happens.
So strange to see a mythic as a kid I thought was lame be in the thumbnail, love you consecrated sphinx
-I think Underworld Connections is highly underrated when your suggesting substitutes for Phyrexian arena. When your typically holding up mana anyways for removal and they do nothing you can instantly tap on their end step and draw a card and lose a life, like y'all stated read the battlefield. I also notice people tend to focus on Phyrexian Arena not Underworld Connections, even forgetting it since it sits in my land pile.
-I forgot about Minions Murmurs it would be great as back up in my elf ball deck with, Pact of the Serpent.
-Dauntless Escort works with Sun titan also :P
I’m somewhat lower on Windgrace’s Judgment. It feels really awkward when there’s an archenemy, which is a lot of the time. Despite the insane mana cost, I have seen Casualties of War overperform in comparison, since it can really dismantle a way-ahead board. Currently $1.69!
I'm not a 100% what efficacy means but I do like how fancy and jargony it sounds and it's definitely a word :)
Deathsprout is a good one for assassin trophy. 4 mana, snipe a creature and you get a land. Under 50 cents.
Agreed, LOL the first time I cast it I thought my opponent got the land and than I realized I got it, great card...Reading the card explains the card ;p
We actually had that on here but Binding edged it out slightly, it could be decent especially if you put more value on instant-speed vs being able to target any nonland permanent
So glad someone else uses Snuff Out. The number of times I’ve destroyed someone’s life with that card…
I've put wandering archaic in my Talrand, Sky Summoner deck. Whenever anyone casts an instant or sorcery and doesn't pay, I copy it, but more importantly, I get another drake, building my army of flying death!
Watching your channel grow makes my heart warm haha
I would say that most of the time, or even my average game, when I get Arena out early it will stick around for at least 5 or 6 turns. A lot of the time it just stays there the whole game. It happens more times than not
Same. I don’t play the card but I have a few friends that do and it’s rarely targeted when it comes down. It’s just not seen as threatening any longer so people turn a bling eye to the additional card every turn. On top of that it lowers your life and people love attacking the player with the highest life so there that little advantage possibly as well.
Pact of the Serpent is Minions' Murmurs on a tribal bent. And Dauntless Escort is a thing too. Its no selfless spirit but is it cheaper. Oh and Cosmic Intervention is nice as well. Gives you wipe protection, plus if you're running any amount of fetches you can pop em in response to ramp a couple extra lands for the turn. Occupies the same sort of space as Faith's Reward and Second Sunrise to protect your board for less than Avacyn, but this one you get to accrue some extra value from too.
my favorite way of playing minds desire is playing it on flash speed via tidal barracuda, using my opponents' spells instead of having to get ahead manawise before casting it
Talking about Eerie Interlude: What's about Semesters End? It's just one Mana more, exiles even Planeswalkers and brings back the whole team with extra counters!
Always nice spotting IB merch out in the wild!
Wandering Archaic in Vega, the Watcher. Its great!
On the Sign in Blood for the kill, I got a kill with Destructive Revelry and that was SPICE
I really loved wandering archaic in my Volo deck.
That's sweeeeeet
The second level on sorcerer class is good with burn down the house. It becomes a two cost spell as you are going off to kill them.
Burn them down!
Another fun avacyn alternative is Sephara sky's blade. It's a 7/7 flying lifelink that give your other flyers indestructible so it doesn't cover all your creatures but you can cast it by paying one white and tapping 4 of your creatures so it's possibly a one drop avacyn and it's also a big creature unlike the other alternatives
Akroma’s Will is so good. Basically the white Triumph of the Horses
I ALSO run a Beast Within and Generous Gift in every deck they’re available for.
"Why would you wanna pay 8 mana to give your stuff protection from 65% of removal?"
Because I'm a degenerate that thinks one-sided Armageddons are funny :P
I tend to prefer cheating the mana costs myself. Example: Defense of the Heart into an Avacyn/Shalia combo^^ Also Elvish Piper. Put ANY creature card, in your hand, into play for a single green mana^^
Also they literally answered their own question IN the question. 8 mana may be a lot, but its still a damn good rate to give ALL your stuff protection from 65% of removal.
Speaking of pet cards, I love wandering archaic so much. It goes in almost every one of my decks. It never does nothing and sometimes it absolutely goes off. Love it!
I got a foil one here and i could only afford to play one in my Kess deck
Yeye love it when this comes out as my school day ends
We have prefect timing!
Where are you from?
@@NitpickingNerds New Jersey
@@Silently_Games ending the school day early
@@NitpickingNerds yep finished my assignments earlier then normal
Loving the content lately! This series is great for me, I’m trying to build a budget token deck, hopefully this will help!
Honest question. What’s the expensive cards for a token deck?
@@davidhowell1415 doubling season
@@ItzYuki1i is that it? Because I forgot about that one.
@@davidhowell1415 it’s like 70 dollars lmfao
@@ItzYuki1i okay cool so just save and buy one lmfao
Ultimate counter to Abrupt Decay is a free Mindbreak Trap, 😎
Totally forgot the existence of Syphon Mind while building my Kroxa deck, now I need it.
