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Thanks to DarkNightCavalier for this awesome banner.
What is Mono Black Control ?
As the name says, Mono Black Control (therefore called MBC) is an black deck focused on controlling the game. Different from Blue control, MBC almost never uses counterspells (and when uses, it's the overpriced Nether Void). It uses, instead, lots of removals and some discard, powered up by strong card-drawing and finishers...Which can vary from very though creatures to life-draining spells.
MBC has been present on Magic since the first days of the game. Although its first golden age was back on 1996, the so-called Black Summer. When the format was dominated by Necropetence. The deck then made an comeback on the Urza Block...Running Phyrexian Negator with strong discard and good removals. With the release of Torment, an black-centered set, MBC has shown up again. Actually, the set gave so much great cards for black that it was impossible to don't see the deck make an comeback. Nowadays, MBC see some play on most formats, but isn't tier one in any of them. It's closest build to see competitive play is on Legacy as "The Gate". Although this deck tends to be more of an aggro-ish deck.
Why play MBC ?
It depends on your personal playstyle and your taste. You like to play control but don't like to have to counter stuffs ? Run MBC. You like to make your opponent's board clean most of times? You'd like to run MBC. You like to use spells that drain your opponents' life? MBC has tons of it. Keep in mind that some players hate to see such disruptive decks in action and those players may see MBC being kinda unfun to play against.
The deck's strategy is to disrupt your opponent through early and mid-game via discard and removal, estabilishing an good board control by making your opoonent run out of resources. This is when you start to play your agressive plan by dropping huge bombs or strong spells that can win the game pretty fast.
The number of discards, removals and threats you run depends pretty much on how you want your deck to work: Some decks run only 4-8 threats, while running 4 to 12 discard spells, an good amount of card drawing and tons of removals. Other builds try to have more threats by playing somewhat 12 creatures while having less removals. It depends on what kind of deck you're running, since MBC can be run into 3 different ways:
1) Control deck, with tons of removals, some discard and a few finishers and backbreaking spells.
2) Midrange deck, running more threats and being kinda creature-centered. Making it more agressive
3) Prison deck, running combinations of cards that locks the opponent out of the games. Packed up by a few removals and lots of discards.
Usually, MBC starts the game making your opponent discard and then it destroys the opponents' threads that hit the table. Later on, it drops its "bombs" to seal the game. The deck may also go into an prison deck route, using 2-card interactions to lock opponents out of the game. Keep in mind that prison strategies are considered one of the most unfun strategies of Magic and can be boring even to its pilot.
Another reason to run MBC is that it also tends to be an amazing deck for multiplayer.
How to Build MBC ?
First of all, you need to decide which route you want to go:
You want to remove your opponent's resources and destroy his creatures while still beating him on the face? Run Midrange.
You want to extend the game, making your opponent run out of resources and then drop game-winning bombs? Run Control.
You want to lock your opponent's game and make him lose slowly and painfully? Run Prison.
Usually for MBC, the first two routes are chosen. By deciding what route you choose, it makes you decide which cards you should run and which cards you shouldn't. Some cards usually are present in any route you choose, since they're pretty good for any of those decks.
The manabase also depends on your build: Midrange lists tends to use something between 22-24 lands, while Control plays something between 24-27. Prison decks depends on which spells they're using, but it's most of times never less than 20.
Card Choices
Discard:
Since MBC's plans usually starts with discard, i'll begin with them.
Discard can be divided in two sections: Selected discard or multiple discards.
Selected discards are the ones who lets you choose which card your opponent will discard, usually by looking at his hand. It also gives you information on what your opponent is playing, thus making you anticipate its moves by playing around it.
Multiple discards are cards that take more than one card from your opponent, generating Card Advantage. but doesn't let you choose them.
The more slow the deck is, the less discard it'll run. Most MBC decks runs somewhere between 4 to 8 discards. Faster decks sometimes run 10 discards, while slower decks runs 4 or less.
Selected Discard:
NOTE: Keep in mind that, since MBC has lots of ways to deal with creatures, you should almost always take out an noncreature spell with selected discards.
Duress - The most famous selected discard ever made. It doesn't let you take out creatures. But who needs to take out creatures when you want to run a lot of removals for them?. It's still considered by some the best 1cmc discard spell ever made. And, at my point of view, the best discard spell for this deck.
Thoughtseize - Duress was considered by all players the best 1cmc discard spell until the printing of this card. For 1 mana and 2 life, you can take out ANY nonland card on your opponent's hand. Keep in mind that the 2 life you lose from it can mean a lot against faster decks. Also, it's price tag isn't very favorable.
Inquisition of Kozilek - This one is better used on early game, therefore, better played against aggro and combo decks. Takes out your opponents' early threats without costing any life. Keep in mind that, since you're playing an controllish deck, this card tends to be pretty bad on late-game.
Appetite for Brains - The reverse of Inquisition. This one is better played against control and midrange decks and is better played on late-game.
Blackmail - It's not really that great of an card since it gives your opponent the oportunity to decide which cards you should see.
Cabal Therapy - This card needs a little play around it. Better used when packed with another selected discard or with something worth sacrificing. Still, it can take out any nonland card.
Distress - Thoughtseize that trades 2 life for 1 more mana. Not really good but worth mentioning.
Mesmeric Fiend - Takes out one card from your opponent's hand. But that card will come back to him if it dies.
Multiple Discard:
NOTE: Keep in mind that multiple discard is great on early game but pretty much useless on late game against most decks.
Hymn to Tourach - Best Discard Ever. For 2 mana you take 2 cards from your opponent...Both being at random!
Wrench Mind - Budget Hymn. For 2 mana you take 2 cards at your opponent's choice. Pretty bad if used against artifact-heavy decks.
Augur of Skulls - It serves as an blocker or as an discard outlet...May be good on pauper.
Stupor - See it as an mix of Hymn and Wrech Mind that costs 3 mana. Can be seen as an budget Hymn as well.
Mind Rot - If you're going to run it.... Run Stupor or Wrench Mind instead.
Persecute - For 4 mana, wrecks any monocolored deck and is pretty good against multicolored deck as well.
Mind Sludge - Most of times it reads: "4B - Target player discards his or her hand". Great card for MBC.
Mind Twist - Can do insane things, especially when packed up with Dark Ritual. Banned on Legacy.
Mind Shatter - Same as above but costs 1 more mana. That being said, most of times not worth running.
Removals:
I'll divide removals on three categories: Targeted, Sacrifice, Sweeper.
Targeted removals are spells that deals with creatures right away, but can't deal with creatures with shroud, hexproof or protection from black.
Sacrifice removals are those which forces your opponents on sacrificing creatures. Therefore, it may not take out the creature you need to take out.
Sweeper removals are spells that, most of times, destroy all creatures on the battlefield.
MBC usually runs something between 12 to 18 removals, depending on the build.
Targeted Removals:
Vendetta - Destroy any nonblack creature for 1 mana, but takes life from you.
Ghastly Demise - Better used on decks that can fill up the graveyard.
Terror - Classic removal. Cheap and efficient but can't kill black creatures or artifact creatures.
Shriekmaw - Terror on a stick which can be evoked, being used early game as an sorcery-speed Terror. Also, has evasion.
Doom Blade - Same as Terror but kills artifact creatures. Let creatures regenerate, which may be a little relevant against a few decks.
Smother - Better used against weenie decks or decks with an low creature curve.
Go for the Throat - Great removal that only fails against artifact creatures.
Victim of Night - Great removal against most creatures. Not recommended if your meta has an good amount of the creature types it can't kill.
Hideus End - Doom Blade that also takes some life from the opponent for 1 more mana
Dark Banishing - Terror + Doom Blade = This. But costs 1 more mana.
Murder - This newcomer from M13 is worth mentioning since it is an unconditional creature removal.
Assassinate - If you're going to run it, you should run Murder instead.
Rend Flesh - Good against anything that isn't an spirit. But i'd still run Murder.
Dismember - Considered by some the best black removal ever made. Cheap and efficient that can kill many creatures.
Skinrender - Destroy anything with toughness 3 or less or makes anything bigger than that weaker while granting an 3/3 body.
Serrated Arrows - Used a lot on pauper. It serves as an colorless removal against weenies and an permanent debuff against bigger threats.
Tendrils of Corruption - An personal favourite. It's a little bit overcosted but kills a lot of creaturs and nets you lots of life doing so.
Spinning Darkness - Free removal against nonblack creatures that fetches you some life.
Soul Spike - See above, but that one can be used against any creature and against your opponent as well.
Consume Spirit - Are used in a very few Pauper MBC lists, and can be used as an finisher sometimes.
Drain Life - Same as above, but a little restrictive by not letting you pay 8 mana to gain 6 life while killing an 4/4 creature. Run those only if you own them but don't own Consume Spirit or if you're trying to go into the oldschool route.
Sacrifice Removals:
Innocent Blood - Considered by some the best 1cmc black removal. For 1 mana you take an opponent's creature. Better used on early game or when you have recursive creatures.
Geth's Verdict - Instant speed sacrificing effect that takes 1 life from your opponent. At my point of view, the best sacrificing effect ever made.
Diabolic Edict - Same as above but slightly worse and less budget-friendly. Run these only if you own them already.
Cruel Edict - Same as Diabolic Edict, but at sorcery speed.
Chainer's Edict - Same as Cruel Edict. But worth running due to Flashback.
Gatekeeper of Malakir - 99% of the times you'll play it with its kicker cost. It's an Cruel Edict with an 2/2 body for 3. I'd run these anytime of the day.
Fleshbag Marauder - Sacrificing effect on an 3/1 body. Keep in mind that if you cast him without any other creature on the battlefied, it'll only be an overcosted Innocent Blood.
Tribute to Hunger - Makes opponent sacrifices an creature for 3 mana and fetches you some life. Worth considering.
Consuming Vapors - Tribute to Hunger x2 at sorcery speed that costs 4. Worth running if your curve allows it.
Barter in Blood - Innocent Blood x2 for 4 mana. Used a lot better in creatureless builds or builds that run very few creatures.
Killing Wave - The reason i won't put it on the sweeper section is that it lets your opponent choose which creatures he's going to sacrifice, therefore working as an sacrificing effect. It's a lot more useful on late game, when you already have an good amount of mana.
Sweeper Removals:
Crypt Rats - Used a lot on pauper as an sweeper or sometimes even as an finisher.
Engineered Plague - Great when used early game against tribal weenie decks.
Pestilence - Used to see play on oldest lists as an 1 or 2-of. Nowadays, it's only used on a few pauper decks.
Damnation - Deals with anything that isn't indestructible. The best black sweeper ever made.
