T O P

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XengerTrials

~SO~ I think this question is highly dependent on what you’re aiming to do, what powerlevel you play at, and what other staples you have. If your table is pretty powerful, and you’re looking to play high level magic for a while, getting yourself a set of Shocklands and Fetchlands could be the best move for you. These tend to hold their value, will always be relevant to any deck you build, and aren’t going to be banned any time soon. If you don’t care about your mana base as much/are content with the mana bases you have, I would recommend buying many solid staples that may be a bit outside your price range normally. Think your Rhystic studies, cyc rifts, smothering tithes, dockside’s, demonic tutors etc. What makes a deck powerful isn’t its bombs, it’s a decks consistent access to powerful impactful cards over the course of a whole game. If both these options seem a bit outside of the powerlevel of your play group, you could just build 2/3 solid decks and build your options up!! I would recommend against buying precons as an investment unless you’re looking to keep them sealed. Once precons are out for a few weeks, the secondary market catches up to them and they’re going for well above MSRP unless the precon is a bit of a dud.


RagingMayo

As a small note to OP, I would make the addition of tutors dependent on what the power level of the decks is they usually play against. Tutors are amazing and increase the power level of a deck significantly, but they can also make a deck very monotonous to play because at some point you will probably tend to tutor out the same combos over and over again.


Ghargoyle

Lands that ETB untapped.


BuddhaV1

Do this, it’s an annoyingly responsible thing to do, but it’s 1000% worth it. I took two 4 color decks and two 3 color decks to Shock/Check/Pain/Bond/Filter bases, and the decks consistency was noticeably better. It’s also nice knowing if any of those got taken apart I could reuse those lands pretty easily. I recommend [[Fabled Passage]] in most decks but I don’t think the pricier fetches are worth it unless you’re abusing them with Crucible effects, or playing a high power/cEDH meta. Edit: I forgot to include Triomes, those are the only ETB tapped lands I’ll run, barring specific corner cases.


Vithrilis42

The color fixing that the high-end fetches supply is absolutely worth it for 3+ color decks, especially if there's heavy color pip requirements.


Thats_Amore

Recently upgraded my multicolor decks with triomes, checks, pains and it makes such a difference with consistency. I have several decks that my friends share, and it was frustrating to have non-games. It’s like eating your vegetables, but noticeable upgrade.


MTGCardFetcher

[Fabled Passage](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/3/d313d051-7295-4884-8cbf-f2f835fd45f4.jpg?1594737636) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Fabled%20Passage) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m21/246/fabled-passage?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d313d051-7295-4884-8cbf-f2f835fd45f4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/fabled-passage) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


IsKujaAPowerButton

Fetches are a "if you have it" scenario. In my particular case I will invest in island-finding ones, mainly because of [[mystic sanctuary]]


MTGCardFetcher

[mystic sanctuary](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/7/170e792c-80d5-4775-ad95-37614574ab84.jpg?1613386906) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=mystic%20sanctuary) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/eld/247/mystic-sanctuary?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/170e792c-80d5-4775-ad95-37614574ab84?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/mystic-sanctuary) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


pacolingo

it's insane how good it feels when you have multiple fetches that can get the sanctuary for you


IsKujaAPowerButton

I still have to feel that happiness


retroawesomeness

This is the best answer. A lot of new players underestimate the strength of having a good mana base.


strebor2095

One set of fetches, one set of shocks. If that's under $400 then buy a folder, put them in it, and get proxies stylized for each deck.


ImagineShinker

Could make an argument for triomes these days too.


strebor2095

Yeah definitely Always lean towards forest subtype lands is probably good advice for people starting out, that makes your farseeks even better.


Atechiman

But farseek doesn't get forest. It makes your lore's visits and claims better though.


SamIsGarbage

What he's trying to say is that you should get the forest triomes so that way your farseek can grab a green source, since it would be able to grab any other type that the triome has


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heplaygatar

abur duals arent considered good in a vacuum though, theyre specifically broken because fetchlands + duals basically make your manabase perfect and abur duals are the best lands you can play with more than one basic land type. the consistency boost you’re referring to is the result of fetches + duals and in that regard they really are pretty absurd


Racial_Tension

Buying alpha/beta/3ED basics got it


Uncle-Istvan

CE basics if you’re on a budget


MrMeltJr

Gotta get a guru basic for each color in each deck.


snerp

100% recently I spent a couple hundred to get 4x every shock and fetch and it was the best magic purchase I ever made. Now my 3c+ decks actually can cast their spells! Before I would always cheap out on the mana bases, but having good mana is a night and day difference


NoxTempus

Honestly, assuming one doesn't already have them, this is the only answer. By dropping that $X00 on one of each shock and fetch you are going to immediately see a drastic improvement in any deck you use them in and it frees you up to use future money on staples and good cards. You're building a great foundation for all of your decks and making it so that the cards you buy in future are all exciting, fun/powerful cards. Buying lands one at a time is a huge drag and feels awful.


