Long time lurker and player of Bx Devotion. It's been a while since I've checked the thread, but what are your thoughts on Bloodghast vs. Relentless Dead vs Gifted Aetherborn? I apologize if this was discussed before.
It depends on the metagame.
bloodghast is best against control decks and almost makes the game unloseable for us. gifted aetherborn is probably better if you run into burn often relentless dead is more of a Grindy card, but is best with more zombies in the deck
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pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
guys been really interested in this deck lately, but i have one question . hows the merfolk match up?
It depends on the deck configuration.
some number of damnation definitely helps, but generally our creatures suck at blocking. bloodghast, geralf's messenger
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pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
Gifted Aetherborn is a good blocker though blocking is not a reliable plan against Merfolk.
Loading up on removal is probably the best plan against them, especially sweepers. Yahenni's Expertise might be a better tempo play over Damnation though.
At first I though about using Gray Merchant of Asphodel as the finisher (and Nykthos over GQ) but eventually decided to focus on cards that can funcion on their own and take over the game like Kalitas and Grave Titan.
There is a case for using Ob Nixilis Reignited over Liliana, Death's Majesty.
Though Liliana is pretty good for reanimation and slowly building a zombie army leading to a one-sided wrath.
Hey guys im new here but ive been play testing this deck online and am buying into the paper bc its awesome.
I have one question that I cant seem to find. I want to include shambling vents as a two of in the deck for the life gain especially against burn which i find to be a difficult match up.
I use marsh flats for fetches and trigger fatal push. So would this card be a viable life gain strategy or is it too slow?
Hey guys im new here but ive been play testing this deck online and am buying into the paper bc its awesome.
I have one question that I cant seem to find. I want to include shambling vents as a two of in the deck for the life gain especially against burn which i find to be a difficult match up.
I use marsh flats for fetches and trigger fatal push. So would this card be a viable life gain strategy or is it too slow?
I think its too slow. It doesn't let you curve out very well since it CIPT. gifted aetherborn would be better in my opinion.
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pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
I side board out my 2 arena for 2 brutality i find that also helps a bit minimize life loss and gain some
But yea i too saw vents as potentially too slow
can you post your list?
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big receipts
alpha mox emerald
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3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
I would add more lands to your deck.
It looks like you have too many cards that cost you life.
Maybe cut some thoughtseize and dismember for collective brutality in the main?
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pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
I usually sideboard out the dismembers and arenas for burn ill probably start siding out thoughtseizes too good point on the dismember though bc sometimes i leave it in For no good reason.
As for the lands I have done 21 before but i just get flooded more often than id like. Its annoys me to all hell actually. I will test 21 lands again and see whats up.
What about my sideboard? How do you feel about machinations? It has actually done me really well but is there anything better?
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Modern RUAffinityUR GMono Green StompyG CEldrazi TronC URWJeskai GeistWRU WRBoros BurnRW BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
I usually sideboard out the dismembers and arenas for burn ill probably start siding out thoughtseizes too good point on the dismember though bc sometimes i leave it in For no good reason.
As for the lands I have done 21 before but i just get flooded more often than id like. Its annoys me to all hell actually. I will test 21 lands again and see whats up.
What about my sideboard? How do you feel about machinations? It has actually done me really well but is there anything better?
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
Machinations is actually not bad at all it provides a good edge versus burn and other aggro strategies.
I usually do have three lands by turn three it depends on the amount of fetches drew first rounds. If no fetches then I usually always have three land. If I fetch say turn 1 or 2 I do notice I dont get a land.
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Modern RUAffinityUR GMono Green StompyG CEldrazi TronC URWJeskai GeistWRU WRBoros BurnRW BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
I used Phyrexian Arena for a while, for pure devotion reasons. However, I have been MUCH happier with Sign in Blood. Also, you should definitely run 23-24 lands (24 lands allows you to consistently hit 4 lands by turn 4).
I put my list at 23 as i found I was very prone to mana flooding when running 24.
I am having pretty good success with this deck however this deck works best when you know your opponents deck really well as knowing what to IoK and thoughtseize is so important.
My toughest match ups are against tron and zoo decks.
any suggestions?
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Modern RUAffinityUR GMono Green StompyG CEldrazi TronC URWJeskai GeistWRU WRBoros BurnRW BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
I find this deck to be most effective. A mainboard blood moon has been so so useful for many games. Late or early it has helped so much.
relentless dead has been far more effective than bloodghast and is far more versatile I could not recommend enough.
