MTG Salvation

ok so this is a very different beast from normal mono b devotion builds, i really heavily on newer sets. im open to ideas for improvements, im building this as a deck to help teach a friend at fnms as i want to keep the deck fairly simply but with opportunities and room to be more complexe if they think about there plays and gain experience. i'm trying to keep the total budget under $60 where possible



the idea is to use some fast value creatures, to get in a little damage and value befor they die/become ineffective. they tidy up with one or two finishers (feaster, soul flayer, merchant)

feaster and soul flayer work well together, merchant is a little less syagetic with them but also gets a pay off from the enchantments

Defile adds a solid new removal spell and adding snow lands means we can add dead of winter to sb as a board wipe(even after adding the cost of 17 snow lands and 3 winters is still seems to e the cheapest strong option.


now the big questions i have with the deck
Cabal Therapist, he works well with spawn as hes normally able to deal damage, hes also a solid way to get stuff to gy for soul flayer, but he himself doesn't add anything to soulflayer (as menace is a newer key word) and he can miss. im not shore if i just what to add in 4 duress or add is either Rimebound Dead as an unkillable blocker/ Carrion Feeder as a sac outlet and beat stick

field of ruin may or may not be added going forwards, i'm currently on the fence

Dreadhorde Invasion, i've yet to be truly sold and could be convinced to try a different card in this slot, (this is normally the card advantage slot, instead of card draw im thought this make also add the advantage needed.)

For card advantage I've found Arguel's Blood Fast to be pretty good as a budget Phyrexian Arena which also has the advatage of coming down on turn two an being able to draw more cards later in the game while also being able to flip into a lifegain sac'-engine.

Sign in Blood is always a solid option and can act as reach in the late game to push through damage.
I'd probably prefer it to Bad Moon here which is probably only playable in an ultra-aggro version of the deck with mostly 1-drops (and some 2-drops).

For some hand disruption the options can be Burglar Rat or the more aggressive and conditional Mardu Skullhunter
(and also Kitesail Freebooter/Brain Maggot).

Soulflayer and Feaster of Fools seem rather questionable here and I'd prefer Abyssal Persecutor and Vampire Nighthawk (good with Lashwrithe) instead.
Dread Shade can also be a good 3-drop for the deck and support Merchant.

Another good 1-drop option can be the recursive Bloodsoaked Champion.

For utility lands I'd want Bojuka Bog here, probably even over Barren Moor.

For the SB:
# Crypt Rats might be worth considering for the SB, especially if you gain enough life to offset its cost.
# Ratchet Bomb is also good and is one of the only options of dealing with artifacts/enchantments in Mono-Black.
# Ob Nixilis Reignited is good for grinding out against midrange/control decks.
# Damping Sphere should probably be in the SB, at least over Soot Imp which doesn't seem useful.
# Ashiok, Dream Render is a really good SB option as both GY-hate and search-hate that helps with devotion.

thanks for the input
Abyssal Persecutor really isn't great, ive found in lists that what in spawn is generally better

night hawk has always need on of the weaker elements of the budget deck. he was alright if you went with a vampire sub theme but dieing to bolt and with the rise of spirits that ca trade one drops for him has made me start to look elsewhere. soul flayer tends to do a very solid impression of nighthawk but with the upside of being bolt and push proof. i agree feaster is an odd choice but he can come in turn three as a 7/7 flyer push/bolt proof flyer which is something a lot of decks in modern still struggle to deal with pre sb. (although its made me hate turn three karns with a vengeance

with 20 bodys under 3 mana i've found moon to be particularly good as long as your not facing bridgevine.

ive found dreadshade to work better in a much more control focused version of the eck (turn 1 discard turn 2 removal ect)

yeah i had considered champion if he had a single keyword or cost a little less to reanimate i would probably be running him, but as is hes still not quite the fit i what for the deck

i would probably run kitesale/brain magot over rat due to the targeted nature of the spells but they all return the spell later, this might just be something i have to except with the deck.

i think in the currnt meta with a creature based deck, ashiok is a tad slow, so will probably stick to bogs and spell bombs for now

so current list now updated to
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/mono-black-lash-devotion-budget/