This is a high risk high reward kinda deck. Basically the whole things comes down to one huge gambit on turn five or six.
Here's the gambit. Whenever you have access to at least three black mana at a time, and the next turn you could produce two black two blue and two colorless you do the following.
First you should play Doomsday. It should be in your hand 90% of the time by turn six, vis a vis my huge tutoring pool.
Next turn (unless you have a merfolk looter out and can draw a card right now) you draw and cast Night's Whisper, drawing two cards for two life. The two cards you will draw are Laboratory maniac and Brainstorm. Cast both. Win.
Now the obvious huge problem with this strategy is instant speed removal for Lab Maniac. And it is a problem. That's why there are a number of cards that support these scenarios. You simply replace brainstorm from the third slot down in the library (replacing it into the fourth slot) and put a counterspell there. Wait another turn and win, again, unless you have a looter or something.
Things I think it needs:
Basically I think it needs more cards out that are permanents allowing me to gather cards. Also, I just started wondering about necropotence's implications...
Anyway, give me your thoughts, anything that can make this combo more consistent would be appreciated.
Disclaimer: Yes, I know this is a really lame way to win, and doesn't let anyone else have fun. It's more of an intellectual exercise.
You might want to take a look at piles that you can just kill without passing the turn, you're also probably going to want to look at cards like Gush, Preordain, Ponder and Deep Analysis to give you more consistency.
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On Mono Black in Commander:
Quote from BlackJack68 »
But whomever your commander is, Cabal Coffers is really in charge.
Hmmm... I guess after the Doomsday what I could do is run brainstorm as my top draw, then the three cards you draw are lab maniac, demonic consultation, and savor the moment. costs more mana, but is more certain to win. Well, maybe not.
Come to think of it mana short would be a great card for this. If I have that in hand, I can protect Lab Maniac from nearly anything.
Turns 1-5 gather cards
Lab Maniac
Demonic Consultation
Mana short
hopefully by turn 6 you have 7 mana and can do it all in one go
I've figured out how to manipulate this deck for more consistent wins.
Basically you need to get two tutors or transmuters, and get yourself not only doomsday in hand, but also night's whisper. This way (given that you have the mana to spend) you can cast doomsday and night's whisper in the same turn, get yourself lab maniac and a counterspell in hand (if you have a blue card to waste, get FoW, if you want to counter instant effects - the only thing that can ruin your combo next turn - get dispel, and if you have a general about to kill you get phantasmal image) and next turn draw the brainstorm. Cast brainstorm and lab maniac this turn to win, you have the counterspell to ruin any instant speed removal.
It works well so far. Less so in multiplayer where there could be multiple counterspells and instant removals awaiting your lab maniac, but quite well in 1 v 1.
Oh, and another note. Your fifth card slot should always be a graveyard recursor, I use disturbed burial for its low cost and buyback, in case your brainstorm gets countered, or they kill laboratory maniac before you cast brainstorm. This way when you have 0 cards in hand you can recast lab maniac and wait out one more turn to potential victory. The fourth card slot being savor the moment doesn't hurt this strategy.
REMAND. Holy crap just discovered this card. Wow, what a powerhouse for this combo.
Get Night's Whisper and and Doomsday, cast both, get remand and lab maniac in hand. On the off chance that you have two more blue and three more colorless, cast lab maniac now. If not, wait until next turn. Cast lab maniac, if they do anything at all to interfere, remand to draw into FoW. Even if they have a second spell to remove, you can now counter that too.
Okay, after playing with this a little more I've found a more effective way of combo-ing off with this. Best part is, it only requires six mana, 1 turn, and if pretty much impossible to do anything about.
At some point when you have six mana, hopefully you have tutored for/have drawn the following cards - Demonic Consulation, Laboratory Maniac, Remand.
With these three you are an unstoppable god. You simply use Lab Maniac (usually no one will counter this, as he doesn't seem to threatening) and then you cast demonic consultation. Now, pass the turn. Anything they do you can counter, which will force you to draw a card, and you win.
Boom.
