I had been testing Beast's deck a fair amount and figured I'd share my experiences.
Self plink:
Cruel SadistPhyrexian RagerGraveborn MuseUlcerateHeal:
Radiant FountainVicious HungerChild of NightKalastria HighbornBlood TributeI highlight this specifically for one reason. The heals; most of the time, are conditional. The plink is not. Child of Night is weak until it has Anthem/ Lord effects so it can't start giving back until later (or it's a 1 time use). Kalastria and Tribute both require vampires to activate which can be tricky at times and Kalastria requires you to have one die which can have it's own issues/drawbacks (even though there is snyergy with
Bloodflow Connoisseur and
Bloodghast). Radiant Fountain can just be a bust in a deck that needs lots of double
costs. I'm glad to see it's down to just 2 copies now. Vicious Hunger has to have a target but that usually isn't a problem unless you're facing control.
Now don't get me wrong, the deck works well (and I do enjoy it) and you can definitely get the heals going to offset the life loss but you have to always be conscious of the 'costs' with this deck. If you're facing anything aggressive, it can become tough to make plays and/or force bad lines/trades.
Still though, it's a lot of fun and a great take on a vampire tribal theme. It's really nice to pull off a
Sanguine Bond into a
Blood Tribute and get a 'wtf' message after.
nice one Beast!
elk