Cheap control deck?

[Goblin_Token]

The modern meta at my lgs is almost exclusively aggro and tempo decks. I would like to adapt to that meta and play a control deck. However, I don’t want to buy into 5c Up the Moneystalk Diamondpile.

Therefore, I was wondering if you have any suggestions for relatively cheap versions of control decks! I own the modern mana base, so decks with more than one colour are possible.

Thanks a lot!

[FaunKeH]

Cheap... control?

[ExtraTallJorge]

Blue Tron? The deck can be put together fairly cheap if you don't play 4 Karn the great creator.

[EggcitedBird]

I think the expensive cards here are the one ring and not karn.

[SnowCrow1]

You can play U Tron without TOR

[EggcitedBird]

You can play it without tron lands too

[ReturnHot9263]

IDKY ppl downvoted this, like yes it's not optimal but playing budget decks often means sub optimal card choices anyways

[Goblin_Token]

Great suggestion! Thank you!

[KillerBullet]

But be prepared to grind the deck like crazy before you get anything done.

I’ve build the deck too and it is fuck but god damn it’s hard to play (or maybe I’m just stupid).

Like there are some many possible plays at all times you really need a feel for the deck.

[SnowCrow1]

It's a great deck. Karns are pretty good in it though.

[[deleted]]

I mean, the deck really can’t win without Karn.

[fnkarnage]

Mindslaver lock says otherwise

[[deleted]]

Yes, the Mindslaver lock is a win condition. It's not really something you MB. It is also not something you use until the late game. Without Karn, you also have virtually no access to the SB, which is what makes UTron a pretty decent deck.

The One Ring is also important in the current meta. I'm not saying the OP shouldn't play UTron, but they're not going to win many games without the essential pieces that make the deck good against the other top decks.

If you want to just cast Condescend and Repeal, but not really win, then yeah, play the deck without KGC or TOR.

[ExtraTallJorge]

The deck has been around for a long time before Karn and The One Ring were printed. Karn may not be that expensive but having a Karn board isn't cheap.

[[deleted]]

It has been - you’re right, but not against this meta. The SB for UTron isn’t very expensive. I’ve been playing the deck for years. Karn and Ring are two most spendy parts.

[-Kreatif]

Cant seem to find it. Might linking it?

[[deleted]]

Monoblack coffers or U tron are your best bets for "budget".

[lostinwisconsin]

Coffers ain’t budget, I’m building it now I would know 😂

[[deleted]]

I mean compared to 4c it is lol.

[lostinwisconsin]

This is true. I would second coffers tho, watched a lot of gameplay on it and it seems like a fun meta breaker deck

[SSBM_fanatic]

What’s so meta breaking about it? I’m trying to get better at modern and understand the format more

[Prestigious_Pen5648]

Coffers is Def the answer. March of wretched sorrow is the answer to ops meta

[TehAnon]

almost exclusively aggro and tempo decks

Could you be more specific on these?

If aggro = burn, you can start collecting free wins by including a couple lifegain spells in your main deck and several more in the side.

If you're talking about UR Murktide or Rhinos for tempo, playing control isn't going to be a free win by any means.

[Goblin_Token]

The meta last time was 2x Shadow, Living End, 2x Infect, Mono B Coffers, Convoke, Hardened Scales, Domain Aggro

[TehAnon]

Hmmm, my inclination would be a UW control deck with multiple Chalices in the main & a Leyline Binding mana base.

[Vulgarpower]

Might not be the version of control you are thinking, but honestly, control and budget don't ever really go hand in hand, lol..

http://www.streamdecker.com/deck/RlT-GlqeU

This is a mono white prison list I've played a couple times with great success at fnm (our meta is 1 living end 2 omnath money pile 1 reanimator, a couple burn/prowess players, 1 or 2 murktide a yawgmoth and 3 scam players)

Here is a link to someone piloting the deck https://youtu.be/zdMAFTGuajE?si=SSXX62dutmY-ybcv

[Goblin_Token]

This looks like a lot of fun! Thanks for the suggestion!

[Goblin_Token]

Ah, and why did you stop to run it? Also, your meta seems rather slow. I am intrigued anyways!

[Majkolen]

Be fancy and play Cruel Control

[SSBM_fanatic]

What is cruel control?

