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Mikaeus, Extreme Budget Version

Due to Mikaeus' increase in price this deck is now over $20, however, using TCG low prices or MCM it should be drastically cheaper than what is displayed on tappedout.
Click for more deck price info!


How it all began

A long time back, a friend of mine repeatedly complained about the prices of EDH decks, how it was impossible to make a good deck without having to spend several hundred dollars. I disagreed and thought that a deck could be expensive, but still built casually, just like a deck can be cheap and be built to be cutthroat. He then challenged me to make a strong $20 deck if I was so sure I was right. While he obviously meant it as a joke, I took the challenge, and now almost four years later we have this deck to show for it.

I decided to use Mikaeus, the Unhallowed as my general as soon as I started. He is in a strong EDH color, and goes infinite with a ridiculous amount of cheap cards, and was at the time of creation only $4 himself.

Unfortunately, I have realized that making the ultimate budget deck is a self defeating prophecy. The popularity of the deck has caused the price increase of so many cards, including Mikaeus himself. While the deck is still cheap, achieving a $20 budget is now impossible. Maybe if WotC finally reprinted Mikaeus!


Why would I want to play this deck?

Let me warn you now, there are not many casual playgroups that would appreciate you playing this kind of deck, and that you might not even enjoy piloting the deck yourself. This is a deck aiming for the most efficient and brutal kills you can get within its building constraints, there is no playing around, no "spirit of the format".

This is a recurring problem with these kinds of decks. I'm talking about that stax deck you wanted to make, but after finally constructing it and bringing it to a night of magic, nobody ever wanted to play against it again. At least not TOO often.

That is usually how these deck ideas end, they are awesome as you build them, but when you finally bring it to the table nobody is enjoying themselves, so they end up scrapped for parts or gather dust in a box somewhere. There is one big difference here, and that difference is the low price-tag.

A major reason I love this deck is the feeling I get as my opponent sits back and realizes he got crushed by a deck that costs less than one twentieth (Or even one hundredth!) of his own, even they usually can't keep back a smile, or at least some form of reaction. In fact, that feeling alone makes me enjoy playing this deck! As long as I find willing opponents, I have no trouble playing this deck.

As a bonus, the budget constraints imposed on this deck help its variation, even though you win by going infinite almost every game (Commander damage lethal can happen from time to time), you don't do it with the same pieces! The interaction as you try to clear the table for your non-evasive beaters or try to get that equipment to get you through keeps the variation high enough that the deck stays enjoyable for far longer than it reasonably should.

But that is the reasons I have for playing it.

You might have an EDH league at your store that you wish to play in, you may simply wish to shut up your friend who claims EDH is all about the money, or you have long been wanting to make an EDH deck, but the EDH decks your friends play are too pricy for you to make the jump. Either way, when a deck is this cheap, it is easier to justify giving it a chance before tossing away the idea!

On the flip side, due to the budget restrictions, the deck also has a lot of silver bullets that it has a hard time beating. I have tried to mitigate them, but most appropriate answers are outside my financial reach, instead I have embraced an all-in strategy in the hopes of taking people out before they can shut me down.


Guide on budget deckbuilding!

Aka "How to Handle your Money", a compilation of tips and directions from a professional budget builder (I can call myself that, right?) There's also links to the alter image of Mikaeus and guides on how to make proxies here!

This is fairly long!


How the deck plays

The way the deck works is really straightforward, and makes use a huge amount of infinite combos. Your job is to get a sacrifice outlet into play, for example Blasting Station , next you get your Mikaeus into play, then you play a creature that can manipulate counters in a manner that goes infinite with Undying, for example Tatterkite .

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Blasting Station + Tatterkite = Infinite damage!

Now, while having an infinite combo like that is great, this deck doesn't go for half measures. The main focus of this deck is redundancies. If you didn't draw Blasting Station ? Well, there is a whole list of other cards that can do the same job just fine...

Sac Outlets!

Sac Fodder!

  • Triskelion
  • Chainbreaker
  • Cinderhaze Wretch
  • Lingering Tormentor
  • Pith Driller
  • Skinrender
  • Spincrusher
  • Tatterkite
  • Wingrattle Scarecrow
  • If you pair ANY of the cards from the left and right list, you have an infinite combo with Mikaeus in play! This is how you are expected to win with this deck, although we still have a lot of cards remaining to help you achieve that goal.


    I have put the remaining cards in five seperate categories. Tutors, Evasion, Value, Ramp and Disruption

    Tutors

    Evasion

    Value

    Ramp

    Disruption and Removal


    DECK UPGRADES


    Mikaeus, Extreme Not So Budget EDH

    Commander / EDH Sleazebag

    SCORE: 412 | 63 COMMENTS | 56656 VIEWS | IN 152 FOLDERS


    Well ok guys, you got your wish granted! I finally sat down and made a NON budget version of my $20 Budget Mikaeus deck! If you own the deck and you are interested in which cards would improve upon it, or want to see how I would make this deck -without- these budget restraints, check out this decklist!


    Thank you for checking out my deck

    If you have any input or suggestions please come with them! I'm always interested in making the deck more efficient.

    Keep in mind that I am under extreme budget limitations so only cards below 20 cents are up for consideration. Got an idea for a more expensive card? Suggest it on my non budget decklist!

    Feel free to check out my other decks on my profile, they may not be as cheap but they are all awesome!



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    Revision 83 See all

    (5 years ago)

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    Top Ranked
    • Achieved #1 position overall 10 years ago
    Date added 10 years
    Last updated 4 years
    Legality

    This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

    Rarity (main - side)

    1 - 0 Mythic Rares

    8 - 0 Rares

    28 - 0 Uncommons

    35 - 0 Commons

    Cards 100
    Avg. CMC 3.17
    Tokens Eldrazi Spawn 0/1 C, Morph 2/2 C
    Folders Possible Deck Builds, EDH, EDH Ideas, edh, edh stuff, Fun Decks, Black EDH Decks, Decks to Try, EDH, edh stuff
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