Mana On A Budget

Building commander deck's does not have to be cost prohibitive.  More often than not, budget versions of cards exist.  Sometimes, they just aren't as desirable of art and sometimes they are functional reprints.  Here are some options to help you with ramp and lands for your budget needs when building retro commander decks.  

Rocks

This entire group of mana rocks are included in The Brother's War precons if you buy both of them.  I cannot recommend purchasing them enough as a way to get your collection started.  Unfortunately these are the only signets available in retro frames without going with the Secret Lair Dan Frazier art cards which range from $5-$15 each.  It's amazing in this game that sometimes it's just a matter of finding a different art version.  All of the cards from this list can be found for less than $1 each.  

Artifact Creatures

Burnished Hart & Solemn Simulacrum (Sad Robot) used to be auto includes in every commander deck.  They have fallen a little out of favor but can still perform well.  Ornithopter of Paradise is a great card and can slot right into any deck.  Solemn Simulacrum is another that will fit into any deck.  All of these cards can be found for under $1 now.  

Tainted Lands

If you are playing any two color deck that includes black, the Tainted lands should be an auto include!  They enter untapped and for the low cost of controlling one swamp, can tap for two colors.  These are great lands, especially on a budget. 

Check Lands

Check lands were printed in Dominaria Remastered and are great lands to play on a budget.  Unfortunately, as of now, we only have access to the enemy cycle but it's a great start.

The Brother's War

I've said it before, the Brother's War preconstructed decks did a lot of good for commander players looking to make all retro frame decks, and on a budget to boot!  The Scry Lands, Bounce Lands, & Bridges pictured here are the only lands of their respective type to be printed in retro frames, so essentially if you are playing green they don't exist for you yet.  

Dragon Lairs

So here's my hot take... the lair's are severely underplayed.  They enter the battlefield untapped and return any land (including tapped ones) to your hand allowing to you to ensure you hit your land drop the following turn.  I literally fail to see any downfall with these cards.  Plus, they are a huge flavor win if you are playing one of the Dragons who's name is on the land as your commander!

Mana Fixing

Not much to say about these guys, they do the job.  Ash Barrens and Blighted Woodland are nice in that they do not enter the battlefield tapped.  All of these cards are classic though and do the job you need to have done.  Remember with Myriad Landscape you have to fetch out two of the same color land. I sometimes will put this one in a mono-colored deck such as Titania or a mono-black deck that is playing Cabal Coffers to build up my swamp count.

Guild Gates

Guildgates are a classic budget land that thanks to Ravnica Remastered we now have in retro frames.  They don't really offer much upside other than a few random card synergies, most of which are not printed in retro frames.  The one big one is Maze's End that acts as an alt wincon.  If you are interested, Maze's End is printed in retro frame as well. 

Other 

All of these lands are great with the potential exception of Temple of the False God depending on where you stand.  I've noticed this card is very polarizing in terms of people who love it or hate it.  I will say, I've never felt worse than when I have played Temple of the False God as my fourth land drop... I've had it happen too many times.  As a result, I no longer play it.  At the very least, mulligan any opening hand that includes this card.