Magic: The Gathering is well known for its multitude of Creatures across the Multiverse, from a meek, conniving Goblin to a ferocious beast the size of a building. Today, we're going to focus on one such beast, Craterhoof Behemoth.

Originally printed in Avacyn Restored back in 2012, Craterhoof Behemoth is notorious for being a fantastic finisher in any Green Creature-Based decks, especially in Commander. It does exactly what you want at the end of a game in that it comes down and encourages you to attack with all of your creatures after tapping out to play it.

So, how come every Green deck doesn't use it? There are plenty of factors, but when a card is actually good, the main one is almost always price. Accessibility of a card is key for the average player to actually want to play a card. Sure, in a casual game you can use a play-test card, but the average player would probably rather play the actual version of a card.

This list is going to show you the Top 5 Budget Alternatives to our giant Green friend.

Let's Talk Numbers

According to EDHREC, at the time of this article, Craterhoof sees play in just 7.13% of the decks that it could potentially be in. In terms of other Green finishers/big creatures, cards like Avenger of Zendikar and Finale of Devastation sit higher than Craterhoof Behemoth.

According to MTG Stocks, in 2021, the cheapest base version (non-foil English) of Craterhoof you could find would cost you an average of $79.59. Most people in the market for a Craterhoof likely want it for Commander, where you can buy an entire preconstructed deck for less than the cost of one card. So how can we make this cheaper?

Today, you can find a Craterhoof Behemoth for closer to $21.99, likely due to the fact that it has had 12 more printings since the Modern Masters 2017 version that peaked. That's a 72.37% drop in price from its glory days!

I bet we can do better.

Our goal with this list is to accomplish two things.

1. Replace Craterhoof Behemoth with a card that is comparable in power level. That means that when we cast it, it's either ending us the game or locking it up for us.
2. Replace Craterhoof Behemoth with a card that is considered budget friendly. Craterhoof is a Mythic Rare and this would be a staple in your Creature-Based Green decks, so I'll lock us in between $1.00 and $5.00.

Of course, there are a couple of caveats.

• These budget Craterhoof Behemoths don't necessarily have to be Creatures, since Craterhoof's benefit is its Triggered Ability, not his own personal beefiness (although it does help).
• Ideally, we want these to also be Mono-Green, to fit the same niche that Craterhoof has, but they won't all be. The ones that aren't will be ranked lower than the Mono-Green options.

Honorable Mentions

These are the cards that almost made the cut. They either just missed the mark on our goals or have been outclassed with stronger (and still just as cheap) options.

Overwhelming Stampede

Hoo boy, I'm gonna get some heat for this one. Debuting in Magic 2011, this Sorcery only costs and makes your creatures bigger by the amount of your biggest creature, which is unfortunately also its downside. You have to check the amount on resolution, so an opponent can remove your largest creature in response, making it significantly worse. This card just isn't what it used to be, and has gotten outclassed by more creative options.

Esper Origins // Summon: Esper Maduin

Another Sorcery in the HM's, this time from Final Fantasy, this card starts off as some deck manipulation and minor life gain. When you flash it back, it flips into a Saga, where Esper Maduin's third Chapter Ability will pump your team and give them Trample. Unfortunately, this is just too slow for what we're going for. We want something less telegraphed and more impactful.

Rumbleweed

Rumbleweed is actually quite good. It's got a massive 8/8 body with Vigilance, Reach, and Trample, so it attacks and blocks well. Its trigger is the same as Overrun, which cards like Overwhelming Stampede were based off. Unfortunately, it has two issues. One, it's just too expensive. Only dedicated land decks are going to make its mana cost relatively low. Two, at the time of writing, this card is averaging around $6-$7, which just loses out on our price threshold.

Top Five Budget Alternatives to Craterhoof Behemoth

With the Honorable Mentions out of the way, let's dive in to the best of the best if you're looking to 'Hoof 'em out on a budget.

