What are budget versions of the staples in Magic: The Gathering? Now, staple cards are staples for a reason. They don't really have an equal, hence why they're played over other cards. BUT! What if we tried to get close? We continue with White!

Smothering Tithe Budget Options

I would be remiss not to mention Smothering Tithe when talking about budget replacement cards in White. The cheapest copy I could find is $30, which is a steep price for one card, on a budget. Every time someone draws a card you may draw a card unless they pay 2 for each card.

This card is an absolute house! All most players want to do in Magic is draw cards and ramp. With Smothering Tithe even the first draw for turn becomes a sort of tax. Paying 2 for each card is a tough tax, and thus players likely won't pay it. Players drawing their whole deck gives you the mana to counter their Thassa's Oracle. It's just an insane value.

What are budget options for Smothering Tithe? The first one I thought of was Monologue Tax ($3). This card is very fun because it rewards you for players casting spells. The rough part is that it can only trigger once per opponent. You can't trigger it yourself like Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff. Speaking of Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff, he is an excellent creature-based, lower-cost version of Monologue Tax and costs about $4. The loss of life is relevant though, because it is not optional.

Smuggler's Share ($6) which draws you a card and makes a treasure. It is limited by how little you can gain value off of this. It is only at the end step and it's only one per player, per trigger. However, for the cost of this card it is still valuable. An extra three treasures and three cards per turn at its best, is nothing to sneeze at.

Esper Sentinel Budget Options

Esper Sentinel is amazing card draw on a creature. For one mana you can draw a card for each noncreature spell a person casts a turn unless they pay Esper Sentinel's power. It currently goes for about $24. If you can buff this creature, it can be absolutely nutty in terms of taxing players. I'm not going to lie; it was really tough finding a budget option for this card. Not a ton of stuff work like this. But I don't like to leave you all with nothing. I'd rather give a stretch than nothing at all.

What is a budget option for Esper Sentinel? Archivist of Oghma ($7.50). Hear me out! Whenever a player searches their library you gain a life and draw a card. It is not nearly as prevalent as an Esper Sentinel trigger but it does get card draw off of tutors and fetches and ramping. That and it is for every instance. If someone uses Razaketh, The Foulblooded's triggers over and over, you keep drawing. I know it's a stretch but it does give you some card draw on a creature. It also has flash so you can hold up mana and flash him in to draw a card guaranteed so people likely can't play around it.

Land Tax Budget Options

Land Tax is an excellent way to thin your deck and put lands into hand when you need them for only W. It current goes for about $20. In White, it's the closest you get to ramp, and in longer games it guarantees a land drop every turn. Additionally, it allows you to get any basic land card so if you got White you've got all your other colors.

What are budget options for Land Tax? Gift of Estates is a good option at only $2. The problem is that it does what Land Tax does but only once. It's a little more mana and it only searches Plains. It's really good in a Mono-White deck and not bad in a two-color deck. Another option is Archaeomancer's Map ($8). It enters and you search for three Plains, which is similar to Gift of Estates but then whenever a land enters on your opponent's side you can put a land from your hand into play. In some ways it's like Burgeoning and Land Tax in one, especially if you can flicker it.

Teferi's Protection Budget Options

Teferi's Protection is one of the greatest cards printed in magic, in my opinion. It will run you about $40. This card has it all. I would be lying if I found something even close for a budget price. Protection from everything AND your life total can't change? It's hard to find something that does all that.

What are budget options for Teferi's Protection? Surge of Salvation ($1.50) can give everything hexproof and protection from Black and White. It doesn't protect you from combat damage from White Green or Red. It is something though. Dawn's Truce ($4.50) is another option for two mana. It gives hexproof and indestructible to your permanents and hexproof to you. It still gets stuck against combat damage. The closest one has to be Flare of Fortitude ($4). It's four mana or sacrifice a nontoken White creature. Your life total can't change and your permanents gain indestructible and hexproof.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read. I hope this helps in your next deck-building session! @cashinds on X