Yeah? How about this: http://mythicspoiler.com/ogw/cards/immolatingglare.html

White removal (and sweepers) is in general better, that's a fact. Someone at WotC hates B as a color. No Mutilate, Corrupts, Doom Blades or any of other cool, older B stuff.

oh yeah that's great

we probably won't get it

Grasp of Darkness is awesome and Oblivion Strike would be good for our pool too. Hope we get them (eventually)

Just as promised, here's my latest try at MBC which I've been testing for a couple of weeks now. It shows decent results and improves after each change I've made. I hope to polish it even more. Also, I’m bad at writing short posts, so prepare for a long one

2 x Sludge Crawler *
3 x Carrier Thrall
3 x Perilous Myr
1 x Liliana, Heretical Healer
3 x Fleshbag Marauder
1 x Erebos's Titan
1 x Gravedigger
1 x Gilt-Leaf Winnower
1 x Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
1 x Oblivion Sower
1 x Ruin Processor *

2 x Bone Splinters
1 x Shadows of the Past
3 x Complete Disregard
2 x Read the Bones
2 x Languish
2 x Aligned Hedron Network
2 x Rising Miasma
1 x Bitter Revelation
1 x Ob Nixilis Reignited
2 x Cruel Revival
1 x Necromantic Summons *

4 x Mortuary Mire
2 x Rogue's Passage
17 x Swamps


Curve is 4-6-10-9-5-3

Initially this deck had less creatures and packed even more removal and I often managed to last till the late game just fine but lacked any real threats to deal damage and close the game. That led me to increase the number of creatures, mostly adding the ones with additional bonuses. Simply put, deck consists of 3 components: removal (single target and sweepers), card advantage cards (draw, planeswalkers) and bombs. Also, there are some cute GY interaction going on.

Spots marked with * are my latest changes. Initially they were 2 x Graveblade Marauder (removed due to small number of creatures and vulnerability to removal with the increasing popularity of Complete Disregard), 1 x Gravedigger (can be replaced by Mortuary Mires in control builds, IMO) and 1 x Bitter Revelation. Problems I've encountered lately with that build were serious life loss due to draw cards (bones, revelation, Ob Nixilis) and absence of heavy cmc cards or things to pump mana with late game. So, after going through every card available I've included 2 x Sludge Crawlers and 1 x Ruin Processor for a multiple reasons. Crawlers can be pumped and can ingest cards for Processor (3 x Complete Disregard serves the same purpose), Processor gains life (even if countered) which can be crucial late game and serves as a finisher with Rogue's Passages. Also, 1 x Necromantic Summons was added to enable stealing previously removed creatures from opponent's GY.

Like Doner said couple of pages ago, “MBC isn't and won't be a tier 1 deck”. Of course, this one has the same weaknesses every mono-b decks shares at the moment – lack of the enchantment removal and cheap unconditional removal, lack of card advantage tools without life loss, lack of discard etc. But it’s actually fun! And has answers to a large number of archetypes at least in current (Steam) meta. Most of my losses with the latest built were due to my own misplays, mostly with sweepers. But it hates mill, it really does – you either cast Ob and watch them kill themselves or you’re dead because all your creatures are useless and there’s nothing to kill. Aggro is such a fun to play against though – I love it!

***

Now, for more a more detailed analysis, my thoughts behind some cards, especially the most arguable ones.

3 x Carrier Thrall - Two bodies for one and a ramp that is pretty rare in our color. Great card even without any saccing shenanigans

3 x Perilous Myr - Great for defence against aggro (boros, RDW, elves), golden with Bone Splinters and Fleshbag. Also good for dealing with these annoying planeswalkers. Not all copies because he can be useless as a late game draw

Liliana, Heretical Healer - she’s harder to flip without as many sac causes but I still love her

Bitter Revelation and Read the Bones - Current ratio is 1/2 but that can be changed. Bitter digs deeper and 1 more mana is not the problem but Bones are better when you want to make 2 plays a turn instead of one

Erebos’s Titan – my favourite 4 drop in a game. Comes early, and becomes either a removal bait or a shield till the end game. Also, can deal some good damage and immune to removal after a sweeper and to Bone Splinters (when opponent has only 1 creature).

Aligned Hedron Network – yes, this. Yes, two. Too many times with this deck (and others) Ulamog has costed me a game. Far too many times I wished I had a fleshbag to deal with Gaea's Revenge, a hexproof Crusher, Woodland Wanderers or many other bombs. This led me to include 2 copies of this card and since then it was dead only 1 game in 10 maybe. Worst case scenario - you spend 4 to deal with 6-7-8+ mana bomb, best case – you exiled their Ulamog and made them rage quit after that. Either way it’s worth it, IMO.

