As the name would suggest, this takes the current modern Abzan list (currently priced at over 1,500$ in paper!) and trims it down and makes budget alternative choices. There's a lot that this list keeps and a lot it doesn't, so below is a explanation of the deck in full. If you like this, please give it a good rating and let me know what you think!
Creatures
Did not change:
Scavenging Ooze
x3
Grim Flayer
x3
Siege Rhino
x2
Changed:
Tarmogoyf
x4 for
Mistcutter Hydra
x4
Death's Shadow
x1
I made the Tarmogoyf change with the following ideas in mind:
My swap had to be able to scale with the game (similar to Tarmogoyf) and it needed a similar base cmc to Tarmogoyf so as to not have to adjust land counts to adhere to it. Mistcutter Hydra does those things and is a great way to avoid it being countered by blue and it's an instant threat that demands an answer depending on how late the game goes.
As far as my choice to include Death's Shadow, my budget manabase has me taking a lot of damage for colored mana. I wanted a way to reward that and have a silver bullet in game one against Burn, if I draw it. If I don't, it isn't a big deal, but it is still pretty big if dropped right after a huge life loss on turn one or two.
Planeswalkers
Liliana of the Veil
x4 for
Sorin, Solemn Visitor
x3 +1 in the board
Liliana was the hardest to replace, but there was absolutely no way that I would be able to afford her when a playset costs 380$ (as of this being typed). Sorin is an extra mana over Liliana, but is useful in his +1 exclusively. We're pretty weak as far as gaining life, so having that boost of damage and getting all that damage back in life is essential.
Spells
Did Not Change:
Fatal Push
x3
Abrupt Decay
x2
Changed:
Path to Exile
x4 (up from x3)
Thoughtsieze for
Inquisition of Kozilek
x4 (up from x3)
Lingering Souls
x3 (down from x4)
Maelstrom Pulse
for
Echoing Decay
x2
Putrefy
x2
The spells were probably the hardest to change. I knew I couldn't keep Thoughtsieze (almost 50$ for 3?) and Maelstrom Pulse (40$ for 2?!), so those had to go, but what about the other spells?
I figured as far as keeping the other board clear, I could do worse.
My basic removal package (Fatal Push x3 and Path x4) had to stay. I needed to keep the Inquisitions because though it's narrower than Thoughtsieze, the information is probably a little more important than making the opponent discard something.
The reason I cut Lingering Souls is probably a choice I'm going to go back on, but I didn't feel like my deck had enough hate game one against creature decks and Affinity. Again, I'll probably go back on this but I wanted something that did what Maelstrom Pulse does, but I couldn't find one good card that did the same thing, so I felt I had to.
Lands
I feel like the following is rather self-explanitory. It's a budget manabase for Modern. It's got slower lands, manlands and painlands instead of shocklands and fetches.
Blooming Marsh
x4
Caves of Koilos
x4
Ghost Quarter
x3+1 in the board
Llanowar Wastes
x3
Shambling Vent
x3
Forest x3
Plains x2
Swamp x2
Sideboard
This is where things get hairy and maybe a bit questionable.
Did not change:
Nihil Spellbomb
x2
Stony Silence
x2
Flaying Tendrils
x1
Changed:
Ghost Quarter
in case Tron happens
Lost Legacy
basically budget Surgical Extraction
Sorin, Solemn Visitor
against Burn
Leyline of Sanctity
against Burn (we really hate burn)
Nevermore
You know Meddling Mage in those Humans lists? Yeah, this is that, but harder to remove and also doesn't make us splash blue.
Fumigate
basically budget Damnation.
Closing
So, all in all, this deck took 1,500$ and made it into about 240$. For about the price of a current standard deck, I made a modern deck that's easy to upgrade in my favorite archetype. Regardless of how it performs starting out, I think I did pretty well for myself. Again, if you liked this, please comment and give it a good rating. It'd make my day. Thank you for reading this slog of information and if you have any budget suggestions for things, like ways to replace Maelstrom Pulse in only one card, or anything else, please let me know!
