MTG Salvation

Since I began playing Magic, my favorite type of deck has been Mill. Why? Not sure. My step-dad who introduced me to the game had an obsession with Millstone and I thought it was so cool. So that could be it.

Well, when I eventually was introduced into EDH, I built an artifact deck because I didn't bring all of my cards with me to college, which is where I got into it. I quickly learned that Mill in EDH just doesn't work. It upset me and I just began to live with it.

At the Gatecrash Pre-Release, I pulled a Lazav, and said to myself, you know what? Screw it. I'm gonna try the EDH challenge. I'm gonna Mill 3 separate 100 card decks and win. My first week, I did.

During construction, the deck shaped up to something weird. I went through all my Blue/Black stuff and found a bunch of cards similar to Praetor's Grasp and Stolen Goods and I thought, hey, being a thief can't be to bad. Yeah, people don't like it.

The deck's creature base is small, and definitely could use some better hitters. Mainly, it runs on Unblockable creatures to keep the 'thief' theme on board while also manipulating cards like Coastal Piracy and abuse some minor Cipher abilities.

To better help the theft theme, I also used a few Clone type effects as a sort of 'blend into the crowd' type of theme. I of course used Evil Twin because of theme, and awesomeness.

I also mushed in a bunch of discard cards to help with mill and keeping player's disrupted. All around, the deck does a lot at once, and it keeps things flowing nicely.

Well, enough talking, here it is:

So what do you think? I tried to make it perfect and with my budget, it isn't the greatest. I'm attempting to get my hands on:

• Consuming Aberration
  
• Dimir Charm
  
• Glimpse the Unthinkable
  
• Ghastlord of Fugue
  
• Wrexial, the Risen Deep
  
• Memory Plunder
  
• Mask of Riddles
  
• Dimir Doppleganger
  
• Dire Undercurrents

However I have no idea what to cut for each one. I'm thinking Consuming Aberration will replace Phage the Untouchable, which can be risky.

First, let me commend you to attempting EDH mill, as it is probably one of the worst strategies ever unless you're doing combo. Before I continue, I must ask one question

Are you using mill as a win condition? or are you using it as a toolbox.

Plenty of decks use the grave of opponents as well as their own as a toolbox for victory, rather than as a intended mechanic to kill. Cards like Reanimate, Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, and Wrexial, the Risen Deep thrive on fat enemy graveyards (or things going into said graveyards), and can be built as a "your graveyards are my deck" type deal. It's a fun way to play, for sure.

However, only a rare few try to use mill as a win condition without some sort of combo like hinder+tunnel vision or infinite mana and Oona, Queen of the Fae.

Either way, I'd up your mill package.

Stormtide Leviathan is a great wicon that shuts down most of the board.

Unless you really have a use for the morph part of Whetwheel, Sands of Delirium is a straight upgrade.

I'd run Memory Plunder over Sins of the Past - one of the great things about Plunder is that it's an instant, so while you can't get your own stuff back, using your opponent's own wraths during their turn is worth it:-) I'm also thinking Wrexial, the Risen Deep in place of Seer's Vision - you'll just get more value out of him.

Gotta agree with yang on his changes. If you really want more access to your grave, consider Yawgmoth's Will or Spelltwine. Both hit your own grave, or both yours and anothers. Yawgmoth's will is arguably one of the most powerful cards in the game, and frankly every black deck ever made should run it just because of how bananas this card is. YawgWin+ anything that resemblesDemonic Tutor is especially powerful.

As for Fett, Stormtide Leviathan is pretty good for shutting down the board, and especially with Wrexial, the Risen Deep as they just have a landwalking party to themselves, but cards like No Mercy and Dissipation Field in my experience have been better deterrents rather than stormtide which just makes you a big target. Difficult as it is, as mill you want to go relatively unnoticed unless it's your turn. Big mills might draw you aggro from one player at a time, but unless you've got a consistent big-miller, normally there are worse problems elsewhere. Just be prepared to take an early beating.

Currently I am playing Lazav EDH as well. Something I have to point out is that for one, as someone had questioned earlier before, don't ever let mill be even part of the strategy. It is nothing more than a toolbox for Lazav. When you try and base on a mill strategy you are going to simply lose. I do have to say though from your list, other great utility mill cards to use would be Increasing Confusion and Psychic Drain. Gaining life is pretty good here. Pretty much 80% of the time I play Lazav, he doesn't meet an answer and players are usually hesitant to wrath because of one creature. Also, depending on what your play group is like, you need to of course have a back bone of your own in case the opposing deck doesn't have a lot for Lazav to truly benefit from. I run cards like Frost Titan Grave Titan and Sheoldred, Whispering One. The creatures really help have an impact when Lazav can't do very much in the mid game.
I also want to point out that creatures like Phantasmal Image and Phyrexian Metamorph are great cards to not only help some of your shinanigans like copying something like a Consecrated Sphinx but also forms of removal towards other generals.

One more thing, I noticed Nightveil Specter I want to recommend droping this card as it doesn't have much relevance to hold with Lazav. The exile is game changing if you hit the wrong thing that you wanted Lazav to become.

I hate it when people don't list all their creatures together, lol.

Body Double seems like a given considering how much you want to force your opponent to mill. He should be almost an auto-include.

Quote from Monkmiroku

First, let me commend you to attempting EDH mill, as it is probably one of the worst strategies ever unless you're doing combo. Before I continue, I must ask one question

Are you using mill as a win condition? or are you using it as a toolbox.

Plenty of decks use the grave of opponents as well as their own as a toolbox for victory, rather than as a intended mechanic to kill. Cards like Reanimate, Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, and Wrexial, the Risen Deep thrive on fat enemy graveyards (or things going into said graveyards), and can be built as a "your graveyards are my deck" type deal. It's a fun way to play, for sure.

