Which of these 3 Golgari Generals is best to build on a Budget?
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on March 17, 2017, 7:18 p.m. by Arcaneful
Marizek Kraul Death Priest
Which of these could be the most easily made on a budget of around 75$?
There is another option that is not a whole lot of money, I think: Meren of Clan Nel Toth. Her deck build is all about cheap creatures in the early game, and self-sacrifice. If you are able to get a hold of the Plunder the Graves Commander 2015 set, it has all the good cards that will make the deck really good. With a few cheap additions (like Evolutionary Leap and other cards like that) the deck can be a real powerhouse.
March 17, 2017 8:15 p.m.
DrukenReaps says... #4
For cheaper I would go with savra. You can throw in a lot of cheap green black creatures many of which have some kind of sac ability. Skullbriar just wants to be voltron which is fine but then you are looking at wanting things like Sword of Feast and Famine and friends which are not cheap. Granted you don't need those for voltron and skullbriar doesn't need to be voltron but he leans heavily in that direction.
March 17, 2017 8:36 p.m.
MoonTurtle7 says... #5
Skullbriar is a Voltron style build that is much more effective in a 1v1 scenario.
Savra is a little harder depending on what way you build the deck, tho it will be sac+creature focused. but she has no obvious goal which is good and bad in it's own right.
The same is said for mazirek, tho he boosts your creatures and has has a clear goal. if you use things like Butcher of Malakir/dictate of erebos with Fleshbag Marauder or Merciless Executioner you start gaining real value a making a relatively strong army fast. throw in a From Beyond maybe some Corpsejack Menace with some creatures that come in with a friend. the deck is very possible on a budget. then you swap the underpreformers for strong stuff later.
Also because it's something I don't see much of Decimator of the Provinces is a cheaper alternative to Craterhoof. Good for the time being and the emerge helps make your creatures a little stronger as it comes in. Round 75$ is a pretty easy thing to do with mazirek if you ask me. Just gotta be willing to do some digging and getting creative.
March 17, 2017 8:50 p.m.
Izu_Korasu says... #6
Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest feels like a good budget general, the key is Permanent.
you get powerful utility out of cards like Sakura-Tribe Elder, Harrow, Fleshbag Marauder, Tribute to the Wild etc
while being able to focus on either Grave Pact style play, or Winding Constrictor style play .... or both. (and the lists of commonly played cards on EDHrec-Mazirek are "mostly" in the 0-1 dollar range)
Savra, Queen of the Golgari seems okay but she requires more self sacrifice of specifically creatures, which can be more costly (see Grave Pact)
and Skullbriar, the Walking Grave tends to want powerful cards to boost him into commander damage kills, which tend to get pricey.
March 17, 2017 11:14 p.m.
golgarigirl says... #8
First, how do you want to play? Mazirek and Skullbriar are definitely more aggro, whereas Meren and Savra are going to settle in for a longer, more attrition-based game. If one style or the other doesn't appeal to you, it doesn't even pay to discuss them as options. So, how do you like to play? From there, you can tailor a deck to a budget. It's hard to be super competitive on $75, but you can get a very, very solid start.
March 18, 2017 11:17 a.m.
I whipped together an example budget brew for Skullbriar under $75.
Skullbriar - Quick, Dirty, and Cheap
If it appeals to your sort of play style, feel free to use it for a reference point.
March 18, 2017 2:36 p.m.
I'm amazed no one has mentioned Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord! He is probably the best budget commander in , and there are many good cards for cheap, as well as having an ability that makes combos possible.
March 18, 2017 7:23 p.m.
ArchangelAlchemist says... #11
As Izu_Korasu pointed out, 'permanent' is key for Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest. Have you sacrificed a lot of creatures? Use Font of Return to get them back and pump your team. Enchantments and artifacts got you down? They are no problem for Seal of Primordium. Four mana and Horizon Spellbomb is nothing but pure value. What about attaching Ordeal of Nylea to a creature, attacking with it and giving it two +1/+1 counters, the rest of your team one, and netting yourself two lands in the process? Did i mention Dowsing Shaman is in your colors? With all of these wonderful permanents in your deck what else could you add? How about Primal Surge to cause a flood your opponents will be reeling from for days to come? Other fun cards include Implement of Ferocity, Killing Wave, Mycoloth, and It That Betrays. Long story short, Mazirek gets my vote
March 18, 2017 9:45 p.m.
I never saw this guy! What are some combos you can do with him?
March 18, 2017 11:52 p.m.
Phyrexian Devourer. In response to the sacrifice trigger when its power hits 7+, you pump it again, then respond again, etc. Once its power is greater than all of your opponents' life totals, you respond to the sacrifice trigger again and use Jarad's ability to kill them all at once.
March 19, 2017 12:35 a.m.
..though I just noticed that card's price has spiked considerably. It was under a buck when I picked one up a couple years back.
March 19, 2017 12:36 a.m.
@Arcaneful the most notable one is Devoted Druid + Quillspike , but any infinate P/T creature combo in BG will do. I believe there was even one involving Greenbelt Rampager!
I also do have a Jarad deck for reference:
Jarad Commands the Dead
Commander / EDH*
SCORE: 11 | 86 COMMENTS | 2735 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS
AkromaPhage6 says... #2
It all would depend what you want to put into the deck. However, if I were to weigh in, I would say Savra. Without looking I'm sure there are plenty of budgety creatures and enchantments you can find that sac themselves and others. Mazirek you want to be doing an industrial amount of sacrificing and probably want fetches for "free" sacrificing and those cost money. Skullbriar is really more of a quick general that does best in 1v1 matches, not typical multiplayer games. So for whatever my opinion is worth, I'd say Savra.
March 17, 2017 7:56 p.m.