This is a mono-:symb: deck dedicated to combos, headed by Erebos, God of the Dead. I chose Erebos, because I like the idea of always having access to an indestructable source of card advantage. Attaining Devotion isn't crucial for this, because that will make Erebos more vulnerable to removal.
Just one question, you said that you don't look for high devotion count that make Erebos vulnerable, but so why do you play Grey Merchant of Asphodel that need it?
Thanks! I put the Merchant in as a easy source of lifegain, if needed. I know it's a little counter-intuitive, but I feel it's strong enough to include.
EDIT: I also like the fact that he can get around Gaddock Teeg, where Exsanguinate can't, which is a real threat in my meta.
I also made an "all out" erebos list recently. Some things you might like:
First thing I noticed was there is no Illusionist's Bracers. If you do manage to get devotion, it turns erebos into "2 life + 2 mana = 2 cards". But, it also has amazing applications for ooze shenanigans. Which reminds me... where's the Workhorse for your mikaeus hijinks? At worst, he's a bad mana rock. Speaking of ooze and friends, Thousand-Year Elixir is perfect for immediate ooze and win. Another card to consider with all your creatures that come back to play from the gy is Dread Return. On that note, Codex Shredder is nice to have around. Volrath's Sronghold does work here. I run more zombies than just mikaeus, so I also include Unholy Grotto in my build.
Necrologia. Basically necropotence, but as a spell. Which is fine, since the deck has ways of using open mana once you have enough cards in hand to just win, or at the very least, abuse a very large graveyard. Only downside is it doesn't stick around to give you 7 cards at the end of every turn. This is a 'go for it' card that I actually do run, but for it to work I also run... Shimmer Myr, and... Winding Canyons
Where I think we diverge most is the control:
I use Winter Orb, to sit alongside contamination, as well good ol... Smokestack. You can use Braids or the abyss, as they are recoverable with xiao, but i prefer this relic to those two in this deck, personally. As far as sweepers go, Overwhelming Forces has been a nice decree #2. Easy way to turn 1 person at the table into a sitting duck for the rest.
Skirge Familiar, Puppeteer Clique, Increasing Ambition, Cavern of Souls, Thran Dynamo, Crypt Ghast and Basalt Monolith all seem like cards you either passed up, or gave up on because of space. Couldn't have been easy cuts, considering they are all either part of pretty major combo interactions or good ramp with this kind of setup. Also, why in a deck that's so hungry for black, would you opt for ashnod instead of phyrexian? You aren't including the deathmantle/nodach combo, so it's puzzling. Also, it seems like you included the devourer, but not the Disciple of Bolas to go with it. Bolas is good even by itself here. True, bolas doesn't do much on the ooze front, but he gets back life for more activations of erebos, and you have ways of recurring creatures. In a different deck, i run this same combo with Lich, and added Soul Conduit for a wincon. Also, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx is a card now. If you are going to include the other devotion dude, this might as well be here as cabal coffers #3. Candelebra is amazing in such a list, if you actually have one =< If only...
What I could think up off the top of my head. Love the list =) You play on trice at all?
1 Erebos, God of the Dead
Creature [13]
1 Bloodghast
1 Nether Traitor
1 Reassembling Skeleton
1 Pili-Pala
1 Palladium Myr
1 Dimir House Guard
1 Necrotic Ooze
1 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Magus of the Coffers
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
1 Phyrexian Devourer
1 Triskelion
Artifact [22]
1 Chrome Mox
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mox Opal
1 Expedition Map
1 Mana Vault
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Ashnod's Altar
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Mindcrank
1 Coalition Relic
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Sculpting Steel
1 Staff of Domination
1 Umbral Mantle
1 Helm of Obedience
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Bitterblossom
1 Necropotence
1 Contamination
1 Leyline of the Void
1 Exquisite Blood
1 Sanguine Bond
Instant [11]
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Dark Ritual
1 Ebony Charm
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Cabal Ritual
1 Geth's Verdict
1 Shred Memory
1 Dismember
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Sudden Spoiling
1 Ad Nauseum
Sorcery [12]
1 Mind Twist
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Exsanguinate
1 Buried Alive
1 Dimir Machinations
1 Praetor's Grasp
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Damnation
1 Brainspoil
1 Diabolic Revelation
1 Decree of Pain
1 Liliana of the Dark Realms
Land [33]
18 Swamp
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Marsh Flats
1 Polluted Delta
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Beseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Bojuko Bog
1 Buried Ruin
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Deserted Temple
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Strip Mine
1 Thespian Stage
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Vesuva
10-27-13
-1 Black Sun's Zenith
+1 Toxic Deluge
Rafiq | Jeleva | Zedruu
Brion | Vela
Talrand | Erebos
Otherworld Atlas Collection
4 Foil/ 17 Normal/ 0 Signed
My avatar is Disappointing!