Mutilate - Sweeper that gets better as the game goes into mid-late. Works pretty well when played on turn 4 and gets better onward.
Nevinyrral's Disk - The other contender for the best black sweeper. It destroys anything that isn't land or planeswalker. Keep in mind this is one of the only ways that black have to deal with artifacts.
Night of Souls' Betrayal - Used on builds with little to no creatures. Kills permanently any X/1 creature. It's legendary so, unfortunately, can't be used in multiples.
Curse of Death's Hold - Used as an anti-weenie card on some decks. Costs 1 more than Betrayal but doesn't debuff your creatures and can be played on multiples.
Life's Finale - Budget Damnation. Cleans the board and lets you take out 3 threats from your opponent's deck.
All is Dust - Overcosted, but can deal with enchantments and planeswalkers as well.
Oblivion Stone - As much overcosted as the card above....And deals with ALL nonland permanents. Keep in mind this is one of the only ways that black have to deal with artifacts.
Black Sun's Zenith - At early game, it's good to deal against weenies. At mid-game, it makes strong creatures a lot weaker. At late-game, it can kill any creature. And it's reusable.
Draw:
I'll divide Draw on two sections: Draw and Tutors. I think both names tells what the cards on each section do.
The number of draws an MBC deck runs depends pretty much on which draws are those and how the deck itself plays. But it tends to be something between 4 to 8.
Draw Spells:
Sign in Blood - Cheap drawing effect. 2 cards for 2 mana and 2 life. Keep in mind that it can also be used to deal those 2 last points of damage against an opponent.
Night's Whisper - Same as above, but can't be used on opponents. Use them only if you own them but don't own Sign in Blood.
Dark Confidant - I consider this one the best creature ever printed. It's cheap, has an good body (2/1) and gives an massive amount of card advantage. But it's better used on more agressive strategies with cheap curve.
Necropotence - I think i can easily call this one the best black card ever printed. It offers and HUGE card advantage in the exchange of life. If you have any doubts about this card's power, search on the wiki for the Black Summer. Banned on Legacy.
Phyrexian Arena - The closest thing you can get from Necropotence at an cheap mana cost. Draw 1 extra card per turn by the excange of 1 life.
Dark Tutelage - Dark Confidant + Phyrexian Arena = This. Bad card, not worth running.
Phyrexian Rager - 1 card and a 2/2 body for 3 mana and 1 life. Not bad, but not really that good. Used on most pauper lists.
Graveborn Muse - Usually, it's an Phyrexian Arena on a 3/3 body.
Disciple of Bolas - Pretty good if you sac an fatty for it. Works better on builds that are creature-based or that run cards that can make profit from it, such as recursive creatures or equipments with Living Weapon.
Greed - It may draws you a lot of cards....But at the price of 2 life and mana. May work if you make an build that gains tons of life.
Yawgmoth's Bargain - Technically Necropotence for 6 mana. Banned on Legacy.
Skeletal Scrying - Although this one needs things on your graveyard to work, it's one of the best black draws ever. At instant speed you can draw lots of cards if you have enough mana and enough cards in your grave for it. Better used on mid-late game.
Tutor Spells:
Vampiric Tutor - Maybe the best tutor ever made. For 1 mana and 2 life you get, at instant speed, any card on your deck and put it on top of your library. Banned on Legacy.
Imperial Seal - Very pricey Vampiric Tutor at sorcery speed. Banned on Legacy.
Demonic Tutor - The father of all tutors. For 2 mana you get any card from your deck and put it into your hand. Banned on Legacy.
Infernal Tutor - Not really that good on MBC, but can bring you any card from your hand that you need another, or can be an Demonic Tutor if your hand is empty.
Beseech the Queen - The best legal tutor for black. At worse, it fetches you an card with cmc 3 or less. At best, it fetches any card in your deck for 3 mana.
Cruel Tutor - Sorcery-speed Vampiric Tutor for 3 mana.
Grim Tutor - For 3 mana and 3 life, puts any card from your deck into your hand. Very pricey.
Diabolic Tutor - Overcosted Demonic Tutor. Has seen a lot of play back on the Torment era.
Diabolic Revelation - Overcosted tutor that, if used with tons of mana, can search for a lot of cards from your deck.
Miscalaneous:
Those are cards that can be added to the deck along with discards, removals and finishers. Sometimes MBC decks drops some of its finishers to add more of those cards.
I'll divide this one in three sections: Lands, Creatures and Spells.
Lands will list lands that may be for the deck.
Creatures will list creatures that are useful on their own, but most of times aren't strong enough to seal the game by themselves.
Spells will list spells that are worth mentioning for being useful for the deck's gameplan.
Lands:
Swamp - Broken land is broken. You can run any number of them.
Dark Depths - Worth running if you want to play the Hex Depths plan.
Mishra's Factory - Lands that turn into creature can be pretty useful.
Mutavault - See above. But a lot less budget friendly.
Inkmoth Nexus - Works a lot better if you're going into the Infect route. Otherwise, there will be lots of times where you'd wish it was Blinkmoth Nexus instead.
Strip Mine - Land that destroys any land. Can lock the game with Crucible of Worlds. Banned on Legacy.
Wasteland - An slightly worse and a lot more pricey version of Strip Mine.
Fetchlands - Not really mandatory or necessary but some lists run it for deck thinning.
Bojuka Bog - Maindeckable graveyard hate. Sometimes the fact it ETB tapped can be bad.
Barren Moor - Used in a few Pauper lists as an additional card draw.
Darkmor Salvage - Recursive land. Works well on decks that run an land-saccing engine such as Smokestack.
Lake of the Dead - You lose an land but ramps into 4 mana. One of the best lands for MBC.
Cabal Coffers - I'd say this is the most broken land MBC can have other than Swamp. It gives such an absurd mana ramping when played right.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - Turns all your lands into broken lands. Works wonders with Cabal Coffers.
Creatures:
Festering Goblin - I see them used on a very few pauper sideboards to stop huge weenies attacks.
Hex Parasite - Good and cheap way to deal with planeswalkers. Requires mana investment, though.
Festercreep - Pauper creature tech to deal with Goblin tokens.
Braids, Cabal Minion - It can create an prison-lock against all oppponents if backed up by Bloodghast,Bitterblossom or Crucible of Worlds.
Liliana's Shade - Mana ramping on black is pretty rare nowadays. I may try to use it on an Pauper list to see if it's good enough for it.
Solemn Simulacrum - Mana ramping AND card drawing on an 2/2 body is worth mentioning.
Twisted Abomination - Used in a few pauper lists as an early game land search and an late-game threat.
Spells:
Dark Ritual - Classic black ramping. Keep in mind that the more the game leads to the late game, the more useless topdeck Rituals are. Because of that MBC rarely uses them.
Funeral Charm - Works as an multi-purpose card by making your opponent discard an card or killing that annoying X/1 creature.
Extirpate - Uncounterable way to deal with any problematic card in an graveyard.
Surgical Extraction - Same as above. But trades the uncounterability for being able to be played for "free".
Deathmark - Useful against white and green midrange decks.
Pithing Needle - Shuts off any annoying triggered ability.
Ivory Tower - Nets you some life every turn if you can keep your life full. Works pretty well with Necropotence, as seen on most classic builds.
Bitterblossom - For 2 mana. You get an 1/1 flying body at the cheap price of 1 life every turn. Works better on more agressive list but may see play on control or prison as well due to cards like Contamination.
Scepter of Fogue - Constant discard. Can be good against control decks.
Sinkhole - Land Destruction at its best. Works well on prison strategies. Pricey
Ratchet Bomb - Worth running since it can deal with artifacts and enchantments, but it's kinda too slow.
Yawgmoth's Will - I think i don't really need to explain why Yawgmoth's Will is an good card. Just keep in mind that you need to know when and how to use it for making optimal play of it.
Contamination - With Bitterblossom or Bloodghast, can lock any nonblack player out of the game.
Rancid Earth - Same as above. But kills those pesky X/1.
Syphon Life - Works well on multiplayer. Not as good as his discard cousin, but still worth mentioning.
Dystopia - Great sideboard card against white or green decks.
Sadistic Sacrament - Often used as an sideboard card, it can take away any problematic threat in your opponent's deck.
Pox - This one is kinda hard to understand at the very beggining. Most decks that run Pox usually casts it when the opponent has an better board position than the caster, taking him back 2 or 3 turns in terms of cards, lands and creatures while it takes you back one turn. Most decks that run it use recursive cards such as Bloodghast, Nether Spirit or Crucible of The Worlds to rebuild its board position faster than the opponents, backed up by cheap yet efficient spells.
If you want to run it. Try to build your deck around it by using cheap spells and recursive effects to make Pox works as an almost one-sided effect.
(Thanks to Maserati for explaining, with details, how Pox decks works)
Liliana of the Veil - The best black planeswalker printed (and possibly the second best planeswalker printed). Liliana screams MBC everywhere. She disrupts the opponent on every way that MBC wants to disrupt. Most people may see her first ability bad for making its controller discard as well but keep in mind that there are a lot of cards on MBC that may be useless on mid-late game such as discard spells or lands. Even removal sometimes since Liliana herself works as an constant removal.
Crucible of Worlds - Can create Strip Mine lock. Works well with Braids, Cabal Minion or Smokestack.
Trinisphere - If you build your deck around an prison strategy, this may be worth considering.
Powder Keg - Worth running since it deals with artifacts and enchantments, but it's kinda too slow.
Mimic Vat - Works well with creatures that have nice ETB effects. Can also be used to grab creatures that you kill.
Staff of Domination - It works as an multi-purpose tool on decks that can generate an good amount of mana.
Nether Void - The only counterspell worth running on black. Works on more controllish builds and it's far from being budget-friendly.
Liliana of the Dark Realms - New Lili is pretty good for MBC as well. Making the deck never miss an land drop is good, and she also works as an removal.
Smokestack - Works pretty much on the same way that Braids, Cabal Minion works, but is harder to deal with.
Liliana Vess - Classic Lili is still worth running: She can take out cards from your opponent's hand or make you search for the card you need.
Haunting Echoes - Great against control after you ripped his hand. Sometimes casting it finish games.
Mirari - Used to see a lot of play on MBC decks from the Torment Era. May grant huge card advantage for 3 mana and a spell.
Sorin Markov - I could put him on the finisher section, i think he is too slow to win by himself so i decided to put him on this section. Sorin is other of the best planeswalkers ever made for MBC. It can kill ani X/2 creature and fetches you life for it, can make your opponent's life go to ten no matter how much life he've gained before or he can simply wreck your opponent's game by making you play his cards.
