While I haven't had the opportunity to play much Commander lately, I have been interested to see what's changed in my beloved "cheap" Traxos deck.
As a quick reminder, EDHRec.com has the option to return the "average" deck for a specific Commander and can be sorted to show only the bottom 10% or "cheap" version of the average deck. That's what I play for Traxos: the deck that is the average of all of the decks in the database at the bottom 10% of the cost curve. Click here for the current cheap (budget) average.
I last updated this list way back at the beginning of April 2021. Since then, 32 more decks have been added to the database at the bottom 10% of the curve. Let's see what changes the crowd has made to Traxos.
Creature Changes
- Out --> In
- Lodestone Golem --> Brass Squire
- Artisan of Kozilek --> Ornithopter of Paradise
- Scrapyard Recombiner --> Shimmer Myr
These changes all make the deck a bit faster. There is a lot of equipment in the list, so the Brass Squire makes sense. Artisan was the previous top end card and I found it stranded in my hand quite a bit. Because there is so much focus on Traxos, the deck close to being a glass cannon. Shimmer Myr helps with timing the threats.
Colorless Changes
- Out --> In
- Warping Wail --> Titan's Presence
- Gruesome Slaughter --> Introduction to Annihilation
Warping Wail replaced Titan's Presence in an earlier list, so this is a return for the removal spell. Introduction to Annihilation is a newer card and in this deck does a lot of what Gruesome Slaughter would do at a lower cost and with a different drawback. There just aren't that many big creatures in the deck to leverage Gruesome Slaughter.
Artifact Changes
- Out --> In
- Blinkmoth Urn --> Blackblade Reforged
- Darksteel Ingot --> Sol Ring
- Forsaken Monument --> Ghostfire Blade
- Golden Egg --> Eye of Vecna
- Fleetfeather Sandals --> Hero's Blade
- Mirror Shield --> Moonsilver Key
- Sword of Vengeance --> Nettlecyst
- Cliffhaven Kitesail --> Wastes
Sol Ring has finally been reprinted enough times to start showing up in these "cheap" budget lists. Otherwise, equipment with "blade" in its name is a huge for the updated list. Eye of Vecna is an efficient way to trigger the Traxos untap trigger and draw some cards. Moonsilver Key is an interesting tutor effect in this list. Nettlecyst plays double-duty as a creature and then as a huge threat equipment. This change bumps up the land count with an additional Wastes. With some different choices for the ramp slots this wouldn't be needed, but who can argue with the wisdom of the crowds?
Land Changes
- Out --> In
- Mishra's Factory --> Urza's Factory
- Sunscorched Desert --> Guildless Commons
- Gargoyle Castle --> Buried Ruin
Guildless Commons seems like a fine 1.5 land budget replacement. I'm not sure about cutting Mishra's Factory for Urza's Factory. I've been in situations where either land would have been good after a board wipe or when not drawing a threat. I would have cut Mage-Ring Network and kept both.
All in all, the deck's cost stayed about the same at around $36 through TCGPlayer Direct (as of today). That's not bad for a complete Commander deck that is capable of smashing face. The deck does lack reach and will almost certainly lose once it gets behind. Fitting in more budget card draw could help. Otherwise, anything that takes Traxos offline puts a hurt on this deck. But if you are looking for something fun, cheap, and quick, this is the deck for you!
