Eh, that card is kinda bad. I just run 4 copies of pot of greed which allows me to draw two cards from my main deck consisting of a total of 38 cards of all traps, spells, and/or monsters.
@matt rardin it's a second sol ring. May even be a bit worse than sol ring but it's how you get a second one in your deck. Unlike sol ring however, WOTC doesn't print 5 million of them a year. Price is gonna get up there.
I appreciate videos like these, where you are giving affordable alternatives to cards that see heavy play. I really dislike when big EDH youtubers make videos giving their opinions on cards you shouldn't play anymore. Like edh is a casual format, people should be able to run any type of cards they want...
While that is true, it's also true that if you stick with the cheaper cards, which are usually cheaper because they cost more mana, you will increasingly find yourself being left out of games, in the sense that you simply don't get stuff done while the money-decks are already going off. Recently my playgroup did a little discord session where we discussed our decklists using a deckstat-tool, and I was kinda shocked to see how low average cmc has become, and how well doing bad in the game corresponded to having, in terms of mana cost, a more expensive deck. Overall power-creep and WotC actively designing cards for EDH has changed the format quite a bit, and if you happen to play EDH in a store with changing playgroups, like I also do, you need to keep up with the times or you won't have much fun playing the game.
I play any card that makes sense for the commander. Outside of removal spells and non basic multicolor lands, there just aren’t cards that have to be in a deck because it’s a certain color.
I agree with you, finally someone who is not a spike on youtube! We play commander for fun and to use our cards, competition is for legacy, modern and duel commander.
@@einstein951 Indeed, the "Master of Segways" is a very different thing. Very mobile, has Haste. Probably summons a 1/1 colorless Artifact Vehicle token with Crew 1, or something.
@@luizhenrique4967 I feel that it can be better in certain multiplayer situations because sometimes there’s just one player who’s so far ahead. You bounce all their stuff and the other two players are still happy and won’t target you (like they would if you cast Rift)
Pathbreaker Ibex is another similar one I like for that effect. Just need to have at least one creature with decent power.... and if you’re in green, you probably do
Same here. I can play a zur's weirding with it in my hand and as long as I leave up 4 mana, nobody is willing to be the one to get aetherized. The true value of this card is when everyone knows that if they are the first to attack you, that they'll be left wide open.
A little more situational, but at three mana even cheaper is Polymorphist's Jest. The good thing about it: it works independently of attacks and thusly can also be used to deny people certain combos for one round. Drawbacks: it doesn't do much against Voltron or +1/+1-counter-decks.
I mean this in the best way prof, when you pretend to be young it’s how people pretended to be young 15 years ago haha. It’s so dated that it’s imitating even more dated stuff. 😂
You really did do a stellar job with the RayCon commercial/advert short. I really laughed out loud, literally, and then bothered my significant other with an out-of-context (and very poor) retelling of the finer points of the bit. It did not go as well as I had hoped, but not to worry, that was my delivery and her genuine disinterest, not a reflection of the quality clearly present in your work. Thank you, I really was tickled, something I've been needing. Not literally, this time.
I've started proxying for EDH and it's a game changer. I can try out $10+ cards to see if I like them before I buy, and I can use expensive cards like Cabal Coffers without breaking the bank.
I’ve been doing a lot of that the past two years. I buy a single copy, sleeve it up in a binder, then run proxies in any deck I want it in. No one can really complain that I’m not moving that single copy between all my decks.
Pestilence and pyrohemia are great in monocolor or if you have maximal 2 colors. Broughtback is esp good with fetschlands, lotusfield, sad-robot, burnish heart and other "white ramps" esp if you use it to also bring one creature back and fetsch at the same time.
Smothering Tithe... no alternatives, while all other color staples have weaker but doable alternatives. Maybe a card that could create X treasure tokens whenever opponents draw more than one card a turn? Wait, that sounds familiar...
I've actually got a few favourites to share! Whelming Wave is a sorcery for 2 and UU to return all creatures to their owners hands except for Serpents, Octopuses, leviathans and Krakens. Great fit in a sea monster deck that you should be running or just a decent cheap board wipe that may hit all your own creatures. The Magic Mirror is a legendary Artifact for 6 and UUU, this is an insane draw engine in blue, offering to be cheaper for each instant or sorcery in your graveyard, perfect for blue (Or even simic and izzet, I've seen it do work in both) Spell slinger decks, also no maximum hand size! A couple of my friends started running this after I did Unified Will is a counter spell for 1 and a U. You running a token generating deck that has a splash of blue? Have yourself a very easy to cast counter spell which the downside is you have to have more creatures then the owner of the spell your countering. Works great in my simic deck, and works especially well with a creature like Nadar Kraken in play. Need a way to get your big spells? Grozoth is a 6 and UUU creature with defender that tutors for all your CMC 9 spells and brings them into your hand to get your Great Henges or the Magic Mirror I know you're gonna use now! Or you can just transmute for 1 and UU to replace it with one CMC 9 spell. Garruk's Uprising is an enchantment for 2 and G, holy another great draw engine for green, when it enters the battlefield if you control a creature with 4 power or greater draw a card, gives your creatures trample, then whenever you play a creature with 4 power draw a card. A card that I think more people should play in beat down decks. Masako the Humorless is a creature for 2 and W, has flash and has tapped creatures you control may block as though they were untapped. This comes out of nowhere and can really mess up your opponents plans. Super funny and I completely recommend Basri Ket is a super underrated planeswalker for 1 and WW, +1 put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, it gains indestructible until end of turn, -2 Whenever one or more nontoken creatures attack this turn, creature that many 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens that are tapped and attacking. -6 you gain an emblem with "At the beginning of combat on your turn, create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token, then put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control". This planeswalker does incredible work, for me in my Boros deck it even has a semi-infinite combo with it's -2 and Breath of Fury, essentially as long as you had 3 creatures to start with, and someone can't block, you can keep creating a ton of 1/1 tokens and take as many combats as it takes for someone to block. Works especially well with Iroas. Force of Despair. I don't know how this card isn't work more, a free semi-board wipe for exiling a black card from your hand, or just 1 and BB which is not hard at all to come by. This card specifically destroys all creatures that entered the battlefield this turn. This shuts down the infinite token person that did it in one turn, or counters something simple like a Avenger of Zendikar. Highly recommend
Fantastic list, here's a few more i'd like to suggest: Devastation tide 1.54USD on tcgplayer right now. Can bounce everything for 3UU or for miracle cost 1U. Its another great budget option that can have some random upside, and gets way better with top deck manipulation like repeated scry effects. life//death: 1B for reanimate effect provided you have GB commander colors. It also is a fraction of the cost at 1.67USD at time of comment, a fraction of reanimate's price! Druid's repository: 1GG for an enchantment that builds up mana as you attack with creatures. Strong in many go-wide strategies and very budget acceleration for early/midgame commander. current price: 1.41USD on TCGPlayer Most transmute spells: This isn't a single card but more an often forgotten keyword ability more combo and control strategies should definitely be utilizing. Price range on these are between .25-6.00 with most falling under 1.00USD. While they only tutor for a card with a matching CMC, they are absolutely fantastic provided you build your deck with them in mind. Some often fill other roles like muddle the mixture (counter magic/tutor, who could ask for more?), shred memory (graveyard hate at instant speed for those pesky reanimator decks, or go tutor for a powerhouse 2 drop) Relic Seeker: This card is VERY underrated in EDH. This is a slower but consistent stoneforge mystic that only costs 0.25 USD. In most multiplayer games, you will definitely find the time to hit someone with it since its only a 2 drop, and can also offer diplomatic solutions if you need to get through with it later game. Don't sleep on this one, its great! open the armory: yet another slept on tutor weighing in at 0.45 USD. For 1W, you can tutor any equipment or aura. Its cheap and effective, and will often fill a niche. I'd love to hear other's thoughts and more budget commander options =D the format definitely needs more diversity like this.
