Amazed how there are no comments yet beside mine now XD

why dont you use the Clifftop Retreat in the 50$ version?

thats kinda demoralizing. spending the time to go over the article to have no one comment on it... poor us

Very nice build, though I probably would have stuck with Pillar of Flame instead of Mugging , as it's more relevant in the meta.

@ theholy -- Our budget can be allocated towards more useful cards, especially in a two color deck.

@ Tempest -- This is the least amount of feedback I've received on an article :(

@ Goody -- I can definitely see where you're coming from with Mugging . I think it's reliant on the playgroup and meta; for me, the Mugging would be better. But then again I don't usually play against top-tier decks...

interesting build, i like this form of bang for your buck. Good luck!

Definitely Pillar of Flame over Mugging , it allows you to throw that last bit of damage at your opponent's face if he happens to get a Guardian of the Gateless or keeps using Fog

Skullcrack might be good against decks like Orzhov extortion decks

Playing Mugging over Pillar of Flame is just wrong, and it puts me off the article because it shows your skill level is lower than others. I understand you have a more casual playgroup, but not being able to recognise the two upsides of Pillar is...questionable.

As far as the deck goes, your running to many four drops, and not running Ash Zealot in the main deck is just a waste of a solid two drop.

@ m12fox -- Thanks! What would you think about looking at things like MM, the Shards block foil boosters, and stuff like that? Do most stores still sell the foil boosters? My LGS has a ton of them... The soonest that another article of this sort would be written is in a month from now, so we have time to think about it.

@ DaShPrime -- I've recognized my mistake in running Mugging over Pillar of Flame . And the deck has 3x Skullcrack in the mainboard.

@ MagnaLynx21 -- As I've mentioned above, I recognize that I made a poor choice. Feel free to compose your own article though if you question my ability to construct decks and my knowledge of the game.

Bah, modern masters for a budget deck, i don't know much of the set, but i do know that it isn't a budget set. you could try shards block and if you want to really reach out, lorywn, could also be fun. think about it.

@ m12fox -- I wasn't necessarily thinking as a "budget," but more of do you get your moneys worth from buying a pack and/or box. Just tossing ideas out there for something different.

interesting concept. i think that with MM, it is a bit risky when getting packs. my friend bought 2 for $20 and got nothing. i bought 2 for $20 and got 50$ back, it is just luck.

@ m12fox -- True. Same with a DGM box my friends and I bought. We had a net return of about $200 from the $100 we spent (2x Ral Zarek 's, 4x Shocks, and stuff helped). Out of the four of us, two walked away with $70+ in cards, one was $40+, and I got about $20. Hah. I think I'd be getting more into statistics that I'd want to with that article. We'll see.

to be honest, i think that you should stick with modifying decks, tappedout and event decks. that just seems a bit more like "bang for your buck". i think that that change would make it just too much like "statistics for your buck" or something.

I certainly didn't agree with all your decisions... particularly as i was reading through the main text of what you were going to remove, but it became much more clear towards the end what you were going for. Especially since you were able to show that you were trading away those other higher priced cards in order to get other things to shore up the deck. That however was not immediately clear at the beginning of the article. I think this is a fine concept and would appreciate seeing something for each of the prepackaged boxes.

My initial understanding of the article was that you had this preconstructed deck and then were going to give yourself $50.00 to spend to see how far you could push the power level with that amount of money. That however was not what this article was about. I still like the article for what it was... but it wasn't what the initial paragraph led me to believe. I liked your article a lot better after I found out what exactly it was you were doing as it is a cool concept. But in reading through the article i didn't understand the process you took and your vision for improving the deck until about 1/2 way through.

This is a good concept, and seems like it would be helpful if done correctly.

I would have held onto the Clifftop Retreat if at all possible. I run a two color standard deck and for FNM a few weeks ago I borrowed a playset of duals that really helped the deck out. And I would drop the guildgates. I really don't think a boros agro deck wants taplands.

I think removing the Doomed Traveler is a mistake. He's a human, so he boosts your Champion of the Parish (which, to be honest, is the real win-con here) and the spirit that comes out of him has enough evasion to fuel at least a couple of battalion strikes. I might also consider Thatcher Revolt as a viable option here, as well as maybe Rally the Peasants .

@ m12fox -- Agreed

@ DeckBuilder345 -- I see where you're coming from - I was not entirely clear with the article's intentions. This is a first-timer for this variation of the article, so I'm realizing my mistakes as I go. I'm glad to hear that you like the concept though.

@ theonyc -- Is there a "correct" way to write my own articles? I agree that I've made a few mistakes in my articles, but then again I'm no veteran like Caley.

@ smash10101 -- I agree that dual lands help, but are not necessary in 2-color decks. The budget could have been allocated towards more useful cards. And the three Guildgates are there to provide any mana fixing the deck may need, but definitely won't help in the first few turns.

@ anewsome -- Other than the Angels, every creature in this deck is human. I'd prefer another card that can contribute to batallion and benefit from it than the Traveler. I didn't include Thatcher Revolt because it can help for one turn, but then the tokens are sacrificed. I'd much rather pay the three for a creature with batallion that can stay more than one turn.

