With this deck, it might be turn 10-12 before you have the requisite 8 Swamps in play to Mutilate Avacyn. If those decks doesn't have a lot of creature density, then Fleshbag Marauder (you can sac it when it comes into play, then recur it), Innocent Blood, or Barter in Blood might be a more effective solution. Grave Pact plus Reassembling Skeleton/Bloodghast plus a sacrifice outlet like Skullclamp could also lock them out.
If your playgroup is typically 2 opponents, an aggressive strategy (i.e., lower curve and/or ramp) might be stronger.
I completely forgot about Grave Pact. I will definitely be including at least one of those. I like your other suggestions too. I'll have to play around with those and see what works best.
I run 4 Arenas, but I don't have any tutors. Why would you run the cradle in this deck? Believe me, you can make disgusting amounts mana with just the tomb+coffers. The mana base is great, I'd just add at least 2 more swamps.
I don't really want to run the cradle in this deck but it crossed my mind because a single one of those produces a lot more than a single swamp. Any other suggestions from anyone about replacing Underworld Dreams? I don't really want to have 4 arenas but I could see having 3 in this deck.
I'm still not sure about Bloodgift Demon either. He's useful, but so are a ton of the black 4 drop creatures too.
Not a fan of Underworld Dreams? I'm not particularly tied to it but I don't know what else to put. How many arenas would you run?
Right now, our group is 3-4 players only. We've been trying to recruit others but it's not going well.
I was also wondering, has anyone ever run a Gaea's Cradle in a mono black deck? It would only help with costs but it would provide a lot of extra mana for one land.
I'd be wary of heat and cold if you're not in a air conditioned unit. Either of those elements can wreak havoc on your cards, especially the way some of them are stored in your pictures.
I don't think I understand how to best use Necropotence. Someone will have to explain that one.
Proxies probably will be in play here, certainly for the first few times I play, but I do actually own 3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. I could easily see running 2 of those and cutting a Cabal Coffers and a Leechridden Swamp too.
Hmm I think the first option would be my choice. My playgroup has ramped up the mass destruction lately because we had to haha but artifacts and enchantments still hang around pretty well. I think if I'm choosing one creature at each spot it would be
The spells are the hard part for me to really nail down because I don't know as many of them. Exsanguinate is a must, as well as Damnation and Mutilate with our group. Demonic Tutor can be a 4-of card and I love having a No Mercy. Lashwrithe is pretty freaking sweet too. Let's try this...
That's only 57 cards and running 4 Cabal Coffers seems like cheating haha. Is this too many creatures, not enough spells? I generally like to run 64 card decks (I like the even shuffling of 8 piles, maybe I'm crazy) so with this build I have room for 7 more cards.
I've been working on creating a mono black deck but I can't decide what needs to be in and what needs to be cut...there are just too many good cards I'd like to play with. So, help me narrow this down and I'm open to any and all suggestions for cards I don't have listed. It's for a casual playgroup where almost anything goes and pretend money is no option. Here we go...
I'm putting all my considered cards into a deck tag for easier tagging.
Vraska creates 1/1 assassin tokens that make you lose the game if they deal damage.
Also, Sewer Nemesis and Mortivore could get you. And of course, so could my favorite card Primordial Hydra
Parallel Lives + Doubling Season
For deck tags, surround your cards with these [ DECK ][ /DECK ] but without the spaces of course.
I completely forgot about Grave Pact. I will definitely be including at least one of those. I like your other suggestions too. I'll have to play around with those and see what works best.
I don't really want to run the cradle in this deck but it crossed my mind because a single one of those produces a lot more than a single swamp. Any other suggestions from anyone about replacing Underworld Dreams? I don't really want to have 4 arenas but I could see having 3 in this deck.
I'm still not sure about Bloodgift Demon either. He's useful, but so are a ton of the black 4 drop creatures too.
Right now, our group is 3-4 players only. We've been trying to recruit others but it's not going well.
I was also wondering, has anyone ever run a Gaea's Cradle in a mono black deck? It would only help with costs but it would provide a lot of extra mana for one land.
Oh ok, that makes sense. Not sure if I'm a fan of that though.
How about this revised list
3x Hunted Horror
3x Vampire Nighthawk
3x Phyrexian Obliterator
2x Bloodgift Demon
4x Wormcoil Engine
3x Sepulchral Primordial
1x Sheoldred, Whispering One
2x Sol Ring
4x Demonic Tutor
2x Haunted Crossroads
2x Phyrexian Arena
2x Underworld Dreams
2x Damnation
2x Mutilate
3x Exsanguinate
1x No Mercy
3x Lashwrithe
3x Leechridden Swamp
2x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Volrath's Stronghold
3x Cabal Coffers
1x High Market
12x Swamp
That's 64 cards. I added Haunted Crossroads, Sol Ring, Phyrexian Arena, Underworld Dreams and High Market. I'm not sure if I need multiples of Haunted Crossroads or Underworld Dreams, or if there's anything else I should put in place of those.
I don't think I understand how to best use Necropotence. Someone will have to explain that one.
Proxies probably will be in play here, certainly for the first few times I play, but I do actually own 3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. I could easily see running 2 of those and cutting a Cabal Coffers and a Leechridden Swamp too.
Mutilate is seriously a must for me. Both of my playmates run Avacyn, Angel of Hope and one of them does so with a combo of Privileged Position and Platinum Angel. If I don't have at least one way to answer that, then I'm in trouble.
2 - Hunted Horror
3 - Vampire Nighthawk
4 - Phyrexian Obliterator
5 - Bloodgift Demon (although I could also go with a second 4 drop and skip 5 altogether)
6 - Wormcoil Engine (also very fond of Grave Titan and Harvester of Souls here)
7 - Toss up between Sepulchral Primordial and Sheoldred, Whispering One
8 - Griselband if I need it
The spells are the hard part for me to really nail down because I don't know as many of them. Exsanguinate is a must, as well as Damnation and Mutilate with our group. Demonic Tutor can be a 4-of card and I love having a No Mercy. Lashwrithe is pretty freaking sweet too. Let's try this...
3x Hunted Horror
3x Vampire Nighthawk
3x Phyrexian Obliterator
2x Bloodgift Demon
4x Wormcoil Engine
3x Sepulchral Primordial
1x Sheoldred, Whispering One
4x Demonic Tutor
2x Damnation
2x Mutilate
4x Exsanguinate
1x No Mercy
3x Lashwrithe
4x Leechridden Swamp
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Volrath's Stronghold
4x Cabal Coffers
12x Swamp
That's only 57 cards and running 4 Cabal Coffers seems like cheating haha. Is this too many creatures, not enough spells? I generally like to run 64 card decks (I like the even shuffling of 8 piles, maybe I'm crazy) so with this build I have room for 7 more cards.
I'm putting all my considered cards into a deck tag for easier tagging.
1x Hunted Horror
1x Reassembling Skeleton
1x Vampire Nighthawk
1x Abyssal Persecutor
1x Desecration Demon
1x Mortivore
1x Phyrexian Obliterator
1x Sewer Nemesis
1x Bloodgift Demon
1x Grave Titan
1x Harvester of Souls
1x Sheoldred, Whispering One
1x Griselband
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Exsanguinate
1x Phyrexian Arena
1x Recurring Nightmare
1x Underworld Dreams
1x No Mercy
1x Damnation
1x Mutilate
1x Syphon Mind
1x Cabal Coffers
1x Swamp
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Volrath's Stronghold
1x Leechridden Swamp