Necrologia is a cheap underrated stand in for Necropotence. It’s a one off but it instantly fills your hand and also your graveyard (unlike Necropotence). Shared Summons is a poor man’s Tooth and Nail because you cast it at instant speed to get your combo pieces and then play them on your turn. Matyr’s Bond a budget Dictate of Erabos/Grave Pact, if you happen to also be running white. Moment’s Peace a budget Constant Mists.
love it. great video. i'm also a big proponent of people trying to use different cards. there's just becoming way too many "auto-includes" in the format and everyone's deck is starting to look the same.
I personally love casting Siren's Call on someone else's turn when my defenses are set. The sadistic glee you can get from making someone else go ballistic on a common enemy is priceless.
A favorite alternative to Cyclonic Rift for me is Whelming Wave, for 2 and two Blue you return all creatures to their owners hands except for Krakkens, Octopi, Serpents, and Leviathans. As long as your deck is those creatures, or even if you are just needing to control the board a bit, it is a card not many expect.
My little suggestion and idea : Vampiric Tutor ' Demonic Tutor ==> Beseech the Queen ' Dark Petition ' Insidious Dreams Damnation ==> Languish ' Black Sun's Zenith ' Toxic Deluge ' Death Cloud Craterhoof Behemoth ==> Pathbreaker Ibex The Great Henge ==> Zendikar Resurgent ' Beast Whisperer Rhystic Study ==> Mystic Remora
Massacre, Languish, Crux of Fate, all the way up to Plague WInd/In Garruk's Wake depending on deck and whether or not you went Big Mana. Black can get it done.
I genuinely appreciate this video! I've been playing for 2 months and am playing with 5 players who have been with the game on and off pretty hardcore for 20 years. I'm addicted. I just spent $22 on a bunch of these cards instead of spending... $200+. Thank you!
Some more not so commonly run white cards that I love to run are Settle the Wreckage and Comeuppance. They work as pretty sneaky wraths and comeuppance can also turn someones damage combo against them. Edit: also end raze forerunners and lifecrafters beastiary are two of,my favorites! Glad u mentioned them.
When i saw the alternative for Dockside Extortionist was Treasure Nabber i was like: "Why not run BOTH?". But yeah, great vid Prof! I must say i'm also running a new EDH with a Korlash, heir to Blackblade (wich is almost my fav deck by now) with a swamps matter theme and i must tell you that a good ol' mutilate is working wonders for me.
Agreed. Many of the professors "substitutes" are cards that are ran alongside the format staples to improve consistency in the first place. It felt like a list of cards that see too much play nowadays and the cards that they replaced in the meta, rather than an actual list of budget alternatives to power effects.
I'm always surprised that more don't talk about Flood of Tears as an alternative to Cyclonic Rift. Yes it returns your own nonland permanents to hand, but so long as you put 4 back this was (and assuming you've got at least 1 or 2 mana rocks out this should be easy) you can then put something back into play. Flood of Tears have swung many a game in my favor.
True. Flood of tears combos quite nicely with omniscence, should you have the budget for the combo. Sadly, that card is worth more than a copy of cyclonic rift, which doubly defeats the purpose of running flood of tears as it is in every way worse than cyclonic rift. The reason it is ignored is that it is a 2 card combo that costs even more to purchase than the one card it is trying to replicate. I agree it isn't bad on it's own, but it opens you up to a wheel before you can redump your hand onto the battlefield.
Oh my God, that was perhaps the most hilarious sponsor plug yet. In answer to the question, I have always been a fan of Phyrexian Reclamation; I’m the only one in my play group who uses it. It allows you to overextend, it allows you to build value engines with a sack outlet and enter the battlefield triggers, and allows you to recover after a wrath or when your table is all out of resources.
Some interesting, if not quite parallel, substitutions; Dockside Extortionist-> Mana Geyser Vandalblast-> Meltdown Toxic Deluge-> Dead of Winter (especially now with snow lands being more accessible)
Forerunners is great because it changes games, not only it can be a wincon, it can also really help you get there, since provides your creatures with vigilance which is HUGE for a creature based deck. I run it in my Amareth flicker deck and it is gross when i keep flickering every turn so i can attack and at the same time be ready to block if necessary.
If you like Moat but don't have $600+ to spend, consider Island Sanctuary. This card is quite old, having been printed as early as Limited Edition Alpha. But thanks to multiple print runs in early mtg you can pick it up for about $4. At 1W to cast, you can choose to skip your draw step and get (effectively) a one-sided Moat effect until your next turn. While this isn't great in mono white given it hits you right in the draw power, don't let that cost drive you away from using it in multicolor decks where you can make up for the cost with a strong blue, green or black draw engine. This will allow you to still get an inflow of cards to your hand while utilizing the effect of one of mtg's most insane white enchantments (and yes magus of the moat exists but having multiple of the effect is far from a bad idea in commander).
@@anthonydelfino6171 yeah, it actually just went up again due to a spoiler from Kaldheim. The card is stupid good, it plays to all of green's strengths while circumventing or overwriting green's weaknesses. Play it in any deck with 1/3 creatures, you won't regret it.
Actually, *Oath of Lieges* is a pretty good alternative to Smothering Tithe! Its $5 instead of $30 so not the most budget, and it won't quite get you ahead, but it'll at least help you keep up with all the green players' land ramp while they get nothing! And you get some Group Hug political points! *Oath of Lieges* is my favorite card in the format :)
Oath of lieges is a good card, however, it comes with a major downside: it only helps you if you are behind, but it always helps your opponents. Oath of Lieges is objectively a lose less card in a format in which win more is king.
Small service: Card Name: Oath of Lieges Mana Cost: 1W Converted Mana Cost: 2 Types: Enchantment Card Text: At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player chooses target player who controls more lands than they do and is their opponent. The first player may search their library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle their library.
I was always a believer that if a card is considered ''staple'' in EDH (Rhystic Study, Cyclonic Rift, 1-2CMC mana tutors, etc..... even the sacred cow Sol Ring and all the fast mana cards,) then it is too powerful for EDH and should be played in cEDH only. EDH should be about fun, clever interactions and not about being as spikey (not to mentioned homogenized) as possible. Thank you Prof for this video. It was spot on.
It's not that simple: some fringe decks that reasonably speaking wouldn't work at all can get enough of a leg up by running super powerful staples that they actually become able to execute whatever nonsense they were previously falling short. Even in the realm of weird jank there are things that are significantly more efficient, and decks that need the help to compete even against other low power decks
@@mella4376 I respectfully disagree. With the possible exception of Smothering Tithe (because it is true that for the moment W has nothing else efficient), U has many efficient card draw options that are not called Mystic Remora and Rhystic Study, many efficient ways to deal with a board that are not called Cyclonic Rift, many efficient ways to counter spells without having to use FREE counterspells, B has many efficient ways to tutor without using broken 1-2 CMC tutors and ways to have CA without using Necropotence, G has many, many way to finish games without having to use Behemoth and practically any deck has availability to 2CMC-mana rocks and fast mana rocks (Mana Crypt, Sol RIng) only contribute in everyone in the table playing catchup. These are just a number of examples. There is a difference between ''efficient'' and ''broken''. Why build f.e. an efficient synergistic deck to use a wierd commander ability as an engine to draw a cards, while you can just play Rhystic Study and draw 14 cards in 3 turns?
@@nikos731 eh, agree to disagree, I like to option of giving power injections to weak decks so that they can actually get to the point where they can show what they are meant to do without the need to power down and slow down everyone, and I tend to play with folks that are good at self-regulating and won't use those shortcuts unless they really need them or they're part of the theme of the deck (like say you're playing enchantress in the case of fish and study). I can see how super good staples would be more of a problem in a metagame where people are worse at self-regulating
I am not sure that we disagree that much. My own playgroup is pretty good in regulating these things as well tbh. As you said yourself, you are not using them in every case, but in specific instances and when on theme, which is something I respect.....
@Gino Victory As I said at the begining, this is juat what I believe and I do not dictate anything on anyone, unless you are in my playgroup, where my opinion holds value. I personally enjoy suboptimal lines that provoke more deckbuilding skills and unique interactions. They also (usually) involve cheaper pieces so available to everyone. Other people though prefer to play with optimal cards, using the same things in every deck. I enjoy that too, but then the format is called cEDH. But in general, to answer your question, PLAYGROUPS dictate how the people in them have to play, so as many of them can enjoy playing as possible. And believe me, it is for the best. (and I hope the ''dictating'' comment was not towards the Prof for trying to propose different options than the staple ones)
I often add Prying blade as a Smothering Tithe sub in my combat dependant decks. It doesn't grab as many treasures as ST but is still a handy boost. Liked the Dockside sub. It appeals to the magpie in me. 😁 Great vid Prof!
Biggest problem I have with a lot of these "budget alternatives" is that they almost all feel more like "budget additionals." If I'm playing Purphoros, I'm probably playing cards like Warstorm Surge as well. If I'm playing Oracle of Mul Daya, I'm probably playing Courser too! Still a good video though, some neat ideas here especially when talking about wrath effects in white.
If you're playing Elves and don't want to dish out for a Cradle, consider Elvish Guidance. Gives you Green Mana for every Elf you control whenever you tap the enchanted land for mana. Can get crazy with Arbor Elf.
I love the Bestiary! I think it’s a great include in pretty much any green creature deck. You’re never short on mana, so the extra payment doesn’t hurt much. I use it and the Forerunners in my Chulane elf-ball deck-bouncing the big pigs and replaying them once is usually enough to end the game.
Spelltwine is a massively underrated spell imo. You can flash back some truly heinous stuff from your bin every time and you'll get something good from an opponent as well. The floor is usually 6 mana to wrath+rampant growth, in a single card. My choice for budget hoof is Overwhelming stampede. Even in my elf deck, I'll usually end up with at least 1 thing with 4, 5, 6 power and that effect really doesn't need to be repeatable. For black wraths, its less universal, but I really like crux of fate in decks where the commander is a dragon.
Can I just mention Descendants’ Path from Avacyn Restored? I’m not exactly sure what it is a cheaper version of, BUT IT’S AMAZING IN PRETTY MUCH ANY GREEN TRIBAL DECK
@@Frostgiantbutsmall it definitely isn’t budget but also certainly not as expensive as it should be considering it’s power to give you a free creature (deck permitting) like heralds horn is probably the closest card to it and is more then double the price
It is overpriced for the effect. You will be getting it to trigger about once every 3 turns in a deck which has been trully optimized around triggering this effect as often as possible. Even if you put 50 changelings in the same deck, you'd only see this enchantment do it's thing once every other turn. For this kind of mana-cheating card advantage effect in green, it'd need to be 2 mana or 1 mana on a creature.
@@bodaciouschad That's assuming you're not using cards like Sylvan Library, Mirri's Guile, Div Top, or one of many other options to rearrange the top of your library. I'm not sure what the budget options are for those cards, but...you get the idea. As for a budget option of Descendants path, although the functions are...somewhat different, I find that Aid from the Cowl can often do the job very well
I run a lot of Tribal Decks, and as such use Mana Echoes in anything red! It ramps faster than a lot of people would expect (in sliver it goes infinite with sliver queen, and with Amoeboid Changeling/ Scuttling Sliver/ Sliver Overlord gives infinite creatures, mana, AND lets me take all my opponents creatures) But it is also a great option for everything from Elementals to Goblins to Minitours and more!
Overwhelming Stampede is a nice alternative to Craterhoof Behemoth. It's based on greatest power rather than number of creatures so doesn't fit all decks. Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse also gives your creature base power and toughness X/X until end of turn for 4GG, where X is the number of cards in hand, so again situational. Planar Cleansing is a nice 5-cost alternative to Wrath of God. Flood of Tears is a 6-cost alternative to Cyclonic Rift, but only at Sorcery speed.
This is one people always overlook: Underworld connections ($0.50) is a great substitution for phyrexian arena ($10.00). Obviously not as efficient but it comes with the advantage of being attached to a land so: -you could draw a card the turn it comes down -you can find a way to untap it to draw multiple cards -you don’t HAVE to activate it if you need the life.
A $1 card that any Red deck can make major use of is *Magmatic Force*. 3 damage to any target each upkeep is okay at a glance, but consider this: every turn, you can ask the turn player where they want you to direct that damage. Deals for days with this card. I highly recommend it.
A great replacement for a Rhystic Study in blue for me is Verity Circle. You don't realize just how many creatures tap for abilities until you play one out and start drawing a bunch. Even better if a friend has an Elf deck, or EVEN better if you play a Derevi deck.
I'm usually aware of most of these suggestions but Treasure Nabber is something I've completely missed and it looks like a lot of fun! Thank you, stay great.
In blue, consider running Insight instead of Rhystic Study. Insight is a 2U enchantment which lets you draw a card whenever an opponent casts a green spell. On one hand, it only targets green spells, but on the other hand, almost all commander tables have at least one green player, often multiple ones. It also doesn't give your opponents the option to pay 1. Rhystic study is almost strictly better but Insight costs almost nothing.
I would've mentioned angelic purge. I know you want removal to be instant speed as much as possible and sacrificing a permanent is a cost, but it can exile artifacts, creatures, and enchantments without any colour restriction.
I run Burgeoning, Archmage Ascension and Planar Bridge in my Bant Enchantment deck. I know Planar Bridge is costly, but when I drop it and activate it, that usually means game over. Burgeoning is great ramp and you're ramping on your opponents turns. Lastly If you understand how to break Archmage Ascension you have a search engine for your library on a stick. Great cards and, other than Planar Bridge really inexpensive.
