Hello, Nation! Whether you are playing Commander or Five Color or Emperor, a lot of casual players like to pimp out their decks. For years, I've been occasionally picking up a card here or there to trick out Abe's Deck of Happiness and Joy. I've looked through foils, promos, old cards, foreign cards, signed cards, misprints, oddities, and even the occasional re-arted card to find the stuff that will make my deck interesting. While a lot of these cards are on the expensive side, there are still a ton of cards out there that you can get for really cheap, and will make your deck look a lot better.

This is an article for those who want something more in their favorite deck besides basic lands that have nothing special going on. I went through three major categories of cards to find those that I think are a really good deal despite the attraction of these cards in Commander. You can acquire all of these on CoolStuffInc.com as of the writing of this article (which is admittedly a week-ish ago). Are you interested? Let's go!

Old Cards

Disintegrate – You can get a near-mint Beta one for $3, and it looks a lot better than a Time Spiral Disintegrate. ($2.50 for a played one.) Disintegrate is a fine spell, and has a lot of play value. You might as well do it in style, right?

Regrowth – If you find the $20 for Beta/played and roughly the same for the foil promo to be too much, that's fine. I recently picked up a foreign black-bordered one with the original art for just $9.

Aladdin's Ring – Clearly, the original Arabian Nights version is the one you want. $5 played, $6 mint for this card. When you look at it, it's pretty useful for a variety of decks.

Atog – There's no reason not to have Antiquities Atog when they cost 40¢ to 50¢ each. Also true of many commons of value during this era, like Ornithopter, Reconstruction, or Drafna's Restoration. You can get some quality commons for your decks for roughly the cost of an adequate uncommon today.

Drain Life – Even after the printing of Consume Spirit, there're still aren't many Drain Life effects out there. You might as well grab either a Beta or Alpha one; each is $3.25, played.

Jalum Tome – If you aren't playing Blue, getting a Merfolk Looter ability is virtually impossible barring this. Spending 2 mana for it is very reasonable for Red, Green, and White. Just 75¢ for an Antiquities, near-mint one.

Prodigal Sorcerer – Do you remember when everyone had a Prodigal Sorcerer deck? You can relive those days with a near-mint Beta copy at $2, $1.75 for played.

Resurrection – Getting a foil one from Time Spiral is fun too, but having a copy from the original set for just a small price is really good. $2.50 for a played Alpha or Beta Resurrection. That's an uncommon for just $2.50.

Terror – Terror is a classic card of the game. You can always play it. Would you like a Beta one for $4 near-mint or $3.25 played? I would!

Urzatron – I don't know if many people out there realize that you can get the Urza lands from Antiquities for roughly $1.00 to $1.50 each. Urza's Power Plant, Urza's Tower, and Urza's Mine can be yours for the price of a bulk rare from Mirrodin Besieged. There's no sense in having a set from any other time.

Foil Rares of Low Financial Value but High Play Value

I wanted to include some older cards that you might think have a higher cost but don't, and some newer cards that, despite the price suppression in the mythic era, are still mega-cheap.

Ambush Commander – Hellooooooo, Elf decks. Would you like another great card for your deck? $4.

Biomantic Mastery – We all know that drawing cards, especially a baker's dozen, never goes out of style. $1.50.

Brood Sliver – While the value of a lot of the Slivers from Legions has skyrocketed, not this one. I've never seen a Green sliver deck that didn't run this, and a foil is just $3.

Cauldron of Souls – I was surprised a month ago to find that the foil version of this mega-awesome card was a simple $1.50, so I picked up a few for my decks, and there are still more in stock! Pick some of these up today.

Dawn Elemental – Although this is exclusively for mono-White decks, in those it is simply amazing. $3 for the foil is a good deal to my mind.

Elvish Soultiller – This tool for Johnnies or Timmies is just $1.50 for your foil version. It's also underplayed, because its ability is strong. It's from the day when Elves were big.

Flameblast Dragon – I know that it's from the era of the mythic and its subsequent reduction in single prices, but this is still the single best Dragon printed since Bogardan Hellkite in Time Spiral, and you can get a foil version for $2.

Gravespawn Sovereign – Would your Zombie deck like a foil version of this card? I bet it would, since it's just $1.50.

Hoofprints of the Stag – Another entry in the mega-powerful Lorwyn–Shadowmoor mega-block that was very powerful for your casual decks. A foil is just $1!

Ivory Mask – One of the absolute essential tools of fighting against multiple foes is this bad boy. Get a shiny one for $3.

Kirtar's Wrath – Be a magpie, and collect this shiny object for $3 near-mint, and $2.50 played. Mass removal never looked so good.

