Premodern has seen some price spikes of its playables' original printings, but fret not, fellow spellcasters, for budget-friendly options across archetypes remain potent and plentiful. While most budget builders default to Sligh/ Deck Wins, there are other options that don't include Ball Lightning.
Whether you like swarming the red zone, controlling the stack, slinging some dark magic, or drawing a card and passing the turn, there is a budget option for you. Here are six budget Premodern decks that are competitively viable strategies with room to explore:
Budget Premodern Decks
Goblins
Creatures (35)
4 Goblin Lackey
3 Mogg Fanatic
1 Skirk Prospector
4 Goblin Piledriver
1 Goblin Tinkerer
3 Gempalm Incinerator
2 Goblin King
4 Goblin Matron
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
4 Goblin Warchief
1 Goblin Pyromancer
4 Goblin Ringleader
3 Siege-Gang Commander
Instants (2)
2 Terminate
Lands (23)
4 Bloodstained Mire
7 Mountain
2 Rishadan Port
1 Shadowblood Ridge
1 Snow-Covered Mountain
4 Sulfurous Springs
1 Swamp
3 Wasteland
Sideboard
2 Tormod's Crypt
3 Duress
3 Pyroblast
3 Dralnu's Crusade
2 Perish
2 Pyrokinesis
Opens TCGPlayer Mass Entry with the full decklist pre-loaded.
Select Magic: The Gathering as the Product Line, then click Add to Cart.
Psychatog by Edward P. Beard, Jr.
Psychatog
Creatures (5)
4 Psychatog
1 Wonder
Instants (25)
4 Opt
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Counterspell
2 Impulse
3 Smother
4 Foil
4 Gush
Sorceries (11)
4 Duress
4 Portent
3 Deep Analysis
Lands (19)
10 Island
4 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
3 Underground River
Sideboard
3 Annul
4 Hydroblast
1 Chill
2 Tsabo's Web
2 Zombie Infestation
3 Engineered Plague
Opens TCGPlayer Mass Entry with the full decklist pre-loaded.
Select Magic: The Gathering as the Product Line, then click Add to Cart.
Rainbow Efreet by Nathalie Hertz
Control
Creatures (2)
1 Rainbow Efreet
1 Morphling
Instants (27)
4 Chain of Vapor
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Counterspell
1 Flash of Insight
4 Impulse
3 Mana Leak
3 Miscalculation
2 Prohibit
2 Fact or Fiction
Artifacts (4)
2 Powder Keg
2 Nevinyrral's Disk
Enchantments (2)
2 Control Magic
Lands (25)
2 Dust Bowl
4 Faerie Conclave
10 Island
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Quicksand
1 Thawing Glaciers
Sideboard
4 Annul
4 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Envelop
4 Hydroblast
2 Arcane Laboratory
Opens TCGPlayer Mass Entry with the full decklist pre-loaded.
Select Magic: The Gathering as the Product Line, then click Add to Cart.
Graveborn Muse by Kev Walker
Moneyball
Creatures (17)
3 Nantuko Shade
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Withered Wretch
4 Hypnotic Specter
2 Graveborn Muse
Instants (9)
4 Dark Ritual
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Smother
1 Kaervek's Spite
1 Snuff Out
1 Necrologia
Sorceries (9)
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Duress
1 Chainer's Edict
Artifacts (4)
4 Urza's Bauble
Lands (22)
1 Cabal Pit
4 Mishra's Factory
15 Swamp
2 Wasteland
Sideboard
2 Vendetta
1 Drain Life
1 Plaguebearer
4 Engineered Plague
4 Gloom
Opens TCGPlayer Mass Entry with the full decklist pre-loaded.
Select Magic: The Gathering as the Product Line, then click Add to Cart.
Eternal Dragon by Justin Sweet
Control
Creatures (1)
1 Eternal Dragon
Instants (24)
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Counterspell
4 Opt
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Fact or Fiction
2 Disenchant
2 Mana Leak
1 Prohibit
Sorceries (8)
4 Sleight of Hand
3 Decree of Justice
1 Wrath of God
Artifacts (5)
3 Powder Keg
2 Tsabo's Web
Lands (22)
9 Island
4 Adarkar Wastes
4 Flooded Strand
4 Plains
1 Coastal Tower
Sideboard
4 Meddling Mage
3 Black Vise
2 Phyrexian Furnace
2 Exalted Angel
1 Upheaval
1 Spiritual Focus
1 Hibernation
1 Circle of Protection: Red
Opens TCGPlayer Mass Entry with the full decklist pre-loaded.
Select Magic: The Gathering as the Product Line, then click Add to Cart.
Undead Gladiator by Jeff Easley
Control
Creatures (7)
1 Undead Gladiator
1 Bane of the Living
3 Exalted Angel
2 Eternal Dragon
Instants (10)
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Skeletal Scrying
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Disenchant
1 Smother
Sorceries (16)
4 Duress
3 Gerrard's Verdict
4 Vindicate
3 Decree of Justice
2 Wrath of God
Enchantment (1)
1 Phyrexian Arena
Lands (25)
Sideboard
2 Tormod's Crypt
3 Circle of Protection: Red
1 Disenchant
1 Powder Keg
2 Seal of Cleansing
2 Engineered Plague
2 Perish
1 Ivory Mask
1 Wrath of God
Opens TCGPlayer Mass Entry with the full decklist pre-loaded.
Select Magic: The Gathering as the Product Line, then click Add to Cart.
Stasis by Fay Jones
Stasis
Instants (27)
4 Chain of Vapor
2 Arcane Denial
1 Brain Freeze
4 Counterspell
3 Daze
1 Flash of Insight
4 Impulse
1 Mana Short
3 Thwart
4 Gush
Sorceries (1)
1 Upheaval
Artifacts (4)
4 Black Vise
Enchantments (5)
4 Stasis
1 Propaganda
Lands (23)
4 Forsaken City
17 Island
2 Shivan Reef
Sideboard
2 Annul
3 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Chill
3 Cursed Totem
2 Gaea's Blessing
3 Pyroclasm
Opens TCGPlayer Mass Entry with the full decklist pre-loaded.
Select Magic: The Gathering as the Product Line, then click Add to Cart.
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Featured image: Cornered Market by Edward P. Beard, Jr.
