Budget Bauble
Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher - Decklist

Creatures 28$7.07

  1. Alexi, Zephyr Mage1Alexi, Zephyr Mage$0.52
  2. Azure Mage1Azure Mage$0.10
  3. Cogwork Assembler1Cogwork Assembler$0.08
  4. Crossroads Candleguide1Crossroads Candleguide$0.27
  5. Cyclone Summoner1Cyclone Summoner$0.18
  6. Dimensional Infiltrator1Dimensional Infiltrator$0.24
  7. Faerie Formation1Faerie Formation$0.22
  8. Fblthp, Lost on the Range1Fblthp, Lost on the Range$0.35
  9. Galvanic Alchemist1Galvanic Alchemist$0.13
  10. Illithid Harvester // Plant Tadpoles1Illithid Harvester // Plant Tadpoles$0.41

Creatures continued

  1. Kelpie Guide1Kelpie Guide$0.23
  2. Magus of the Future1Magus of the Future$0.34
  3. Monstrosity of the Lake1Monstrosity of the Lake$0.35
  4. Mystic Archaeologist1Mystic Archaeologist$0.10
  5. Passwall Adept1Passwall Adept$0.09
  6. Prismite1Prismite$0.11
  7. Prophet of Distortion1Prophet of Distortion$0.14
  8. Sage of the Beyond1Sage of the Beyond$0.68
  9. Sapphire Dragon // Psionic Pulse1Sapphire Dragon // Psionic Pulse$0.35
  10. Signpost Scarecrow1Signpost Scarecrow$0.15

Creatures continued

  1. Steel Hellkite1Steel Hellkite$0.25
  2. Stonework Packbeast1Stonework Packbeast$0.27
  3. Sword Coast Serpent // Capsizing Wave1Sword Coast Serpent // Capsizing Wave$0.29
  4. Third Path Savant1Third Path Savant$0.08
  5. Trophy Mage1Trophy Mage$0.62
  6. Tymora's Invoker1Tymora's Invoker$0.22
  7. Vigean Graftmage1Vigean Graftmage$0.10
  8. Vizier of Tumbling Sands1Vizier of Tumbling Sands$0.20

Instants 3$0.80

  1. Dive Down1Dive Down$0.15
  2. Saw It Coming1Saw It Coming$0.36
  3. Shore Up1Shore Up$0.29

Sorceries 2$1.36

  1. Mass Diminish1Mass Diminish$1.10
  2. Ravenform1Ravenform$0.26

Artifacts 23$11.80

  1. Accorder's Shield1Accorder's Shield$0.20
  2. Bronze Cudgels1Bronze Cudgels$0.21
  3. Cathar's Shield1Cathar's Shield$0.29
  4. Colossus Hammer1Colossus Hammer$0.79
  5. Diviner's Wand1Diviner's Wand$0.33
  6. Energy Refractor1Energy Refractor$0.12
  7. Ensouled Scimitar1Ensouled Scimitar$0.24
  8. Gemstone Array1Gemstone Array$1.69
  9. Kite Shield1Kite Shield$0.23
  10. Leather Armor1Leather Armor$0.21
  11. Magebane Armor1Magebane Armor$0.97
  12. Mask of Avacyn1Mask of Avacyn$0.70

Artifacts continued

  1. Mirror Shield1Mirror Shield$0.47
  2. Nimblewright Schematic1Nimblewright Schematic$0.14
  3. Rod of Absorption1Rod of Absorption$0.47
  4. Screaming Shield1Screaming Shield$0.22
  5. Servo Schematic1Servo Schematic$0.31
  6. Slagwurm Armor1Slagwurm Armor$1.23
  7. Swiftfoot Boots1Swiftfoot Boots$1.54
  8. Sword of the Paruns1Sword of the Paruns$0.78
  9. Tower of Fortunes1Tower of Fortunes$0.29
  10. Urn of Godfire1Urn of Godfire$0.23
  11. Wizard's Rockets1Wizard's Rockets$0.14

Enchantments 5$1.00

  1. Crab Umbra1Crab Umbra$0.40
  2. Future Sight1Future Sight$0.25
  3. Ringing Strike Mastery1Ringing Strike Mastery$0.10
  4. Singing Bell Strike1Singing Bell Strike$0.04
  5. Thassa's Ire1Thassa's Ire$0.21

Lands 38 / 38$15.76

  1. Arch of Orazca1Arch of Orazca$0.34
  2. Ash Barrens1Ash Barrens$0.15
  3. Blast Zone1Blast Zone$0.34
  4. Bonders' Enclave1Bonders' Enclave$0.21
  5. Buried Ruin1Buried Ruin$0.36
  6. Castle Vantress1Castle Vantress$0.31
  7. Command Tower1Command Tower$0.21
  8. Crawling Barrens1Crawling Barrens$0.16
  9. Darksteel Citadel1Darksteel Citadel$0.45
  10. Demolition Field1Demolition Field$0.23
  11. Evolving Wilds1Evolving Wilds$0.09