Disciple of Bolas is so underrated, card is actual gas.
Nezahal is better than Sphinx imho, as being able to protect himself is big game, and he is a bigger body against creature decks.
Sea Gate Restoration should be a near auto-include in most non-Ad Naus high-power blue decks. On top of what y’all mentioned, it’s literally a land that pitches to FoW/FoN.
I’m with you for most of this. But in my group no one will hit an arena when there are so many more ridiculous enchantments to deal with. I have had to beast within my own arena to stop it from killing me before.
Stinging study would be great in Tasigur... Because I almost never cast Tasigur for retail. But he does cost a lot. So being able to dump my hand, delve away my commander and then use this to refill hand
Amazing value.
Wandering Archaic belongs in a Shalai deck.
It gives Selesnya something they usually don't have and Shalai can protect it and beef it up when needed, I want one so bad.
Wedding ring is a good replacement for consecrated sphinx in white, and it will never get hated out.
It is pretty deeece
Some other decent boardwipe protection is Linvala Shield of Sea Gate, Glorious Protector, and Loxodon Hierarch. All are under 50¢ and with the exception of Loxodon, they're fairly cheap mana-wise too.
Just throwing out another suggestion to swap for phyrexian arena. It's a personal pet card that fits especially well with graveyard strategies. Moonlight Bargain goes 5 deep at instant speed and you can send any of those 5 to your yard instead!
Miz mastery is insanely fun! So much value, so much misery for our opponents! I love it.
Bolas's Citadel is cheaper that Phyrexian Arena, and it is so much better. I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned. Also, a couple more of good alternatives to Etherflux Resivour are Grapeshot and Guttersnipe. Have to be in red to use them, but they are quite cheap.
Sire of stagnation is awesome! I forgot about that card and it fits in some of my cool casual decks
That's exactly its home
IMHO, morbid opportunist is the best budget alternative to phyrexian arena. It’s just bananas.
If you want to go SUPER budget in place of Avacyn/Selfless Spirit, Selfless Glyphweaver also makes all your creatures indestructible (costs a little more and is exiled though).
Great Iron Buffalo shirt! Love that place!
Chef's kiss to Minion's Murmurs in Edgar Markov.
I run Wandering Archaic in my cEDH deck. it helps give it an edge in counter war scenarios, making it very hard for an opponent to combo off while the Archaic is out. It's a bit clunky, but it's a stax-y deck, so it can drag things out long enough for this to see play. I mostly run it as a defensive bulwark, but it's also able to generate random value, nobody wants to pay 3 for a Brainstorm.
I still don't love Phyrexian Arena, but I feel like it's not completely awful, it's even solid if you can get it out early, it probably isn't worth removing, and if they do, it isn't a blow out. It's godawful drawn late, so I have not been tempted to take it out of my Legacy Pox deck (where I am not quite sure why it works, since it costs so much life since Pox drags games out, but cards are very good), and I don't foresee that changing any time soon. I even run Underworld Connections over it if I feel a deck might need life, or be able to untap the land, it's a more versatile way to draw a card per turn, and the cost is relatively similar, if more versatile. Not drawing during your upkeep can be helpful in some scenarios.
regarding blue draw spells, one of the most slept on spells imo is pulse of the grid. should be in most decks that are in blue imo, and definitely in every deck that utilizes their graveyard. draw 2, discard reanimate/flashback/madness, etc. target AND return pulse to your hand? value city.
Mindblade Render and Glint-Sleeve Siphoner are good budget alternatives for PA as well.
I think Psychic Possession could be a decent Budget Consecrated Sphinx. It's a $3-$4 card that has you draw whenever a specific opponent draws.
Yall forgot about gardian of faith as a great budget protection against all kinds of removal/board wipe
I believe mono black devotion is the only reason why Phyrexian Arena stays as high as it does.
Stinging Study makes me want to rebuild my Vilis, Broker of Blood deck.
Talking about replacements for Phyrexian arena, take a look into a card called Necrologia. Its very cheap, and probably is better than most of the cards you guys mentioned
War Journal entry, 11/1/21: i feel sick. I think IT poisoned my candy i ate last night, somehow. Didn't go out due to covid, hid little bundles of candy all over the house, turned off the lights, bumped scary tunes while the kids easter-egg-hunted for Halloween candy with flashlights, then watched horror movies all night. Was really nice. Ate a lot of candy. Def poisoned by IT...
Well just don't die on us
@@NitpickingNerds Can't; Old witch's curse... it's a long story... (I'll happily tell it, but only during card games, hint-hint)
I love gravestorm, and underworld connection
My favorite thing with Recurring Insight is playing in Aminatou after casting Temporal Mastery. 😂
How Syphon Mind is still a budget card, i have no idea - it is in literally every commander deck that has black in our play circles, I can't imagine it not being in all others. #Stapleblack
It really is damn strong
It’s still a budget card because it’s a common and it’s been printed 8 different times.