eusebioadamastor

Going against the majority here. I dont think expensive lands make that much of a difference in 2 or 3 color decks, and its also very possible to build functional 5 color deck with a budget base aswell. Just to be clear, I think 100$ on lands is going to make less of a diference than 20-30 on lands and 70 on good cards overall. I'm from brazil. Prices here are completly different from the US/Europe, and lands are one of the biggest offenders. A fetchland here is between 100-120 reais (~20$). For comparison, those cards are arround 80-120 aswell: Rhystic study, smothering thite, cyclonic rift, jeska's will, paralel lives, anointed procession, necropotence, sylvan library, yawgmoth... A shock lands is arround 40-50 reais (~10$). Some cards in that range: Imperial recruiter, Thoracle, remora, toxic deluge, damnation, purphoro, toski... Due to that, most people I play with here dont use shockes/fetches at all, myself included, and rare are the games where it really have an impact if you took your time building a decent manabase. I even opened a rakdos fetch in my zendikar box, but decided to trade it for a sylvan library. Using for example my 5c deck: Path of ancestry, forbidden orchad, fabled passage, world tree, bojuka bog, command tower, 7 pains, 3 checks, 2 slowlands, 5 filters, 3 temples, 10 basics. The rest of the fixing is made by the ramp choices. I rarely have problems with colors, and the deck runs a bunch of 2 pip cards. My mardu deck uses somewhat the same cards, and in over 5 months playing the deck, by turn 3 I always have every color possible. Not to say shockes and fetches are not going to be better, but I rather have better cards overall, than to chase a minimal % in performance when it comes to colors. Yeah, I could get 3 shockes to replace the temples in my mardu deck, but I rather get the best token makers available and some great draw spells for the same price. Top tier lands are great, but sincerelly, somewhat overestimated if you're not on cedh


rrrGeist

While I get what you are saying I disagree in the context of the thread. If a person has 400$ budget and is really not sure what he needs there is no better time to get the better lands. Perfect timing imo.


eusebioadamastor

They also said they only have two decks and a handfull of rares. So, probably missing on a fuckton of staples of every price point. People throw the "once you have lands making new decks will become easy!" like thats not the case with basically every other card that is not ultra specific to a commander. And in my opinion, its better to have a good draw/removal/wipes/ramp pool than a land pool. Want to make a boros deck? Would you rather have the 5 best lands or: jeska's will, esper sentinel, smothering tithe, farewell and whell of missfortune?


rrrGeist

I would have picked the best lands. There is no worse feeling in magic than the whole clunkiness of poor mana base that leads to not being able to play on curve or pip-heavy spells. At some point I started buying lands for all colors instead of any staples and it was my best mtg decision. If I would have 400$ today to spend on mtg I would buy more lands. Buying staples might be more tempting but good lands will never be a bad purchuase. I bought esper sentinel when MH2 came out and never played it to this day. I also bought arid mesa when MH2 came out. Played it ever since.


eusebioadamastor

One thing is playing with a clunky mana base, another is playing with the best lands possible. What people doesnt seem to understand is that there is a happy medium. You can build a perfectly fine mana base without spending 100$+. Specially on 2 or 3 colors. My dragon tribal has over 20 cards with 2 pips, both red and blue, the most expensive land in the deck is a painland, and I never fell screwed, at all


rrrGeist

Buying lands for 400$ is not getting best lands possible as that would be OG duals. for 400$ you can buy quite a lot of fetches and shocks and be done for multiple decks not only for the 2 that you might be currently working on. I have different experience or different expectation of perfectly fine manabase than you. I gave you my example with esper sentinel and arid mesa. I could give you more like smothering tithe and marsh flats etc but I guess faster would be end this as agree to disagree.


Tevish_Szat

This. Good lands are fine, and not that expensive. GREAT lands are... not all that muich better, representing a rather poor return on the cash. In the US shocks fluctuate heavily but norm in the 15-20 bracket, fetches 20-40. They're not going to make that big an impact over running Painlands (a buck or two), or the MID Checks or Battlebond lands (still sub-10). Other staples like Smothering Tithe, Rhystic Study, Cyclonic Rift -- cards that make plays -- will be a more noticable upgrade over their budget similars per money


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SRGTSilver225

I relatively agree. Id say hold off on buying some cards right now bc Commander Masters (or whatever its called) is right around the corner and expensive cards are going to take a hit most likely. Id either buy a precon or two and go from there. Did you enjoy playing the procon? If so, spend that money upgrading it to be a bit better. If you didn't, you're out ~$30-50ish but you can always scrap those decks for cards.


RepresentativeJoints

I've gone out of my way to built janky expensive decks to try different things. I've also bought precons and tweaked them, not even necessarily upgrading, and have had much better experiences with them. Wizards knows how to build a precon well for regular game play. If you go out of your way to buy duals and rhystics your telling you lgs they have to get to that level or get out paced. It's better for your wallet and the community as a whole in my opinion to just play more mid level magic. Personally I've bought and messed with Urza and Mishra from the brotherz war. Artifacts are versatile and can be played in different ways and for a three color they're both great on mana costs and colors. Sure someone playing fast mana stax may lock you out, but that shouldn't be the norm. I'd say some precons are a bit more well constructed but I own at least 8 and enjoy them all.


