<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Increasing Devotion" href="#" target="_blank">Increasing Devotion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://darylart.com/">Daniel Ljunggren</a></h6>
<h1>Flashback Fun</h1>
<p>Hello, fellow brewer, and welcome back to <em>Brew for your Buck</em>, where we swap out the top 10 most expensive cards in a deck with 10 budget cards that add a unique twist. The last few articles in the series focused on some commanders that have been around for a while, so I wanted to go with something new to get a bit experimental. Newer commanders have way less data on EDHREC to inform deckbuilding decisions, but maybe we can find some cutting edge tech for our <em>March of the Machine </em>(<em>MOM</em>) team-up:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Katilda and Lier"></div></div>
<p>These two lead us to an interesting balancing act for building the deck. On one hand, we want Humans to enable Katilda and Lier's trigger, and on the other we want instants and sorceries to target with said trigger. I'm sure it would take some playtesting to figure out the perfect ratio between the two, but for now we'll try to keep the balance. This deck also reminds me of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brew-for-your-buck-fish-flash/">sea monster flash deck</a> that we looked at a while ago, with flash-enablers to let us cast our Humans at instant speed. There's plenty of expensive cards in the deck too, with the total price coming in at $412.39.</p>
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($38.67)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($37.88)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esper Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Esper Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($27.14)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Intervention" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($16.87)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snapcaster Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Snapcaster Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($14.84)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Noble Hierarch" href="#" target="_blank">Noble Hierarch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($10.37)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eladamri&#039;s Call" href="#" target="_blank">Eladamri&#039;s Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($9.40)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chulane, Teller of Tales" href="#" target="_blank">Chulane, Teller of Tales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($8.78)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clever Concealment" href="#" target="_blank">Clever Concealment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($7.08)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Visits" href="#" target="_blank">Three Visits</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($6.95)</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
<p style="padding-left: 200px; text-align: left;"><strong>Total Value of Cuts: $177.98</strong></p>
<p>This time, our mana base makes up a huge portion of the total cost of the deck, which is to be expected given it's a three-color deck. Swapping any lands that are pricier than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Visits" href="#" target="_blank">Three Visits</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the list above would bring our total savings to <strong>$317.22</strong>.</p>
<h2>Additions</h2>
<p>One thing that's certain (no matter how you build this deck) is that it will be mana-<em><strong>hangry</strong></em>. Not only do you need mana to cast the Humans, but you also need even more mana to cast the flashback spells. My first thought was "free Humans!", but believe it or not, there isn't a single one in the game. There are plenty of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">free spells</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but most of those cost way more than what we would consider for a budget option. But what if there was a way to reduce the cost of our Humans AND spells, and sometimes even make them free? What if that way just got a bunch of new cards, also from <em>March of the Machine</em>? That's right, it's <em>Convoke</em>!</p>
<h3>Convoking Humans</h3>
<p>Let's start by looking at Humans that benefit or enable <em>Convoke</em>. First up, one that I really like is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fallaji Wayfarer" href="#" target="_blank">Fallaji Wayfarer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.24). The Wayfarer is an awesome cost-reducer for 12 of our spells in the final list, including our commander, and that first line of really weird text allows it to tap itself for pay any of the colored pips in those mana costs. The next entry in the "X-Y-of-Eos" saga is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight-Errant of Eos" href="#" target="_blank">Knight-Errant of Eos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($1.77), which can draw us up to two more Humans when cheated onto the battlefield with its inherent <em>Convoke.</em> Of note, our creature curve tops out at five with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kyler, Sigardian Emissary" href="#" target="_blank">Kyler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so we should be able to grab every creature in the deck if the Knight-Errant is fully <em>Convoked</em>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fallaji Wayfarer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knight-Errant of Eos"></div></div>
<p>Our next two Humans don't reference <em>Convoke</em> specifically, but definitely help us use the ability. Each time we cast one of those instants and sorceries from our graveyard, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalia&#039;s Geistcaller" href="#" target="_blank">Thalia&#039;s Geistcaller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.09) will make us a Spirit to help <em>Convoke</em> out the next thing we cast. Making a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mox Pearl" href="#" target="_blank">Mox Pearl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can also attack or block each time we cast a spell seems like a good deal to me. Since we have his newer card in the list already, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.15) is another way to let us cast our 16 Historic spells at instant speed, and he taps for two different colors of mana for <em>Convoke.</em> Finally, we're going to be spending a lot of time tapping our creatures, so let's add some ways to untap them. Preferably Human ways, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Village Bell-Ringer" href="#" target="_blank">Village Bell-Ringer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.11).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thalia&#039;s Geistcaller"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Village Bell-Ringer"></div></div>
<h3><strong>Convoking Spells</strong></h3>
<p>Now let's look at the noncreature spells. First on our list is another new <em>MOM </em>card that seems perfect for this deck: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Complete the Circuit" href="#" target="_blank">Complete the Circuit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.11) not only copies the next spell we cast, but more importantly allows us to cast <strong>every</strong> sorcery during the turn at instant speed. All of a sudden, we can go off right before we untap and get ready for a lethal turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return to the Ranks" href="#" target="_blank">Return to the Ranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($1.39) adds some more recursion to the deck, and it can bring 13 of our creatures (all Humans) back to the battlefield in one shot.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Complete the Circuit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return to the Ranks"></div></div>