I really like the idea and have been playing with something like this myself (with french banlist) but my list is a control deck with an extreme wincon.
Other cards that really should find a spot are Dark Confidant, Gitaxian Probe (cantrip and can check if clear), Phyrexian Arena, Diabolic Vision, all the staple cantrips (Ponder, Preordain), all staple discard (Hymn to Tourach, Thoughtseize, Duress, Inquisition, Recoil) and staple removal (BSZ, Dismember, Damnation, Go for the Throat and possibly Disfigure/Smother)
The manabase really needs help...the following would be a much more suitable manabase that allows versatility and consistency. Adjust the basics as necessary but I would strive to keep 38-39 lands for consistency (your list currently has 41).
1) Run Tainted Pact
It can be decent for finding your combo. However you can use you it to combo off as well. You'd probalby end up wanting to sub some basics for fetches as well as even out with Snow covered basics.
Wins with 3 Mana and 6 life, but you need 1 card in hand. Wraith into Frantic Search, cast it. Discard X, and Call, untap 3 lands. Call targets Streetwraith. Cast Lab Maniac with your 3 freshly untapped lands. Wraith -> Probe -> win.
But if you've got 5 lands in play and no cards in hand you can do:
Thanks for the suggestions guys! Yeah Gitaxian already went in, along with Urza's Glasses. Knowing what they have in hand is darn crucial for this deck.
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Circu, Dimir Lobotomist
The Real Commander of the Deck:
Laboratory Maniac
Tutors and Transmuters:
Counterpells:
Draw Cards:
Land:
15 Swamp
14 Island
Mana Accel/Fixing:
Clutch Support Cards:
Probably Need to be Cut, former combo pieces that haven't worked out:
This is a high risk high reward kinda deck. Basically the whole things comes down to one huge gambit on turn five or six.
Here's the gambit. Whenever you have access to at least three black mana at a time, and the next turn you could produce two black two blue and two colorless you do the following.
First you should play Doomsday. It should be in your hand 90% of the time by turn six, vis a vis my huge tutoring pool.
Next turn (unless you have a merfolk looter out and can draw a card right now) you draw and cast Night's Whisper, drawing two cards for two life. The two cards you will draw are Laboratory maniac and Brainstorm. Cast both. Win.
Now the obvious huge problem with this strategy is instant speed removal for Lab Maniac. And it is a problem. That's why there are a number of cards that support these scenarios. You simply replace brainstorm from the third slot down in the library (replacing it into the fourth slot) and put a counterspell there. Wait another turn and win, again, unless you have a looter or something.
Things I think it needs:
Basically I think it needs more cards out that are permanents allowing me to gather cards. Also, I just started wondering about necropotence's implications...
Anyway, give me your thoughts, anything that can make this combo more consistent would be appreciated.
Disclaimer: Yes, I know this is a really lame way to win, and doesn't let anyone else have fun. It's more of an intellectual exercise.
Come to think of it mana short would be a great card for this. If I have that in hand, I can protect Lab Maniac from nearly anything.
Turns 1-5 gather cards
Lab Maniac
Demonic Consultation
Mana short
hopefully by turn 6 you have 7 mana and can do it all in one go
Basically you need to get two tutors or transmuters, and get yourself not only doomsday in hand, but also night's whisper. This way (given that you have the mana to spend) you can cast doomsday and night's whisper in the same turn, get yourself lab maniac and a counterspell in hand (if you have a blue card to waste, get FoW, if you want to counter instant effects - the only thing that can ruin your combo next turn - get dispel, and if you have a general about to kill you get phantasmal image) and next turn draw the brainstorm. Cast brainstorm and lab maniac this turn to win, you have the counterspell to ruin any instant speed removal.
It works well so far. Less so in multiplayer where there could be multiple counterspells and instant removals awaiting your lab maniac, but quite well in 1 v 1.
Oh, and another note. Your fifth card slot should always be a graveyard recursor, I use disturbed burial for its low cost and buyback, in case your brainstorm gets countered, or they kill laboratory maniac before you cast brainstorm. This way when you have 0 cards in hand you can recast lab maniac and wait out one more turn to potential victory. The fourth card slot being savor the moment doesn't hurt this strategy.