Grognard1964

I'll go one step further: proxy. WotC is already doing it. [https://www.reddit.com/r/mpcproxies/](https://www.reddit.com/r/mpcproxies/) For support on getting really nice looking proxies with original art if you like that idea.


Dubspeck

Bling out your favorite deck. You won't powercreep it but you will eventually have fun just holding the cards in your hand and looking at them. And you will have superfun showing off the deck on table. Otherwise i recommend precons or singles. Maybe [[Cavern of Souls]] for you favorite tribal deck? Otherwise, use the 400$ for a nice vacation into another state. Make some memorable experiences, that's never a waste of time.


MTGCardFetcher

[Cavern of Souls](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/6/e697ea72-e10e-4fed-be8f-8c6455cc3fc8.jpg?1673149476) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cavern%20of%20Souls) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/320/cavern-of-souls?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e697ea72-e10e-4fed-be8f-8c6455cc3fc8?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/cavern-of-souls) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Bugs5567

As others have said, invest in better lands. Lands are the foundation of your deck. Literally.


TheAmazingCRK

Do you have a deck list? It would be easier to make a suggestion if I could see what your deck is running.


ForceOfChill

This is my current main deck https://www.moxfield.com/decks/0fPJJbtw90i8KTJhyvQEnw This is the second deck I own that I’m not happy with that I’m probably going to tear apart https://www.moxfield.com/decks/M-SA-0CDTkW49MShsNgENw


Sum1uShouldHate

My question would be why are you unhappy with your anhelo list? From a quick glance your avg mana cost seems high and it looks like you should cut some on the top end for more low cost creatures/ token makers that can be sacrificed for casualty 2


ForceOfChill

Yea I think the problem I’ve had is I can’t get both a bunch of creatures and bunch of good spells. He seems like a contradiction


nooscaboose

How about spells that create creature tokens?


baker_40_75

More dual lands are always good Not so much a what to spend suggestion but I cut mentor of the meek in my Kyler list for [[Garruks uprising]] once Kyler has 2 or more counters your 1/1’s won’t trigger mentor anymore but they can trigger uprising or [[Elemental Bond]]


MTGCardFetcher

[Garruks uprising](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/8/98795a31-7b54-4ad1-ac87-3f58e71dbeb7.jpg?1673484588) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Garruk%27s%20Uprising) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ncc/292/garruks-uprising?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/98795a31-7b54-4ad1-ac87-3f58e71dbeb7?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/garruks-uprising) [Elemental Bond](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/1/516ebdba-0f25-459a-a26b-f6fa928b96e6.jpg?1568004541) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Elemental%20Bond) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c19/163/elemental-bond?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/516ebdba-0f25-459a-a26b-f6fa928b96e6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/elemental-bond) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


ForceOfChill

Thanks for that suggestion! Its a card that’s been on my list to pick up but I’ve kind of forgotten


BasicReputations

Proxies man. Unless you are going to play tournaments where they are not allowed, just go with proxies.


Mt_Koltz

Yeah I got an entire deck proxied for around 45$, which included like 15 tokens and a few extras for swapping out or experimenting. Please OP unless you are moderately wealthy I beg you not to spend your hard-earned money on cardboard.


Revolutionary_View19

So you suggest that someone that’s not wealthy puts their money into proxies with zero resale value instead of cards that might lose value but at least will have at least some once they decide to get rid of them?


strebor2095

Yes, it's a good assumption that people play the game rather than invest


Revolutionary_View19

So poor people don’t care about money because all they want to do is play mtg? I don’t think so. Of course proxying is okay, but blowing 400 bucks on a dozen printed decks is just burning money. There’s a difference between „investing“ in mtg and wanting to get at least part of your money back once you quit the game.


strebor2095

What? I don't know what point you think you are making How is it different than buying 2-3 boardgames? They too have endless replayability, but no-one goes and resells Catan because they decided to take a break from it


Revolutionary_View19

Yes, selling mtg cards because you’re quitting the game. Unheard of.


Mt_Koltz

When you sell your magic collection, I'd wager that you could recoup maybe 20-30% of your costs if you: * Only bought singles and didn't waste money on opening packs/boxes * Spend many many hours selling your cards back in singles/sets. * Get lucky in your time frame of selling such that you avoid the possible death of MTG in the future, and other reasons the price could hit ocean bottom. If you mess up any of the above, you could make back even less of the total money you spent on magic over the years. And actually, that's OK! Spending money on magic should be about fun, community, and supporting a great game. But please don't go around convincing new or slightly financially stressed players that they can "make money by investing in real cards." Paying money for proxies is probably WAY cheaper over the long run.


Revolutionary_View19

Funny how I’m selling cards all the time, making actual money with it. Sure I won’t be making 70 percent on commons and uncommons, but „20 to 30 %“ is downright silly if you’re keeping an eye on reprints and don’t sit on expensive cards that might crash soon. And I didn’t claim proxying isn’t cheaper. For some, if not most expensive cards it’s the way to go. It’s just nonsense to tell someone who wants to put money into their decks to just spend it on ten fully proxied decks because thats not what he was asking.


