So this is a project I wanted to engage in- To make a set of 10+ super-budget 60-card decks that are simple, relatively easy to play, relatively easy to understand, and bring across the fundamentals of how Magic Works. We've since gone way past 10, with tons more in the works, and I've really enjoyed the challenge of trying to make these decks easy to play and understand, fun, and all under a $15 budget, sideboard included.
The main goal here is that you could easily build these deck for a low cost and use them as an easy introduction to how magic works, to teach a group of new players both how to play, and give them a sense of Why, a sense of what fun things they're getting into. These decks aren't gonna be particularly good, or even legal in any particular format if it stops me from including a card I think is good for the deck, but they should be fun and interesting without being too hard to get into. They should be an easily-accessible example of how fun Magic: The Gathering can be.
So I started trying to bring together a zombie tribal deck.... and pulled together Somewhere in the range of ~100 workable zombie cards across 3 colors. So consider this apart of a sub-series of zombie variants. I don't really expect anyone would build all the zombie versions, but you at least get to pick one that suits your fancy.
This Zombie deck is a Dimir self-milling midrange list, trying to get your own deck into the bin, and then abuse that to play sweet creatures, and occasionally to bring zombies back with Ghoulcaller's Chant.
As for budget: Maindeck cost is currently at ~$12 (according to the middle blue numbers on this very site under estimated value), sideboard at about ~$3... I think I exactly hit my $15 limit this time. Huh, nifty. All the Zombie tribal effects are expensive, so I consider it a victory just getting these decks close to $15, let alone shooting for lower.
So mostly this section is going to be notes on why I think these are good cards to learn from:
Rancid Rats is a variation on a classic- the 1/1 deathtouch creature. This one just happens to also be a zombie, and have skulk, both of which are mostly irrelevant details to the fact that this card is a great way to a player to learn how to use an expendable deathtouch creature, and it also benefits from zombie tribal effects if you draw it late, and puts a creature in your bin that you can exile to pay for a skaab. Card fills an important role in the deck very innocuously.
Armored Skaab and Wailing Ghoul both mill you for a few to help you get creatures in the bin, and have respectable defensive bodies. Not great, but they'll get the job done.
Diregraf Captain and Lord of the Accursed are good cards that buffs your board. It's a Zombie Tribal deck, like hell it's not going to play some Zombie Lords. And earlier draft used Liliana's Mastery instead of Lord, but Lord is both cheaper, and a much more useful card to get in your own graveyard with this deck, so might as well.
Your Payoffs are Stitched Drake, which is a pretty nasty flier that will own the skies in a decent number of matchups, and Skaab Goliath, which is the card that will convince people this whole stategy wasn't a waste of their time, since it's bigger and meaner than most of the other creatures in really any of these decks. The thing is a beast, and will push a lot of damage.
For Spells- Dark Salvation was the only mainboard removal I could really fit in, while Amass the Components and Ghoulcaller's Chant provide some card advantage.
Altar's Reap is a great way to get creatures in your bin if that's not happening, or can be used on dying creatures and is a great lesson for players to learn. Cellar Door is also just a solid long-game way to spam Zombie tokens without loosing card advantage.
Manabase is meant to be a touch lacking, but also super-budget. I'll be doing the same for all of them.
As for the sideboard, this IS supposed to be a sideboard they learn how to use, to make their deck perform better in the right matchups, or just in general to customize their decks within constraints.
Relentless Skaabs and the extra Goliath let you stack in more threats if your opponent is killing your creatures fast enough that you're not worried about being able to cast them, Excaped Null lets you take an advantageous trade and gain a bunch of life if they fail to remove it, abattoir ghoul might be better, but I wanted something that really puts the lord effects here to use. There's extra copies of your card advantage, and last gasp to supplement your lacking selection of removal spells, as well as Annul so you can interact with artifacts and enchantments if you have to.