Brigid, Clachan's HeartBrigid, Clachan's Heart | Art by Zoltan Boros

Greetings and salutations my dear brewers, and a warm welcome from a place where it currently feels like living in a freezer for us French, but would probably be considered a mild summer for Canadians. I'm Arnaud and I'm thrilled to take you on a journey of twisted mechanics, new commanders, and avalanches of mana.

You may have noticed, this is not a usual Trim. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the poll (still ongoing by the way, you can still vote here!). But given that Lorwyn Eclipsed is practically on the doorstep, I felt it was a good opportunity to try building something both cheap and fun to play. To this end, I'm slightly twisting the usual rules for the brew, changing the following:

• No cards worth more than $3, instead of the usual $1.11 threshold.
• A total value of less than $50 at the time of writing, commander excepted.

I hope you'll enjoy this ephemeral twist, allowing for a little more leniency in price and opening the way to some spicy cards.

Without further ado, let's start by having a look at today's commander: Brigid, Clachan's HeartBrigid, Clachan's Heart

What Does Brigid, Clachan's Heart Do?

The Kithkin protector has come a very long way since her first appearance in the original Lorwyn set. After riddling any threats with arrowsriddling any threats with arrows, she's become a wizened sage.

And both sides complement each other nicely.

First, she'll come with a token friend upon entering or transforming back. Nice, but hardly game-changing. What could in fact be game-changing is the other side. She basically changes into a weaker version of Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle or Circle of Dreams DruidCircle of Dreams Druid, with one significant difference: she's in the command zone. This means you potentially have access to an outlet that could generate a massive amount of mana at any time.

To make this work, I've divided the brewing process in various categories.

1. Reaping the Veggies: good old ramp, draw, and removal. Boring, but necessary nonetheless.
2. Token makers: the meat and bones Brigid will rely on.
3. Untappers: This is the twist I'm betting on. Getting one Brigid activation is good. Getting several in a row is better.
4. Finishers : Having an army of critters is nice, but turning them into monsters is even better.

In each of these categories, I'll include some pointers at potential upgrades, in case you have some spare cash or already own some of the cards.

Let's get to work!

1. Reaping the Veggies

Have you ever tried building a deck without any ramp? I have, and it was an... interesting experience. Not as bad as I had thought it would be, but definitely not something I'd recommend, especially if your average mana value is two and above.

Same goes for card advantage. Not running any is a death sentence, condemning you to quickly spiral down into top-deck land, a place no one ever likes to be.

This is probably old news for seasoned players, but I'll repeat it nonetheless, if only for the newcomers to this wonderful format: Don't. Skimp. On. Veggies.

My sweet spot usually lies in the 12 draw / 12 ramp spells range, but these can be flexible, depending on what your commander already provides. Which, incidentally, is the case here. Since Brigid already produces mana, albeit scarcely so, the actual need for ramp spells is not as critical.

Ramp

Aside from the usual suspects – Sol RingSol Ring, Arcane SignetArcane Signet, Talisman of UnityTalisman of Unity, etc – there are three outlets that are rather more at home in this brew than anywhere else:

The first two are tied to the number of tokens you'll be able to generate. Make creatures, use them as mana dorks, make a lot of mana. Song of FreyaliseSong of Freyalise will eventually also pump your board and allow you to attack with no remorse.

The third is actually a plan B. If Brigid gets removed one too many times, Selvala will act as a nice replacement, by both drawing cards and generating usually two to three mana per activation. What color versatility it lacks, it makes up in value. In a dedicated Selvala deck you'd run many more untappers than this brew will, but it's still a nice alternative.

Upgrades: the most obvious choices would be the very expensive EarthcraftEarthcraft (around $133!), the much more reasonable Circle of Dreams DruidCircle of Dreams Druid ($6.50), the backside of Growing Rites of ItlimocGrowing Rites of Itlimoc ($4.40), or Enduring VitalityEnduring Vitality ($7).

I also like Garruk WildspeakerGarruk Wildspeaker a lot, acting both as a ramp outlet and a potential finisher with its built-in OverrunOverrun effect.

Card Draw

Incidentally, I applied the same reasoning to draw. Most of these spells either take into account the number of creatures you have on the field, or reward you for bringing more into the fray.

Early on, Mentor of the MeekMentor of the Meek, Tocasia's WelcomeTocasia's Welcome, Staff of the StorytellerStaff of the Storyteller, and Welcoming VampireWelcoming Vampire should ensure a steady flow of fresh cards.

Rite of HarmonyRite of Harmony is probably my favorite outlet here: it will draw a lot on the first cast, and the built-in flashback ensures round two is a solid option as well.

Audience with TrostaniAudience with Trostani should yield a decent number of cards as well. The final list accounts for roughly 20 tokens with different names. During testing, it usually yielded four to five, not a bad ratio for a puny .

Some may be surprised by Return of the WildspeakerReturn of the Wildspeaker, but it's here because of its versatility. It's three cards drawn at instant speed with your commander out, or a way to end the game.

Upgrades: Glimpse of NatureGlimpse of Nature ($9.60) looks like a must-include here, simply a cheaper version of Rite of Harmony. And Ohran FrostfangOhran Frostfang ($7.60) should prove particularly effective: who'd want to trade a big creature for a puny 1/1?