You said this would be a good investment. It's actually a pretty bad investment- almost all of these cards are rotating out, which will cause their prices to drop. The most expensive card is Clifftop Retreat , an Innistrad land that will drop to around 4 dollars (maybe eve less) after rotation. It may be great for teaching new players, but it isn't great for the long term player.

oh my goodness. do you people ever stop criticizing? he already admitted this wasn't his best article. he's open to suggestions but i don't think he likes being criticized cause no one does. help him if you want to. otherwise don't talk

I feel like a good budget deck in this Standard would be mono-colored, as slowing yourself down with gates or mana inconsistency can hurt- I know MBC is a thing, Weenie White, mono-red, and mono-green are all at least semi-competitive (not Tier 1 though).

Hey man I really liked the article through and through. Main points that I liked, Analysis on the purchased product / value of cards received from the box, analysis on how to convert a money card into more usable cards for the deck to make it better as a whole instead of having that one-of, and the thought process on deck construction.

I believe all of the above points help a diverse group of individuals. It could include the budget players, new players learning to build decks, higher level players who need a specific card and how to obtain that card and then cash in the rest for a profit, and others.

Even if certain cards not agreed upon (Mugging vs Pillar of Flame which you already addressed) and even if some cards may be rotating out (this wasn't written for M14 / Theros so that shouldn't even be an issue) I think the article as a whole was a success and you should definitely continue doing more of this type.

Great job and keep up the good work. I have always been a firm believer that our society as a whole tends to have more people who are apt to take the time to complain and write their complaint than people to take the time to say good job. A lot of people who read reviews on products before purchasing generally get a bad view on the item because people who have been happy with their product don't take the time to post a good review. Keep this in mind moving forward and try to take the bad comments and roll with it.

After about a 12 year hiatus from Magic, I got back into the game and built a similar deck to this one from the RTR cycle.

I splashed a little green for cards like Armed / Dangerous and Ghor-Clan Rampager which can really turn the tide if you reach the mid game.

Legion Loyalist is really neat, but make sure to play him after you build up a small army.

Azorius Arrester is a good card at any point in the game.

You might want to try adding a couple bloodrush creatures (Rubblebelt Maaka )

Damn, haters gonna hate... Anyway, I wouldn't spend much time answering to nonconstructive criticism--I find it's more important to think outside the (meta) box and change things up a bit, than it is to blindly follow the crowd (even if you later have to go fix stuff.)

Anyway, my only reaction was one that'll probably get me a lot of flak, but here goes (and it's meant to be constructive): I'm not a big fan of Boros Elite . Yes, he's a one-drop that can turn into a 3/3. Yay.

I tend to prefer the underappreciated Daring Skyjek --for an extra mana, you get :

1. A creature that can trade for a Thragtusk (or any other scary X/3) defensively and offensively (without battalion), or bypass him with battalion (unless they fly, of course).
2. A Boros Elite can swing for 3 on turn 3 if there are two other creatures in play--DS can swing for 3 on turn 3 regardless of how many other creatures are in play (so, a lone DS, with some board control, can deal some damage very easily).
3. Haven't crunched any numbers, but battalion --> flying probably grants more survivability than battalion --> +2/+2.

Also, I really liked this article format: it's a good way to get players going cheaply and easily (since, as you pointed out, for $25 you get $40 worth of cards, so you can end up with a $65-valued deck for $50).

Not that more $$$ means better deck, but it definitely means more options (which could not contribute much, but hey, it's something).

Hello I have a Modern deck I would love for you to do a article on! It's here: Blind Ascension . I would consider it to be on a budget for the modern format. Anyways please let me know what ya think even if you don't want to do an article on it. Thx for your time.

To anyone who has criticized this article, my knowledge of the game, or me in general: I find it rather disturbing that you would take the time to tell me that I wrote my article (well, alongside another T/O user) incorrectly, and to tell me that I have very limited skill with regard to deck construction. I ask that before posting on an article, or anywhere on the site for that matter, you take a second to think if you're going to simply criticize the author/creator. If you are, either compose your thoughts constructively or don't post at all - you'd be wasting your time. And honestly, compose your own article if you truly think mine is as bad as you make it out to be.

@ pumpkinsword -- I'm not sure when "most" got redefined, but the majority of the deck is from the RtR block. The cards that are rotating out can easily be replaced in the newer set. Also, I'm pretty sure that the long-term players aren't going to be buying an Event deck. I honestly think that if you get mana screwed with a two colored deck, you just suck at shuffling. Yes it'll happen, but it happens to $250 land bases too.

@ Tempest -- No good deed goes unpunished haha, I try to do something good for the T/O community and I just get this crap. I am not letting this discourage me from continuing to write though - it's someones own problem if they don't like my ideas and can't convey their thoughts in a decent manner.

@ psychoza -- Thank you for the support. I realize that some of the organization was poor, but don't think it's incomprehensible. It's true though - most sites might as well change their comments section to the "complaint" section.

