[Article 1 and Article 2 in this series can be found by clicking on the links.]

Welcome back. If you haven't read the first article in this series I suggest you do so now. The first article explains the logic of the budget Prismatic deck we are trying to build as well as the rationale behind the pick order. This installment covers the Artifact Removal, Graveyard Removal, and Direct Damage categories of a budget Prismatic control deck. It also contains the common portion of the creature's category.

The rankings for the categories of Card Drawing, Creature Removal, and Enchantment Removal can be found in Part II.

Artifact Removal
Because of the color restrictions, I can only think of a few artifacts that will be a major thorn in your side: Platinum Angel, Planar Portal, Mindslaver, and Oblivion Stone. You'll find the occasional player who uses Mind's Eye, Legacy Weapon, Mirari, or the frowned upon Sundering Titan. Because of this, most of your artifact destruction will be your enchantment destruction. Four to eight cards devoted to artifact removal should be run; these cards can also overlap with your enchantment removal.

1. Naturalize [8th; Onslaught]
Deja vu? The top five on the artifact removal list are also high up on the enchantment removal list. If you run the top three, you should be fine with artifact removal.

2. Nantuko Vigilante [Legions]
I want to rave about this card even more, but I will not.

3. Disenchant [7th]
See the Enchantment Removal section for its resume and qualifications.

4. Ray of Distortion [Odyssey]
Also see the Enchantment Removal section for its resume and qualifications.

5. Break Asunder [Scourge]
Ditto.

6. Shatter [7th; 8th; Mirrodin]
There aren't enough artifacts in Prismatic that you will have to dig this deep for additional artifact removal. The reason I list Shatter is that some people may want to avoid spending money on older sets.

7. Deconstruct [Mirrodin]
I also list Deconstruct because it's newer than the top cards.

8. Goblin Replica [Mirrodin]
Ditto. Plus it beats.

Uncommons
4.1 Detonate [Mirrodin]
Fireball and artifact destruction all rolled into one. Platinum Angel? Planar Portal? The price is right for this damage and artifact destroying sorcery. The only reason it's so low is that for a set amount of mana you can get enchantment destruction as well.

4.2 Viridian Shaman [Mirrodin]
For two extra colorless mana, you get an additional power and the ability to destroy enchantments. That additional power is a lot in Prismatic. Most games, the Viridian Shaman as a creature will just be too weak to make any difference.

6.1 Creeping Mold [7th; 8th; Mirrodin]
Again, not a huge fan of the Mold. Still, you never know when you might need it.

6.2 Oxidize [Darksteel]
Last time I checked, Welding Jar wasn't being played in Prismatic.

Graveyard Removal
Graveyard removal? This is a metagame choice. There are two reasons why graveyard removal is absolutely necessary: Buried Alive and Quiet Speculation. Buried Alive often tutors for Jedi (Genesis, Glory, Anger, etc.) or even a target to reanimate like Arcanis the Omnipotent or Akroma, Angel of Wrath. Quiet Speculation often fetches Deep Analysis and Roar of the Wurm, but I've seen people grab Recoup, Ray of Revelation, and Coffin Purge too. Flashback and threshold add even more reasons to get some graveyard removal. Run four to eight graveyard removal spells.

1. Coffin Purge [Odyssey]
Four Coffin Purges are all you really need for graveyard removal. Creatures (Roar of the Wurm) and card drawing (Deep Analysis) can be played around. Moment's Peace, Ray of Revelation, or even Fervent Denial just requires a change in play strategy. However, it's Jedi that need to be removed from the graveyard before it's too late. A Genesis or a Glory negates all of you creature removal.

2. Rats' Feast [Torment]
I wouldn't suggest playing this unless you absolutely find you need more graveyard removal and can't afford any on the uncommon list.

3. Gravegouger [Torment]
Same sentiment as the Rats' Feast. This might serve as a placeholder card until you get some better graveyard removal.

Uncommons
0.9 Withered Wretch [Legions]
$ A Rats' Feast on a stick, double Black is not much of a drawback here due to the sheer power of this card. In less than two turns you can usually remove all Jedi, remove all flashback spells, and take them below threshold. An extremely powerful card.

1.1 Scrabbling Claws [Mirrodin]
Scrabbling Claws work best if you play it on turn 1 and have your opponent remove cards each turn. If they're not playing any Jedi, flashback, or threshold cards, it cycles.

1.2 Krosan Reclamation [Judgment]
Krosan Reclamation is fun because it makes your opponent shuffle their library. This might seem stupid, but it will be worth it when you use Krosan Reclamation after an opponent just discarded their hand to Insidious Dreams.

1.3 Fade from Memory [Onslaught]
Much weaker than Coffin Purge. The beauty of Coffin Purge is that if you don't need it right away you can throw it away and it will still be at your disposal. But, if you get a Fade from Memory and don't need it the choices are harder; do you save or cycle? (On a side note, ever notice that card names follow the same traditional rules of capitalization as book names do?"The,""of,""and,""or," and others are not capitalized. This card and the next are examples of that. Also see Bringer of the X Dawn or Eyes of the Watcher.)

1.4 Dwell on the Past [Torment]
Not much to be said here except that Dwell on the Past provides the most bang for your buck. However, there is the nagging problem that this may be a dead card.

Direct Damage
So I've gone over the mana fixing, the card drawing, and the removal, but how are you supposed to win? Well, this section and the next will deal with that. Direct damage is fantastic for a budget control deck because it can destroy creatures and serve as a victory condition. You should fill most of your Red with it. Eight to sixteen direct damage spells are sufficient; direct damage spells do not count towards your creature removal.

1. Pyrite Spellbomb [Mirrodin]
See a trend? Cards that are never dead cards are the cornerstone of budget control Prismatic decks. A Pyrite Spellbomb on the table will also make your opponent's wary of casting any low-toughness utility creatures (Merfolk Looter, Withered Wretch, etc).

2. Firebolt [Odyssey]
Firebolt's sorcery status is hardly a drawback. The flashback cost is less than prohibitive and, like Pyrite Spellbomb, will make your opponent wary of casting certain utility creatures when it's in the graveyard.

3. Barbed Lightning [Darksteel]
An instant that gives you three damage for three mana would be playable even without the entwine option. It would even be playable if it only allowed you to deal it to creatures. Getting the option of a Volcanic Hammer to your opponent's head makes this card ridiculous.

4. Volcanic Hammer [7th; 8th]
Cheap, effective, and efficient. Don't be afraid to go straight to the dome with this late game when your opponent is low on life.

5. Lightning Blast [7th; 8th]
Four damage for four mana. Lightning Blast kills Platinum Angel, Serra Angel, and oddly enough Lightning Angel (this ain't Pokemon).

6. Solar Blast [Onslaught]
Here is the drop-off point. Solar Blast provides less damage than Lightning Blast and has a prohibitive cycling cost. You will see your opponent play few one-toughness creatures. Run it as a placeholder if you need to.

7. Shock [7th; 8th; Onslaught]
Nowhere near as powerful as Pyrite Spellbomb, Firebolt, or Barbed Lightning. The Spellbomb cycles, Firebolt gets you four damage for six mana, and the Barbed Lightning six damage for five mana. Run Shock as a placeholder if need be, but there are tons of better options out there.

8. Skirk Marauder [Legions]
Six mana for a 2/1 and two damage is way too much. Unless you are short on creatures, don't run this guy.

9. Spark Spray [Scourge]
Like Solar Blast, there will rarely be a time where you want to kill a one-toughness creature. And pinging your opponent is hardly worth this cycler.

10. Essence Drain [Darksteel]
Added because it's a newer card.

Uncommons
2.1 Lightning Rift [Onslaught]
You will be running many cyclers in your budget control deck and the Lightning Rift just increases their stock. Remember, this also triggers off your opponent's cycling, so it will decrease their options, which is always good.

2.2 Fireball [Darksteel]
If your opponent is low enough in life, Fireball is a win condition. Cheesy, yes. But, when you're playing with mostly commons and your opponent has Exalted Angels and Burning Wishes, you'll take any win you can get.

2.3 Blaze [7th; 8th]
Ditto. Blaze has dropped in value because it does not have the"split" option that Fireball does.

3.1 Barbarian Ring [Odyssey]
Two uncounterable, non-Red damage is fantastic. Just make sure you don't ping yourself more than twice or it will be unprofitable in the end.

3.2 Slice and Dice [Onslaught]
A board-clearer for budget decks, Slice and Dice has a cheap cycling cost that can often off a couple of Birds of Paradise and one or two Nekrataal. Just remember not to play the ability if you don't need to. Dealing one damage to your 3/3 creatures means your opponent can pick it off with a Shock.

5.1 Carbonize [Scourge]
I don't see why you would run this over Barbed Lightning. It is still an option if you find yourself needing the"remove from the game" ability.

Creatures
Creatures that provide a useful ability are good. Creatures that are big are also good. So, creatures that provide a nice body and a useful ability are fantastic. This list actually continues past twenty, but I felt that it would be just redundant when I have already listed more than enough creatures for a viable budget control Prismatic deck. There are three questions to consider when judging how good a creature will be in Prismatic: 1) Was the creature good in Limited?; 2) Do the reasons the creature was good in Limited translate to Prismatic?; 3) Is the creature ever a dead card? If the answers are"yes,""yes," and"no," respectively, test it out. You can always pull it later. The remaining slots in your deck should be devoted to creatures.

1. Anarchist [Odyssey]
Anarchist is mind blowing. Looking at commons alone, Anarchist can fetch such staples as Far Wanderings, Deep Analysis, Rush of Knowledge, and Innocent Blood. Anarchist really shines when its fetching your uncommons: Explosive Vegetation, Diabolic Tutor, Zombify, Concentrate, Grizzly Fate, and Chainer's Edict. The best budget creature for a control deck, Anarchist works wonders.

2. Nantuko Vigilante [Legions]
Surprised that this creature isn't number one? Well, if you don't have a handful of powerful sorceries, Vigilante's value obviously rises.

3. Krosan Tusker [Onslaught]
Again, not too surprising. Early game it's a three-mana Inspiration, late game a beefy body. Krosan Tusker is just peachy.

4. Twisted Abomination [Scourge]
The best budget Prismatic land-cycler. The Abomination provides a respectable power and can stop your opponent's offense in its tracks.

5. Chartooth Cougar [Scourge]
It's all over if your opponent cannot deal with this fire-breathing monster. If you get through at least once, you can attack again or finish with burn.

6. Shoreline Ranger [Scourge]
If you have mana to cast this, do it. A 3/4 flyer should stop your opponent's air offense for a while. If your opponent has no air offense, slamming for three ain't too bad either.

7. Echo Tracer [Legions]
Echo Tracer's interactions with Anarchist, Nantuko Vigilante, and Faceless Butcher to remove a creature from the game permanently (bounce the Faceless Butcher while the"remove target creature from the game" is on the stack) make it good. The ability to destroy creature enchantments or have a permanent blocker late game (block, bounce the Echo Tracer back to your hand, play it as a morph next turn) make it exceptional.

8. Wirewood Guardian [Scourge]
I don't care for Wirewood Guardian too much. If it were a 5/5 and had trample, or even 5/4 or 4/4 it would be much better. Still, that shouldn't imply that I don't respect it. Wirewood Guardian for its landcyling addition is a must add to your budget control decks.

9. Faceless Butcher [Torment]
Blah blah, double Black hurts. Blah blah, getting rid of creature makes up for it. Blah blah, awesome interaction with bounce.

10. Mystic Zealot [Odyssey]
2/4 walls that turn into 3/5 flyers quickly are nothing to scoff out. This card was great in Limited and it remains so in a budget control Prismatic deck.

11. Noble Templar [Scourge]
Noble Templar is still a very playable card although it's this far down the list. A 3/6 creature that can attack and stay back for defense is all gravy.

12. Keeneye Aven [Legions]
Catch on yet? Unless a creature has a great ability (that includes flying) or cycling it shouldn't make your deck. Keeneye Aven is never a dead card.

13. Elephant Ambush [Odyssey]
Can't beat the surprise of an Elephant Ambush. I would tell you to watch the look on your opponent's face when you cast this to off their attacking creature, but well, you know.

14. Skinthinner [Legions]
Skinthinner is the watershed creature on this list. While Skinthinner is playable, it's just okay. All the creatures after it are the same way. Good, but not great.

15. Barkhide Mauler [Onslaught]
If the Mauler had trample it would be a very powerful card. Of course, if it had flying, or first strike, or any sort of other ability it would be great too.

16. Aven Fisher [8th; Odyssey]
While Aven Fisher is nowhere near as powerful as Keeneye Aven, it still is a solid card. If it pulls an Icarus it gets replaced, easy as that.

17. Slipstream Eel [Onslaught]
Unless you're playing against an opponent who plays with no basic land (which is rare because of the mana fixers in Green), Slipstream Eel's drawback will rarely be an issue. Seven mana for a 6/6 is awesome, but the double Blue in the casting cost and the Blue in the cycling cost are what keeps it from being above Skinthinner.

18. Scrivener [Odyssey]
Scrivener is nowhere near as powerful as Anarchist. Still a good card, he will rarely make your deck because blue has so many powerful instants that could replace him instead.

19. Werebear [Odyssey]
The Werebear is an adequate card. But like Scrivener, your green will be so tight you won't find any room. Add to the fact that the Werebear has to compete with your other mana fixers and you'll see why he's this low on the list.

20. Wild Mongrel [Odyssey]
Added for perspective, there are probably a lot more common creatures that are better than Wild Mongrel. In the early game, Wild Mongrel is great. However, in a 250-card deck you can't guarantee that you'll get the Mongrel in the early game - you may not even draw it at all for five games straight. Late game, Wild Mongrel is practically a dead card.

The next installment finishes up the Creatures category by looking at the uncommon choices budget Prismatic control players have when building their decks. It will also cover other cards to run that don't fit in these categories and how to assemble your deck.

Thanks for reading,
Sean A. Costales
frogboy [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Arnnaria on Magic Online
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