[TOP 7] MTG Arena Best Budget Decks

Updated:

17 Dec 2019

As MTG Arena is an ever evolving game, it is sometimes hard to keep up with all the new cards that are released with every new set.

This is especially hard for new players that just enter the world of MTG Arena and want to enjoy the game, but are often discouraged by the powerful decks they must face while still learning the game, often lacking the cards that are needed to construct these decks.

Luckily, there are some affordable options out there, which need very few Wildcards to construct, but still pack quite the punch and let you climb the ladders until you get all the cards to make the best decks of the meta.

These are the Top 7 best Budget Decks in MTG Arena.

7. Izzet Improbable Alliance

Oh dear, a drake stealing a pigeon?

The first deck on this list lets you play with faeries and card draw. It’s built around Improbable Alliance, Faerie Vandal and Irencrag Pyromancer, which all benefit from drawing an extra card each turn. In essence, it is a flyers deck with an extra twist and lots of removal to get rid of those pesky planeswalkers. It is an enjoyable deck to play on your journey to become a master MTG player.

What is great about this deck:

It is very synergistic and teaches new players the mechanics of MTG well by making them use instants and triggered abilities.
Faerie Vandals can get really big and annoying for the opponent.
Having multiple Improbable Alliances on the battlefield means you will never run out of creatures to throw at you opponent.

How this deck is played:

First, play your payoff cards such as Improbable Alliance, Faerie Vandal and Irencrag Pyromancer and hope they resolve, so that you can start drawing cards and get that extra kick out of card draw effects.
Then, start to draw cards, it’s really as simple as that. Each extra card you draw pulls you further ahead of your opponent and puts extra pressure on the board.
Remember, you can trigger your payoff cards even during your opponent’s turn but you have to draw two cards in order to do so. Chemister’s Insight is a great way to do that.
Sometimes you can ignore your opponent’s creatures without trample as you will have so many faerie tokens to throw under them that removing them is just wasting precious resources.
Be wary of sweepers, make sure you can quickly bounce back if all your creatures are removed from the battlefield.
By including a very basic and understandable sideboard, this deck is perfect for beginners to start playing bo3 matches.

Deck

4 Improbable Alliance (ELD) 193
3 Scorching Dragonfire (ELD) 139
4 Irencrag Pyromancer (ELD) 128
4 Faerie Vandal (ELD) 45
4 Spectral Sailor (M20) 76
4 Shock (M20) 160
2 Chemister's Insight (GRN) 32
4 Winged Words (M20) 80
9 Island (XLN) 267
3 Crackling Drake (GRN) 163
2 Swiftwater Cliffs (M20) 252
4 Temple of Epiphany (M20) 253
4 Steam Vents (GRN) 257
5 Mountain (M20) 276
4 Opt (DAR) 60

Sideboard

2 Flame Sweep (M20) 139
2 Aether Gust (M20) 42
2 Negate (RIX) 44
3 Fry (M20) 140
3 Essence Capture (RNA) 37
3 Lava Coil (GRN) 108

6. Selesnya Adventure

You must be thirsty after such a long adventure.

This deck feels a bit like a more powerful version of a well-made draft deck. The main schtick of this deck are its adventure synergies and the ability to multiply their effects with the use of Lucky Clover. The adventures in this deck just keep on coming, and if you happen to run out of them the trusty Edgewall Innkeeper is always there to top up your glass.

What is great about this deck:

It’s a creature-based deck that makes use of the new Adventure mechanic in a new and fresh way. It steps away from the board control midrangey nature of other adventure decks and brings some aggression and interaction to the table.
With the lucky clover, your Ardenvale Tactician can tap up throngs of creatures and stop your opponents in their tracks.
It requires only four rare wildcards to construct.