Miasma and Languish – 2 of each also. Elves are currently almost non-existent but I really hate boros and mono-red. Also, tokens. Tokens everywhere.

Complete Disregard – it misses a lot of stuff but it 1) is instant and 2) exiles cards.

Gilt-Leaf Winnower – only 1 currently but I’ll be happy to cut something to include the second one.

No Priest because life is a precious resource and The Burn is real (at least in my experience). No Reave Soul because Complete Disregard is so much better.

As always, comments and criticism are more then welcome!

Nice deck, Lexxx. I really like your inclusion of Carrier Thrall as Fodder + ramp and Aligned Hedron Network vs tthe game's largest threats. Also, Ruin Processor is a nice late game bomb with lifegain (almost like Pelakka Wurm minus card draw).
My only suggestions would be to add the second Gilt-Leaf Winnower, and I'm not sure if the Sludge Crawlers are reallg worth it here.

Thanks! It'd be great if you could test it for me

Yeah, I'm all for second Winnower, she's pretty good. With the new eldrazi there're more annoying cards she can deal with, I like it.

Also, carrier thralls allow to cast a sweeper T3 if chump blocked with earlier - this can be crucial vs those ultra fast RDWs. Wish we had more ramp.

Regarding crawlers - I dunno, man. Sometimes it's annoying to have your opponent have zero cards in the exile zone when you're able to cast the Processer, b/c complete Disregard is not always there. Also, they are nice for pumping your mana in late game and allow some mind games when you have your mana open. But their spot is replaceable for me, yeah. What should I swap them with in your opinion? One for winnower, one for some draw, maybe? One more draw or removal?

Nice MBC deck. I did play MBC before zendikar update but haven't tried it after. Deck list looks ok. If u want to more depth to this u can try to splash white. I did post few days ago B/W control deck in Orzhof deck lists. With added white u can also handle enchantments and have more sweeper cards. Not sure if that deck is tier 1 either but it feels more completed and versatile.

-1 Languish +1 Graveblade Marauder (vulnerable to removal ? yes, but still a great wincon)
-1 Languish +1 Winnower
-1 Oblivion Sower +1 Vampiric rites (pseudo evoleap)
-1 Kothophed +1 Mire's Malice (vs control)
-1 Gravedigger +1 Rogue's Passage

I don't like Kothoped because the deck lacks reliable lifegain, I feel Languish is probably not needed here because you have good removal and 2 Miasma to deal with tokens; Sower has nothing to ramp into.
The deck needs 1 more land for this curve.

Untested changes btw, just gut feeling.

Thank you both for the suggestions!



Yeah, the thing is, I don’t like running W in any of my decks. I know that it kills a couple of interesting combinations, but that’s just not my cup of tea. I’d be glad if this deck will run better with W though!



I appreciate the changes and will certainly test them, Rabble, especially considering your experience and the amount of your builds I’ve net decked But I don’t actually like ALL of these changes. Languish saves my ass every game I cast it, I would remove any other card before it, it’s just too good for this archetype, IMO. I feel myself nude without it, to be honest:)

+1 Winnower is good. Graveblade: I dunno… There’s usually a small amount of creatures with this deck if you're not playing against mill. I’ve tested it in 15+ games with this deck and he was useful in like 2 or so. Adding 1 copy to test is okay though.

Vampiric Rites – You’re totally right about this one, mate. Saves from removal, gains life, draws cards. Completely missed by me, 100% will run it. And Sower is an easy cut, you’re right. I’ve usually used this ramp to cast more spells per turn.

Kothoped. I’ve liked this dude from the very beginning and despite the life loss he was a wincon for me far too often to remove it. Mire’s Malice on the other hand… I’ve tested it for 4 or 5 games (2 copies) and without any other discard it works subpar, discarding the cards when it’s not actually matters. Awakening is nice but still doesn’t add enough to run it, especially as 1-of.

Gravedigger – I like this guy for returning me Fleshbags to always be prepared for GR and other indesructible/hexproof stuff. And 2 x Rogue’s Passages is more than enough, IMO.

Regarding the 24th land – that might be some curse but in these Duels I got mana flooded even with 23 lands far too often. And 24, man, it feels like 27! I missed the crucial land drops like 1 or 2 times in all games and had flood in half of them, so 23 is the line for me.

