This deck is yet another attempt to play The Abyss in a meaningful way. It does work pretty well, even though mono-black is a bit too passive by design for my taste.
Obligatory decklist plug. It's not quite up to date and the primer is only half finished, but it might give you some insight.
I think Night's Whisper variants are pretty superfluous with Erebos. They're fantastic in other mono-black decks, but here they're just too redundant with your commander since they're both 1B: +1 card. I played them for a long time but I'd rather run more gas. Also, look into running more instant-speed interaction. Erebos is a fantastic mana sink and being able to leave up mana for interaction with the fallback of drawing a card or two is very strong. Have you considered running more two-cost mana rocks like Thought Vessel and Everflowing Chalice? My early game plan is to land one on turn 2 to deploy Erebos on turn 3.
It's likely that I'm biased, but I think many of the creatures you're running aren't very good. Graveborn Muse, Twilight Prophet, and Bloodgift Demon are glacially slow for drawing cards, as is Burnished Hart for ramp. I'm not sure why you're running Bloodghast and Bitterblossom without stax elements like Contamination or Smokestack. I guess to carry swords? Seems like an okay use but frankly I try to avoid the combat step entirely with my deck because it's an easily disruptable strategy. Maybe you're running them to synergize with The Abyss but I feel like the better strategy there is to lower the creature count and/or to turn Erebos into a creature to always target him with it.
I 100% disagree with the idea that mono-black is passive. Between discard and ramp I usually feel like I'm in the driver's seat a lot of the time. You're always working towards generating a critical mass of mana to win with Torment of Hailfire which I think makes the deck very active.
I think Night's Whisper variants are pretty superfluous with Erebos.
That's a valid point. I have only played this deck perhaps once so far, and I made it based on my previous Xiahou Dun deck, which can still be seen in several places.
I'm not sure why you're running Bloodghast and Bitterblossom without stax elements like Contamination or Smokestack. I guess to carry swords? Seems like an okay use but frankly I try to avoid the combat step entirely with my deck because it's an easily disruptable strategy. Maybe you're running them to synergize with The Abyss but I feel like the better strategy there is to lower the creature count and/or to turn Erebos into a creature to always target him with it.
As the introduction says, the main purpose of this deck is to play The Abyss. I also dislike stax quite strongly. Perhaps a few more black noncreature permanents would be good for turning Erebos on more quickly?
Primarily spot removal like Go for the Throat, Hero's Downfall, and Tendrils of Corruption, countermagic, and randomutility cards. There's also permanents that can be activated at instantspeed. Since you can always activate Erebos at the end of an opponent's turn you can afford to leave mana available for interaction. I've been looking into adding more instant speed stuff lately, myself, so I can report back to you when I can manage to play some games. Being able to play a pseudo-Draw, Go style deck in mono-black is fun.
As the introduction says, the main purpose of this deck is to play The Abyss. I also dislike stax quite strongly. Perhaps a few more black noncreature permanents would be good for turning Erebos on more quickly?
Yeah I kinda realized that halfway through but still kept typing. Oh well! What kind of stax do you hate? For example, I would consider Infernal Darkness stax, but what about Tainted Aether? Lethal Vapors? Spreading Plague? Black has a plethora of powerful enchantments that range from hardcore stax to stax-lite and since they synergize with turning Erebos on as well as not being Abyss fodder they're worth looking into. At the very least I would run some of the board control spells like Pestilence and Tainted Aether as well as some hand disruption in Words of Waste and Painful Quandary.
To me, it's mostly due to having few instant-speed answers. If that could be helped, the deck would become much more interesting.
The ability to draw cards at instant speed helps a lot, too.
Also, as an aside, I'm mad jealous of people running The Abyss. It's perfect for my deck both mechanically and thematically but I ain't dropping a thousand dollary doos on a single piece of cardboard anytime soon.
I really, really don't like Bon Jovi songs. I admit he's a great musician and a really decent human being. I just can't stand his voice in some songs. So, for me, your thread title counts a clickbait.
Maybe some token generators could help you go a long way in mitigating the negative effects of The Abyss. I do realize that in a perfect world you'd have enough devotion for Erebos to constantly be a creature, but that may not always be the case. The Demon who spawns tokens equal to your devotion (can't remember the name of it off the top of my head) would be a great choice, albeit expensive.
I really, really don't like Bon Jovi songs. I admit he's a great musician and a really decent human being. I just can't stand his voice in some songs. So, for me, your thread title counts a clickbait.
Way to shoot someone through the heart, dude.
Maybe some token generators could help you go a long way in mitigating the negative effects of The Abyss. I do realize that in a perfect world you'd have enough devotion for Erebos to constantly be a creature, but that may not always be the case. The Demon who spawns tokens equal to your devotion (can't remember the name of it off the top of my head) would be a great choice, albeit expensive.
That sounds like a good idea. I put in some and will report when I've got the chance to try them in practice. I've recently had so many new decks to test that it's still waiting for its turn.
