Hello,
This is my favorite deck and have been playing different type of mono black decks since I first learned to play Magic. I have tried out several different mono black commanders and always find myself coming back to either Chainer, Dementia Master or Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed...mostly because I have foil versions, I love art and I love playing reanimator.
I feel like I have this deck at a really good place at the moment. There are a few slots that I have open for testing new cards because I just haven't been able to fin anything that I just absolutely love enough to keep it in. I desperately would love to dwindle down the rotating spots to 2 or 3 and call those meta slots. I would also like to add in some more lifegain.
As a whole, this deck is very resilient, consistent and can be played semi competitively or casually depending on what you want to do.
Any help and suggestions would be much appreciated!!
This is a very typical MBC type list with reanimator backup plan. The goal early on is to ramp if possible and try to get ahead of the opponent. Getting ahead can be achieved by the already mentioned ramp but, also by playing other things that can gain you card advantage (Bitterblossom + Skullclamp, Necropotence or Liliana of the Dark Realms). When ramp or card advantage are not an option we turn to disruption. This can be in the form of blowing up lands, hand or creatures. Some of my favorites are to piece together some stax elements that will limit the opponent but not me (Bitterblossom + Contamination/Braids, Cabal Minion/Smokestack or Crucible of Worlds + Strip Mine/Wasteland). The crucible of worlds route is not always the best but, they have to run out of lands at some point right?
The middle game is much like the first. If you haven't been disrupting the opponent..you want to. This should be when you're taking over the game or positioning to take over. You want to assemble some stax pieces, card draw or start looking to assemble a combo. When all else fails and you have been playing defensively for some time.. It is never a bad idea to turn to Chainer, Dementia Master and start using his ability to get some value out of opponents graveyards or yours depending on what is best.
End game is going for the finish. This is achieved by playing our infinite mana combo (Swamps+Rings of Brighthearth+Cabal Coffers+Deserted Temple) and casting something like Exsanguinate to kill everyone or a Xiahou Dun, The One-Eyed + Profane Command loop will get the job done too. No infinite mana combo? No problem, we have multiple paths to victory. There is the old fashioned turning dudes sideways whether they be your own or reanimated targets by Chainer, Dementia Master. Last but not least, is my favorite way to win... a giant DEATH CLOUD!!! This is arguably my favorite black card ever printed. I love casting a big death cloud with planeswalkers on the board. *Note* You want to try and cast death cloud for enough to clear out everyone's lands, hands and creatures.
hi aseph - i think your build is really solid. there are no cards without value. its just alot in there. the only things to change really could be streamlining and that doesn't make decks allways better. i see what you prefer and don't have any concrete suggestions, but you could try to split a deck in two and experiment, to see what THEN might be missing for your appreciation.
my observations:
*you don't play too much ramp - so if your meta isn't faster than you its ok, because you get more place for business.
*you play some fat dudes yourself - if your meta has no fatties to grab its ok - you just could try to trim your own curve(in my meta also bribery is a thing)
some cards you could try and see if they compliment you style: Uba Mask if opponents mana is gone this will prevent them from ever recovering, cause they can't sculpt any hands. necropotence lets you still get cards. Sphere of Resistance if you don't play a lot of spells in a row in a single turn this can hurt opponents more - see if you can use it asymetric.
you have alot to do with stuff allready on the board/ mana sinks like chainer himself support this
cheers
Hi, thank you for the reply!
I have never considered splitting the deck into two different decks. Typically, I just remove a 'Stax' package for example..and see how that goes. I think I will give the two decks thing a shot.
I realize that I don't play much ramp but, then again..neither does my meta. The only decks that ramp better than me are Omnath and Uril. There have been times when I get a good ramp package to start the game and I can keep up. Usually, I end up disrupting them and that helps me keep pace. Also, more on my meta...Lots of fatties. My friends love big creatures so there is almost always something awesome to take. The only exceptions being playing against Uril, Grenzo (some good utility guys), Hazezon and to a lesser extent Marath. Bribery doesn't exist much anymore in my meta. We all sort of got bored with it and moved on. I think the only lists with Bribery are Oloro and Nicol Bolas.