@ frostrite -- Splashing red could be beneficial to the deck, but while two colors are easy to manage with basics and Gates, three colors get tricky - especially with an aggro deck.

@ Khashir -- Thank you for the suggestions. Once I finished putting the deck together, I realized that I didn't have Daring Skyjek in. I wanted to add him but wasn't sure what to drop. To appease those who have complained above not taking into account set rotation, you could easily replace Champion of the Parish with the Skyjek. I hope to write another article like this one in a month or so, and hopefully I will have hammered out a lot of the kinks by then.

Hmm... Don't go too far. It's different when someone just apologizes and says they're going to do better next time and when that person turns around and disses the criticizer. It tells you a lot about their personality and composure. I mean, your writing these articles for the community so you should care about what the community thinks right? That's just my thoughts

Sorry, should have been more specific. The value cards are rotating out: Clifftop Retreat , Champion of the Parish , Thalia, Guardian of Thraben , Silverblade Paladin . Yes, you'll still have most of the cards for a boros battalion deck, but they are pretty cheap and there is no reason to buy the event deck.

Also, wasn't criticizing just to criticize, I honestly did not want people to go and buy the event deck, as they are usually a bad value (with a few past exceptions, like the one with 2 Inkmoth Nexus, or Thragtusk ones when he was 22). Trading and snatching things up on ebay/tcg at low is the way to go or going through a store's 5-cent pile even.

@ tempest -- Yea, I may have taken that a little too far. It's just frustrating to receive all of this criticism for little things on the article. I wasn't trying to say that I don't care what the community thinks, but rather that I don't appreciate being told that I wrote it wrong, and would definitely appreciate constructive criticism, like I do on anything on this site.

@ pumpkinsword -- I apologize if I came across harsh in my previous post, I was just a little frustrated. That is true, I guess this is yet another thing I was unclear on in the article. I wrote this for people who either have the event deck, or plan on getting into MTG soon and to help them get started. We still have some time before the rotation, and I also believe that a newer player would buy the event deck over buying individual cards - but I may be wrong. What do you think?

One thing I forgot to mention in the article is that it is not meant to endorse nor criticize a Magic product, but just to give suggestions on modifying the deck should a player come across it. I think I'm walking a fine line on this (if there's even a line), and am open to suggestions to help distinguish what I am trying to do.

I wanted to echo psychoza and say that this is a very informative article. It's always helpful to see the thought process of other players and why they make the decisions that they make when constructing a deck... Helps novice players like myself recognize their mistakes and move forward in constructing their own decks.

With regard to the inclusion of Mugging of Pillar of Flame , I would argue that this is entirely dependent on the match-up. If you are playing against someone running 4x Voice of Resurgence , then Pillar of Flame is absolutely the way to go. However, if you are playing against a deck with a bunch of fatties, I would assume that Mugging would be the way to go since it is a cheap way of getting a particularly nasty blocker out of the way. Would it be a good idea, then, to sideboard Mugging and swap it our with Pillar of Flame depending on the situation?

My question would be why you decided to sideboard Ash Zealot . If you could tell you me why you stuck her in the sideboard so I can understand the thought process, it would be greatly appreciated!

Keep writing these articles, I always look forward to reading them!

@ mourningavenue -- Thank you for the support! I hope to have another article up this Monday featuring another Boros deck constructed by one of our fellow users. My reasoning for running Mugging is exactly as you've stated - the majority of decks that I play against run some sort of fatty that I'd like to lock down. They're also mostly budget or semi-budget, so Voice of Resurgence and those other crazy cards aren't problems.

Ash Zealot really could find a place in either the Mainboard or Sideboard. I'm going to assume your question is intended to ask why the SB and not the MB for her - it's mostly because she doesn't benefit from the Battalion mechanic, but has exceptional utility come particular games against decks that play out of their graveyard. She does have the low cost, body, and evasion to be worthy of the slot in the MB. Another reason she's not in the MB is due to price - ideally we'd run 3-4 of her if she was, but costs a little too much for that. She's still great utility as a 2-of in the SB though.

I hope this helped, and feel free to ask any other questions!

I guess most people were thinking that as a haste 2-drop, zealot could enable a turn 2 batallion creature on turn 3, and even later as surprise batallion triggers. Her second ability is almost irrelevant most times.

These articles are really helpful! This helped me build a Boros deck that was a month in the making.

@ Goody -- That is very true... At the least, she could replace Champion of the Parish once he rotates out. If the player decides to build this deck though, there is absolutely nothing wrong with her in the MB. It may be me, but I have something against running only two of a card that doesn't act as a game-changer and with the budget, more than two wouldn't fit either. Is there something in particular you would remove for her?

@ducttapedeckbox: It seems to me that you guys are running lots of 4-drops. If I were running this deck, I'd take out one Firemane Avenger and one Tajic, Blade of the Legion for two Ash Zealot s. Goody's argument is very true.

A take on this deck

budget boros deck 21212