<p>But what if our spells don't have <em>Convoke</em>? Well, a new entry in the line of sweet three-mana mana rocks is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wand of the Worldsoul" href="#" target="_blank">Wand of the Worldsoul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($2.24). I'll admit it's a bit slow, but after you untap with it, you can give any spell you want <em>Convoke</em>, from your Humans to spells; heck, even your other artifacts. We can also add an untapper here, this time an instant, so we can flash it back to squeeze even more mana out of our creatures. There are a lot of these, but we'll go with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="To Arms!" href="#" target="_blank">To Arms!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($1.92) since it's cheap, draws us a card, and has an exclamation point in the card name.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wand of the Worldsoul"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="To Arms!"></div></div>
<h3>Casting from the 'yard</h3>
<p>There is one really sweet interaction I want to point out with a small subset of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katilda and Lier" href="#" target="_blank">K&amp;L&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ability grants the targeted card flashback, but for its normal mana cost, so we can take advantage of the "cast from a graveyard" bonus without paying an even more expensive flashback cost, a trick I use with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Increasing Ambition" href="#" target="_blank">Increasing Ambition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer" href="#" target="_blank">Oskar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. Since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is already in the list, I thought we could finalize our budget package with the white card from the "Increasing" cycle, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Increasing Devotion" href="#" target="_blank">Increasing Devotion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ($0.08). Ten Humans for five mana? Yes, please!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Increasing Devotion"></div></div>
<h2>Wrap Up and Savings</h2>
<p>Before we get into the savings with our specific choices, I want to mention that there are a zillion ways to take this theme even further. You could lean harder into multicolored cards to help enable <em>Convoke,</em> like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero of Precinct One" href="#" target="_blank">Hero of Precinct One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight of New Alara" href="#" target="_blank">Knight of New Alara</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glass of the Guildpact" href="#" target="_blank">Glass of the Guildpact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I also looked at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vitalize" href="#" target="_blank">Vitalize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a utility untapper, which can act as a crazy ritual in conjunction with <em>Convoke</em>. And finally, there are a bunch of serviceable <em>Convoke </em>spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sundering Vitae" href="#" target="_blank">Sundering Vitae</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nissa&#039;s Expedition" href="#" target="_blank">Nissa&#039;s Expedition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that could potentially be cast for free from your hand and from the graveyard. This one really got the brewing juices flowing! Anyways, on to the savings:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Picture1-1.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-99727 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Picture1-1.png" alt="" width="370" height="262" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Picture1-1.png 370w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Picture1-1-300x212.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 370px) 100vw, 370px" /></a></p>
<p>Dang! This is the largest savings by % in the whole series so far. We've brought a $400+ deck down to just over $100 by removing ten cards and assuming you're swapping the expensive lands.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tap Down Flash Back" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Katilda and Lier
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Archmage Emeritus
*1 Augur of Autumn
*1 Avacyn&#039;s Pilgrim
*1 Baral, Chief of Compliance
*1 Cathar Commando
*1 Champion of Lambholt
*1 Champion of the Parish
*1 Containment Priest
*1 Coppercoat Vanguard
*1 Deputy of Acquittals
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Fallaji Wayfarer
*1 Heronblade Elite
*1 Inga and Esika
*1 Katilda, Dawnhart Prime
*1 Knight-Errant of Eos
*1 Kyler, Sigardian Emissary
*1 Loran of the Third Path
*1 Monastery Mentor
*1 Mother of Runes
*1 Niambi, Esteemed Speaker
*1 Quandrix Apprentice
*1 Raff Capashen, Ship&#039;s Mage
*1 Raff, Weatherlight Stalwart
*1 Sigarda, Font of Blessings
*1 Thalia&#039;s Geistcaller
*1 Thalia&#039;s Lieutenant
*1 Torens, Fist of the Angels
*1 Venser, Shaper Savant
*1 Village Bell-Ringer
*1 Wizards of Thay
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Beast Within
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Complete the Circuit
*1 Counterspell
*1 Dovin&#039;s Veto
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Growth Spiral
*1 Mystical Tutor
*1 Nature&#039;s Claim
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 To Arms!
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Catalyst Stone
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wand of the Worldsoul
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Farseek
*1 Increasing Devotion
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Mass Appeal
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Ponder
*1 Preordain
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Return to the Ranks
*1 See the Truth
*1 Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Leyline of Anticipation
*1 Secrets of the Dead
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Bountiful Promenade
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Strand
*4 Forest
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*5 Island
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Path of Ancestry
*4 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Spara&#039;s Headquarters
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Yavimaya Coast
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<p>What else would you have added to go with the <em>Convoke</em> theme? What do you think the right ratio of Humans to spells is? Let me know in the comments below! My next article is a special one, so be on the look out for it in two weeks when we brew for your buck!</p>
<p><em>Please note: card prices listed in this article are accurate at the time of writing, but prices can vary over time and between locations.</em></p>


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