Leyline of Anticipation – The ability to flash out anything means you always play cards on your schedule, not on your opponent's. This is super-powerful and with a foil at $2, that's strong.

March of Souls – $1.25, for those who prefer a different sort of Wrath effect.

Meglonoth – There are going to be some great creatures on this list, and Meglonoth is another good one. It has offense and defense in one great card. $1.50.

Might of Oaks – Who hasn't killed someone by playing Might of Oaks? Of all of the cards ever printed in Magic, after Red spells, this is likely the one that people have killed the most players with. Go kill some more for $1.75 to $2 for that near-mint copy, depending on the set

Mordant Dragon – Dragons are never going to let you down , especially not for a foil rare at $1.

Mycoid Shepherd – Take a look at this creature, which I also think is a bit underplayed. You can get a full foil set for $4, or one for $1.

Myojin of Seeing Winds – While not every deck wants an expensive Spirit Legend from Kamigawa block, this one fits into a surprising number of decks. It's got what you want—indestructibility until you draw about twenty-seven cards all at once. How much for the premium version of this card? Just $1.25.

Nightmare – Nightmare is an odd card. Considering how many of them exist, the price of the Alpha/Beta ones is really mega-high, and yet the price on foils is really mega-low. Get a Magic 2010 one for just $1. Just don't supersize your meal today, and you can get a foil Nightmare!

Phyrexian Rebirth – $3 for a foil sweeper from the recent set is pretty good. It's especially good if that sweeper makes a beater.

Planar Despair – Take a look at the card. Think you can find a home for it? A foil is just a $1.

Riptide Mangler – For a card that costs just 2 mana, and can be 10/3 easily and permanently, $0.75 for the foil one seems like a gift.

Sanguine Praetor – Just like Planar Despair, sometimes I have to just point out a card to you, to see if you may want to give it a second look. $0.75.

Scourglass – Scourglass is a pretty good card for your removal needs. $3 for the foil version seems pretty reasonable.

Scute Mob – I talked about this as recently as last week. Since it saw some tournament play here and there, I was wondering of some of you may have thought that it cost more than it does. Well, a foil is $1.50.

Seahunter – Merfolk, Elf, and Goblin decks always have to decide if they want to play the cool ----hunter from Nemesis for their tribe, when the hunter itself is not of that race. Seahunter is grand for a tribe that only has tribal cards occasionally. You can get a played foil for a mere $1.25.

Shadow of Doubt – There are a few cards you play simply because you can. You can always play this for 2 mana just to cycle it for a card, but when you get to stiff a fetch land or a tutor, and draw a card, you'll feel like a king. $1.50 gets you the foil so you can be a King of Style.

Solar Tide – See also: cheap sweeping removal. $1.

Soulscour – See above. $1 here as well.

Sphinx of Jwar Isle – While I still don't buy the Sphinx flavor as the new Blue, you can't deny the power of this card for your decks, especially not at a price tag of $1.50 for foils.

Sphinx of Lost Truths – Similarly, this Sphinx is too good to pass up at $1 per foil.

Supreme Inquisitor – $1.25 for a foil allows you to tap those Wizards for game.

Thriss, Nantuko Primus – Do you know what's better than a legendary bug that taps to give a dude +5/+5, in foil, for $1.50? Neither do I.

Tower of Eons – Not all of the Towers are playable outside of Type 4. This one is. $1.50 for the foil.

Tunnel Vision – Read this card. Now read it again, assuming that you'll target yourself. I made that mistake the first few times I read it. $1.25 for played foil.

Turn the Tables – The crossroads of Fog Alley and Removal Lane give you this very powerful card. The foil is just $1.

Violent Ultimatum – Whether it is the best of the Ultimatums is up for debate. It certainly is better than the $1 price tag for a foil.

Wild Pair – Considering all of the nuisance you can get to with a Wild Pair out, I think $1.25 for a foil one is a great deal.

World Queller – $1 for the shiny version of this unusual card seems like a steal.

Cheap Promos

Some people realize how cheap a lot of promos are, but not everyone does. If you play FNM every week, you may have a lot of these already, or have little respect for their price. Not all of my readers are like that, so for those to whom a great promo is really cool, how about some of these?

Brion Stoutarm – The Wal-Mart foils are misnamed, because I've found them in Meijer stores as well, in the bulk Magic section. This is a great card and a sexy five-color mana wheel at the bottom really pops with the gold border. $2.

Corrupt – Full-art cards are sexy. Many of them are the absolute icons of their color, and make great cards for your decks. $1.50 for this one.

Deep Analysis – $2 for the foil promo of a card you play all of the time seems like a good deal to me.

Elvish Aberration – Another entry in the "When Elves Were Big" era, this promo foil is just $1.50.

