<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Carnage" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Carnage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.rkaneproductions.com.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Kane Ferguson</a></em></span></p>
<p>Hello, fellow rootin', tootin', brewin' friends! I'm back to continue the search for budget cards from previous sets, and this time we're going to explore <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/otj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Outlaws of Thunder Junction (OTJ)</a>. </em></p>
<p>I feel like <em>OTJ</em> got some unfair treatment when it was released, and there's cards here that can be really awesome for just a few bucks at the most. For example, I just added <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tomb Trawler" href="#" target="_blank">Tomb Trawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Grenzo, Dungeon Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck that I brought out of retirement.</p>
<p>On that note, I've gotten a couple comments calling out uncommons that are great for Commander as well, so I'll include some of those going forward if I feel particularly strong about them.</p>
<p>Let's ride!</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caustic Bronco" href="#" target="_blank">Caustic Bronco</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.29)</h3>
<p>Kicking things off, we have everyone's favorite Snake Horse Mount.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caustic Bronco"></div></div>
<p>What I like about the Bronco is that it draws you a card regardless of whether it's saddled or not, so you're always getting something back. <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/group-slug" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Group Slug</a> decks or decks that care about creatures attacking can give this horrifying little pony a home. Just make sure you're playing enough creatures to make it easy to saddle.</p>
<p>In the best case partner this with a commander that has three power so you've always got access to one. In decks that want to lower their own life total (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Repay in Kind" href="#" target="_blank">Repay in Kind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> anyone?), not saddling it can actually be an upside, so be sure you look at it for those decks as well.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossal Rattlewurm" href="#" target="_blank">Colossal Rattlewurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.23)</h3>
<p>Despite what you might think, this is not just a Deserts-matter card.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossal Rattlewurm"></div></div>
<p>I've talked in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/best-case-scenario-mentality-and-setup-cost-in-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previous articles</a> about how <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a horrible draw late in the game. Rattlewurm is a fantastic option to replace it. All it requires is that you have a Desert in your deck, and with <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=%28set%3Aotj+or+set%3Aotc%29+t%3Adesert&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all the Deserts</a> released in <em>OTJ</em>, that opportunity cost is very low. Then if you draw this late in the game, you get a four mana, 6/5 trampler.</p>
<p>Now think about all the places this card can go: <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/reanimator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reanimator</a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Power Matters</a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/landfall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Landfall</a>... the list goes on and on. If your playgroup is heavy on counterspells, Rattlewurm's activated ability even gets around those! If you're running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in any of your decks, consider a colossal upgrade for less than a quarter.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forsaken Miner" href="#" target="_blank">Forsaken Miner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.78)</h3>
<p>We had to talk about the Skeleton in the room.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forsaken Miner"></div></div>
<p>I said I was going to mention certain uncommons, and I'm pretty sure this was one of, if not the most impactful uncommon from the set. Forsken Miner is a combo card, replacing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravecrawler" href="#" target="_blank">Gravecrawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in many loops:</p>
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<p>Gravecrawler used to be expensive, but with its printing in multiple recent precons, its price has plummeted. Still, Forsaken Miner is more flexible since it's far easier to commit a crime than control a Zombie.</p>
<p>Just make sure your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect actually targets an opponent; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won't cut anything in this case.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pillage the Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Pillage the Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.33)</h3>
<p>Who needs <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when you can <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=noodling&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS992US993&amp;oq=noodling&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTITCAEQLhiLAxifAxioAxixAxiABDIZCAIQLhjHARiLAxioAxixAxjRAxjSAxiABDIZCAMQLhjHARiLAxioAxixAxjRAxjSAxiABDIWCAQQLhivARjHARiLAximAxioAxiABDINCAUQABiLAxixAxiABDIWCAYQLhivARjHARiLAximAxioAxiABDIKCAcQABiLAxiABDIWCAgQLhivARjHARiLAximAxioAxiABDIHCAkQABiPAtIBCDExMzRqMWo3qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go noodling</a>?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pillage the Bog"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pillage the Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Pillage the Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> avoids both the wallet impact and the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer</a> classification that comes with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. On turn two it's still <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> if you're that desperate, but it gets stronger and stronger as the game progresses. Ramping out lands is bread and butter for green decks, so this will quickly be able to look at a sizable portion of your deck.</p>