Death Cloud - On an deck built around it, casting it means technically winning the game against most decks.
Chalice of the Void - Used to be an staple for some prison decks. Nowadays sees play even on midrange decks on Legacy due to the high number of 1-2 drops on the format.
Finishers
The cards that seal the game. I'll divide them into two sections: Creatures and Non-Creatures.
The number of finishers your deck uses depends on the kind of deck you're playing. But most times 4 is the right number.
Creature Finishers:
Genju of the Fens - Isn't an creature, but most of times will simply work as one. It makes any of your swamps an threat for 2 mana, keep in mind that this one is better used on the late-game, when you have lots of mana to spend on it. Budget finisher.
Nantuko Shade - Although it's an agressive creature by itself, Nantuko Shade can easily be played on MBC. He is an cheap and efficient creature that can be pretty hard to remove by damage on mid-late game. Keep in mind that this little guy makes your useless late-game Dark Rituals become an boost for him.
Wicked Akuba - Budget Nantuko Shade or Pauper finisher. I run it on my Pauper MBC and it works pretty well. If able to connect to the opponent, makes your late-game Dark Rituals useful.
Nyxathid - Works better on discard-heavy builds that tends to be more aggro-ish. But can still be played on control if running constant discard.
Phyrexian Negator - Classic Finisher. Keep in mind that, by running him, you make your matchups against red decks harder to win.
Plague Sliver - This is kind of an budget finisher. He is a 5/5 for 4 that pings you for 1 each turn. It gets worse if there are multiples on the battlefield. On the good side, it's great against Slivers.
Abyssal Persecutor - 4 mana for an 6/6 flying trample? GREAT! But it needs an way to be dealt with after finishing its work.
Phyrexian Obliterator - Negator on steroids, It's virtually unblockable and can seal the game pretty fast. Pretty good for only 4 mana.
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade - At my point of view, one of the best finishers for MBC. It gets stronger as the game progress and isn't bad of being run in multiples.
Phyrexian Vatmother - If you're going through the infect route. This one can serve as an budget or additional finisher.
Lashwrithe - Not an creature, but works as one. It's an Korlash that can be equipped on other creatures you may have on your deck to make them huge threats. Run these only on creature-heavy builds.
Malakir Bloodwitch - Evasive creature with protection from white. Good if your deck has an vampire subtheme. Budget finisher.
Bloodgift Demon - Phyrexian Arena on an 5/4 evasive body for 5 mana.
Demigod of Revenge - 5/4 haste flying for 5 is good. Gets even better if your opponent kills one of them and you have another in hand. If you're going to play these, play 4.
Divinity of Pride - If you're going to the life-draining route, this one may be worth running
Batterskull - Again, not an creature but works an one. 5 for an 4/4 lifelink vigilance isn't that great. But the fact it is an recursive creature makes it worth mentioning.
Midnight Banshee - Creature that makes all nonblack creatures weaker every turn. Budget finisher.
Dread - Evasive and strong finisher that punishes your opponent for attacking you. Budget-wise.
Grave Titan - Great finisher. Maybe the best for MBC nowadays. For 6 mana you get an total of 10 power in 3 bodies. When attacks, two new 2/2 bodies for you.
Kokusho, The Evening Star - An big, evasive body that punishes your opponent for killing it. Not budget friendly.
Laquatus's Champion - Takes 6 life from your opponent when ETB. has an weak toughness but regenerates.
Geth, Lord of the Vault - 6 mana for an 5/5 evasive body with an ability that can bring back creatures you killed and put them at your side.
Visara, The Dreadful - Evasive body that can kill any creature, used on some of the Torment era builds.
Massacre Wurm - It's basically Infest with an 6/6 body for 6 mana. As an bonus, it punishes your opponents for having an army of weenies.
Oona, Queen of the Fae - Can win the game by 3 different ways. Good for making an weenie army.
Steel Hellkite - When it connects, it will, most of times, take away your opponent's best threat or clean his board of weenies.
Wurmcoil Engine - An personal favourite. It kills any creature, fetches you life and is hard to be dealt with.
Avatar of Woe - It can come for 2 in long games against aggro and kills any creature. May be worth considering.
Tombstalker - Last time i've checked, an 5/5 for 2 mana is pretty good. Can be kinda problematic running multiples if you're playing an more midrange-ish deck.
Griselbrand - It's basically Yawgmoth's Bargain with an 7/7 flying lifelink body. Not very budget-friendly nowadays.
If you have ways to make tons of mana (such as Urborg + Cabal Coffers), you can also try to use the Eldrazi Titans as finishers.
Non-Creature Finishers:
Corrupt - Classic finisher used on the most controllish MBC lists on pauper. Can be used as creature removal as well.
Sorin's Vengeance - 10 damage of pure life-draining for 7 mana. Worth being used on builds that run some beatsticks or that runs Sorin itself.
Phyrexian Totem - I've seen a few prison decks run those as their choice of finisher. It's an early game mana ramp that for 3 mana every turn works as an Phyrexian Negator.
Karn Liberated - Well, it works as both discard and removal, is hard to deal with through damage and has an finisher that can win the game by itself. I think it's worth considering it an good finisher.
Decklists:
Mono-Black Control by 1996 Pro Tour New York Qualifier Winner Paul Pantera:
Just want to check if you saw the discard primer because this seems awfully similar. Maybe include other forms of MBC archtypes like pox?
Keep in mind that both MBC and Discard has an very similiar early-game plan (unless you're playing some discard deck made around Megrim and The Rack). Both try to make your opponent run out of his toes by discard, the difference is between both is that MBD works better on early-mid game, due to having more slots dedicated to discard pieces and engines that work well with it. MBC wins through the mid-late game, having an slower gameplan that includes, in most lists, at least 4 discards (I've already seen some MBC decks without any discard but i believe it makes your control and combo matchup a lot worse). And remember, the good thing about black decks is that an good amount of its cards works well in almost any build you try to make.
Also, some midrange MBC decks could be considered discard decks (if it uses the usual 8 discard package and hippies),
on cards you should mention drain Life/ Consume Spirit as finishers + removal. or Exsanguinate for multiplayer. (you could also hint or link to the very potent MP strength of this deck )
on creatures vampire nighthawk should be mentioned and maybe soul snuffers as well. As finsihers you could also include Dread or Midnight Banshee as budget options.
For Carddraw you should mention Greed as well.
Then Mirari should also get a nod as one of the classic Odysee MBC cards.
I use rancid earth 1 for buget and 2. as the deck fills up its yard quite well so you get a mini sweep out of it to kill mall dudes (like Llanowar elves) rest is staxx + lock with sundial, desolation or trinisphere.
What exactly means MP? Consume Spirit is on the removal section because i see them being used, most of times as an removal or an pseudo-finisher in more midrange-ish builds. I'll put Exsanguinate on finishers instead of removal since i forgot it doesn't hit creatures lol. Drain Life wasn't added 'cause as far as i know it simply does the same thing that Consume do.
Nighthawk is on the primer, Miscalaneous section. If Soul Snuffers were common, i'd add it without any doubt. But is it really worth being played on MBC? It's for mana to kill all X/1 dudes and make other dudes, including himself, weaker.
I'm gonna include the other sugestions, I'll also include Ranci Earth since it seems like an better Rain of Tears for this deck.
Also, i'd like to include Pox on the Miscalaneous, but i don't know how to explain, in an easy way to understand, how this card works and how it should be used for optimal play. Could you help me on it?
Would you mind if i include your list on the primer's decklists?
I didn't see Victim of Night mentioned. It kills more stuff than many other 2-mana removal spells.
Does Syphon Mind fit into the scope of this primer? It's only good in multiplayer, but there it's way better than the alternatives.
Didn't see Dystopia listed. It's a good sideboard card that deals with a lot of stuff that can otherwise give MBC fits.
I'm not sure Disciple of Bolas is such a great fit with Abyssal Persecutor. You're generally not sacrificing Percy until after he puts your opponent in the negative, and after that it no longer matters how many cards you draw or how much life you gain. Same could be said for any other threat; why would you ever sac the thing that is winning you the game?
There are language errors in "recurvise" (regarding Bloodghast), "Miscallaneous", and various "a"/"an" mix-ups.
Disciple works as an sac outlet. Most of times Percy isn't the creature you re gonna sac it for. But it's an creature that nets you card, life AND can be used as an sac outlet for Percy without being bad. Of course you could use Innocent Blood or any other sac spell to take Percy out, but i think Disciple is worth mentioning.
And sorry for my grammar mistakes. I'm not native, but i'm gonna fix'em as well.
Thanks Maserati, your examples made me understand how Pox works. Added it to primer's miscalaneous section.
The question about Soul Snuffers is: Is it good outside Highlander? Is it worth running on MBC?
I'd add reassembling skeleton to the list of creatures. It's a recursive dude that can block.
Idk. Most recursive creatures this deck wants are for prison strategies. And prison strategies don't like the idea of having to pay mana for bringing back his sac outlet. If more people agree that I should put it in, I will.
Here are a few cards that are definite candidates for this primer.
Oona, Queen of the Fae: A big flyer that bypasses quite a bit of removal. She is also great since she provides you with additional 1/1 flying dudes. I would only run her in mbc lists running Cabal Coffers.
Kokusho, the Evening Star: Another large flyer that eats into opposing life totals. Kokusho plays quite nicely with mbc since you are free to clear the board with Damnation/Mutilate or just play another Kokusho to seal the game.
Staff of Domination: In a mbc list running Coffers, this is a nice card. It draws you multiple cards, taps down a threat, or untap a threat of your own.
Mimic Vat: Lets you abuse "enters the battlefield" creatures or just pop out a hasted massive threat each turn. You would be surprised by the number of times a Mimic Vat with a Shriekmaw/Skinrender can shut down aggro.
You should list Cruel Tutor and Grim Tutor in your primer. They are pricey and can be hard to acquire, but they still deserve mentioning.
I like Disciple of Bolas and all, but I really don't see what you'd be feeding him in a MBC deck. Gatekeeper of Malakir? Trade 4 mana and a 2/2 for a 2/1 and 2 life and 2 cards? Seems a bit durdly. 4 mana could get you a huge finisher or a great removal spell.
It depends on your build. Disciple works better on builds that run more than 12 creatures, or those which run recursive creatures. It's pretty good on builds that run Lashwrithe, since you can sac the germ token and equip it on him. I could also see it being used with Demigod of Revenge in post-combat phase, since it becomes likely for you to play another demigod next turn.
It doesn't work on any MBC deck, but it works on a MBC deck that can make profit from it. Also, i've just realized that it isn't that good with Percy, gonna change it on the primer.
