Building on a Budget

Reaganstorme

It was mentioned that posting decks full of Mythics and Rares is not always helpful for players to reference when trying to beat the harder Story or Event levels.

Lo! A place for those who have had success without those power cards to share successful strategies and decks. With the recently released Colour Mastery mechanic, even experienced and those with inventories full of Mythics and Rares might find information of use here.

Guidelines:

• 0-1 Mythic
  We would prefer you to list decks without Mythics, but if there is only one key Mythic, make sure you explain its inclusion.
• 0-2 Rares
  Similarly, the point here is to list decks that work without the most powerful cards, but others are much more likely to have these than others.

The reason to post deck lists is so that others can try them out, learn tactics from them, and even try the game out in different ways, so please try to stick to these guidelines.

Have fun!

fox1342

Gideon:

Serene Steward
Consol's lieutenant
War oracle

1 or 2 other creatures (the dual colour vamps are ok or else ascetic works well too)
Scour and smite
Retreat
mana ramp
Sword if you've got it the only rare

Alahamat's archive (M) is great addition if you do have it, but not key. This deck is cheap easy, fast and effective. Don't make anything other than consol defender.

span_argoman

Jace
Coralhelm Guide (7 mana for a 4/3, very mana efficient creature for Blue)
Murk Strider (3/1 for 3 mana, and bounce if there are void gems on the board)
Jhessian Thief (9 mana for a 3/5, boost able by spells and helps you draw more cards)
Sphinx's Tutelage (the support to make your draws sweeter)
Coastal Discovery (pure draw to find the cards you need)
Disperse (cheap bounce)
Anchor to the Aether (less cheap bounce but draws a card too)
Slab Hammer (consistent source of void gems)
Scour from Existence (creature removal and inconsistent source of void gems)

The idea is to bounce back whatever the AI can summon. Use Scour from Existence against creatures with on-summon abilities. Ingest to deny your opponent mana and to supply Murk Strider. And Sphinx's Tutelage + draw coupled with Jace's third ability to slow the opponent down even further.

Good rares to fit in
Harbinger of Tides - Bounce and good stats, can probably drop Anchor to the Aether for it
Talent of the Telepath - Helps you find the cards you need more quickly. And ranges from autocasting 4 of your cards to half-charging your most expensive card. Can replace Coastal Discovery.

span_argoman

Deck concept name: Grovetending in Akros
Planeswalker: Ally Gideon

This deck is built around the interactions between Grovetender Druids, Valor in Akros and Ally Gideon's second ability.

Important bits of info
Grovetender's Rally: You lose 1 mana and summon a 1/1 Plant creature token.
Gideon's 2nd ability: Summon 4 2/2 White Knight Ally tokens.
Valor in Akros: When a creature you control enters the battlefield, all creatures you control gain +1/+1 until the end of your turn.

Combine all those (ie. have Grovetender Druids and Valor in Akros on the board, then use Gideon's second ability) and you get:
+8/+8 White Knight Ally tokens (permanent)
+4/+4 Plant tokens (permanent)
+8/+8 to all creatures you control until the end of the turn

That's +36/+36 for 9 loyalty!
No Mythics/Rares required!

You might say, whoa hold up. The knights are gonna have summoning sickness. So that's a 16/16 that won't be attacking. Well ok, that's true for the first time you summon the knights. Or you could play Allied Reinforcements first to cash in on the full +36/+36. Or just get the full effect the second time round, +20/+20 ain't shabby.

So to add another Building on a Budget decklist:
Grovetender Druids (crucial card #1)
Valor in Akros (crucial card #2)
Yavimaya Coast (for mana/loyalty gain, interchangeable with any mana gain support of your choice)
Grasp of the Hieromancer (the +1/+1 is nice but what's important is disabling the first reach/defender to ensure your Grovetender does not die)
Allied Reinforcements (to summon more knights)
Iona’s Blessing (to give either your plants or knights Vigilance to protect Grovetender)
Smite the Monstrous (classic creature removal)
Ondu Rising (cause life gain is always welcome, plus Awaken elementals for +4/+4 from Valor in Akros, alternatively a mana sink to absorb the mana drain from Grovetender's Rally)
Alchemist's Vial (disable to keep your Grovetender alive plus draw)
Healing Hands (healing + draw)

Good rares/mythics to fit in
Alhammarret's Archive - This is the single best card to boost your draw in White. Being able to double draw will increase the consistency of assembling the combo. Doubling of life gain is a bonus. Can replace Alchemist's Vial.
Shrine of the Forgotten Gods / Prairie Stream / Canopy Vista / Lumbering Falls - Alternative mana gain cards. Shrine gives up potential loyalty gain for more consistent mana gain. Can replace Yavimaya Coast.
Hangarback Walker - Smite this to give +8/+8 to the rest of your board. Its own ability will trigger Akros to give you at least a +1/+1 every turn.
Quarantine Field - Nice to throw out once your stuff are set up.
General Tazri - A very expensive tutor for Grovetender Druids.

Alternative builds of this deck concept include using Kor Ally tokens instead of Gideon's Ally Knights.

