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The Glory of the Horde (Zurgo Ultra-Budget)

Commander / EDH Aristocrats Bracket 2 RBW (Mardu) Tokens

clayperce

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Card Advantage (2)

Card Advantage+ (4)

Card Selection+Color Fixing (1)

Drain (2)

Drain+ (3)

Effect Multiplier+ (5)

Face (2)

Free Sac (5)

Go Tall (2)

Go Wide (8)

Go Wide+ (7)

Lands (38)

Mass Disruption (2)

Protection (3)

Ramp (6)

Support (3)

Targeted Disruption (6)

Commander (1)

Commander: foil Zurgo Stormrender

Maybeboard

Effect Multiplier+ (1)

Protection (1)

STRATEGY

"... all Mardu khans started right here. At the front lines." (Shock Brigade)

This is an ultra-budget Bracket 2 deck with a simple plan: Generate a bunch of tokens, turn them sideways if they aren't already attacking, sacrifice the ones that were going to die anyway, and then do it again. We lean into Aristocrats effects ... partly to make decisions about boardwipes tougher for our opponents, but mostly so we have more control over Zurgo Stormrender's triggered ability.

I think most of the cards in the deck are self-explanatory, but here are notes on a few:

OUR COMMANDER: Any tokens we declare as attackers are "attacking creatures" until they're removed from combat at the very end of the End of Combat Step. So even if our opponent chooses to not block a token, we can sacrifice it (assuming we have a sacrifice effect on the board) when we get priority at the beginning of the End of Combat Step--after combat damage has been dealt--to draw a card with Zurgo Stormrender's triggered ability.

EFFECT MULTIPLIERS

  • Abilities which trigger when a creature attacks won't trigger if that creature "enters attacking". For example, if Ironwill Forger targets Redoubled Stormsinger at the beginning of combat, the original Stormsinger's triggered ability will proc when he is declared as an attacker, but the Myriad tokens' will not.
  • The Jolly Balloon Man and Jaxis, the Troublemaker can create tokens at instant speed, which is sometimes useful as a surprise blocker or as additional damage in response to a boardwipe. They can also copy Legendary creatures ... of course either the copy or the original will immediately move to the Graveyard, but sometimes that "just one more token" worth of damage is exactly what we need.
  • Sequencing Mardu Siegebreaker can be a little tricky. Exiling a creature like Mirkwood Bats can be amazing. Exiling a Legendary creature or one with a "Whenever this creature attacks" trigger? Not so much ...

LANDS

TARGETED DISRUPTION: Utter End is good but probably not be the most efficient spell for this slot. But its Flavor Text brings me joy :-)

MVPS (SO FAR): Ainok Strike Leader, Spawning Pit, The Jolly Balloon Man, and Pitiless Plunderer.

UPGRADES

"Hear me, Mardu! Our freedom is only beginning!" (Zurgo, Thunder's Decree)

These are all a little too pricey for our ultra-budget pod, but I'd absolutely run them if I could.

  • Ajani, Nacatl Pariah   /Ajani, Nacatl Avenger  : 2 mana for Tokens, "any target" damage, and a one-sided boardwipe that's surprisingly easy to achieve.
  • Dollmaker's Shop / Porcelain Gallery: 2 mana for up to three Tokens a turn, plus an eventual Craterhoof Behemoth effect (well, without the Trample).
  • Reconnaissance: 1 mana lets our entire board attack without fear and untap during the End of Combat Step for a Vigilance effect.
  • Saw in Half: Amazing as an Effect Multiplier when used on our own (non-Legendary) creature. Can also be used as Targeted Disruption, to bring an opponent's huge creature down to a manageable size.
  • Skullclamp: Broken. 'Nuf said.

Combo Pieces: I enjoy intentional combos in higher brackets, but I try hard to keep accidental combos out of my Bracket 2 decks. That said, Exalted Sunborn, Forsaken Miner, or Stridehangar Automaton all complete 3-card combos with cards already in the deck and Luminous Broodmoth or Restoration Angel complete 2-card combos.

If you want to see a good Zurgo deck, I strongly recommend checking out Zurgo's Workforce Reduction Plan (Zurgo Primer), by Deck_Building_Dude.

I also recommend checking out Musashi's Mosh Pit [Primer], by Crow_Umbra ... putting Isshin, Two Heavens as One in the Command Zone and Zurgo in the 99 gives the deck a very different--but still amazing--feel.

TIDBITS

"Do you hear that, Sarkhan? The glory of the horde! I made a legend from what you abandoned." (Trumpet Blast)

^^ This is, of course, the source of the deck title :-)

I play in a Bracket 2 pod, with an "ultra-budget" limitation ... we try really hard to keep our 1- and 2-color decks under USD $25, and our 3+ color decks under USD $55 (with the extra budget solely for the manabase).

A friend of mine picked up the Mardu Surge precon (original decklist here) and asked me to upgrade the manabase slightly and the card advantage, interaction, token generation, and Aristocrats effects significantly.

This is the result.

I've REALLY enjoyed working on this deck for my friend though, so I'm now building a Bracket 3 version for myself (to play in other pods). It's not "there" yet, but you're welcome to check out my progress, over on Moxfield: I Came Seeking a Challenge ...

"This was where I fought my first battle under Kolaghan. How I have outgrown her." (Arid Mesa)

"We follow the dragonstorms, and we take down any threats that emerge from them!" (Coordinated Maneuver)

"You have returned from fire, traitor. This time I will see you leave as ashes." (Despise)

"We came seeking a challenge. It seems we must continue searching." (Inevitable Defeat)

"Only the weak imprison themselves behind walls. We live free under the wind, and our freedom makes us strong." (Nomad Outpost)

"Khan Alesha ensured our survival. Now we will forge our future." (Smile at Death)

"I came seeking a challenge. All I found was you." (Utter End)

Thanks in advance for any questions, comments, or suggestions! But please keep in mind this is an ultra-budget deck ... any card above USD $2 has to be better than Saw in Half. And that's a really high bar!

Also, thanks for reading this far! If you want more, please check out my other ultra-budget decks: Speed Kills (Balthier and Fran) and Treasure Hoard ⇄ Dragon Horde (UR Ganax). I'd appreciate your thoughts and suggestions there too!

Finally, HUGE shout-outs to ...

Cheers!


P.S. Please don't forget to +1 Upvote if you like the deck! :-)

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Updates Add

Now an ultra-budget Bracket 2 deck — Dec. 10, 2025
Edit

It's been a TON of fun working on this deck (formerly known as 'So I Heard You Like Tokens ...'), but it was time for a fork. This version is now tuned for my friend to play in our ultra-budget Bracket 2 pod, and I'm building a Bracket 3 version for me to play in other pods. It's not "there" yet, but you're welcome to check out my progress, over on Moxfield: I Came Seeking a Challenge ...

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions so far! Previous comments are now on the Archive page.

Cheers!

Major Update — Dec. 6, 2025
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91% Casual

Competitive

Revision 5 See all

(4 days ago)

+1 Mardu Ascendancy maybe
+1 Skrelv, Defector Mite maybe