Of the cards you mentioned.. I really like Sphere of Resistance the most. That I something I will definitely look into. You are right in that I don't often cast more than 1 spell a turn. Most of my shenanigans comes from my board state.
I see where you are coming from and that there are ways that I can take better advantage of Chainer. The reason for considering the discard package is to remove threats that I can't deal with, before they become and issue (Enchantments and Artifacts) or, to remove my opponent's removal spells. The Torpor Orb idea is interesting but, I feel like that would go against Chainer's ability. One of the reasons I like to play Chainer is because I love reanimation and being able to abuse it. Granted, I don't abuse reanimation in this deck..but I like having the option to.
Sometimes, I like to try Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed at the helm..but I dont feel like has the same punch as Chainer or the same explosive potential. He is useful but I dont think the deck is suited for him. Also, another crazy idea that I have is to try Tasigur, the Golden Fang at the helm too. Keeping the deck mono black but, change the mana base to support Tasigur.
Made some changes today, they are reflected in the original post and I updated the change log as well.
Some other changed that I am considering:
Oona, Queen of the Fae at the helm. The deck will still remain mono black..I just want to see what she can do with the potential to make tokens and be a mana sink. As it stands right now, Chainer is not central to my plan and is more of a backup. I think he would be just as effective as a 1 of 99.
This is my favorite deck and have been playing different type of mono black decks since I first learned to play Magic. I have tried out several different mono black commanders and always find myself coming back to either Chainer, Dementia Master or Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed...mostly because I have foil versions, I love art and I love playing reanimator.
I feel like I have this deck at a really good place at the moment. There are a few slots that I have open for testing new cards because I just haven't been able to fin anything that I just absolutely love enough to keep it in. I desperately would love to dwindle down the rotating spots to 2 or 3 and call those meta slots. I would also like to add in some more lifegain.
As a whole, this deck is very resilient, consistent and can be played semi competitively or casually depending on what you want to do.
Any help and suggestions would be much appreciated!!
My Meta: Just to give an idea of what I play against when making suggestions.
Uril, the Miststalker Voltron
Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Token/Combo
The Mimeoplasm Control/Combo
Hazezon Tamar Tokens
Omnath, Locus of Mana Ramp/Big Creatures
Nicol Bolas Control
Marath, Will of the Wild Tokens
Karador, Ghost Chieftain Reanimator
Kaalia of the Vast Good stuff
Oloro, Ageless Ascetic Lifegain/Enchantress
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Barren Moor
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Deserted Temple
1 Evolving Wilds
1 High Market
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Polluted Delta
1 Strip Mine
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Wasteland
23 Swamp
Creatures
5 Chainer, Dementia Master
4 Braids, Cabal Minion
4 Crypt Ghast
4 Dimir House Guard
4 Graveborn Muse
4 Mindslicer
4 Solemn Simulacrum
4 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
5 Bloodgift Demon
5 Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
5 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
5 Sidisi, Undead Viser
6 Geth, Lord of the Vault
6 Kokusho, the Evening Star
6 Wurmcoil Engine
6 Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
7 Rune-Scarred Demon
7 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Expedition Map
1 Sol Ring
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
2 Jet Medallion
3 Darksteel Ignot
3 Phyrexian Altar
4 Liliana of the Dark Realms
Disruption
1 Innocent Blood
2 Diabolic Edict
2 Smallpox
2 Torpor Orb
3 Contamination
3 Dismember
3 Hero's Downfall
3 Pox
3 Praetor's Grasp
3 Toxic Deluge
3x Death Cloud
4 Damnation
4 Smokestack
6 Sorin Markov
7 All is Dust
7 Karn Liberated
8 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
Draw
1 Entomb
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Skullclamp
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Demonic Tutor
2 Night's Whisper
2 Sign in Blood
3 Necropotence
3 Phyrexian Arena
3 Beseech the Queen
4 Ambition's Cost
4 Ancient Craving
5 Promise of Power
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Reanimate
2 Bitterblossom
2x Exsanguinate
2x Profane Command
3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Ring's of Brighthearth
4 Trading Post
Cards that I am not crazy about and would like to find something better:
Nirkana Revenant
Geth, Lord of the Vault
Pox
Temporal Extortion
Reanimate
Caged Sun
The middle game is much like the first. If you haven't been disrupting the opponent..you want to. This should be when you're taking over the game or positioning to take over. You want to assemble some stax pieces, card draw or start looking to assemble a combo. When all else fails and you have been playing defensively for some time.. It is never a bad idea to turn to Chainer, Dementia Master and start using his ability to get some value out of opponents graveyards or yours depending on what is best.
