No love for Knight of the Ebon Legion? I realize that the one drop is quite saturated in black but I quite enjoy the card and it scales.
Nah I wouldn't consider playing that one in MP. It doesn't scale in a meaningful way and I don't want cheap, aggressive threats in my decks. Much like Dread Shade it doesn't have a big enough impact on the game to warrant a deckslot. I wouldn't fault anyone for playing them if they had a playset lying around from their Standard deck but these aren't the types of cards that interest me. I typically only want 4-8 one drops in my deck (excluding Defile, that one doesn't count) total and those slots are too hotly contested by Myriad Landscape, Dark Ritual, Bloodchief Ascension, Thrull Parasite, Gonti's Machinations, etc. Heck, it's so hard to justify running anything over Dark Ritual which can power out an Ayara or Arena on turn 1 thus setting you up to succeed. It's cheap, easy to acquire, iconic, feels good to play with, on and on and on. Why much around with 1/2s for 1 when you can jam an Phyrexian Arena instead?
Realistically every non-Cabal Stronghold version of the deck should be playing 1-2 copies of Urborg because it's such an amazing card in general. It does so much and asks so little. I've never needed an excuse to play them lol.
I agree with most of it. (for example, I love Defile)
Defile is amazing. It's one of the few spot removal spells that you can feel good about playing as a 2-4 of even in MP. It's definitely our version of Swords to Plowshares.
It's been way too long since I last posted a monoblack deck and the recent sets have been absolutely amazing so I want touch on what cards are making the cut and why.
Nah I wouldn't consider playing that one in MP. It doesn't scale in a meaningful way and I don't want cheap, aggressive threats in my decks. Much like Dread Shade it doesn't have a big enough impact on the game to warrant a deckslot. I wouldn't fault anyone for playing them if they had a playset lying around from their Standard deck but these aren't the types of cards that interest me. I typically only want 4-8 one drops in my deck (excluding Defile, that one doesn't count) total and those slots are too hotly contested by Myriad Landscape, Dark Ritual, Bloodchief Ascension, Thrull Parasite, Gonti's Machinations, etc. Heck, it's so hard to justify running anything over Dark Ritual which can power out an Ayara or Arena on turn 1 thus setting you up to succeed. It's cheap, easy to acquire, iconic, feels good to play with, on and on and on. Why much around with 1/2s for 1 when you can jam an Phyrexian Arena instead?
Realistically every non-Cabal Stronghold version of the deck should be playing 1-2 copies of Urborg because it's such an amazing card in general. It does so much and asks so little. I've never needed an excuse to play them lol.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Defile is amazing. It's one of the few spot removal spells that you can feel good about playing as a 2-4 of even in MP. It's definitely our version of Swords to Plowshares.
Nope, 20 or 25 life too. You're correct that he needs a dedicated shell but it's all cards that we're running regardless. Gonti's Machinations, Bloodchief Ascension, Thrull Parasite, Gifted Aetherborn, Basilica Screecher, Exsanguinate, Crypt Ghast, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, do I need to twist anyone's arm to convince them to play with these? Also, for protection you get to run Supernatural Stamina/Kaya's Ghostform if you want and it's not like those cards are bad in Gray Merchant of Asphodel decks either.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Throne of Eldraine
Ayara, First of Locthwain: extremely powerful drain + card advantage engine. One of the best things to Dark Ritual on turn 1. Staple 3-of.
Cauldron Familiar: fun combo with Witch's Oven, Zulaport Cutthroat and Ayara, First of Locthwain.
The Cauldron of Eternity: slow, inconsistent and terrible. Avoid.
Foulmire Knight: the best Typhoid Rats variant ever printed which can be useful in aggro-heavy metas. Very low power-level though.
Murderous Rider: marginal removal and marginal body makes for a marginal card. Playable but unexciting.
Rankle, Master of Pranks: stellar for Stax builds that include things like Dreadhorde Invasion, Ophiomancer and/or Chittering Witch.
Revenge of Ravens: utterly destroys aggro/token decks but completely useless vs midrange, ramp, combo, control, etc. Meta-specific.