Lands continued

  1. Exotic Orchard1Exotic Orchard$0.20
  2. Fabled Passage1Fabled Passage$0.77
  3. Hall of Tagsin1Hall of Tagsin$0.33
  4. Hidden Cataract1Hidden Cataract$0.18
  5. Island×55Island$0.35
  6. Myriad Landscape1Myriad Landscape$0.26
  7. Mystic Sanctuary1Mystic Sanctuary$1.14
  8. Opal Palace1Opal Palace$0.13
  9. Path of Ancestry1Path of Ancestry$0.17
  10. Remote Isle1Remote Isle$0.23
  11. Riptide Laboratory1Riptide Laboratory$0.66

Lands continued

  1. Rogue's Passage1Rogue's Passage$0.34
  2. Scavenger Grounds1Scavenger Grounds$0.21
  3. Seat of the Synod1Seat of the Synod$0.90
  4. Snow-Covered Island×44Snow-Covered Island$4.24
  5. Temple of the False God1Temple of the False God$0.19
  6. Terramorphic Expanse1Terramorphic Expanse$0.10
  7. The Mycosynth Gardens1The Mycosynth Gardens$0.39
  8. Treasure Vault1Treasure Vault$1.30
  9. War Room1War Room$0.82

About this Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher deck

A complete 100-card Commander deck: Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher, 61 spells, and 38 lands, 9 of them basics. Its estimated price is $37.96 in TCGplayer singles, and no card but the commander may cost more than $2.

The list is drawn from what Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher decks actually play. Of the cards that fit the budget, the most played are Swiftfoot Boots, Energy Refractor and Prismite. The picks most particular to this commander are Stonework Packbeast, Prophet of Distortion and Urn of Godfire, which turn up here far more often than in other Mono-Blue decks.

Its average mana value is 2.79. It runs no Game Changers and holds every piece of 3 known combos.

The most expensive cards are Gemstone Array ($1.69), Swiftfoot Boots ($1.54) and Slagwurm Armor ($1.23); 50 of the 61 spells cost $0.50 or less. With at most $1 per card the same template costs $28.00, and with no limit $490.06; the chart below compares every limit.

Deck statistics and card selection
Average mana value2.79
Game Changers0
Combos3
Deck match67%

Mana curve

  1. Mana value 0: 3 cards
  2. Mana value 1: 13 cards
  3. Mana value 2: 15 cards
  4. Mana value 3: 14 cards
  5. Mana value 4: 6 cards
  6. Mana value 5: 6 cards
  7. Mana value 6: 1 card
  8. Mana value 7+: 4 cards

The curve and the average cover Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher and every nonland card in the draft. Game Changers are the cards on the official Commander Game Changers list. Combos are the two- to four-card combos from Commander Spellbook that these 100 cards hold every piece of.

Deck match measures similarity to commonly played nonland cards for this commander, weighted by how often they are played. It does not measure power or predict wins.

Command Zone template

The Command Zone ↗
Draft compared with the Command Zone deck-building template
RoleTargetYour draftDifference
Ramp1011+1
Card advantage1212+0
Targeted disruption1214+2
Mass disruption67+1
Lands3838+0
Plan3025-5

These targets add up to 108 because a card can fill more than one role. 8 of your cards count in multiple rows. Modal spell/land cards count as whole lands here; the card-type sections use the front face. Your commander is excluded from these counts.

Roles use imported classifications or curated sample labels. 0 cards lack role data, so counts may be incomplete. Plan counts the cards that fill none of the rows above: the ones this commander’s decks play most distinctively, taken best first once the role targets are met.

Check your own decklist against the template →

Targets from The Command Zone’s deck-building template. Card mapping and draft selection are by Budget Bauble. This is guidance, not a guarantee of deck strength.

Cards are selected from decks with this commander. Basic lands are split across the available colors; check the mana you need before playing. A complete list is not a guarantee of deck strength.

Compare prices at other card limits

Full deck price by per-card cap

Each bar is the complete Command Zone template deck for Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher at that per-card cap, with the commander and basic lands included and no overall budget. Gold is your current cap, blue reaches 100 cards within the cap, and gray either runs out of eligible cards or has a commander that costs more than the cap. Select a bar to build that deck; your budget changes to its price. The percentage under each cap is that deck’s match with what Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher decks usually play.

Format

With printings adds the set and collector number of the printing each price is based on. Both text formats list the commander first and work on most deck sites.

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