End game is going for the finish. This is achieved by playing our infinite mana combo (Swamps+Rings of Brighthearth+Cabal Coffers+Deserted Temple) and casting something like Exsanguinate to kill everyone or a Xiahou Dun, The One-Eyed + Profane Command loop will get the job done too. No infinite mana combo? No problem, we have multiple paths to victory. There is the old fashioned turning dudes sideways whether they be your own or reanimated targets by Chainer, Dementia Master. Last but not least, is my favorite way to win... a giant DEATH CLOUD!!! This is arguably my favorite black card ever printed. I love casting a big death cloud with planeswalkers on the board. *Note* You want to try and cast death cloud for enough to clear out everyone's lands, hands and creatures.
Some of my favorite interactions:
Death Cloud/Rings of Brighthearth + Plansewalkers on the board
Crucible of Worlds + Strip Mine/Wasteland/Fetch Lands
Xiahou Dun, The One-Eyed + Profane Command
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed + Phyrexian Reclamation
Bitterblossom + Contamination/Braids, Cabal Minion/Smokestack/Skullclamp
1 Torpor Orb
1 Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Ancient Craving
1 Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
3 Dismember
4 Ambition's Cost
4 Graveborn Muse
1 Swamp
1 Merciless Executioner
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Nirkana Revenant
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Blood Artist
1 Caged Sun
1 Temporal Extortion
Hi, thank you for the reply!
I have never considered splitting the deck into two different decks. Typically, I just remove a 'Stax' package for example..and see how that goes. I think I will give the two decks thing a shot.
I realize that I don't play much ramp but, then again..neither does my meta. The only decks that ramp better than me are Omnath and Uril. There have been times when I get a good ramp package to start the game and I can keep up. Usually, I end up disrupting them and that helps me keep pace. Also, more on my meta...Lots of fatties. My friends love big creatures so there is almost always something awesome to take. The only exceptions being playing against Uril, Grenzo (some good utility guys), Hazezon and to a lesser extent Marath. Bribery doesn't exist much anymore in my meta. We all sort of got bored with it and moved on. I think the only lists with Bribery are Oloro and Nicol Bolas.
Of the cards you mentioned.. I really like Sphere of Resistance the most. That I something I will definitely look into. You are right in that I don't often cast more than 1 spell a turn. Most of my shenanigans comes from my board state.
A couple other cards that I am considering are:
Burnished Hart
Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
Bloodgift Demon
Liliana of the Veil
Liliana, Heretical Healer
and a dedicated discard package consisting of:
Duress
Inquisition of Kozilek
Thoughtseize
Raven's Crime
Hymn to Tourach
Sometimes, I like to try Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed at the helm..but I dont feel like has the same punch as Chainer or the same explosive potential. He is useful but I dont think the deck is suited for him. Also, another crazy idea that I have is to try Tasigur, the Golden Fang at the helm too. Keeping the deck mono black but, change the mana base to support Tasigur.
Some other changed that I am considering:
Oona, Queen of the Fae at the helm. The deck will still remain mono black..I just want to see what she can do with the potential to make tokens and be a mana sink. As it stands right now, Chainer is not central to my plan and is more of a backup. I think he would be just as effective as a 1 of 99.
Whip of Erebos - I could use the life gain.
Grave Titan - ETB doesnt work with Torpor Orb, but you still get tokens from attacking and works well alongside Graveborn Muse.
Grave Pact, Dictate of Erebos, Butcher of Malakir - With Oona at the helm potentially, these could provide great synergy with her token production to keep critters off the board.