Welcome, fellow Planeswalkers! Are you ready to dive into a world where sacrifice isn’t just a necessity, but a thrilling strategy? Step right up and discover the unpredictable chaos of Matte Black—a unique take on the classic Suicide Black archetype that flips the script on life loss and goes all-in on creature sacrifice.
***Introduction to Matte Black***
Matte Black isn’t just another deck; it’s a carefully crafted engine of value and efficiency. By focusing solely on one-cost creatures, this deck defies conventional wisdom, allowing for a lean land count of just 17 basic Swamps. With the power of surveil, creature synergy, and clever resource management, you’ll find yourself orchestrating a relentless onslaught that can overwhelm your opponents before they even realize what hit them.
Imagine a battlefield where every creature you play can be both an attacker and a resource. With cards like Case of the Gorgon’s Kiss and Corrupted Conviction, you can turn your minions into potent weapons while maintaining an iron grip on the board state. You’ll laugh in the face of removal spells and revel in the chaos of your opponents’ confusion!
Matte Black thrives on a mix of aggression and value. Your one-drop creatures form the backbone of your strategy, each offering unique advantages:
- Ashnod, Flesh Machinist: Generates Powerstone tokens for powerful plays, while allowing you to sacrifice value creatures, fueling your engine.
- Cult Conscript and Forsaken Miner: Resilient beaters that return from the graveyard, ensuring your pressure remains relentless.
- Greedy Freebooter: Smooths out your draws and creates treasure tokens, providing both card advantage and mana flexibility.
- Fear of Lost Teeth: A versatile creature that enables your Forsaken Miner and sets up your Case of the Gorgon’s Kiss for future plays.
**Engine of Sacrifice**
Your key enchantment, Case of the Gorgon’s Kiss, serves as both removal and a powerful creature. Combined with Fear of Lost Teeth, you can easily bring a 4/4 Lifelink Deathtoucher onto the battlefield by turn 3. Imagine having multiple copies active—your opponents will be scrambling to stay alive!
**Consistency and Versatility**
One of the most exciting aspects of Matte Black is its consistency. Thanks to the synergy between your creatures and spells, you’ll have multiple lines of play in any given situation. Whether you need to remove a threat, draw cards, or push for damage, there’s always a path forward.
***Engaging with the Deck***
Are you ready to take the plunge? Here’s how you can maximize your experience with Matte Black:
1. Learn the Sacrifice Game: Embrace the strategy of sacrificing your creatures. Each loss is a step toward victory!
2. Experiment with Land Counts: While 17 lands is the current sweet spot, don’t hesitate to test different configurations to find what works best for you.
3. Sideboard Wisely: Your sideboard options like Anoint with Affliction and Duress provide powerful tools against various matchups. Adapt your strategy based on your opponents!
***Final Thoughts***
Matte Black is more than just a deck; it’s an experience that will keep your opponents guessing and on their toes. With each game, you’ll uncover new strategies and synergies that make this deck a joy to play.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your cards, channel your inner darkness, and unleash the chaos of Matte Black on your local game store! Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a curious newcomer, this deck promises to deliver excitement and strategic depth. Happy casting!
-Matchup strategies will follow!
-Updates to the list, as well as potential includes will follow!
I played some and have questions. The deck is complex.
When do you take the control role on turn one? For example, I'm on the play against BG Demons, my hand is Swamp, Swamp, Snarling Gorehound, Forsaken Miner, Faerie Dreamthief, Case of the Gorgon's Kiss, Corrupted Conviction. Do I get aggressive with Miner, set up with Gorehound, or play a Swamp and pass? What if I'm on the draw and they lead with Llanowar Elves or Swamp, pass?
What is your mulligan strategy? In what situations do you keep a one-lander? How about four lands? In 200 opening hands, I had 37 clear mulls, 22 one-land + Dreamthief, 14 one-land + Conviction (no Dreamthief, but I forgot to record if Freebooter was in the hand, should be about 38% of them), and 23 I would personally toss (most four lands; no creatures). Mulling the Conviction hands, that's a 36% mull rate + 11% with a 48%/39% chance to lose on turn 2 if no land is found, which is in line with the hypergeometric calculator. I wonder because I needed every card to win and mulligans hurt me worse than my opponents' mulligans hurt them.
Can you give some sideboard strategies? For example, I found Enduring Curiosity unbeatable, but the only answer is Cruelclaw's Heist and how reliable is that? I want to side in Leyline of the Void for WU Oculus, but they side out their graveyard stuff for Monastery Mentor and sweepers, so what do I side out for Duress and Anoint with Affliction?
Have you tried Gnawing Vermin? I was considering it over Scorn-Blade Berserker, which I rarely had the mana to utilize. Is there a creature you consider replaceable, and anything you're considering in its place?
I tried just a few games with a heavier version featuring 21 land, Vengeful Bloodwitch, Midnight Reaper, etc, and wasn't impressed. Have you tried something like that?