Get Night's Whisper and and Doomsday, cast both, get remand and lab maniac in hand. On the off chance that you have two more blue and three more colorless, cast lab maniac now. If not, wait until next turn. Cast lab maniac, if they do anything at all to interfere, remand to draw into FoW. Even if they have a second spell to remove, you can now counter that too.
At some point when you have six mana, hopefully you have tutored for/have drawn the following cards - Demonic Consulation, Laboratory Maniac, Remand.
With these three you are an unstoppable god. You simply use Lab Maniac (usually no one will counter this, as he doesn't seem to threatening) and then you cast demonic consultation. Now, pass the turn. Anything they do you can counter, which will force you to draw a card, and you win.
Boom.
1 Circu, Dimir Lobotomist
The Real Commander of the Deck:
1 Laboratory Maniac
Tutors and Transmuters:
1 Doomsday
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Personal Tutor
1 Lim-Dul's Vault
1 Grim Tutor
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Clutch of the Undercity
1 Tolaria West
1 Dimir Infiltrator
1 Perplex
1 Shred Memory
1 Dimir Machinations
1 Demonic Collusion
1 Imperial Seal
1 Spell Crumple
1 Hinder
1 Dispel
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Stifle
1 Draining Whelk
1 Force of Will
1 Counterspell
1 Abjure
1 Remand
1 Night's Whisper
1 Brainstorm
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Jace, Memory Adept
1 Mulldrifter
1 Merfolk Looter
1 Azure Mage
1 Sensei's Divining Top
Land:
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Command Tower
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Rupture Spire
1 Maze of Ith
1 Ice Floe
1 Underground Sea
1 Underground River
1 Watery Grave
1 Darkwater Catacombs
1 Sunken Ruins
1 Polluted Delta
15 Swamp
14 Island
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Mana Crypt
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Spectral Searchlight
1 Dimir Signet
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Mind Stone
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Coalition Relic
1 Grim Monolith
1 Dark Ritual
Clutch Support Cards:
1 Trinket Mage
1 Clone
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Disturbed Burial
1 Cadaver Imp
540 Peasant cube- Gold EditionSomething SpicyReally needs Pact of Negation and if this deck is specifically for 1v1 there are many better counterspells than those selected. Spell Snare, Mana Drain, Condescend, Spell Pierce, Mana Leak, Memory Lapse, Miscalculation, Negate, Prohibit
Other cards that really should find a spot are Dark Confidant, Gitaxian Probe (cantrip and can check if clear), Phyrexian Arena, Diabolic Vision, all the staple cantrips (Ponder, Preordain), all staple discard (Hymn to Tourach, Thoughtseize, Duress, Inquisition, Recoil) and staple removal (BSZ, Dismember, Damnation, Go for the Throat and possibly Disfigure/Smother)
The manabase really needs help...the following would be a much more suitable manabase that allows versatility and consistency. Adjust the basics as necessary but I would strive to keep 38-39 lands for consistency (your list currently has 41).
EDH
BGWGhave, Guru of SporesBGW
GUBMimeoDredgeGUB
GUMomir Vig, Simic VisionaryGU
UThada Adel, AcquisitorU
BGSavra, Queen of the GolgariBG
BThe Comprehensive Guide to Black TutorsB
It can be decent for finding your combo. However you can use you it to combo off as well. You'd probalby end up wanting to sub some basics for fetches as well as even out with Snow covered basics.
2) A few cheaper ways to win:
Wins with 3 Mana and 6 life, but you need 1 card in hand. Wraith into Frantic Search, cast it. Discard X, and Call, untap 3 lands. Call targets Streetwraith. Cast Lab Maniac with your 3 freshly untapped lands. Wraith -> Probe -> win.
But if you've got 5 lands in play and no cards in hand you can do:
That wins with 3 mana and 2 life, and you don't need cards in hand to discard, because ACCing the gush gives you 2 islands to pitch to Frantic Search.
Other cards worth considering are Ideas Unbound and Meditate.