Hello everyone! While I was at SCG Con: Charlotte working on the field report article that was recently posted, I explored the convention space to see what all was going on. I came across a very interesting group with an even more interesting format. I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel, and today we're diving into one of the hottest new formats in Magic: The Gathering. With a thriving community of nearly 3,000 players, recognition as a format on Moxfield, and $1,000 prize support events at SCG Cons as well as tournaments at NRG events, Value Vintage (V30) is making waves.

On the surface, the format is fairly simple: a 60-card Vintage-legal format where your entire deck, including the sideboard, must cost $30 or less based on TCG Mid prices. Compared to other budget formats like Pauper, which can see decks costing over $100 (such as Glee Combo), V30 offers a significantly more affordable entry point. Despite the strict budget constraint, the format remains surprisingly powerful. For example, Tinker, a card banned in many formats, is legal in V30 and only costs around $1-$1.50. The card pool allows for some incredibly innovative decklists, which we'll explore later. But let's start at the beginning where did this format come from?

I sat down with one of the format's founders, Everett Nabors, to discuss its origins. Like many homebrew formats, V30 started at a local game store. Back in 2016, in the Greater Cincinnati area, a store wanted to run an event with an Eternal Masters box as the prize. At the time, Commander was growing but hadn't yet reached its current popularity. Instead of using Standard, Legacy, or Modern, the store introduced a deck-building challenge: create a 60-card Vintage-legal deck with a $25 budget (based on TCG Mid pricing). Despite the challenge of navigating one of Magic's deepest card pools without an established meta, the event was a massive success. The format's founders later increased the budget to $30 for a little more flexibility, and that baseline remains in place today.

I asked Everett if he'd consider adjusting the budget due to rising card prices.

"I don't think so. Over nearly a decade, we've kind of stumbled into the perfect price point," Everett said. "Even a $3 change in either direction radically alters the format. Luckily, we don't have the same issues we faced in 2019. WotC's reprint policy has been significantly more generous these past few years. Outside of high-powered staples, cards are generally cheaper than ever. Cards like Uro, White Plume Adventurer, Teferi, Time Raveler, and Oko are much more affordable than people might think. For all their faults, WotC has done a lot to keep powerful cards accessible through reprint sets like Remastered and Mystery Boosters."

As for the meta, V30 remains wide open. With an expansive card pool, players constantly innovate and refine new strategies. Everett shared three decklists that showcase the format's potential: Mono-Red Burn, RB Lurrus Energy, and GW Initiative.

Mono-Red Burn

Every format has a Burn deck, and V30 is no exception. This list features classic staples like Lightning Bolt and Rift Bolt, as well as Monastery Swiftspear, which is banned in Pauper. Interestingly, the sideboard includes a playset of Leyline of the Void to counter graveyard strategies.

Mono-Red Burn | Value Vintage

• Creatures (12)
• 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
• 4 Goblin Guide
• 4 Monastery Swiftspear

• Instants (10)
• 2 Searing Blood
• 4 Fireblast
• 4 Lightning Bolt

• Sorceries (18)
• 2 Flame Rift
• 4 Chain Lightning
• 4 Lava Spike
• 4 Rift Bolt
• 4 Skewer the Critics

• Enchantments (2)
• 2 Sulfuric Vortex

• Lands (18)
• 18 Mountain

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Bonecrusher Giant
• 4 Leyline of the Void
• 4 Pyrostatic Pillar
• 1 Searing Blood
• 4 Smash to Smithereens

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Lurrus Energy

This deck thrives on attrition, disrupting opponents with Hymn to Tourach and gaining card advantage through Skullclamp. Lurrus of the Dream-Den and Chthonian Nightmare provide recurring value, ensuring the deck remains a threat over time.

Rakdos Lurrus Energy | Value Vintage

• Creatures (16)
• 2 Archfiend's Vessel
• 2 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
• 4 Amped Raptor
• 4 Bloodtithe Harvester
• 4 Marionette Apprentice

• Instants (6)
• 2 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Galvanic Discharge

• Sorceries (8)
• 4 Hymn to Tourach
• 4 Inquisition of Kozilek

• Enchantments (5)
• 2 Momentum Breaker
• 3 Chthonian Nightmare

• Artifacts (5)
• 1 Skullclamp
• 4 Unstable Amulet

• Lands (20)
• 5 Mountain
• 7 Swamp
• 1 Foreboding Ruins
• 3 Smoldering Marsh
• 4 Dragonskull Summit

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Duress
• 3 Faerie Dreamthief
• 1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den
• 2 Pyrite Spellbomb
• 1 Raze the Effigy
• 4 Soul-Guide Lantern
• 1 Vexing Bauble

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GW Initiative

The Initiative mechanic, originally designed for multiplayer, has proven dominant in 1v1 formats. This deck uses Initiative and Monarch effects from White Plume Adventurer, Palace Jailer, Seasoned Dungeoneer, and Undermountain Adventurer. It also includes disruption tools like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Anointed Peacekeeper to slow opponents down. Once The Undercity has been explored a few times, the deck generates enough advantage to close out games.

Selesnya Iniative | Value Vintage

• Creatures (30)
• 2 Seasoned Dungeoneer
• 3 Elite Spellbinder
• 3 Palace Jailer
• 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
• 3 Undermountain Adventurer
• 4 Anointed Peacekeeper
• 4 Avacyn's Pilgrim
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 White Plume Adventurer

• Instants (8)
• 4 Once Upon a Time
• 4 Swords to Plowshares

• Artifacts (1)
• 1 Sol Ring

• Lands (21)
• 6 Forest
• 11 Plains
• 4 Fortified Village

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Cathar Commando
• 2 Empty-Shrine Kannushi
• 1 Gaddock Teeg
• 2 Ravenous Trap
• 4 Sanctifier en-Vec
• 3 Summoning Trap

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V30 is an exciting step toward making Magic more accessible while maintaining high-powered gameplay. It is crazy to think that a format at this size with a large community was created off of a one off deck building challenge at a local game store almost 10 years ago. The community is welcoming, and the deck-building possibilities are vast. I don't see this format going away anytime soon. In fact, I think it could only be a matter of time before we see these type of decks being played all over at local game stores for a Value Vintage night. If you're interested in trying 1v1 Magic without spending a fortune, this format could be perfect for you.

If you want to learn more about Value Vintage, check out their Discord, primers, and other resources here: https://linktr.ee/budgetvintagemtg

As always, if you have a topic you would like to see me cover here at Coolstuffinc, send me an email at thoughtvesselshow@gmail.com . Until next time, happy budget gaming!