Necropotence practically needs it's own private section (not really, but it does need a bit more of a discussion I think), as the card is not only extremely powerful but also extremely limiting in many cases, especially in a control build. It mostly sees use only in combo decks if you don't play around it. In a control build you have to make an effort to make the spells work well with necropotence or else it will lose you more games than it will win. Paying only 1 life for cards is amazing, but in a control build your games will go on for much longer and that life will add up quick; in order to keep cards in your hand for the whole game you need some way of keeping your life total up otherwise you will get into a sticky situation with only a little life left where you want to finish your opponent off but you have to play it extra careful that they don't hit those last 5 or so points of damage in to kill you. And with necro it is very easy to run your life total down to 5 or less without some sort of life-gain. Cards like spinning darkness and ivory tower are practically necessities for running necro. To top it all off, necro just can't be used with other cards that drain a large portion of your life, cards like Pox come to mind as terrible synergies with necro.
It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.
Necropotence practically needs it's own private section (not really, but it does need a bit more of a discussion I think), as the card is not only extremely powerful but also extremely limiting in many cases, especially in a control build. It mostly sees use only in combo decks if you don't play around it. In a control build you have to make an effort to make the spells work well with necropotence or else it will lose you more games than it will win. Paying only 1 life for cards is amazing, but in a control build your games will go on for much longer and that life will add up quick; in order to keep cards in your hand for the whole game you need some way of keeping your life total up otherwise you will get into a sticky situation with only a little life left where you want to finish your opponent off but you have to play it extra careful that they don't hit those last 5 or so points of damage in to kill you. And with necro it is very easy to run your life total down to 5 or less without some sort of life-gain. Cards like spinning darkness and ivory tower are practically necessities for running necro. To top it all off, necro just can't be used with other cards that drain a large portion of your life, cards like Pox come to mind as terrible synergies with necro.
Of course, Necro is bad with other aditional lifeloss spells on the deck. But it's not really an card that needs to tweak that much around it. Most MBC decks nowadays run some way to gain life as the game progress (Nighthawk, Tendrils, Corrupt, even Jitte on Midrange builds), which makes necro's lifeloss affordable since it grants answers to your opponents' threats.
I believe Necro isn't actually an card that needs to be built around, but it's an card that must be played wisely for its optimal use. It's not because it can take you to seven cards every turn that you MUST use it to have seven cards every turn.
I'm going to add Ivory Tower to the primer since it works well with Necro and used to see play on older lists.
On an side note, do you guys think that Umezawa's Jitte is worth mentioning on the primer. It works better on aggro decks but some midrange lists run it.
I think Tendrils of Agony should be added to the finishers section. It can hit for very large amounts of life even in decks not designed to abuse the storm. Most of the time we don't even need to storm it a full 10 times, 3-4 times will usually finish any player off.
It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.
Gonna add Genju as an budget finisher and Darkmoor Salvage as an recur land.
Isn't Death Cloud used only on Rock decks with persist creatures and fast mana ramping?
Never seen an MBC list run Tendrils of Agony and i think it requires too much mana on the deck to be useful for at least 8 points of damage (considering the deck's average curve is 2-3 and gets heavier through the game). By the time you want to use it for 3-4 times, wouldn't you just do better running Corrupt or Sorin's Vengeance, which doesn't force you to cast other spells to make it effective ?
In a deck without rituals? What sequence of play would you consider feasible?
There are plenty of ways. I run it in my MBC deck without rituals, and it only runs 19 lands, and no ways of recurring them. Control decks aim for longer games, and mid-to-late games make it easy to get 6-7 lands out. If you have cabal coffers, things are even better. Anyway, with 6-7 lands out, just throw out cheap discard spells like duress or thoughtsieze. Or through out our cheap removal like ghastly demise or Innocent blood. Or even better would be "free" spells like spinning darkness or flashback cabal therapy. You only need to cast a few of these then toss the tendrils out. the good part is the cards like duress can take out any counterspells they might have. Another option is to let you opponent play the spells for you. Play something you know they will counter or wait for them to throw out some removal on your own guys. Plenty of players will wait until you attack to use the kill spells, and a good player will know how to force their opponent between a rock and a hard place. Between you and your opponent, 2 spells besides tendrils really shouldn't be that hard to come up with.
In fact, I can never recall a time when tendrils have ever hit for less than 6 life in any of my games.
It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.
Fantastic primer! You mentioned everything I could think of and explained them all well. It's great to have an OP that consolidates nearly all of MBC's resources. I have some builds and considerations that I wanted to run by you all. I'll edit this post later with said contributions. Thank you again!
Fantastic primer! You mentioned everything I could think of and explained them all well. It's great to have an OP that consolidates nearly all of MBC's resources. I have some builds and considerations that I wanted to run by you all. I'll edit this post later with said contributions. Thank you again!
MONO BLACK CONTROL BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
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Thanks to DarkNightCavalier for this awesome banner. [I'd cut the symbols.]
What is Mono Black Control ?
As the name says, Mono Black Control (therefore [henceforth] called MBC) is a black deck focused on controlling the game. Different from Mono Blue Control, MBC almost never uses Counterspells (and when uses, it's the overpriced Nether Void). It uses, instead, lots of removals and some discard, powered up by strong card-drawing and finishers...Which can vary from very though creatures to life-draining spells.
MBC has been present in Magic since the first days of the game. Although its first golden age was back in 1996, the so-called Black Summer. When the format was dominated by Necropetence. The deck then made an comeback on the Urza Block...Running Phyrexian Negator with strong discard and good removals. With the release of Torment, a black-centered set, MBC has shown up again. Actually, the set gave so much great cards for black that it was impossible to not see the deck make a comeback. Nowadays, MBC sees some play on most formats [it does?], but isn't tier one in any of them. It's closest build to see competitive play is on Legacy as "The Gate". Although this deck tends to be more of an aggro-ish deck.
Why play MBC ?
It depends on your personal playstyle and your taste. You like to play control but don't like to have to counter stuffs ? Run MBC. [?] You like to make your opponent's board clean most of times? [MWC would like to have a word with you on that claim.] You should run MBC. You like to use spells that drain your opponents' life? MBC has tons of it. Keep in mind that some players hate to see such disruptive decks in action and those players may see MBC being kinda unfun to play against.
The deck's strategy is to disrupt your opponent through early and mid-game via discard and removal, estabilishing a board control by making your opoonent run out of resources. This is when you start to play your agressive plan by dropping huge bombs or strong spells that can win the game pretty fast.
The number of discards, removals and threats you run depends pretty much on how you want your deck to work: Some decks run only 4-8 threats, while running 4 to 12 discard spells, an good amount of card drawing and tons of removals. Other builds try to have more threats by playing somewhat 12 creatures while having less removals. It depends on what kind of deck you're running, since MBC can be run into 3 different ways:
1) Control deck, with tons of removals, some discard and a few finishers and backbreaking spells.
2) Midrange deck, running more threats and being kinda creature-centered. Making it more agressive.
3) Prison deck, running combinations of cards that locks the opponent out of the games. Packed up by a few removals and lots of discards.
Usually, MBC starts the game making your opponent discard and then it destroys the opponents' threats that hit the table. Later on, it drops its "bombs" to seal the game. The deck may also go into a Prison deck route, using 2-card interactions to lock opponents out of the game. Keep in mind that Prison strategies are considered one of the most unfun strategies of Magic and can be boring even to its pilot.
Another reason to run MBC is that it also tends to be an amazing deck for multiplayer.
How to Build MBC ?
First of all, you need to decide which route you want to go:
You want to remove your opponent's resources and destroy his creatures while still beating him in the face? Run Midrange.
You want to extend the game, making your opponent run out of resources and then drop game-winning bombs? Run Control.
You want to lock your opponent's game and make him lose slowly and painfully? Run Prison.
Usually for MBC, the first two routes are chosen [are they?]. By deciding what route you choose, it makes you decide which cards you should run and which cards you shouldn't. Some cards usually are present in any route you choose, since they're pretty good for any of those decks.
The manabase also depends on your build: Midrange lists tends to use something between 22-24 lands, while Control plays something between 24-27. Prison decks depends on which spells they're using, but it's most of times never less than 20.
Card Choices
Discard:
Since MBC's plans usually starts with discard, i'll begin with them.
Discard can be divided in two sections: Selected discard or multiple discards.
Selected discards are the ones who let you choose which card your opponent will discard, usually by looking at his hand. It also gives you information on what your opponent is playing, thus making you anticipate its moves by playing around it.
Multiple discards are cards that take more than one card from your opponent, generating Card Advantage. but doesn't let you choose them.
The more slow the deck is, the less discard it'll run. [makes sense. but needs to be explained. and I'm not sure it's true] Most MBC decks runs somewhere between 4 to 8 discards. Faster decks sometimes run 10 discards, while slower decks runs 4 or less.
Selected Discard:
NOTE: Keep in mind that, since MBC has lots of ways to deal with creatures, you should almost always take out an noncreature spell with selected discards. [because...]
Duress - The most famous selected discard ever made. It doesn't let you take out creatures. But who needs to take out creatures when you want to run a lot of removals for them? It's still considered by some the best 1cmc discard spell ever made. And from my point of view, the best discard spell for this deck.
Thoughtseize - Duress was considered by all players the best 1cmc discard spell until the printing of this card. For 1 mana and 2 life, you can take out ANY nonland card on your opponent's hand. Keep in mind that the 2 life you lose from it can mean a lot against faster decks. Also, it's price tag isn't very favorable.
Inquisition of Kozilek - This one is better used on early game, therefore, better played against aggro and combo decks. Takes out your opponents' early threats without costing any life. Keep in mind that, since you're playing an controllish deck, this card tends to be pretty bad on late-game. [it's not a only a matter of timing, but mana curves in general.]
Appetite for Brains - The reverse of Inquisition. This one is better played against control and midrange decks and is better played on late-game. [I'd not mention this.]
Blackmail - It's not really that great of an card since it gives your opponent the oportunity to decide which cards you should see. [same as above. discard primer covers a lot of discard options, we don't need to list the bad ones here]
Cabal Therapy - This card needs a little play around it. Better used when packed with another selected discard or with something worth sacrificing. Still, it can take out any nonland card.
Distress - Thoughtseize that trades 2 life for 1 more mana. Not really good but worth mentioning. [see above]
Mesmeric Fiend - Takes out one card from your opponent's hand. But that card will come back to him if it dies. [generally not a good idea if you run sweepers, the WB 2/2 version is good because it can beat while withholding a drop in the op.'s curve. that's not MBC's game]
Multiple Discard:
NOTE: Keep in mind that multiple discard is great on early game but pretty much useless on late game against most decks. [explain why]
Hymn to Tourach - Best Discard Ever. For 2 mana you take 2 cards from your opponent...Both being at random!
