[Deck] Budget MTGO Aluren

[MMogg]

Ok, my last thread about Pebbles seemed to get no input, but hopefully this will be different.

Inspired by a recent good performance by Aluren on MTGO, I looked into building a very budget version and this is what I came up with:

Card Draw:

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
1 Opt

Protection:

4 Silence

Creatures:

4 Imperial Recruiter
1 Cavern Harpy
3 Wall of Blossoms
4 Sea Gate Oracle
3 Wall of Roots
3 Dream Stalker
1 Mesmeric Fiend
1 Parasitic Strix


Obvious:

4 Aluren

Super Weak, Budget Mana Base:

4 Seaside Citadel
4 Evolving Wilds
3 Terramorphic Expanse
5 Forest
3 Island
2 Plains
1 Swamp
1 Mountain

So, the mana base is obviously the weakest part, but then again, it's budget. I could go for Ice Age/AP painlands, but I actually like the ability to shuffle that the common fetches give me. Also, unlike regular fetches I can go for any color... I know, they suck, but it's budget.

Although I'm only running four Aluren, with all the shuffle effects and cantrips, there is a good chance to see one if one isn't in my opening 7. That said, it is seriously fun when it does go off. If Aluren resolves and you have the right tools in hand (Harpy+Strix or ways to get them or even Harpy plus Sea Gate to draw into the rest, it's pretty much gg. This deck loves the stack.

Any advice, criticism, questions, etc. are welcome.

[(nameless one)]

I myself am a budget player.

I would suggest running actual Fetchlands, at least the enemy ones.

Also, originally, Aluren decks would have a permission backup. I know Force of Wills on MTGO costs twice as much as their real counterpart. I would suggest running a combination of Spell Pierce, Spell Snare and Daze. Even that Kawigawa pitch counter might work.

I hope that helps.

[MMogg]

This one:

?

Interesting... I never knew that card existed. Maybe. I know about the traditional permission-based, but I figured tier 2 permission is probably worse than Silence. I figure Silence will protect the combo completely. Those were my thoughts anyway. I wonder about Long-Term Plans. At the very least it's an on-colour tutor, but it has bad synergy with fetches. Yet, it's only 4 cents. LOL

Yeah, you may be a budget player, but this is ultra-ghetto budget we're talking here. I don't wanna pay $4+ for fetchlands. I may eventually, but not at the moment. Also, Daze is a $10 card on MTGO. LOL I know, strange world is MTGO where 4 Imperial Recruiter cost less than 1 Daze. *sigh* That's why I put MTGO in the thread title, because they really are two different universes of "budget".

Anyway, thanks... I will try to think of a more blue-centric build perhaps with permission and cut the Silences... not sure.

[(nameless one)]

LOL I forgot about Daze's value online...

I think that plus Spell Pierce should help.

If possible, run black removal to.

Also, you might want to run a single Ancient Ziggurat (i am not sure about its price online, but I'd figure its cheap since its newer and an uncommon) so you can play your creatures just in case.

Ever tried running Lorwyn's 5CC standard manabase? I myself never tried it but I think it deserves a try.

[menace13]

You could go with a rock like build with Therapy,Duress maybe bgw.

Edit: There will not be Academy Rector online for a while. Etched Oracle saw play in some old Aluren lists, good for draw and your mana base is all colors. LDV works as well.

[MMogg]

LOL I forgot about Daze's value online...

I think that plus Spell Pierce should help.

If possible, run black removal to.

Also, you might want to run a single Ancient Ziggurat (i am not sure about its price online, but I'd figure its cheap since its newer and an uncommon) so you can play your creatures just in case.

Ever tried running Lorwyn's 5CC standard manabase? I myself never tried it but I think it deserves a try.

Thanks for the input. I guess I could add a utility Bone Shredder or something in the case of some creature I need to kill. As for Ziggurat, I don't like it so much because I rarely need the Mountain and Swamp; rather, they are there on the off chance I want to hardcast my creature spells, but that only happens once in a blue moon.

What is Lorwyn's 5cc standard manabase? One problem with how it sounds is that this deck is more just with a splash for Silence. Black and red are not important and those are usually/should be free spells off of Aluren. The only hardcast creatures should be the walls and Sea Gate as well as Dream Stalker. That's why I went with Seaside Citadel. I may try to cut the white and go straight or try the black splash menace13 mentioned.

@ menace13: What's LDV?

[menace13]

Hey, sorry about that. LDV is Lim-Dul's Vault, old Aluren decks used that and Intuition, but Intuition is $20 online and LDV is 0.20. 5cc had a manabase of Refelcting Pools,Vivid Lands and Filter Lands to cast Cruel Ultimatum,Cloudthreshers,Fallout, and Cryptic Command. Haven't looked to see how much they are, although I would assume they went up since new Ext needs them.

Edit: old Ext used Vampiric and Intuition, older Legacy lists used LDV

[denial]

Shouldnt this thread be exiled to the deep dark recesses of the budget forum.

[MMogg]

Hey, sorry about that. LDV is Lim-Dul's Vault, old Aluren decks used that and Intuition, but Intuition is $20 online and LDV is 0.20. 5cc had a manabase of Refelcting Pools,Vivid Lands and Filter Lands to cast Cruel Ultimatum,Cloudthreshers,Fallout, and Cryptic Command. Haven't looked to see how much they are, although I would assume they went up since new Ext needs them.

Edit: old Ext used Vampiric and Intuition, older Legacy lists used LDV

Oh yeah, shit, LDV, I may just try that. Thanks.

Shouldnt this thread be exiled to the deep dark recesses of the budget forum.

Yeah, I misposted. =( I figure the mods will move it.

[MMogg]

Ok, so here is crappy MTGO budget Aluren take 2:

Card Draw:

4 Brainstorm
3 Ponder
4 Lim-Dul's Vault
3 Long-Term Plans

Creatures:

4 Imperial Recruiter
1 Cavern Harpy
3 Wall of Blossoms
4 Sea Gate Oracle
3 Wall of Roots
2 Dream Stalker
1 Mesmeric Fiend
1 Parasitic Strix


Obvious:

4 Aluren

Super Weak, Budget Mana Base:

4 Seaside Citadel
4 Savage Lands
4 Evolving Wilds
3 Terramorphic Expanse
3 Forest
2 Island
2 Swamp
1 Mountain

The changes:

• Take out the white/Silence for Lim-Dul's Vault, which so far has been very good.
• Put in some Long-Term Plans to test (but I haven't drawn them/tested yet).
• Fix the mana base a little. I still wonder if Ice Age/Apoc pains would be better than these enters the battlefield tapped lands since I only want them for 2 colors. The Savage Lands, though, means I can use Recruiter more easily without needing to waste a fetch to find a Mountain.

Considering the deck's goal of winning random games in the MTGO casual area, it's been pretty good so far, especially since it was probably about $20.

Thanks for all the input so far.

Edit: one idea I had was to take out Wall of Roots for Utopia Tree. Dunno if that's a good or bad idea.

[Ciberon]

You removed the only protection spell you had. Can't you get a hold of the shoals?

[MMogg]

You removed the only protection spell you had. Can't you get a hold of the shoals?

Yeah, for the following key reason: losing more games to myself with protection maindeck than losing games to counters without protection maindeck. LDV added much needed consistency and for the same life cost as Vampiric Tutor, can let you see 15 cards and for the same life cost as Grim Tutor, can let you see 20 cards. So much stronger than it looks on paper.

You also have to remember that the "meta" is casual and so there are far fewer blue based permission decks.

I think protection is best in the sideboard. Which is my next step with the deck.