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Budget Bant Turbo Fog Standard

Standard Budget GWU (Bant) TurboFog

primusinterpares


Sideboard

Protection (7)

Alternative win-con (8)


Maybeboard

Other (2)


Attempt at budget friendly version of Turbo Fog deck, that's all the rage currently. Obviously this is more "casual", than competitive, as if you really want to play the competitive version, I fear, this isn't a viable alternative. But I do wish it could be. I honestly haven't played it at all, and have no idea how it would actually compare in RL, and how possible it even is to get to taking turns...

I tried to build a Turbo Fog standard deck, that would achieve pretty much similar result as the Nexus of Fate one, just without it or any other expensive card (Karn & better Teferi). So first thing I remembered was, that Timestream Navigator is a more fair, less broken version of NoF on a stick, so I built around it. But on the end I feel, like Magistrate's Scepter is the right option. I'll go in detail about how and why down, so if you're interested, it's in accordion panel...

The biggest problem I faced at first was trying to get Timestream Navigator to work. So first I needed to find a way to ascend quickly. Then to protect it during the two turns its on the field. With all this problems scepter slowly became a better option. Further down (in another accordion panel) I'll go more in depth how the scepter works ideally.

Yet another big problem is the fact, that it's proving really hard to find a good replacement for Teferi, Hero of Dominaria. His +1 ability to untap lands is the thing that actually makes turbo fog deck so efficient in the first place. Having him in play assures you always have two lands to cast both fog cards with.

At first I was thinking of running 4 Powerstone Shards, as they work well with the scepter, but looking (and reading about) at competitive version, I came to realise that the life gain from Gift of Paradise is the enough to tip the scales.

I was also bouncing around the idea of including Voltaic Servant, as it would allow you to untap the scepter at then end step, after you also used Teferi's ability and charged it two times. But I just realised, that you could achieve the same with two Skyship Plunderers attacking the turn (or the next one) you cast Sleep.

Let me guide you through "ideal" board state for you to start taking infinite turns:

You need at least 3 lands, one of them has to produce white mana. Then you need both powerstone shards, gift of paradise, Teferi, magistrate's scepter, Skyship Plunderer and Sleep. Additionally playing Oath of Teferi would also be pretty good (but can be done after you achieve the loop).

Your first few turns you're busy getting shards & gift of paradise into play. But on turn 2 (when you can't play them yet) you play plunderer. After you play both shards and gift and the other plunderer, you have to play Teferi. Only after that you should to play magistrate's scepter. Also you need to cast sleep on the same turn (remember that you only have 3 lands). So then you tap one of untapped shards and tap scepter for the first time. Here I get to yet another conundrum: I was planning to run 4 shards, but I realised that without gift, and especially its life gain your chances of survival long enough to get going get lower. But here's the problem with 4 shards, you needed to tap just one to get once counter on the scepter, now you need to tap both. So this probably adds yet another turn. But attacking with two plunderers during after sleep solves this. So now you have 3 counters on it, but it's currently tapped. So you use Teferi's +2 ability to untap it, and take another turn. Given that opponent's creatures don't untap, you repeat the process and take the next turn. So you're basically taking infinite turns at this rate.

So the competitive version wins either from just opponents conceding after realising they can't win, or through Teferi's ultimate. But again we're running the shitty Teferi, so no luck with that. So I've also had to add an actual win-con in form of Patient Rebuilding and Psychic Corrosion. Here where having Oath of Teferi comes handy. Having the ability to use two abilities on one turn means you can use both +2 to untap the scepter to charge it, and -3 to draw a card and mill the opponent. Or just using +2 until you get to 10 and then use the ultimate. Because you cast sleep before taking the extra turns, the creatures never untap, so actually just attacking with 4 plunderers will kill them in 4 turns after you take your first additional turn, provided you attacked with 2 before taking the first turn (to charge the scepter), and played the other two on your first turn.

You're the most fragile while setting this up. But that's why we're running all that fog. Yes sadly only 6 of them, instead of 8. The biggest obvious threat is mainboard artifact hate, as the scepter doesn't shuffle itself into library, like NoF. That's why we're running Anticipate, even if it doesn't combo with psychic corrosion. It's there to get you the things you need when you need them. So if you look at the top three cards and see a scepter, while your opponent has an imposing board, maybe take the fog instead (if it's there).

If you have any ideas how to improve this deck (and keep it budget friendly and not including any of the expensive cards from the original deck, please do share.

BTW this deck is around 50€ at Magic Cardmarket (w/ shipping), while just 4 Nexus of Fate cards cost more.

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Updates Add

After some advice, decided to take out Nissa, Steward of Elements, 2 Adventurous Impulse, 2 Grow from the Ashes, removed Mirari Conjecture (I think it wouldn't do enough) and 1 Opt.

I've also changed my mana a bit, added Memorial to Genius, and Evolving Wilds to replace grow from the ashes.

Also added back in 2 Skyship Plunderer, 4 Powerstone Shard (to power Magistrate's Scepter), replaced sleep with Settle the Wreckage, which is closer to a fog effect, just more powerful, added Syncopate as an additional protection, and added another Teferi.

Comments

Date added 6 years
Last updated 3 years
Splash colors W
Legality

This deck is not Standard legal.

Rarity (main - side)

3 - 0 Mythic Rares

16 - 9 Rares

17 - 2 Uncommons

15 - 4 Commons

Cards 60
Avg. CMC 3.08
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