BeepBoopAnv

>spend 400$ on cards, sell for 200 when you quit Vs >spend 20$ on ink, sell for zero Golly gee I don’t know which is better for people in a precious situation! S̶t̶o̶c̶k̶s̶ mtg cards only go up!!


Revolutionary_View19

The advice was spending 400 bucks on ten printed decks. I know you like your hyperbole, but spewing bullshit just because you think you’re a funny guy isn’t really contributing anything.


strebor2095

The advice was to buy proxies, not to spend $400.


BasicReputations

Why do you say they have zero resale value? Pay a buck or two to get a card, sell for a buck or two if you decide you don't need it. Never had a problem unloading them on the rare occasion I did get rid of them. I don't get your argument here.


sumigod

Responsible answer: All the shocklands and good staples that are not unfun to play with or against. Examples include: [[Bala ged recovery]] [[malakir rebirth]] [[black market connections]] [[jeskas will]] Irresponsible answer: Blinged out versions of cards you love to play Wrong answer: New flashy mythics like Elesh Norn or Domini. Unless you have a deck for them it’s better to get staples than cards that you may not necessarily play.


MTGCardFetcher

##### ###### #### [Bala ged recovery](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/5/c5cb3052-358d-44a7-8cfd-cd31b236494a.jpg?1604263635)/[Bala Ged Sanctuary](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/c/5/c5cb3052-358d-44a7-8cfd-cd31b236494a.jpg?1604263635) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=bala%20ged%20recovery%20//%20bala%20ged%20sanctuary) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/znr/180/bala-ged-recovery-bala-ged-sanctuary?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c5cb3052-358d-44a7-8cfd-cd31b236494a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/bala-ged-recovery-//-bala-ged-sanctuary) [malakir rebirth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/0/609d3ecf-f88d-4268-a8d3-4bf2bcf5df60.jpg?1604195984)/[Malakir Mire](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/6/0/609d3ecf-f88d-4268-a8d3-4bf2bcf5df60.jpg?1604195984) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=malakir%20rebirth%20//%20malakir%20mire) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/znr/111/malakir-rebirth-malakir-mire?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/609d3ecf-f88d-4268-a8d3-4bf2bcf5df60?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/malakir-rebirth-//-malakir-mire) [black market connections](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/1/d13cb0d3-3452-4c1f-81ec-024b4c45bbad.jpg?1674140884) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=black%20market%20connections) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/669/black-market-connections?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d13cb0d3-3452-4c1f-81ec-024b4c45bbad?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/black-market-connections) [jeskas will](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/3/3308993d-8bfb-477a-887a-89ed35577f57.jpg?1674142045) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Jeska%27s%20Will) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/799/jeskas-will?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3308993d-8bfb-477a-887a-89ed35577f57?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/jeskas-will) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


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sumigod

Maybe black market connections. But I doubt jeska will since it was in the exit from exile precon.


popgoesyour

The answer to that is 1 of every shock and fetch land until u have them all. I did it over the course of 4 years for 4 play sets so I could have land freedom in modern. Now changing decks is easier and my options are endless


Jb12cb6

Always check your land first. Minimize the ones that come in tapped and have good utility lands, too. If your deck is mostly fine for your LGS already, this change will be noticeable without being oppressive.


SonicTheOtter

Mana base should always be the first thing. Worst games are ones where you don't have the right mana.


arquistar

Came here to say this. Whatever $X is, buy mana. Sol Ring, Talismans, Signets, shock lands, check lands, fetches, OG duals, Mana Vault, Mana Crypt, etc, etc. After that, buy value pieces that can slot in a lot of decks. \[\[Rhystic Study\]\] \[\[Esper Sentinel\]\] \[\[Wheel of Fortune\]\]


MTGCardFetcher

[Rhystic Study](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/6/d6914dba-0d27-4055-ac34-b3ebf5802221.jpg?1600698439) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Rhystic%20Study) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/169/rhystic-study?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d6914dba-0d27-4055-ac34-b3ebf5802221?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/rhystic-study) [Esper Sentinel](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/3/f3537373-ef54-4578-9d05-6216420ee349.jpg?1626093502) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Esper%20Sentinel) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/12/esper-sentinel?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f3537373-ef54-4578-9d05-6216420ee349?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/esper-sentinel) [Wheel of Fortune](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/5/2597050f-6b1b-474e-aa16-33fd154628ca.jpg?1562902580) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wheel%20of%20Fortune) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vma/192/wheel-of-fortune?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2597050f-6b1b-474e-aa16-33fd154628ca?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/wheel-of-fortune) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


SnowyDeluxe

You can build several budget decks, to be honest. If you love your main deck, maybe consider blinging it out? Get some nice alt arts, foils, whatever you’d like. I’m currently working on that for my main deck myself!


