KefNOT the Controlfreak; saying "no" on a budget

Commander / EDH* Budget Combo Control Creatureless Mono-Blue Multiplayer

JohnnyCRO

Counters (15)

• 1x Arcane Denial
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Deprive
• 1x Disallow
• 1x Dismiss
• 1x Dispel
• 1x Dream Fracture
• 1x Foil
• 1x Muddle the Mixture
• 1x Negate
• 1x Rewind
• 1x Stubborn Denial
• 1x Supreme Will
• 1x Swan Song
• 1x Unwind

Combo (7)

• 1x Dramatic Reversal
• 1x Isochron Scepter
• 1x Mystic Sanctuary
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Nexus of Fate
• 1x Proteus Staff
• 1x Time Warp

Lands (36)

• 1x Buried Ruin
• 1x Inventors' Fair
• 33x Island
• 1x Mystic Sanctuary

Draw (2)

• 1x Blue Sun's Zenith
• 1x Future Sight

Ramp (11)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Dramatic Reversal
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Gilded Lotus
• 1x High Tide
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Prismatic Lens
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Star Compass
• 1x Thran Dynamo
• 1x Worn Powerstone

Filtering (8)

• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Dig Through Time
• 1x Fact or Fiction
• 1x Impulse
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Shimmer of Possibility
• 1x Supreme Will

Removal (6)

• 1x Blink of an Eye
• 1x Capsize
• 1x Engulf the Shore
• 1x Into the Roil
• 1x Rapid Hybridization
• 1x Reality Shift

Grave recursion (1)

• 1x Mystic Sanctuary

Win conditions (1)

• 1x Blue Sun's Zenith

Commander (1)

Other (9)

• 1x Back to Basics
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Flusterstorm
• 1x Lithoform Engine
• 1x Mystic Remora
• 1x Pongify
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Thought Vessel

Tutors (6)

• 1x Fabricate
• 1x Inventors' Fair
• 1x Merchant Scroll
• 1x Muddle the Mixture
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Whir of Invention

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Sideboard

Combos (1)

• 1x Narset's Reversal

Filtering (1)

• 1x Narset, Parter of Veils

Removal (1)

• 1x Curse of the Swine

Control (1)

• 1x Narset, Parter of Veils

Counters (1)

• 1x Narset's Reversal

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Maybeboard

Low priority (6)

• 1x Caged Sun
• 1x Extraplanar Lens
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Gauntlet of Power
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Sapphire Medallion

High priority (4)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Scavenger Grounds
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top

Mid priority (4)

• 1x Cryptic Command *list*
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 1x Pact of Negation

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Subsidiary of KefNOT the Controlfreak [primer].

I was aiming for a budget version that would pack as much of a punch of the original as possible, but at a far lower price point. I kept some non-budget cards, but those are either staples or cards of great value and utility that even a budget or new player should own. In my opinion at least.

Over time, this one will get a small writeup of its own and the majority of the "Budget changes" accordion will get moved here. But for the majority of general Kefnet control stuff, please check out the main deck and its primer.

Combos

The combo packages are relatively compact. 5 cards make up 3 combos, and one of those 5 one card is a staple that would be included anyway (Mystical Tutor), while 3 can be considered to be "goodstuff" (Dramatic Reversal as a ritual, Isochron Scepter for constant stream of counters and Beacon of Tomorrows is a pure Timmy card) so the opportunity cost of playing these combos is very low. There are 2 infinite turns combos and one infinite mana combo.

Proteus staff + Beacon of tomorrows + Kefnet

1. cast Beacon of tomorrosws. It shuffles itself back into your deck.

2. do stuff (preferably attack with Kefnet)

3. activate Proteus Staff targeting Kefnet. Since Kefnet is the only creature in the deck, it will get put back to the filed. Stack your deck putting Beacon of Tomorrows on the top of it.

4. do stuff, end turn

Repeat steps 1.-4. infinite number of times to get infinite turns.

This one is a bit costly to execute; each cycle (plus to cast the Proteus Staff itself on the first turn). Generally those turns should be used to bash face with Kefnet and end the game that way. If for any reason you cannot do that, you can also draw extra cards with leftover mana with Kefnet. This way you can draw into another combo or a solution to whatever is troubling you.

Isochron scepter + Mystical tutor (+ Beacon of tomorrows)

(you can start without Beacon of Tomorrows in your hand, in which case you need a way to draw a card)

1. cast Isochron Scepter imprinting Mystical Tutor

2. cast Beacon of Tomorrows. It shuffles itself back into your deck.

3. cast Mystical Tutor via Isochron Scepter activation, putting Beacon of tomorrosws on top of your deck

4. do stuff (preferably attack with Kefnet)

5. end your turn

Repeat steps 2.-5. for infinite turns.

This is also a costly combo. each cycle (plus to cast the Isochron Scepter itself) is a lot of mana. But this deck can ramp well thanks to all the ramp artifacts it plays. Not unlike Proteus Staff combo, the idea is to beat face with Kefnet. If for any reason that isn't an option, you have enough turns to play more lands/ramp or to draw more cards with Kefnet to find a solution.

Isochron scepter + Dramatic reversal

Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter + 3 mana worth of rocks

1. cast Isochron Scepter, imprinting Dramatic Reversal

2. tap all your rocks, producing at least 3 mana (preferably at least )

3. cast Dramatic Reversal via Isochron Scepter, untapping Scepter itself and all your rocks

Repeat steps 2.-3. for infinite mana.

Nothing much to say here, the classic IsoRev combo we all Know and love. You can use infinite mana from this combo to cast Kefnet and draw your entire deck as per "What to do with infinite mana?" section of the main primer.

