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 simple Orzhov aggressive shell, caping out at the 3cmc Lord of the Accursed, Ghoulcaller's Chant-ing back for value, and a couple of cheap but devastating removal spells to clear the way. Short one playset of Festering Mummy and it's -1/-1 counter, there's nothing in this deck that should raise many questions from a new player. Maybe 'Exile' on Time to Reflect, but not too much else.
As for budget: Maindeck cost is currently at ~$10.40 (according to the middle blue numbers on this very site under estimated value), sideboard at about ~$4.50. Actually, it's 4.66 by my math, so I'm exactly 6 cents over my $15 limit, because Zombies are a really popular tribe in commander, so every good zombie tribal effect, lord, and creature is more expensive than it should be. And I don't care about that 6 cents, so there you go. Swap Dark Salvation out of the sideboard if you really want to, it's almost a 5th of the cost of the deck.
So mostly this section is going to be notes on why I think these are good cards to learn from:
Diregraf Ghoul and Festering Mummy are your 1-drops, both fair, pretty simple, and easy to work with.
Binding Mummy is sweet in a shell like this, and is also just solid as a grizzley bear, and Mummy Paramount is a bear minimum, likely stronger whenever it attacks. Shambling Ghoul is a strong body that enters tapped, like Diregraf, and Wayward Servant adds to the critical mass of Zombie Synergy effects, while both shoring up your life total and, like Binding Mummy, being a grizzley bear, which is solid.
Lord of the Accursed tops off your curve with a Lord effect that can give all your Zombies Menace if you want, and is just good. Not really anything complicated there, it's a good card.
Ghoulcaller's Chant brings back more 'nombies from your 'yard, and Time to Reflect and Tragic Slip are great postcombat kill spells to get rid of those pesky blockers.
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.
Abattoir Ghoul has become one of my go-tos for Black anti-agro sideboards, and can also be used if you generally want to up your curve, Dark Salvation is a great card in any matchup where you're likely to build up enough mana to use it, Revoke Existence is one-stop Artifact and Enchantment hate, Harm's Way is a great anti-agro killspell that can easily 2-for-1, and Reprisal is good for killing Midrange or larger creatures.