Fireball – There are so many ways you can pimp your Fireball. Alpha/Beta are available, foil versions, and several promos. The full-art one is gorgeous and worth just $1.50.

Firebolt – In my opinion, this is the second-best damage spell for ever printed, and a cool foil promo is $1.

Glory – Many of the prerelease cards are of limited value, especially the ones before Time Spiral. This one is not. I have never built a multiplayer deck that included White and did not include this, unless I didn't have any more copies. You can still get the prerelease foil for a paltry price: $1.50

Harmonize – For $3, you get one of the classic cards of the color, in full-art form. Beautiful!

Harrow – This textless card with full art is just $2.50.

Hinder – As far as counterspells go, Hinder is my fourth-favorite one for ever printed. Getting it in full art is really smart (especially when you pay $1).

Icy Manipulator – Icy Manipulator is like the artifact Fireball. There have been tons of versions through the years. This is the super-awesome original art, with new borders and in foil, for $2.25.

Infest – Infest is basically the black Pyroclasm. You see it sometimes in tournament decks, and a lot in casual decks. It has a good, strong value. Getting a textless one for a timeless card like this is a solid investment for $1.50.

Lobotomy – Raise your hand if you like Lobotomy! Don't you want to do it in style? $1.50.

Mind Stone – While I really like the new picture, I would love to have seen it in the old border. Get a foil promo of this staple for $2.

Mortify – I would call this the Instacate, but most probably wouldn't get what I was saying. It looks and sounds too much like Instigate. Full art: $2.

Mulldrifter – When you consider how much play this card has gotten through the years, and how creepy-cool the alternate art is, I think $2.50 for the promo Mulldrifter is a fine price.

Ophidian – Paying $2 for a foil promo of one of the greatest creatures of its era is not a bad deal at all. Sure, today the creatures deal damage and draw you cards. They may seem better. But at a multiplayer table, no one wants to take damage, so people get upset when you ping them with a Scroll Thief. They don't get as upset if you attack an open player with Ophidian in the early game for cards.

Putrefy – If Mortify is Instacate, this is Instapulse. Get a full-art one for $3.

Rampant Growth – $2 allows you to stay classy with this textless, timeless mana accelerant for 2 mana.

Recollect – Considering how useful Regrowth is, Recollect never got the same respect. Ancestral Recall for 1 more mana? Still broken! Time Walk for 1 more mana? Still broken! Timetwister for 1 more mana? Still broken! Wheel of Fortune for 1 more mana? Still broken! Balance for 1 more mana? Still broken! Sol Ring for 1 more mana? Still broken! Regrowth is so powerful that for years, Vintage players would splash Green just to play this one card. And yet, for 1 more mana, we get a card no one plays, and you can get a promo textless version for a humble $1.

Remove Soul – While I think Exclude is a stronger card, you can't go wrong with a 2-mana Remove Soul. Get a textless version for $1.50.

Roar of the Wurm – $1.50 for a card with the tournament pedigree of this card seems super-reasonable.

Sign in Blood – Do you like drawing cards in style? Get a full-art version of Sign in Blood for $2.

Spike Feeder – Spike Feeder will rock your world with its awesomeness. Until Kitchen Finks, it was still the best card for its casting cost in Green with its rough abilities. It's still the second-best, and that ain't bad, my friends. It's certainly better than a $2.50 promo foil.

Sylvan Ranger – Just because it's new doesn't mean it's not good. Rock out with Sylvan Ranger for $1.50 for a foiled promo version.

Terror – If you prefer the textless version of Terror to the Alpha/Beta version, that's okay. Ron Spencer drew both, so his feelings won't get hurt either way. This one is a bit cheaper at $2.50 than the previous one mentioned.

Tidings – Of all of the textless new art cards, this is my favorite artwork, no question. Get one for $1.50.

Unmake – Unmake has always been a card with no frills. Spend 3 mana, and exile any creature. Don't give away life or a land or require it to be attacking or anything. Just exile it. $2.50 and your full-art Unmake can do wonders for your decks.

Wing Shards – Considering how much of a hammer to the face Wing Shards can be, getting a foil promo one for just $2.50 seems like a great deal for you. Not for your foes.

Two Oddities

Uktabi Kong – Do you play Un- sets? If so, then Uktabi Kong is an awesome creature. Getting a foil one for $3 appears to be a monkey of a good deal.

Dauntless Escort – If a card is Asian and foil, how pimp is it? $2.75 will allow you to find out with this great beater and saver.

Whew! I listed eighty cards for your perusal. I hope you can find some good cards for your decks here, and shuffle in style! Make sure you wear a tie when you play.

See you next week,

Abe Sargent