Is EDH too expensive for you? Wanna play a fun deck that doesn't cost a fortune? Then allow me to introduce you to....Poor Man's EDH. For under $75 you can own a cool, powerful, and fun EDH deck that isn't too limited. So....I've been toying with a Spirit Tribal EDH for a while....and boy has it been a journey. From a five color deck, to a mono white deck, to a three color deck, and after all these lists and thoughts....it's finally here. I honestly cannot begin to describe the power of this tribe. It has an unbelievable amount of powerful tribal effects it can generate that it was insanely difficult to narrow down what I wanted in this budget. It was almost an Esper deck, but after a lot of decision making, I figured Azorius was just how it was meant to be. Even with two colors, there is such a vast card pool you can draw from to create an insane deck that can pull off so many different things that it blows my mind still. So, without any more delay, let's get down....to Spirit Power! Enjoy!
Thraben, a city of hope, a sanctuary of the faithful, and a haven from the horrors of Innistrad. In this city, the Avacynian Church stands above the Lake of Herons, and in this city, faith prospers. Those who die are not forgotten in this sacred place. The dead are given a proper burial, resting in peace. However...some of these dead cannot stay at rest. They return as Spirits to protect the living from the many dangers Innistrad can offer them. Some of these spirits are just family members protecting loved ones. Others are ones like the great Saint Traft. His name is of legend, with people bowing their heads in proper respect when speaking it to this day. A man who battled demons, a man who stood as a pinnacle of humanity. A man that even in death angels descend from the heavens to help battle the wicked. In life, his exploits against demons and servants of these demons were so outstanding, it took several demons to create a plot to attempt to unravel his work and end his life. Even after being slain by WIthengar, he did not rest. Instead, he became a geist to fight off these accursed demons. Now, you stand in awe as he visits you. You speak of your quest, to put an end to conflict that could bring far greater evils to Innistrad, to save not just Thraben, but the Multiverse. Traft listens, and he accepts your offer. Now, guided by the legendary spirit and his army of the restless, you march off to defeat those who wish to harm the Multiverse, so that the restless may rest again....
The Geist of Saint Traft and his gathering of spirits are a force to be reckoned with. The spirit tribe brings together plenty of synergy among each other, with so many powerful abilities, it's hard to figure out where to begin. The best place would be the commander, Saint Traft. This powerful creature is a three mana hexproof spirit that when he attacks puts a 4/4 flying angel token into play attacking with it that exiles at the end of turn. Saint Traft may be a 2/2, but being Hexproof and gaining a 4/4 flying angel at every attack he makes can turn the tide of the game in a tremendous way. It can potentially rain down 6 damage each attack, which can whittle away a life total rapidly. Add to the fact that you have a Rogue's Passage and a Whispersilk Cloak, and that Traft gets any benefits of you spirit benefiting cards, and you have a dangerous commander that can put a game away in no time.
Of course, Traft isn't the only card with value in your deck. Your deck is filled with spirits that can easily give you an advantage in the blink of an eye. From lord cards like Adaptive Automaton and Drogskol Captain, to cards that put +1/+1 counters on them like Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit and Metallic Mimic. The true power of your spirits lies in their abilities that trigger when you play spirits. Cards like Cloudhoof Kirin and Sire of the Storm all activate their effects when you play Spirit cards, and with 33 spirits in your deck, this means they can easily activate consistently. What kind of abilities can activate, you ask? How about drawing cards, getting ki counters to tap creatures or return creatures to hands, gaining life, and even producing more spirits? All of these effects are not only incredibly valuable at almost every point in the game, but create so many different problems for your opponents, it can potentially turn them into allies in order to survive a few more turns. With powerful control cards like Supreme Verdict and Imprison in the Moon, you can definitely take charge in the game at any and every turn.
To add to your seemingly endless abilities, your spirits also support some combos you can pull off. Deadeye Navigator and Fogwalker are incredibly strong from mid to late game, allowing you to freeze multiple creatures at the cost of just two mana a freeze. Another combo you can rely on over extending periods of time is Hikari, Twilight Guardian and Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit. When you cast a Spirit, you exile Hikari and activate Anafenza's bolster. Then, on your end step, you get Hikari back, activating Anafenza again, giving you a powerful boost on two creatures every turn. With these kinds of combos, your extraordinary array of tribal abilities, strong commander, and nice supply of control magic, you will be hard to take down. Which is perfect, since Commander is a game of survival. Who better to understand survival than those who have already passed once?