<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aerid Konstrari" href="#" target="_blank">Aerid Konstrari</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.rahnart.com/">Chris Rahn</a></em></p>
<p>As the weeks have gone on, we've seen thousands of new decks being built around the commanders from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/fra"><em>Reality Fracture</em></a>. A lot of these legends have offered up unique takes on popular archetypes. One of which is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aerid Konstrari" href="#" target="_blank">Aerid Konstrari</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who has pushed fans of Gruul <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-rg" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> towards playing with artifacts. I always appreciate when a legend provides support to an underutilized strategy in a different color combination.</p>
<p>So, with all that in mind, join me, <a href="https://linktr.ee/pillowfortmtg">Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks</a>, as I cover a full budget deck that you can pick up for about $45.</p>
<h2>What Does Aerid Konstrari Bring to the Table?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aerid Konstrari"></div></div>
<p>Fans of Jim Henson can rejoice, because <em>Magic</em> finally got a giant, flying puppeteer known as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aerid Konstrari" href="#" target="_blank">Aerid Konstrari</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This dean of the red-green school of Hexhaven loves seeing artifacts on your board, and even brings along a new kind of token when it enters or dies.</p>
<p>Plus, it has the ability to create another Heartwood and pump itself equal to the number of trinkets you have lying around, which sets you up to close out some games with commander damage.</p>
<p>While this legend may seem to be straightforward to build around, there are still some interesting tricks you can pull off with this Sphinx. So, let's kick off this list by taking a look at a few cards that create copies of your commander!</p>
<h2>Copying Aerid</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Twinflame"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tempestra, Dame of Games"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Echoing Assault"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Creating copies of Aerid helps add even more Heartwood tokens to your board, which leads to a bigger attack with that activated ability. Since you can sacrifice the copy to the legend rule, you'll be getting two more mana rocks once everything resolves.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tempestra, Dame of Games" href="#" target="_blank">Tempestra, Dame of Games</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: There are a whole lot of ways to add artifacts to the board, which means that this two-drop legend can help you cash those in for copies of your commander. However, in the case of this card, you get a nonlegendary version you can attack with, that still makes you another Heartwood when it goes away at the end step.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echoing Assault" href="#" target="_blank">Echoing Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: While this enchantment may be expensive to cast, it does provide additional smaller token copies of your team members turn after turn, for simply attacking each one of your opponents.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Mana Ramp</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roxanne, Starfall Savant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Talisman of Impulse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider Manifestation"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roxanne, Starfall Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Roxanne, Starfall Savant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: When Aerid first came out, a lot of players made comparisons between that Sphinx and this Cat. Roxanne comes down the turn after your commander and doubles the mana production of all of those Heartwood tokens, making it a must-have for this 99.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talisman of Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Talisman of Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This is one of the least-played members of the Talisman cycle, but this is the perfect 99 for it. Getting any two-mana rock down on curve allows you to cast that Elder Sphinx from the command zone a turn early.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider Manifestation" href="#" target="_blank">Spider Manifestation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: I'm a massive fan of this creature in general, and it works so well with the deck's play pattern. When you cast Aerid, you'll create a Heartwood token and untap this Spider, which could lead to a follow-up play right away.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Anarchomancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heartwood Crafter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dowsing Device"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Anarchomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Anarchomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: I'd love to see Wizards give us more cost reducers like this Goblin for each color combination. Having this on the battlefield can bring the majority of your costs down, helping speed up the deck's play pattern.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heartwood Crafter" href="#" target="_blank">Heartwood Crafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Here's a creature that a lot of people are beginning to notice just how good it truly is. A mana dork that can help with creating another Heartwood token, cast spells from outside your hand, and even pay for Aerid's activated ability is a lot of value for a one-drop.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dowsing Device" href="#" target="_blank">Dowsing Device</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Let me get on a soapbox for a second when it comes to this card...it's incredible. I recently released a short on my YouTube channel about how powerful it is, and a lot of people got hung up on the fact that it <em>had</em> to transform into a land. However, I think all of us would run a red card that was "two mana, hand out a pump and haste to a few creatures, then tutor up a land right into play." If you have a deck that's loaded with artifacts, this one should be in that list. Plus, the flip side even provides another big power increase!</li>
</ul>
<h2>Card Advantage</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lifestream&#039;s Blessing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demand Answers"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Combustible Gearhulk"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lifestream&#039;s Blessing" href="#" target="_blank">Lifestream&#039;s Blessing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: A full hand restock is really important in a deck like this, since you'll need spells to cast with all that ramping you're doing. Keep in mind, you can cast this spell after you've pumped Aerid in order to draw a whole lot of cards, which may seem mana-intensive, but it really can be pulled off in this deck.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demand Answers" href="#" target="_blank">Demand Answers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Cheaper spells that help you dig deeper into your library are important for keeping up with the rest of that table. Plus, you can always cash in one of the artifacts you have in play in order to make this feel like a cleaner draw two.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combustible Gearhulk" href="#" target="_blank">Combustible Gearhulk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: While there are some lower mana value spells in this deck, there are also some big bombs like this Construct. So, once it hits play, your opponents will have a hard time trying to decide if they should let you draw additional cards, or risk taking a whole lot of damage...