How this deck is played:

As adventures are your main focus of play in this deck, it is vital to get a lucky clover or two on the battlefield as soon as possible. If the Clover is joined by an Innkeeper, you are on the right path.
If you’re not playing against an overly aggressive deck, make sure to play Beanstalk Giant turn three, possibly with a Lucky Clover in play, to ramp up quickly and make a big turn four.
Use Ardenvale Tactician on your opponent’s turn to stop their attack and buy yourself some more time, if you feel like you’ve fallen behind.
Faerie Guidemother’s adventure side can bring you that final few points of damage that you need in order to win a game if used at the right moment. Try to save a Guidemother for the late game in case you need it.
Don’t focus too much on playing both your adventure and creature side of cards and getting all the value out of them. Sometimes that can cost you the game.

Deck

4 Temple Garden (GRN) 258
4 Lucky Clover (ELD) 226
4 Edgewall Innkeeper (ELD) 151
4 Beanstalk Giant (ELD) 149
4 Lovestruck Beast (ELD) 165
4 Ardenvale Tactician (ELD) 5
4 Faerie Guidemother (ELD) 11
4 Mysterious Pathlighter (ELD) 22
2 Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter (WAR) 164
4 Flower // Flourish (GRN) 226
2 Conclave Tribunal (GRN) 6
4 Blossoming Sands (M20) 243
8 Forest (ELD) 268
8 Plains (ELD) 253

Sideboard

2 Join Shields (GRN) 181
2 Glass Casket (ELD) 15
3 Thrashing Brontodon (M20) 197
3 Devout Decree (M20) 13
2 Prison Realm (WAR) 26

5. BW Lifegain

Don't look back, lady.

Like most other budget decks, this one is also built around a staple magic mechanic, this time it’s Lifelink. All the creatures in this deck benefit from or have lifelink, which is great in the current meta of mostly aggressive decks. It’s a fun little deck to play in ranked in the lower brackets.

What is great about this deck:

It’s a low curve aggressive deck that’s easy to play.
It makes use of Ajani, Strength of the pride, which is a rarely used but very powerful planeswalker.
You will often end the game with a much greater life-total than you started it with.

How this deck is played:

You have a wide variety of first turn plays, choose any of them for a good start. My favourite is the Healer’s Hawk as it has evasion and is most likely to hit your opponent on turn two.
Ajani’s Pridemate is your best option for turn two. You want some of these bad boys so you can start growing them quickly. They will grow big and strong and become a very powerful threat.
The same goes for turn three. Bloodthirsty aerialist is the Pridemate of the sky. It offers evasion and an extra toughness point that often comes in handy.
Playing Ajani, Strength of the Pride on turn four is a real power move. He will grant you the strength to power through your enemies and secure the victory.
As always, be mindful of sweepers and don’t overextend on the board. Diversify your threats and play a midnight reaper in case of boardwipes. They will refuel your hand after a disastrous wipe-out.
Use your dawn of hope to make tokens in the late game at instant speed so that they are harder to remove.

Deck

10 Plains (DAR) 250
10 Swamp (DAR) 258
1 Dawn of Hope (GRN) 8
4 Healer's Hawk (GRN) 14
4 Midnight Reaper (GRN) 77
2 Mortify (RNA) 192
4 Ajani's Pridemate (WAR) 4
4 Banehound (WAR) 77
1 Ajani, Strength of the Pride (M20) 2
4 Angel of Vitality (M20) 4
4 Bloodthirsty Aerialist (M20) 91
4 Vampire of the Dire Moon (M20) 120
4 Impassioned Orator (M20) 306
4 Beloved Princess (ELD) 7

Sideboard

4 Gods Willing (M20) 19
3 Apostle of Purifying Light (M20) 6
4 Disenchant (M20) 14
4 Duress (M19) 94

4. Cavalcade of Calamity Budget

That looks like a hot party.

Mono red cavalcade is one of the staple decks in the current standard meta and is a great starting point for anyone looking to climb the ladder in ranked. This deck features most cards used in the fully-fledged version of the deck and is easily upgraded to its most powerful form as you gain more cards by playing the game. It’s easy to get into and very friendly for beginners.

What is great about this deck:

It is easily upgradeable as it requires just a few rares to make it work.
Games with this deck are short and sweet, so you will either win quickly or lose quickly and move on to the next game.
Great for beginners and very straight forward. Attack you opponent and win.