I'm surprised Rising Miasma made the list when there are other budget cards that do more for less or more for the same cost. Yahenni's Expertise at the same cmc and $0.24 gives all creatures -3/-3 and lets you cast a 3cmc or less spell for free. Cry of the Carnarium & Flaying Tendrils exile creatures that die the turn you cast the spell and are 3cmc and $0.14/$0.07 respectively. Golden Demise is also 3cmc and has the ability to only affect your opponents if you have the city's blessing at $0.10.
Those cards might be suitable hosers for a poorly built krenko deck, but I would reccomend massacre, massacre girl or massacre wurm over any of the 3 mana sorceries you've mentioned. Massacre girl is cheaper than golden demise and will almost always be a completely one sided board clear, with a 4/4 menace as upside. Just add blinks and the board is yours.
Insight is a budget rhystic study. 2And U whenever an opponent plays a green spell you draw a card. Reprocess is a great way to draw cards in any sacrifice deck. 2 and 2B sac any number of lands/artifacts/creatures, draw that many cards.
I'd love to give Killing Wave a shout out for a black board clear. Your opponents can hang on to key pieces by paying life but if you put enough into it, they're losing their numbers. It's cheaper than the listed common clears but I guess not by too much, I just love asking my opponents the question "How badly do you want to save that creature?" (Killing Wave XB, Sorcery, for each creature its controller sacrifices it unless they pay X life)
Another alternative for Cyclonic Rift: Profaner of the dead. Costs 3 and a blue. Sac itself on ETB to bounce all opponents' creatures with 2 toughness or less. Can get a lot better with +1/+1 counters or anthems (it's a wizard) on ETB. Or you can just sac another tougher creature. Hilarious in reanimator decks.
My alternatives to Wrath of God are Hallowed Burial and Tragic Arrogance. One is Terminus, which can be a blow out against indestructibles and graveyard decks. The other can deal with all nonland permanents and makes opponents sacrifice
One of the rare cards I play that doesn't see a lot of decks is Honor-Worn Shaku. It's an artifact that cost 3 to play and it says, "Tap Honor-Worn Shaku for a colorless, you may tap target legendary card to untap Honor-Worn Shaku." This card is SO goo in my planeswalker deck
I like when underated cards are played I play a lot of unknown and wacky cards that are good as well and you are one of the youtubers who point's them out
These are my favorite "unexpected" cards: Killing Wave in black, Vicious Shadows in red, Soul Barrier in blue, New Frontiers in green, Illumination in white
Thank you Prof, our own little raycon of sunshine ;) get it?!? Lets be old disgracefully :) I like using the tempest buyback spells like invulnerability, capsize, searing touch, shattering pulse & constant mists , sadly corpse dance & mists have gone up a lot recently, the others are still cheap and fun/unusual to play. Then there are the licids! ;)
I use so many alternative cards and cards no one uses, hence why I play commander. I play EDH for fun because the card pool is almost every card ever printed excluding banned cards and silver border stuff along with a few other things but I can run wacky and jank cards and still have fun and use creatures I want. I never play to win only to have fun. Also Bontu’s Last Reckoning is a slept-on board wipe.
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
An alternative to commander staples. Commander paperclips... I'll see myself out now.
A+
*points at door* get out!
very punny
I like puns. Also words cannot express how elated I am the professor responded. But sound effects will work.
@@williamcecil4265 It's punbelievable that you couldn't command an alternative to that staple of a pundit's lexicon.
This man's ad reads are on another level.
Just like the well leveled sounds in these RayCons! ©®™
He's just so with it!
I'm just glad the sponsers let him do it haha
Prof knows how to profit from his weaknesses perfectly! I love these ads!
I think we all long for raid ad read get on it raid: shadow the hedgehog legends
Hot tip: Sol ring is an excellent alternative to the high priced mana crypt!
Sol ring? Never heard of that card before but it must be sweet on turn 1?
@@MyExStacyOfficial eh to much of a cost on turn one I'd rather be playing a jeweled lotus. I'm gonna pass on sol ring
@@clarkwilmerding4343 Eh I don't know, Jeweled Lotus is a little jank in my opinion, I only run black lotus personally.
Eh, that card is kinda bad. I just run 4 copies of pot of greed which allows me to draw two cards from my main deck consisting of a total of 38 cards of all traps, spells, and/or monsters.
@matt rardin it's a second sol ring. May even be a bit worse than sol ring but it's how you get a second one in your deck. Unlike sol ring however, WOTC doesn't print 5 million of them a year. Price is gonna get up there.
"Thank you Raycon for sponsoring this video..... about commander" killed me, so funny
I swear this ad is almost as good as "raycons are coolio, and I ain't foolin' yo!"
I appreciate videos like these, where you are giving affordable alternatives to cards that see heavy play. I really dislike when big EDH youtubers make videos giving their opinions on cards you shouldn't play anymore. Like edh is a casual format, people should be able to run any type of cards they want...
While that is true, it's also true that if you stick with the cheaper cards, which are usually cheaper because they cost more mana, you will increasingly find yourself being left out of games, in the sense that you simply don't get stuff done while the money-decks are already going off. Recently my playgroup did a little discord session where we discussed our decklists using a deckstat-tool, and I was kinda shocked to see how low average cmc has become, and how well doing bad in the game corresponded to having, in terms of mana cost, a more expensive deck.
Overall power-creep and WotC actively designing cards for EDH has changed the format quite a bit, and if you happen to play EDH in a store with changing playgroups, like I also do, you need to keep up with the times or you won't have much fun playing the game.
I play any card that makes sense for the commander. Outside of removal spells and non basic multicolor lands, there just aren’t cards that have to be in a deck because it’s a certain color.
I agree with you, finally someone who is not a spike on youtube! We play commander for fun and to use our cards, competition is for legacy, modern and duel commander.
@@plain6677 Legacy is no competition, it’s pure hell
heres the problem all of those cards are not casual they belong in cedh
"The cheerful melodies of Snoop doggy Dogg" that was a good one
Confession: I am not actually familiar with Snoop Doggie Dog's music. I just know the name.
@@TolarianCommunityCollege Yes, but are you familiar with our lord and savior, Brandy?
He needs sea shanties right now
@@minniescott2355 Coulda swore Brandy died in a car crash back in the 90s
3 years later, never forget Prof’s jam. Jabreezy
The Professor, Master of Segways.
* segue
@@einstein951 bless you
Legendary Creature, 2/2. Whenever the Professor becomes untapped, transform a card in your hand to an alternative provided in one of his videos.
@@einstein951 Indeed, the "Master of Segways" is a very different thing. Very mobile, has Haste. Probably summons a 1/1 colorless Artifact Vehicle token with Crew 1, or something.
For blue, you forgot rivers rebuke. One of the most underrated blue comparisons to cyc rift
The problem with rivers rebuke is that its single target, so in a X1, worderfull! In full table however...
@@luizhenrique4967 I feel that it can be better in certain multiplayer situations because sometimes there’s just one player who’s so far ahead. You bounce all their stuff and the other two players are still happy and won’t target you (like they would if you cast Rift)
@@craigfernandez4433 Yeah, makes sense when we involve commander politics in the middle.