Attach a lashwrithe to obliterator, aetherborn, or relentless dead depending on your situation. Lashwrithe on relentless dead has been a serious killer combo as the menace is no joke. Obliterator and writhe is obviously strong. But aetherborn with this car equipped helps to gain life in some situations.
I would like to further not that I have yet to play a game where I wish I had a bloodghast instead of relentless dead or I wish I had bloodghast in GY instead of relentless dead.
Even with a bloodghast + collective brutality combo it was just an under performer in my opinion.
Hero's downfall, vampiric link, lashwrithe, blood moon vs eldrazi tron (hard match up)
Mutilate vs tokens and affinity (ok match up)
Spellbomb vs snapcaster and dredge (control is tough, dredge has been pretty even)
Slaughter games vs breach moon (which is a very tough match up)
Vampiric link vs burn, death and taxes,
best match ups are aggressive creature based ones and even mid range ones - elves, merfolk, classic jund, affinity is ok, humans (this is actually a very good match up even without main board moon), spirits, eldrazi tron (main board moon)
Okay match ups are eldrazi and taxes, death and taxes, RW prison, any token deck (preboard and no early discard), death's shadow
Absolute worst match ups are breach moon, UW control and Small pox/8 rack decks.
Dont underestimate the power of main board blood moon from this deck as it stops a good number of top tier decks in the format game 1 E-tron, Humans, Jund, death's shadow etc.
Vampiric link is an over performer and can be brought in against many decks as it makes players question how to block or to attack you (if you attach it to their creature) it can be used offensively or defensively from my experience. Have even put it on 2 reality smashers before to effectively stall a bit for my obliterator+lashwrithe to do me some good.
This deck has been pretty fun to play and does pretty well currently.
Am considered kolaghans atm but am not sure what to take out from the sideboard for it.
Liliana the last hope would be good as well though some match ups she is just very weak and cannot compete against her self when she puts on the veil.
Relentless Dead is definitely better than Bloodghast in a midrange shell. No question. I love Lashwrithe. My original version of this deck (way back during Scars block) revolved around attaching a turn 4 Lashwrithe to a lifelink creature e.g. Vampire Nighthawk or vault skirge. The life swing is just absurd, especially when coupled with an effective kill and discard suite.
As a long-time Mono Black pilot, I have a few suggestions you might want to consider:
1. Since you are splashing black MB for blood moon, I'd look into blightning and terminate. Yes it does mean that you increase the red splash, but you have the manabase for it. I think you're also right to consider K-Command (if it doesn't clog the 3-drop slot).
2. Pithing Needle >>> Hero's Downfall. Period. It has a much wider reach, because it can also target aether vial and cranial plating (among others) while still being able to shut down any planeswalker. It'll also get in under a turn 3 Karn Liberated, which can make an otherwise very difficult matchup vs. Tron potentially winnable.
3. I'd consider testing Bontu's Last Reckoning and/or Damnation over Mutilate. With the red splash, it doesn't seem like you are running enough swamps to use it effectively. And a skilled Affinity pilot, for example, can fairly easily play around Mutilate by moving counters around.
I'd love to hear any feedback on my most recent version of the deck, which I'm calling, Devoted Black Rock. It's Mono Black Midrange Devotion in the style of Rock/Junk decks (without the other Abzan colors and Phyrexian Obliterator, of course. Obliterator only because of the current meta).
I run carrier thrall instead of card draw (e.g. sign in blood) because I highly value the ramp to set up a turn 3 4-drop or a turn 4 5-drop. Ideally I'd be able to fit in both, but I don't think I can without sacrificing Hand disruption or removal.
Herald of Torment is my Lashwrithe. It's a 3/3 for 3 flying with a negligible drawback, which is great in its own right, AND it can bestow for 5 to power-up another creature. The great part about Bestow is it is resilient to spot removal. Even if they kill the creature it is bestowing they still have a 3/3 flyer to deal with. It also turns a Phyrexian Crusader into an evasive 2-turn clock.
I know that playing infect with non-infect is problematic, but hear me out. Path to Exile and Bolt are two of the most played cards in the meta, and this card dodges both. It also requires the opponent to have revolt in order to Fatal Push it. It's an instant-win, pretty much, against Burn, and if you can get rid of/bait their removal, also against Jeskai or UR/UW Control. Plus it has first strike (which stops 5C humans in its tracks). The infect also means that large creatures will have to think twice about attacking.