Wrench Mind - Budget Hymn. For 2 mana you take 2 cards at your opponent's choice. Pretty bad if used against artifact-heavy decks. [not worth mentioning]
Augur of Skulls - It serves as an blocker or as an discard outlet...May be Good in pauper.
Stupor - See it as an mix of Hymn and Wrech Mind that costs 3 mana. Can be seen as an budget Hymn as well. [not worth mentioning]
Mind Rot - If you're going to run it.... Run Stupor or Wrench Mind instead. [not worth mentioning]
Persecute - For 4 mana, wrecks any monocolored deck and is pretty good against multicolored deck as well.
Mind Sludge - Most of times it reads: "4B - Target player discards his or her hand". Great card for MBC.
Mind Twist - Can do insane things, especially when packed up with Dark Ritual. Banned on Legacy.
Mind Shatter - Same as above but costs 1 more mana. That being said, most of times not worth running. [not worth mentioning]
Removals:
I'll divide removals in three categories: Targeted, Sacrifice, Sweeper.
Targeted removals are spells that deals with creatures right away, but can't deal with creatures with Shroud, Hexproof, Protection from Black [or that are indestructible].
Sacrifice removals are those which forces your opponents on sacrificing creatures. Therefore, it may not take out the creature you need to take out.
Sweeper removals are spells that, most of times, destroy all creatures on the battlefield.
MBC usually runs something between 12 to 18 removals, depending on the build.
Targeted Removals:
Vendetta - Destroy any nonblack creature for 1 mana, but takes life from you. [not worth mentioning]
Ghastly Demise - Better used on decks that can fill up the graveyard. [not worth mentioning]
Terror - Classic removal. Cheap and efficient but can't kill black creatures or artifact creatures.
Shriekmaw - Terror on a stick which can be evoked, being used early game as an sorcery-speed Terror. Also, has evasion.
Doom Blade - Same as Terror but kills artifact creatures. Let creatures regenerate, which may be a little relevant against a few decks.
Smother - Better used against weenie decks or decks with an low creature curve.
Go for the Throat - Great removal that only fails against artifact creatures.
Victim of Night - Great removal against most creatures. Not recommended if your meta has an good amount of the creature types it can't kill.
Hideus End - Doom Blade that also takes some life from the opponent for 1 more mana. [not worth mentioning]
Dark Banishing - Terror + Doom Blade = This. But costs 1 more mana. [not worth mentioning]
Murder - This newcomer from M13 is worth mentioning since it is an unconditional creature removal.
Assassinate - If you're going to run it, you should run Murder instead. [not worth mentioning]
Rend Flesh - Good against anything that isn't an spirit. But i'd still run Murder.
Ash to Ashes - For 3 mana and 5 life, you exile 2 creatures. Seems good to me. [not worth mentioning]
Sever the Bloodline - Great at killing tokens. At worst, it exiles creatures and has flashback.
Snuff Out - Dark Banishing that can be played for free by the price of 4 life.
Faceless Butcher - Exiles an creature when ETB and have an 2/3 body. Keep in mind that, if he dies, the exiled creature comes back. [as Fiend, it's problematic if you plan to sweep later.]
Disfigure - Cheap and efficient removal against weenies. [not worth mentioning]
Dead Weight - Same as above but makes bigger creatures weaker. [not worth mentioning]
Grasp of Darkness - Kills most creatures on the early and mid game for 2 mana. [not worth mentioning]
Echoing Decay - Great at killing tokens for cheap. [not worth mentioning]
Dismember - Considered by some the best black removal ever made. Cheap and efficient that can kill many creatures.
Skinrender - Destroy anything with toughness 3 or less or makes anything bigger than that weaker while granting an 3/3 body.
Serrated Arrows - Used a lot on pauper. It serves as an colorless removal against weenies and an permanent debuff against bigger threats. [not worth mentioning]
Tendrils of Corruption - An personal favourite. It's a little bit overcosted but kills a lot of creaturs and nets you lots of life doing so.
Spinning Darkness - Free removal against nonblack creatures that fetches you some life. [not worth mentioning]
Soul Spike - See above, but that one can be used against any creature and against your opponent as well. [not worth mentioning]
Consume Spirit - Are used in a very few Pauper MBC lists, and can be used as an finisher sometimes.
Drain Life - Same as above, but a little restrictive by not letting you pay 8 mana to gain 6 life while killing an 4/4 creature. Run those only if you own them but don't own Consume Spirit or if you're trying to go into the oldschool route. [not worth mentioning]
Sacrifice Removals:
Innocent Blood - Considered by some the best 1cmc black removal. For 1 mana you take an opponent's creature. Better used on early game or when you have recursive creatures.
Geth's Verdict - Instant speed sacrificing effect that takes 1 life from your opponent. At my point of view, the best sacrificing effect ever made.
Diabolic Edict - Same as above but slightly worse and less budget-friendly. Run these only if you own them already.
Cruel Edict - Same as Diabolic Edict, but at sorcery speed.
Chainer's Edict - Same as Cruel Edict. But worth running due to Flashback.
[I'd mention the 2cmc Edicts in one paragraph, sorted by relevance. (Geth, Diabolic, Chainer, Cruel).
Gatekeeper of Malakir - 99% of the times you'll play it with its kicker cost. It's an Cruel Edict with an 2/2 body for 3. I'd run these anytime of the day.
Fleshbag Marauder - Sacrificing effect on an 3/1 body. Keep in mind that if you cast him without any other creature on the battlefied, it'll only be an overcosted Innocent Blood [that can be recurred, that's its selling point].
Tribute to Hunger - Makes opponent sacrifices an creature for 3 mana and fetches you some life. Worth considering. [not worth mentioning]
Consuming Vapors - Tribute to Hunger x2 at sorcery speed that costs 4. Worth running if your curve allows it. [not worth mentioning]
Barter in Blood - Innocent Blood x2 for 4 mana. Used a lot better in creatureless builds or builds that run very few creatures.
Killing Wave - The reason i won't put it on the sweeper section is that it lets your opponent choose which creatures he's going to sacrifice, therefore working as an sacrificing effect. It's a lot more useful on late game, when you already have an good amount of mana. [not worth mentioning]
Sweeper Removals:
Crypt Rats - Used a lot on pauper as an sweeper or sometimes even as an finisher.
Engineered Plague - Great when used early game against tribal weenie decks.
Pestilence - Used to see play on oldest lists as an 1 or 2-of. Nowadays, it's only used on a few pauper decks.
Damnation - Deals with anything that isn't indestructible. The best black sweeper ever made.
Mutilate - Sweeper that gets better as the game goes into mid-late. Works pretty well when played on turn 4 and gets better onward.
Nevinyrral's Disk - The other contender for the best black sweeper. It destroys anything that isn't land or planeswalker. Keep in mind this is one of the only ways that black have to deal with artifacts.
Night of Souls' Betrayal - Used on builds with little to no creatures. Kills permanently any X/1 creature. It's legendary so, unfortunately, can't be used in multiples.
Curse of Death's Hold - Used as an anti-weenie card on some decks. Costs 1 more than Betrayal but doesn't debuff your creatures and can be played on multiples.
Life's Finale - Budget Damnation. Cleans the board and lets you take out 3 threats from your opponent's deck.
All is Dust - Overcosted, but can deal with enchantments and planeswalkers as well.
Oblivion Stone - As much overcosted as the card above....And deals with ALL nonland permanents. Keep in mind this is one of the only ways that black have to deal with artifacts.
Black Sun's Zenith - At early game, it's good to deal against weenies. At mid-game, it makes strong creatures a lot weaker. At late-game, it can kill any creature. And it's reusable.
Draw:
I'll divide Draw on two sections: Draw and Tutors. I think both names tell what the cards on each section do.
The number of draws an MBC deck runs depends pretty much on what draws are played and how the deck itself plays. But it tends to be something between 4 to 8.
Draw Spells:
Sign in Blood - Cheap drawing effect. 2 cards for 2 mana and 2 life. Keep in mind that it can also be used to deal those 2 last points of damage against an opponent.
Night's Whisper - Same as above, but can't be used on opponents. Use them only if you own them but don't own Sign in Blood.
Dark Confidant - I consider this one the best creature ever printed. It's cheap, has an good body (2/1) and gives an massive amount of card advantage. But it's better used on more agressive strategies with cheap curve.
Necropotence - I think i can easily call this one the best black card ever printed. It offers and HUGE card advantage in the exchange of life. If you have any doubts about this card's power, search on the wiki for the Black Summer. Banned in Legacy.
Phyrexian Arena - The closest thing you can get from Necropotence at an cheap mana cost. Draw 1 extra card per turn by the excange of 1 life.
Dark Tutelage - Dark Confidant + Phyrexian Arena = This. Bad card, not worth running. [why mention it?]
Phyrexian Rager - 1 card and a 2/2 body for 3 mana and 1 life. Not bad, but not really that good. Used on most pauper lists. [not worth mentioning]
Graveborn Muse - Usually, it's an Phyrexian Arena on a 3/3 body.
Disciple of Bolas - Pretty good if you sac an fatty for it. Works better on builds that are creature-based or that run cards that can make profit from it, such as recursive creatures or equipments with Living Weapon. [not worth mentioning]
Greed - It may draws you a lot of cards....But at the price of 2 life and mana. May work if you make an build that gains tons of life. [not worth mentioning]
Yawgmoth's Bargain - Technically Necropotence for 6 mana. Banned on Legacy.
Skeletal Scrying - Although this one needs things on your graveyard to work, it's one of the best black draws ever. At instant speed you can draw lots of cards if you have enough mana and enough cards in your grave for it. Better used on mid-late game.
Tutor Spells:
Vampiric Tutor - Maybe the best tutor ever made. For 1 mana and 2 life you get, at instant speed, any card on your deck and put it on top of your library. Banned on Legacy.
Imperial Seal - Very pricey Vampiric Tutor at sorcery speed. Banned in Legacy.
Demonic Tutor - The father of all Tutors. For 2 mana you get any card from your deck and put it into your hand. Banned in Legacy.
Infernal Tutor - Not really that good on MBC, but can bring you any card from your hand that you need another, or can be an Demonic Tutor if your hand is empty. [not worth mentioning]
Beseech the Queen - The best legal tutor for black. At worse, it fetches you an card with cmc 3 or less. At best, it fetches any card in your deck for 3 mana.
