I'm trying to generate a generic list of cards that should go into most Competitive Mono-black decks. For example, I see a lot of decks that I face off against without Scrying Sheets and Snow-Covered Lands for example or lack one of the following artifacts: Sol Ring, Grim Monolith, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault.
The list is intended to be used for any Competitive Monoblack deck type: Beats, Stax, Combo, Control, etc.
Duress and Thoughtseize are good as is Imp's Mischief. These are good anti-counterspell material. Jet medallion and Dark Confidant are both good I'll add them.
Ad Nauseum is a good spell and you can stop at any time I suppose. It seems a high cost for what it does though.
You are right that fetchlands may not be as necessary. Maze of Ith, Bojuka Bog, Thespian's Stage, and Vesuva can be very good.
Caged Sun and Gauntlet of Power are expensive sure, but extraplanar lens doubles mana from swamps. That is good no?
I like your other cards but they seem very specific to me.
Thanks Vandar. Changed wording to Staple instead of Standard ( I don't want to get confused with a Game Type). I added those two removal spells. Hatred is a cool card, I'm hesitant to use it include it because of its cost and the default assumption of winning by attacking.
When creating a new competitive mono-black deck of any type, use one of the below lists of cards, they should be used as the base for deck-building.
Please discuss what cards you think should be added or removed from these lists.
Note1: Card degeneracy, availability, or cost is not considered. Only cards powerful/useful enough to warrant being an automatic inclusion (staple).
Note2: This list is for every kind of mono-black competitive deck (Beats, Control, Stax, Storm, Etc.). Cards that are good for some mono-black decks but not all of them, cannot be included on these lists
Removed Cards:
1 Cruel Tutor : Deemed too disadvantageous compared to other Tutors
1 Temple of the False God : Deemed too slow (Must have 5 lands out)
1 Volrath's Stronghold : Deemed too creature dependent
1 Command Beacon : Deemed too Commander dependent
1 Homeward Path : Deemed too situational
1 Marsh Flats : Deck thinning deemed to not offset 1 life loss
1 Polluted Delta : Deck thinning deemed to not offset 1 life loss
1 Bloodstained Mire : Deck thinning deemed to not offset 1 life loss
1 Verdant Catacombs : Deck thinning deemed to not offset 1 life loss
1 Extraplanar Lens : Deemed too slow
1 Gauntlet of Power : Deemed too slow
1 Caged Sun : Deemed too slow
1 Cabal Ritual : Deemed not advantageous enough
1 Phyrexian Arena : Deemed too slow compared to Read the Bones
1 Duress (Multiplayer Commander) : Deemed not powerful enough for multiplayer
1 Thoughtseize (Multiplayer Commander) : Deemed not powerful enough for multiplayer
The issue with dual or fetchland wastes is that the designers would have to envision Eldrazi working with colored allies and story-wise they aren't doing that.
Given that the basic land is Wastes and not city, I have difficulty envisioning colorless focus existng outside of the Oath of he gatewatch set.
Seeing as it's an entirely new basic land, I have difficulty envisioning it being a one shot creation only for this set.
They might reprint Wastes and similar mandatory colorless mana cards, but I don't anticipate them revisiting Colorless as an item for awhile. Kind of like how some Phyrexian mana cards have been reprinted in Commander or Modern Master sets, but no new actual cards use Phyrexian mana since the new Phyrexia set.
Just like Phyrexian mana is highly flavorful yet restricted to Phyrexia. So to is the Wastes to the Eldrazi. I don't see them reprinting Wastes or Mandatory Colorless cards in any significant manner until we revisit Eldrazi in a set after Oath of the Gatewatch.
The issue with dual or fetchland wastes is that the designers would have to envision Eldrazi working with colored allies and story-wise they aren't doing that.
Given that the basic land is Wastes and not city, I have difficulty envisioning colorless focus existng outside of the Oath of he gatewatch set.
The list is intended to be used for any Competitive Monoblack deck type: Beats, Stax, Combo, Control, etc.
Duress and Thoughtseize are good as is Imp's Mischief. These are good anti-counterspell material. Jet medallion and Dark Confidant are both good I'll add them.
Ad Nauseum is a good spell and you can stop at any time I suppose. It seems a high cost for what it does though.
You are right that fetchlands may not be as necessary. Maze of Ith, Bojuka Bog, Thespian's Stage, and Vesuva can be very good.
Caged Sun and Gauntlet of Power are expensive sure, but extraplanar lens doubles mana from swamps. That is good no?
I like your other cards but they seem very specific to me.
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Lands: 36
22 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Scrying Sheets
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Marsh Flats
1 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Temple of the False God
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Strip Mine
1 Command Beacon
1 Homeward Path
Tutor: 9
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Grim Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Cruel Tutor
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Liliana Vess
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Diabolic Revelation
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Gauntlet of Power
1 Caged Sun
1 Expedition Map
1 Dark Ritual
1 Cabal Ritual
1 Solemn Simulacrum
Draw / Card Advantage: 7
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Necropotence
1 Greed
1 Dark Confidant
1 Sign in Blood
1 Night's Whisper
Recursion: 6
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Living Death
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Exhume
1 Animate Dead
1 Necromancy
1 Damnation
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Perilous Vault
1 Karn Liberated
1 Go for the Throat
1 Doom Blade
1 Leyline of the Void
1 Fleshbag Marauder
Card Discard: 5
1 Hymm to Tourach
1 Syphon Mind
1 Liliana's Specter
1 Duress
1 Thoughtseize
Win Condition: 1
1 Triskelion
Alternate Win Condition: 3
1 Exsanguinate
1 Helm of Obedience
1 Crucible of Worlds
Please discuss what cards you think should be added or removed from these lists.
