Building Walls: "Budget" Arcades EDH Aggro

Commander / EDH GWU (Bant)

BigKnockOut

Creature (40)

• 1x Abzan Beastmaster
• 1x Amaranthine Wall
• 1x Angelic Wall
• 1x Axebane Guardian
• 1x Basilica Guards
• 1x Carven Caryatid
• 1x Conclave Guildmage
• 1x Doorkeeper
• 1x Dragon's Eye Sentry
• 1x Drift of Phantasms
• 1x Fortified Rampart
• 1x Gatecreeper Vine
• 1x Geist of the Archives
• 1x Hover Barrier
• 1x Jaddi Offshoot
• 1x Jeskai Barricade
• 1x Jungle Barrier
• 1x Orator of Ojutai
• 1x Overgrown Battlement
• 1x Reclamation Sage
• 1x Shield Sphere
• 1x Soulsworn Jury
• 1x Stalwart Shield-Bearers
• 1x Sunscape Familiar
• 1x Suspicious Bookcase
• 1x Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
• 1x Thallid Shell-Dweller
• 1x Tree of Redemption
• 1x Vine Trellis
• 1x Wall of Blossoms
• 1x Wall of Denial
• 1x Wall of Essence
• 1x Wall of Frost
• 1x Wall of Ice
• 1x Wall of Junk
• 1x Wall of Mulch
• 1x Wall of Omens
• 1x Wall of Reverence
• 1x Wall of Roots
• 1x Wall of Runes

Land (32)

• 1x Azorius Chancery
• 1x Bant Panorama
• 1x Blossoming Sands
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 6x Forest
• 1x Graypelt Refuge
• 1x Irrigated Farmland
• 4x Island
• 7x Plains
• 1x Port Town
• 1x Seaside Citadel
• 1x Selesnya Sanctuary
• 1x Simic Growth Chamber
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Thornwood Falls
• 1x Tranquil Cove
• 1x Yavimaya Coast

Enchantment (7)

• 1x Angelic Chorus
• 1x Assault Formation
• 1x Blind Obedience
• 1x Guardian Project
• 1x High Alert
• 1x Sight of the Scalelords
• 1x Wild Pair

Instant (3)

• 1x Bant Charm
• 1x Eerie Interlude
• 1x Tower Defense

Commander (1)

Artifact (8)

• 1x Azorius Signet
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Meekstone
• 1x Selesnya Signet
• 1x Simic Signet
• 1x Slagwurm Armor
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Thought Vessel

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Cultivate
• 1x Dusk / Dawn
• 1x Farseek
• 1x Fell the Mighty
• 1x Rampant Growth
• 1x Slaughter the Strong
• 1x Wave of Reckoning

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Huatli, the Sun's Heart
• 1x Teyo, the Shieldmage

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Sideboard

Creature (7)

• 1x Beastcaller Savant
• 1x Gleaming Barrier
• 1x Mnemonic Wall
• 1x Resolute Watchdog
• 1x Steel Wall
• 1x Wall of Faith
• 1x Wall of Tanglecord

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Teferi, Time Raveler

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Song of Freyalise

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A relatively cheap, extremely quick, aggressive, and lethal EDH deck.

Main Goal

Use the ability of Arcades, the Strategist to make cheap creatures with Defender, such as Shield Sphere and Wall of Junk huge threats for relatively little mana, and continuously churn them out to overflow the board and swing heavy and wide.

Make Them Move

In order for the deck to function, your walls need to be able to attack. Nothing feels worse than having a field of walls but with nothing for them to do except block. Protect Arcades, the Strategist using Lightning Greaves, Bant Charm, and Eerie Interlude so that your walls can continue attacking, or use cards such as Assault Formation and High Alert in case your opponent(s) are able to focus down your commander with insane amounts of removal, and Huatli, the Sun's Heart can function as a backup option to create an impenetrable defense.

Beat Them Down

Pretty much everyone agrees that 7/7's for three mana is pretty good value, but sometimes all that power isn't enough. Cards such as Stalwart Shield-Bearers and Sight of the Scalelords provide buffs to your walls across the board, and make them noticeably scarier. Slagwurm Armor is a slept on artifact that provides a huge buff, often doubling the capabilities of whatever wall equips it. Tower Defense is quite an impactful combat trick that can swing blocks wildly in your favor. And against cluttered board states (looking at you, token decks), Conclave Guildmage is a great way to make sure that your huge walls can't be easily chump-blocked, and cards like Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive and Suspicious Bookcase can sneak your walls through cluttered board states.

Control the Board

If you're facing some tough customers that either overpower or overcrowd your walls, sweep the board with Slaughter the Strong, Wave of Reckoning, Dusk / Dawn or Fell the Mighty. If you run low on fuel, or if you can't keep Arcades, the Strategist on the field long enough to use his ability, replenish your hand with Abzan Beastmaster or Guardian Project, or repeat Arcades, the Strategist's triggers with Jeskai Barricade, Teyo, the Shieldmage and Eerie Interlude to keep pressure up. Chain off with Wild Pair to keep the creatures flowing, and use Angelic Chorus and Huatli, the Sun's Heart to replenish low life. Use Blind Obedience and Meekstone to deal with other aggressive strategies, and, if you're forced to stall, mill with Doorkeeper or extort with Basilica Guards and Blind Obedience if games get grindy.

How to Play

Your first priority with this deck is getting your commander out on Turn 4 or earlier by making sure your opening hand has all the necessary mana. Then, quickly begin flooding the board with walls and swinging big and wide. Be on the offensive constantly, but don't be afraid to hold back with your oppressive blockers. Focus down any slower strategies and decks known to pack mass removal spells and counterspells, as many of the aggressive, low-to-the-ground strategies will get outclassed quickly by your walls. The combination of Wild Pair and Guardian Project are a solid way to go nearly infinite using Axebane Guardian, since drawing four cards for every creature you play is almost a guaranteed way to net a creature every draw. Use your low mana curve and fast pace to overwhelm your opponents and drown them in value, and draw for your win-conditions: Sight of the Scalelords and Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive.

Non-Budget Upgrades

Sylvan Caryatid is a great ramp improvement and will likely take the place of something such as Gatecreeper Vine. Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa is basically another win condition alongside Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, and would likely replace Gleaming Barrier.Panharmonicon is a fantastic upgrade to double Arcades' triggers and further our card advantage, replacing something such as Geist of the Archives. Heroic Intervention and Ghostway would both be board saves and protection for our creatures, likely replacing some less impactful cards, such as Dragon's Eye Sentry or Slaughter the Strong. Intruder Alarm is a great way to go nearly infinite with Axebane Guardian+Wild Pair+Guardian Project and would make a solid addition.

EDIT: In my pulling fervor for WAR, I managed to pull a Teferi, Time Raveler, and I think he may be good in this deck because of his -3 ability to bounce our own walls to repeat Arcades triggers. He's not budget by any means, but he could possibly be put into the deck

In addition, obvious land improvements are obvious, but this is a "budget" deck, y'all.

Any advice for recommended cards and edits would be greatly appreciated!

Date added	5 years
Last updated	4 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	2 - 0 Mythic Rares 14 - 2 Rares 39 - 2 Uncommons 27 - 5 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.68
Tokens	Elf Knight 2/2 GW, Saproling 1/1 G, Treasure, Wall 0/3 W
Folders	commander, EDH, Cool EDH, Commanders to Build