MTG Salvation

Hey, this is a deck I just recently assembled and enjoy quite a bit. It's B/W control with the ability for a combo-finish. When I originally began building it was going to be a lifelink themed deck but my instincts made it a control deck.

The List:


I do have a list of cards to acquire for the deck such as:

• Godless Shrine
  
• Demonic Tutor
  
• Rune-scarred Demon
  
• Diabolic Revelation
  
• Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
  
• Stripmine

and some of the cheaper/easier to acquire taxing cards.

The best way to play this is to sit back and assemble a wall of protection via creatures or enchantments and play the political game. Take out key threats that the table might be having difficulty with and keep your life total in a non-threatening range. While your opponents are at each other's throats you can drop Vish Kal, and if your lucky play Storm Herd the following turn to wipe out an opponent.

Changes:
-1 Thalia +1 Demonic Tutor
-1 Terashi's Grasp +1 Yawgmoth's Will
-1 Persecute
+1 Rule of Law
-1 Murder +1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
-1 Feroz's Ban +1 Triskelion
-1 Nihil Spellbomb +1 Viskopa Guildmage
-1 Relic of Progenitus +1 Painful Quandry
-1 Windborn Muse +1 Chomatic Lantern
-1 Faith's Fetters +1 Sepulchral Primordial
-1 Suppression Field +1 Luminate Primordial
-1 Adarkar Valkyrie +1 Treasury Thrull

Win Record:
Multiplayer: 2HG 2-1, FFA 4-1
1v1: 1-1

Funny Story: So tonight I played a game with some guys that were at the LGS (Krenko, Kaalia and Sedris). I was the only one not running red. Turn 6 I beacon of unrest up Avatar of Slaughter, this nearly backfires on me when Kaalia hits me for 28. I managed to survive via Ghostly Prison and Sphere. When it was down to Krenko and me, he paid the tax to attack with a creature then passed. I dropped Massacre Wurm and he died...alot.

If any deck wanted to test and abuse Blind Obedience and Treasury Thrull, it's this one.

Yeah I've been staring at the thrull since I slapped this together. I'm having trouble figuring out what to cut for it. Obedience is on my list of tax/stax cards to get a hold of. Any suggestions?

Quote from jakalova

Yeah I've been staring at the thrull since I slapped this together. I'm having trouble figuring out what to cut for it. Obedience is on my list of tax/stax cards to get a hold of. Any suggestions?

Thalia? She just seems out of place since it doesn't appear that you're trying to tax your opponents to the point of not being able to cast anything (like GAAIV), so paying 1 doesn't do much.

Good point cryo. I really like Thalia but she does seem a bit too fragile and unsupported in the deck. The best I can hope for is to have her and Chancellor out for a +2 casting tax but that is kinda bleh in this build. I'll cut her and add in Thrull.

Good to see another Vish Kal player!

A few suggestions I would make,

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed - Creates a really great infinite combo with Vish Kal. Kills all your opponent's creatures dead.

Butcher of Malakir - Another Grave Pact effect, especially one that can be easily reanimated in our colours, is always cool.

Vizkopa Guildmage - This card is really good value when your commander has lifelink. Serious advantage here!

Unburial Rites - Reanimation with flashback. Brilliant.

Nim Deathmantle - This is a really excellent piece of equipment! Reanimates your guys all day long.

Illusionist's Bracers - I haven't seen this used in any other Vish Kal lists yet... But it should be! It doubles both of Vish Kal's abilities! You end up with potentially four times more effect per sacrificed creature!

Leyline of Sanctity or Ivory Mask over Imperial Mask? Unless there's some interaction I'm missing with Imp Mask.

Aura of Silence would serve your deck/plan well. Good with Sun Titan as are a lot of your cards, like Oblivion Ring.

You've got several ways of making things cost more for everyone, which in my experience tends to tick people off and get them gunning for you. I see those cards more in stax/tax type builds that break the symmetry, yet you still have some expensive spells that fall victim to your own limitations. Sorin, Lord of Innistrad, Bitterblossom, Elspeth, Knight-Errant, etc can help build you advantage as they keep making dudes despite the limitations you set out.

Curious as to a typical game with this deck, beginning game, mid-game, and late game. BW control is a big interest of mine, so I'd love to hear more about how it plays out.

@IronRadiant: Thanks for the input. I did add in Mikaeus, Trike and Guildmage. I have been considering adding in Butcher.

@Kraus: Imperial Mask is what I had on hand, and on occasion my group plays 2HG EDH when we get new or returning players that need a hand getting into the game. I have been looking for the Aura for a week, I know I have a bunch but with the way the deck plays ATM it would hurt more than help the plan. Sorin and Elspeth will be going in when I get them, I have stepped away from most of the stax cards except for Prison and Sphere.

The deck is meant to be played politically in most cases. I don't know if you're familiar with Antonio DeRosa's B/W control list from the Kami-Rav pro tour, but it plays alot like that.

Ok, I acquired some things and I have changed the deck a bit. I'll post the new list up later on this evening.

Note: Obzedat, Ghost Council + Mikey + Sac outlet = funny as all hell in a 3 man game.

Updated List:



*Placeholders for Godless Shrine and a theoretical Scrubland.

I added BoI to the list for another interaction with Vizkopa Guildmage.