Flood of Tears + Emergence Zone costs as much mana as Cyclonic Rift, at opponent's EoT, it's a game ender
The Professor getting surprised by his own camera running every single time is my favorite running gag that gets undernoticed.
Seige behemoth is another budget alternative to craterhoof behemoth and more people need to play it!
Siege behemoth is great, but it does not fill the same spot as craterhoof.
End Raze Forerunners? 😆
Decimator of provinces is also a card
Pathbreaker Ibex is another similar one I like for that effect. Just need to have at least one creature with decent power.... and if you’re in green, you probably do
Kahmal, Fist of Krosa?
Aetherize has won way more games for me than cyclonic rift.
Same here. I can play a zur's weirding with it in my hand and as long as I leave up 4 mana, nobody is willing to be the one to get aetherized. The true value of this card is when everyone knows that if they are the first to attack you, that they'll be left wide open.
I run both Aetherize and Aetherspouts in my Nicol Bolas, the Ravager deck. They are my 2 favorite answers to draw against aggro.
Aetherize was my budget rift... But never actually worked well for me.
Agreed they don’t see it coming most of the time.
A little more situational, but at three mana even cheaper is Polymorphist's Jest. The good thing about it: it works independently of attacks and thusly can also be used to deny people certain combos for one round. Drawbacks: it doesn't do much against Voltron or +1/+1-counter-decks.
I mean this in the best way prof, when you pretend to be young it’s how people pretended to be young 15 years ago haha. It’s so dated that it’s imitating even more dated stuff. 😂
And that’s what we want the most!
You really did do a stellar job with the RayCon commercial/advert short. I really laughed out loud, literally, and then bothered my significant other with an out-of-context (and very poor) retelling of the finer points of the bit. It did not go as well as I had hoped, but not to worry, that was my delivery and her genuine disinterest, not a reflection of the quality clearly present in your work.
Thank you, I really was tickled, something I've been needing. Not literally, this time.
I mean the budget option for something like smothering tithe is to just print proxies that's pretty cheap
I've started proxying for EDH and it's a game changer. I can try out $10+ cards to see if I like them before I buy, and I can use expensive cards like Cabal Coffers without breaking the bank.
@@CharlotteMimic Absolutely. Proxies are a great way to test your decks and even just make the $1k+ decks without killing your bank account.
Thanks god i picked my smothering tilthe while it still was a buck rare
I’ve been doing a lot of that the past two years. I buy a single copy, sleeve it up in a binder, then run proxies in any deck I want it in. No one can really complain that I’m not moving that single copy between all my decks.
Buy 1 piece and color Xerox it shuffle it all you want no collateral damage
Noooooo. You’re telling the internet about all my secret budget cards!!
Pestilence and pyrohemia are great in monocolor or if you have maximal 2 colors.
Broughtback is esp good with fetschlands, lotusfield, sad-robot, burnish heart and other "white ramps" esp if you use it to also bring one creature back and fetsch at the same time.
Smothering Tithe... no alternatives, while all other color staples have weaker but doable alternatives.
Maybe a card that could create X treasure tokens whenever opponents draw more than one card a turn? Wait, that sounds familiar...
Which one is that? I’m building a treasure theme’d deck
@@joshuarogers4428 Hullbreacher
@@maceyreynolds2211 oh yeah XD
Monologue Tax is kind of an alternative
"Webster's defines ME as 'over it.'" I am stealing this, Prof 😂
I've actually got a few favourites to share!
Whelming Wave is a sorcery for 2 and UU to return all creatures to their owners hands except for Serpents, Octopuses, leviathans and Krakens. Great fit in a sea monster deck that you should be running or just a decent cheap board wipe that may hit all your own creatures.
The Magic Mirror is a legendary Artifact for 6 and UUU, this is an insane draw engine in blue, offering to be cheaper for each instant or sorcery in your graveyard, perfect for blue (Or even simic and izzet, I've seen it do work in both) Spell slinger decks, also no maximum hand size! A couple of my friends started running this after I did
Unified Will is a counter spell for 1 and a U. You running a token generating deck that has a splash of blue? Have yourself a very easy to cast counter spell which the downside is you have to have more creatures then the owner of the spell your countering. Works great in my simic deck, and works especially well with a creature like Nadar Kraken in play.
Need a way to get your big spells? Grozoth is a 6 and UUU creature with defender that tutors for all your CMC 9 spells and brings them into your hand to get your Great Henges or the Magic Mirror I know you're gonna use now! Or you can just transmute for 1 and UU to replace it with one CMC 9 spell.
Garruk's Uprising is an enchantment for 2 and G, holy another great draw engine for green, when it enters the battlefield if you control a creature with 4 power or greater draw a card, gives your creatures trample, then whenever you play a creature with 4 power draw a card. A card that I think more people should play in beat down decks.
Masako the Humorless is a creature for 2 and W, has flash and has tapped creatures you control may block as though they were untapped. This comes out of nowhere and can really mess up your opponents plans. Super funny and I completely recommend
Basri Ket is a super underrated planeswalker for 1 and WW, +1 put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, it gains indestructible until end of turn, -2 Whenever one or more nontoken creatures attack this turn, creature that many 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens that are tapped and attacking. -6 you gain an emblem with "At the beginning of combat on your turn, create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token, then put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control". This planeswalker does incredible work, for me in my Boros deck it even has a semi-infinite combo with it's -2 and Breath of Fury, essentially as long as you had 3 creatures to start with, and someone can't block, you can keep creating a ton of 1/1 tokens and take as many combats as it takes for someone to block. Works especially well with Iroas.
Force of Despair. I don't know how this card isn't work more, a free semi-board wipe for exiling a black card from your hand, or just 1 and BB which is not hard at all to come by. This card specifically destroys all creatures that entered the battlefield this turn. This shuts down the infinite token person that did it in one turn, or counters something simple like a Avenger of Zendikar. Highly recommend
Tbh, that was the best slide in for an ad the prof. has ever given. Give this man a standing ovation.
"Webster's dictionary defines 'me' as over it."
If I could somehow double subscribe to your channel, this is the reason why.
Fantastic list, here's a few more i'd like to suggest:
Devastation tide 1.54USD on tcgplayer right now. Can bounce everything for 3UU or for miracle cost 1U. Its another great budget option that can have some random upside, and gets way better with top deck manipulation like repeated scry effects.
life//death: 1B for reanimate effect provided you have GB commander colors. It also is a fraction of the cost at 1.67USD at time of comment, a fraction of reanimate's price!
Druid's repository: 1GG for an enchantment that builds up mana as you attack with creatures. Strong in many go-wide strategies and very budget acceleration for early/midgame commander. current price: 1.41USD on TCGPlayer
Most transmute spells: This isn't a single card but more an often forgotten keyword ability more combo and control strategies should definitely be utilizing. Price range on these are between .25-6.00 with most falling under 1.00USD. While they only tutor for a card with a matching CMC, they are absolutely fantastic provided you build your deck with them in mind. Some often fill other roles like muddle the mixture (counter magic/tutor, who could ask for more?), shred memory (graveyard hate at instant speed for those pesky reanimator decks, or go tutor for a powerhouse 2 drop)
Relic Seeker: This card is VERY underrated in EDH. This is a slower but consistent stoneforge mystic that only costs 0.25 USD. In most multiplayer games, you will definitely find the time to hit someone with it since its only a 2 drop, and can also offer diplomatic solutions if you need to get through with it later game. Don't sleep on this one, its great!
open the armory: yet another slept on tutor weighing in at 0.45 USD. For 1W, you can tutor any equipment or aura. Its cheap and effective, and will often fill a niche.