The problem MBC has right now is the meta it's in. Gaea's Revenge, Ulamog, From Beyond/Evoleap, all common and overwhelming issues that MBC has no answer to outside of a lucky Fleshbag. I absolutely LOVE to play MBC, and if I came across Thopters/RDW/Midrange decks more then I'd run it. We could get some great tools next expansion, even an exile card that helps deal with Ulamog, but still nothing in the way of enchantment hate of board wipes above toughness 4.

If we get a Mutilate type card, I'd be pretty pleased with that.

Nice list though

Yup, me and other fans of this archetype have been talking on this topic since the release of Origins. MBC is not competitive at the moment, that's an undeniable truth.

All my hopes are for Innistrad expansion though - that's where the black could shine, I think.

Yea, for us Zendikar was unfortunately timed, mostly because our format was R/G dominated and Zendikar is mostly associated with Red and Green. Innistrad is typically Black and White if I remember? So hopefully we see Black Control love and White aggro love.

I say this and the set will be 90% about the Wolfir with loads of Ramp-friendly Green spells...

black, white, some red

Oh dude I really am just going with a gut feeling here, I don't play it myself much because of the environment not being very conductive to it. Really, go with your experience over my ramblings !

Probably Winnower got worse after BFZ since alot of great new dudes are even. He's still an evasive threat though.... I 'm not 100 % sure how he would be as 2 off in this deck without significant testing.

Languish really hits you hard as well, so maybe just 1 copy and keeping 2 Miasma is better in the long run.

Gravedigger kinda is the same as mortuary mire unless you get to large amounts of mana. Sure you get a 2/2 , but you could play a mire + make a powerful play instead. It's more efficient. Maybe it's the wrong cut since you do have the Cruel Revivals to really grind people out though. I'm probably wrong about this.

Kothophed..... You run Read the bones and Bitter rev, Ob nixilis...... I think it's too much; vs agressive burn/haste decks or crats he's gonna be suicidal.

Look at your curve.... you really can't be so greedy and run 23 land just to get double mossed and be the only monodeck in history to get turned off by 4mana LD.

You’re good at persuading people

I’ve never thought of 24th land as a restoration after Ass-Moss, you’ve changed my opinion. It's in.

Probably right about Kothoped too, he’s likely an instant loss vs stealing decks and a threat for myself vs burn-heavy decks so he’s out.

So, for now, changes are:

-1 Languish +1 Graveblade Marauder

-1 Kothoped +1 Vampiric Rites

-1 Oblivion Sower +1 Rogue Passage

Not sure about cutting a Gravedigger for a Winnower but probably will try that too, makes a deck more aggressive, I like it.

Thanks again for your input!

Hey guys! I recently unlocked all of the BFZ cards via PvP and on stream and usual. I tooled around with some black tech and came up with a really fun deck. It ended up going 8/0 so far so check it out. I made a youtube video breaking it down so I'm not going to list all the cards here since you can see them easily here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-113_QRcks

I may add the list when I have time if people really want me to. The deck revolves around discard, graveyard removal for constant board presence and some eldrazi processing.


4x Sludge Crawler
4x Bone Splinter
4x Myr
Lilliana
2x Wasteland Stangler
3x Fleshbag Marauder
4x Deadbridge Shaman
4x Complete Disregard
2x Smothering Abomination
3x Gravedigger
2x Languish
2x Priest of the Bloodrite
Ob Nix

14 S
3x Foundry
3x Rogue's
4x Mort Mire

Posting a decklist would totally be more convenient. That way we could see your curve, number of creatures vs spells, etc. You're posting in the Decklists section of the forum after all Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch your video till the evening.

Oh, I see. I guess I always expect only good intentions from people

List posted Lexxx

I'd pack some Vampiric Rites and Cartier Thralls - they are perfect for sac-based decks. All in all, nice list. With classic Black weaknesses - no enchantment and PW hate, only 3 anti-Ulamog and Gaea's Revenge cards.

I'm not sure about Deadbridge Shamans though - early in game people are usually fine with trading their 1/1 with it and later in game 3/1 for 3 is not something you'll be happy to see often. I've tested Shaman a lot and didn't like its results outside of Elves decks. Also, I'd take at least a few draw spells, like 2xRead the Bones, but I may be wrong about that because my experience with mono-B decks proved more control-ish approach to be more successful.

I'd be happy to test it after testing my own BW and BGW decks.