How this deck is played:

This deck is easy to play, and you will get better when you play it more and more as is the case with most decks.
The main point is to get as many one power creatures on the battlefield and attack your opponent with the help of Cavalcade of Calamity, you will be surprised how quickly the damage adds up.
You want to play Cavalcade of Calamity as soon as possible. Multiples of this enchantment will pay dividends, especially once Torbran, Thane of Red Fell slams down on the battlefield.
Try to play around removal if possible when you play Chandra’s Spitfire. If possible, play it in conjunction with Torch Courier to deliver a fatal blow to your opponent. The Spitfire can end the game in one turn if not removed.
Treat Torbran as an enchantment and restrain yourself from attacking with him unless you are going in for the final blow. He is the most valuable of your cards, and his ability will absolutely destroy your opponents.
This is one of the most aggressive decks in the meta and can end games by turn 4 if you are lucky. Play it in ranked queue to climb quickly and get the experience to make you a better player. It is quite easy to play, so play it often and modify it as you get more cards to build the full standard deck.

Deck

4 Tin Street Dodger (RNA) 120
1 Legion Warboss (GRN) 109
4 Cavalcade of Calamity (RNA) 95
2 Clamor Shaman (RNA) 96
1 Chandra, Acolyte of Flame (M20) 126
4 Light Up the Stage (RNA) 107
1 Tibalt, Rakish Instigator (WAR) 146
4 Chandra's Spitfire (M20) 132
2 Scampering Scorcher (M20) 158
4 Scorch Spitter (M20) 159
3 Shock (M20) 160
21 Mountain (M20) 276
1 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell (ELD) 147
4 Heartfire (WAR) 131
3 Dwarven Mine (ELD) 243
1 Torch Courier (GRN) 119

Sideboard

2 Claim the Firstborn (ELD) 118
3 Redcap Melee (ELD) 135
4 Embereth Shieldbreaker (ELD) 122
4 Lava Coil (GRN) 108
2 Act of Treason (M20) 124

3. Budget Aristocrats

Mmm, what's that smell.

Aristocrats with Witch’s Oven and Cauldron Familiar are one of the most played decks in the current standard meta game. This version of the deck makes use of the same mechanics but with a slightly lower power level as it lacks some important rares. Despite that, it is still a very powerful winning strategy and is easily upgradeable as you gain more cards.

What is great about this deck:

It plays exactly as the real deal, by sacrificing Cauldron Familiar over and over until your opponent dies.
It only requires four rares to function very well.
It has a high win rate and it’s really fun to play.

How this deck is played:

It’s a classic aristocrats deck with lots of recursion, sacrifice and stealing your opponent’s smaller creatures to sacrifice them.
You want to get your winning combination of Cauldron Familiar and Witch’s oven on the battlefield as soon as possible. This will drain your opponent by one on every turn.
Make sure to use the Oven only in response or at the end of their turn so that you minimize the chance of your opponent removing the Cauldron Familiar in such a way that you can’t get it back.
One of the most powerful interactions this has is stealing your opponent’s creature and then sacrificing it to Priest of Forgotten Gods to remove two of your opponent’s creatures and draw a card.
Mulligan your hand if you have no sacrifice outlets in it. Sacrificing creatures is at the core of this deck and you want to be able to do it every turn.
Act of treason is a surprise card in this deck as it’s not played in the standard variant. You can make some big plays with it if you use it smartly.

Deck

4 Priest of Forgotten Gods (RNA) 83
2 Smelt-Ward Ignus (RNA) 116
3 Lazotep Reaver (WAR) 96
1 Spark Harvest (WAR) 105
4 Grim Initiate (WAR) 130
2 Angrath's Rampage (WAR) 185
4 Mayhem Devil (WAR) 204
3 Sanitarium Skeleton (M20) 112
2 Act of Treason (M20) 124
4 Bloodfell Caves (M20) 242
10 Swamp (ROE) 237
9 Mountain (ROE) 242
4 Witch's Oven (ELD) 237
4 Cauldron Familiar (ELD) 81
4 Claim the Firstborn (ELD) 118

Sideboard

4 Duress (M19) 94
2 Cry of the Carnarium (RNA) 70
2 Lava Coil (GRN) 108
2 Scorching Dragonfire (ELD) 139
2 Tibalt, Rakish Instigator (WAR) 146
3 Footlight Fiend (RNA) 216

2. Grumgully Gruul

Want shrooms, bro?

