What are your favorite underused, budget cards?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on June 29, 2020, 1:29 a.m. by SynergyBuild
There are many lists of underused cards for EDH, and I always love finding hidden gems among them, but everyone seems to have their own list!
Can you all list your favorite underused budget EDH cards, specifically less than or around 2 dollars? Also, for sake of succinctness, trying not to repeat other cards people put up would be very appreciated.
I am currently working on a comprehensive list of a ton of cards like this for a budget EDH deck-builder's tool I will post after, if you do not want your secret gems to be put on that list, please state so in your comment and I won't write it up.
I will write up a ton of my favorites later on as a separate comment under this post!
I really like Selvala, Explorer Returned in green/white/X decks (not just as the commander). She's just a good all-rounder. Good blocking potetial, card draw (albeit for everyone) and mana ramp, what's not to love.
June 29, 2020 1:41 a.m.
CaptainToll says... #4
Blood Sun as it makes your budget tapped lands enter untapped.
June 29, 2020 2:16 a.m.
CaptainToll says... #5
- Suppression Field not only keeps infinite combos in check, but also makes fetchlands pretty costly.
- Sunbird's Invocation just amazingly fun to play and your opponents tend to gaze in feat once it drops.
June 29, 2020 2:21 a.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #6
I love Mausoleum Secrets as a hella cheap instant speed tutor, and I think Aid from the Cowl provides nice extra-extra fancy scrying with a super easy-to-meet requirement, and Captured by the Consulate is fun to force an opponent to waste a removal spell or something of the sort. Seeker of the Way is a great creature to drop all your buffs on, and Center Soul is an interesting protection spell that you can use the next turn to get some damage in. Congregation at Dawn is awesome for cheating things off your deck, and Dispel is I feel the most underused actually-good counterspell ever. Destiny Spinner can make some massive creatures and keep your unresolved spells of all sorts safe, and Refurbish is super cracked at getting massive artifacts back onto the battlefield cheeaap (think Cataclysmic Gearhulk-type cards) and finally, Looming Altisaur is the best voltron commander I’ve ever seen.
June 29, 2020 2:24 a.m.
SteelSentry says... #7
Telepathy and Need for Speed. They're only one mana, and both feel bad to waste enchantment removal on. I put Telepathy in every deck I can, and Need for Speed in everything outside of Boros, and are frequently one of the best cards on my side of the field. Plus, Need for Speed is literally the best card in my Korvold, Fae-Cursed King lands deck.
June 29, 2020 3:23 a.m.
ClockworkSwordfish says... #8
Rain of Thorns seems criminally underplayed in green budget decks. Six mana is a definite price barrier, but a 3-for-1 is worth it. Unlike the more popular Decimate, you don't need all three targets so it's still not a dead card if you have to settle for taking out a land and a mana rock.
Likewise, Hull Breach feels underplayed considering it's the card advantage of Return to Dust at the same speed and half the mana.
June 29, 2020 6:03 a.m.
June 29, 2020 8:46 a.m.
griffstick says... #11
Being that I'm not really a blue player I've found Glasses of Urza useful especially before doing a big Exsanguinate. Is nice being able to see players hands outside of blue
June 29, 2020 9:34 a.m.
FormOverFunction says... #12
My decks are terminally bad (but themely!) so my contributions will be limited in value, but here are some of my favorites: Transmutation Encrust Artificer's Hex Iceberg Rain of Gore Corrosion Heat Stroke Harsh Mentor
June 29, 2020 9:42 a.m.
CaptainToll says... #13
- Stubborn Denial with a Commander, that has 4 power. For countering target noncreature spell feels really good. Love the card in Tasigur, the Golden Fang.
- Return to Nature just because it is reprinted so often it is no junk. So versatile at each state in the game for so little investment.
- Aven Mindcensor I also slept in this card, but once you flash him in on somebody searching his library (yes Cultivate counts, as does cracking fetchlands), you will get that little evil feeling of joy.
- Compost, if your meta likes playing black. Spells cast do count for this...So nice.
- Nature's Claim the cheapness of the card makes it absolutely worth an include. Bonus points for targetting your own stuff to screw someone's lethal math over.
- Driven / Despair makes your tokens become a true menace. In Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons the card is a bomb, maybe it is elsewhere aswell.
June 29, 2020 9:54 a.m.
FormOverFunction says... #14
Sorry for the second post, but I can’t believe I forgot Xenic Poltergeist. So many fun/wild scenarios to be had with that little guy!
June 29, 2020 10:42 a.m.
Portcullis
It caps the board as a whole at 2 creatures.
Run some removal, make sure you own one of the two creatures left standing, and it’s incredible just how hard this thing soft-locks for 1$
June 29, 2020 11:08 a.m.
SteelSentry says... #16
+1 on Portcullis, I have seen it used to great effect in Superfriends decks or any of the gods that aren't creature based decks like Keranos, God of Storms.