I'd love to hear other's thoughts and more budget commander options =D the format definitely needs more diversity like this.
Reins of Power is my hidden blue gem. It steals games when played at the right time!
For blue, there's Whelming Wave, and Scourge of Fleets, which us a personal favourite of mine.
For Craterhoof, you can always substitute Overrun. It's a classic alpha-strike card that is plenty capable of winning games.
“Webster’s dictionary defines (x) as (y)” in at least one paper per semester.
That was the joke
@@0entropy indeed.
Necrologia is a cheap underrated stand in for Necropotence. It’s a one off but it instantly fills your hand and also your graveyard (unlike Necropotence).
Shared Summons is a poor man’s Tooth and Nail because you cast it at instant speed to get your combo pieces and then play them on your turn.
Matyr’s Bond a budget Dictate of Erabos/Grave Pact, if you happen to also be running white.
Moment’s Peace a budget Constant Mists.
love it. great video. i'm also a big proponent of people trying to use different cards. there's just becoming way too many "auto-includes" in the format and everyone's deck is starting to look the same.
I personally love casting Siren's Call on someone else's turn when my defenses are set. The sadistic glee you can get from making someone else go ballistic on a common enemy is priceless.
one of my absolute favorite replacements for Rhystic study is the card "Insight"
also to replace cyc rift, flood of tears
I use chain reaction in every red deck, everyone always expects blasphemous act when i start counting creatures.
A favorite alternative to Cyclonic Rift for me is Whelming Wave, for 2 and two Blue you return all creatures to their owners hands except for Krakkens, Octopi, Serpents, and Leviathans. As long as your deck is those creatures, or even if you are just needing to control the board a bit, it is a card not many expect.
My little suggestion and idea :
Vampiric Tutor ' Demonic Tutor ==> Beseech the Queen ' Dark Petition ' Insidious Dreams
Damnation ==> Languish ' Black Sun's Zenith ' Toxic Deluge ' Death Cloud
Craterhoof Behemoth ==> Pathbreaker Ibex
The Great Henge ==> Zendikar Resurgent ' Beast Whisperer
Rhystic Study ==> Mystic Remora
That was the most depressing sponsored segment I've ever seen in my life. Are you still feeling okay, Prof?
My thoughts exactly he sounded sad
I can't help but feel it's because it was Ray's Cons he had to shill...
@@MosoKaiser I think it's in their contract to mention Brandy, Ray, and Snoop Dogg during the ads.
"As a *former* english proffesor"
*shudders* that’s not how you spell that...
Massacre is a great black "wrath" that should see more play.
Massacre, Languish, Crux of Fate, all the way up to Plague WInd/In Garruk's Wake depending on deck and whether or not you went Big Mana. Black can get it done.
I genuinely appreciate this video! I've been playing for 2 months and am playing with 5 players who have been with the game on and off pretty hardcore for 20 years. I'm addicted. I just spent $22 on a bunch of these cards instead of spending... $200+. Thank you!
Some more not so commonly run white cards that I love to run are Settle the Wreckage and Comeuppance. They work as pretty sneaky wraths and comeuppance can also turn someones damage combo against them.
Edit: also end raze forerunners and lifecrafters beastiary are two of,my favorites! Glad u mentioned them.
Love and missed this series. As a budget (mostly) player I enjoy learning from people who have been involved in the game for years more than me.
Thanks Prof! Even though I may still run the staples, I will definitely look at these alternatives for more consistent gameplay
The "former" english proffessor bit got me. Upvote!
When i saw the alternative for Dockside Extortionist was Treasure Nabber i was like: "Why not run BOTH?".
But yeah, great vid Prof! I must say i'm also running a new EDH with a Korlash, heir to Blackblade (wich is almost my fav deck by now) with a swamps matter theme and i must tell you that a good ol' mutilate is working wonders for me.
Agreed. Many of the professors "substitutes" are cards that are ran alongside the format staples to improve consistency in the first place. It felt like a list of cards that see too much play nowadays and the cards that they replaced in the meta, rather than an actual list of budget alternatives to power effects.
I'm always surprised that more don't talk about Flood of Tears as an alternative to Cyclonic Rift. Yes it returns your own nonland permanents to hand, but so long as you put 4 back this was (and assuming you've got at least 1 or 2 mana rocks out this should be easy) you can then put something back into play. Flood of Tears have swung many a game in my favor.
True. Flood of tears combos quite nicely with omniscence, should you have the budget for the combo. Sadly, that card is worth more than a copy of cyclonic rift, which doubly defeats the purpose of running flood of tears as it is in every way worse than cyclonic rift. The reason it is ignored is that it is a 2 card combo that costs even more to purchase than the one card it is trying to replicate. I agree it isn't bad on it's own, but it opens you up to a wheel before you can redump your hand onto the battlefield.
The transition was quite masterful. With that said continue please!!!!!
Oh my God, that was perhaps the most hilarious sponsor plug yet. In answer to the question, I have always been a fan of Phyrexian Reclamation; I’m the only one in my play group who uses it. It allows you to overextend, it allows you to build value engines with a sack outlet and enter the battlefield triggers, and allows you to recover after a wrath or when your table is all out of resources.
Some interesting, if not quite parallel, substitutions;
Dockside Extortionist-> Mana Geyser
Vandalblast-> Meltdown
Toxic Deluge-> Dead of Winter (especially now with snow lands being more accessible)
Great topic and choices. Love hearing about people playing non-staples. Thanks!
I loved seeing Forerunners appear as a Hoof-lite. Brilliant in any deck that cheats out creatures (❤️ Atla Palani)
Forerunners is great because it changes games, not only it can be a wincon, it can also really help you get there, since provides your creatures with vigilance which is HUGE for a creature based deck. I run it in my Amareth flicker deck and it is gross when i keep flickering every turn so i can attack and at the same time be ready to block if necessary.
If you like Moat but don't have $600+ to spend, consider Island Sanctuary.
This card is quite old, having been printed as early as Limited Edition Alpha. But thanks to multiple print runs in early mtg you can pick it up for about $4.
At 1W to cast, you can choose to skip your draw step and get (effectively) a one-sided Moat effect until your next turn.
While this isn't great in mono white given it hits you right in the draw power, don't let that cost drive you away from using it in multicolor decks where you can make up for the cost with a strong blue, green or black draw engine. This will allow you to still get an inflow of cards to your hand while utilizing the effect of one of mtg's most insane white enchantments (and yes magus of the moat exists but having multiple of the effect is far from a bad idea in commander).
I cracked a henge 2 days ago! Didn't know it was that expensive.
Congrats!
@@anthonydelfino6171 yeah, it actually just went up again due to a spoiler from Kaldheim. The card is stupid good, it plays to all of green's strengths while circumventing or overwriting green's weaknesses. Play it in any deck with 1/3 creatures, you won't regret it.
