1.86 Average CMC
3.02 Average Non-Land CMC
184 Total CMC
This is a preliminary deck list, and has not yet been played.
The deck relies heavily on discard and edict effects to control the game, winning by a mix of simply attacking through an empty board and recurring life-drain effects.
I have looked over the various deck lists & primers for Chainer already, but have found them all to be unuseful. My current concern is primarily that the deck is to dependent on the graveyard, but am uncertain on a good way to fix that. I would also like to reduce the mana curve further if possible, but cannot find a good way to do that - I do expect to cut one or both of Rune-Scarred Demon or Sepulchral Primordial eventually, depending on which one is weaker after play testing, which will help some.
I would also like to add more colored mana producing artifacts, but the remaining options are all bad. Chromatic Lantern is in the deck largely to assist with activating abilities of opponents creatures I have taken, but I do not like CMC 3 mana artifacts. Is it worth it to play Charcoal Diamond & Coldsteel Heart?
I've had good results with Charcoal Diamond and Coldsteel Heart they're not any slower than most land fetches. Star Compass is another decent option in mono-color decks, and black is a popular enough color in my meta (along with multi-color decks and their Command Towers) that Fellwar Stone would could be B most of the time.
I'd be interested in some feedback as to how this plays. Given your comments on my thread I'm not surprised with the areas you have suggested for improvement.I think it's a very strong list anyway, you've got a lot of value here and I'd not be too concerned moving forward. Having said that, the areas you mention with concern I have suggestions for:
Colour fixing:
To my mind, running Coldsteel Heart or similar is fair. I don't see that you'd need HUGE colour fixing requirements, as essentially this is a mono coloured deck, but I guess it couldn't hurt. By virtue of not entering tapped I'd personally prefer to take the risk and run Fellwar Stone. Have you considered the possibility of running Liliana of the Dark Realms? It's slow ramp for sure, but black should take it where it can get it. All abilities are relevant, and it may draw attention away from other threats you present.
Graveyard dependence:
I think at some point you'll have to resolve the fact that you're running reanimator and you are always going to be dependent on the graveyard. That being said, there's no reason not to run things like Phyrexian Reclamation or Oversold Cemetery to have multiple ways to get resurrect your graveyard threats. If you do see a lot of graveyard hate in things like Relic of Progenitus or Agent of Erebos, you do have some answers here already, if you're after more I'd suggest looking at things like Spine of Ish Sah and Scour from Existence. Black is low on non creature removal always, so you take what you can get. SFE is instant speed though, so you can't argue with that and the Spine is reusable if you're able to kill it (Oblivion Stone?)
Sepulchral vs RSD - It really depends on your reanimation targets and your meta to my mind. If you're looking at amassing an army for alpha strike and you know your meta plays bomb creatures then Sepulchral is probably your guy. If your meta is more control or spell slinger then go for the Demon. Playtesting will give you the answer as you say.
In terms of fixing, and maybe lowering your mana cost, have you considered Solemn Simulacrum? He also makes great sac material (see Fleshbag Marauder, Vicera Seer), and will help you scale your mana into the late game by recurring him with your commander.
1 Chainer, Dementia Master
(38) Land
20 Swamp
0 Marsh Flats
0 Polluted Delta
0 Bloodstained Mire
0 Verdant Catacombs
0 Cabal Coffers
0 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
0 Deserted Temple
0 Geier Reach Sanitarium
0 High Market
0 Mystifying Maze
0 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
0 Phyrexian Tower
0 Strip Mine
0 Thespian's Stage
0 Volrath's Stronghold
0 Wasteland
0 Maze of Ith
0 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
(29) Creature
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Viscera Seer
2 Asylum Visitor
2 Blood Artist
2 Dark Confidant
2 Mesmeric Fiend
2 Withered Wretch
2 Zulaport Cutthroat
3 Cunning Lethemancer
3 Fleshbag Marauder
3 Grim Haruspex
3 Liliana, Heretical Healer
3 Liliana's Specter
3 Merciless Executioner
4 Crypt Ghast
4 Disciple of Bolas
4 Faceless Butcher
4 Gonti, Lord of Luxury
4 Graveborn Muse
4 Mindslicer
4 Sangromancer
4 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
5 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
6 Kokusho, the Evening Star
7 Rune-Scarred Demon
7 Sepulchral Primordial
2 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Solemn Simulacrum
6 Wurmcoil Engine
7 All Is Dust
1 Entomb
1 Reanimate
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Demonic Tutor
2 Exsanguinate
2 Night's Whisper
2 Sign in Blood
3 Buried Alive
3 Corpse Dance
3 Dismember
3 Grim Tutor
3 Sudden Death
3 Toxic Deluge
4 Damnation
( 4) Enchantment
3 Necropotence
3 Phyrexian Arena
4 Grave Pact
5 Dictate of Erebos
(13) Artifact
1 Expedition Map
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Skullclamp
2 Scroll Rack
3 Oblivion Stone
3 Phyrexian Altar
4 Lashwrithe
4 Nevinyrral's Disk
0 Mana Crypt
0 Mox Diamond
1 Sol Ring
3 Chromatic Lantern
5 Gilded Lotus
1.86 Average CMC
3.02 Average Non-Land CMC
184 Total CMC
This is a preliminary deck list, and has not yet been played.