Gonti, Lord of Luxary is surprisingly effective against Midrange or Control decks, as well as Aggro decks. Using your opponents cards against them is always good. Against a control deck it gives you gas to work with (a counterspell or removal spell, for example). It also SIGNIFICANTLY adds to the mental game, because the opponent now has to consider what cards in their own deck we may have access to. Plus, even if they remove Gonti, the card sticks around.
I'd love to hear what people think. Especially about the ratio of creatures to hand disruption and spot removal (it is a little removal-light for my liking), and about the sideboard of course. Bontu's Last Reckoning is a beast against Aggro. Unless they have an aether vial in play it is almost impossible for an Aggro deck to catch up. Crucially, it also comes down a turn sooner than other Wrath effects. Not being able to untap our mana the next turn is a small price to pay most of the time.
It reliably gets a turn-5 kill, either through Gary or through a bestowed Herald of Torment on something. I went 2-2 (nearly 3-1) with this build of the deck at my last FNM. I lost to Tron (of course) and narrowly lost to UR Control. I won handily against 5C Humans and CoCo Elves.
It depends on the metagame.
bloodghast is best against control decks and almost makes the game unloseable for us.
gifted aetherborn is probably better if you run into burn often
relentless dead is more of a Grindy card, but is best with more zombies in the deck
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
// 18 Creature
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Phyrexian Obliterator
3 Geralf's Messenger
3 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
3 Gifted Aetherborn
3 Gatekeeper of Malakir
4 Dark Confidant
// 6 Instant
4 Fatal Push
2 Dismember
// 24 Land
10 Swamp
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
2 Ghost Quarter
4 Polluted Delta
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
// 8 Sorcery
3 Thoughtseize
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Collective Brutality
1 Pithing Needle
4 Fulminator Mage
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Hero's Downfall
1 Yahenni's Expertise
1 Damnation
I currently run a 2-1 split (veil/hope).
how has dark confidant been for you?
we play a high curve and it can be the death of you.
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
It depends on the deck configuration.
some number of damnation definitely helps, but generally our creatures suck at blocking. bloodghast, geralf's messenger
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
Loading up on removal is probably the best plan against them, especially sweepers.
Yahenni's Expertise might be a better tempo play over Damnation though.
Tron should be hard without dedicating a lot of cards for it (Pithing Needle, Rain of Tears/Fulminator Mage + Surgical Extraction/Extirpate).
After the new PW rules change I think that a PW heavy build might be worth exploring.
Here is my idea:
4x Pack Rat
2x Gifted Aetherborn
1x Liliana, Heretical Healer
2x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2x Grave Titan
Planeswalker (10)
4x Liliana of the Veil
3x Liliana, the Last Hope
3x Liliana, Death's Majesty
Sorcery (7)
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Thoughtseize
1x Damnation
4x Fatal Push
2x Dismember
Enchantment (2)
2x Phyrexian Arena
Land (24)
4x Mutavault
2x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2x Bojuka Bog
2x Ghost Quarter
4x Bloodstained Mire
2x Polluted Delta
8x Swamp
2x Extirpate
2x Nihil Spellbomb
2x Collective Brutality
1x Pithing Needle
2x Ratchet Bomb
4x Fulminator Mage
2x Damnation
There is a case for using Ob Nixilis Reignited over Liliana, Death's Majesty.
Though Liliana is pretty good for reanimation and slowly building a zombie army leading to a one-sided wrath.
Liliana, Heretical Healer might be too cute and be better as another spell or a 3rd Gifted Aetherborn.
What do you think ?
I have one question that I cant seem to find. I want to include shambling vents as a two of in the deck for the life gain especially against burn which i find to be a difficult match up.
I use marsh flats for fetches and trigger fatal push. So would this card be a viable life gain strategy or is it too slow?
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
I think its too slow. It doesn't let you curve out very well since it CIPT.
gifted aetherborn would be better in my opinion.
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
I side board out my 2 arena for 2 brutality i find that also helps a bit minimize life loss and gain some
But yea i too saw vents as potentially too slow
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
can you post your list?