Those segues were top notch 😂
This is the first time I've ever heard of Living Death being referred to as removal and not a backbreaking combo piece.
Planar Void. One black for an enchantment that exiles cards as they hit each players graveyard.
oh, thats just cheaper leyline of the void
That is the most compelling and genuine ad for raycon earbuds I have ever seen.
Actually, *Oath of Lieges* is a pretty good alternative to Smothering Tithe! Its $5 instead of $30 so not the most budget, and it won't quite get you ahead, but it'll at least help you keep up with all the green players' land ramp while they get nothing! And you get some Group Hug political points! *Oath of Lieges* is my favorite card in the format :)
Ikr, it's criminally underrated!
Oath of lieges is a good card, however, it comes with a major downside: it only helps you if you are behind, but it always helps your opponents. Oath of Lieges is objectively a lose less card in a format in which win more is king.
Small service:
Card Name:
Oath of Lieges
Mana Cost:
1W
Converted Mana Cost:
2
Types:
Enchantment
Card Text:
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player chooses target player who controls more lands than they do and is their opponent. The first player may search their library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle their library.
I was always a believer that if a card is considered ''staple'' in EDH (Rhystic Study, Cyclonic Rift, 1-2CMC mana tutors, etc..... even the sacred cow Sol Ring and all the fast mana cards,) then it is too powerful for EDH and should be played in cEDH only. EDH should be about fun, clever interactions and not about being as spikey (not to mentioned homogenized) as possible. Thank you Prof for this video. It was spot on.
It's not that simple: some fringe decks that reasonably speaking wouldn't work at all can get enough of a leg up by running super powerful staples that they actually become able to execute whatever nonsense they were previously falling short. Even in the realm of weird jank there are things that are significantly more efficient, and decks that need the help to compete even against other low power decks
@@mella4376 I respectfully disagree. With the possible exception of Smothering Tithe (because it is true that for the moment W has nothing else efficient), U has many efficient card draw options that are not called Mystic Remora and Rhystic Study, many efficient ways to deal with a board that are not called Cyclonic Rift, many efficient ways to counter spells without having to use FREE counterspells, B has many efficient ways to tutor without using broken 1-2 CMC tutors and ways to have CA without using Necropotence, G has many, many way to finish games without having to use Behemoth and practically any deck has availability to 2CMC-mana rocks and fast mana rocks (Mana Crypt, Sol RIng) only contribute in everyone in the table playing catchup. These are just a number of examples. There is a difference between ''efficient'' and ''broken''. Why build f.e. an efficient synergistic deck to use a wierd commander ability as an engine to draw a cards, while you can just play Rhystic Study and draw 14 cards in 3 turns?
@@nikos731 eh, agree to disagree, I like to option of giving power injections to weak decks so that they can actually get to the point where they can show what they are meant to do without the need to power down and slow down everyone, and I tend to play with folks that are good at self-regulating and won't use those shortcuts unless they really need them or they're part of the theme of the deck (like say you're playing enchantress in the case of fish and study). I can see how super good staples would be more of a problem in a metagame where people are worse at self-regulating
I am not sure that we disagree that much. My own playgroup is pretty good in regulating these things as well tbh. As you said yourself, you are not using them in every case, but in specific instances and when on theme, which is something I respect.....
@Gino Victory As I said at the begining, this is juat what I believe and I do not dictate anything on anyone, unless you are in my playgroup, where my opinion holds value. I personally enjoy suboptimal lines that provoke more deckbuilding skills and unique interactions. They also (usually) involve cheaper pieces so available to everyone. Other people though prefer to play with optimal cards, using the same things in every deck. I enjoy that too, but then the format is called cEDH. But in general, to answer your question, PLAYGROUPS dictate how the people in them have to play, so as many of them can enjoy playing as possible. And believe me, it is for the best.
(and I hope the ''dictating'' comment was not towards the Prof for trying to propose different options than the staple ones)
I often add Prying blade as a Smothering Tithe sub in my combat dependant decks. It doesn't grab as many treasures as ST but is still a handy boost. Liked the Dockside sub. It appeals to the magpie in me. 😁 Great vid Prof!
Biggest problem I have with a lot of these "budget alternatives" is that they almost all feel more like "budget additionals." If I'm playing Purphoros, I'm probably playing cards like Warstorm Surge as well. If I'm playing Oracle of Mul Daya, I'm probably playing Courser too! Still a good video though, some neat ideas here especially when talking about wrath effects in white.
The ad killed me - it really made my day. Especially when he wonders why they are sponsoring a commander video :D
I love imprisoned in the moon, displacement wave and whelming wave for blue and resolute archangel in white (bounce away)
Solid video Prof! I have to say the way you guzzled your drink at the end was awesome!
If you're playing Elves and don't want to dish out for a Cradle, consider Elvish Guidance. Gives you Green Mana for every Elf you control whenever you tap the enchanted land for mana. Can get crazy with Arbor Elf.
As soon as you said ''wired'' I knew where you were going and I loved every second of it.
I love the Bestiary! I think it’s a great include in pretty much any green creature deck. You’re never short on mana, so the extra payment doesn’t hurt much. I use it and the Forerunners in my Chulane elf-ball deck-bouncing the big pigs and replaying them once is usually enough to end the game.
Spelltwine is a massively underrated spell imo. You can flash back some truly heinous stuff from your bin every time and you'll get something good from an opponent as well. The floor is usually 6 mana to wrath+rampant growth, in a single card.
My choice for budget hoof is Overwhelming stampede. Even in my elf deck, I'll usually end up with at least 1 thing with 4, 5, 6 power and that effect really doesn't need to be repeatable.
For black wraths, its less universal, but I really like crux of fate in decks where the commander is a dragon.
Even if I wasn't into MTG I would sub for the sponsorship reads alone. So good
Can I just mention Descendants’ Path from Avacyn Restored? I’m not exactly sure what it is a cheaper version of, BUT IT’S AMAZING IN PRETTY MUCH ANY GREEN TRIBAL DECK
Plus, that art is simply * *chef's* *kiss* *
Criminy! Wish it wasn't so expensive, but definitely a powerhouse!
@@Frostgiantbutsmall it definitely isn’t budget but also certainly not as expensive as it should be considering it’s power to give you a free creature (deck permitting) like heralds horn is probably the closest card to it and is more then double the price
It is overpriced for the effect. You will be getting it to trigger about once every 3 turns in a deck which has been trully optimized around triggering this effect as often as possible. Even if you put 50 changelings in the same deck, you'd only see this enchantment do it's thing once every other turn. For this kind of mana-cheating card advantage effect in green, it'd need to be 2 mana or 1 mana on a creature.
@@bodaciouschad That's assuming you're not using cards like Sylvan Library, Mirri's Guile, Div Top, or one of many other options to rearrange the top of your library. I'm not sure what the budget options are for those cards, but...you get the idea.
As for a budget option of Descendants path, although the functions are...somewhat different, I find that Aid from the Cowl can often do the job very well
You just talked about most of my commander decks. Loved it!
Long Term Plans. 2U search for any card and put it third from the top. Underrated Tutor.
I like how that middle shelf on Prof’s bookshelf is a low key billboard to promote ideas.