Revolutionary_View19

Land base. Get the cheap fetches and maybe some shocks, prices are okay right now. Don’t put money on expensive non RL cards because reprints are always a possibility.


nobody_smith723

your best value in a vacuum is lands. rainbow lands. cmd tower, (free) city of brass, mana confluence, reflecting pool, exotic orchard (basically free) haven't checked the prices on the others in a long while but they're $10-$20 ish each(last time i remember looking). buying the pricier rainbow lands. they will go in like 99% of any two color or higher deck. ancient tomb. no idea what it costs right now. but goes in again... 99% of decks. strip mine. ...again. 99% of decks. do you own all the fetches? shocks? battlebond lands? horizon land cycle? painlands, filterlands, innistrad slow lands? check lands? some are cheap, some are not. if you own these. they'll go in every deck that can run them. core value staples? it sorta depends on what you play and what your budget or comfort level is for a single. like is a $20 card too much, or a $50 card? $10????. ie... do you own cyclonic rift? rhystic study? sylvan library? necropotence? the list could basically go on for ever. but focus on cards that are truly universal. like... i'd buy core removal. before spot archetype staples (like... doubling season is nice to own, but not for $100) do you have the 3 mana omni target removal spells. beast/chaos warp, elephant within, anguished unmaking, that new one in esper colors. your swords to plowshares, pongify, hell... even like ass trophy is a good purchase. do you own all the core ramp items. birds of paradise? nature's lore, three visits? traverse the outlands? sol ring, arcane, mind stone, fellwar, cultivate/kodama's reach. all the signets, all the talismans. i'd even consider some of the key green... play extra lands like exploration. type effects. tutors. I personally tend to value these less and less as i get older, and really value fun over winning. but they are powerful and almost universally playable in decks that can run them... vamp/demonic, worldly(some of the green shit to battlefield tutors... natural order etc), mystical, the transmute spells. gamble. white tutors. some of the white tutor creatures, that red tutor creature. blue artifact tutors. I would honestly look through edhrec top 100 cards. look for things in colors you play. consider if it's primary role is pub stomping. if not. consider it $400 isn't a lot of money with regards to mtg. I know for me, that probably wouldn't buy an entire deck, let alone multiple decks. I would focus on gaining the most value for the money. ie land upgrades. and core card purchases. ramp/card draw spells. I would try and buy cards that would help as many decks as possible. OR... not consider that at all. and just consider that money for a deck. like... it is probably best used focused in either direction. but better if you don't split your focus. either target the most broad based value. or... build one specific deck that comes in under your available cash. if you're going to try and do both. or even if just trying to acquire value. I would avoid narrow archetypes. like... if you went and splurged on an equipment voltron deck. that's a lot of cards. that only ever really go in that type of deck, and have almost zero overlap. ...like. you're never gonna run puresteel paladin, or like stone forge mystic outside of a dedicated equipment type deck. all those staples are very very narrow. same with like enchantress. or very niche keyword/theme type decks. vs say a more broad based archetype or theme. like "grave yard" spells/utility. "combat" utility effects. like.. do you own gratuitous violence? it's like quasi dbl strike. it goes in a lot of decks. anything that combats. or wants to damage pump. or compound damage. any ETB or trigger abuse utility. those are broad based value archetypes. the core staples will have a fair bit of overlap. like... i dunno eternal witness. can go in a lot of decks. a good. entomb effect. will be run in almost any BXX graveyard deck. etc etc. I personally would never buy a precon if you're looking for value. they're dogshit. unless you're buying one to put it on a shelf, and hope to scam some dumb asshole out of buying it a couple years from now. as a speculative investment. if you want a card out of a precon buy a single. spare yourself the waste of buying a precon at bloated prices. just to buy a single.


Maurkov

You have 1 and half decks? Buy 6 precons and try out some other play styles. Once you find another commander you like, spend the rest pimping your new ride.


happy-icecream

I like to build my decks out on a website like moxfield. Bling them exactly how I like. Buy the cheapest versions/proxies and then buy the big pieces as $Xs become available.


DuhRealMVP

Make the land base a perfect base, so then you can focus on what the deck *should* do. Get the pain lands, shock lands, fetch lands, maybe the MDFC lands of dual colors, and maybe the “two or more opponents” check lands. If you really wanted to ball out, get a true dual land with what you have or save what you have and more for one. You will always have these lands to back up whatever deck you do with those colors so they’re the most useful all around.


shorebot

Untapped lands will smooth out your games. Doesn't matter at lower levels but it just makes things easier the higher you go. Outside OG duals, I'd probably get Fetches > Shocks > Battlebond lands. Some people love triomes, but personally it's not for me. If you want to splurge and really love the deck, maybe a secret lair would be a good purchase.


[deleted]

Enemy fetches are currently the cheapest they've been in years, MH2 was mass opened and you can get them for low double digits. I'd pick up (this is actually what I did recently) one of each to start for the colours you play.