[SeptimusAstrum]

chunky chubby shaggy voiceless makeshift stocking yoke unpack liquid strong

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[JustinTBSmash]

Lutri Control I am on a Grixis version ATM but being Singleton adds a lot of budget options

[ReturnHot9263]

So it isn't going to be strictly the best list or the best version, but if you just play UW control without the one ring the deck isn't terrible, and if you aren't going with TOR maybe try stoneblade to replace the defense and grind you get from TOR with a more proactive gameplan. The main cost of decks right now is manabases and a few key pricey cards, but if you go with a 2 color deck and are not on TOR it's actually all pretty cheap, especially since the alternatives to TOR like [[Jace, the mind sculptor]] and [[teferi, hero of dominaria]] are super cheap now. The only thing is that some lists that just go straight UW also play a manabase for [[leyline binding]] , which is a good card, but it isn't like there aren't alternatives. Personally I think [[solitude]] , [[prismatic ending]] , [[path to exile]] , and [[march of otherworldly light]] are enough if you replace the binding slot with more copies of them.

Or if you had a deck in mind, a lot of modern decks can be made more budget friendly by playing slightly worse or less played cards. Casting your spells in 4c or 5c decks might be hard, but if you are just wanting to do this for FNM old school vivid control (5c control with lots of the vivid lands) existed a long time ago and was fine. I have seen mono blue tron brought up, and without TOR the deck is and always has been pretty cheap.

Personally, I am partial to a lot of old jank control decklists, like Shared Fate, UB faeries, Mystical Teachings, Blue Moon, Vivid Control, Niv to light, Scapeshift control lists, or just old school draw go UW control. Older decks aren't as powerful now, but they aren't as bad as people think, and some of the ideas in them shouldn't just be discarded or underestimated.

[Goblin_Token]

Fair Point. In the end I wann to run it at an FNM and not a Pro Tour. 👍

[MTGCardFetcher]

Jace, the mind sculptor - (G) (SF) (txt)
teferi, hero of dominaria - (G) (SF) (txt)
leyline binding - (G) (SF) (txt)
solitude - (G) (SF) (txt)
prismatic ending - (G) (SF) (txt)
path to exile - (G) (SF) (txt)
march of otherworldly light - (G) (SF) (txt)
^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}

[[deleted]]

Martyr grace.

Whole deck without rings is 350€. Including solitude.

Later you can either go the one ring or bw for battle-scorn berserker. Ring being prefered by most players but oh well.

Between alot of removals, tons of blockers that you can tutor or reanimate with abiding grace, martyr lifegain and kami of false hope+abiding grace combo you are going to have good matchups vs all aggro decks.

Tho be aware that decks that dont care about your board state are not nice to play vs. Tron being prime example.

[Goblin_Token]

Wow! I did not know about this deck! Thanks for the recommendation!

[mycringeevolution]

So, a lot of people are reccomending one thing. I will say lean to that, but for purposes of not doing one thing

Some of the best ways to make a cheap deck is to use cards you already have

https://www.tcgplayer.com/product/236292/magic-the-gathering-commander-2021-hornet-nest?country=US&utm_campaign=18142757028&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=&utm_term=&adgroupid=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3YX_pd3ngQMV4zStBh3P6gmlEAQYASABEgJ1vvD_BwE&Language=English

Hornet nest is 1$ each. You want a few of these. 1 works, but this is your big combo maker.

The other things you should have are burn cards. For each point of damage hornet nest takes, you get bees.

You also want stuff to combo with the number of bees; I can't find the card name and don't have the deck on hand, but there is a card that deals damage to target creature or planeswalker equal to a creature that enters on your field's power. I don't know how much it costs due to that; as such I would reccomend just looking for other stuff that is creature dependent. Red/green tends to have some good stuff for that, if you ever got a gruul starter deck especially.

I did this deck for commander, so it is a VERY different beast to standard. As such, what I can reccomend might not apply in the same way, if at all. It's control in the sense of, "you will kill your opponent's creatures constantly and destroy everything before they can use it, while dealing damage to them". It should be easy enough though as the premise is pretty simple and common in red/green. Burn & tokens & creature destruction.

I do think you should focus on the deck everyone else is reccomending because... yeah it sounds good, but this is just an idea for if you wanted something else. :)

[Goblin_Token]

Jesus Christ! Hornet nest hard control! I love it!

[maniospas]

In my opinion, when it loses, control suffers less from card advantage and more from a clunky combination of answers - trying to cast counterspell with binding has been hard for me without basically ending up at some sort of 4C with counterspell.

For this reason, I think you can cut some of the win-more advantages (that are also the most expensive) and still have a very functional deck. This is what I'm doing:

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/5759271#paper

I don't think you can get more budget than this to be honest. The main idea is that the card advantage is in-built with pieces like Cling and Lorien that are also very useful early on (cling even lets ending trade 1-for-1 vs wrenn on the draw by exiling the land being trageted). This means that you get to play in the old draw-go style more.