<p>If you've got the spare mana to plot it, now you've got access to a free tutor on your later turns. Lands decks will make the best use of it, but any Golgari (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) deck can do some pillaging for good results.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Carnage" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Carnage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.35)</h3>
<p>Like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Into the Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Into the Pit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-best-duskmourn-budget-rares-for-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my last article</a>, here is another card velocity option for those <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/orzhov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orzhov</a> (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aristocrat decks</a>. I'm always looking out for us Orzhov players.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pitiless Carnage"></div></div>
<p>Many of the card velocity options in these colors are the slow and steady type; something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Morbid Opportunist" href="#" target="_blank">Morbid Opportunist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for example. Burst card draw is especially slim, so having access to an effect like this can be extremely vital for refilling your hand quickly.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Carnage" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Carnage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't even care about the card types you're sacrificing. While most of the time it'll be creatures, you can do this with Foods, Clues, Roles, even lands! Just like with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pillage the Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Pillage the Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you can plot this early in the game and cast it for free once you've got a big board of expendable things and take advantage of all the synergy you gain by sacrificing a bunch of things at once.</p>
<p>Also a bonus: amazing RKF art!</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyretic Charge" href="#" target="_blank">Pyretic Charge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.43)</h3>
<p>Speaking of card velocity, how about winning the game too? Pyretic Charge is more flexible than it seems.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pyretic Charge"></div></div>
<p>It all revolves around the number of cards in your hand. If you have none, it's a five-mana (or four if you plot it) draw four, something red decks only dream about. If you have seven, it can win you the game, in which case discarding seven cards is irrelevant. Obviously, these are the two extreme scenarios, but having a mix of the two isn't bad either.</p>
<p>Decks that care about drawing/discarding, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rielle, the Everwise" href="#" target="_blank">Rielle, the Everwise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain Howler, Sea Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Captain Howler, Sea Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will make good use of this, and so will red decks that are just going wide. After all, everyone needs card velocity at some point.</p>
<p>It's when you're doing both when this really goes berserk, which is where I bring up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Locust God" href="#" target="_blank">The Locust God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. All the Insects that the God makes have flying, making the anthem effect far more devastating for your opponents. A quick rules note: The Locust God will make Insects when you cast this but they won't get pumped since the God will trigger after the entire spell resolves, not just the first part.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="We Ride at Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">We Ride at Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.34)</h3>
<p>It seems I can't go an article without mentioning a convoke card.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="We Ride at Dawn"></div></div>
<p>We Ride at Dawn is a little more narrow than similar cards, limiting the convoke to only legendary creatures. If you're in a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/legends" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Legends deck</a>, this is very straightforward mana acceleration. Not much more to say about it there.</p>
<p>However, I'd encourage you to look at any of your white-based decks and check how many legendary creatures you have. Some of the best cards for the 99 are legendary creatures, and if you've got say 10+ in the list along with a bunch of other creatures, We Ride at Dawn is probably worth it.</p>
<p>Oh, I consider the triggered ability about making the Mercenary tokens as flavor text, but hey, a little incentive to attack with your commander.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.19)</h3>
<p>Speaking of legendary creatures and convoke, Wylie Duke is clearly one of the we's that are riding at dawn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero"></div></div>
<p>Wylie is an enabler for saddling Mounts, one of the primary mechanics of <em>OTJ.</em> Crucially, his ability doesn't trigger only when saddling, it's when he becomes tapped. This opens him up to a much larger set of use cases. For example, in <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/convoke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Convoke decks</a> which tend to lean Selesnya (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>), since the mechanic was originally in those colors.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vehicle decks</a> go hand-in-hand with saddling, and from there it's pretty easy to get to <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/spacecraft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spacecraft</a> as well. Look out for new ones in the upcoming <em>Star Trek</em> set, which will open up Wylie's possibilities even further.</p>
<hr />
<p>If you've got bad memories of <em>OTJ</em> for whatever reason, hopefully this urged you to take another look at these and maybe some other cards from the set. While the aesthetic wasn't my favorite, there are definitely some desert flowers waiting to be plucked up and sleeved for your next Commander night.</p>
<p>So what do you think? Are there<em> </em>cards from <em>OTJ</em> 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!</p>


mtgotj

The Best Thunder Junction Budget Rares for Commander