***Introduction to Matte Black***
Matte Black isn’t just another deck; it’s a carefully crafted engine of value and efficiency. By focusing solely on one-cost creatures, this deck defies conventional wisdom, allowing for a lean land count of just 17 basic Swamps. With the power of surveil, creature synergy, and clever resource management, you’ll find yourself orchestrating a relentless onslaught that can overwhelm your opponents before they even realize what hit them.
Imagine a battlefield where every creature you play can be both an attacker and a resource. With cards like Case of the Gorgon’s Kiss and Corrupted Conviction, you can turn your minions into potent weapons while maintaining an iron grip on the board state. You’ll laugh in the face of removal spells and revel in the chaos of your opponents’ confusion!
***Deck List***
Creatures - 31
3 Ashnod, Flesh Machinist
4 Cult Conscript
4 Faerie Dreamthief
4 Fear of Lost Teeth
4 Forsaken Miner
4 Greedy Freebooter
4 Scorn-Blade Berserker
4 Snarling Gorehound
4 Corrupted Conviction
Sorceries - 4
4 Annihilating Glare
Enchantments - 4
4 Case of the Gorgon’s Kiss
Lands - 17
17 Swamp
3 Anoint with Affliction
4 Cruelclaw’s Heist
4 Duress
4 Leyline of the Void
***Key Strategies and Gameplay***
**Building Your Board**
Matte Black thrives on a mix of aggression and value. Your one-drop creatures form the backbone of your strategy, each offering unique advantages:
- Ashnod, Flesh Machinist: Generates Powerstone tokens for powerful plays, while allowing you to sacrifice value creatures, fueling your engine.
- Cult Conscript and Forsaken Miner: Resilient beaters that return from the graveyard, ensuring your pressure remains relentless.
- Greedy Freebooter: Smooths out your draws and creates treasure tokens, providing both card advantage and mana flexibility.
- Fear of Lost Teeth: A versatile creature that enables your Forsaken Miner and sets up your Case of the Gorgon’s Kiss for future plays.
**Engine of Sacrifice**
Your key enchantment, Case of the Gorgon’s Kiss, serves as both removal and a powerful creature. Combined with Fear of Lost Teeth, you can easily bring a 4/4 Lifelink Deathtoucher onto the battlefield by turn 3. Imagine having multiple copies active—your opponents will be scrambling to stay alive!
**Consistency and Versatility**
One of the most exciting aspects of Matte Black is its consistency. Thanks to the synergy between your creatures and spells, you’ll have multiple lines of play in any given situation. Whether you need to remove a threat, draw cards, or push for damage, there’s always a path forward.
***Engaging with the Deck***
Are you ready to take the plunge? Here’s how you can maximize your experience with Matte Black:
1. Learn the Sacrifice Game: Embrace the strategy of sacrificing your creatures. Each loss is a step toward victory!
2. Experiment with Land Counts: While 17 lands is the current sweet spot, don’t hesitate to test different configurations to find what works best for you.
3. Sideboard Wisely: Your sideboard options like Anoint with Affliction and Duress provide powerful tools against various matchups. Adapt your strategy based on your opponents!
***Final Thoughts***
Matte Black is more than just a deck; it’s an experience that will keep your opponents guessing and on their toes. With each game, you’ll uncover new strategies and synergies that make this deck a joy to play.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your cards, channel your inner darkness, and unleash the chaos of Matte Black on your local game store! Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a curious newcomer, this deck promises to deliver excitement and strategic depth. Happy casting!
-Matchup strategies will follow!
-Updates to the list, as well as potential includes will follow!
When do you take the control role on turn one? For example, I'm on the play against BG Demons, my hand is Swamp, Swamp, Snarling Gorehound, Forsaken Miner, Faerie Dreamthief, Case of the Gorgon's Kiss, Corrupted Conviction. Do I get aggressive with Miner, set up with Gorehound, or play a Swamp and pass? What if I'm on the draw and they lead with Llanowar Elves or Swamp, pass?
What is your mulligan strategy? In what situations do you keep a one-lander? How about four lands? In 200 opening hands, I had 37 clear mulls, 22 one-land + Dreamthief, 14 one-land + Conviction (no Dreamthief, but I forgot to record if Freebooter was in the hand, should be about 38% of them), and 23 I would personally toss (most four lands; no creatures). Mulling the Conviction hands, that's a 36% mull rate + 11% with a 48%/39% chance to lose on turn 2 if no land is found, which is in line with the hypergeometric calculator. I wonder because I needed every card to win and mulligans hurt me worse than my opponents' mulligans hurt them.
Can you give some sideboard strategies? For example, I found Enduring Curiosity unbeatable, but the only answer is Cruelclaw's Heist and how reliable is that? I want to side in Leyline of the Void for WU Oculus, but they side out their graveyard stuff for Monastery Mentor and sweepers, so what do I side out for Duress and Anoint with Affliction?
Have you tried Gnawing Vermin? I was considering it over Scorn-Blade Berserker, which I rarely had the mana to utilize. Is there a creature you consider replaceable, and anything you're considering in its place?
I tried just a few games with a heavier version featuring 21 land, Vengeful Bloodwitch, Midnight Reaper, etc, and wasn't impressed. Have you tried something like that?