Budget Build Series - Simic & Sultai Flash
Hi All,
My name is MTG_Joe and I am a newer content creator on this fine site. I primarily play Arena on my YouTube channel, with a lot of my focus being providing detailed game commentary of everything from budget decks to jank to Tier 1 decks.
One article series I have been posting for a couple sets now on the Arena Sub-Reddit is a Budget Build Series. To provide some background on the series, I start off with the most budget version I can build, ideally all commons and uncommons and free cards from starter decks with the caveat of lands which I play the full 8 rare lands for the color pair. From there I move into a mid-budget upgrade where we try to add 10-12 rares/mythics followed up with a non-budget fully optimized version, in most case moving into a 3rd color. I do try to have a mind on upcoming rotation when building these, but cannot guarantee these are “rotation proof” considering such a large card pool is rotating out of standard. If you are interested in seeing all my other build series and budget decks you can check out my Reddit Thread.
For this writeup, I am focusing on the popular standard deck Simic Flash. With this particular series, since the mid-budget is pretty much the full tuned Simic Flash deck that is really popular right now. For the “non-budget” decided to splash a 3rd colour to make a Sultai variant which felt really powerful.
With each variation I play a couple matches in Bo3 & Bo1 and have begun with the mid and non budget to play ranked matches so more competitive demos of the deck.
Budget Simic Flash (Build Series)
Main 60 cards (15 distinct)
Lands - 24
Side 15 cards (6 distinct)
Main 60 cards (15 distinct)
Lands - 24
Side 15 cards (6 distinct)
Main 60 cards (15 distinct)
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (20) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.22€0.140.03 | |||
|
2
Negate
|
$0.25€0.120.03 | ||
|
3
Opt
|
$0.25€0.110.03 | ||
|
3
Unsummon
|
$0.21€0.090.03 | ||
| $0.19€0.060.03 | |||
| $0.25€0.150.03 | |||
| $0.19€0.040.03 | |||
| Creature (16) | |||
| $0.25€0.150.03 | |||
| $0.62€1.000.03 | |||
| $0.24€0.110.03 | |||
| $0.22€0.160.03 | |||
| Land (24) | |||
|
5
Forest
|
$1.03€0.180.03 | ||
| $1.15€0.870.02 | |||
|
12
Island
|
$0.79€0.070.03 | ||
| $16.43€15.090.17 | |||
Side 15 cards (6 distinct)
| $0.24€0.120.03 | |||
| $0.25€0.150.03 | |||
|
2
Negate
|
$0.25€0.120.03 | ||
| $0.27€0.220.04 | |||
| $6.90€6.235.34 | |||
| $0.85€0.740.04 |
This Budget version of the deck looks to play a tempo – control strategy in which you try to counter key threats by your opponent, if not drop down an early creature to apply pressure on your opponent. Everything in this main deck can be played at instant speed so on your opponents turn. You can close out the game by making a huge Brineborn Cutthroat
or just chipping in with a bunch of small creatures. Spectral Sailor
helps refill your hand in the long game, and flexible cards like Unsummon
and Blink of an Eye
can always target your creatures like frilled mystic to rebuy counterspells.
The only rares are the dual lands, which in a pinch you can play tapped lands (in this case I am missing 1 hinterland harbor which I am opting to not craft).
I provide a detailed explanation of all the cards used and sideboard rationale in the video if interested in reasoning.
Simic Flash (Build Series)
Main 60 cards (17 distinct)
Lands - 24
Side 15 cards (5 distinct)
Main 60 cards (17 distinct)
Lands - 24
Side 15 cards (5 distinct)
Main 60 cards (17 distinct)
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (17) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.19€0.060.03 | |||
|
3
Unsummon
|
$0.21€0.090.03 | ||
|
2
Opt
|
$0.25€0.110.03 | ||
|
2
Negate
|
$0.25€0.120.03 | ||
| $0.19€0.040.03 | |||
| $0.30€0.190.02 | |||
| $0.22€0.140.03 | |||
| Creature (19) | |||
| $0.25€0.150.03 | |||
| $0.55€0.310.02 | |||
| $0.62€1.000.03 | |||
| $0.24€0.110.03 | |||
| $0.22€0.160.03 | |||
| Land (24) | |||
| $0.39€0.230.02 | |||
|
9
Island
|
$0.15€0.020.03 | ||
| $1.15€0.870.02 | |||
|
5
Forest
|
$0.15€0.100.03 | ||
| $16.43€15.090.17 | |||
Side 15 cards (5 distinct)
| $0.25€0.140.03 | |||
| $0.39€0.210.02 | |||
| $0.24€0.120.03 | |||
| $0.27€0.220.04 | |||
|
2
Negate
|
$0.25€0.120.03 |
This variation of the deck upgrades our win conditions, and is basically the popular deck that is placing high at a number of tournaments. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus full 75 build, so each list you see may have slight variations depending on meta.
