I'm a mono-black legacy Pox player, but it's no fun to play a deck centered around discard and land destruction with friends. I've been toying around with a more casual dinner-table oriented mono black aggro-control/ramp/midrange (whatever you'd like to call it) deck. Here it is:
I'd love feedback on the list, but I had a few specific points I'd like opinions on:
1. Korlash/Lashwrithe - I like the idea of ramp and fatties. Moreover, excess mana can go to Nantuko Shade. However, I'm not convinced if this is a solid plan or if it's just cute. Is Korlash a card or am I better replacing him with Abyssal Persecutor or Tombstalker or something like that. I'd replace Lashwrite with Cursed Scroll likely.
2. Land count - Is 20 too much, too little? I honestly haven't done any playtesting yet, but it seems I could probably go with 20 lands since I don't run anything over 4CMC and 4/6 4CMC cards are ramp!
3. Reanimation/Recur - Are reanimate or recur creatures from graveyard effects necessary? Especially to get back a Korlash to land to exploit Grandeur. Any input here?
4. Hypnotic Specter - Is this a necessary inclusion? A part of me thinks I included him here for nosaligia reasons, after all what is mono black aggro-control without the Hippie! With the ramp focus would a Drain Life/Corrupt spell be better in place?
5. Card counts - Assuming I made the optimal card choices, how would you folks distribute card counts? I know I want the following at base:
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
4 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
4 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Geth's Verdict
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Phyrexian Arena
18 Swamp
Thanks alot for the help. I'll take any and all feedback! If I overlooked a card that should be in the list, please suggest it. Be mindful that I don't want to spend more on a single card than the entire list (I'm looking at you, Dark Confidant).
I agree with Fio. I don't like the Hypnotic Specters or the dark rituals in this deck. Damnation is also really useful in any multi-player games.
If you are thinking of going the corrupt route, personally i would prefer to use Sorin's Vengeance. One more mana and it's more damage (only to player).
I love mono black decks as well, and i love to use Cabal Coffers. Especially with all the draw from your arena's, you could potentially use the extra mana, which can also be used to pool into your shade. If you do use cabal coffers, i would recommend Profane Command. Which a lot of mana, it can kill players, draining them for life, and giving your creatures fear.
Personally, i think you don't need that many discard mechanics. You have 8 cards dedicated to that right now. It sounds like you're wanting to play multi-player (dinner table?). If you hymm and inquisition someone early game, you are slowing down that player a lot, but you're not really affecting any of your other opponents. I would replace those with either more creatures, more death spells, etc, allowing you to be more aggressive. This is just a personal preference though.
I like lashwrithes. Lashwrithe + Nighthawk = happy me.
An interesting combat trick here would be Sudden Spoiling. All your creatures can kill the resulting 0/2s, and it bypasses lots of the usual defenses against your spells, including countermagic, hexproof, and protection from black.
have people forgotten about Skittering Skirge? a very formidable two-drop, not as "awesome" as Nighthawk, but this was before the power-creep skewed the game.
SELVAXRI! King of Misfortune & Master of Rocket Launchers "Do ya feel lucky? Because you'd better start runnin' while you still can." 375 Misfortune {+3 signed AP's} & 104 Rocket Launcher (41 AQ/ 63 Rev) Edgar Rice Burroughs, forgotten legend of the word.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I'm a mono-black legacy Pox player, but it's no fun to play a deck centered around discard and land destruction with friends. I've been toying around with a more casual dinner-table oriented mono black aggro-control/ramp/midrange (whatever you'd like to call it) deck. Here it is:
4 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
4 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
3 Nantuko Shade
3 Hypnotic Specter
3 Lashwrithe
4 Dark Ritual
4 Geth's Verdict
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Phyrexian Arena
Land:
20 Swamp
4 Duress
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Engineered Plague
3 Pithing Needle
I'd love feedback on the list, but I had a few specific points I'd like opinions on:
1. Korlash/Lashwrithe - I like the idea of ramp and fatties. Moreover, excess mana can go to Nantuko Shade. However, I'm not convinced if this is a solid plan or if it's just cute. Is Korlash a card or am I better replacing him with Abyssal Persecutor or Tombstalker or something like that. I'd replace Lashwrite with Cursed Scroll likely.
2. Land count - Is 20 too much, too little? I honestly haven't done any playtesting yet, but it seems I could probably go with 20 lands since I don't run anything over 4CMC and 4/6 4CMC cards are ramp!
3. Reanimation/Recur - Are reanimate or recur creatures from graveyard effects necessary? Especially to get back a Korlash to land to exploit Grandeur. Any input here?
4. Hypnotic Specter - Is this a necessary inclusion? A part of me thinks I included him here for nosaligia reasons, after all what is mono black aggro-control without the Hippie! With the ramp focus would a Drain Life/Corrupt spell be better in place?
5. Card counts - Assuming I made the optimal card choices, how would you folks distribute card counts? I know I want the following at base:
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
4 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
4 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Geth's Verdict
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Phyrexian Arena
18 Swamp
But the remaining 15 cards I am unsure of
x Dark Ritual
x Lashwrithe
x Nantuko Shade
x Hypnotic Specter
x Swamp
Thanks alot for the help. I'll take any and all feedback! If I overlooked a card that should be in the list, please suggest it. Be mindful that I don't want to spend more on a single card than the entire list (I'm looking at you, Dark Confidant).
Take care,
Rav.
If you are thinking of going the corrupt route, personally i would prefer to use Sorin's Vengeance. One more mana and it's more damage (only to player).
I love mono black decks as well, and i love to use Cabal Coffers. Especially with all the draw from your arena's, you could potentially use the extra mana, which can also be used to pool into your shade. If you do use cabal coffers, i would recommend Profane Command. Which a lot of mana, it can kill players, draining them for life, and giving your creatures fear.
I also think more death spells would come in handy. You have geth's verdict, but you can't choose what dies. Go for the throat, sudden death, dismember, tendrils of corruption could come in handy.
Personally, i think you don't need that many discard mechanics. You have 8 cards dedicated to that right now. It sounds like you're wanting to play multi-player (dinner table?). If you hymm and inquisition someone early game, you are slowing down that player a lot, but you're not really affecting any of your other opponents. I would replace those with either more creatures, more death spells, etc, allowing you to be more aggressive. This is just a personal preference though.
I like lashwrithes. Lashwrithe + Nighthawk = happy me.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
King of Misfortune & Master of Rocket Launchers
"Do ya feel lucky? Because you'd better start runnin' while you still can."
375 Misfortune {+3 signed AP's} & 104 Rocket Launcher (41 AQ/ 63 Rev)
Edgar Rice Burroughs, forgotten legend of the word.