I really, really don't like Bon Jovi songs. I admit he's a great musician and a really decent human being. I just can't stand his voice in some songs. So, for me, your thread title counts a clickbait.
Haha well, I enjoy the band, but since all my decks are named after Eurovision entries (or sometimes eurobeat), the one to blame is this:
Maybe some token generators could help you go a long way in mitigating the negative effects of The Abyss. I do realize that in a perfect world you'd have enough devotion for Erebos to constantly be a creature, but that may not always be the case. The Demon who spawns tokens equal to your devotion (can't remember the name of it off the top of my head) would be a great choice, albeit expensive.
Could be. That's the reason Bitterblossom is there. I'll have to try and see.
My YouTube Channel: The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
..."Honey, you gave love, a bad name..." Damn it, Goose! I may or may not be bashing my head against a wall right now.
Thanks for the correct YouTube link, UFOPOLI. Homeboy can SING. I thought that was a different singer when he went into his falsetto, but I was wrong. What a talented singer. I'm in awe at his vibrato and falsetto. I would guess his range is something like 5 or 6 octaves. Wow.
Finally got a chance to play the deck! It did nothing for a long time but somehow survived, and eventually won with Exsanguinate. Not exactly how I had planned it to go... I'll post the update next.
This deck is yet another attempt to play The Abyss in a meaningful way. It does work pretty well, even though mono-black is a bit too passive by design for my taste.
4 Erebos, God of the Dead
Creatures (19)
2 Nezumi Graverobber
2 Bloodghast
2 Withered Wretch
3 Merciless Executioner
3 Fleshbag Marauder
3 Plaguecrafter
3 Junk Diver
3 Burnished Hart
4 Tree of Perdition
4 Agent of Erebos
4 Crypt Ghast
4 Slum Reaper
4 Twilight Prophet
4 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
4 Solemn Simulacrum
5 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
5 Sidisi, Blood Tyrant
6 Nirkana Revenant
6 Duplicant
Instants (5)
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Doom Blade
2 Ultimate Price
3 Hero's Downfall
4 Tendrils of Corruption
2 Demonic Tutor
2 Torment of Hailfire
2 Exsanguinate
3 Toxic Deluge
3 Praetor's Grasp
3 Ashes to Ashes
4 Mastermind's Acquisition
4 Languish
4 Mutilate
4 Damnation
4 Barter in Blood
5 Aether Snap
5 Crux of Fate
6 Beseech the Queen
7 All Is Dust
Enchantments (8)
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
2 Bitterblossom
3 Underworld Connections
3 Phyrexian Arena
3 Necropotence
4 The Abyss
4 Grave Pact
5 Dictate of Erebos
1 Expedition Map
2 Sword of the Animist
3 Sword of Feast and Famine
3 Sword of Fire and Ice
3 Sword of Light and Shadow
3 Loxodon Warhammer
4 Nightmare Lash
4 Lashwrithe
4 Trading Post
5 Pariah's Shield
5 Batterskull
5 Gauntlet of Power
6 Caged Sun
Lands (38)
1 Maze of Ith
1 Wasteland
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Thespian's Stage
1 Temple of the False God
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Nykhtos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Volrath's Stronghold
29 Snow-Covered Swamp
Changelog
2019-01-19
Bloodgift Demon, Disciple of Bolas, Graveborn Muse, Night's Whisper, Painful Lesson, Read the Bones, Sign in Blood, Succumb to Temptation
Aether Snap, Doom Blade, Hero's Downfall, Plaguecrafter, Praetor's Grasp, Tendrils of Corruption, Ultimate Price, Underworld Connections
Dreams of the Sphinx (Sharuum the Hegemon)
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Roon of the Hidden Realm)
For vår jord (Azusa, Lost But Seeking)
Black Power (Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed)
I think Night's Whisper variants are pretty superfluous with Erebos. They're fantastic in other mono-black decks, but here they're just too redundant with your commander since they're both 1B: +1 card. I played them for a long time but I'd rather run more gas. Also, look into running more instant-speed interaction. Erebos is a fantastic mana sink and being able to leave up mana for interaction with the fallback of drawing a card or two is very strong. Have you considered running more two-cost mana rocks like Thought Vessel and Everflowing Chalice? My early game plan is to land one on turn 2 to deploy Erebos on turn 3.
It's likely that I'm biased, but I think many of the creatures you're running aren't very good. Graveborn Muse, Twilight Prophet, and Bloodgift Demon are glacially slow for drawing cards, as is Burnished Hart for ramp. I'm not sure why you're running Bloodghast and Bitterblossom without stax elements like Contamination or Smokestack. I guess to carry swords? Seems like an okay use but frankly I try to avoid the combat step entirely with my deck because it's an easily disruptable strategy. Maybe you're running them to synergize with The Abyss but I feel like the better strategy there is to lower the creature count and/or to turn Erebos into a creature to always target him with it.