Grim Tutor - For 3 mana and 3 life, puts any card from your deck into your hand. Very pricey. [not worth mentioning]
Diabolic Tutor - Overcosted Demonic Tutor. Has seen a lot of play back on the Torment era.
Increasing Ambition - 5cmc tutor that has flashback. [mention that it needs heavy accel]
Diabolic Revelation - Overcosted tutor that, if used with tons of mana, can search for a lot of cards from your deck.
Miscellaneous:
Those are cards that can be added to the deck along with discards, removals and finishers. Sometimes MBC decks drops some of its finishers to add more of those cards.
I'll divide this one in three sections: Lands, Creatures and Spells.
Lands will list lands that may be for the deck.
Creatures will list creatures that are useful on their own, but most of times aren't strong enough to seal the game by themselves.
Spells will list spells that are worth mentioning for being useful for the deck's gameplan.
Lands:
Swamp - Broken land is broken. You can run any number of them.
Dark Depths - Worth running if you want to play the Hex Depths plan. [?]
Mishra's Factory - Lands that turn into creature can be pretty useful.
Mutavault - See above. But a lot less budget friendly.
Inkmoth Nexus - Works a lot better if you're going into the Infect route. Otherwise, there will be lots of times where you'd wish it was Blinkmoth Nexus instead. [why? it ends games faster]
Wasteland - An slightly worse and a lot more pricey version of Strip Mine.
Fetchlands - Not really mandatory or necessary but some lists run it for deck thinning. [not worth mentioning. tag is not working]
Bojuka Bog - Maindeckable graveyard hate. Sometimes the fact it ETB tapped can be bad.
Barren Moor - Used in a few Pauper lists as an additional card draw. [not worth mentioning]
Darkmor Salvage - Recursive land. Works well on decks that run an land-saccing engine such as Smokestack.
Lake of the Dead - You lose an land but ramps into 4 mana. One of the best lands for MBC. [? Uhm, no it isn't. In Suidicde it's good, hardly in a deck that needs long term resources]
Cabal Coffers - I'd say this is the most broken land MBC can have other than Swamp. It gives such an absurd mana ramping when played right.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - Turns all your lands into broken lands. [?] Works wonders with Cabal Coffers.
Creatures:
Festering Goblin - I see them used on a very few pauper sideboards to stop huge weenies attacks. [not worth mentioning]
Hex Parasite - Good and cheap way to deal with planeswalkers. Requires mana investment, though. [not worth mentioning]
Festercreep - Pauper creature tech to deal with Goblin tokens. [not worth mentioning]
Ravenous Rats - Used in most online Pauper lists. [not worth mentioning]
Nezumi Shortfang - Constant discard. May be good against control decks.
Vampire Hexmage - Great way to deal with Planeswalkers. Can also block early drops and combo with Dark Depths. [DD is the only reason to play this]
Braids, Cabal Minion - It can create an prison-lock against all oppponents if backed up by Bloodghast, Bitterblossom or Crucible of Worlds.
Liliana's Shade - Mana ramping on black is pretty rare nowadays. I may try to use it on an Pauper list to see if it's good enough for it. [not worth mentioning]
Solemn Simulacrum - Mana ramping AND card drawing on an 2/2 body is worth mentioning.
Twisted Abomination - Used in a few pauper lists as an early game land search and an late-game threat. [not worth mentioning]
Spells:
Dark Ritual - Classic black ramping. Keep in mind that the more the game leads to the late game, the more useless topdeck Rituals are. Because of that MBC rarely uses them. [not worth mentioning.]
Funeral Charm - Works as an multi-purpose card by making your opponent discard an card or killing that annoying X/1 creature. [not worth mentioning]
Extirpate - Uncounterable way to deal with any problematic card in an graveyard.
Surgical Extraction - Same as above. But trades the uncounterability for being able to be played for "free".
[I'd mention these in one paragraph]
Deathmark - Useful against white and green midrange decks. [not worth mentioning]
Pithing Needle - Shuts off any annoying triggered ability.
Ivory Tower - Nets you some life every turn if you can keep your life full. Works pretty well with Necropotence, as seen on most classic builds.
Nihil Spellbomb - Graveyard hate that cantrips. [not worth mentioning]
Bitterblossom - For 2 mana. You get an 1/1 flying body at the cheap price of 1 life every turn. Works better on more agressive list but may see play on control or prison as well due to cards like Contamination.
Smallpox - Massive disruption. For both players. [needs to be explain better. But Pox is an archetype of its own anyways.]
Sinkhole - Land Destruction at its best. Works well on prison strategies. Pricey. [why would MBS run random LD?]
Ratchet Bomb - Worth running since it can deal with artifacts and enchantments, but it's kinda too slow. [also mention Powedre Keg, and youre saying it's worth it but too slow?]
Yawgmoth's Will - I think i don't really need to explain why Yawgmoth's Will is an good card. Just keep in mind that you need to know when and how to use it for making optimal play of it. [honestly, I don't think this belongs in MBC]
Contamination - With Bitterblossom or Bloodghast, can lock any non-black player [honni soit qui mal y pense] out of the game.
Rain of Tears - Budget Sinkhole.[not worth mentioning]
Rancid Earth - Same as above. But kills those pesky X/1.[not worth mentioning]
Syphon Life - Works well on multiplayer. Not as good as his discard cousin, but still worth mentioning.
Dystopia - Great sideboard card against white or green decks. [not worth mentioning]
Sadistic Sacrament - Often used as an sideboard card, it can take away any problematic threat in your opponent's deck. [not worth mentioning]
Pox - This one is kinda hard to understand at the very beggining. Most decks that run Pox usually casts it when the opponent has an better board position than the caster, taking him back 2 or 3 turns in terms of cards, lands and creatures while it takes you back one turn. Most decks that run it use recursive cards such as Bloodghast, Nether Spirit or Crucible of The Worlds to rebuild its board position faster than the opponents, backed up by cheap yet efficient spells.
If you want to run it. Try to build your deck around it by using cheap spells and recursive effects to make Pox works as an almost one-sided effect.
(Thanks to Maserati for explaining, with details, how Pox decks works) [refer to Xanth's (?) Pox Primer in Legacy]
Liliana of the Veil - The best black planeswalker printed (and possibly the second best planeswalker printed). Liliana screams MBC everywhere. She disrupts the opponent on every way that MBC wants to disrupt. Most people may see her first ability bad for making its controller discard as well but keep in mind that there are a lot of cards on MBC that may be useless on mid-late game such as discard spells or lands. Even removal sometimes since Liliana herself works as an constant removal. [strongly disagree. neither is she that good, nor is your explanation anywhere near correct. there's a reason why she tanked from 70$ to below 20$.]
Crucible of Worlds - Can create Strip Mine lock. Works well with Braids, Cabal Minion or Smokestack.
Trinisphere - If you build your deck around an prison strategy, this may be worth considering. [not worth mentioning]
Powder Keg - Worth running since it deals with artifacts and enchantments, but it's kinda too slow. [belongs in the same paragrapg as Ratchet Bomb]
Mimic Vat - Works well with creatures that have nice ETB effects. Can also be used to grab creatures that you kill.
Staff of Domination - It works as an multi-purpose tool on decks that can generate an good amount of mana. [not worth mentioning]
Nether Void - The only counterspell worth running on black. Works on more controllish builds and it's far from being budget-friendly.
Liliana of the Dark Realms - New Lili is pretty good for MBC as well. Making the deck never miss an land drop is good, and she also works as an removal.
Smokestack - Works pretty much on the same way that Braids, Cabal Minion works, but is harder to deal with.
Liliana Vess - Classic Lili is still worth running: She can take out cards from your opponent's hand or make you search for the card you need.
Haunting Echoes - Great against control after you ripped his hand. Sometimes casting it finish games. [not worth mentioning]
Mirari - Used to see a lot of play on MBC decks from the Torment Era. May grant huge card advantage for 3 mana and a spell. [used to copy removal & discard for CA, and on drain spells ftw. f.e. copy Sorin's Vengeance = gg]
Sorin Markov - I could put him on the finisher section, i think he is too slow to win by himself so i decided to put him on this section. Sorin is other of the best planeswalkers ever made for MBC. It can kill ani X/2 creature and fetches you life for it, can make your opponent's life go to ten no matter how much life he've gained before or he can simply wreck your opponent's game by making you play his cards. [bad explantion]
Death Cloud - On an deck built around it, casting it means technically winning the game against most decks. [needs better explanation, and usualy, DC decks are not MBC]
Chalice of the Void - Used to be an staple for some prison decks. Nowadays sees play even on midrange decks on Legacy due to the high number of 1-2 drops on the format.
Finishers
The cards that seal the game. I'll divide them into two sections: Creatures and Non-Creatures.
The number of finishers your deck uses depends on the kind of deck you're playing. But most times 4 is the right number.
Creature Finishers:
Genju of the Fens - Isn't an creature, but most of times will simply work as one. It makes any of your swamps an threat for 2 mana, keep in mind that this one is better used on the late-game, when you have lots of mana to spend on it. Budget finisher. [not worth mentioning]
Nantuko Shade - Although it's an agressive creature by itself, Nantuko Shade can easily be played on MBC. He is an cheap and efficient creature that can be pretty hard to remove by damage on mid-late game. Keep in mind that this little guy makes your useless late-game Dark Rituals become an boost for him.
Wicked Akuba - Budget Nantuko Shade or Pauper finisher. I run it on my Pauper MBC and it works pretty well. If able to connect to the opponent, makes your late-game Dark Rituals useful. [? - not worth mentioning]
Nyxathid - Works better on discard-heavy builds that tends to be more aggro-ish. But can still be played on control if running constant discard. [wrong primer]
Phyrexian Negator - Classic Finisher. Keep in mind that, by running him, you make your matchups against red decks harder to win.
Plague Sliver - This is kind of an budget finisher. He is a 5/5 for 4 that pings you for 1 each turn. It gets worse if there are multiples on the battlefield. On the good side, it's great against Slivers.
Abyssal Persecutor - 4 mana for an 6/6 flying trample? GREAT! But it needs an way to be dealt with after finishing its work.
Phyrexian Obliterator - Negator on steroids, It's virtually unblockable and can seal the game pretty fast. Pretty good for only 4 mana.
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade - At my point of view, one of the best finishers for MBC. It gets stronger as the game progress and isn't bad of being run in multiples.
Phyrexian Vatmother - If you're going through the infect route. This one can serve as an budget or additional finisher.
Lashwrithe - Not an creature, but works as one. It's an Korlash that can be equipped on other creatures you may have on your deck to make them huge threats. Run these only on creature-heavy builds.