Do note that you will find the deck can be pretty inconsistent cause White does not have good draw or tutor effects. But it's just fun when it does go off.

Reaganstorme

Taking Dodecapod's theories on Koth for a spin, I've put together a cheap (only 1 Rare, no Mythics) Allies deck that is pretty quick and fun for my level 30+ Koth.

Planeswalker: Koth of the Hammer

Deck name: Allies of the Hammer

Creatures (8):
Chasm Guide
Shatterskull Recruit
Firemantle Mage
Reckless Bushwacker
Ondu Champion
Volcanic Rambler
Blazing Hellhound
Resolute Blademaster

Spells (1):
Volcanic Upheaval

Supports (1):
Sword of the Animist (Rare)


Overview:

• Keep summoning creatures to trigger the rally effects. Use Koth's first ability Reshape the Land if there are little or no red gems available as you will starve until you can get some, but when you do this deck accelerates like crazy. Koth's second ability Rage of the Mountain is good enough to be your finisher (especially if you've gotten Resolute Blademaster to trigger) with Double Strike, Berserker, Trample, Unblockable and Haste all proc'd on your weenies.

Replacements:

• Blazing Hellhound --> Scab-Clan Berserker: a bigger body with better abilities.
• Shatterskull Recruit --> one of Angelic Captain or Mina and Denn Wildborn. Neither have Rally effects, but both have better stats and abilities. Be careful not to make your deck too expensive.
• Volcanic Upheaval --> Crumble to Dust: These cards are stall cards at worst, and at best will make cascades to bring you mana or more red gems.
• Alternative Supports --> Ally Encampment, Sigil of Valor, Flameshadow Conjuring (Rare), Molten Vortex (Mythic), Oath of Chandra (Mythic), or one of the red mana fixers would also work. Whatever Support you choose, keep the cost low enough to cast on a single red match if possible.

Problems and considerations:

• Mana denial decks can slow you down completely, but your cheap costs should allow you to accelerate once you get red matches.
• Flying and lifegain, both features of white decks, can be difficult to deal with. Fliers will ignore your Defenders, and can't be attacked with your Berserkers unless you have Angelic Captain in your deck. Lifegain will reset the damage you can do, so will need to be removed quickly if you are to prevail.
• Black Discard will be problematic if you are stalled, but your creatures are cheap enough that one red match will get you going again.
• Green has access to much more stable mana, and fatties to absorb your weenie rush, so hope you get favourable landfalls to let you compete. Unblockable lets you bypass them completely, and Rage of the Mountain will give your creatures Berserker, Trample and more power to try to take them out.
• Chandra and Koth will be competing with you for Red matches but as they have less penalties for non-Red matches Loyalty gems become a higher priority for you to trigger off Reshape the Land at the start of your turns.
• Koth's third ability Strength of the Mountain is great if you can get it early in the game, as it can be frustrating watching the AI use YOUR red gems and denying you mana, but focusing on Planeswalker gems to get loyalty for Reshape the Land when there are few good mana matches is a tactic you should be doing often.
• Oath of Chandra does approx 3 damage every turn directly to the enemy PW, and can give you 5 spot damage to a creature on cast instead if you need. Speeds up things immensely!

(I had more tactics here but lost them due to timeout.)
>:(

Skidoo

madwren posted some similar ideas in another off-topic thread, but ill share my relevant suggestions here.

Gideon Battle-forged was my go-to for months. When I began to build new red and black and green decks relying heavily on my newly acquired rares & mythics, my white deck remained largely uncommon and unchanged. Here's a summary of the core 5 cards:

Since the beginning I've run very successful, very cheap white decks around a core of 3 creatures:

Consul's Lieutenant
War Oracle
Relic Seeker (and/or Serene Steward as an uncommon alternate/addition)
And relying largely on

Suppression Bonds and
Swift Reckoning for removal. Supplement and experiment as your collection allows.

The finished deck should have 4-5 total creatures, so add another 1-2 to the ones listed above. And it should have 5-6 total spells/supports, including the two above, so add your 3-4 favorite mana-ramp, bounce, removal, or growth spells/supports

There are rares that enhance the efficiency of this core deck, but it is a highly effective construction that wins most silver tier matchups w almost exclusively uncommons. And since the deck defends and heals itself, there's rarely downtime between battles.

Almost anyone w a modest collection should be able to assemble this functional white deck which will serve as a solid foundation for months as you accumulate better cards. Beginners can even make cheaper common & uncommon substitutions. For example:

Alchemist's Vial/Encircling Fissure/Sheer Drop < Suppression Bonds Roil's Retribution/Roil Spout < Swift Reckoning Enlightened Ascetic < War Oracle Serene Steward < Relic Seeker Iroas' Champion - Consul's Lieutenant

Skidoo

TRANSFORM is a new mechanic with Innistrad around which an affordable theme can be constructed.

Neglected Heirloom is the essential card here. This uncommon support gives a permanent +2/+2 every time a creature Transforms. The Heirloom is colorless, so pick the walker for which you have the best transformers. For the purposes of this post, I went Red/Black.