#5 - Earthshaker Giant

Earthshaker Giant does what we wanted Rumbleweed to do. Rumbleweed's main issue is that it was too high-costed. It may have a bigger body and two more abilities, but when you're already Overrun-ning your opponents' boards, it doesn't make much a difference.

This card only has two printings, first as a promo in Game Night 2019 and the second as a reprint in Mystery Booster. This card feels Foundation-esque to me, so I could see it getting a reprint in a future product; it is the epitome of what a Green card should look like to a new player as well. Big body, big impact, and a low cost (around $2.50-$3.00)

#4 - Titanic Ultimatum

Our final noncreature on this list, Titanic Ultimatum has only been printed in a legitimate set once, in Shards of Alara, with a Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas printing and a couple Secret Lair versions as well. Typically, that would usually indicate that a card would be pricier, but luckily, we've struck gold here.

Speaking of Gold, this card is multicolored, specifically in Naya colors. The Three-Color Ultimatums in Magic tend to be a reflection of what those three colors do together, and this is no exception. Naya is great for large swarms getting bigger, and then each of the three colors (Red, White, and Green) are represented with the three abilities given (First Strike, Lifelink, and Trample).

Sitting around $3.00 for a regular version, this card fits right into our budget Craterhoof Behemoth niche. It's not Mono-Green though, or it would probably be higher on our list.

#3 - Pyrewood Gearhulk

If you read my weekly sale column, then you know that I absolutely adore Gearhulks. Pyrewood Gearhulk has great stats for its cost, as a 7/7 with Vigilance and Menace for only six mana. It's a little more color intensive, but at that stage in the game, you'll have the colors needed.

Its trigger, though, is where it shines. Unlike Craterhoof Behemoth, Pyrewood Gearhulk only gives a smaller buff of +2/+2, but makes up for it with Vigilance and Menace. I would argue that Menace on its own is better than Trample, but adding Vigilance ups the ante for you by letting you leave back blockers.

It also says that damage can't be prevented this turn, which is bigger than some might realize. Protection, in Magic, prevents damage being dealt. Pyrewood Gearhulk circumvents that, making it so you still damage through protection.

Sitting between $1.25-$2.00, Pyrewood does what we want and does it cheaper in both mana and money, proudly earning today's bronze medal.

#2 - Jubilation

Our most recently printed card on the list, here from Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander, Jubilation takes the silver medal. Jubilation is no stranger to doing big, Green things. When it enters, your creatures get +2/+2 and Trample, which at six mana, is slightly worse than Earthshaker Giant.

That being said, Jubilation is part of the Encore cycle. Encore means that you can pay the Encore cost and exile it from the graveyard. You'll create a token copy of Jubilation for each opponent that attacks that opponent this turn. The tokens go away, but each one of them gets the Enters trigger.

That means that in an average Four-Player pod of Commander, you'll make three Jubilations, giving your creatures +6/+6 and trample, along with three extra attacking bodies. On its own, this would be 33 total damage. With more creatures in play, though, it's massive.

Landing at $1.50, Jubilation is exactly what we think when we want a budget Craterhoof Behemoth. I was between 1st and 2nd place here, but ultimately, our winner goes to...

#1 - End-Raze Forerunners

End-Raze Forerunners is quite literally the most budget Craterhoof that a budget Craterhoof could be. These scary boars matchup on cost. They matchup on Haste. They don't have any fancy bells or Encore-ing whistles. In some games, they're potentially better than Craterhoof.

These little piggies are a 7/7 compared to Craterhoof's 5/5. They may only give +2/+2, but in a dedicated go-wide deck, that should be enough to close a game out. They also give both Vigilance and Trample. Not having to worry about leaving blockers back is such a nice peace of mind that you have, letting you swing to your heart's content.

Final Thoughts

Craterhoof Behemoth is an absolute beast of a Magic card. We may not want to break our wallets when we make our lists and it's nice to mix it up every now and then. Don't get me wrong, if you own Craterhoof, play Craterhoof. It's still the best version of them all.

I hope you enjoyed reading. See you next time, folks.