Malakir Bloodwitch - Evasive creature with protection from white. Good if your deck has an vampire subtheme. Budget finisher.
Bloodgift Demon - Phyrexian Arena on an 5/4 evasive body for 5 mana.
Demigod of Revenge - 5/4 haste flying for 5 is good. Gets even better if your opponent kills one of them and you have another in hand. If you're going to play these, play 4.
Divinity of Pride - If you're going to the life-draining route, this one may be worth running
Batterskull - Again, not an creature but works an one. 5 for an 4/4 lifelink vigilance isn't that great. But the fact it is an recursive creature makes it worth mentioning.
Midnight Banshee - Creature that makes all nonblack creatures weaker every turn. Budget finisher.
Dread - Evasive and strong finisher that punishes your opponent for attacking you. Budget-wise.
Grave Titan - Great finisher. Maybe the best for MBC nowadays. For 6 mana you get an total of 10 power in 3 bodies. When attacks, two new 2/2 bodies for you.
Kokusho, The Evening Star - An big, evasive body that punishes your opponent for killing it. Not budget friendly.
Laquatus's Champion - Takes 6 life from your opponent when ETB. has an weak toughness but regenerates.
Geth, Lord of the Vault - 6 mana for an 5/5 evasive body with an ability that can bring back creatures you killed and put them at your side.
Visara, The Dreadful - Evasive body that can kill any creature, used on some of the Torment era builds.
Massacre Wurm - It's basically Infest with an 6/6 body for 6 mana. As an bonus, it punishes your opponents for having an army of weenies.
Oona, Queen of the Fae - Can win the game by 3 different ways. Good for making an weenie army.
Steel Hellkite - When it connects, it will, most of times, take away your opponent's best threat or clean his board of weenies.
Wurmcoil Engine - An personal favourite. It kills any creature, fetches you life and is hard to be dealt with.
Avatar of Woe - It can come for 2 in long games against aggro and kills any creature. May be worth considering.
Tombstalker - Last time i've checked, an 5/5 for 2 mana is pretty good. Can be kinda problematic running multiples if you're playing an more midrange-ish deck.
Griselbrand - It's basically Yawgmoth's Bargain with an 7/7 flying lifelink body. Not very budget-friendly nowadays.
If you have ways to make tons of mana (such as Urborg + Cabal Coffers), you can also try to use the Eldrazi Titans as finishers.
[this needs some trimming, that should be done with the community. the Eldrazi link needs to be an url= one linking to the search.]
Non-Creature Finishers:
Corrupt - Classic finisher used on the most controllish MBC lists on pauper. Can be used as creature removal as well.
Sorin's Vengeance - 10 damage of pure life-draining for 7 mana. Worth being used on builds that run some beatsticks or that runs Sorin itself.
Exsanguinate - Good [:rolleyes:] finisher for multiplayer.
Phyrexian Totem - I've seen a few prison decks run those as their choice of finisher. It's an early game mana ramp that for 3 mana every turn works as an Phyrexian Negator.
Karn Liberated - Well, it works as both discard and removal, is hard to deal with through damage and has an finisher that can win the game by itself. I think it's worth considering it an good finisher.
Decklists:
Mono-Black Control by 1996 Pro Tour New York Qualifier Winner Paul Pantera:
It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.
liliana vess discard,tutoring, and an awesome ultimate for board control based black decks
wall of souls one of the best early defenders if your going for a more spell heavy deck synergies really well with phyrexian obliterator
guul draz assassin an awesome one drop that becomes a great beater/board control card really good card to invest mana into if your playing a slower paced game, especially if your running mana ramp like cabal coffers. he gets ignored early and becomes a problem later
royal assassin the original assassin guul draz is better but i mentioned this as a reference. you used to DR him on t1 which made him really good, but hes not as good anymore because of his cost and all the cheap removal options
shadowfeed this card is a bit niche i agree but its amazing graveyard hate and burn hate. sometimes when your sideboarding you dont have room for 2 hate cards its nice when you can combine your options.
all these cards should be on the list
Dark Ritual - Classic black ramping. Keep in mind that the more the game leads to the late game, the more useless topdeck Rituals are. Because of that MBC rarely uses them. [not worth mentioning.]
1. Note Blutsau's corrections / changes listed above; they're quite helpful.
2. I might recommend not listing discard choices first in the card lineup. The first time I glanced at this primer, I thought, "Don't we already have a discard primer?" Wiser to move it further down the list of card choices. That being said, maybe a link to the discard primer and a disclaimer that although discard is part of MBC, MBC is not necessarily discard.
I play this list with great success, my meta has a lot of graveyard based decks, including dredge thus, the bojukas main deck (and the ratchet bomb does a nice job exploding pesky zombie tokens)
This list does pretty well even without the veil'd liliana, that I think it's a must in MBC
In my play ground, it comes a lot to luck as to what Hymn to Tourach strips, since I play a lot against reanimator, and a turn 2 Iona is as good as it gets against us. One of the most common plays that I get that ensures the game for me, is
turn 1: Swamp, tap, dark ritual, Kozilek(duress), Hymn
Big thank you to Grixis (and everyone that contributed) to help make this primer. This single primer has helped me tremendously in creating my MBC deck.
Once again, thank you guys for helping me create this. I really love using this deck, and it functions really well.
If you guys have any pointers, and tips for me with my deck, please feel free to let me know.
EDIT:
Thinking about adding 3 Classic Lilly's. She's 5 cmc, but her abilities are amazing. Discard, plus allowing me to fish for a Titan or Obliterator. I honestly can't see why I would want to use the Veil version, or the Dark Realms version.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
Thanks to DarkNightCavalier for this awesome banner.
What is Mono Black Control ?
MBC has been present on Magic since the first days of the game. Although its first golden age was back on 1996, the so-called Black Summer. When the format was dominated by Necropetence. The deck then made an comeback on the Urza Block...Running Phyrexian Negator with strong discard and good removals. With the release of Torment, an black-centered set, MBC has shown up again. Actually, the set gave so much great cards for black that it was impossible to don't see the deck make an comeback. Nowadays, MBC see some play on most formats, but isn't tier one in any of them. It's closest build to see competitive play is on Legacy as "The Gate". Although this deck tends to be more of an aggro-ish deck.
Why play MBC ?
The deck's strategy is to disrupt your opponent through early and mid-game via discard and removal, estabilishing an good board control by making your opoonent run out of resources. This is when you start to play your agressive plan by dropping huge bombs or strong spells that can win the game pretty fast.
The number of discards, removals and threats you run depends pretty much on how you want your deck to work: Some decks run only 4-8 threats, while running 4 to 12 discard spells, an good amount of card drawing and tons of removals. Other builds try to have more threats by playing somewhat 12 creatures while having less removals. It depends on what kind of deck you're running, since MBC can be run into 3 different ways:
1) Control deck, with tons of removals, some discard and a few finishers and backbreaking spells.
2) Midrange deck, running more threats and being kinda creature-centered. Making it more agressive
3) Prison deck, running combinations of cards that locks the opponent out of the games. Packed up by a few removals and lots of discards.
Usually, MBC starts the game making your opponent discard and then it destroys the opponents' threads that hit the table. Later on, it drops its "bombs" to seal the game. The deck may also go into an prison deck route, using 2-card interactions to lock opponents out of the game. Keep in mind that prison strategies are considered one of the most unfun strategies of Magic and can be boring even to its pilot.
Another reason to run MBC is that it also tends to be an amazing deck for multiplayer.
How to Build MBC ?
You want to remove your opponent's resources and destroy his creatures while still beating him on the face? Run Midrange.
You want to extend the game, making your opponent run out of resources and then drop game-winning bombs? Run Control.
You want to lock your opponent's game and make him lose slowly and painfully? Run Prison.
Usually for MBC, the first two routes are chosen. By deciding what route you choose, it makes you decide which cards you should run and which cards you shouldn't. Some cards usually are present in any route you choose, since they're pretty good for any of those decks.
The manabase also depends on your build: Midrange lists tends to use something between 22-24 lands, while Control plays something between 24-27. Prison decks depends on which spells they're using, but it's most of times never less than 20.
Card Choices
Since MBC's plans usually starts with discard, i'll begin with them.
Discard can be divided in two sections: Selected discard or multiple discards.
Selected discards are the ones who lets you choose which card your opponent will discard, usually by looking at his hand. It also gives you information on what your opponent is playing, thus making you anticipate its moves by playing around it.
Multiple discards are cards that take more than one card from your opponent, generating Card Advantage. but doesn't let you choose them.
The more slow the deck is, the less discard it'll run. Most MBC decks runs somewhere between 4 to 8 discards. Faster decks sometimes run 10 discards, while slower decks runs 4 or less.
Selected Discard:
NOTE: Keep in mind that, since MBC has lots of ways to deal with creatures, you should almost always take out an noncreature spell with selected discards.
Thoughtseize - Duress was considered by all players the best 1cmc discard spell until the printing of this card. For 1 mana and 2 life, you can take out ANY nonland card on your opponent's hand. Keep in mind that the 2 life you lose from it can mean a lot against faster decks. Also, it's price tag isn't very favorable.
Inquisition of Kozilek - This one is better used on early game, therefore, better played against aggro and combo decks. Takes out your opponents' early threats without costing any life. Keep in mind that, since you're playing an controllish deck, this card tends to be pretty bad on late-game.
Appetite for Brains - The reverse of Inquisition. This one is better played against control and midrange decks and is better played on late-game.
Blackmail - It's not really that great of an card since it gives your opponent the oportunity to decide which cards you should see.
Cabal Therapy - This card needs a little play around it. Better used when packed with another selected discard or with something worth sacrificing. Still, it can take out any nonland card.
Distress - Thoughtseize that trades 2 life for 1 more mana. Not really good but worth mentioning.
Mesmeric Fiend - Takes out one card from your opponent's hand. But that card will come back to him if it dies.
Multiple Discard:
NOTE: Keep in mind that multiple discard is great on early game but pretty much useless on late game against most decks.
Wrench Mind - Budget Hymn. For 2 mana you take 2 cards at your opponent's choice. Pretty bad if used against artifact-heavy decks.
Augur of Skulls - It serves as an blocker or as an discard outlet...May be good on pauper.
Stupor - See it as an mix of Hymn and Wrech Mind that costs 3 mana. Can be seen as an budget Hymn as well.
Mind Rot - If you're going to run it.... Run Stupor or Wrench Mind instead.
Persecute - For 4 mana, wrecks any monocolored deck and is pretty good against multicolored deck as well.
Mind Sludge - Most of times it reads: "4B - Target player discards his or her hand". Great card for MBC.
