MTG Salvation

Trying to make something a bit more budget to play with my peeps. So going mono colored black for a change of pace. Decided to go all in on a suicide black self harming theme. Kinda worried I will just get myself punked. I have 20 cards that can hurt me at last count. I guess 20% is a good start:P




Well there it is. Let me know what you think. I am debating strongly adding white and going with Vish Kal. Will give this one a spin.

I took out Skull clamp as I went under 20 creatures, but left in Grave pact. Not sure if that was the right call.

Cards I am considering:
Mana Crypt
Mana Vault
All is Dust
Nercopotence
Ivory Tower
Venser's Journal.


Any suggestions are welcome.

Change Log:

Nice mono-black Tantarus. I have a deck quite similar to this with Greven at the helm, and a bit more token creature action. Like yours, it does run a lot of sui-black effects for card draw and deck manipulation, as well as Magus of the Mirror and Soul Conduit. One card I've been considering is Eternity Vessel. It's probably not worth it at all, but I've just been loving the life-manipulation theme. HATRED has been a real killer for me with the Fear evasion. I also run Batterskull as another source of lifegain, as well as Ink-Eyes.

Oubliette is a nice touch as well. Cool deck.

Yeah I added some cards I may swap out later today. I think I may try and go all in on the suicide black theme. Though not sure how will that will work out if it leaves me weak early on. Need to hit the LGS for a few cards then update later today.

It was just pointed out to me that Mikaeus with animate dead effects on other peoples creatures is probably a bad idea.

Made some major changes. Lowered the Curve went more all in on the Suicide theme.

-Avatar of Woe
-Beacon of Unrest
-Dread
-Go for the Throat
-Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
-Phyrexian Tower
-Profane Command
-Rune-Scarred Demon
-Solemn Simulacrum
-Skullclamp
-Syphon Mind
-Terror
-Vengeful Pharaoh

+Ashes to Ashes
+Batterskull
+Flensermite
+Hatred
+Night's Whisper
+Mutilate
+Promise of Power
+Petrified Field
+Sign in Blood
+Slaughter
+Snuff Out
+Tendrils of Corruption
+Vault Skirge


Cards I am debating on adding still.

Mana Crypt and Mana Vault. Both on theme for the self hurting.
All is Dust for those pesty enchantments.
Nercopotence as well as Ivory Tower and Venser's Journal.

So what is the objective of this deck? Do you want to make the best deck that uses this general, this best deck that uses life as a resource, or a deck that includes lots of cards that cost life to cast? A first pass of the list shows a few of cards that would be substandard even if they didn't cost life to cast. For example, Withering Boon. Many of the cards also don't have strong focus with any particular path towards victory. For example, Flensermite simply isn't going to win you games, even if you draw Hatred.

There are three basic directions you can take EDH decks. You can play a combo deck, where you try to assemble certain pieces that flat out win the game. I don't think that's what this deck is trying for. You can play board control, where you have a lot of N for 1 removal and then win through some large, hard to kill threats like your general. Or you can play an aggro deck, where you play a lot of threats and a LOT of card draw so you can keep the pressure up in the face of mass removal.

Which direction seems like the one you wanted to go in?

I am going for a control/aggro set up, in a kinda alpha strike way. Flensemite and Vault Skirge are in for the life gain and cheap body. With the infect being a bonus if I have one of the 3 +x/+x for each swamp out. Same for the Inkmoth Nexus. The I am not sure I will keep the first 2.

I guess the goal is to draw cards as fast as I can and use resources to keep my life up or swap it for someone elses. While using sweeper and cheap animate spells to use other peoples threats or just beat face with my own general or something with equip jacking up the damage.

Withering Boon/Imp's Mischief are both self hurt but have turned out to be huge. No one every thinks to play around black counter/redirect. They have both won me games.

I played about 5 games last night with it. And it won 3 of them. My downfall was a token deck, which would normally be fine with my sweepers, but they had instant speed token generating enchants. Being black I have very few ways to deal with them and they could make blockers to chump my general repeatedly. Probably going to add a disk/all is dust.

Having the 9 or so draw for pain cards really helps the deck flow. Rarely did I miss land drops. most games I would just sweep and drop a threat or reanimate someone elses. With a few instant kills via sweeper into equiped up inkmonth/skittles.

But pehraps you are right a bit more focus maybe in order. I am tempted to run it as a Vish Kal deck for some artifact/enchantment removal. And general beat down/life gain. But 7 to cast generals in non green decks... ick.

You need to play cards that are good on their own *or* cards that combo with your general. Don't play cards that combo with other cards. Sure, Nightmare Lash is great, but Vault Skirge is essentially a dead draw if you don't get a lash to go with it. Play cards that are good on their own and great with other cards in your deck. Not cards that are bad on their own and good with other cards. Every card needs to justify its slot on its own.

Incidentally, you really need to cut almost every non-swamp land in this deck, because so much in the deck relies on your swamps. Petrified Field and Strip Mine really don't cut it. And honestly, you might even be able to live without Bojuka Bog.

Quote from tedv

You need to play cards that are good on their own *or* cards that combo with your general. Don't play cards that combo with other cards. Sure, Nightmare Lash is great, but Vault Skirge is essentially a dead draw if you don't get a lash to go with it. Play cards that are good on their own and great with other cards in your deck. Not cards that are bad on their own and good with other cards. Every card needs to justify its slot on its own.

That is a good point, I will have to find something to replace them. Probably Karn or All is dust. Some enchantments really give me fits.

Incidentally, you really need to cut almost every non-swamp land in this deck, because so much in the deck relies on your swamps. Petrified Field and Strip Mine really don't cut it. And honestly, you might even be able to live without Bojuka Bog.

Mazes of Ith can be kinda a Pain if I don't have some kinda boots. But that is a fair point I will have to think about it. The fields is just for shameful Coffers abuse. I cut Vols Stronghold already and that was hard. Inkmouth is the one I am really debating. It can be super dangerous with my equipment. Bog and maze could probably go. Not a ton of recursion to be had lately.

Instant speed tokens has really be a problem for me. I may have to put in a Lox Hammer or something but, I already have so much equipment:/

Maze of Ith doesn't count as a land. It uses a land drop, but not a land slot in your deck. It's a 0 mana spell that costs your land drop for the turn.

I would probably cut Inkmoth Nexus. It's only really good if it can one shot someone. Two attack phases to kill someone through poison is too much-- If they get hit once, they'll find removal for it before your next attack phase.

Small changes

-Flensermite
-Vault Skirge

+Pestilence
+All Is Dust

Deck is working surprisingly well. It gets rolling will all the draw pretty well. Trying to get a Phyrexian Obliterator to add in. Seems brutal with the equipment.

Changes have helped a bit. Though it is still tempting to add colors to the deck, maybe switch to Dakkon Blackblade for esper control with a non comboish general that can beat face.

Peoples faces when the Soul Conduit come down are pretty priceless. Though what people say about mono black decks real general being cabal coffers is right. So hard not to tutor for it.

Seriously thinking this will become a Griselbrand deck next month. He is much more on theme of self hurting and a flying lifelink general that kills in 3 hits seems good... Also something about massive drawing power. Maybe add an Ivory Tower and such.

Thoughts? Or any other changes I should make as well.