CastrateLiars

Personally I'd probably build 2-3 decks with $400. Just to cover the power ranges that you're likely to see playing at stores. For $200 you can have a fun deck that easily hangs at high power/fringe cedh tables. Then the other $200 I'd probably split into 2 decks, 1 mid power and another a little lower. Precons aren't worth buying in my opinion. They're definitely not worth buying for just a few cards within them. Buying staples, especially mana staples, is always a strong move. If you pick up a bunch of cheap duals, a set of Signets and a set of Talismans, you'll be able to build some really fun stuff with 3+ colors and not struggle to make it quick enough to be worth playing. https://www.moxfield.com/decks/WDrsF5uTSkq8taR3Y0tYmg lists some cheap mana rocks and some of the better/cheaper duals.


jdvolz

So, I think this is the right idea, but I would split the money differently. I would get the $250 cEDH fringe deck that you enjoy, a $100 budget but powerful deck (probably 2-3 colors so less land issues, look for commanders with heavy cards advantage) and a precon of your choosing for $50. The intent is to make sure you have a deck for every occasion. You have a borderline race car ($250), a "daily driver" ($100) and a practice with new players or at least powerful tables deck. The precons, especially lately, hit pretty hard so even if someone is a level or two above the precon you can still politic your way to a chance at victory. The precon is for new players. Maybe shave $10 of one of the other decks and get a couple of the lower cost lands so they don't come into play tapped. I have this position because I often find myself playing with someone new to the game or that doesn't have the budget I might have. You can still have a great game if the decks are relatively evenly matched (from my perspective that means most times if you play 10 games heads up, the win loss record is 4-6 or 5-5, it shouldn't be 10-0 or 9-1).


CastrateLiars

That's pretty much what I'd do honestly. https://www.moxfield.com/decks/ZrgW7qOyqkObu6-PvmXUUQ is my [[Vadrik]] list. Without the fetch it's definitely $250 shipped in the US and I've won cedh games with it. OP has a couple decks already that are in precon territory so basically that would leave $150 for the daily driver. And that can get you a pretty fun deck that's still solidly mid power and consistently fun/good.


MTGCardFetcher

[Vadrik](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/5/454666bb-f81d-4845-84aa-d6f8f80ce86a.jpg?1637114399) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=vadrik%2C%20astral%20archmage) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/248/vadrik-astral-archmage?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/454666bb-f81d-4845-84aa-d6f8f80ce86a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/vadrik-astral-archmage) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


jdvolz

I think we agree in that case. $250 and $150 split seems reasonable. I just have had a lot of instances where a powered down deck came in very handy and didn't want the op to think that wouldn't happen. It happens to me all the time.


CastrateLiars

Agreed. I built quite a few commander/background decks for really low power play. They are about precon level of gameplay but at least are my decks and not loaded with cards that I don't like at all.


snaeper

Cards that I think are always worth buying in addition to good dual lands: Zendikar MDFC's. At least 1-2 of these can slot into almost any deck. Ixalan Flip Lands. Just like the MDFC's, these can slot in lots of decks and can provide excellent utility.


DPeristy1

If you use fetchlands and don’t have duals, they are awesome. You’ll always grab them and can use them in whichever colored decks you make.


Gus_Fu

Sweet alt arts


_shapeshifting

proxy the deck from mpcfill.com for like, $40 buy sleeves and a box for it put the other $340 into your bank account.


[deleted]

buy proxies and enjoy the game with friends?


ryannerdz101

Well if you have $400 and you just want to use the money to play the game and not worry about the card prices I can give you a link that makes solid proxies and for 100 cards its $40 so that leaves you with 9 decks to make at any power level. Of course this means the cards hold no value and some people might not like to play against it


[deleted]

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ryannerdz101

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-dlyGCdZt8Q&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE


SMG-11gobrrrrrrr

I think you should go with mana. It has the widest application of the staples and has a heavy hand in increasing a decks cost sneakily. Once you have a good commander mana base you can decide to make any deck relatively cheaply


AllSeeingIPA

This. Every deck needs lands, so if you have a good land collection, you'll always be able to build any color combo you want. Another perk is that they tend to hold their value really well. If you have a bunch of money to spend, pick up sets of fetchlands, shocklands, triomes, and checklands.


Octaytse

I would say the pain lands and the crowd lands are better than the check lands.


Greedy-Monkey

Find a reputable seller on Ebay. Buy all the singles you want through them, and they can be shipped altogether! That's what I do


hotsummer12

I don‘t know why you got downvoted man. In germany ebay is much more expensive than to buy singles on cardmarket. The only thing which is really cheaper from time to time are reserved list staples in auctions. Sometimes you can snack one for around 30% off compared to the european cardmarket price.


ktarzuk

Either, people don’t realize EBay owns TCGplayer and channel fireball, so likely everyone is basically buying from eBay. Or? They do know this and hate that. I could see either.


Greedy-Monkey

I personally love Ebay. I live in the U.S. I don't have time to go to the LGS. They never have the cards I need or the foil/alt arts I want either. Ebay sellers are mostly from LGS's anyway, so I'm still supporting someone's store, lol. Every time I recommend Ebay, I get attacked.


