Copy of: Siona's Budget Combos (EDH / Commander)

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Summary

Casual, budget-friendly combo deck. Difficult to play if identifying combos is not your thing. They are mostly tutor-able infinite combos, so be clear on rule zero with your table.

The budget-conscious standard stuff is all there: removal, card advantage leaning toward combo pieces, along with enough mana ramp to get to the level you need quickly. After that it's protection, politics, and Fog for delay, then the combos themselves for the win, with around 30 cards involved in interrelated wincon combos.

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> Combos

The combos included are as follows:

• The commander loop is to play Shielded by Faith (which Siona can retrieve) on any creature while you control Siona, Captain of the Pyleas, then move it to each token she creates to create any number of creature tokens.

• Aside from the commander combo, there are two main combo loops. The first main set is the Famished Paladin loops: 3 card combos based on a creature with a built-in untap mechanic and tapping that creature on a loop for a repeated effect. The effects include ping damage (eg Sorcerer's Wand), create a creature token (eg Presence of Gond), or gain life (eg Resplendent Mentor. Infinite life isn't a wincon in this deck, but gives time to pull something that is). Famished Paladin and Lurking Roper need lifegain to untap. Barrenton Medic and Devoted Druid need Vizier of Remedies to untap by replacing the -1/-1 counter payment.

• The second main set of loops are the Scurry Oak combos. The basic version is a 2 card combo: either one of Scurry Oak or Herd Baloth with either one of Cathars' Crusade or Ivy Lane Denizen. Generates infinite tokens and makes Scurry Oak/Herd Baloth infinitely large. The 3 card version breaks the Cathars' Crusade effect into two parts: the creature token triggers life gain through a Soul Warden effect, then the life gain triggers a +1/+1 counter through a Sunbond effect.

• Miscellaneous Combos:

  • Midnight Guard is another card that goes with Presence of Gond to create infinite tokens (essentially it's the two card version of the main loops).
  • ETB until LTB loops. Several removal spells (eg Oblivion Ring) can alternatively be used in a loop to generate various effects based on infinite ETB/LTB. Example: Cast Leonin Relic-Warder exiling an Oblivion Ring already on the board. Cast Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward exiling Leonin Relic-Warder. When Leonin Relic-Warder leaves play, Oblivion Ring returns. Have Oblivion Ring target it Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward, then continue this process for an arbitrary number of ETB/LTB triggers. With Abdel Adrian specifically, this will also generate an arbitrary number of tokens and can be used to flicker any number of other permanents for their ETB effects. These also enable further alternate loops for the main combos.
  • Stuffy Doll enchanted by Pariah will prevent you from taking any damage until one of them is removed (note: if you choose yourself as the player for Stuffy Doll's first ability when it enters the battlefield, enchanting Stuffy Doll with Pariah will result in a game draw the first time you or Stuffy Doll takes damage because that damage can no longer resolve). Stuffy Doll enchanted by Guilty Conscience will let you deal lethal damage to the chosen player. Flickering Stuffy Doll through the various Oblivion Ring or recursion effects will allow you to change to another player.

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> Possible upgrades

As far as direct upgrades, swap some of the "Card Advantage" cards for actual tutors: Yisan, the Wanderer Bard, Eladamri's Call, Congregation at Dawn, and Idyllic Tutor would be good upgrades. Shadowspear instead of Viridian Longbow. Heliod, Sun-Crowned instead of the Scurry Oak Alternate Loop cards (probably remove Cleric Class), which would also enable a non-ETB combo with Triskelion or Walking Ballista (I would remove Aerial Responder and put in Triskelion, and/or remove Awe Strike to put in Walking Ballista. Could also remove some Miscellaneous cards like Beloved Chaplain).

More interaction (especially creature spot removal) and some stax effects could also be a good way to upgrade the deck. Gaddock Teeg and graveyard hate would be good places to start for stax effects. Whether adding interaction or stax effects, replacing cards in the Miscellaneous section would be the place to start. For stax, Hushbring and Hushwing Gryff to prevent opposing ETB combos (and the super common ETB in general) would be great- they hurt you, but quite a few of this decks combos don't require ETB, and there's also the option of replacing the current ETB combos with Heliod, Sun-Crowned combos that would still work.

I've also toyed with the idea of politics cards for delay, as there are a lot of fun and affordable cards like Tenuous Truce for that.

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>Revision Notes

Version 1.1

Added	Category	Removed
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward	Miscellaneous Combo Pieces	Angelsong
Yannik, Scavenging Sentinel	Miscellaneous Combo Pieces	Wall of Omens
Eternal Witness	Miscellaneous	Ajani's Welcome
Reveillark	Miscellaneous	Healer's Hawk
Oblivion Ring	Removal	Seal Away
Fiend Hunter	Removal	Manglehorn
Leonin Relic-Warder	Removal	Aura Blast
Tenuous Truce	Card Advantage	Awe Strike
Treasure Keeper	Card Advantage	Respite
Essence Filter	Removal	Spring Cleaning
-------------------------------------------------	--------------------------------------------	-------------------------------

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Top options:
Regenesis
Retrieve
Nature's Spiral
Skullwinder
Renegade Rallier
Hallow

Exile Loops/Removal (in order of preference):
Oblivion Ring
Fiend Hunter
Leonin Relic-Warder
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward
Yannik, Scavenging Sentinel
Reveillark
Touch the Spirit Realm

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Miscellaneous
Contraband Livestock
Your Temple is Under Attack
Rumor Gatherer
Green Slime
Festival
Peace and Quiet
Tranquil Domain
Haze of Pollen

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Semi-permanent removal
Fiend Hunter
Oblivion Ring
Leonin Relic-Warder
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward
Touch the Spirit Realm
Changeling Hero
Lumbering Battlement

Recursion options

Any permanent
Renegade Rallier
Nature's Spiral
Shepherd of the Cosmos

Creature to battlefield
Patch Up
Resurrection
Return to the Ranks
Extraction Specialist
Reveillark
Vesperlark

To hand
Mine Excavation
Eternal Witness
Regenesis
Ironclad Slayer
Retrieve
Recollect
Seeds of Renewal
Remember the Fallen
Reviving Melody
Spectral Steel
Dowsing Shaman
Tragic Poet
Regrowth

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