Budget Build Fridays are geared around making affordable decks that are a good starting point for newer players, that you can build from bulk or are affordable. We aim to provide a deck every week with a wide range of playstyles that won’t break the bank.

This week we’re looking at an element that I’d been avoiding for a bit as people tend to have little positive to say about it, but with the recent Crystal Tower podcast covering the subject (check it out, Jordan Denk’s DGS Ice Deck heavily inspired this week’s build, and he’s a guest this week) I figured now was a time to look at a cheap version of Mono Ice Turbo Discard. The deck comes in at $25.15 according to FFdecks, and it’s full of cards that should be pretty easy to obtain. It’s also a great opportunity for a load of really cool puns, so take a seat, chill out, and check out the list below.

FFDecks.com link: There’s No Business like Snow Business

The gameplan of the deck is pretty simple, starve your opponent out and swarm them with units. You’ll be using Deepground Soldiers to keep bodies on the field, and using everything else to discard everything you can from your opponent’s hand. You want the match to be over as quick as possible, and often all it takes is a well time Shiva to knock your opponent out cold. Let’s have a look at the cards that make up this deck.

Forwards:

Snow – Snow is a lot of value for 1 CP. If your opponent has only left one blocker up, you’re likely getting through. He’ll die to a slight breeze, but if your opponent hasn’t left up multiple blockers, they’re gonna start taking damage. He fits the style of the deck having high-impact for low CP perfectly.

Argath – Argath is in here because “apparently” it’s against the “rules” to run 6 Thaumaturge. Luckily, with Argath being a unique forward, you can use him to attack, and if your opponent doesn’t want to discard another card, they’re going to let it through. If they block, it either frees you up to play another Argath, or you can blow up their blocking forward with Mateus. He’s great value for 2.

Deepground Soldier – Deepground Soldier, due to his search effect, ends up basically being a free forward. Seeing as you want to be dropping down forwards early game and pressing for as much damage as possible, he’s perfect in here. Ideally, you want to be playing Deepground Soldier, and while the effect is on the stack, you want to be using Gesper’s effect so that you still get your search, but the opponent still has to discard. Doing this will generate you a lot of play, as it’ll leave you with a card in your hand, and ideally nothing for your opponent.

Squall – This week’s Card of the Week! He’s in here as a small, aggressive forward, and seeing as your opponent should have next to no cards in their hand for most of the game, at least one of his effects should always be online.

Thaumaturge – Argath hit the gym and started wearing a potato sack as an outfit. This is just a straight up better Argath, do be aware that it dies straight away to Beatrix if your opponent has held on to cards in their hand. The more of these you can play early game, the better. Fun drinking game: take a shot every time someone at a tournament says his name wrong.

Deepground Soldier – Essentially the same as the previous Deepground Soldier, except this time she doesn’t have proper trousers on, and searches for DGS Trooper 1st Class.

Zidane – Zidane is a great multitool in the deck. At 3 for 7k he’s on curve. If you don’t need to discard a card, you can draw one.

DGS Trooper 1st Class – DGS Trooper is searchable off of the 3 cost Deepground Soldier, and when he’s in play, he makes all Ice Standard Units 2k bigger. An important thing to remember is that he himself is NOT a Standard Unit, and he’s also a unique character, so you can’t spam the board with him to get Super Saiyan Thaumaturges.

Laguna – Laguna is in here because in a budget build, we obviously can’t include Genesis. Laguna is the next best thing for his entry effect, which will sneak you through damage when used at the right time, but if you have Squall out, he’s also a 9k body which is nothing to turn your nose up at. Also the alt art looks awesome in foil. The EX burst will occasionally allow you to swing for damage when you usually wouldn’t be able to, too.

Cid Aulstyne – Cid works as the deck’s boss monster. If you resolve his effect, you should really be winning from that point on, outside of a godly topdeck from your opponent. Solid 3 of in this build, as we should be making sure the opponent basically has nothing during our turn.

Summons:

Mateus, the Corrupt – What better to put your opponent on tilt once you’ve starved their resources out than to leave 1 backup standing and engage in some light psychological warfare? Mateus makes poking with your tiny forwards safe, and faking Mateus will also do the same. If the 3rd one ever hits the breakzone or damage zone though, you obviously cannot do this, so bear that in mind.

Shiva – Taking 2 blockers out of the equation when your opponent is already starved for resources is huge. In the unlikely event they manage to get 3 forwards onto the field, you’ve got Snow and Shiva to get through. Very CP efficient too, it’s a powerful effect for 2CP.

Monsters:

Flan – More discard.

Gesper – More, and constant discard. Be conscious of when you activate it. If you ever do a search and have no cards in hand, you will want to use your Gesper while the search is on the stack so you lose nothing, yet your opponent loses cards & you still get your search.

Backups:

Cid (WOFF) – Gives you options if you pitch monsters early to get things out in the first few turns, and is a solid 2 cost if you don’t use his effect.

Harley – Great early game backup, and provides CP efficiency for Edward.

Kasuza – You want to use this when it hurts your opponent more than it hurts you, using the second effect while you have a search on the stack is usually the best time to use the ability.

Edward – a 1CP discard is extremely powerful when discarding is essentially your wincon. Also the second effect will protect you from the occasional horrible Exodus blowout. Cancelling a summon at the right time can really put your opponent’s game plan on ice.

Upgrades:

To get this deck to how Jordan Denk plays it, you’re basically making room for Genesis. Genesis is one of the most popular ice cards in the meta right now, and unfortunately his price reflects it (putting a playset of Genesis into the deck puts the price just over $100), however there are reprints coming in the new 2 player Villains and Heroes deck, so we can assume that that will drop the price – really there’s not a whole lot of upgrading to do to this before you can say that you’re playing a top tier Turbo discard deck!

This article’s a bit shorter than normal for a Budget Build Friday, because it’s a bit more on-meta and a bit more straightforward in what it wants to do. Hopefully it’s given a few of you some insight into turbo discard, and hopefully it’s a deck you enjoy playing!

There won’t be any articles next week, so apologies in advance for that. I’ll be back to normal posting on Wednesdays and Fridays after that.

Thanks for reading!

Bonus: Here’s a video to give you an idea of some terrible, terrible things you can say while playing this deck.