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
4x Bloodghast
4x Gatekeeper of Malakir
4x Geralf's Messenger
4x Gifted Aetherborn
3x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2x Phyrexian Obliterator
Planeswalker (2)
2x Liliana of the Veil
2x Dismember
4x Fatal Push
Sorcery (8)
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Thoughtseize
Enchantment (2)
2x Phyrexian Arena
Land (20)
4x Marsh Flats
15x Swamp
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2x Damnation
2x Gonti's Machinations
2x collective brutality
3x Leyline of the Void
2x Pithing Needle
2x Surgical Extraction
2x Whip of Erebos
This is my last currently
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
I would add more lands to your deck.
It looks like you have too many cards that cost you life.
Maybe cut some thoughtseize and dismember for collective brutality in the main?
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
As for the lands I have done 21 before but i just get flooded more often than id like. Its annoys me to all hell actually. I will test 21 lands again and see whats up.
What about my sideboard? How do you feel about machinations? It has actually done me really well but is there anything better?
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
I don't understand why you run gonti's machinations.
nihil spellbomb might be better than leyline of the void.
How often do you play 3 lands by turn 3?
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
I usually do have three lands by turn three it depends on the amount of fetches drew first rounds. If no fetches then I usually always have three land. If I fetch say turn 1 or 2 I do notice I dont get a land.
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
It has pretty good synergy with bloodghast and can be used late game with kalitas
What do you guys think?
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
I am having pretty good success with this deck however this deck works best when you know your opponents deck really well as knowing what to IoK and thoughtseize is so important.
My toughest match ups are against tron and zoo decks.
any suggestions?
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
I already run 1 dismember and 1 victim of night mainboard along with4 fatal push
But i was thinking of maining 2 vampiric links and siding 2 fatalpushes
What do you guys think?
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
Any thoughts?
Any advice or opinions are appreciated
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/07-10-17-mono-black-devotion/
I am considering switching either all bloodghasts for relentless dead
Or the 2 gatekeepers for 2 relentless dead
What do you guys think?
I have found relentless dead to be slightly better than ghast but i have only recently started using it. What do you guys think?
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
2x Gatekeeper of Malakir
4x Geralf's Messenger
4x Gifted Aetherborn
2x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2x Phyrexian Obliterator
4x Relentless Dead
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Thoughtseize
Planeswalker (2)
2x Liliana of the Veil
Instant (6)
1x Dismember
1x Victim of Night
4x Fatal Push
1x Blood Moon
2x Phyrexian Arena
Artifact (1)
1x Lashwrithe
Land (23)
2x Blood Crypt
4x Bloodstained Mire
16x Swamp
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
I find this deck to be most effective. A mainboard blood moon has been so so useful for many games. Late or early it has helped so much.
relentless dead has been far more effective than bloodghast and is far more versatile I could not recommend enough.
Attach a lashwrithe to obliterator, aetherborn, or relentless dead depending on your situation. Lashwrithe on relentless dead has been a serious killer combo as the menace is no joke. Obliterator and writhe is obviously strong. But aetherborn with this car equipped helps to gain life in some situations.
I would like to further not that I have yet to play a game where I wish I had a bloodghast instead of relentless dead or I wish I had bloodghast in GY instead of relentless dead.
Even with a bloodghast + collective brutality combo it was just an under performer in my opinion.
my sideboard consists of
1x Blood Moon
2x By Force
2x Hero's Downfall
1x Lashwrithe
2x Mutilate
2x Nihil Spellbomb
2x Slaughter Games
3x Vampiric Link
By force vs affinity
Hero's downfall, vampiric link, lashwrithe, blood moon vs eldrazi tron (hard match up)
Mutilate vs tokens and affinity (ok match up)
Spellbomb vs snapcaster and dredge (control is tough, dredge has been pretty even)
Slaughter games vs breach moon (which is a very tough match up)
Vampiric link vs burn, death and taxes,
best match ups are aggressive creature based ones and even mid range ones - elves, merfolk, classic jund, affinity is ok, humans (this is actually a very good match up even without main board moon), spirits, eldrazi tron (main board moon)
Okay match ups are eldrazi and taxes, death and taxes, RW prison, any token deck (preboard and no early discard), death's shadow
Absolute worst match ups are breach moon, UW control and Small pox/8 rack decks.
Dont underestimate the power of main board blood moon from this deck as it stops a good number of top tier decks in the format game 1 E-tron, Humans, Jund, death's shadow etc.
Vampiric link is an over performer and can be brought in against many decks as it makes players question how to block or to attack you (if you attach it to their creature) it can be used offensively or defensively from my experience. Have even put it on 2 reality smashers before to effectively stall a bit for my obliterator+lashwrithe to do me some good.
This deck has been pretty fun to play and does pretty well currently.
Am considered kolaghans atm but am not sure what to take out from the sideboard for it.
Liliana the last hope would be good as well though some match ups she is just very weak and cannot compete against her self when she puts on the veil.
any advice or questions are welcome.
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
As a long-time Mono Black pilot, I have a few suggestions you might want to consider:
1. Since you are splashing black MB for blood moon, I'd look into blightning and terminate. Yes it does mean that you increase the red splash, but you have the manabase for it. I think you're also right to consider K-Command (if it doesn't clog the 3-drop slot).
2. Pithing Needle >>> Hero's Downfall. Period. It has a much wider reach, because it can also target aether vial and cranial plating (among others) while still being able to shut down any planeswalker. It'll also get in under a turn 3 Karn Liberated, which can make an otherwise very difficult matchup vs. Tron potentially winnable.
3. I'd consider testing Bontu's Last Reckoning and/or Damnation over Mutilate. With the red splash, it doesn't seem like you are running enough swamps to use it effectively. And a skilled Affinity pilot, for example, can fairly easily play around Mutilate by moving counters around.
4x Gifted Aetherborn
2x Gonti, Lord of Luxary
2x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4x Herald of Torment
4x Phyrexian Crusader
1x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Fatal Push
1x Go for the Throat
1x Slaughter Pact
1x Collective Brutality
2x Liliana of the Veil
1x Liliana, The Last Hope
2x Polluted Delta
1x Inkmoth Nexus
2x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
2x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1x Ghost Quarter
11x Swamp
Sideboard:
3x Fulminator Mage
2x Bontu's Last Reckoning
1x Extirpate
1x Sadistic Sacrament
1x Yahenni's Expertise
1x Vampiric Link
1x Erebos, God of the Dead
2x Nihil Spellbomb
2x Pithing Needle
1x Ratchet Bomb
Here's my rationale:
I run carrier thrall instead of card draw (e.g. sign in blood) because I highly value the ramp to set up a turn 3 4-drop or a turn 4 5-drop. Ideally I'd be able to fit in both, but I don't think I can without sacrificing Hand disruption or removal.
Herald of Torment is my Lashwrithe. It's a 3/3 for 3 flying with a negligible drawback, which is great in its own right, AND it can bestow for 5 to power-up another creature. The great part about Bestow is it is resilient to spot removal. Even if they kill the creature it is bestowing they still have a 3/3 flyer to deal with. It also turns a Phyrexian Crusader into an evasive 2-turn clock.
I know that playing infect with non-infect is problematic, but hear me out. Path to Exile and Bolt are two of the most played cards in the meta, and this card dodges both. It also requires the opponent to have revolt in order to Fatal Push it. It's an instant-win, pretty much, against Burn, and if you can get rid of/bait their removal, also against Jeskai or UR/UW Control. Plus it has first strike (which stops 5C humans in its tracks). The infect also means that large creatures will have to think twice about attacking.
Gonti, Lord of Luxary is surprisingly effective against Midrange or Control decks, as well as Aggro decks. Using your opponents cards against them is always good. Against a control deck it gives you gas to work with (a counterspell or removal spell, for example). It also SIGNIFICANTLY adds to the mental game, because the opponent now has to consider what cards in their own deck we may have access to. Plus, even if they remove Gonti, the card sticks around.
I'm testing out Erebos, God of the Dead in the Board, but it could just as easily be a Whip of Erebos or another collective brutality.
I also miss playing Geralf's Messenger, but I think that Phyrexian Crusader is significantly better in the Aggro matchup.
I'd love to hear what people think. Especially about the ratio of creatures to hand disruption and spot removal (it is a little removal-light for my liking), and about the sideboard of course. Bontu's Last Reckoning is a beast against Aggro. Unless they have an aether vial in play it is almost impossible for an Aggro deck to catch up. Crucially, it also comes down a turn sooner than other Wrath effects. Not being able to untap our mana the next turn is a small price to pay most of the time.
It reliably gets a turn-5 kill, either through Gary or through a bestowed Herald of Torment on something. I went 2-2 (nearly 3-1) with this build of the deck at my last FNM. I lost to Tron (of course) and narrowly lost to UR Control. I won handily against 5C Humans and CoCo Elves.