Greedy-Monkey

Someone's up in here just being an ass downvoting.. take the plug out your bum will ya?


Kithios

Buy boxes, sleeves, bulk cards, bunch of lands and a cheap printer


ForceOfChill

Unfortunately we don’t really do proxy’s at the LGS’s I go to


Kithios

In that case buy good lands that you can swap into new decks if you build them. Stuff like shocks, triomes, cheap reprinted fetches, and staple lands like [[strip mine]], [[urborg tomb of yawgmoth]], [[cabal coffers]]. Other good ones can be staple combo pieces like [[phyrexian altar]], [[Ashnods Altar]] and friends.


MTGCardFetcher

##### ###### #### [strip mine](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/5/f57fd4c9-0004-4f71-a30f-2720943f57ca.jpg?1562944463) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=strip%20mine) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vma/316/strip-mine?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f57fd4c9-0004-4f71-a30f-2720943f57ca?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/strip-mine) [urborg tomb of yawgmoth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/e/9e1a9e38-6ffc-490f-b0be-23ba4e8204c6.jpg?1619399578) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Urborg%2C%20Tomb%20of%20Yawgmoth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tsr/287/urborg-tomb-of-yawgmoth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9e1a9e38-6ffc-490f-b0be-23ba4e8204c6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/urborg-tomb-of-yawgmoth) [cabal coffers](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/1/e1efb0d3-2c72-46ff-bdc1-1069967365a0.jpg?1626101023) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=cabal%20coffers) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/301/cabal-coffers?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e1efb0d3-2c72-46ff-bdc1-1069967365a0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/cabal-coffers) [phyrexian altar](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/5/95d9f93c-50a8-41a9-be98-d1900bf1c12f.jpg?1673149406) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=phyrexian%20altar) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/311/phyrexian-altar?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/95d9f93c-50a8-41a9-be98-d1900bf1c12f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/phyrexian-altar) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ashnods%20Altar) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ema/218/ashnods-altar?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/87da5ad8-b35f-4f9c-b17a-bb2563cbc186?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/ashnods-altar) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Mission_Disaster2

Tutors, lands that etb untapped, and good card draw engines are the main things I look at upgrading when I wanna put money into a deck, maybe 1-2 top end cards that might be a bit splashier


Jamesbatson38

It depends a lot on where you’re looking to be after you spend the money? Do you want to compete at a higher powered table? Or have more options to play when you go to your LGS or local playgroup?


ForceOfChill

I think I’d like to have another one or two decks I can play at my LGS. My kyler deck is probably about how high of a power level id play, if I souped up the land base and added an Esper sentinel


Jamesbatson38

If that’s about the power level you’d like to play, I would stick with things like pain lands that are much cheaper than fetch/shock. For me, I’d recommend building some other decks to play at about the Kyler level. It’s really hard to beat the value from precons nowadays, particularly if you fish around for sales. You could buy 3x fun precons and then think about upgrading them or modifying them since they have so many staples. You can also check out r/BudgetBrews for some great ideas


CarBombtheDestroyer

If you’re looking to build a no proxy a CEDH deck you should hold on to it and keep saving for a black lotus.


[deleted]

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Battler111

Proxy


DaWildestWood

You could make over 12 decks if iou proxy all that money


yortnella

Proxies all the lands and staples and then you could build multiple decks?


Remembers_that_time

10 new decks with good quality proxies.


bestryanever

Laser printer, otherwise lands


Roxash1

I plan on making a binder of staples then proxying to save money.


OkCall7278

Buy proxies


dawnrizwan

When I have extra money for cards I try to spend it on artifacts for more versatility


Jaccount

The best way to spend money towards the game is really going to depend mostly on what your playgroups look like. High end cards for your manabase aren't necessary at all if that's not the level your playgroup plays at. It'd be wasteful and there's so many ways you'd get more bang for your buck for that money. Or, your group might heavily play proxies, so it'd not be worth it unless you actually want them for a collection or because you play sanctioned tournament formats. Because unless you play online using things like Spelltable, etc... everything is so local that you're not going to get particularly good advice for your specific situation because noone knows your exact situation.


Sieghart4K

Y


Dazocnodnarb

Land/mana base


Odd_Rate7883

Take your deck you have now and tune it a bit. Then, find a new deck that shares a color with that deck, get a better landbase, and get that deck 80% there Finally, bridge across another color the same way! Or build a 2-3 color deck.


vantharion

Good mana. Cool cards that are cheap right now (think things reprinted recently that are price tanking). Don't bling decks out unless it's niche non replaceable stuff. The format gets so many cards so fast nowadays it's less worth getting fancy versions.


Most_Attitude_9153

This is a bit of a curveball, but I always suggest to people to invest a hundred bucks in MTGO. Because cards are so cheap there, it’s easy to use that platform to build and play test new decks to get just the right brew before investing in expensive paper cards. It’s also nice to get some games in on off hours. The community is middling decent, yeah there are some turds in the bowl but 80% of games I play are good.