Creatures (5) you want are those which transform back and forth often. Those that transform whenever no card was played on the previous tend to switch back & forth most regularly. Every time they transform, no matter which direction they're turning, they gain a permanent +2/+2 if the Heirloom is out. All these are common or uncommon and relatively cheap.

Village Messenger
Breakneck Rider
Gatstaf Arsonists
Convicted Killer
Kessig Forgemaster

I'd recommend using all five of the above.

Spells (4)
Then to fill out the deck, include your best (1-2) Draw or Tutor spells to get the Heirloom out and keep it out.
Include a couple of your best (1-2) Removal or Direct Damage spells.
And finally, if you have room, you can further support the +2/+2 buff mechanic with (0-2) spells like Murderers Axe, Chitinous Cloak, Senseless Rage, Infectious Bloodlust, Consecrated In Blood.

Squirreljester

This is my white deck that I've been playing forever with, with Gideon:

Smite the Monsterous
Consul's Lieutenant
Brawler's Plate
Knightly Valor
Throwing Knife
Blessed Spirits
Murder Investigations
Shrine of the Foresaken Gods
Knight of the White Orchid
Runaway Carriage (newly added, replaced Ondu Rising because I wasn't using it)

The main point I was going for is getting first strikers on the board and then using either Gideon's first or better yet his third ability on them, basically netting board clearing creatures that take no damage or heal from Chandra's or Ajani's direct damage.

Blessed Spirits are really nice, they get +2/+2 permanently for every support you cast, and if they are the first creature you have out, they essentially get double buffed every time, and they fly. With Murder Investigations when your creatures are killed it pops a 1/1 Soldier, which usually becomes a 3/3, 5/5, or 7/5 depending on the supports you have out, so if you're having a slow hand, get Murder Investigations out, then a creature, then concentrate on supports.

Squirreljester

Another one is my Ajani Vengent deck, that has no mythics, only 1 rare, and 6 uncommons. I built it as a joke and ended up really loving it, and it does really well too. I just beat a Kiora deck that was running that card that steals your creatures, dreadwaters, that card that gives them like 30 gems, and that stupid board wiping octopus spell card.

Serene Steward
Healing Hands
Enlightened Ascetic
Prism Ring
Demolish
Swift Reckoning
Smite the Monsterous
Nearheath Chaplain (replaced Blood-Cursed Knight, much cheaper defender alternative)
Avacyn's Judgement
Hope against Hope

So essentially you want to get something with lifelink and Serene Steward out, preferably Enlightened Ascetic or Nearheath Chaplain first, Serene Steward second/third, and let Serene Steward do her thing. If I have Nearheath Chaplain then Hope against Hope gives him a nice buff plus first strike because he's a human. Avacyn's Judgement is great for clearing out your opponent's creatures, Demolish is great as a cheap support killing card that has a chance to give you some matches because it blows up a 3x3 block, and Prism Ring is nice when you have 2 of your main creatures on the board because every spell you cast will keep buffing them.

This was already a pretty decent deck with Blood-Cursed Knight, but became really quick and efficient when I replaced him with Nearheath Chaplain, he's just a bit more squishy so you want to either already have a Hope against Hope out, or have one on the way right after casting Nearheath Chaplain.

The amount of ways you can kill your opponent's creatures with this deck and with Ajani's abilities is great. Kill them with his second ability, gain health, and your guy buffs from gaining health. Use his first ability, cast Swift Reckoning, gain health and your guy buffs from gaining health if you have Prism Ring out. Same with Smite the Monsterous and with Avacyn's Judgement you can separate it out doing 2 damage 3 times (even to their planeswalker), so it's got a lot of options if your slow on creatures or if you get into trouble with really anything.

Skidoo

Squirreljester wrote:

Runaway Carriage (newly added, replaced Ondu Rising because I wasn't using it)

Runaway Carriage is an outstanding uncommon addition to white. If you're opponent has no blocking, then you're golden. If you don't have Consul's Lieutenant or another first striker, the Carriage is a perfect substitute. In fact, it's better as long as it has prevent damage. This is an uncommon that I sometimes encounter even in beefier decks w lots of rares/mythics.

Changedx

I've only been playing for 5 weeks, F2P, with no prior MTG experience.
My Gideon 1 (Battle-Forged) deck wins over 90% of my Bronze tier matches.
This is a human-based deck, built around Thalia's Lieutenant.

Thalia's Lieutenant (R 13) gives +2/+2 to all humans, and starts at +5/+5 himself.
Reflector Mage (U 11) sends enemy creatures back to his hand (if not full)
War Oracle (U 11) for good damage and self-healing
Pious Evangel (U 8) for an easy transform from 4/4 to 6/6 with an Activate and self-Discard
Stern Constable (C 3) for a cheap human to benefit from boosts, with the option to Disable with self-Discard

Hope Against Hope (U 5) for First Strike and up to +3/+3 on the first creature
Smite The Monstrous (C 8) for single-creature clearing

Drownyard Temple (R 9) gives 3 mana per turn
Magnifying Glass (U 5) gives 1 mana per turn and an Activate for Investigate (match or expire to get a card)
True-Faith Censer (C 4) for +1/+1 (extra +1/0 for human) and Vigilance to clear the enemy field after other boosts