I haven't been playing much EDH lately, but I broke out Erebos the other day and realized how much I enjoy playing with life draining tax cards. What do I mean by life tax here? Well, Polluted Bonds, Underworld Dreams, and Painful Quandary come to mind. Not necessarily full on group slug though, since I only have so much life gain to offset the symmetrical effects. Otherwise, anything that slowly but efficiently bleeds life totals out is what I'm looking for. Here's a list of the ones I know about and/or found searching magiccards.info, though most probably aren't playable:
Like I said, most are hot garbage not even worth considering, but there's probably quite a few I overlooked or just plain missed. I think Ankh of Mishra and Massacre Wurm are the most powerful ones I'm not running, and maybe Palace Siege could be playable as well. Most of the others seem like they just don't have much of an impact.
Anything major and obvious that I'm missing, or does anyone have experience building a deck on this wavelength?
My Kokusho deck has a similar theme, although over time it has evolved to be more focused on Kokusho interactions. It's hard to bleed too slowly or else you won't win in time, but if you drain a lot of life (but not enough to win) youre opponents will gang up on you. It plays like mono black control with some big spells like Exaanguinate and Torment of Hailfire to finish the game. That said, Kokusho himself fits well with your theme, people tend to refuse to attack into a 20 point life swing.
Edit: I'm also a big fan Pox effects, normally your lifegain will be enough to break the symmetry.
EDH Pantheon UBRG Yidris, Eye of the Storm WBR Kaalia, Herald of Apocalypse UBG Damia, Sage of Nightmare WBG Karador, the Bridge Between WU Grand Warden Augustin IV RG Omnath, Locus of Awakening BG Nath Addict UR Niv Mizzet, Brain Aflame B Kokusho, the Mourning Star U Memnarch is All
Painful Quandary
Pestilence
Polluted Bonds
Underworld Dreams
Wound Reflection
Fate Unraveler
Withering Wisps
Subversion
Palace Siege
Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
Price of Knowledge
Massacre Wurm
Ankh of Mishra
Temporal Extortion
Baneful Omen
Blood Reckoning
Bloodchief Ascension
Circle of Affliction
Creeping Dread
Cruel Reality
Curse of Wizardry
Forsaken Wastes
Gibbering Descent
Hissing Miasma
Liability
Liliana's Caress / Megrim
Marchesa's Decree
Measure of Wickedness
Pillar Tombs of Aku
Retreat to Hagra
Shadows of the Past
Shrieking Affliction
Stab Wound
Torment of Scarabs
Trespasser's Curse
Psychosis Crawler
Throne of the God-Pharaoh
Barbed Wire
Copper Tablet
Dingus Egg
Dingus Staff
Psychogenic Probe
Thumbscrews
Cryptolith Fragment
Like I said, most are hot garbage not even worth considering, but there's probably quite a few I overlooked or just plain missed. I think Ankh of Mishra and Massacre Wurm are the most powerful ones I'm not running, and maybe Palace Siege could be playable as well. Most of the others seem like they just don't have much of an impact.
Anything major and obvious that I'm missing, or does anyone have experience building a deck on this wavelength?
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
Edit: I'm also a big fan Pox effects, normally your lifegain will be enough to break the symmetry.
UBRG Yidris, Eye of the Storm
WBR Kaalia, Herald of Apocalypse
UBG Damia, Sage of Nightmare
WBG Karador, the Bridge Between
WU Grand Warden Augustin IV
RG Omnath, Locus of Awakening
BG Nath Addict
UR Niv Mizzet, Brain Aflame
B Kokusho, the Mourning Star
U Memnarch is All
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
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R Zada Arcane Storm
RBU Marchesa
GWU Estrid
GWR Samut?
URB Kess
(R/W)(U/B) Akiri & Silas
BWR Alesha
R Neheb Dragons
G Nylea Wurms
W Darien
U Tetsuko
Blood Seeker - each creature they put into play
Bontu's Monument - each creature you put into play
Fate Unraveler and Underworld Dreams - each card they draw
Massacre Wurm, Blood Artist, Falkenrath Noble - each creature that dies
Defiant Bloodlord and Sanguine Bond - whenever you gain life
Polluted Bonds - whenever they have a land enter play (brutal on fetchlands)
Ob Nixilis, Unshackled - extremely brutal on fetchlands, ramp cards, and tutors
Jalira, Master Polymorphist | Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder | Bosh, Iron Golem | Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Brago, King Eternal | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Wort, Boggart Auntie | Wort, the Raidmother
Captain Sisay | Rhys, the Redeemed | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight | Obzedat, Ghost Council | Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind | Vorel of the Hull Clade
Uril, the Miststalker | Prossh, Skyraider of Kher | Nicol Bolas | Progenitus
Ghave, Guru of Spores | Zedruu the Greathearted | Damia, Sage of Stone | Riku of Two Reflections