Rafiq | Jeleva | Zedruu
Brion | Vela
Talrand | Erebos
Otherworld Atlas Collection
4 Foil/ 17 Normal/ 0 Signed
My avatar is Disappointing!
Just one question, you said that you don't look for high devotion count that make Erebos vulnerable, but so why do you play Grey Merchant of Asphodel that need it?
EDIT: I also like the fact that he can get around Gaddock Teeg, where Exsanguinate can't, which is a real threat in my meta.
Rafiq | Jeleva | Zedruu
Brion | Vela
Talrand | Erebos
Otherworld Atlas Collection
4 Foil/ 17 Normal/ 0 Signed
My avatar is Disappointing!
1 Black Sun's Zenith
In:
1 Toxic Deluge
Functionally the same, but I feel like Deluge is more fitting with the "Suicide Black" feel of the deck. Plus, it gets around Gaddock Teeg.
Rafiq | Jeleva | Zedruu
Brion | Vela
Talrand | Erebos
Otherworld Atlas Collection
4 Foil/ 17 Normal/ 0 Signed
My avatar is Disappointing!
First thing I noticed was there is no Illusionist's Bracers. If you do manage to get devotion, it turns erebos into "2 life + 2 mana = 2 cards". But, it also has amazing applications for ooze shenanigans. Which reminds me... where's the Workhorse for your mikaeus hijinks? At worst, he's a bad mana rock. Speaking of ooze and friends, Thousand-Year Elixir is perfect for immediate ooze and win. Another card to consider with all your creatures that come back to play from the gy is Dread Return. On that note, Codex Shredder is nice to have around.
Volrath's Sronghold does work here. I run more zombies than just mikaeus, so I also include Unholy Grotto in my build.
Necrologia. Basically necropotence, but as a spell. Which is fine, since the deck has ways of using open mana once you have enough cards in hand to just win, or at the very least, abuse a very large graveyard. Only downside is it doesn't stick around to give you 7 cards at the end of every turn. This is a 'go for it' card that I actually do run, but for it to work I also run...
Shimmer Myr, and...
Winding Canyons
Where I think we diverge most is the control:
I use Winter Orb, to sit alongside contamination, as well good ol...
Smokestack. You can use Braids or the abyss, as they are recoverable with xiao, but i prefer this relic to those two in this deck, personally. As far as sweepers go, Overwhelming Forces has been a nice decree #2. Easy way to turn 1 person at the table into a sitting duck for the rest.
Skirge Familiar, Puppeteer Clique, Increasing Ambition, Cavern of Souls, Thran Dynamo, Crypt Ghast and Basalt Monolith all seem like cards you either passed up, or gave up on because of space. Couldn't have been easy cuts, considering they are all either part of pretty major combo interactions or good ramp with this kind of setup. Also, why in a deck that's so hungry for black, would you opt for ashnod instead of phyrexian? You aren't including the deathmantle/nodach combo, so it's puzzling. Also, it seems like you included the devourer, but not the Disciple of Bolas to go with it. Bolas is good even by itself here. True, bolas doesn't do much on the ooze front, but he gets back life for more activations of erebos, and you have ways of recurring creatures. In a different deck, i run this same combo with Lich, and added Soul Conduit for a wincon. Also, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx is a card now. If you are going to include the other devotion dude, this might as well be here as cabal coffers #3. Candelebra is amazing in such a list, if you actually have one =< If only...
What I could think up off the top of my head. Love the list =) You play on trice at all?
http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/spam/ <---- kills spam, fyi.