I saw a cool Kokusho, the Evening Star build a few days ago and got inspired! The following is my first attempt at a mono-black build and I'm really having trouble cutting the last few cards. I just want to play with everything!
Basically: I want to use my life as a resource, repeatedly sack/recur creatures, and take advantage of "symmetrical" effects like Grave Pact. Plan B is get something big into play either by dumping it into my graveyard and cheating it into play, or by using a mana doubler like Crypt Ghast to get it out early.
How I think this will look:
Use mana rocks to ramp up to speed ASAP. Use things like Reassembling Skeleton to keep some of the pressure off.
Gain card advantage by using my life as a resource (Dark Prophecy, etc.), gain life back with drain effects from Blood Artist and his ilk. Keep threats contained with Grave Pact/removal/sweepers.
Could use a few cards like Withered Wretch or Relic of Progenitus that serve the dual purpose of clearing out enemy graveyards while also letting you exile Kokusho to the command zone after she dies and triggers. The Murderous Cut in your list is a good start.
Could use a few cards like Withered Wretch or Relic of Progenitus that serve the dual purpose of clearing out enemy graveyards while also letting you exile Kokusho to the command zone after she dies and triggers. The Murderous Cut in your list is a good start.
I missed Withered Wretch, good call it should be in just in case I can't recur Kokusho. Like it better than Relic because it's a creature.
i also like dark prophecy, but Necropotence is clearly better. you can of course play both.
bloodghast can not block, so he is only good for victimize, skullclamp and dread return
Abhorrent Overlord is a possible army like avenger of zendikar in green and an additional sac outlet, but to much big wount help set up the game ,stabilize or recover.
those are much more important moves than finisher cards. and well you play koko, so.. you got THE finisher already.
and the best cards you lack are: Phyrexian Tower , High Market and maybe another land letting you sacrifice creatures as a COST, which is so important.
There is a reason why Miren, the Moaning Well is a card, printed in kokopuffs block!!!!!! sac them dragons YAY
I missed that about Bloodghast, that's the same reason I didn't put in Bloodsoaked Champion (which is also a little harder to get back, admittedly). I still think it's worth a slot due to the sack/recur potential.
Agree re Abhorrent Overlord, I think it would be a blast to get 15 harpies at once but likely if I have that much devotion I'm already winning... It should go!
Phyrexian Tower, High Market, and Miren, the Moaning Well (as well as Shizo, Death's Storehouse)I don't currently own. Will definitely be looking to trade for a copy going forward but I figure if I get the basics in now they can be easily swapped into an existing deck later Great suggestions, thanks!
Starting to feel like I should cut either Phyrexian Reclamation or Strands of Night. I just don't know which is better though! Suggestions for further cuts?
Card Count by casting cost (does not include X spells):
CC 0: 1
CC 1: 6
CC 2: 15
CC 3: 14
CC 4: 16
CC 5: 8
CC 6: 7
CC 7: 1
CC 8: 1
Looks like I'm a bit top heavy. I'm thinking of cutting:
- Falkenrath Noble Expensive for what you get I think... How much damage will it really do over time? Not sure though.
- Strands of Night I don't usually like sacrificing land especially with all the doublers I'm running.
- Decree of Pain Flexible, but I don't know if I need 5 sweepers. Seems like the worst of the lot by a hair.
- Bloodgift Demon At 5 I feel like I want to be ending the game, not drawing 1 more card/turn.
- Corpse Connoisseur 5 for a tutor that puts it into my graveyard requires more Reanimation than I have, I think.
- Grave Titan A strong card that brings his own sac fodder... but expensive and lacks evasion.
- Everything from the above post.
- Charcoal Diamond Had a lot of ramp already. Somewhat of a nonbo with my doublers so if I want fast mana other ramp is probably better.
- Increasing Ambition Good, but expensive and I'm not really into tutoring that much. I'd rather each game plays differently.
- Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni A really cool card that I definitely want to use at some point... I just don't think it's at its best here.
- Night's Whisper I'll live without it!
- Go for the Throat Have similar effects already.
+ Tragic Slip Could use some non sacrifice effects to deal with indestructible creatures.
