Monoblack aggro has been popping up in a few places. There are a couple of variations still, like bile blights, ordeal or number of gray merchants. This deck is able to capitalize on the time that hero's downfall and thoughtseize give you, and the ramp deck is still vulnerable to flyers like the herald of torment. Agent of fates has consistently been good in the format. and Spiteful returned has been more effective at punching through damage than nighthowler. Previously the monoblack decks could get relatively easily get into a topdeck war with the ramp decks, and then just loose to the higher density of threats from the ramp deck. Instead of getting there you clean out their hand and then kill them before they have a chance to draw anything.
I like some number of gray merchants in the list. You have lots of black permanents, so this nearly always hits for 5-8. Even if this isn't lethal, the life gain counteracts a lot of the damage you deal to yourself. I think you need some in the deck, but not very many. Mogis' marauder is another allstar. I wouldn't cut any, as they are often responsible for 6-8 damage by themselves, which is huge in the aggro deck. Oftentimes they are the only card that you want to draw, and chaining them is very difficult to deal with. For thoughtseize, your order of importance is planeswalkers > arbor colossuss > fatties > ramp. I list arbor colossus special because it is the only good answer to herald of torment. If they don't have the colossus, they can't burn the bestowed herald, and you have enough random groundpounders that you can usually just race them. My list is below.
I predict the deck is weak to heroic aggro with its current configuration, but since all you really want to beat is Ramp variations, I am fine with that. For sideboarding, I bring in gild for boon in the RG ramp matchups, and more gray merchants in the UG ramp matchup. Thoughts?
I really like it. I think people will be forcing mono black control configurations with Erebos and Whip in the main, but black aggro is probably the way you want to go. Do you think you need 24 swamp? Could you cut 1 land for perhaps another Boon of Erebos? I also think 4 Dark Betrayal is a bit much int he sideboard. Perhaps you could add in another Pharika's Cure or Gild. If Heroic is going to be a problem for you, maybe you want to cut Nighthowlers for some Bile Blights in the sideboard.
This is probably how I'd do it. I'd have the Whips main to counteract all the loss of life from Thoughtseize and Boon or Erebos. It lets you be more aggressive too I think.
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Tested this deck out a little and I think it's MUCH better than black devotion against GR or Naya. The big problem the deck has is Anger of the Gods though. It absolutely destroys the deck, and there is no way around it. I was talking about it with a friend and he suggested I add blue to it to add in more resiliency to Anger. We came up with a pretty effective black/blue aggro deck that is much better than the straight black one.
The addition of Triton Tactics has been amazing. Not only does it let you activate Heroic more effectively, but the +3 toughness saves at least 2 of your creatures from an Anger of the Gods. You also get access to Retraction Helix, which gives the deck a way to deal with permanents it can't deal with, or just buy you some time. I really like this build, and will be testing with it before the Pro Tour in May.
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I like some number of gray merchants in the list. You have lots of black permanents, so this nearly always hits for 5-8. Even if this isn't lethal, the life gain counteracts a lot of the damage you deal to yourself. I think you need some in the deck, but not very many. Mogis' marauder is another allstar. I wouldn't cut any, as they are often responsible for 6-8 damage by themselves, which is huge in the aggro deck. Oftentimes they are the only card that you want to draw, and chaining them is very difficult to deal with. For thoughtseize, your order of importance is planeswalkers > arbor colossuss > fatties > ramp. I list arbor colossus special because it is the only good answer to herald of torment. If they don't have the colossus, they can't burn the bestowed herald, and you have enough random groundpounders that you can usually just race them. My list is below.
24 Swamp
Creatures
4 Agent of the Fates
4 Herald of Torment
4 Mogis's Marauder
4 Pain Seer
4 Spiteful Returned
4 Tormented Hero
2 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4 Hero's Downfall
2 Boon of Erebos
4 Thoughtseize
4 Dark Betrayal
1 Pharika's Cure
2 Erebos, God of the Dead
2 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2 Nighthowler
2 Whip of Erebos
2 Gild
I predict the deck is weak to heroic aggro with its current configuration, but since all you really want to beat is Ramp variations, I am fine with that. For sideboarding, I bring in gild for boon in the RG ramp matchups, and more gray merchants in the UG ramp matchup. Thoughts?
19 Swamp
4 Temple of Deceit
Creatures
4 Agent of the Fates
4 Tormented Hero
4 Spiteful Returned
4 Pain Seer
4 Herald of Torment
4 Mogis's Marauder
3 Boon of Erebos
4 Hero's Downfall
2 Whip of Erebos
4 Thoughtseize
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Erebos, God of the Dead
2 Pharika's Cure
3 Dark Betrayal
2 Bile Blight
3 Gild
This is probably how I'd do it. I'd have the Whips main to counteract all the loss of life from Thoughtseize and Boon or Erebos. It lets you be more aggressive too I think.
2 Island
17 Swamp
4 Temple of Deceit
Creatures
4 Tormented Hero
4 Spiteful Returned
4 Pain Seer
4 Agent of the Fates
4 Herald of Torment
4 Mogis's Marauder
3 Triton Tactics
4 Hero's Downfall
2 Whip of Erebos
4 Thoughtseize
3 Retraction Helix
3 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Erebos, God of the Dead
2 Pharika's Cure
3 Dark Betrayal
3 Gild
The addition of Triton Tactics has been amazing. Not only does it let you activate Heroic more effectively, but the +3 toughness saves at least 2 of your creatures from an Anger of the Gods. You also get access to Retraction Helix, which gives the deck a way to deal with permanents it can't deal with, or just buy you some time. I really like this build, and will be testing with it before the Pro Tour in May.