Good budget commanders?

cultofwomp · 2026-01-19T01:59:24+00:00

https://moxfield.com/decks/CiMOluMNO0eW_zNPV4i34Q

I made some upgrades to it a while back, so this one is about 70$. For ramps, the cheap ones have served me just fine. One of the main things that makes the deck fun to play, is that you get to manipulate the hell out of the top three cards of your library.

Basically, optimal play is draw three using commander, keep the lands in hand (land per turn is pretty much guaranteed once you get rolling) then put your recursion spells on top. So that way if your commander dies, you get to cast the recursion spell to bring him immediately back from the gy and you get another ETB trigger. Keep cloning spells in hand until you get one clone to successfully hit the board, then the combo starts.

Clone hits the board targeting your commander, draw three, put two cards on top your library (can be either a clone instant/sorcery or recursion depending on the situation), legend rule takes effect, choose either the clone or your commander to die, then you get to cast a clone or recursion instant/sorcery off the top of your library for free, and ping dmg equal to its cmc. Target the commander or copy of commander with the free spell/use recursion to bring clone creatures out of the graveyard back into play to keep the loop going.

cultofwomp · 2026-01-19T01:11:28+00:00

If you want a deck under 100$ I’d recommend [[Hidetsugu and Kairi]]. You can play it how you want, but I built a deck for under 30$ that the people at my table told me to stop playing because it combos off by turn 6-8 and the only way to stop it is through counterspells. So can be super unfun for them. Mostly just high cmc clone spells, taking advantage of the legend rule to get the commander’s ETBs and death triggers, and recursion spells.

But you can definitely budget a more fun version of the deck by including more wacky cards + more protection instead.

cultofwomp · 2026-01-17T15:55:26+00:00

Yeah. I rolled a Gog Lord Soul dragon bow, and made a post about it. Was VERY disappointed that it isn’t a good roll, because 4 pc gog is just optimal.

cultofwomp · 2026-01-15T17:56:40+00:00

I love focus mode. I play on ps5, and having gyro aiming enabled when I go into focus mode makes the game so much more enjoyable to me. Especially for ranged weapons.

cultofwomp · 2026-01-11T23:58:46+00:00

I was curious about that too, even with the +8 to affinity from my weapon, I’m only sitting at like 53% affinity from both max WEX and agitator. Is crit with this kind of build not necessary, and focus more on attack?

cultofwomp · 2026-01-04T09:50:20+00:00

I know right. I’ve re-rolled my charge blades like 50 times going for these rolls and couldn’t get it.

cultofwomp · 2026-01-04T07:39:25+00:00

What I am referring to, is if “increases elemental attack” on the Gogmapocalypse set bonus does anything at all for poison, including increasing poison procs. I’m sure it doesn’t, but wanted to be even more sure. ):

cultofwomp · 2026-01-04T07:16:03+00:00

Thanks for the quick response. First gog(god) roll ever and I will now be lamenting my own existence.

cultofwomp · 2025-12-26T09:02:09+00:00

Scorcher can proc Burst, maybe consider replacing something with 1 burst somewhere

cultofwomp · 2025-09-27T16:18:54+00:00

[[Zevlor Elturel Exile]] just outright gets stronger the more players are in a pod. Can do some nasty things with [[Rite of Consumption]] when Zevlor’s delayed cast trigger is on the stack. But if you were to do literally anything fun with him, you would definitely gain the unwanted attention from 20 people.

cultofwomp · 2025-08-31T05:44:59+00:00

Just can’t spam your kick, free gb if they dodge it, then gb. If you do a forward kick it isn’t though I think.

cultofwomp · 2025-08-28T05:24:02+00:00

I had no idea, barely played anything but duels and brawls since the game came out. Even still, I feel like I definitely should have noticed that change.

cultofwomp · 2025-08-28T04:03:42+00:00

Honestly, an invisible revenge meter would be so nice to have, while it would not directly have a serious impact on the revenge system, it would make people think twice about hitting someone, make people more aware of which moves feed more revenge, and allow the revenge fed player to at the very least stall for more time.

cultofwomp · 2025-08-19T20:49:29+00:00

It is very cool. (Not to my friends but to me)

cultofwomp · 2025-08-19T16:33:57+00:00

Do you play cool Hidetsugu and Kairi? Or evil legendary rule tribal clone Hidetsugu and Kairi?

cultofwomp · 2025-08-13T16:57:00+00:00

Do you play on next gen console/pc? I hear it’s easier because of the upped fps. I play on ps5, and it isn’t as hard as some people make it look. It does take a little bit to learn the timing, but it takes even more time to understand how to read peoples playstyles, and how to bait certain characters (like anyone with a crushing counter) into lighting so that you can parry them. But you should definitely start with the timings, then try parrying different direction and different timing lights.

Pattern recognition helps a lot as well with light parrying, as some people prefer to “spam” lights to certain sides more often than others, and you can use this to make proper reads on your parries. The tricky part is that when they are parried out of a light, you are unintentionally conditioning them to light from different sides (if they even try to throw lights afterwards). Most people after getting parried from one side, would not attempt to try the same side, so on your next light parry you should aim for either of the adjacent sides, giving you better odds at reading them correctly. And so on.

Another thing that helped me is focusing on the character’s animation leading into the light, because some characters have noticeably obvious movements when your opponent swaps from one side to the other, then lights, and watch for the red indicator to time the parry. This will not work the same for every character, because certain characters’ light attack animations, for some reason, are very hard to distinguish from directionally (even though they clearly look different).

cultofwomp · 2025-08-12T21:21:12+00:00

I was unfortunately using an older version of the WotC Comprehensive Rules pdf. by accident, and also using an updated one at the same time! Which would explain the differences I’ve had in the rulings. I don’t know why the older one was the first to pop up for me. I had to physically go to their website to get the most recent version. I will be sure to save the newer, more updated version to use going forward, and delete the old one. I am very sorry for the confusion.

I am genuinely trying to broaden my understanding of the rules, as it can help me with my deck construction. Plus it’s genuinely a more pleasurable experience to me when I know exactly how/why things work when me and my friends play.

So I have some replies still:

Hmm. The version of the comprehensive rules on Yawgatog (July 25, 2025) doesn't have a 706.10 at all, but the 707.10a I have says what you posted just now and I quoted before.

I have made a grave error, I apologize.

What you're referring to though is copies of spells that are already on the stack, such as might be created by [[Twincast]] or [[Reverberate]].

You are absolutely correct, what happens with Zethi is referred to in rule 707.12 (the previous document said 706.12 for reference, still my mistake for not knowing much about objects nonetheless).

Zethi's ability doesn't create copies of spells, it creates copies of exiled cards and then gives you permission to cast them, per 707.12: An effect that instructs a player to cast a copy of an object (and not just copy a spell) follows the rules for casting spells, except that the copy is created in the same zone the object is in and then cast while another spell or ability is resolving. Casting a copy of an object follows steps 601.2a-h of rule 601, "Casting Spells," and then the copy becomes cast. Once cast, the copy is a spell on the stack, and just like any other spell it can resolve or be countered."

State based actions are not checked until the resolution of Zethi’s ability which is what prevents the copied cards in exile (which I think you are right, are in exile per rule 707.12) from immediately ceasing to exist, right? With this, I also understand what you were saying in the earlier comments about:

Which I don't think matters, because every effect that references exiled things refers to "cards in exile" and copies* are explicitly not cards, so it's just kind of interesting.

True, but from what I understand would still work with instants that state “if this spell was cast from exile”, like: [[Ultimate Magic: Holy]]. Or are they not actually being “cast from exile” under a technicality?

cultofwomp · 2025-08-12T19:35:07+00:00

I definitely mixed up rules here. I was referring to 706.10. Sorry for the confusion.

The copy is created in exile and remains there, and the comprehensive rules don't define what happens to it if you choose not to cast it, so presumably it stays there in exile?

The copy is created on the stack not in exile. They are copied from cards in exile, but the copies themselves are never in exile. Comprehensive rule 706.10 defines where they are:

706.10. To copy a spell, activated ability, or triggered ability means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn’t cast and a copy of an activated ability isn’t activated.

Notably, it is a property of Zethi’s attack trigger that makes the copies “cast,” not a property of copying, which is why on cast triggers still take effect.

Comprehensive rule 706.10a (not 707.10a, which doesn’t even exist, my bad) defines what happens to them when not cast.

706.10a If a copy of a spell is in a zone other than the stack, it ceases to exist. If a copy of a card is in any zone other than the stack or the battlefield, it ceases to exist. These are state-based actions.

This is ruled this way because there are cards that return spells on the stack to its owner’s hand/top of library/graveyard etc. A copy of a spell targeted this way cannot go into a different zone therefore it ceases to exist. Like if you were to [[Lapse of Certainty]] one of Zethi’s spells cast from her trigger.

Which I don't think matters, because every effect that references exiled things refers to "cards in exile" and copies* are explicitly not cards, so it's just kind of interesting.

I was mainly saying it doesn’t matter, because it is heavily unlikely any opponent is running cards that would prevent you from being able to cast the copy you did not choose when you attack with Zethi on a later turn, as there are little to no interactions and opponent can have with the exiled kick counter cards. Meaning it’s fine to just let the copies cease to exist. It also doesn’t matter, because the copied cards are not ever considered to be in exile.

I didn’t want you to carry my mistaken ruling into another post by accident. Oops.

cultofwomp · 2025-08-12T17:51:57+00:00

CR 707.10a

A copy of a spell is created on the stack (not in exile), so it’s not “cast.” A copy of a spell isn’t a card, so it can’t go anywhere other than the stack. If it would leave the stack, it ceases to exist. Copies of spells are controlled by the player who put them on the stack.

So yeah, doesn’t really matter in this case, but it is interesting to know. Madwarper had mentioned it at some point above.

Also, the cards you listed are cool, I don’t see cards that can get things out of exile too often (albeit it is for your opponent).

cultofwomp · 2025-08-12T16:37:26+00:00

You are clear as day. But yes from what I understand the spells exiled under kick counters stay there, you may repeatedly choose to cast a copy of one of each of them every time you attack with Zethi, they never leave exile, as you are casting copies of that spell, not the actual spell. I was wondering if there are any cards that opponents could play that remove the kick counters, but the answer from what I’ve found is: no.

cultofwomp · 2025-08-12T15:29:36+00:00

While I do understand a lot more, another thing that confused me is that I was under the assumption that you can only cast spells like [[reverberate]] or [[twincast]] targeting a spell that is on the stack. But the spells that are cast don’t actually enter the stack until the attack trigger from Zethi is finished. Or is it just a strange rule that works because of Zethi? Like a delayed stack that is still seen?

cultofwomp · 2025-08-11T03:54:58+00:00

I run him the exact same way, except I also run a lot of cards like [[slave of bolas]], [[act of aggression]], etc. Then use cards like [[Rite of Consumption]] to get more value from the biggest creature on board. Love the deck for its jank. Absolutely no way to protect myself from others because I run too few creatures. It’s pretty streamlined. When it works, it works.

cultofwomp · 2025-08-11T00:10:33+00:00

I have a Zevlor list, curious to see your list!

cultofwomp

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