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.
Hey, I made a more normal deck that you can actually use to teach someone how to play for one of their first games instead of one of the 'advanced lessons'. That hasn't happened in a few weeks.
Anywho- This is a sweet midrange list. It trades effectively, it has sweet and hilarious payoffs, it makes solid value plays, it just does fun stuff. This might be the best simple midrange list to teach players how midrange works, and I'm glad I made it just for that purpose. The focus on Bestow Creatures is also really pretty fun, and makes your deck nicely modular- both are strong plays for 3 mana, and strong and powerful plays for 5 mana to buff your creatures to crash in for huge damage. And they don't deal crazy damage when you flip them off of Duskmantle Seer.
As for budget: Maindeck cost is currently at about ~$11.30 (according to the middle blue numbers on this very site under estimated value), sideboard at about ~$3. I was originally pretty solidly underbudget, but then I threw in the Vampire Nighthawks, because that's the kind of thing I always do with decks that go under-budget.
So mostly this section is going to be notes on why I think these are good cards to learn from:
The main curve of creatures is Shipwreck Singer early on as a utilty creature who can force bad attacks once your board is established, even though she does die to Drown in Sorrow, followed by Vampire Nighthawk, who is just a good card that needs no introduction. Lifelike is good against agro, flying and Deathtouch means that if it does trade, it can always trade well, and he can crack in for respectable damage if you need him to. Better than respectable damage if you've cast a Bestow Creature on it.
Speaking of which- Herald of Torment is a 3/3 flier for 3 if you cast him strait, even if he stings you for 1 each turn, which is a solid way to turn the board to your favor and start getting in for good damage, while Crystaline Nautilus 4/4 for 3 that dies to every removal spell ever printed, which is powerful but fair. Great blocker, better attacker. Both of these cards, if they stick around in your hand until you reach 5 mana, can be cast with Bestow on another creature- I don't think you can bestow anything onto a Nautilus, (someone make a judge call on that, but I assume Auras target), but they're great on anything else you're playing- you can turn a Shipwreck Singer into a dangerous threat, or abuse the other creatures' flying by handing them a boatload of extra stats, knowing that if they get killed, you're not down card advantage. Worth being careful about what you Nautilus, since you make that creature more vulnerable to removal, but still sweet.
And, finally, Duskmantle Seer. I almost put Moroii in this slot instead before I decided Duskmantle Seer was probably better, and definitely more fun. It's a solid flying body for the cost, and more importantly, he has a symmetrical Dark Confidant effect, which is always fun and interesting. Just another day playing Vampire Bob. He's a good top-end, and your CMCs are low enough that he shouldn't sting too terribly badly. Possibly worth replacing with Moroii if you want to, but where's the fun in that?
Drown in Sorrow is a great way to fend off agro, even if it hits your Siren, and Agony Warp, Dimir Charm, and Essence Scatter are all solid answers that can be used in smart ways to keep you alive for fair costs.
Hieroglyphic Illumination is a great instant-speed draw spell that you can cycle off if you have to, while Altar's Reap is a wonderful card that I think it's important for new players to learn how to use properly- At instant-speed, when your creature is going to be dead anyway. A previous version of the deck replaces Illumination with Wander in Death, to give you some recursion, and used a proper card-draw spell in the sideboard for value, but I liked it better with the mainboard just drawing cards, and the sideboard playing the more hardcore value option.
Ah, a deck that plays exactly 4 kinds of cards- Creatures that can kill your opponent, Removal Spells, Card advantage, and lands. I always forget how much I like the simplicity of a midrange deck that plays exactly those 4 things and nothing more. This deck is my jam.
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.
Vampire Outcasts was my choice against agro. You need a topend that won't Bob you to death, and probably some lifegain, so why not put those fliers to use triggering Bloodlust, eh? A 4/4 lifelink for 4 is a handshake and a game win against a solid number of agro decks, make no mistake, and that's where these bad boys shine. And I guess you could throw them in if you feel like you need a greater density of threats, but that's what the value cards are for.
On that note- Font of Return is a sweet card, and has great little synergies here. Low CMC for duskmantle, but huge value for the matchups where you need it, and the second half can be triggered at instant speed. It is vulnerable to enchantment removal, but that's the price you pay sometimes. And earlier version of the deck ran Jace's Ingenuity here and Wander in Death in the mainboard instead of Illumination, but I like this setup better. Font is a more powerful value play, while Illumination can be cycled more easily, and can help you search for that 5th land drop, or help when you just don't have that many creatures available.
Drown in Sorrow and Essence Extraction are the answers you board in against agro, Negate lets you protect your creatures and counter artifacts and enchantments, and Turn to Frog is both a great card just in any deck where you expect to have creature fights, and a particularly sweet combo with Shipwreck Singer, who can lure creatures in to attack, and then kill the frog for you with an otherwise not very useful blocking body. Or tap out to kill the frogs with the -1/-1 ability. It's good synergy in this deck, and just plays well even without the Siren.