@@HomeCookinMTG lol i actually understand the real world reasons of why it is so cheap, thank you though. i was just being a bit hyperbolic.
@@workyoutube7798 Ironically $1.50 or whatever for a common that’s been printed eight times is still quite a bit, which I didn’t think about while writing my previous comment lol.
@@HomeCookinMTG IT'S AT $1.50?!? Holy smokes - between this and pitiless plunderer, im fuggin rich now
j/k, sadly
But seriously, I didn't know they were even that much currently, wow. RUclipsrs always be driving the price of singles up...
Winning with sign in blood feels great!
It would be a dream come true
@@NitpickingNerds it always is. I had a certain black, black, black enchantment on the battlefield that deals damage to an opponent when they draw a card. It hurt them.... they got dealt four damage, I then doubled the effect trigger to finish the job. XD
The point of Avacyn isn't to protect your creatures, that's an upside but the point is you can play her and spam 1 sided wraths every turn. cant imagine someone playing her like a selfless spirit that's weird.
Loved this series of videos. Subscribed now
Wow, thanks so much! :D
I LOVE Syphon Mind in my Nath of the Gilt Leaf deck. RIP 3 cards, Draw 3 cards, make 3 Elf tokens, so much value!
imo commander staples should always have more budget versions released if wotc doesn't wanna reprint these powerful cards. Like i think it's how they can keep resentment down with the player base while continuing to retain the value
Thank you for the content, guys. I’ve been looking for some thing to protect my mail Thank you for the content, guys. I’ve been looking for some thing to protect my Mayael, and I forgot all about robe of stars
i'd like to point out sphinx-bone wand with obosh
Semester's End is under a dollar, and has fabulous utility at 4 mana.
10:37 I think of Syphon Mind as easier to cast Harmonize with upside.
Agree: Dragon Shield all the way! 👍
Best shields on the market
In the defense of P. arena, ive never seen anyone remove it. Ever. So it draws 4-8 cards on average if played on 3.
Hey joe and beezy, I really enjoy your content and I was just wandering when shuffle/scuffle will be release because i'm very very hyped for this!
We are finalizing things, and want to have an episode out before the year is up!
Hope youre gonna post a lot of episodes, I personally prefer less post production and more gameplay videos:)
@@jerryloiselle8507 we are gonna start off slow to get into a groove but we want to do weekly gameplay when we can
@@NitpickingNerds omg soooo hype! Continue your great job boys! I love your channel!
Sephara, sky’s blade is an excellent replacement for avacyn if you run lots of flying or maybe spirit tribal
Well you could always turn a land into a Phyrexian arena by enchanting it with an Underworld Connections. You get behind one turn with mana but eh... I dunno. I've used it a lot before I got an Arena.
I use necrologia, moonlight bargain, and underworld connections in black decks. I play a big mana erebos deck so im paying mana for cards.
They left out one card that can replace phyrexian arena... and thats "gravestorm" pay 3 black mana and its an enchantment that lets you draw card and exile cards from opponents graveyards. Very cheap
Great video spot on with the pics
Budget option for earie interlude/ ghostway would be Semesters end!
If someone played a sire of stagnation I don’t think I would stop playing lands, so it does seem really good
Joe is kind of cute when doing those giggles
I will let him know!
I would think that Wandering Archaic would have a great home in Kalamax
Avacyn is just good in kaalia of the vast deck. I got a from the vault version for 20 less then the listed price on most sites.
I play Stinging Study in my Ur-Dragon deck. 5 mana draw 9 feels really nice :)
Was expecting Underworld Connections as one of the replacements for Phyrexian Arena. Same mana cost, very similar effect, 10% the price
I think it's worse because you take over a land unless you have ways to untap it. And even if you do, just pay 2 Mana to draw two for that turn immediately.
Thanks. I can use this as stand-ins for proxies
Wandering archaic works wonders in queen marchesa decks
Great Video Very much enjoyed but....
I'd use Avacyn over each of those budget alts, and also I prefer Exile over destroy what do you then? your indestructible is now render useless. Also my Imposing Sovereign takes care of your Blink effects as your creatures are forced to bow before it, as they re-enter the battlefield. Also my Mana Tithe and Lapse of Certainty are waiting in my hand.
I love your budget bomb episodes!
If for some reason buried alive is expensive for you old stickfingers is the guy for you!
Missed best draw in Black. Skeletal Scrying
Seriously want to know what their playgroup power level is. Cause i have now watched about 15 of their videos and i am convinced there is maybe 10 years experience between these two. Power level 4? maybe 5?
Ageless Insight in Jhoira decks is absolutely ridiculous 🤣
Stinging Study is incredible in Licia, instant speed draw 8 cards is incredible
So nuts!
I actually have a playset of minions murmurs and play it in a mon black deck (not commander just kitchen table)
Funny story: I played Sire of Stagnation and it immediately got killed by Snuff Out, yay devoid!
You guys rock! (Great Shirt by the way)!