Guildless CommonsGuildless Commons | Art by Cliff Childs

Hello, fellow pensive partners! I'm back to continue the search for budget cards from previous sets. Mystery Booster Commander Edition (MBC) is still causing an uproar in the community, and I've seen it called "Commander Legends 3" a few times. With that in mind, I thought we might take a look at budget cards from the first Commander Legends (CMR), one that also had a huge impact on the format and Magic as a whole. Turns out, there are plenty of budget CMR cards to slot into your new MBC decks, so let's have a look.

Just a quick note before we get started: I specifically did not include any commanders in my list. CMR has some of the best legendary creature designs out there. If you're interested in them, take a look at their page on EDHREC, which not only includes the most played cards for their decks, but also any recent articles where they're mentioned.

Nadier's NightbladeNadier's Nightblade ($0.29)

At first glance, Nadier's Nightblade looks like any old Blood ArtistBlood Artist effect that can slot into any Aristocrats deck, but consider the very important differences. First of all, it hits all three opponents and gains you a life, so obviously it's better in multiplayer. Most importantly though, it cares about any token leaving the battlefield, not just creature tokens.

In decks that make plenty of self-sacrificing tokens this becomes one of your better win conditions. Treasure decks are obvious since they sacrifice themselves for no mana, but if you've got ways to sacrifice Foods, Clues, Bloods, Maps, or any of the trinkety artifact tokens we have, it works just as well in those decks. A good rule of thumb: If you're in black and playing Academy ManufactorAcademy Manufactor, I'd consider picking up a Nightblade. It's been reprinted plenty of times, so it should remain cheap.

Guildless CommonsGuildless Commons ($1.34)

Guildless Commons has only seen two reprints, surprising given how important a card it can be for many decks, especially monocolored ones. Bounce lands are stronger than they might appear, having synergy with landfall, untap effects, and utility lands. The Commons allows monocolored decks an option for this effect outside of the KarooKaroo cycle, which are admittedly much worse.

If you read my Queen of Dale deck tech, I stressed the important of bounce lands specifically for mono-white, since much of the color's land-based ramp is contingent on having a lower land count than your opponents. In a deck with two or more colors, you can play the ones in your colors, but if you're monocolored and want to eke out some extra value from your mana base, pass on the guilds and head for the Commons.

Impulsive PilfererImpulsive Pilferer ($0.32)

One of my favorite cards to include in any of my red decks.

Encore is a great multiplayer mechanic already, and this little one-drop might make the best use of it. It obviously goes great in sacrifice decks, but also in decks that want to attack each opponent, like Rose, Cutthroat RaiderRose, Cutthroat Raider. My old version of this commander was very happy to see Impulsive Pilferer in the opener, since the deck also played a lot of Impact TremorsImpact Tremors and Reckless FireweaverReckless Fireweaver effects.

With Rose on the battlefield and Pilferer in the graveyard, I could get three Goblins, attack all three opponents, three Junks, and three Treasures all for four mana. Throw in Weftstalker ArdentWeftstalker Ardent, and that's nine damage to each opponent — again, just for four mana. That sounds super fun, I might have to rebuild that one...

Last but not least, Impulsive Pilferer is one of the few creatures that combo with Koll, the ForgemasterKoll, the Forgemaster in one of the wackiest infinite damage combos out there:

Armored SkyhunterArmored Skyhunter ($0.38)

We just got a reprint of this card in the Secrets of Strixhaven precons, which dropped its price below the usual $2 threshold I keep for these articles.

This card is really good in an Aura and/or Equipment deck. Presumably, you're playing enough of those card types that digging six cards deep will find you at least one. Then you get to cheat on its mana cost and put it directly on the battlefield attached to something. Even if you've got nothing else, the Skyhunter itself wears any kind of modification really well thanks to flying, and it will probably make it a bit more resilient so it can attack again next turn.

This gets completely out of hand if your commander happens to be IsshinIsshin or if you've got a Windcrag SiegeWindcrag Siege set to Mardu. If you were waiting for a reprint to pick up this staple, now's the time.

Volcanic TorrentVolcanic Torrent ($0.29)

This one might get the nod in my Volcano theme deck after looking at it again for the article. AshlingAshling will really like it if it cascades into another instant or sorcery, meaning at minimum I'll do four damage to all opposing creatures (two for casting this and two more from Ashling's magecraft trigger). This deck casts a bunch of spells per turn so the upside is even higher than that.

I'd consider Torrent in any deck that's slinging spells, storming, casting things from exile, etc. It might seem a little expensive at five mana for a board wipe that theoretically needs additional spells to make it better, but its floor is picking off all opposing X/2s and getting you a free spell.

Wrong TurnWrong Turn ($0.47)

I've recently been loving cards that really lean into the multiplayer nature of the format. Too many decks are built for solitaire and not doing goofy things to the board. Enter Wrong TurnWrong Turn.

This is one of the best-designed cards in the set. At instant speed you can just give someone else a creature. Of course, that can be one of your own to get value out of Zedruu the GreatheartedZedruu the Greathearted or similar commanders.

It's way funnier to do this in combat though. Imagine someone attacking you with a massive creature, just to have it pass on to the next person in the turn order. If this happens, it's removed from combat, and then the next person just gets to smash the owner with their own card. If the owner dies, the creature vanishes, thus posing no threat to you.

Not to mention, this is a "good story card" for you and your playgroup to reminisce about when it gets put onto the stack.

Laboratory DrudgeLaboratory Drudge ($0.28)

In the same vein of trying to highlight more multiplayer-matters cards, there are plenty of them that trigger during each upkeep or each end step. With up to four of them happening in a turn cycle, there's potential for a lot of value from these triggers. The Drudge is a great example.

If you're in a deck that casts (Kess, Dissident MageKess, Dissident Mage) or activates (Araumi of the Dead TideAraumi of the Dead Tide) from the graveyard, this guy is a consistent source of turn-over-turn card velocity. A lot of these decks are also Zombie-themed, so you have an on-type creature if that matters to you as well. We only get more variants and reprints of graveyard mechanics, so the Drudge will get better and better over time.

Frenzied SaddlebruteFrenzied Saddlebrute ($0.15)

Mass HysteriaMass Hysteria, but asymmetric.

It's pretty funny to allow your opponents to bash each other right away while you sit back and watch. I'd stick the 'brute in a goad deck or anything else that's forcing combat. Many of those affects say "attack if able". Well, this all but guarantees those creatures are able. Dance, my puppets!

Of course, you'll always be attacking your opponents so this just gives all your creatures haste. If your focused on attacking or dealing combat damage, here's another way to not have to wait for those sweet triggers, and perhaps give your opponents some incentive to attack each other as well.

Oh and yes, I'm aware, it doesn't work with activated abilities. Relax down there in the comments.

This was a fun trip down memory lane for Commander Legends. I had a great time at the release with the first draftable Commander format, and my current "deck" building project is to put together a Commander Cube for me and my friends to draft. Many of the cards from this set are featured, which is yet another reason why I love it so much.

Anyway, what do you think? Are there any cards that I missed? Do you have a set you want me to explore next? Let me know down in the comments and I'll see you next time!