Black power! Black power!
You've got to change the system to survive
~ Maio & Co.
My philosophy
I play Commander for its social and psychological aspects. I prefer games to last for a while and to be full of interesting interactions and surprising situations. Whenever I feel like playing to win, I play some other format instead. Multiplayer is all about having fun with your friends. My CMD decks tend to be slow and defensive and combos are coincidental (except in this deck).
The deck's philosophy
After playing vampires for a good while, I began to consider building a more powerful and more interactive mono-black deck. Xiahou Dun was an easy general choice for his versatility. After that, the deck kind of built itself.
The deck is heavy on artifacts that make up for black's inherent limitations, including fast artifact mana that I included to raise the power level. Atypically for my decks, there are also some intentional combos here. Producing loads of mana and drawing cards should never be a problem.
On the topic of Staff of Nin, I'd run both Night's Whisper and Sign in Blood before it, it's just far too slow in a color which has access to such awesome card draw.
I had both of those before but I cut them because their impact was low. They seemed more like fillers than anything else.
How Whip of Erebos been? The forced exile seems a bit problematic to me. Dawn of the Dead has been fantastic for me, along similar lines, so it may be worth considering as an alternative or supplement.
The lifelink part is actually the more relevant one, most of the time. That being said, I wouldn't rule out Dawn of the Dead, either.
My philosophy
I play Commander for its social and psychological aspects. I prefer games to last for a while and to be full of interesting interactions and surprising situations. Whenever I feel like playing to win, I play some other format instead. Multiplayer is all about having fun with your friends. My CMD decks tend to be slow and defensive and combos are coincidental (except in this deck).
The deck's philosophy
After playing vampires for a good while, I began to consider building a more powerful and more interactive mono-black deck. Xiahou Dun was an easy general choice for his versatility. After that, the deck kind of built itself.
The deck is heavy on artifacts that make up for black's inherent limitations, including fast artifact mana that I included to raise the power level. Atypically for my decks, there are also some intentional combos here. Producing loads of mana and drawing cards should never be a problem.
4 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
Creatures (21)
2 Reassembling Skeleton
2 Bloodghast
2 Myr Retriever
3 Ophiomancer
3 Fleshbag Marauder
3 Pawn of Ulamog
3 Junk Diver
3 Burnished Hart
4 Disciple of Bolas
4 Crypt Ghast
4 Slum Reaper
4 Erebos, God of the Dead
4 Solemn Simulacrum
5 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
5 Chainer, Dementia Master
6 Nirkana Revenant
6 Harvester of Souls
6 Kokusho, the Evening Star
6 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
6 Triskelion
7 Sheoldred, Whispering One
Instants (2)
1 Vampiric Tutor
3 Corpse Dance
Sorceries (13)
1 Innocent Blood
2 Demonic Tutor
2 Exsanguinate
3 Yawgmoth's Will
3 Toxic Deluge
4 Barter in Blood
4 Damnation
4 Mutilate
5 Living Death
5 Diabolic Revelation
6 Beseech the Queen
7 All Is Dust
8 Decree of Pain
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
2 Bitterblossom
3 Phyrexian Arena
3 Necropotence
4 Grave Pact
Artifacts (20)
0 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Skullclamp
1 Expedition Map
2 Grim Monolith
3 Extraplanar Lens
3 Phyrexian Altar
3 Rings of Brighthearth
3 Basalt Monolith
3 Oblivion Stone
4 Nightmare Lash
4 Lashwrithe
4 Nevinyrral's Disk
4 Trading Post
4 Whip of Erebos
5 Gauntlet of Power
5 Mind's Eye
6 Caged Sun
6 Staff of Nin
1 Maze of Ith
1 Vesuva
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Homeward Path
1 High Market
1 Deserted Temple
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
25 Snow-Covered Swamp
The name
After expanding my Eurovision-exclusive naming convention into eurobeat, I chose the title from Maio & Co.
Thank you (for a wonderful show)!
Just the other day, I ramped into it with Mana Vault and it did help me quite a bit. I agree it's not the best but so far, it's done its job.
I had both of those before but I cut them because their impact was low. They seemed more like fillers than anything else.
The lifelink part is actually the more relevant one, most of the time. That being said, I wouldn't rule out Dawn of the Dead, either.