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If you pick the right Commander, you can create a powerful deck for cheap. There are many to choose from, but I believe I have tracked down the best cheap Commanders to build around.
Commander is currently the most popular Magic: The Gathering format. One of the many reasons it stands out above the rest is the full creative freedom that comes with crafting a deck.
As long as your cards share the color identity of your Commander (and aren't banned) they're free game. The allure to this format is the constant tinkering and building of new decks, which could become expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Let's take a look.
Top-Rated Cheap Commanders
Everyone has their own definition of what a "budget" deck means. For this list, each Commander can be built for $50 or less.
A preconstructed deck off the shelf would set you back about the same amount, but this list of legends will pack a little more of a punch.
- Etali, Primal Storm
- Brago, King Eternal
- Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator / Breeches, Brazen Plunderer
- Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty
- Kona, Rescue Beastie
- Kuja, Genome Sorcerer
- Arabella, Abandoned Doll
- The Emperor of Palacemia
- Magda, Brazen Outlaw
- Zada, Hedron Grinder
10. Etali, Primal Storm
Etali, Primal Storm has one of the strongest allures of any Commander in the entire game. This massive dino can cast a ton of free spells off the top of your library and that of your opponents. The greatest part is that you do not need much to get a deck like this off the ground.
Pack it full of early mana ramp like Mind Stone and Arcane Signet and some Haste enablers like Swiftfoot Boots and you are off to the races.
Since you can cast your opponents spells, you don't really need to have cards that win you the game in your own deck. Instead, focus on taking advantage of Etali's attack trigger by using cards like Combat Celebrant to go way over the top of your opponents.
9. Brago, King Eternal
Brago, King Eternal is an infamous Azorious (
) powerhouse. Cards with enter the battlefield (ETB) abilities are easy to find. Most of them do not stack up enough value on their own to win the game. Brago gives you a way to stack those little advantages creating massive amounts of value.
Mulldrifter helps refill your hand. Reflector Mage makes sure your opponents can't keep their best Creature. Peregrine Drake provides you with massive amounts of extra mana a turn.
All these cards are great on their own, but once you trigger all three of them every turn, the game is quickly over.
8. Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator / Breeches, Brazen Plunderer
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Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator is a partner Commander focused on making treasure tokens through pirate-based combat. This scoundrel is so powerful he even makes waves in Bracket 5 (cEDH). Breeches, Brazen Plunderer is his partner in crime that takes the top card of your opponents libraries hostage. You're able to cast these cards if you want, and Malcolm's treasures help lower the mana cost.
This swashbuckling duo brings mana and card advantage in the Command Zone. Lightning-Rig Crew is the strongest card for this deck and it is incredibly cheap. Glint-Horn Buccaneer is a relatively cheap card that wins the game on the spot if Malcolm is in play.
Pirate cards are incredibly cheap to cast and to purchase. This strategy can come together on an ultra-low budget and still take down some Bracket 4 decks. If you are searching for a deck that will have you singing sea shanties while saving you some doubloons then this is the deck for you.
7. Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty
It is pretty well known that Simic 
is one of the strongest guilds to build around in Commander. It draws cards easily and has efficient mana ramp. Simic also has some of the nastiest monsters to cheat into play and is filled with ways to do it. Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty is one of those ways.
If you are excited by the cascade mechanic, this Commander is for you. Cast a massive Creature like Ghalta, Primal Hunger and cascade for 12. Imoti also gives each spell you cast with mana value six or greater cascade... that includes the cards you cast out of exile through a cascade trigger.
It is very possible to cast a Brainstorm, stack three massive Creatures on top of your deck, and then cast Koma, Cosmos Serpent and cascade into three threats on top of Koma. This deck gets out of hand so quickly and does not require a high budget to do so.
6. Kona, Rescue Beastie
Kona, Rescue Beastie plays very similarly to Imoti but can put a massive threat into play immediately after it enters the battlefield. Mono Green has plenty of ways to tap down its own Creatures for mana advantage.
Jaspara Sentinel, Loam Dryad, and Saruli Caretaker are some incredibly budget options to trigger Kona.
