Note: This is not a particularly broken deck. It is a ton of fun in multiplayer games, and you play with a number of cards that people aren't used to seeing. If you're looking for a deck which wins every game, this may not be for you. If you're looking for the deck that has huge life swings, encourages long games, and forces blue players to ask if their spells resolve... Give Toshi a spin.
My first few tries at Toshiro Umezawa suffered from myriad problems. No creatures, limited interactions and a very clunky feeling. The deck worked fine if I got enough mana, or hit certain cards, but often I just durdled. This is in addition to the normal problems mono black has, such as dealing with enchantments and artifacts.
Then... Undying Evil was printed... and my current toolbox-Reanimation pile began its germination.
UPDATE: I've added more of a combat focus to the deck. Larger creatures were added to increase the life gain from Disciple of Bolas. Sword of Light and Shadow and Sword of Feast and Famine were also added. Quicksilver Amulet came in to help offset the cost of my tremendously expensive creatures; also, EOT Eldrazi are silly.
A pretty massive overhaul. Toshi was a little too reactive, which isn't fun when taken to the extreme. So I added some pro-active elements, namely Eldrazi!
ELDRAZI!
+Ulamog's Crusher
+Artisan of Kosilek
+Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
+Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
+Pathrazer of Ulamog
I had these laying around and thought it would be fun to add them. The large amount of removal I have laying around, clone effects are going to be less of an issue.
+Walking Atlas
+Quicksilver Amulet
+Sword of Light and Shadow
+Sword of Feast and Famine
+Lashwrithe
+Swiftfoot Boots
The Equipment should also help.
I won't bother keeping the original list around, as it's changed so much.
My only concern about adding eldrazi is that the big ones shuffle away your graveyard. It might not be too big of a concern but something to think about at the very least.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
I'll keep an eye on the shuffle dilemma. League Night tomorrow, so I'll get to test some of these changes.
The changes i'm most excited about? Necrotic Plague + Pro-Black Swords and Swiftfoot Boots. Forbidden Orchard and Necrotic Plague has always been hilarious to me and annoying to everyone else. Now I can run Necrotic Plague out and possibly keep Toshiro on the board (or big Eldrazi).
A number of excellent black instants got printed recently. In addition, Whip of Erebos, and Burnished Hart add some flexibility. In the same vein, Tsabo's Decree replaces Mutilate.
I have been very happy with Tsabo's Decree so far. It can be used to kill hexproofs, kill waves of tokens, peek at hands, and murder tribal decks. Six mana is a little heavy but at the same time it can often be planned around.
I think the whip will be interesting with the # of big fatty beaters you have. Normally I dont like it too much in a re-animator deck but its still a good effect.
How has Treacherous Urge worked for you??? I ended up cutting mine lately just because it felt odd a little too often.
EDIT:Altar of Dementia has proven itself to be very very useful for me in my Toshiro deck. You can mill yourself when your creatures would die and it fills your grave with targets to abuse Toshiro with.
Treacherous Urge: It can definitely be awkward. If my play group was different, it might get cut. I'm fortunate in having a few of Kalia, Rakdos, and Mayael big dork decks at the LGS.
My first few tries at Toshiro Umezawa suffered from myriad problems. No creatures, limited interactions and a very clunky feeling. The deck worked fine if I got enough mana, or hit certain cards, but often I just durdled. This is in addition to the normal problems mono black has, such as dealing with enchantments and artifacts.
Then... Undying Evil was printed... and my current toolbox-Reanimation pile began its germination.
UPDATE: I've added more of a combat focus to the deck. Larger creatures were added to increase the life gain from Disciple of Bolas. Sword of Light and Shadow and Sword of Feast and Famine were also added. Quicksilver Amulet came in to help offset the cost of my tremendously expensive creatures; also, EOT Eldrazi are silly.
