Just wanted to share some results we had with our premilinary testing of the aristocrat package. In one sentence : The deck seems awesome. You can check the decklist by yourself just over there. You can also take a look at what we added to the cube in order to support the archetype just under the list.
Seriously, this deck was full of interesting synergies and was none sense good. We seeded it in order to test the archetype against a various field without any power, so we can see it as pure as it is. The deck went 4-0 after defeating UW Control, RG Sneak-Emrakul (Thanks to Collected Company and Bone Shredder) and various aggro lists (RW Burn and UB Tempo). Some cards that were already in the cube did play a major in that result, that's for sure, but also some new ones as well.
Within the first group, Recurring Nightmare and Eternal Witness were super good, as always, but certainly were revitalized by the new mechanics that were turned on by adding the crat package. Liliana, Heretical Healer and Bone Shredder normally feel like fine filler cards in midrange shells, but were monstrously good in there. Feel like they find their true home, especially LHH. And the new pieces, Rally the Ancestors, Grim Flayer, Zulaport Cutthroat, Nantuko Husk, Viscera Seer and Evolutionary Leap were also all major role player. Even a card like Whisperwood Elemental exceed our expectations. Wasn't added especially to support the aristocrat decks, but ended up being complete value engine in it. No joke, combine with Rally the Ancestors and Zulaport Cutthroat, it manages to drain 28 life with the elemental on the field because of the dying triggered it procures to your face-up nontoken creature. Even UW Control couldn't deal properly with it.
Getting value out of LHH, Nightmare, Witness, Shredder and Rally was super effective and brutal when combine with the throater. Yavimaya Elder and Wild Monngrel also never felt that good! Grim Flayer was super strong as well in order to find the pieces you need and fill your yard at the same time. Speaking of the card, we recommend any player who has golgari cards in their cube to try it out! It's simply good in any GB decks, period
With all that said, I understand some may don't have the actual space for it, but I recommend any cube manager to try it out. It's like adding a completely new bracket to the cube clock! And don't be afraid to run the rally, it's god damn good. Let yourself be rewarded for it. Worth it.
Braids, Cabal Minion seems like a fine 4-drop top curver to me. No need to really search for something else at that spot. Doomed Blade on a stick like Nekrataal and Skinrender are also great material. Locking the board with Neither also worth a 4 mana investment. If you have room for Falkenrath Aristocrat, she can also get the job done when splashing red.
But the point that you seem to be missing is that the 3-drop slot is the most important one for black aggro. Master of the Feast, Flesh Carver are Hypnotic Specter are the classic guys that you want. Silumgar Assasin and Mardu Strike Leader are also excellent as new school dudes.
About the lack of powerful 2-drop, I think you're kind of right. There's not that much of it out there. However, the point is that those who exist and are viable are just SO strong that they push black aggro over the top when put together. Pack Rat, Dark Conduisant, Nezumi Graverobber and Bitterblossom are just insane at bringing value to the table.
Disturbing opponent with discard sorceries is also part of the game plan in a black agressive shell. Moreover, drafting swords is important when drafting that kind of deck, because of the evasise and recursive bodies the color can bring.
1x Boreal Druid
1x Elvish Mystic
1x Viscera Seer
1x Grim Flayer
1x Lotus Cobra
1x Sylvan Caryatid
1x Wild Mongrel
1x Zulaport Cutthroat
1x Bone Shredder
1x Eternal Witness
1x Flesh Carver
1x Kitchen Finks
1x Nantuko Husk
1x Yavimaya Elder
1x Whisperwood Elemental
1x Rancor
1x Vampiric Tutor
1x Evolutionary Leap
1x Maelstrom Pulse
1x Recurring Nightmare
1x Natural Order
1x Collected Company
1x Rally the Ancestors
Lands :
1x Bayou
1x Blooming Marsh
1x Llanowar Wastes
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Savannah
1x Marsh Flats
1x Shambling Vent
1x Ash Barrens
2x Plains
2x Swamp
5x Forest
1x Rally the Ancestors
1x Return to the Ranks
1x Karmic Guide
1x Viscera Seer
1x Blood Artist
1x Zulaport Cutthroat
1x Carrier Thrall
1x Nantuko Husk
1x Pawn of Ulamog
1x Buried Alive
1x Grim Haruspex
1x Goblin Bombardment
1x Melira, Sylvok Outcast
1x Evolutionary Leap
1x Pattern of Rebirth
1x Birthing Pod
1x Whisperwood Elemental
1x Murderous Redcap
1x Grim Flayer
1x Catacomb Sifter
1x Immortal Servitude
Within the first group, Recurring Nightmare and Eternal Witness were super good, as always, but certainly were revitalized by the new mechanics that were turned on by adding the crat package. Liliana, Heretical Healer and Bone Shredder normally feel like fine filler cards in midrange shells, but were monstrously good in there. Feel like they find their true home, especially LHH. And the new pieces, Rally the Ancestors, Grim Flayer, Zulaport Cutthroat, Nantuko Husk, Viscera Seer and Evolutionary Leap were also all major role player. Even a card like Whisperwood Elemental exceed our expectations. Wasn't added especially to support the aristocrat decks, but ended up being complete value engine in it. No joke, combine with Rally the Ancestors and Zulaport Cutthroat, it manages to drain 28 life with the elemental on the field because of the dying triggered it procures to your face-up nontoken creature. Even UW Control couldn't deal properly with it.
Getting value out of LHH, Nightmare, Witness, Shredder and Rally was super effective and brutal when combine with the throater. Yavimaya Elder and Wild Monngrel also never felt that good! Grim Flayer was super strong as well in order to find the pieces you need and fill your yard at the same time. Speaking of the card, we recommend any player who has golgari cards in their cube to try it out! It's simply good in any GB decks, period
With all that said, I understand some may don't have the actual space for it, but I recommend any cube manager to try it out. It's like adding a completely new bracket to the cube clock! And don't be afraid to run the rally, it's god damn good. Let yourself be rewarded for it. Worth it.
Zetsu's Cube on CubeTutor.com
Zetsu's Ebay MTG Online Store
Zetsu's Poker Draft Method
But the point that you seem to be missing is that the 3-drop slot is the most important one for black aggro. Master of the Feast, Flesh Carver are Hypnotic Specter are the classic guys that you want. Silumgar Assasin and Mardu Strike Leader are also excellent as new school dudes.
About the lack of powerful 2-drop, I think you're kind of right. There's not that much of it out there. However, the point is that those who exist and are viable are just SO strong that they push black aggro over the top when put together. Pack Rat, Dark Conduisant, Nezumi Graverobber and Bitterblossom are just insane at bringing value to the table.
Disturbing opponent with discard sorceries is also part of the game plan in a black agressive shell. Moreover, drafting swords is important when drafting that kind of deck, because of the evasise and recursive bodies the color can bring.
Zetsu's Cube on CubeTutor.com
Zetsu's Ebay MTG Online Store
Zetsu's Poker Draft Method