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.
The Idea being 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.
So when I was building the Azorious Control Shell, I kept finding good cards that pulled me in an entirely different direction. So I came down this direction when I finished, and ended up with this sweet Azorious Tempo deck. I genuinely like the cards I get to play in this deck, which isn't true of all these budget decks- I think this one is pretty sweet, even if I'm not that good at building Tempo Decks.
Maindeck cost is currently at ~$9 (according to the middle blue numbers on this very site under estimated value), sideboard at about ~$3.50, so nicely under my $15 limit.
So mostly this section is going to be notes on why I think these are good cards to learn from:
So the issues first: Tempo decks are already weird to new players just that they're a thing, so this should probably not be any player's first experience, or at least not piloting it. On top of that, I'm not happy that I'm playing a card with protection, because that's a can of worms to open as far as teaching someone how to play goes. But you should also never start teaching someone a game with "Yeah, don't worry about that line, I'll explain it to you later", because that artificially amplifies the sense that this game is complicated and hard to understand.
That all said- Azorius First-Wing is a pretty sweet card and I like it in this deck. Being able to plant a 2/2 flier for 2 just feels really good, and I'm willing to take the risk to get that. Backing it up are Aerial Responder, aka 'Dwarf Lighthawk', which is a sweet card, Lyev Skyknight, which is a card and effect people are going to be skeptical about at first, and Skymark Roc, which will bring out even more skepticism.
Favorable Winds, however, is a card players will look at and go "Oh, I get what the plan is now." Because going face with beaters is super fun. It's also just a hell of a powerful card, and an encouragement for opponents to board in enchantment hate.
Ior Ruins Expedition was chosen because you get to pay 2 for it once and let the card take care of itself, which is nice, and it just felt like a good fit for the deck. She ain't Ancestral Visions, but it has the same feel to it. Also encourages enchantment removal, which is part of why I keep putting it in these decks.
The Instant Package is an interesting mix- I've been trying to make it so more of these decks have a bunch of weird removal in them, and more in the sideboard, to encourage players to customize their decks a little based on what cards they like, and what's good in a matchup. Hindering Light protects your creatures, Immolating Glare protects you, Memory Lapse disrupts them trying to draw more threats and delays the problem awhile, Reprisal just blows up the nastiest thing they've got, and Revolutionary Rebuff is your solid, versatile counterspell.
Manabase is meant to be a touch lacking, but also super-budget. I'll be doing the same for all of them.
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.
Arashin Cleric remains one of the best anti-agro sideboard options they've printed in years, and fits perfectly into budget decks as well. The removal options are to give players the flexibility to customize both what they think is good, and what's good for specific matchups, and Ordeal of Thassa was just the only other cheap card advantage option I could think of. This deck doesn't really have time to tap out for a 3 or 4 drop, but they can play a 2 drop and not need the cards immediately. Obviously has a trade-off in vulnerability to being removed, but that's a good lesson to learn.