Titan of Industry, Dawnglad Regent, and Worldspine Wurm are some crazy powerful monsters to cheat into play with Kona. From Eldrazi to dinosaurs, there are plenty of options for you to include in this deck and each one will hit your opponents with a wave of horror.
5. Kuja, Genome Sorcerer
Commanders that are self-contained engines make for great budget decks. Kuja, Genome Sorcerer is a perfect example of this. The gameplan for this Legendary wizard is simple, cast him on turn three with a turn two mana rock and then protect him. His endstep trigger will start to create a pinging wizard army over the course of the game.
Once this trigger has been resolved enough times, he will flip into his other side, winning you the game in seconds. All you have to do is cast noncreature spells. Cast spells that refill your hand and make you mana so you can keep triggering your wizard army.
Unexpected Windfall, Deadly Dispute, and Big Score are just a handful of examples, but there are many more out there waiting to be found.
4. Arabella, Abandoned Doll
Arabella, Abandoned Doll is an aggressive Boros (
) Commander that wants to attack with an army of small Creatures. Each time you do, Arabella's triggered ability will deal massive amounts of damage to your opponents and gaining you that much life in return.
Secure the Wastes, Will of the Mardu, and Song of Totentanz can create a legion of little Creatures in the blink of an eye.
Welcoming Vampire and Mentor of the Meek will make sure your hand is never empty. To close out the game, simply play Kirol, Attentive First-Year or an extra combat spell to double up on Arabella's damage trigger.
3. The Emperor of Palacemia
The Emperor of Palacemia is very similar to Arabella, except it cares about noncreature spells instead of small Creatures. The front side of this Commander is fine, it generates mana for noncreature spells, but the backside is where the main strategy reveals itself.
The Lord Master of Hell deals X damage to each opponent where X is the number of noncreatures in your graveyard. You might be thinking of casting some cheap cantrips like Opt and Consider is the way to take advantage of this, however, there is an even better way.
Traumatize and Cut Your Losses are both one card win conditions with this Commander.
The fact that you only need one card with the combination of your Commander in play to win shoots this Final Fantasy legend to the top three.
2. Magda, Brazen Outlaw
Magda, Brazen Outlaw is one of the strongest Commanders in the game and has made waves in Bracket 5 over the years. Believe it or not, dwarf Creatures do not typically hold a high price tag. Seven Dwarves allows you to fill seven of your dwarf Creature slots and will only cost you a few quarters each.
Once you have a few dwarves in play, you can either send them off to combat or cram them into a Clown Car to generate lots of treasure tokens. Magda will drop either a powerful Artifact or Dragon into play for the low cost of five Treasures.
Lathliss, Dragon Queen and Drakuseth, Maw of Flames are some perfect budget dragons to include. God-Pharaoh's Statue is one the best Artifacts to put directly into play, but that one might get your opponents upset.
1. Zada, Hedron Grinder
The number one spot on this list goes to Zada, Hedron Grinder, a powerful goblin Commander that was just featured in a Secret Lair project. Zada's ability is absolutely broken and does not need much to win with a few puny goblins.
Once you have a few Creatures on the board with cards like Hordeling Outburst and Krenko's Command the party can officially start. Crimson Wisps will give all your Creatures Haste and draw you a card for each Creature you control, for only a single Red mana.
Sudden Breakthrough and Ancestor's Aid pump your team's power and provide a Treasure token investment for each Creature you control.
Kick in the Door () can have you speed running dungeons and Lunar Frenzy will provide you with enough power to hopefully win on the spot; if not, you can always back it up with a Temur Battle Rage.
It is so easy to win with this Commander with a random pile of Creatures and supporting pump spells. If you are looking for the most powerful budget Commander that Magic has to offer, Zada Hedron Grinder should be your choice.
Conclusion
Hopefully this list of legends inspires you to get to work brewing a powerful budget Commander deck. Budget deckbuilding does not have to be that difficult, especially for a format like Commander.
Seek out a Legendary Creature that has a simple and effective gameplan and use it to your advantage.