Additions (Rares & Mythics only):
This card is the best card in the deck hands down, and really gives legs to this strategy. A 4/4 for 4 that we can flash in is a good clock on its on, but pair with the fact it makes a 2/2 wolf each turn helps us go wide. Paired with this is the fact that it serves as an anthem effect that can stack when we have multiples out.
This is featured as a 1 of in some lists as a faster way to close out the game. I’d probably just got 4 Spectral Sailor as I never found a good opportunity to cast this in my games. One thing I caught mid game is the spell does not untap the land you animate, so in order to surprise ambush the opponent’s attacking creature you need 6 mana.
Sideboard: this deck has a hard time against little Teferi, Ceratops laughs in the face of little Teferi, while proving to be close to unbeatable for Mono Blue Tempo.
Sultai Flash
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
Lands - 24
Side 15 cards (7 distinct)
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
Lands - 24
Side 15 cards (7 distinct)
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (18) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.22€0.140.03 | |||
| $0.25€0.100.03 | |||
| $0.19€0.060.03 | |||
| $0.25€0.140.03 | |||
| $0.19€0.040.03 | |||
| $0.30€0.440.57 | |||
| $2.99€1.910.13 | |||
| Creature (18) | |||
| $0.25€0.150.03 | |||
| $0.55€0.310.02 | |||
| $0.24€0.110.03 | |||
| $0.78€0.570.02 | |||
| $0.22€0.160.03 | |||
| Land (24) | |||
| $2.69€1.800.02 | |||
| $0.39€0.230.02 | |||
| $1.58€1.070.02 | |||
| $13.36€13.600.29 | |||
| $11.91€10.240.15 | |||
|
1
Island
|
$0.15€0.020.03 | ||
| $1.15€0.870.02 | |||
| $16.43€15.090.17 | |||
Side 15 cards (7 distinct)
| $0.39€0.210.02 | |||
| $0.24€0.060.03 | |||
|
3
Negate
|
$0.25€0.120.03 | ||
| $2.99€1.910.13 | |||
| $0.30€0.440.57 | |||
| $0.39€0.240.02 | |||
| $0.35€0.410.02 |
This variation of the deck adds in black to have hard removal options. We also have a pirates sub-theme so lookout’s dispersal becomes a much more versatile counter option.
Additions (Rares & Mythics only, not listing out dual lands):
This creature is pretty versatile in the sense it can anthem our attacking pirates but more often than note, ambush a bigger creature and through blocking with deathtouch kill it. It being a pirate also reduces lookout’s dispersal mana cost.
Flexible removal option that can target whatever permanent we need including lands like Azcanta or the Zombie creating land in scapeshift decks. There are a lot of greedy manabases right now so we can sometimes catch it where they don’t have basics to search. 2 Main 1 Side.
I found the flash deck had issues with many go wide strategies including Aggro and feather, so wanted 1 board wipe in there that didn’t hit our Nightpack Ambusher
The deck can have trouble at times vs Nexus, since we have to win through combat. Idea of this was basically to remove Nexus or 3 mana Teferi.
This is my first article on the site so welcome to feedback for future articles. If you'd like to keep the converation going, I'm very active in the Arena Sub Reddit or you can catch a Stream live on YouTube and Twitch @MTG_Joe.
- MTG_Joe
IG: MTG_Joe2
Twitter:MTG_Joe2
About MTG_Joe:
MTG_Joe
I am a part time content creator on YouTube playing everything from budget brews to Tier 1 lists. I enjoy focusing on build guides and explaining strategy through my videos to help our newer and returning players. I am also very engaged in the Arena Subreddit community, also happy to chat MTG.
Youtube & Twitch: MTG_Joe
Twitter & Instagram: MTG_Joe2
Cheers!