I 100% disagree with the idea that mono-black is passive. Between discard and ramp I usually feel like I'm in the driver's seat a lot of the time. You're always working towards generating a critical mass of mana to win with Torment of Hailfire which I think makes the deck very active.
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
Thanks! I'll take a look.
That's a valid point. I have only played this deck perhaps once so far, and I made it based on my previous Xiahou Dun deck, which can still be seen in several places.
Sounds good, what for example?
The draw creatures may not be the best choice, for the same reason the draw spells aren't.
As the introduction says, the main purpose of this deck is to play The Abyss. I also dislike stax quite strongly. Perhaps a few more black noncreature permanents would be good for turning Erebos on more quickly?
To me, it's mostly due to having few instant-speed answers. If that could be helped, the deck would become much more interesting.
Dreams of the Sphinx (Sharuum the Hegemon)
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Roon of the Hidden Realm)
For vår jord (Azusa, Lost But Seeking)
Black Power (Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed)
Primarily spot removal like Go for the Throat, Hero's Downfall, and Tendrils of Corruption, countermagic, and random utility cards. There's also permanents that can be activated at instant speed. Since you can always activate Erebos at the end of an opponent's turn you can afford to leave mana available for interaction. I've been looking into adding more instant speed stuff lately, myself, so I can report back to you when I can manage to play some games. Being able to play a pseudo-Draw, Go style deck in mono-black is fun.
Yeah I kinda realized that halfway through but still kept typing. Oh well! What kind of stax do you hate? For example, I would consider Infernal Darkness stax, but what about Tainted Aether? Lethal Vapors? Spreading Plague? Black has a plethora of powerful enchantments that range from hardcore stax to stax-lite and since they synergize with turning Erebos on as well as not being Abyss fodder they're worth looking into. At the very least I would run some of the board control spells like Pestilence and Tainted Aether as well as some hand disruption in Words of Waste and Painful Quandary.
The ability to draw cards at instant speed helps a lot, too.
Also, as an aside, I'm mad jealous of people running The Abyss. It's perfect for my deck both mechanically and thematically but I ain't dropping a thousand dollary doos on a single piece of cardboard anytime soon.
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
Maybe some token generators could help you go a long way in mitigating the negative effects of The Abyss. I do realize that in a perfect world you'd have enough devotion for Erebos to constantly be a creature, but that may not always be the case. The Demon who spawns tokens equal to your devotion (can't remember the name of it off the top of my head) would be a great choice, albeit expensive.
UB Dralnu, Lich Lord
RBW [Primer]-Kaalia of the Vast
BUG [Primer]-Tasigur, the Golden Fang
GWU [Primer]-Arcades, the Strategist
WUB Primer-Aminatou, the Fateshifter
UBR Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
Way to shoot someone through the heart, dude.
Abhorrent Overlord is okay but you're right that seven mana is a bit much. There's also Ophiomancer, Reassembling Skeleton, Endless Cockroaches, Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder, and Nether Traitor. Personally, I would go the other direction and pare my creature count down super low to avoid having to worry about the drawback entirely. I'm biased, though.
[Primer] Erebos, God of the Dead
HONK HONK
That sounds like a good idea. I put in some and will report when I've got the chance to try them in practice. I've recently had so many new decks to test that it's still waiting for its turn.
Mostly the kind that prevents other players from playing. I'm also not a big fan of permanents that just sit on the table and don't interact.
Haha well, I enjoy the band, but since all my decks are named after Eurovision entries (or sometimes eurobeat), the one to blame is this:
(could theoretically be this as well)
Could be. That's the reason Bitterblossom is there. I'll have to try and see.
Dreams of the Sphinx (Sharuum the Hegemon)
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Roon of the Hidden Realm)
For vår jord (Azusa, Lost But Seeking)
Black Power (Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed)
What about Magus of the Abyss for redundancy?
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
..."Honey, you gave love, a bad name..." Damn it, Goose! I may or may not be bashing my head against a wall right now.
Thanks for the correct YouTube link, UFOPOLI. Homeboy can SING. I thought that was a different singer when he went into his falsetto, but I was wrong. What a talented singer. I'm in awe at his vibrato and falsetto. I would guess his range is something like 5 or 6 octaves. Wow.
UB Dralnu, Lich Lord
RBW [Primer]-Kaalia of the Vast
BUG [Primer]-Tasigur, the Golden Fang
GWU [Primer]-Arcades, the Strategist
WUB Primer-Aminatou, the Fateshifter
UBR Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
That one could be worth trying.
The problem with the Magus is that it kills itself.
I didn't find any definitive information but I think four would be more realistic.
Dreams of the Sphinx (Sharuum the Hegemon)
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Roon of the Hidden Realm)
For vår jord (Azusa, Lost But Seeking)
Black Power (Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed)
Dreams of the Sphinx (Sharuum the Hegemon)
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Roon of the Hidden Realm)
For vår jord (Azusa, Lost But Seeking)
Black Power (Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed)