So this is a project I wanted to engage in- To make a set of 10+ super-budget 60-card decks that are simple, relatively easy to play, relatively easy to understand, and bring across the fundamentals of how Magic Works. We've since gone way past 10, with tons more in the works, and I've really enjoyed the challenge of trying to make these decks easy to play and understand, fun, and all under a $15 budget, sideboard included.
The main goal here is that you could easily build these deck for a low cost and use them as an easy introduction to how magic works, to teach a group of new players both how to play, and give them a sense of Why, a sense of what fun things they're getting into. These decks aren't gonna be particularly good, or even legal in any particular format if it stops me from including a card I think is good for the deck, but they should be fun and interesting without being too hard to get into. They should be an easily-accessible example of how fun Magic: The Gathering can be.
Trying to branch out a little and include more color combinations, starting with more mono-color decks- I needed more agro anyways, and Mono-Green Stompy has an appeal to it as old as time. Sadly, whileI expected Steel-Leaf Champion to be outside my budget 'cause it's in standard, I was disappointed to find that Leatherback Baloth is basically $1 a piece, which is too much for me here. If you're willing to put out more money for the deck, those are what you'd really be looking for, but Hooded Brawler and Boon Satyr will do the trick if they have to.
As for budget: Maindeck cost is currently at about ~$9.60 (according to the middle blue numbers on this very site under estimated value), sideboard at about ~$2.80
So mostly this section is going to be notes on why I think these are good cards to learn from:
Kessig Prowler and Old-Growth Dryads are the new standard in low-drop Green agro creatures, and while Lannowar Elves isn't traditional for agro, a 3-drop on turn 2 is hard to argue against, and it's a nice lesson that Llanowar Elves and its kind of effects are good in a wider variety of situations.
At 2, Strangleroot, Garruk's Companion, and Kalonian Tusker are all simpler, overstated beaters you can deploy against your opponents in mono-G.
At 3, I wanted to be playing Leatherback Baloth, I really did, but the cost was too much, so we settle for Boon Satyr- a 4/2 for 3 is almost good enough, and flash and bestow are just gravy, if not exactly how this deck usually likes to operate, while Hooded Brawler is far from ideal, but Exerts as a 5/4 for 3, which is good enough. Also Considered Shrill Howler, as a 3/1 with a sort of evasion effect, and a mana sink just like Kessig Prowler, but I feel like Brawler does more of what this deck is interested in.
For spells- you don't need removal if they can't afford *not* to block you- as such, you make sure you win those fights- Giant Growth, and Tread Upon to overcome chump blocks.
Hey, it's mono-color, so I don't have to complain about the manabase, this is actually what you'd want from it. Neat.
As for the sideboard, this IS supposed to be a sideboard they learn how to use, to make their deck perform better in the right matchups, or just in general to customize their decks within constraints.
Naturalize and plummet are simple classics, Pounce is for when I'm wrong and you do need removal, Elvish Mystic lets you accelerate a bit more if you need to, Overrun is overrun, probably not what you want to be accelerating TO, since you'd rather hit in with those mana dorks too, but solid, and Kavu Predator is sideboard tech to wreck decks that gain life against you as hard as possible.