Here is my build that works pretty well. It seems though that mind sludge should go because it doesn't help as much anymore, but I don't know what to replace it with. Maybe 2x Malakir Bloodwitch cause of some of the white things running around in my area.
In playtesting the biggest issue with the deck was drawing into Bloodchief, and making sure i had method to toss a counter onto it.
I thought aggro would give this list a bit of trouble. turns out i was wrong. Contagion Clasp and the creatures are more than enough to hold me over till I drop consuming vapors.
This is as close to a machine as it possibly can get. The other variants Had pw's in the list. I want to toss Sorin in here, but I really couldn't find space for the guy.
Up for editing, comments and suggestions of course.
Nice Update. Another minor suggestion would be to drop a Persecuter and Vapors for Corrupt, it can definitely get there...
Also, playing two Doom Blade is the right call- been doing work in my testing. Here is a "limbo" build I've been messing with. It has nothing from Alara or Scars, but more serves as a "shell of interactions" I can test independently. Pumped to play Grip of Darkness and incorporate artifact tec.
I was considering Corrupt and I think it would be an excellent card to add. I'll keep on testing and such. I also like my persecutors, but they are awkward to play with sometimes, and more than 1 in your opening hand is kinda meh cause you don't wanna have more than one out at a time.
I have also built a mono black mid range deck. I hate nantuko shade. He is not a good card in this deck. Can you imagine any time you plan on pumping him after turn 2? If you curve out properly, he just sits as a 2/1 beater most of the time. Also, if you get more than one, pumping will be a problem.
Honestly, I am not positive on some of the numbers. Drana I think is going to be a house in this format. She may get turned into Malakir Bloodwitch. But, with so much of the removal leaving the format, I think drana could stick much easier and she can just take over games. That 3 of may turn out to be Everflowing Chalice. I'm not sure yet.
0.0 I think Drana and Necrotic Ooze could be the best of buds. They kill your drana just to get it replaced by the ooze. Could be beastly.
One fine day, an aggro deck kept its fatties in and dropped the majority of its small attacking force. It filled in its holes with things like acceleration, steel- curtain defense and maybe even a reset button or two. It became a midrange deck!
In essence, Midrange is the strategy of playing fatties/bombs and the means to make them most effective.
Fatties
Behold, the reason to play the midrange! These threats are what the archetype is trying to maximize. You can't play a midrange deck without excellent fatties! IE: Serra Angel (back in the day) & Nightmare, most recently, the Titan cycle, and coming soon- Wurmcoil Engine!
High Curves
Midrange decks sport relatively high mana curves. They contain spells for the early game that lead into cards included for the midgame. IE: Old school Big Blue and current Titan builds
Defense!
Midrange decks normally find one way or another to defend themselves, especially against aggro decks. Here you'll often find dedicated board control elements not unlike what you'd expect in a control deck. IE: Pyroclasm, Wrath effects, *Consuming Vapors* first strike knights and undaunting walls.
In short this build has both aggro and control elements making it somewhat "mid rangeish." I suggest a tag team of Grave Titans (legion of doom) along with a couple of Mind Sludges and you will be officially midrange. I like the artifact tec by the way. You could even take it a step further, bump up the artifact count and make room for Mr. Lich. I will brainstorm a build and post soon.
Moved the lens to the side board because it is kinda useless against Aggro builds, but I really like it for hitting through walls and such.
Took out Basilisk Collar because I replaced Bloodghast with Vampire NIghthawk and it helps combat RDW better (which is another deck used a lot around here).
Grave Titan is BEAST and Mind Sludge cripples the opponent. don't know why I didn't add them earlier.
The 2 doom blades are kinda test dummies. Wouldn't run more than 2 though.
I also never have a problem getting rid of persecutor when he needs killed, so I think I got the right amount of outs for him.
Hopefully this list is a bit better.
EDIT: Does anyone have any thoughts about Painful Quandary from scars? Probabl work better in a control type deck (or a deck that can get it out fast).
4 Grave Titan
2 Wurmcoil Engine
3 Sea Gate Oracle
SPells: (24)
4 Mana Leak
4 Doom Blade
3 Stoic Rebuttal
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 Into the Roil
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Memoricide
2 Negate
7 Swamp
5 Island
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Halimar Depths
2 Drowned Catacomb
2 Tectonic Edge
2 Consume the Meek
3 Duress
2 Memoricide
4 Smother
2 Negate
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Mindbreak Trap
After poking around the thread and such this is the list I made up. So far I really like it, but I just want to get some input on it.
Thanks.
4 Grave Titan
2 Wurmcoil Engine
3 Sea Gate Oracle
SPells: (24)
4 Mana Leak
4 Doom Blade
3 Stoic Rebuttal
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 Disfigure
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Memoricide
2 Negate
6 Swamp
4 Island
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Halimar Depths
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Tectonic Edge
2 Consume the Meek
3 Duress
2 Memoricide
4 Grasp of Darkness
2 Negate
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Mindbreak Trap
I feel like the deck needs a better draw engine. maybe try to fit in another SiB or 2 :|
4x Grave Titan
4x Abyssal Persecutor
4x Gatekeeper of Malakir
4x Bloodghast
4x Vampire Hexmage
3x Skinrender
Spells: (14)
4x Grasp of Darkness
4x Consuming Vapors
2x Grim Discovery
2x Sign in Blood
2x Mind Sludge
4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Marsh Flats
15x Swamp
2x Leyline of the Void
2x Consume the Meek
3x Memoricide
4x Duress
4x Doomblade
Here is my build that works pretty well. It seems though that mind sludge should go because it doesn't help as much anymore, but I don't know what to replace it with. Maybe 2x Malakir Bloodwitch cause of some of the white things running around in my area.