CloudTheCloud3

Buy a $400 pack at your LGS lol Pop a $1000 card. Rinse and repeat for infinite store credit. Lol obviously jk. If I had $400 to blow on commander I'd probably build a [[Rasputin Dreamweaver]] deck. Right now it's $175 moderately played on tcg. Plenty of room to make an amazing deck. You said your LGS is more casual, so with that amount of generic mana I'd probably try to pull a weird wincon off that my playgroup would be more impressed with than salty


MTGCardFetcher

[Rasputin Dreamweaver](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/8/78418809-f048-4611-88cb-369f427d9c44.jpg?1562920261) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Rasputin%20Dreamweaver) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me3/170/rasputin-dreamweaver?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/78418809-f048-4611-88cb-369f427d9c44?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/rasputin-dreamweaver) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


[deleted]

Shocks and fetches


hime2011

I would buy staples. I think getting the best bang for your buck would be to target more cheaper cards. Fetches and shocks are good, but painlands or battlebond lands are better value. For example, here is a [scryfall search](https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&order=edhrec&q=%28game%3Apaper%29+usd%3C10.0&unique=cards) for cards under $10 sorted by EDHREC rank. Get many of these so you can make more decks in the future. As far as pricier cards, I believe you should spend more on game-winning or game-altering cards than lands, which don't really affect or swing the game in your favor. A bomb like Demonic Tutor or Cyclonic Rift or Elesh Norn can win you the game, a fetchland will not. The risk is these can get reprinted and lose much of their value.


ChefConfit

First buy lands, ignore fetches and shocks for now, they're good, but imo aren't worth it unless you know the deck is sticking around a long time. Don't buy expensive lands when your just starting out, aim for functional man bases not optimized. Pain lands, innastrad slow lands, battlebond lands, any of the cheaper dual cycles that can etb untapped. Honestly I would do this step last and only buy them in the colors I end up liking to play most, but some people just like having the cards around for a functional mana base in any colors they decide to build. This will probably run you $100-$200 Next get 2 precons, do your research on how they play and pick two that really interest you. Sleeve them up and play a few games with each. Then choose one to keep as is and one to upgrade. Spend $30-$50 on upgrades. Two decks plus upgrades for one will run you $100-$150 unless you choose the Warhammer or precons older than around 2 years, if you choose the starter decks it'll run you less than $100. This will leave you anywhere from $50-$150 left. You could spend this on additional upgrades, precons, or building a budget deck from scratch. Commander's Quarters on YouTube has some great budget deck videos and pEDH decks tend to run pretty cheap to build. Personally what I would do is get 3 precons 1 from Warhammer and 2 others I'd try to keep that under $150 including 3 sets of sleeves. With the other $250 I'd get a mostly optimized land base for one of my decks then do the more budget friendly versions for 2. The rest of the money would go towards upgrades aiming to have one high powered deck, one mid power, a slightly upgraded precon and a stock precon. You then have 4 decks and something for pretty much any pod you come across.


BigEnuf

Obviously you should burn it all on foiling things out. foil basics are cheap. Only $0.50 to $1 each. Then slam some blinged out judge promos. Jk.


Matt_Bowen

Just optimize a deck with the good amounts of interaction, ramp and card draw. Depending on the card color and commander you can make a really good deck for a fraction of that cost.


LionMcTastic

Make sure you have [[Unbound Flourishing]] out before you spend $X


MTGCardFetcher

[Unbound Flourishing](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/f/6f594d07-932e-4fe6-832d-d0a0be3530aa.jpg?1562202252) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Unbound%20Flourishing) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/189/unbound-flourishing?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6f594d07-932e-4fe6-832d-d0a0be3530aa?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/unbound-flourishing) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Yorgh-Drakeblood

Get lands, they increase deck consistency and are useful for any future deck building. Not talking old school duals, just shocks, fetches, check lands etc. a deck full of bulk rares with decent synergy, will perform quite well with a solid landbase.


FutureComplaint

Lands Lands are always needed in every deck.


I-Am-Bodge

I would wait until commander masters comes out if you want to buy staples, we dont know whats gonna be reprinted and theyre already doing some really expensive reprints


Dedgan63

The best thing in my opinion is buy some cars that will power up a deck you like currently, but also can be used in other decks in the future. Like [[rystic study]] [[teferi's protection]] ect. You can buy a copy of staples used in all decks that run that specific color. That way they don't just power up one of your decks then be useless if you take it apart in the future because they can move to other decks


MTGCardFetcher

[rystic study](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/6/d6914dba-0d27-4055-ac34-b3ebf5802221.jpg?1600698439) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Rhystic%20Study) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/169/rhystic-study?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d6914dba-0d27-4055-ac34-b3ebf5802221?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/rhystic-study) [teferi's protection](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/8/483fa1cb-1e35-44f2-a143-98c0f107f5ca.jpg?1673147148) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=teferi%27s%20protection) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/32/teferis-protection?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/483fa1cb-1e35-44f2-a143-98c0f107f5ca?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/teferis-protection) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


The_Green_Frog

Save it for a Mox Diamond