Smitten Swordmaster: fantastic in Knight-heavy builds that include Lucky Clover. Tremendously powerful drain spell.
Syr Konrad, the Grim: extremely powerful drain finisher.
Chittering Witch: decent in Stax builds that include things like Rankle, Braids, Cabal Minion, Magus of the Abyss, etc.
Castle Locthwain: staple 4-of card advantage engine. Virtually all of my non-Cabal Stronghold builds play 4. Card is utterly insane.
Witch's Cottage: marginal recursion effect that excels in fetchland builds. There's way better things to be dong with these slots though.
Commander 2019
Mire in Misery: solid creature removal spell that occasionally hits an Enchantment or two. Worse than Liliana's Triumph in my experience.
K'rrick, Son of Yawgmoth: utterly bonkers mana engine. Easily one of the best things to be casting on turn 4 or Dark Ritualing on turn 2. My favorite curve is turn 1 Gonti's Machinations/Thrull Parasite (or any other spell really), turn 2 Dark Ritual + K'rrick, Son of Yawgmoth, turn 3 Gray Merchant of Asphodel. Crypt Ghast also works and I'll typically play those alongside K'rrick to ensure that I always have an oppressive ramp spell in play on turn 2/4.
Core Set 2020
Cavalier of Night: much like Murderous Rider this card is "fine" but nothing special in MP.
Dread Presence: reasonable card advantage/removal engine but too vulnerable to removal for my blood. Good in removal-light metas.
Leyline of the Void: utterly oppressive graveyard-hate spell that boasts immense synergy with Nykthos and Gary. Good time to pick them up on the cheap.
Vilis, Broker of Blood: impressive finisher for ramp builds that include things like Cabal Stronghold and/or Cabal Coffers.
Yarok's Fenlurker: staple 4-of. 2 black pips, global effect, good mana sink, you couldn't ask for a better 2 drop.
Field of the Dead: I love this card but I'd rather assemble Cabal Coffers + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth or whatever.
Modern Horizons
Defile: staple 4-of. It's by far and away your best option for spot removal.
Endling: much like Dread Shade this card isn't even good monoblack devotion. Not enough impact on the game.
Mind Rake: staple 4-of in Waste Not Devotion decks.
Plague Engineer: amazing 1-2 of in any Black deck. It doesn't even matter if people play tribal; this card always seems to over-perform regardless.
Rank Officer: marginal/budget-minded anti-aggro card that also doubles as a drain finisher.
Sling-Gang Lieutenant: same idea; decent anti-aggro/budget card. Unfortunately this is now outclassed by Chittering Witch.
Undead Augur: staple 4-of for Zombie Devotion. Think Plague Belcher, Grave Defiler, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Rot Hulk.
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician: tremendously powerful value engine for builds that include things like Ophiomancer and Chittering Witch.
Barren Moor: good card but outclassed by alternatives such as Cabal Stronghold, Castle Locthwain, etc.
War of the Spark
Bolas's Citadel: utterly insane card advantage + drain engine. Shines brightest in extort builds but playable in anything with Gary.
Command the Dreadhorde: another extremely powerful 6 drop finisher that abuses the mass lifegain present in Gary decks.
Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage: too weak to make the cut in "serious" builds but a fun inclusion in casual discard decks.
Dreadhorde Invasion: fantastic engine for builds that include things like Ayara, First of Locthwain and Rankle, Master of Pranks.
The Elderspell: bonkers finisher for PW-heavy builds. 2 card combo with Liliana, the Last Hope and Liliana, Dreadhorde General.
God-Eternal Bontu: ridonkulous finisher for the Dreadhorde Invasion, Ophiomancer, Chittering Witch, Grave Pact, etc. Stax builds.
Liliana, Dreadhorde General: this set has a million 6 drops but they're all busted so I can't complain. Get a JPN alt art if possible, they're magnificent.
Liliana's Triumph: Black's best 2 CMC removal spell. I always have 4 at the ready in case I want to jam some additional interaction into my lists.
Massacre Girl: powerful mass removal spell that often makes the cut as a 2-of. Easily recurrable which is incredibly useful.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold