My background:
I am a more or less playing mtg for more than 10 years and most of the time I play in casual level, but the recently I started playing competitively mostly with online platforms. If you like the effort of this decklist that I would like to keep it updated please consider giving thumps up for this deck to pop up and more people can find a reliable way to play Shu Yun on a budget.
Primer Guide:
I prefer Shu Yun as a Voltron deck, I believe it works better this way. The aim is to make 21 damage with your One-Punch man (commander damage rule). This is the total assassin deck, excellent in 1v1, losing some value in more opponents and this decklist is not designed for that (if you go for it don't forget a Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar). I focus on cheap spells, as number of casts combos well with prowess. I focus more on protection as it already powers up our command and double strike already gives him insane damage output, so my main aspect is keep him alive and do not be greedy. This is a budget version of the deck and I have spend a lot of time to playtest and tune it.
I think protection is better than indestructable for our deck and the reason is that it both protects from target removal and gives unblockable against certain color defenders. The weak point is aoe removals but they come later in the game and they are sorcery speed. You may consider keeping the indestructable spells for this point.
As for mana accelerators I totally prefer them at 1 or 2 cmc so you cast them before shu yun and have some more mana to protect him even at first cast.
About the manabase, it would definitely power up the deck to add more versatile
Card Breakdown:
protection from removals:
Ajani's Presence/ buff and indestructible (I do not add many indestructable cards because removals are common even if they are better against boardwipe)
Apostle's Blessing/ 1cmc protection as life loss is irrelevant with the strategy
Benevolent Blessing/ enchantment protection
Center Soul/ 2cmc but two turns protected
Emerge Unscathed / the same but with 1cmc
Flickering ward/ probably the most useful card in deck
Gods Willing/ pro + scry
Intervene/ blue 1cmc counter to protect commander
Mother of Runes/ oh this is perfect for protecting shu yun. Do not care it is a creature, you need this down before shu yun.
Rebuff the Wicked/ white 1cmc counter to protect commander
Shelter/ protect and keep hand advantage
Swiftfoot boots/ constant hexproof and haste. Excellent when shu yun comes back
Turn Aside/one more blue 1cmc counter to protect commander
protection counterspells:
Izzet Charm/ multi use card, we need a few of this to avoid uncertain threats
Misdirection/ 0cmc spells are perfect for us
Spell Pierce/ this is my last choice because it is difficult to use it late game but covers more threats
Stubborn Denial/ great synergy with shu yun but not at your opponent's turn
unblockable:
Aqueous Form / keeps commander unblockable, good if he wont get removed
Artful Dodge / straight unblockable for 2 times
Cloak of Feathers / fly + draw
Distortion strike/ buff unblockable for 2 turns
Key to the city/ Do not underestimate it, it is better than it seems, cast it on t2 before commander and get cards back late game
Leap / our second fly + draw
Maximize Altitude / a small buff and flying. About the jumpstart mechanic: target flashback cards to discard and cast them later
Renegade Tactics / great early game when there are no creature or choose stratigically one, can just refill hand and enable prowess later
Shadow Rift / shadow(better than flying) +draw
Slip Through Space / unblockable+draw
Veil of Secrecy/ 2 effects for 1 card but prepare to play it as the last spell because it gives shroud. Ability triggers first so you can give double strike before shu yun gets shroud.
ramp: I prefer maximum 2cmc ramp card to help commander on t3 get protected.
Arcane Signet / edh staple
Boros signet/ only this from the cycle because it enables our comander's ability
Fellwar Stone / most of the times is great, if not worthy filter it
Lotus Bloom/ If you have it early you may plan for a great turn to finish the game - keep protection for that turn
Rite of Flame / pay attention that you need to play shu yun's ability first and then get the mana. So it is not perfect and you must plan you spells accordingly. Probably pay the ability's 2 R mana on your second spell.