This deck is one of my favourite budget decks out there. It’s a copy of the Gruul standard deck with some cards changed for some more cheaper and easily obtainable counterparts. Honestly, it has everything. Plenty of removal, big aggressive creatures and the ability to make a few very explosive turns to finish off your opponent.

What is great about this deck:

It feels just like the real thing as most of the cards are the same as in the top performing Gruul deck with the exception of some rares and mythics.
It is a bit expensive, but the investment is well worth it.
Rhythm of the Wild let’s you put a hasty Kraul Harpooner on the battlefield which can be a very powerful attacker if you have some creatures in the graveyard.

How this deck is played:

The trick to playing this deck is that there is no trick, really. You play creatures, you remove creatures and you hit your opponent hard in the face each turn.
Play Rhythm of the Wild quickly as it provides a significant boost in power to all your creatures. Having the ability to give haste to some creatures is very welcome in this deck. Besides, it protects you from those annoying counterspells, ugh.
This deck should be played aggressively, so make sure you attack your opponent every turn if possible. With the abundance of removal and big creatures that this deck provides, doing that won’t be a problem.
Once you get ahead in the first few turns there is no need to keep playing creatures. Leave them in your hand in case of sweepers.
Remember! Ravager Wurm can destroy your opponent’s special lands when it enters the battlefield. That way you can get rid of the castles in this set.
Don’t be afraid to lose Life points with this deck. Chances are, you are capable of dealing much more damage in a single turn than your opponent. Only block creatures when playing against other aggressive decks and decks that want to go wide.

Deck

1 Questing Beast (ELD) 171
10 Mountain (ELD) 265
12 Forest (XLN) 279
2 Collision // Colossus (RNA) 223
4 Shock (M19) 156
3 Kraul Harpooner (GRN) 136
4 Paradise Druid (WAR) 171
1 Stomping Ground (RNA) 259
3 Shifting Ceratops (M20) 194
4 Domri's Ambush (WAR) 192
2 Rhythm of the Wild (RNA) 201
4 Grumgully, the Generous (ELD) 192
4 Zhur-Taa Goblin (RNA) 215
1 Pelt Collector (GRN) 141
4 Wildwood Tracker (ELD) 183
1 Ravager Wurm (RNA) 200

Sideboard

4 Redcap Melee (ELD) 135
2 Embereth Shieldbreaker (ELD) 122
2 Act of Treason (M20) 124
2 Blow Your House Down (ELD) 114
2 Barkhide Troll (M20) 165
3 Return to Nature (WAR) 175

1. Budget White Weenies

Just stay still, soldier.

The Weenies deck is a go wide and buff your creatures deck. It’s full of small creatures and token generating spells that can be buffed by the Venerated Loxodon or Heraldic Banner. This deck is fun to play and can help you climb the ladder quickly in the lower brackets.

What is great about this deck:

It enables you to play lots of creatures quickly and even at instant speed which can get you out of tight situations involving board sweeps.
It’s cheap to make as it only uses one rare: Venerated Loxodon.
It’s the most basic white deck that packs a punch.

How this deck is played:

Start your game by playing one of your plenty one drop creatures
Attack your opponent early and often, don’t be afraid to trade your creatures as you want to have a clean board to keep attacking.
Venerated Loxodon can be played early on turn three and is a considerable boost to your onboard presence.
This deck is fast and can quickly get out of control, but keep a few creatures in hand to play around board sweepers as with creature decks that want to go wide.
Shepherd of the Flock can bounce your Venerated Loxodon for another round of buffing your creatures, if you feel that you need some extra power. It can also be used in a pinch to save one of your permanents.
Don’t play Loyal Pegasus on the first turn for the extra point of damage, because this horse needs a buddy to attack your opponent.

Deck