While fooling around with ideas for Tiny Leaders decks (which is growing in popularity in my neck of the woods), I decided I wanted to throw together a Mono-Black Control deck building around Maralen of the Mornsong. This is my first draft of the deck and I have a few ideas that I wanted to fit in that I didn't manage to. I'm turning my list over to all of you in hopes of getting some useful feedback and criticism. The basic idea is to put Maralen in play and control my opponent until they lose to the 3 damage they are taking every turn.
I'd also like more ways to shuffle my graveyard back into my library, possibly more mana ramp, and I'm sure there are some generally useful board control spells I've overlooked.
If you can hasten your handsize down to 1 card Cursed Scroll could help break parity and hasten their death. Dark Tutelage might hasten your death? You have fliers so lightning greaves could help apply pressure as well as protect malaren. I like to combo win with dark depths.
Whoops! I drafted this list in a hurry. Thanks for catching that. I'm still in the process of ironing out this list before I order the cards and playtest it, so I'm glad you informed me Withering Wisps exist! Pestilence is a great card.
I'll definitely be making the changes you suggested as I think they make my deck better overall.
Cursed Scroll is a card I thought to include and meant to include, but I must have forgotten about while making this list. I definitely think it belongs, and I also think Lightning Greaves deserves a spot, too.
I believe I own a Dark Tutelage, and I don't think I own a Dark Confidant, so I think I'm going to save myself ~$70 on my "casual" deck and cut the creature.
Looking at where the deck is going, I think I want more ways to force myself (and perhaps my opponent) to discard cards down to Cursed Scroll's convenience.
Akki_Akki also wish to point out that your deck, before any changes is 49/50 cards. Which means you have a free slot for Cursed Scroll or Dark Tutelage.
how do you get around the inherent problem with maralen - a canny opponent will just use their first search and remove her. Or, if they have the removal in hand already they'll tutor for free and THEN remove her. If you don't plan to rely on maralen at all, then fine, but if you ever want her to survive more than a turn you need more ways to keep her around - lightning greaves, swiftfoot boots, whispersilk cloak, cloak and dagger, champion's helm, any of these might work... though I think that they're inclusion might actually weaken the deck in exchange for protecting maralen. Maybe if you want to rely on her more (which is a reasonable desire, if not a wise one... as a mostly commander player i know all about wanting to rely on your commander more than is healthy) you should guide the deck towards a more pox-ish build? smallpox, pox, deathcloud, contamination, necrogen mists, desolation? The hope would be that you would force them to use that tutor to find something to rebuild their broken board state rather than killing maralen, and you can preemptively cut them off with cards like bitter ordeal, dimir machinations, praetor's grasp, and sadistic sacrament. You might also consider shred memory for GY hate and transmute.
Also, I'm seeing 4 big X spells (including Maga) but no clear way to make all that mana - not even a cabal coffers? Even with coffers, I think you can cut down to 2 of those, maybe profane command and consume spirit, those seem to most useful to you.
All of the rules allow for your general to be moved to the command zone when he gets put into a place that would be tough to get him back from, GY, Exile, etc. I am sure one day the rules will change and include tuck effects.
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Hey MTGSalvation,
While fooling around with ideas for Tiny Leaders decks (which is growing in popularity in my neck of the woods), I decided I wanted to throw together a Mono-Black Control deck building around Maralen of the Mornsong. This is my first draft of the deck and I have a few ideas that I wanted to fit in that I didn't manage to. I'm turning my list over to all of you in hopes of getting some useful feedback and criticism. The basic idea is to put Maralen in play and control my opponent until they lose to the 3 damage they are taking every turn.
1x Coldsteel Heart
1x Druidic Satchel
1x Elixir of Immortality
1x Ivory Tower
1x Journeyer's Kite
1x Pithing Needle
1x Pristine Talisman
1x Scroll Rack
1x Sensei's Divining Top
Land (19)
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Miren, the Moaning Well
1x Mouth of Ronom
1x Scrying Sheets
14x Snow-Covered Swamp
1x Terrain Generator
1x Bone Shredder
1x Cadaver Imp
1x Dark Confidant
2x Fleshbag Marauder
1x Gatekeeper of Malakir
1x Maga, Traitor to Mortals
1x Maralen of the Mornsong
1x Phyrexian Revoker
1x Vampire Nighthawk
Enchantment (3)
1x Bloodchief Ascension
1x Dark Tutelage
1x Stab Wound
1x Smother
Sorcery (7)
1x Black Sun's Zenith
1x Chainer's Edict
1x Consume Spirit
1x Crippling Fatigue
1x Drain Life
1x Profane Command
1x Syphon Life
Some cards I wanted to include, but didn't end up finding room for (in my first draft) are:
I'd also like more ways to shuffle my graveyard back into my library, possibly more mana ramp, and I'm sure there are some generally useful board control spells I've overlooked.
Thanks!
Also Akki-Akki want to point out that since your playing with Snow-Covered Swamps, you may want room for Withering Wisps and Rimebound Dead.
Sydri's Magical Castle WUB
Chainer, Dementia Master: "Bring out your dead!" BBB
Riku Because Copying Decimate URG
Xira Arien, Jund StaxBRG
The Sylvan-Primordial-PlasmBUG
Trostani ComboGW
Vizkopa Guildmage - Peasant VariantBW
I'll definitely be making the changes you suggested as I think they make my deck better overall.
Cursed Scroll is a card I thought to include and meant to include, but I must have forgotten about while making this list. I definitely think it belongs, and I also think Lightning Greaves deserves a spot, too.
I believe I own a Dark Tutelage, and I don't think I own a Dark Confidant, so I think I'm going to save myself ~$70 on my "casual" deck and cut the creature.
Looking at where the deck is going, I think I want more ways to force myself (and perhaps my opponent) to discard cards down to Cursed Scroll's convenience.
Any advice?
- 1 delirium skeins
- 1 last rites
come to mindSydri's Magical Castle WUB
Chainer, Dementia Master: "Bring out your dead!" BBB
Riku Because Copying Decimate URG
Xira Arien, Jund StaxBRG
The Sylvan-Primordial-PlasmBUG
Trostani ComboGW
Vizkopa Guildmage - Peasant VariantBW
Also, I'm seeing 4 big X spells (including Maga) but no clear way to make all that mana - not even a cabal coffers? Even with coffers, I think you can cut down to 2 of those, maybe profane command and consume spirit, those seem to most useful to you.