I'm wondering if anyone else has tried to come up with a good Pestilence deck in this format. I've been trying a couple of different things out, and none of them seem to be working.
The plan here is pretty simple:
- inflate life total
- draw cards
- cast Pestilence
- kill everything
Unfortunately, I'm running into a myriad of problems. Sometimes I can't draw Pestilence, sometimes I can't draw Guardians, sometimes I can't resolve either one, and sometimes the combo or hyper-aggro decks are just too fast.
Any suggestions on how to improve this list? I'd really hate to have to resort to playing some net-deck that everyone else has seen before.
Eh, I thought about that, and I think I had a couple Obsidian Acolytes in a previous build. The problem is that they were just awful without Pestilence in play, and even if I had both in play, it was still very easy to remove them and thus kill Pestilence. Even mono-black decks nowadays play Geth's Verdict. At least with Guardian of the Guildpact, I had a body that could stand up to Bolts and Goblins and other decks.
Morbid Plunder seems quite good. For some reason I always thought it was uncommon.
Good points on the pro black dudes. What about Stonehorn Dignitary? 1/4 for 3 with a good beneficial effect. You can Pest for 3 on any turn and still have a body?
Not a bad idea. At four mana, it's in the same spot on the curve as Guardian of the Guildpact, but the Fog-effect might actually be worth it. Then again, maybe I should just run something like Safe Passage.
I'd suggest upping the Guardian count (especially if you're having problems drawing/sticking one). Running 2 Dimir House Guard might be fine instead, but of course that is really pretty inefficient.
Have you thought about Temple Acolyte? It seems like it might well be better than missionary here because it survives Pestilence for 2.
I might consider Orzhov Signet over Prism (especially if you end up playing 4 guardian)
building a ''Consistent'' deck around 1 specific card is never a realy smart choice. But if you still wanna play this deck I recommend : eneugh stalling (life gain, counter, removal), tutoring/card draw (quicker to your finisher).
Card that might be options imo are:
corrupt, crypt rats, sign in blood,
- Corrupt requires a deck with all Swamps to be effective, which won't work because of the white splash. I rarely have more than 3-5 Swamps in play at one time.
- Crypt Rats only works once. Furthermore, a 1/1 creature is much easier to remove than an enchantment in this format.
- Sign in Blood has been a 4-of in this deck since I first built it.
Maybe I am the only one, but I find Stuffy Doll works quite well in Pestilence. Its like a one sided Furnace against the opponent, and the whole "indestructible" thing goes a surprisingly long way as far as "keeping a creature in play" which Pestilence always likes.
Maybe I am the only one, but I find Stuffy Doll works quite well in Pestilence. Its like a one sided Furnace against the opponent, and the whole "indestructible" thing goes a surprisingly long way as far as "keeping a creature in play" which Pestilence always likes.
I was playing Prophetic Prism, and it seemed like I never needed it, then once I stopped I got mana screwed like every game 24 lands is also flooding me on MTGO for some reason. Auramancer works well with Dead Weight and Pestilence, plus Journey to Nowhere out of the sideboard vs. Pro-Black creatures. Dimir House Guard is Pestilence 5/6, and I use him solely to tutor up the enchantment. Squadron Hawk is for card advantage and board stalling. You can also just activate Pestilence, then play a Hawk to keep Pestilence on the board if you want. I think there has to be more synergistic cards...I'm wondering if "when a creature dies" type effects could be abused?
Squadron Hawk seems so bad in a pestilence deck. That deck looks like it really needs mana ramp - Orzhov Signets maybe? Hell, maybe dark rituals to get pestilence on the board early and/or activate it for extra.
Maybe a couple Accorder's Shield or Slagwurm Armor to put on a hawk or wall?
I played a lot this kind of deck back last january even when the creature decks where in high, in the queues. But, the last good result on a event is in september by thepolkaman with this list.
In the current meta, with all the counter.magic, i think it may me dubious, but its worth a try.
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I'm wondering if anyone else has tried to come up with a good Pestilence deck in this format. I've been trying a couple of different things out, and none of them seem to be working.