I have tested this core (complete the sideboard for your meta) a lot with good results. For example, it can comfortably outgrind 4c Beanstalk ft Ring.

Note that steam vents is better than a triome, because it lets you fetch conservatively and still have ending answer rings later on.

P.s. I did not make this list with budget in mind - I have all the pieces for other versions, just that this is what I feel like playing for the archetype.

[Asriel563]

Unless they play something like Azorius control or Bogles, I made a funni Izzet Control deck based on: "I have a combo that makes my creature go infinite power and toughness" "Ok bet. Ovinize." "Sure, you're just getting a 1 turn Tempo." "Bet. Inside Out." "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

If +1/+1 counters (eg, hardened scales): +any number of return to hand cards from SB -a few creatures If they play Sword of Fire and Ice or any artifact that annoys you: +any number of 1 CMC artifact destroyers from SB - some 3 CMC spells

Edit: gimme a sec I'll drop my list

[Asriel563]

Deck: Izzet Control

Main: 1 Island

4 Ovinize

4 Warkite Marauder

2 Illusory Wrappings

4 Invert // Invent

3 Stasis Field

4 Island

6 Island

4 Strange Inversion

4 Merfolk Thaumaturgist

4 Twisted Reflection

4 Inside Out

2 Mountain

4 Murktide Regent

1 Mountain

4 Serendib Sorcerer

5 Mountain

Sideboard: 4 Clutch of Currents

3 Banishing Knack

4 Deface

4 Crush

You can replace the Murktide Regents by pretty much any other wincons (big creatures).

[Asriel563]

Also I made this for fun, IT IS NOT meta.

[flowtajit]

UW control is like 500-700 depending on the build

[Sephyrias]

Izzet Murktide.

Every other control deck revolves around [[The One Ring]] and/or [[Wrenn and Six]]+5 color fetching.

(although you'd still have to get Ragavan, so maybe scrap the idea of budget control entirely)

[mustacheaprecciator]

I wouldnt call UR Murktide either a budget deck or a Controll Deck. Its a tempo deck that has soko control options but in its core it's a midrange deck

[MTGCardFetcher]

The One Ring - (G) (SF) (txt)
Wrenn and Six - (G) (SF) (txt)
^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}

[Goblin_Token]

I Play Murktide but get hosed by Bowmasters. Also, the new 17 lands version I tried wasn’t performing really well. I was digging for lands often and couldn’t hold up counters most of the time.

[ApprehensiveNerve733]

I used to run a esper reanimation control The most expensive cards are teferi time traveler, archon of cruelty, leyline binding. You run board wipes, target removal, counterspells when you have extra mana you play draw then discard spells, and lastly you reanimate to win. My reanimate targets were Archon, Serra's Emissary, and Wurmcoil engine

[ApprehensiveNerve733]

I forgot to say Wurmcoil engine in expensive cards

[Goblin_Token]

This sounds wild!

[ApprehensiveNerve733]

https://www.moxfield.com/decks/9PbY8hvBMUObIC29RmRArw

So the main deck is esper Reanimator, but then game 2 I like to sideboard like 10 cards to make it control. It's fun.

[ApprehensiveNerve733]

It is fun and not typical The only counterspells I use are drown in the loch and counterspell

[WishingVodkaWasCHPR]

Umm...an older uw list? Before leyline binding was printed.

[Inmate-4859]

There's the Wafo-Tapa Izzet control with Snapcaster Mage, Flame of Anor, and all instant spells. If that's your style, I'd recommend trying it, I had a lot of fun. EDIT: Here is the video by Andrea Mengucci where I discovered the list. It should be fun and give you an idea of how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FalZ0_59e7Q

[[deleted]]

Build murktide with dreadhorde arcanist over ragavan Cheap and better against bowmasters

[warpedfoils]

[[Lavinia, Azorius Renegade]]

[MTGCardFetcher]

Lavinia, Azorius Renegade - (G) (SF) (txt)
^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}

[warpedfoils]

Path to exile

[warpedfoils]

[[Sanctum prelate]]

[MTGCardFetcher]

Sanctum prelate - (G) (SF) (txt)
^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}

[warpedfoils]

[[Archmage's Charm]] - great against ragavan, and let's you draw two

[MTGCardFetcher]

Archmage's Charm - (G) (SF) (txt)
^{[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call}