</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarinth Steelseeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragged Short Spear"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tireless Tracker"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarinth Steelseeker" href="#" target="_blank">Sarinth Steelseeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: I love working on 99s that can include this creature, because it's such a powerful value engine when paired with the right commander. When this is in play, every artifact that enters could draw you a land, or help you sculpt the top of your library.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragged Short Spear" href="#" target="_blank">Ragged Short Spear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Two mana to discard a card in order to draw two more is a classic effect in red. This newer equipment brings you that value, while also sitting on the board, and adding to your artifact count.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tireless Tracker" href="#" target="_blank">Tireless Tracker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: While Clues may not draw you cards right away, they work really well in a deck like this. If you find yourself in a spot where your board is filled with ramp, but your hand is looking light, you can start cashing them in to find more things to deploy.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Protecting Your Board</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warg Tactics"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return the Favor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defend the Rider"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warg Tactics" href="#" target="_blank">Warg Tactics</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Here's a protection spell that can also just take a player out of the game. Spending two mana to hand out a counter, hexproof, and trample could be the thing that helps you punch damage through. Plus, it can also just destroy a creature with flying, which can also help clear the way for Aerid to swing in the air.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return the Favor" href="#" target="_blank">Return the Favor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This is a great toolbox-style protection spell, since you can copy something, and point the original version in another direction. That could just save your entire game plan, while setting someone else back a few steps.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defend the Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Defend the Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Since Aerid enters and creates that Heartwood token, you'll be in a position where you can safely pass the turn, since you can give your commander protection at instant speed with a spell like this for only a single mana.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Dealing Out Damage</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Igniter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pyrewood Gearhulk"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckless Fireweaver"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Igniter" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Igniter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This deck's goal is to flood the board with artifacts, which makes your commander's activated ability even more effective. While this Dragon may cost more to cast, you can pump it for only two mana, which is a pretty cheap way to punch some hasty damage through in the air.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyrewood Gearhulk" href="#" target="_blank">Pyrewood Gearhulk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Going wide is a real option in this deck, since you can flood the board with value creatures that are just waiting to be given that +2/+2, vigilance, and menace.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Fireweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Fireweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: While this creature may not be as splashy as the other two I just showcased, it can still really lower life totals as the game goes on. Now whenever you throw artifacts into play, you'll be putting the rest of the table on the back foot.</li>
</ul>
<h2>The Full Bracket 2 - Core Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Aerid Konstrari - by Tyler Savesya Bucks" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Aerid Konstrari
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Commune with Lava
*1 Defend the Rider
*1 Demand Answers
*1 HULK SMASH!
*1 Hunter&#039;s Insight
*1 Konstrari Charm
*1 Lifestream&#039;s Blessing
*1 Nature&#039;s Claim
*1 Origin of Metalbending
*1 Prizefight
*1 Return the Favor
*1 Return to Nature
*1 Snakeskin Veil
*1 Team Tactics
*1 Vision of Love
*1 Warg Tactics
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Dowsing Device // Geode Grotto
*1 Gruul Signet
*1 Improvised Arsenal
*1 Melded Moxite
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Ragged Short Spear
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Impulse
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bitter Reunion
*1 Bitter Work
*1 Echoing Assault
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
*1 Kickoff Celebrations
*1 Wild Growth
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Electroduplicate
*1 Escape to the Wilds
*1 Farseek
*1 Harmonize
*1 Inspired Tinkering
*1 Regrowth
*1 Seize the Spoils
*1 Stump Stomp // Burnwillow Clearing
*1 True Ancestry
*1 Twinflame
*1 Wildest Dreams
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Flamerush Rider
*1 Goblin Anarchomancer
*1 Haywire Mite
*1 Heartwood Crafter // Soul Tether
*1 Hellkite Igniter
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Pyrewood Gearhulk
*1 Reckless Fireweaver
*1 Roxanne, Starfall Savant
*1 Sarinth Greatwurm
*1 Sarinth Steelseeker
*1 Spider Manifestation
*1 Teething Wurmlet
*1 Tempestra, Dame of Games
*1 Tireless Tracker
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Baxter Building
*1 Bonders&#039; Enclave
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Copperline Gorge
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Game Trail
*1 Hidden Grotto
*1 Karplusan Forest
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*1 Mossfire Valley
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Promising Vein
*1 Restless Ridgeline
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Temple of Abandon
*1 The Great Mound
*9 Mountain
*8 Forest
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>My Final Thoughts on Aerid Konstrari</h2>
<p>So, there you have it, my budget list for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aerid Konstrari" href="#" target="_blank">Aerid Konstrari</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that you can pick up for about $45 (using <a href="https://partner.tcgplayer.com/c/4913290/1830156/21018?partnerpropertyid=5237567&amp;subId1=edhrec%2Ccardprice&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tcgplayer.com%2Fproduct%2F715920%2Fmagic-reality-fracture-aerid-konstrari">TCGplayer</a> pricing). I do love the design of this legend, because it really does open up an interesting new take on an <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/artifacts">Artifact</a> build. Plus, taking out some of your opponents with commander damage always makes for a fun story after the game.</p>
<p>If you're looking for even more budget decks from me, you can find them right <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/tyler-bucks">here on EDHREC</a>. You can also check out my YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thepillowfort">The Pillow Fort</a>, where I've been releasing a lot of content centered around <em>Reality Fracture</em>, like comedy sketches and more cost-effective deck techs.</p>


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Aerid Konstrari | Gruul Artifact Aggro on a Budget