Note1: Card degeneracy, availability, or cost is not considered. Only cards powerful/useful enough to warrant being an automatic inclusion (staple).
Note2: This list is for every kind of mono-black competitive deck (Beats, Control, Stax, Storm, Etc.). Cards that are good for some mono-black decks but not all of them, cannot be included on these lists
Commander: 2 Players
25 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Scrying Sheets
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Strip Mine
Card Advantage / Draw: 7
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Read the Bones
1 Necropotence
1 Dark Confidant
1 Ad Nauseum
1 Sign in Blood
1 Night's Whisper
1 Imp's Mischief
Direct Damage: 1
1 Exsanguinate
Discard: 3
1 Duress
1 Thoughtseize
1 Mind Twist
Ramp: 9
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith
1 Expedition Map
1 Dark Ritual
1 Crypt Ghast
1 Candelabra of Tawnos
1 Bubbling Muck
1 Yawgmoth's Will
Removal (Targeted): 1
1 Hero's Downfall
Removal (Mass): 2
1 Damnation
1 Toxic Deluge
Removal (Graveyard): 1
1 Bojuka Bog
Stax: 1
1 Infernal Darkness
Tutors: 4
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Grim Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
Commander: Multiplayer
25 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Scrying Sheets
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Strip Mine
Card Advantage / Draw: 7
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Read the Bones
1 Necropotence
1 Dark Confidant
1 Ad Nauseum
1 Sign in Blood
1 Night's Whisper
1 Imp's Mischief
Direct Damage: 1
1 Exsanguinate
Discard: 1
1 Mind Twist
Ramp: 9
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith
1 Expedition Map
1 Dark Ritual
1 Crypt Ghast
1 Candelabra of Tawnos
1 Bubbling Muck
Recursion: 1
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Karn Liberated
Removal (Mass): 4
1 Damnation
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Perilous Vault
1 Nevinyrral's disk
Removal (Graveyard): 1
1 Bojuka Bog
Stax: 1
1 Infernal Darkness
Tutors: 4
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Grim Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
Duel Commander
25 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Scrying Sheets
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Cavern of Souls
Card Advantage / Draw: 5
1 Read the Bones
1 Dark Confidant
1 Ad Nauseum
1 Sign in Blood
1 Night's Whisper
1 Imp's Mischief
Direct Damage: 1
1 Exsanguinate
Discard: 1
1 Mind Twist
Ramp: 5
1 Expedition Map
1 Dark Ritual
1 Crypt Ghast
1 Candelabra of Tawnos
1 Bubbling Muck
1 Yawgmoth's Will
Removal (Targeted): 1
1 Hero's Downfall
Removal (Mass): 2
1 Damnation
1 Toxic Deluge
Removal (Graveyard): 1
1 Bojuka Bog
Stax: 1
1 Infernal Darkness
Tutors: 2
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Grim Tutor
Removed Cards:
1 Cruel Tutor : Deemed too disadvantageous compared to other Tutors
1 Temple of the False God : Deemed too slow (Must have 5 lands out)
1 Volrath's Stronghold : Deemed too creature dependent
1 Command Beacon : Deemed too Commander dependent
1 Homeward Path : Deemed too situational
1 Marsh Flats : Deck thinning deemed to not offset 1 life loss
1 Polluted Delta : Deck thinning deemed to not offset 1 life loss
1 Bloodstained Mire : Deck thinning deemed to not offset 1 life loss
1 Verdant Catacombs : Deck thinning deemed to not offset 1 life loss
1 Extraplanar Lens : Deemed too slow
1 Gauntlet of Power : Deemed too slow
1 Caged Sun : Deemed too slow
1 Cabal Ritual : Deemed not advantageous enough
1 Phyrexian Arena : Deemed too slow compared to Read the Bones
1 Duress (Multiplayer Commander) : Deemed not powerful enough for multiplayer
1 Thoughtseize (Multiplayer Commander) : Deemed not powerful enough for multiplayer
They might reprint Wastes and similar mandatory colorless mana cards, but I don't anticipate them revisiting Colorless as an item for awhile. Kind of like how some Phyrexian mana cards have been reprinted in Commander or Modern Master sets, but no new actual cards use Phyrexian mana since the new Phyrexia set.
Just like Phyrexian mana is highly flavorful yet restricted to Phyrexia. So to is the Wastes to the Eldrazi. I don't see them reprinting Wastes or Mandatory Colorless cards in any significant manner until we revisit Eldrazi in a set after Oath of the Gatewatch.
Given that the basic land is Wastes and not city, I have difficulty envisioning colorless focus existng outside of the Oath of he gatewatch set.
Yes we have Yawgmoth's will, but I'd like to imagine a deck where we deck ourselves and can get mana from it.