Removal

Finally, let's talk about removal. I've kept the package rather limited, if only because this deck is quite hungry on the various outlets it uses to reach its end. I know, I know, interaction is key in a game. But this is thought for Bracket 2 to maybe low 3s, and you swarming the board should already provide some sort of protection.

The few choices I've kept are all linked to either creating tokens or exploit them in some way, to stay in theme.

Glare of SubdualGlare of Subdual is a choice I'm particularly fond of. The card is played in only 0.5% of all Selesnya () decks, and that's criminally low in my book. With a bunch of tokens on the table, you'll be able to tap down the biggest threats around the table – barring any hexproof, shroud, or ward – or even politick your way to sway attacks elsewhere.

It's annoying to play against, and it's a fantastic way to protect yourself.

Upgrades: Aura ShardsAura Shards ($17!) is a godsend in this deck, but it will also propel you directly into Bracket 3 territory and draw the wrath of the entire table, so be prepared.

2. Token Makers

There are two distinct categories here.

The first will focus on making a few here and there, usually between two and five for roughly that same amount of mana. The goal of these is to build a decent board for Brigid to use to generate significant amounts of mana.

The second leverages said mana to increase the board presence further. These are almost all mana spells that will pretty much double your board.

Let's take a closer look.

This category basically values a 1/1 for one mana. Half of these cost two to three mana, to raise your chances for an early start. In an ideal world, you'd want to make sure you have at least one of these in your opening hand.

For example: a turn-two Raise the AlarmRaise the Alarm into a Brigid turn-three gives you at least three mana from your commander on turn four, not to mention the potential other spells you can cast on that very same turn.

Season of the BurrowSeason of the Burrow is a particularly nice outlet here. The core use is to make five 1/1s in a fell swoop, but the removal can occasionally save your bacon as well.

So will ArachnogenesisArachnogenesis. Once you've played it in a game, your opponents will think twice before swinging all out at you.

Once your have a decent board presence, it's time to take things to the next level. This could happen as soon as turn four or five, depending on how well your started off.

Don't be too greedy. Making six to eight creatures is a nice ratio, and should be enough power to ensure a subsequent win with one of the payoffs or the finishers.

Myojin of Blooming DawnMyojin of Blooming Dawn is especially good. Since it counts all of your permanents, it will often net you between 10 and 20 Spirits. Not bad for just eight mana. Now, if you could proliferate those, it would be another story altogether...

Upgrades: Instead of these XX spells, you could go with the classic Doubling SeasonDoubling Season ($32), Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession ($58!), or Mondrak, Glory DominusMondrak, Glory Dominus ($32). But let's be honest, these cost an arm and a leg, and the end result will be relatively similar. I'm not saying they're not good, just that they may not be quite as justified.

3. Untappers

This is the very section that made me want to brew around this commander and, paradoxically, the one I have the least number of things to say about, save that they all serve the same purpose.

Getting one activation is good; getting several in a row is even better. The other benefits these spells provide are anecdotal, but could be useful in a pinch. Who here hasn't ever fallen to a mighty flying beast while their troops were stuck on the ground?

Now, for the true benefits. Suppose you have four other creatures alongside Brigid. You tap her for , use one of them to cast VitalizeVitalize, tap her again, untap once more with another outlet... Suddenly you're in the 10 mana range, and that's a low-key scenario.

There are a lot of options out there, and frankly the only reason I didn't add more was because I was afraid of wrecking the balance in the other categories.

Upgrades: The one that springs to mind is the very costly Legolas's Quick ReflexesLegolas's Quick Reflexes ($22), which also provides protection in addition to untapping your commander. If you have it, it's an auto-include.

4. Finishers

• Beastmaster AscensionBeastmaster Ascension
• Divine VisitationDivine Visitation
• Devout InvocationDevout Invocation
• Inspiring LeaderInspiring Leader
• Angelic AberrationAngelic Aberration

Games eventually have to end, and these outlets should do the trick. Most of them will turn your puny 1/1s into an army of Angels, or will give them such a pump that they will be an overwhelming threat.

There are several other options that you could resort to, from good old OverrunOverrun to End-Raze ForerunnersEnd-Raze Forerunners, both cheap options, and far from the only ones. But I rather like the idea of turning an army of ants into a storm of angelic furor.

Hopefully they should allow you to take the win home.

Upgrades: The obvious choices are Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth ($13) and Moonshaker CavalryMoonshaker Cavalry ($10.50). You could also try going with Triumph of the HordesTriumph of the Hordes ($19) or Eldrazi MonumentEldrazi Monument ($7). All solid options that could win you the game on the spot.

5. The Game Plan

Let's recap. To make this work, you need to:

1. Deploy a few tokens as soon as possible, ideally two to four.
2. Play your commander, and hope it survives the rotation.
3. Transform the commander, use the mana ability to increase the size of your army.
4. End the game by playing a massive payoff.

And with this in mind, I give you...

Brigid, Clachan's Heart Commander Deck List

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this variation on the budget trims, trying to make a new commander work while staying in budget.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you built Brigid? Do you intend to? Any early lists? Any hidden gems I've forgotten?

Let me know in the comments below, and I'll see you in two weeks for the more traditional Trim!