The deck relies heavily on discard and edict effects to control the game, winning by a mix of simply attacking through an empty board and recurring life-drain effects.
I have looked over the various deck lists & primers for Chainer already, but have found them all to be unuseful. My current concern is primarily that the deck is to dependent on the graveyard, but am uncertain on a good way to fix that. I would also like to reduce the mana curve further if possible, but cannot find a good way to do that - I do expect to cut one or both of Rune-Scarred Demon or Sepulchral Primordial eventually, depending on which one is weaker after play testing, which will help some.
I would also like to add more colored mana producing artifacts, but the remaining options are all bad. Chromatic Lantern is in the deck largely to assist with activating abilities of opponents creatures I have taken, but I do not like CMC 3 mana artifacts. Is it worth it to play Charcoal Diamond & Coldsteel Heart?
A Dying Wish
To Rise Again
Chainer, Dementia Master
Muldrotha, the Gravetide
Atraxa, Praetors' Voice
old thread
old thread
old thread
R Zada Arcane Storm
RBU Marchesa
GWU Estrid
GWR Samut?
URB Kess
(R/W)(U/B) Akiri & Silas
BWR Alesha
R Neheb Dragons
G Nylea Wurms
W Darien
U Tetsuko
Colour fixing:
To my mind, running Coldsteel Heart or similar is fair. I don't see that you'd need HUGE colour fixing requirements, as essentially this is a mono coloured deck, but I guess it couldn't hurt. By virtue of not entering tapped I'd personally prefer to take the risk and run Fellwar Stone. Have you considered the possibility of running Liliana of the Dark Realms? It's slow ramp for sure, but black should take it where it can get it. All abilities are relevant, and it may draw attention away from other threats you present.
Graveyard dependence:
I think at some point you'll have to resolve the fact that you're running reanimator and you are always going to be dependent on the graveyard. That being said, there's no reason not to run things like Phyrexian Reclamation or Oversold Cemetery to have multiple ways to get resurrect your graveyard threats. If you do see a lot of graveyard hate in things like Relic of Progenitus or Agent of Erebos, you do have some answers here already, if you're after more I'd suggest looking at things like Spine of Ish Sah and Scour from Existence. Black is low on non creature removal always, so you take what you can get. SFE is instant speed though, so you can't argue with that and the Spine is reusable if you're able to kill it (Oblivion Stone?)
Sepulchral vs RSD - It really depends on your reanimation targets and your meta to my mind. If you're looking at amassing an army for alpha strike and you know your meta plays bomb creatures then Sepulchral is probably your guy. If your meta is more control or spell slinger then go for the Demon. Playtesting will give you the answer as you say.
In terms of fixing, and maybe lowering your mana cost, have you considered Solemn Simulacrum? He also makes great sac material (see Fleshbag Marauder, Vicera Seer), and will help you scale your mana into the late game by recurring him with your commander.
Currently Playing:
Multiplayer EDH Lists (click italics for a link to the thread!)
[Primer] Lord of Tresserhorn - Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do[Primer] Roon of the Hidden Realm - Rhino Blink
5 Color Tribal Guide (Slivers, Atogs, Allies, Spirits)
Also Playing (most decklists can be found on my profile)
MarathGeistKamahlGrenzoBolasThassaGitrog
PiratesZurVial Smasher&ThrasiosYennettJhoira(cEDH)Strix(Pauper)
Legacy: Maverick
Modern:
Melira PodRIP 1/19/15GWHatebears