Here's my most recent list:
2 Bojuka Bog
4 Kabira Crossroads
4 Orzhov Basilica
2 Plains
10 Swamp
Creatures (18):
4 Kor Skyfisher
3 Temple Acolyte
4 Aven Riftwatcher
4 Phyrexian Rager
1 Auramancer
2 Guardian of the Guildpact
4 Pestilence
Artifacts (4):
4 Prophetic Prism
Sorceries (10):
4 Duress
4 Sign in Blood
2 Echoing Decay
Instants (2):
2 Unmake
2 Echoing Decay
4 Icequake
3 Kor Sanctifiers
2 Unmake
4 Wrench Mind
The plan here is pretty simple:
- inflate life total
- draw cards
- cast Pestilence
- kill everything
Unfortunately, I'm running into a myriad of problems. Sometimes I can't draw Pestilence, sometimes I can't draw Guardians, sometimes I can't resolve either one, and sometimes the combo or hyper-aggro decks are just too fast.
Any suggestions on how to improve this list? I'd really hate to have to resort to playing some net-deck that everyone else has seen before.
EDIT: Might help if I posted a 60-card list.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
Dimir House Guard could help find Pestilence, and Castigate could help against combo. The others are self-evident.
Eh, I thought about that, and I think I had a couple Obsidian Acolytes in a previous build. The problem is that they were just awful without Pestilence in play, and even if I had both in play, it was still very easy to remove them and thus kill Pestilence. Even mono-black decks nowadays play Geth's Verdict. At least with Guardian of the Guildpact, I had a body that could stand up to Bolts and Goblins and other decks.
Morbid Plunder seems quite good. For some reason I always thought it was uncommon.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
Have you thought about Temple Acolyte? It seems like it might well be better than missionary here because it survives Pestilence for 2.
I might consider Orzhov Signet over Prism (especially if you end up playing 4 guardian)
Draft it on Cubetutor!
Now there's an idea! Done and done.
EDIT: New list is up in the OP.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
- Corrupt requires a deck with all Swamps to be effective, which won't work because of the white splash. I rarely have more than 3-5 Swamps in play at one time.
- Crypt Rats only works once. Furthermore, a 1/1 creature is much easier to remove than an enchantment in this format.
- Sign in Blood has been a 4-of in this deck since I first built it.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
Stuffy Doll is a rare, so it doesn't work at all with Pestilence in this format.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
I have tons of them and forget the rarity when not looking at the card as a result. Them and the red pyromancer chick from the same block...
No problem. I tried to do the same thing with Lashknife Barrier.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
4x Evolving Wilds
1x Kabira Crossroads
3x Orzhov Basilica
8x Plains
8x Swamp
Creature (17)
3x Auramancer
2x Dimir House Guard
4x Guardian of the Guildpact
4x Squadron Hawk
4x Wall of Hope
4x Dead Weight
4x Pestilence
Instant (4)
4x Doom Blade
Sorcery (7)
3x Duress
4x Sign in Blood
15x Need Help!
I was playing Prophetic Prism, and it seemed like I never needed it, then once I stopped I got mana screwed like every game 24 lands is also flooding me on MTGO for some reason. Auramancer works well with Dead Weight and Pestilence, plus Journey to Nowhere out of the sideboard vs. Pro-Black creatures. Dimir House Guard is Pestilence 5/6, and I use him solely to tutor up the enchantment. Squadron Hawk is for card advantage and board stalling. You can also just activate Pestilence, then play a Hawk to keep Pestilence on the board if you want. I think there has to be more synergistic cards...I'm wondering if "when a creature dies" type effects could be abused?
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Maybe a couple Accorder's Shield or Slagwurm Armor to put on a hawk or wall?
In the current meta, with all the counter.magic, i think it may me dubious, but its worth a try.
John Adams
Magic Intelligence - Now in the last stage of beta. With archetyps and pretty more data! A strong source for facts.. or as you can say statistics and decklists of MtG!