Toshiro Umezawa
2 Walking Atlas
3 Burnished Hart
4 Fleshbag Marauder
5 Fleshwrither
6 Dimir Houseguard
7 Solemn Simulacrum
8 Disciple of Bolas
9 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
10 Crypt Ghast
11 Phyrexian Obliterator
12 Slum Reaper
13 Faceless Butcher
14 Puppeteer Clique
15 Magus of the Coffers
16 Harvester of Souls
17 Sheoldred, Whispering One
18 Rune-scarred Demon
19 Sepulchral Primordial
20 Ulamog's Crusher
21 Artisan of Kosilek
22 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
23 Pathrazer to Ulamog
24 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
25 Entomb
26 Vampiric Tutor
27 Cremate
28 Tragic Slip
30 Darkness
31 Imp's Mischief
32 Corpse Dance
33 Grim Return
34 Sudden Death
35 Sudden Spoiling
36 Rend Flesh
37 Murder
38 Dismember
39 Makeshift Mannequin
40 Tendrils of Corruption
41 Rescue from the Underworld
42 Treacherous Urge
43 Moonlight Bargain
44 Necrologia
45 Tsabo's Decree
47 Decree of Pain
48 Demonic Tutor
49 Buried Alive
50 Rise from the Grave
51 Necropotence
52 Necrotic Plague
53 Expedition Map
54 Swiftfoot Boots
55 Sword of Feast and Famine
56 Sword of Light and Shadow
57 Oblivion Stone
58 Whip of Erebos
59 Quicksilver Amulet
60 Lashwrithe
61 Caged Sun
62 Liliana of the Dark Realms
63 Tectonic Edge
64 Ghost Quarter
65 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
66 Buried Ruin
67 Reliquary Tower
68 Temple of the False God
69 Cabal Coffers
70 Forbidden Orchard
71 Eldrazi Temple
72 Eye of Ugin
73 Thawing Glaciers
74 Hall of the Bandit Lord
75 High Market
My Trades
ELDRAZI!
+Ulamog's Crusher
+Artisan of Kosilek
+Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
+Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
+Pathrazer of Ulamog
I had these laying around and thought it would be fun to add them. The large amount of removal I have laying around, clone effects are going to be less of an issue.
+Walking Atlas
+Quicksilver Amulet
+Sword of Light and Shadow
+Sword of Feast and Famine
+Lashwrithe
+Swiftfoot Boots
The Equipment should also help.
I won't bother keeping the original list around, as it's changed so much.
My Trades
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
I'll keep an eye on the shuffle dilemma. League Night tomorrow, so I'll get to test some of these changes.
The changes i'm most excited about? Necrotic Plague + Pro-Black Swords and Swiftfoot Boots. Forbidden Orchard and Necrotic Plague has always been hilarious to me and annoying to everyone else. Now I can run Necrotic Plague out and possibly keep Toshiro on the board (or big Eldrazi).
My Trades
Additions:
Grim Return, Whip of Erebos, Burnished Hart, Rescue from the Underworld, Tsabo's Decree
Dropping:
Undying Evil, Shallow Grave, Black Market, Nim Deathmantle, Mutilate
A number of excellent black instants got printed recently. In addition, Whip of Erebos, and Burnished Hart add some flexibility. In the same vein, Tsabo's Decree replaces Mutilate.
My Trades
I think the whip will be interesting with the # of big fatty beaters you have. Normally I dont like it too much in a re-animator deck but its still a good effect.
How has Treacherous Urge worked for you??? I ended up cutting mine lately just because it felt odd a little too often.
EDIT: Altar of Dementia has proven itself to be very very useful for me in my Toshiro deck. You can mill yourself when your creatures would die and it fills your grave with targets to abuse Toshiro with.
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
I'm currently looking at Insidious Dreams, Mindslicer, and Altar's Reap.
I may never upgrade one of my kill spells to Hero's Downfall: Utility is too small for the $15 a foil would cost me.
My Trades