Sphere of the Suns / This is for a budget version, good if not gets saced. swap for talisman of progress when it reprints
Talisman of Conviction/ talismans are great as you do not care much for life
Talisman of Creativity/ talismans are great as you do not care much for life
power ups:
Brute Force / straight and clear megabump
Built to Smash / one more of it. can combo with saheeli by casting it on the artifact clone
Defiant Strike / a cantrip to activate double strike
Fists of Flame / play it last after refilling your hand. Better at late game
Jeskai Ascendancy / making double prowess may be game ending. Cast it t3 and then cast shu yun with a protective spell on t4.
Reckless Charge/ Haste is relevant especially late game when you recast Saitama, or early game when no blocker is in sight
Rush of Adrenaline / I prefer low buff spells that give more abilities than stats, the monk will be a monster anyways with double strike
Titan's Strength / Trample is madatory with possible creeps blocking him
Unleash fury/ The one punch card. Make the math.
Unstable Mutation (pay blue for power up and red/white mana for double strike)
equipment power ups:
Hero's Blade/ T2 this and T3 the monk auto equipped is awesome
Inquisitor's Flail / great synergy with our strategy and a game finisher
Sunforger/ trigger it to fetch a protection spell so we can have protection every turn in late game
bouncers: I do not prefer it over a protection spells so I include only few. Great for enchanted targets and you may consider "Fumble" if you face a lot.
Snap / free spell enabler to free shu yun from a blocker or threat
plan b:
Feather, the Redeemed / You can lock your opponent with the correct protection spells
Saheeli, Sublime Artificer / Synergy with our spells. We can target the copy with Built to Smash to give it trample
Young Pyromancer/ He can be still a thing, you can lock a crature-deck opponent with a lot of tokens for blocking, or at least make him waste a removal targeting pyro
art/ench removals:
Abrade/ cards with options are great for edh and abrade shall protect you from two different threads. the new "Rip Apart" is great too.
Disenchant/ instant speed
Fragmentize/ low cost
Wear//Tear/ great overall card
creature removals:
Gut Shot/ 0cmc possible removal, just for enabling prowess it is good
Swords to Plowshares/ With commander damage rule, you won't be hurt be lifegain
draw/filter:
Brainstorm / the best cantrip
Faithless Looting / the best filter card
Frantic Search / zero cmc filtering from t3
Opt/ more cantrips
Ponder/ even more cantrips
Skullclamp/ buff Saitama a bit and punish them for killing him
Whirlwind of Thought/ Excellent late game card
Manabase:
We play 34 lands because we do not afford fetchlands. Try to avoid taplands.
painlands: Battlefield Forge/ Shivan Reef
Bounce land: Boros Garrison (only this from the cycle because it enables our comander's ability)
Filter land: Rugged Praerie (only this from the cycle because it enables our comander's ability)
multi lands:
Aether Hub/ this is a budget option that works better than expected in this deck, can be bounced to reset counter
Command Tower/ a must
Exotic Orchard/ relevant most of the time, especially in standard FFA
Path of Anscestry/ choose human type and scry triggers with our commander or pyro
Spire of Industry/ this triggers too often with 15 lands
shocklands (if you afford them they are excellent): Hallowed Fountain/ Sacred Foundry/ Steam Vents
utility lands: Ghost Quarter (vs maze of ith which negates attacker)
Basic lands: they still come untapped, never underestimate them. Also Praerie Stream synergizes perfectly the turn you want it for shu yun.
$$$ ugrades: (for paper)
Everything helping the manabase
0 cost ramp artifacts
Fierce Guardianship/Deflecing Swat/Flawless Maneuver/Force of Will
maybe isochron scepter even if it is not expensive nowadays
Matchups:
Good matchups: Every deck that doesn't care too much about what their opponent's play. Low generic interaction is not a problem for our built. Combo decks rarely are consistent enough to rush faster than us.
Bad matchups: Decks with a lot of interaction in different forms. Multicolor control decks tend to provide answers in different type of cards making it difficult to counter or remove that specific type. Imagine a liliana of the veil, we cannot deal with that, or maze of Ith that we must hope for a Ghost Quarter to remove. We cannot fill our deck with hate for such threats because we will be inconsistent or slower.
Tips:
Shu Yun triggered ability needs to be paid first. This does not synergies with some cards.