However, only a rare few try to use mill as a win condition without some sort of combo like hinder+tunnel vision or infinite mana and Oona, Queen of the Fae.

Either way, I'd up your mill package.

Well, mill is never my chosen win condition. I either do quite a bit with Whispering Madness, Twincast, and some unblockable creature with Megrim and Liliana's Caress out. It has worked crazy wonders. I'm looking into getting a Wrexial, since I know it would be really nice.

Quote from The Fett Man

Stormtide Leviathan is a great wicon that shuts down most of the board.

Actually have a foil on the way. Will be going in once I get it.

Quote from Master_Yang

Unless you really have a use for the morph part of Whetwheel, Sands of Delirium is a straight upgrade.

Also looking for this, Whetwheel was my placeholder for it.

Quote from The Fett Man

I'd run Memory Plunder over Sins of the Past - one of the great things about Plunder is that it's an instant, so while you can't get your own stuff back, using your opponent's own wraths during their turn is worth it:-) I'm also thinking Wrexial, the Risen Deep in place of Seer's Vision - you'll just get more value out of him.

Memory Plunder has been the card I've had my eye out for. I need one, and I know it. Sins of the Past hasn't gotten much millage and will be cut. This decklist is a sort of 'rough draft'. I really like Seer's Vision however. I like having the ability to see my opponents hands. Helps me with certain creatures that DONT have Hexproof.

Quote from Monkmiroku

Gotta agree with yang on his changes. If you really want more access to your grave, consider Yawgmoth's Will or Spelltwine. Both hit your own grave, or both yours and anothers. Yawgmoth's will is arguably one of the most powerful cards in the game, and frankly every black deck ever made should run it just because of how bananas this card is. YawgWin+ anything that resemblesDemonic Tutor is especially powerful.

As for Fett, Stormtide Leviathan is pretty good for shutting down the board, and especially with Wrexial, the Risen Deep as they just have a landwalking party to themselves, but cards like No Mercy and Dissipation Field in my experience have been better deterrents rather than stormtide which just makes you a big target. Difficult as it is, as mill you want to go relatively unnoticed unless it's your turn. Big mills might draw you aggro from one player at a time, but unless you've got a consistent big-miller, normally there are worse problems elsewhere. Just be prepared to take an early beating.

I have never been a fan of Yawgmoth's Win. I know it's amazing and whatnot, but I never found it to be striking like most cards. In the few decks that I have run YawgWin, I never got the millage out of it that I wanted. Yeah, I guess that could easily be circumstantial, but I would think twice about it personally.

Quote from Ruki

Currently I am playing Lazav EDH as well. Something I have to point out is that for one, as someone had questioned earlier before, don't ever let mill be even part of the strategy. It is nothing more than a toolbox for Lazav. When you try and base on a mill strategy you are going to simply lose. I do have to say though from your list, other great utility mill cards to use would be Increasing Confusion and Psychic Drain. Gaining life is pretty good here. Pretty much 80% of the time I play Lazav, he doesn't meet an answer and players are usually hesitant to wrath because of one creature. Also, depending on what your play group is like, you need to of course have a back bone of your own in case the opposing deck doesn't have a lot for Lazav to truly benefit from. I run cards like Frost Titan Grave Titan and Sheoldred, Whispering One. The creatures really help have an impact when Lazav can't do very much in the mid game.
I also want to point out that creatures like Phantasmal Image and Phyrexian Metamorph are great cards to not only help some of your shinanigans like copying something like a Consecrated Sphinx but also forms of removal towards other generals.

One more thing, I noticed Nightveil Specter I want to recommend droping this card as it doesn't have much relevance to hold with Lazav. The exile is game changing if you hit the wrong thing that you wanted Lazav to become.

Mill has never been my main WinCon. It has knocked out a few people before. *cough* Traumatize + Keening Stone *cough*. Oddly enough, Keening doesn't see the hatred I expected it too.
I like Nightveil's flavor. I know he may not be THAT great, but a lot of players run Blue/Black in my meta, so I can easily find something that is castable. Lazav, although really nice, doesn't see that much play. He seems like a general with a lot of 'build around me' type of stuff, but depending on my opening draw, I usually don't use both at the same time. There are multiple strategies for me to play with this deck, Lazav is in one, Nightveil in another.

Quote from Scott

I hate it when people don't list all their creatures together, lol.

Body Double seems like a given considering how much you want to force your opponent to mill. He should be almost an auto-include.

I'm sorry? As for Body Double, I considered it. It got cut for Evil Twin as evil twin has the ability to knock out Legendary Hexproof creatures and knock out big creatures and still hit the opponent with them. Like Terrastadon. I once copied it, hit the player with his ability, and then killed off the T-bags with Evil Twin's ability the very next turn. Giving myself a 9/9 anyway. Felt kinda nice.

I understand your feelings about Yawgmoth's Win. I had one in a previous UB deck and it was disspointing a lot, but if you're running a heavy mill package and find yourself with a large graveyard, you'll be glad for it. It's also one of the only ways to return Enchantments, Planeswalkers, and Lands from your graveyard. (there are a few others, but this is a catch-all.

I'm surprised Keening Stone doesn't get you aggro. If I drop it I'm normally the primary target, knowing that if it comes around to my turn again someone is likely going to be RFGed or damn close to it. Body double is an auto-include in almost any deck, mill or not. It's just bananas.

ill-gotten gains both dumps their hands allowing for possible cloning and also lets you know what they have in their hands (and potentially recur something important for yourself)