What's interesting about this combo is how well it works with the remaining two. Those 2 combos require a lot of mana. This one requires a few rocks on the battlefield, and hence, a lot of rocks in the deck. Having more rocks for this combo, also means having more mana of the other 2. It also helps that Isochron Scepter is included in another combo, so by "just" adding Dramatic Reversal, you get a whole new combo opened up. That's some value right there.

Suggested upgrades

High priority

These upgrades are a good combination of (somewhat) reasonable price and good utility for such cost. None are essential for the deck to function, but I'd recommend getting them when and if you have extra funds to put into the deck. If you own any of these, include them right away.

• Ancient Tomb - a tricky land to have in a control deck, but the speed it provides early could be worth practically losing a land on later turns. Plus the reprint seems to be affordable

• Nexus of Fate - a strictly better Beacon of Tomorrows. But you can easily play them both to make your combos a bit more resilient.

• Ghost Quarter, Reliquary Tower, Scavenger Grounds - being monocolor, this deck can play lots of utility lands with ease. All 3 of these offer some small benefits, but at extremely low opportunity cost. Considering their utility and low price, you should be looking to add them

• Rhystic Study, Sensei's Divining Top - 2 true format staples that sadly got excluded due to budget restrictions. Both are relatively expensive, but they're worth it. They are similar in that they help you maintain a healthy hand. Study has more potential and works like a taxing piece sometimes, while Top has extremely low floor, filtering your draws and sometimes fishing for answers. Again, pricey cards, but if you'll buy any cards over 10$, these are a good bet

Mid priority

These upgrades are a bit more expensive than the "high priority" tier ones and/or their utility is less significant. Consider these if you're satisfied with the deck's performance and want/can invest some money into few less important upgrades. Of course, if you happen to own these, it's a good idea to put them in right away.

• Minamo, School at Water's Edge - a neat way to give Kefnet vigilance at low opportunity cost. Not Worth the price tag, but if you happen to own a copy, it's a fine addition.

• Maze of Ith - Works like a charm to stop big attackers going your way. Also, there is a catch with it that effectively gives Kefnet vigilance; after the creature is declared as an attacker, it's considered to be an attacking creature until the end of combat. After the damage step, but before the end of a combat phase, Kefnet is technically still an attacking creature and thus can be untapped by Maze of Ith without Maze's damage-canceling drawback.

• Cryptic Command - the definitive toolbox spell. A worst Dismiss at worst, deus ex machina solution to any problem at best. If you like mono U, this is a solid staple you should look out for

• Flusterstorm, Pact of Negation - these are excellent upgrades if you have to fight counter wars often or if you're in a fast meta which relies on relatively greedy plays. In such meta overhaul of the counters package might be in order. Consider Dispel, Spell Pierce, Mana Leak and other 2 cmc (preferably ) or lower counters.

• Thought Vessel - a neat effect stapled onto a rock. This deck likes cheap rocks and the added effect is neat. If it wasn't for the price, this would be an immediate inclusion or even a high priority upgrade.

• Cyclonic Rift - another true staple that ended up here only because of its price. A swiss army knife filling both the roles of a cheap targeted removal and a huge wrath effect that can get you very far ahead if timed well. One of the best cards in the format. However it's price is keeping it from being a high priority upgrade or main deck inclusion.

Low priority

I guess if you have extra money left after making most, if not all, of the previously mentioned upgrades, these are fine. Also it might not be a bad idea to include these if you have them anyway, but it's more of a personal choice here compared to the former 2 categories. Of course, further upgrades are possible, but those are getting out of the frame of a "budget" deck. At that point you could/should start chasing more expensive staples such as Mana Drain and Force of Will.

• Extraplanar Lens, Caged Sun and Gauntlet of Power - these are always welcome additions to any monocolor deck, especially in colors that can tutor artifacts. In case of Lens it could be wise to switch from regular Islands to Snow-Covered Islands. This lands swap is a bit pricey, but IMO Snow-Covered Islands (COldsnap ones) are beautiful, so if you're in for a little bit of blinging out, this is my honest suggestion.

• Pongify - a decent piece of creature removal. As it is now tho, the deck can handle creatures pretty well and this one costs more than it's peers (Rapid Hybridization and Reality Shift without offering significant advantages.

• Polluted Delta and Flooded Strand - fetchalnds are neat for their reshuffle effect, which makes Brainstorm a bit stronger. They fill up graveyard for delve and they make you less likely to topdeck lands. Their effect is small, but neat nontheless.

• Mystic Remora - a powerful piece of draw. One of the best draw cards in the format actually. However it's rather hard to use properly and it's relatively weaker in slower/casual metas. So despite being one of the best cards on this upgrade list and not being all that expensive, this is one you can wait on because of its specific power level.

• Sapphire Medallion - a very neat piece of ramp. However for what we're aiming for here, it's quite expensive. And its utility isn't that great. Neat addition, one you should definitely make if you have a copy at hand, but it's far from necessary.

Date added	6 years
Last updated	3 years
Exclude colors	WBRG
Key combos	Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	3 - 0 Mythic Rares 16 - 3 Rares 19 - 0 Uncommons 24 - 0 Commons
Cards	95
Avg. CMC	2.59
Tokens	Ape 3/3 G, Bird 2/2 U, Boar 2/2 G, Copy Clone, Frog Lizard 3/3 G, Manifest 2/2 C
Folders	Dr. Grout's theorycrafting workshop
Based on	KefNOT the Controlfreak [primer] JohnnyCRO EDH