This is a preliminary version of a deck that I think has potential to do well in the current Legacy environment. I'll do some goldfishing and see how it goes, and would like any criticism or suggestions (within the budget perspective) that people can give me.
After doing some goldfishing, the deck seems to consistently win between turns 3-5. Mulliganing decisions are important, as you need to be able to identify that your hand can do two things - get creatures in the graveyard, and cast Living Death. Open to any suggestions. I'm hoping this can at least stand a chance in the current legacy meta.
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Maybe you should go for the instant kill and play the full Laquatus's Champion and an additional playset of Bogardan Hellkite? this would allow you the potential to just straight up combo kill your opponent on resolution of the living death. Goretusk Firebeast, Inferno Titan are potential additions for this reason as well.
I do think some other changes are in order as well. Songs of the Damned should probably be replaced with some better fast mana cards, like lotus petal, which can mana fix for you and is not super reliant on there being cards in the graveyard. I also think the deck needs better protection (more duress, maybe some pact of negation if you plan to go the combo kill route) and some more discard and card sorting options.
Brainspoil could also be used to find living death without costing you half your life. I dont know if its better, but its an option.
Maybe a list like this? I'd have to do some testing myself, but this is what comes to mind.
After trying a variety of decklists, including some with Burning Wish, some with Dark Ritual, and some with Songs of the Damned, the best I've managed is a turn three kill, with the most common being turns 4 and 5. Unfortunately, I feel like this is far too slow for the current Legacy meta. Decks like Elves and ANT kill much faster, even through lots of disruption.
Why not play Buried Alive with 3 creatures that immediately kill on the spot?? Instead of 3 that MIGHT kill if you resolve a Living Death?
E.g. Buried Alive into Kiki-Jiki + Karmic Guide + Zealous Conscripts
or Buried Alive into Anger+Magister Sphinx+Sharuum the Hegemon (assuming you fetched a Badlands)
Something like that might work as a monoblack Buried Alive deck. Still not as good as UB Reanimator obviously, but you don't need Force of Wills or multiple Griselbrands or Show and Tells for this build at least and you can still do cool things with Buried Alive. Should Goldfish much faster than your Death Wish build. I don't think Death Wish is strong enough for Legacy (Grim Tutor???) nor is Buried Alive into 3 Champions into Living Death really that scary of a kill.
4x Faithless Looting
4x Careful Study
4x Buried Alive
Mana Acceleration
4x Dark Ritual
3x Songs of the Damned
4x Deathrite Shaman
Living Death + Tutors
4x Death Wish
3x Living Death
Combo Protection
4x Cabal Therapy
The Creatures
1x Blazing Archon
1x Sundering Titan
1x Ashen Rider
2x Inkwell Leviathan
1x Platinum Angel
1x Sigarda, Host of Herons
3x Laquatus's Champion
2x Verdant Catacombs
1x Bayou
1x Swamp
4x Gemstone Mine
4x City of Brass
2x Darkslick Shores
2x Blackcleave Cliffs
1x Living Death
1x Songs of the Damned
1x Putrid Imp
1x Breakthrough
1x Cabal Ritual
1x Exhume
1x Abrupt Decay
1x Mindbreak Trap
3x Duress
4x Leyline of the Void
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I do think some other changes are in order as well. Songs of the Damned should probably be replaced with some better fast mana cards, like lotus petal, which can mana fix for you and is not super reliant on there being cards in the graveyard. I also think the deck needs better protection (more duress, maybe some pact of negation if you plan to go the combo kill route) and some more discard and card sorting options.
Brainspoil could also be used to find living death without costing you half your life. I dont know if its better, but its an option.
Maybe a list like this? I'd have to do some testing myself, but this is what comes to mind.
4 Bogardan Hellkite
2 Goretusk Firebeast
4 Laquatus's Champion
Spells [34]
4 Buried Alive
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Careful Study
4 Dark Ritual
4 Death Wish
3 Duress
4 Faithless Looting
3 Living Death
4 Lotus Petal
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
4 City of Brass
3 Darkslick Shores
4 Gemstone Mine
2 Swamp
EDIT: Demigod of Revenge may find his way in here as well, and Balthor the Defiled/\, Patriarch's Bidding and Twilight's Call all have the potential to be an additional copy of living death.
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E.g. Buried Alive into Kiki-Jiki + Karmic Guide + Zealous Conscripts
or Buried Alive into Anger+Magister Sphinx+Sharuum the Hegemon (assuming you fetched a Badlands)
4 Dark Ritual
4 Lotus Petal
4 Peat Bog
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Bayou
4 Swamp
//Reanimation: 10
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume
2 Animate Dead
//Put Creature in GY: 12
4 Putrid Imp
4 Entomb
4 Buried Alive
1 Zealous Conscripts
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Karmic Guide
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Griselbrand
1 Terastodon
//Protection: 6
3 Cabal Therapy
3 Thoughtseize
1 Blazing Archon
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Empyrial Archangel
3 Pithing Needle
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Krosan Grip
2 Duress
2 Surgical Extraction
Something like that might work as a monoblack Buried Alive deck. Still not as good as UB Reanimator obviously, but you don't need Force of Wills or multiple Griselbrands or Show and Tells for this build at least and you can still do cool things with Buried Alive. Should Goldfish much faster than your Death Wish build. I don't think Death Wish is strong enough for Legacy (Grim Tutor???) nor is Buried Alive into 3 Champions into Living Death really that scary of a kill.
NOTE: Zealous Conscripts over Pestermite because it beats single copies of lock pieces like Moat, Ghostly Prison, Solitary Confinement, Propaganda, Energy Field, Elephant Grass, Ensnaring Bridge. It also doesn't scoop to TNN hate (Golgari Charm, Zealous Persecution, etc.) and randomly WRECKS Emrakul, the Aeons Torn.