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
Ramp (8):
1 Sol Ring
2 Jet Medallion
2 Mind Stone
3 Burnished Hart
3 Pawn of Ulamog
3 Worn Powerstone
3 Unstable Obelisk
4 Thran Dynamo
Draw (8):
1 Skullclamp
3 Grim Haruspex
3 Read the Bones
3 Dark Prophecy
4 Disciple of Bolas
4 Skeletal Scrying
5 Bloodgift Demon
5 Promise of Power
Drain (4):
2 Blood Artist
4 Falkenrath Noble
4 Sangromancer
7 Exsanguinate
Self Recurring (4):
1 Bloodsoaked Champion
2 Reassembling Skeleton
3 Ophiomancer
4 Sengir Autocrat
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
2 Nim Deathmantle
2 Animate Dead
3 Victimize
4 Hell's Caretaker
4 Dread Return
4 Whip of Erebos
5 Chainer, Dementia Master
Doublers (3):
4 Crypt Ghast
5 Magus of the Coffers
6 Caged Sun
Tutor (2):
1 Expedition Map
4 Dimir House Guard
Big Things (4):
4 Erebos, God of the Dead
5 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
6 Steel Hellkite
6 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Removal (6):
1 Tragic Slip
1 Murderous Cut
2 Shriekmaw
3 Fleshbag Marauder
3 Attrition
4 Consuming Vapors
Symmtrical Advantage (3):
4 Grave Pact
5 Dictate of Erebos
7 Butcher of Malakir
4 Nevinyrral's Disk
4 Mutilate
6 Black Sun's Zenith
6 Massacre Wurm
Utility (8):
1 Viscera Seer
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Strionic Resonator
2 Imp's Mischief
2 Withered Wretch
3 Mimic Vat
3 Sudden Spoiling
4 Solemn Simulacrum
Land (37):
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Temple of the False God
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Buried Ruin
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Reliquary Tower
29 Swamp
Basically: I want to use my life as a resource, repeatedly sack/recur creatures, and take advantage of "symmetrical" effects like Grave Pact. Plan B is get something big into play either by dumping it into my graveyard and cheating it into play, or by using a mana doubler like Crypt Ghast to get it out early.
How I think this will look:
What do you think? Plausible? Please let me know what you think I should cut (and/or add!), suggestions are very welcome
I missed Withered Wretch, good call it should be in just in case I can't recur Kokusho. Like it better than Relic because it's a creature.
I missed that about Bloodghast, that's the same reason I didn't put in Bloodsoaked Champion (which is also a little harder to get back, admittedly). I still think it's worth a slot due to the sack/recur potential.
Agree re Abhorrent Overlord, I think it would be a blast to get 15 harpies at once but likely if I have that much devotion I'm already winning... It should go!
Phyrexian Tower, High Market, and Miren, the Moaning Well (as well as Shizo, Death's Storehouse)I don't currently own. Will definitely be looking to trade for a copy going forward but I figure if I get the basics in now they can be easily swapped into an existing deck later Great suggestions, thanks!
"Cuts" so far look like:
+ Withered Wretch - Exile Kokusho, early drop, sac target.
- Abhorrent Overlord - Expensive, unnecessary.
Dang... Still at 110
Starting to feel like I should cut either Phyrexian Reclamation or Strands of Night. I just don't know which is better though! Suggestions for further cuts?
- Falkenrath Noble Expensive for what you get I think... How much damage will it really do over time? Not sure though.
- Strands of Night I don't usually like sacrificing land especially with all the doublers I'm running.
- Decree of Pain Flexible, but I don't know if I need 5 sweepers. Seems like the worst of the lot by a hair.
- Bloodgift Demon At 5 I feel like I want to be ending the game, not drawing 1 more card/turn.
- Corpse Connoisseur 5 for a tutor that puts it into my graveyard requires more Reanimation than I have, I think.
- Grave Titan A strong card that brings his own sac fodder... but expensive and lacks evasion.
Thoughts on these/further cuts?
- Everything from the above post.
- Charcoal Diamond Had a lot of ramp already. Somewhat of a nonbo with my doublers so if I want fast mana other ramp is probably better.
- Increasing Ambition Good, but expensive and I'm not really into tutoring that much. I'd rather each game plays differently.
- Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni A really cool card that I definitely want to use at some point... I just don't think it's at its best here.
- Night's Whisper I'll live without it!
- Go for the Throat Have similar effects already.
+ Tragic Slip Could use some non sacrifice effects to deal with indestructible creatures.