4x Grave Titan
4x Necropede
Spells: (28)
4x Throne of Geth
3x Mox Opal
3x Volitic Key
3x Everflowing Chalice
4x Contagion Clasp
4x Grasp of Darkness
4x Sign in Blood
3x Lux Cannon
3x Tectonic Edge
21x Swamp
2x Leyline of the Void
2x Consume the Meek
4x Vampire Hexmage
3x Memorocide
4x Doomblade
Here is somethin I just pulled out of my ass. Grave titan as a finisher sounds good to me...
EDIT: I would almost throw in some blue for Jace 2.0 and counters, but it's mono black in this thread sooo yup.
It could answer planeswalkers that have been sitting around, but most of them would have blown up by then due to swings into/ultimates/hexmaged
Just wondering, why is Lux Cannon in the side board?
4x Primeval Titan
4x Avenger of Zendikar
2x Inferno Titan
Spells: (23)
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Khalni Heart Expedition
4x Explore
4x Harrow
4x Cultivate
3x Summoning Trap
11x Mountain
5x Forest
4x Teramorphic Expanse
3x Evolving Wilds
4x Valakut, The Molten Pinnacle
Sidboard:
4x Pyroclasm
3x Lavaball Trap
4x Gaea's Revenge
2x Obstinate Baloth
2x Wurmcoil Engine
New to the deck so here is what I come up with looking around the threads
I was considering Corrupt and I think it would be an excellent card to add. I'll keep on testing and such. I also like my persecutors, but they are awkward to play with sometimes, and more than 1 in your opening hand is kinda meh cause you don't wanna have more than one out at a time.
0.0 I think Drana and Necrotic Ooze could be the best of buds. They kill your drana just to get it replaced by the ooze. Could be beastly.
Updated the list.
4x Nantuko Shade
4x Vampire Hexmage
4x Vampire Nighthawk
4x Gatekeeper of Malakir
4x Abyssal Persecutor
2x Grave Titan
Spells: (15)
4x Consuming Vapors
3x Grip of Darkness
2x Doom Blade
2x Grim Discovery
2x Sign in Blood
2x Mind Sludge
3x Marsh Flats
2x Techtonic Edge
3x Verdant Catacombs
15x Swamp
4x Duress
2x Doom Blade
1x Grasp of Darkness
2x Malakir Bloodwitch
2x Infiltration Lens
3x Memorocide
1x Mind Sludge
Moved the lens to the side board because it is kinda useless against Aggro builds, but I really like it for hitting through walls and such.
Took out Basilisk Collar because I replaced Bloodghast with Vampire NIghthawk and it helps combat RDW better (which is another deck used a lot around here).
Grave Titan is BEAST and Mind Sludge cripples the opponent. don't know why I didn't add them earlier.
The 2 doom blades are kinda test dummies. Wouldn't run more than 2 though.
I also never have a problem getting rid of persecutor when he needs killed, so I think I got the right amount of outs for him.
Hopefully this list is a bit better.
EDIT: Does anyone have any thoughts about Painful Quandary from scars? Probabl work better in a control type deck (or a deck that can get it out fast).
4x Nantuko Shade
4x Vampire Hexmage
4x Vampire Nighthawk
4x Gatekeeper of Malakir
4x Abyssal Persecutor
2x Grave Titan
Spells: (15)
4x Consuming Vapors
3x Grip of Darkness
2x Doom Blade
2x Grim Discovery
2x Sign in Blood
2x Mind Sludge
3x Marsh Flats
2x Techtonic Edge
3x Verdant Catacombs
15x Swamp
4x Duress
2x Doom Blade
1x Grasp of Darkness
2x Malakir Bloodwitch
2x Infiltration Lens
3x Memorocide
1x Mind Sludge
Pretty much beat face/control the opponents board. This is just a rough Draft so any help will be appreciated. Here is my reasoning for stuff I chose:
Infiltration Lens:helps hit through Wall of Omens as there is a lot of U/W control in my area.
Tectonic edge: Kill man lands, really helps. Reoccurring with Grim Discovery is really nice as well.
Consuming Vapors: It's great removal, and an out for Persecutor. It sucks when they pump out tokens though.
Fetches: Makes grim discovery better.
Cards I feel could be put in:
Necrotic Ooze: Makes for extra hexmages and bigger Nantuko shades when they are in the grave.
Inquisition of Kozilek: Good targeted discard is good.
Smother: Great removal spell against early drops.
Brittle Effigy:Out for Persecutor/kills iona.
Basilisk Collar: I had it in there earlier, but took it out to make room for some bigger spells. Really helps against RDW
Bloodghast: Good reoccurring beater is always a plus.
3x Putrefax
4x Hand of the Praetors
4x Necropede
4x Plague Stinger
4x Vector Asp
4x Grasp of Darkness
3x Livewire Lash
4x Vines of Vastwood
3x Untamed Might
4x Giant Growth
2x Infiltration Lens
4x Verdant Catacombs
9x Swamp
8x Forest
Trying to make it fast. It can pull off a turn 4 win, but I'm sure there is faster.