I run a lot of Tribal Decks, and as such use Mana Echoes in anything red! It ramps faster than a lot of people would expect (in sliver it goes infinite with sliver queen, and with Amoeboid Changeling/ Scuttling Sliver/ Sliver Overlord gives infinite creatures, mana, AND lets me take all my opponents creatures) But it is also a great option for everything from Elementals to Goblins to Minitours and more!
I think that Righteous Aura, is a great way to prevent damage and is cheap, against Voltron decks is most effective
Overwhelming Stampede is a nice alternative to Craterhoof Behemoth. It's based on greatest power rather than number of creatures so doesn't fit all decks.
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse also gives your creature base power and toughness X/X until end of turn for 4GG, where X is the number of cards in hand, so again situational.
Planar Cleansing is a nice 5-cost alternative to Wrath of God. Flood of Tears is a 6-cost alternative to Cyclonic Rift, but only at Sorcery speed.
This is one people always overlook:
Underworld connections ($0.50) is a great substitution for phyrexian arena ($10.00).
Obviously not as efficient but it comes with the advantage of being attached to a land so:
-you could draw a card the turn it comes down
-you can find a way to untap it to draw multiple cards
-you don’t HAVE to activate it if you need the life.
The way you described blue was so funny lol. "Negating spells, drawing cards and bouncing creatures"; it sounds broken. But it's beautiful 😎
That's because it is broken.
A $1 card that any Red deck can make major use of is *Magmatic Force*. 3 damage to any target each upkeep is okay at a glance, but consider this: every turn, you can ask the turn player where they want you to direct that damage.
Deals for days with this card. I highly recommend it.
One card that I put in any Blue-Black deck is Unfulfilled Desires. It is severely underplayed, yet still oft being the very best card in the deck.
Yes! especially for decks that keep open mana like Kess this card is great. It’s also great in scarab god btw
@@plain6677 Anything with a graveyard, or even just in general.
A great replacement for a Rhystic Study in blue for me is Verity Circle. You don't realize just how many creatures tap for abilities until you play one out and start drawing a bunch. Even better if a friend has an Elf deck, or EVEN better if you play a Derevi deck.
I'm usually aware of most of these suggestions but Treasure Nabber is something I've completely missed and it looks like a lot of fun!
Thank you, stay great.
I was actually just looking for these! My cart will now stop inducing guilt and financial self reflection. Thanks Prof!
Instead of doubling season, I run parallel lives and anointed procession in my naya token edh
In blue, consider running Insight instead of Rhystic Study. Insight is a 2U enchantment which lets you draw a card whenever an opponent casts a green spell. On one hand, it only targets green spells, but on the other hand, almost all commander tables have at least one green player, often multiple ones. It also doesn't give your opponents the option to pay 1. Rhystic study is almost strictly better but Insight costs almost nothing.
I would've mentioned angelic purge. I know you want removal to be instant speed as much as possible and sacrificing a permanent is a cost, but it can exile artifacts, creatures, and enchantments without any colour restriction.
I run Burgeoning, Archmage Ascension and Planar Bridge in my Bant Enchantment deck. I know Planar Bridge is costly, but when I drop it and activate it, that usually means game over. Burgeoning is great ramp and you're ramping on your opponents turns. Lastly If you understand how to break Archmage Ascension you have a search engine for your library on a stick. Great cards and, other than Planar Bridge really inexpensive.
Overwhelming Stampede is the best alternative to Craterhoof imo
But boring
@@josephg279 boring?
Yes that's what this video is about is not using the common and boring same old spells
@@josephg279 I didn’t realize whelming stampede was common and boring...in my playgroup I’m the only one who runs it
Overwhelming Stampede
In 18037 decks 8% of 231770 decks
Very much a common finisher in edh rec stats.
I'm surprised Rising Miasma made the list when there are other budget cards that do more for less or more for the same cost. Yahenni's Expertise at the same cmc and $0.24 gives all creatures -3/-3 and lets you cast a 3cmc or less spell for free. Cry of the Carnarium & Flaying Tendrils exile creatures that die the turn you cast the spell and are 3cmc and $0.14/$0.07 respectively. Golden Demise is also 3cmc and has the ability to only affect your opponents if you have the city's blessing at $0.10.
Those cards might be suitable hosers for a poorly built krenko deck, but I would reccomend massacre, massacre girl or massacre wurm over any of the 3 mana sorceries you've mentioned. Massacre girl is cheaper than golden demise and will almost always be a completely one sided board clear, with a 4/4 menace as upside. Just add blinks and the board is yours.
Seems like there’s more than just water or coffee in that mug...
Insight is a budget rhystic study. 2And U whenever an opponent plays a green spell you draw a card. Reprocess is a great way to draw cards in any sacrifice deck. 2 and 2B sac any number of lands/artifacts/creatures, draw that many cards.
I'd love to give Killing Wave a shout out for a black board clear. Your opponents can hang on to key pieces by paying life but if you put enough into it, they're losing their numbers. It's cheaper than the listed common clears but I guess not by too much, I just love asking my opponents the question "How badly do you want to save that creature?"
(Killing Wave XB, Sorcery, for each creature its controller sacrifices it unless they pay X life)
Another alternative for Cyclonic Rift: Profaner of the dead. Costs 3 and a blue. Sac itself on ETB to bounce all opponents' creatures with 2 toughness or less. Can get a lot better with +1/+1 counters or anthems (it's a wizard) on ETB. Or you can just sac another tougher creature. Hilarious in reanimator decks.
My alternatives to Wrath of God are Hallowed Burial and Tragic Arrogance. One is Terminus, which can be a blow out against indestructibles and graveyard decks. The other can deal with all nonland permanents and makes opponents sacrifice
One of the rare cards I play that doesn't see a lot of decks is Honor-Worn Shaku. It's an artifact that cost 3 to play and it says, "Tap Honor-Worn Shaku for a colorless, you may tap target legendary card to untap Honor-Worn Shaku." This card is SO goo in my planeswalker deck
I like when underated cards are played I play a lot of unknown and wacky cards that are good as well and you are one of the youtubers who point's them out
These are my favorite "unexpected" cards: Killing Wave in black, Vicious Shadows in red, Soul Barrier in blue, New Frontiers in green, Illumination in white
Thank you Prof, our own little raycon of sunshine ;) get it?!? Lets be old disgracefully :) I like using the tempest buyback spells like invulnerability, capsize, searing touch, shattering pulse & constant mists , sadly corpse dance & mists have gone up a lot recently, the others are still cheap and fun/unusual to play. Then there are the licids! ;)
I use so many alternative cards and cards no one uses, hence why I play commander. I play EDH for fun because the card pool is almost every card ever printed excluding banned cards and silver border stuff along with a few other things but I can run wacky and jank cards and still have fun and use creatures I want. I never play to win only to have fun. Also Bontu’s Last Reckoning is a slept-on board wipe.
if you enjoy bontu's last reckoning, I reccomend slaughter the strong and winds of abandon.
Thanks for the vid prof!
You bet!
I LOVE using Living Death as a board wipe! It's on par with Massacre Girl for power, and is similarly overlooked as a board wipe.
I commented too soon. That message of hope was on point. Great content again.