Budget Green Sneaky Stompy

Goal was to make a sweet budget Eldrazi ramp deck, but as I played around with it, I realized that most of the cheap big Eldrazi aren't quite as strong as cheap green creatures of the same cost. Bane of Bala Ged is fun, and summoning it up with Conduit of Ruin is cool, but Terra Stomper and Gaea's Revenge are beefier at those costs. So I instead removed a lot of complexity by going mono green Timmy.

So, revised goal: Make a BFZ Standard deck for under $20 using the new ramp options and big green creatures.

As of publication, the median value is a very affordable $14.50 (and I don't expect these cards to inflate much). Don't have $50 - $200 to spend on fancy lands? Try something like this.

Note that I haven't played this deck, but I have tested quite a few sample hands.

Honored Hierarch is your turn 1 play. People don't like it because it isn't as much of a sure thing as Elvish Mystic. But I think there's some value in it - especially against decks that take a little setup time. Just having one out will make your opponent think twice about tapping his own early attackers. Valeron Wardens and Rogue's Passage keep it from being completely dead in the late game. We're not even taking advantage of his multicolor ability, but that's ok. A possible 2/2 vigilance mana guy for one mana is pretty nice upside.

Leaf Gilder isn't exciting either, but it helps with formidable, and it can get you 2 turns ahead when combined with a turn 1 HH. A turn 3 Outland Colossus is possible with some luck.

I really like Glade Watcher here. It is a solid early blocker, it activates Surrak's (and its own) formidable without other help, and it can kill almost any early creature with the removal spells.

Abzan Beastmaster and Valeron Wardens give you ways to draw cards. The Beastmaster is better at card draw but more fragile. It goes well with Glade Watcher. The Wardens become a resilient 3/5 when renowned.

Surrak is your turning point creature. He can easily come into play on T3, and in many cases he can attack right away. And he's your gateway to casting big hasty stuff on turns 4 and 5.

Outland Colossus, Terra Stomper, and Gaea's Revenge aren't complex -- just throw them out there as early as you can and start crushing. They can all be attacking by turn 5 or earlier with the right opening. Each higher costed one is harder to remove than the one before it, but Colossus makes a brutal combo with Rogue's Passage. Interestingly, these are all from Origins because Tarkir (multicolor theme) and BFZ (Eldrazi) didn't have room for big green monocolor creatures. Oran-Rief Hydra is also good, especially with Blighted Woodland, but Terra Stomper is bigger faster and with immunity to counterspells.

The removal spells should help defeat threats at any point in the game, and Ruthless Instincts can also be used on offense to get a renown trigger. Become Immense is a big surprise when you need one.

And don't forget the lands. Since we're in one color, we can afford to play some lands that make clear mana. Blighted Woodland doesn't do a lot, but it doesn't hurt to have a way to add more mana if the going gets tough. Rogue's Passage however is a beast. Since it can't be countered, it gives you a reliable way to get damage in.

Substitutions:
Either of the current token making lands might be better in place of the Woodland.

The 3-drop slot is so-so, and I'm sure there are other budget creatures that would fill it well. If you have access to them, some solid replacements include Nissa Vastwood Seer, Den Protector, Deathmist Raptor, Undergrowth Champion, and (for a bit cheaper) Managorger Hydra.

This deck has room for improvement, but it might be a lot of fun, especially for new players who do well with low complexity.

• Budget Standard
• Mono Green Ramp
• Terra Stomper
• Surrak hunt caller