June 29, 2020 2:14 p.m.
griffstick says... #17
Hey this ones not budget because of the reserve list but I have found Karn, Silver Golem particularly useful in mono black. Also I have turned equipment into creatures with him to remove key equipment from the creature
FormOverFunction you made me think of this one.
June 29, 2020 5:29 p.m. Edited.
Telepathy
Countersquall
Fertile ground
Sudden spoiling/ polymorphist’s jest
Meteor Crater
Tainted strike
Instill energy
Tangle wire
Aetherize
June 29, 2020 10:33 p.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #19
MrDimir you can link to card images by doing something a little like this:
[ [ Looming Altisaur ] ] (The card name in between double brackets)
It allows us to make sure we know which cards you’re talking about :)
June 29, 2020 11:08 p.m.
Mob Rule as a mass gain controll until EoT.
Boneyard Parley as a fact or fiction for graveyatrd creatures, and puts them on the battlefield.
Brutalizer Exarch creature tutor or non-creature tucker.
Gyre Engineer if you want to go infinite with one mana untappers.
Rashmi, Eternities Crafter always is good fun.
Plasm Capture as a more expensive mana drain if you're in simic.
Manifold Insights Gets better the more opponents you have.
Acidic Slime is a well known removal spell in green.
June 30, 2020 5:12 a.m.
There are a few cards that I like to put in decks that never seem like a dead draw and never seem to lose value as the game goes on. And as players get eliminated, they gain in value and tempo. But i have a clear favorite;
Capsize: This is one of the most useful cards after Jace the many or counterspell I have ever seen printed in blue. If an opponent can't counter it, you will slowly remove their field and keep threats off the table. It affects lands, is repeatable and is backed by the rest of your blue deck.
June 30, 2020 10:56 a.m.
JANKYARD_DOG says... #23
Any /X aggro/go wide deck could use Mark for Death. I found it quite useful with Alesha.
June 30, 2020 12:18 p.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #24
I really like Vizier of Deferment as a way to keep a huge pumped-up creature off your face for a turn, and it can block a second as well. Traveler's Amulet is a good turn-one play in 3+ color decks, in my opinion, just decent very cheap syncing Justice Strike is more often than not 2 mana removal, which is great in Boros/budget decks Cacophodon enables ALL OF the combos. Love that card.
June 30, 2020 12:35 p.m.
Time of Need is probably #1 on my list, as well as Whispers of the Muse and Reality Shift. Not sure how underplayed they are, but they probably belong in more of the 99’s in their respective colors.
June 30, 2020 12:40 p.m. Edited.
Imp's Mischief and Bolt Bend - Counter counterspells, redirect targeted removal/draw/extra turns and more! All of such a cheap cost!
June 30, 2020 3:12 p.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #27
Profet93, sorry dude, Imp's Mischief is an $11 card...
June 30, 2020 3:26 p.m.
Thanks for bringing that to my attention, I didn't realize it became that expensive. I remember picking one up for a little less than $5, which I suppose doesn't fall within the budget.
Bolt bend is a good budget alternative to Deflecting Swat for certain decks such as Xenagos
June 30, 2020 3:47 p.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #29
Of course! Glad you don’t mind me correcting you.
June 30, 2020 3:49 p.m.
Not at all! I have little ego, if I can get an opportunity to learn and someone is nice enough to politefully inform me I was wrong, I need to thank them, not get mad at them!
To add onto the conversation, I think Rude Awakening and Sanctum of Ugin should not be overlooked. Sanctum is nice because it allows tutoring for any deck so long as they have a large colorless card.
Rude awakening is just bonkers. Can be used a regular ritual, a ritual on steroid with cradle (although this is a budget discussion so no go), a wincon on it's own right and an amazing draw source with Shamanic Revelation. I use it in Azusa to ramp even harder! :)
June 30, 2020 4:07 p.m.
golgarigirl says... #31
I am a devotee of Perpetual Timepiece for any deck that likes filling it's graveyard. Not only does it fill your 'yard, but it can save just the good bits from exile!
Cavalier of Flame does not get enough love! He does everything! I do not care that he's $6...he'll rotate soon and be actually 'budget'. Play him in your draw decks. Play him in your lands decks. Play him in your aggro decks. Just trust me.
June 30, 2020 4:49 p.m. Edited.
Noire_Samhain says... #32
Not an unheard of card, but I feel more decks with with a good amount of Black cards should think about playing it, especially if you expect Token decks, decks that go wide, or just creature dependent decks. The fact you can cast it for free by exiling a no-longer useful or easily sacrificed card from your hand on an opponent's turn is icing on the cake.
Joe_Ken_ says... #2
Vanishing is great at protecting your commander and even better in aura voltron builds since with how rulings work it will also phase out all of the auras on the creature.
June 29, 2020 1:32 a.m.