Having decided my Kaalia deck was unsalvageable I broke it up and used pieces of a second mono-black deck I had to throw this together. Suggestions are welcome - I already know a Debtor's Knell should be in here when I come across one.
More notes: I wonder if there's such a thing as too much removal, and I'm not sure there's enough card draw. Also there's a couple lands that could be replaced that are just placeholders until I get something better.
Edit: Noticed there were 97 cards will post two more later.
Funny story: I put 97 cards (not including the general) because that's how many I had had in the Kaalia deck. Cheaty, except the stupid Kaalia deck never won anyway.
Adding Artisan of Kozilek and Animate Dead for now but I'm not sold on these, especially the Animate. Still suspect needs more card draw and have an extra Staff of Nin maybe that instead?
Animate Dead is amazing. It's super cheap, unconditional recursion that can hit any graveyard. The only reanimation spell I like more than it is Necromancy, which has the additional option of reanimating at instant speed, and doesn't target until it hits play. Artisan seems bad in a deck that could be running Karmic Guide instead for much cheaper.
As far as draw goes, there are tons of options for black. Some of the best that you aren't yet running:
I was looking through my stuff for an Ancient Craving or Ambition's Cost and didn't see one - I'll check the gaming store next time I go.
I forgot to mention this is a secondary deck and I have a main MBC deck which has the good stuff. I don't feel like playing Necropotence in this deck for meta reasons: it gets tiresome for the others to watch me draw five cards a turn, produce massive mana and maul everyone. That's why the Cabal Coffers/Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth combo isn't in here.
You're right about the Animate, and I have a Necromancy floating around that I'll replace the Artisan with. As far as Karmic Guide it's another of those random cards that I don't happen to have, could easily get but don't think of. I'll have to remember next time I'm at the store I play at.
For card draw you could also run Skullclamp with some token producing Bitterblossom or self recurring sac fodder like Reassembling Skeleton, Nether Traitor and Bloodghast. They are nice snacks for Vish Kal too.
I like the way you think regarding the recurring creatures. I was thinking this was just a random pile of junk and needed more ways of interacting with the general. I don't know if I want to go to overboard, the general is expensive and will be hated out a lot of the time, but at the very least the skeleton should be in as he's a good early game chump as well.
7 Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter
Lands:
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Barren Moor
1 Bokuja Bog
1 Command Tower
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Orzhov Basilica
1 Rupture Spire
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Shimmering Grotto
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Vivid Marsh
1 Vivid Meadow
1 Wasteland
10 Plains
13 Swamp
Card Draw/Tutors:
2 Demonic Tutor
4 Diabolic Tutor
5 Moonlight Bargain
3 Phyrexian Arena
5 Promise of Power
2 Sign in Blood
Creature Removal:
7 Altar of Shadows
3 Attrition
6 Akroma's Vengeance
6 Austere Command
4 Day of Judgement
4 Damnation
4 Grave Pact
5 Living Death
3 Murder
3 Oblivion Ring
1 Path to Exile
3 Prison Term
5 Sever Soul
4 Wrath of Gawd
6 Aegis Angel
7 Angel of Despair
7 Angelic Arbiter
8 Army of the Damned
5 Bloodgift Demon
7 Butcher of Malakir
3 Coffin Queen
5 Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
6 Geth, Lord of the Vault
4 Graveborn Muse
6 Harvester of Souls
3 Necrotic Sliver
2 Nezumi Graverobber
2 Onyx Mage
4 Restoration Angel
7 Rune-Scarred Demon
7 Serra Avatar
2 Withered Wretch
6 Xathrid Gorgon
Graveyardigans:
5 Miraculous Recovery
2 Nim Deathmantle
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
5 Rise from the Grave
5 Unburial Rites
Planeswalker:
3 Liliana Vess
3 Darksteel Ingot
5 Gilded Lotus
2 Orzhov Signet
1 Sol Ring
4 Solemn Simulacrum
Utility:
6 Banishing Stroke
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Lightning Greaves
3 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Mortify
3 Nevermore
3 Oblation
2 Profane Command
4 Return to Dust
Edit: Noticed there were 97 cards will post two more later.
Adding Artisan of Kozilek and Animate Dead for now but I'm not sold on these, especially the Animate. Still suspect needs more card draw and have an extra Staff of Nin maybe that instead?
As far as draw goes, there are tons of options for black. Some of the best that you aren't yet running:
Necropotence
Necrologia
Night's Whisper
Ambition's Cost
Ancient Craving
Skeletal Scrying
These are all probably better than the slow Staff of Nin. Even Mind's Eye seems better than the Staff.
Currently Playing:
Legacy: Something U/W Controlish
EDH Cube
Hypercube! A New EDH Deck Every Week(ish)!
I forgot to mention this is a secondary deck and I have a main MBC deck which has the good stuff. I don't feel like playing Necropotence in this deck for meta reasons: it gets tiresome for the others to watch me draw five cards a turn, produce massive mana and maul everyone. That's why the Cabal Coffers/Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth combo isn't in here.
You're right about the Animate, and I have a Necromancy floating around that I'll replace the Artisan with. As far as Karmic Guide it's another of those random cards that I don't happen to have, could easily get but don't think of. I'll have to remember next time I'm at the store I play at.
I like the way you think regarding the recurring creatures. I was thinking this was just a random pile of junk and needed more ways of interacting with the general. I don't know if I want to go to overboard, the general is expensive and will be hated out a lot of the time, but at the very least the skeleton should be in as he's a good early game chump as well.
+1 Reassembling Skeleton
-1 Sign in Blood
+1 Necrologia
-1 Leyline of the Void
+1 Sins of the Past
I may want the leyline despite the yardigans; any suggestions what else to take out?
+1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
because I got one.
-1 Ancient Tomb
+1 Vault of the Archangel
-1 Plains
+1 Isolated Chapel
A kid was nice enough to trade me one for an Omniscience.