Mind Twist - Can do insane things, especially when packed up with Dark Ritual. Banned on Legacy.
Mind Shatter - Same as above but costs 1 more mana. That being said, most of times not worth running.
Removals:
I'll divide removals on three categories: Targeted, Sacrifice, Sweeper.
Targeted removals are spells that deals with creatures right away, but can't deal with creatures with shroud, hexproof or protection from black.
Sacrifice removals are those which forces your opponents on sacrificing creatures. Therefore, it may not take out the creature you need to take out.
Sweeper removals are spells that, most of times, destroy all creatures on the battlefield.
MBC usually runs something between 12 to 18 removals, depending on the build.
Targeted Removals:
Ghastly Demise - Better used on decks that can fill up the graveyard.
Terror - Classic removal. Cheap and efficient but can't kill black creatures or artifact creatures.
Shriekmaw - Terror on a stick which can be evoked, being used early game as an sorcery-speed Terror. Also, has evasion.
Doom Blade - Same as Terror but kills artifact creatures. Let creatures regenerate, which may be a little relevant against a few decks.
Smother - Better used against weenie decks or decks with an low creature curve.
Go for the Throat - Great removal that only fails against artifact creatures.
Victim of Night - Great removal against most creatures. Not recommended if your meta has an good amount of the creature types it can't kill.
Hideus End - Doom Blade that also takes some life from the opponent for 1 more mana
Dark Banishing - Terror + Doom Blade = This. But costs 1 more mana.
Murder - This newcomer from M13 is worth mentioning since it is an unconditional creature removal.
Assassinate - If you're going to run it, you should run Murder instead.
Rend Flesh - Good against anything that isn't an spirit. But i'd still run Murder.
Unmake - Unconditional removal that deals with any creature not called Misthollow Griffin forever.
Ash to Ashes - For 3 mana and 5 life, you exile 2 creatures. Seems good to me.
Sever the Bloodline - Great at killing tokens. At worst, it exiles creatures and has flashback.
Snuff Out - Dark Banishing that can be played for free by the price of 4 life.
Faceless Butcher - Exiles an creature when ETB and have an 2/3 body. Keep in mind that, if he dies, the exiled creature comes back.
Tragic Slip - Kills X/1 or can even kill an Darksteel Colossus if you kill another creature before.
Disfigure - Cheap and efficient removal against weenies
Dead Weight - Same as above but makes bigger creatures weaker.
Grasp of Darkness - Kills most creatures on the early and mid game for 2 mana.
Echoing Decay - Great at killing tokens for cheap.
Dismember - Considered by some the best black removal ever made. Cheap and efficient that can kill many creatures.
Skinrender - Destroy anything with toughness 3 or less or makes anything bigger than that weaker while granting an 3/3 body.
Serrated Arrows - Used a lot on pauper. It serves as an colorless removal against weenies and an permanent debuff against bigger threats.
Tendrils of Corruption - An personal favourite. It's a little bit overcosted but kills a lot of creaturs and nets you lots of life doing so.
Spinning Darkness - Free removal against nonblack creatures that fetches you some life.
Soul Spike - See above, but that one can be used against any creature and against your opponent as well.
Consume Spirit - Are used in a very few Pauper MBC lists, and can be used as an finisher sometimes.
Drain Life - Same as above, but a little restrictive by not letting you pay 8 mana to gain 6 life while killing an 4/4 creature. Run those only if you own them but don't own Consume Spirit or if you're trying to go into the oldschool route.
Sacrifice Removals:
Geth's Verdict - Instant speed sacrificing effect that takes 1 life from your opponent. At my point of view, the best sacrificing effect ever made.
Diabolic Edict - Same as above but slightly worse and less budget-friendly. Run these only if you own them already.
Cruel Edict - Same as Diabolic Edict, but at sorcery speed.
Chainer's Edict - Same as Cruel Edict. But worth running due to Flashback.
Gatekeeper of Malakir - 99% of the times you'll play it with its kicker cost. It's an Cruel Edict with an 2/2 body for 3. I'd run these anytime of the day.
Fleshbag Marauder - Sacrificing effect on an 3/1 body. Keep in mind that if you cast him without any other creature on the battlefied, it'll only be an overcosted Innocent Blood.
Tribute to Hunger - Makes opponent sacrifices an creature for 3 mana and fetches you some life. Worth considering.
Consuming Vapors - Tribute to Hunger x2 at sorcery speed that costs 4. Worth running if your curve allows it.
Barter in Blood - Innocent Blood x2 for 4 mana. Used a lot better in creatureless builds or builds that run very few creatures.
Killing Wave - The reason i won't put it on the sweeper section is that it lets your opponent choose which creatures he's going to sacrifice, therefore working as an sacrificing effect. It's a lot more useful on late game, when you already have an good amount of mana.
Sweeper Removals:
Engineered Plague - Great when used early game against tribal weenie decks.
Infest - Sweeper against weenies for cheap.
Hideous Laughter - Infest at instant speed.
Massacre - Great against white aggro decks.
Evincar's Justice - Great sweeper for pauper.
Pestilence - Used to see play on oldest lists as an 1 or 2-of. Nowadays, it's only used on a few pauper decks.
Damnation - Deals with anything that isn't indestructible. The best black sweeper ever made.
Mutilate - Sweeper that gets better as the game goes into mid-late. Works pretty well when played on turn 4 and gets better onward.
Nevinyrral's Disk - The other contender for the best black sweeper. It destroys anything that isn't land or planeswalker. Keep in mind this is one of the only ways that black have to deal with artifacts.
Night of Souls' Betrayal - Used on builds with little to no creatures. Kills permanently any X/1 creature. It's legendary so, unfortunately, can't be used in multiples.
Curse of Death's Hold - Used as an anti-weenie card on some decks. Costs 1 more than Betrayal but doesn't debuff your creatures and can be played on multiples.
Life's Finale - Budget Damnation. Cleans the board and lets you take out 3 threats from your opponent's deck.
All is Dust - Overcosted, but can deal with enchantments and planeswalkers as well.
Oblivion Stone - As much overcosted as the card above....And deals with ALL nonland permanents. Keep in mind this is one of the only ways that black have to deal with artifacts.
Black Sun's Zenith - At early game, it's good to deal against weenies. At mid-game, it makes strong creatures a lot weaker. At late-game, it can kill any creature. And it's reusable.
Draw:
I'll divide Draw on two sections: Draw and Tutors. I think both names tells what the cards on each section do.
The number of draws an MBC deck runs depends pretty much on which draws are those and how the deck itself plays. But it tends to be something between 4 to 8.
Draw Spells:
Night's Whisper - Same as above, but can't be used on opponents. Use them only if you own them but don't own Sign in Blood.
Dark Confidant - I consider this one the best creature ever printed. It's cheap, has an good body (2/1) and gives an massive amount of card advantage. But it's better used on more agressive strategies with cheap curve.
Necropotence - I think i can easily call this one the best black card ever printed. It offers and HUGE card advantage in the exchange of life. If you have any doubts about this card's power, search on the wiki for the Black Summer. Banned on Legacy.
Phyrexian Arena - The closest thing you can get from Necropotence at an cheap mana cost. Draw 1 extra card per turn by the excange of 1 life.
Dark Tutelage - Dark Confidant + Phyrexian Arena = This. Bad card, not worth running.
Phyrexian Rager - 1 card and a 2/2 body for 3 mana and 1 life. Not bad, but not really that good. Used on most pauper lists.
Graveborn Muse - Usually, it's an Phyrexian Arena on a 3/3 body.
Disciple of Bolas - Pretty good if you sac an fatty for it. Works better on builds that are creature-based or that run cards that can make profit from it, such as recursive creatures or equipments with Living Weapon.
Greed - It may draws you a lot of cards....But at the price of 2 life and mana. May work if you make an build that gains tons of life.
Yawgmoth's Bargain - Technically Necropotence for 6 mana. Banned on Legacy.
Skeletal Scrying - Although this one needs things on your graveyard to work, it's one of the best black draws ever. At instant speed you can draw lots of cards if you have enough mana and enough cards in your grave for it. Better used on mid-late game.
Tutor Spells:
Imperial Seal - Very pricey Vampiric Tutor at sorcery speed. Banned on Legacy.
Demonic Tutor - The father of all tutors. For 2 mana you get any card from your deck and put it into your hand. Banned on Legacy.
Infernal Tutor - Not really that good on MBC, but can bring you any card from your hand that you need another, or can be an Demonic Tutor if your hand is empty.
Beseech the Queen - The best legal tutor for black. At worse, it fetches you an card with cmc 3 or less. At best, it fetches any card in your deck for 3 mana.
Cruel Tutor - Sorcery-speed Vampiric Tutor for 3 mana.
Grim Tutor - For 3 mana and 3 life, puts any card from your deck into your hand. Very pricey.
Diabolic Tutor - Overcosted Demonic Tutor. Has seen a lot of play back on the Torment era.
Increasing Ambition - 5cmc tutor that has flashback.
Diabolic Revelation - Overcosted tutor that, if used with tons of mana, can search for a lot of cards from your deck.
Miscalaneous:
Those are cards that can be added to the deck along with discards, removals and finishers. Sometimes MBC decks drops some of its finishers to add more of those cards.
I'll divide this one in three sections: Lands, Creatures and Spells.
Lands will list lands that may be for the deck.
Creatures will list creatures that are useful on their own, but most of times aren't strong enough to seal the game by themselves.
Spells will list spells that are worth mentioning for being useful for the deck's gameplan.
Lands:
Dark Depths - Worth running if you want to play the Hex Depths plan.
Mishra's Factory - Lands that turn into creature can be pretty useful.
Mutavault - See above. But a lot less budget friendly.
Blinkmoth Nexus - See above. But has evasion.
Inkmoth Nexus - Works a lot better if you're going into the Infect route. Otherwise, there will be lots of times where you'd wish it was Blinkmoth Nexus instead.
Strip Mine - Land that destroys any land. Can lock the game with Crucible of Worlds. Banned on Legacy.
Wasteland - An slightly worse and a lot more pricey version of Strip Mine.
Fetchlands - Not really mandatory or necessary but some lists run it for deck thinning.
Bojuka Bog - Maindeckable graveyard hate. Sometimes the fact it ETB tapped can be bad.
Barren Moor - Used in a few Pauper lists as an additional card draw.
Darkmor Salvage - Recursive land. Works well on decks that run an land-saccing engine such as Smokestack.
Lake of the Dead - You lose an land but ramps into 4 mana. One of the best lands for MBC.
Cabal Coffers - I'd say this is the most broken land MBC can have other than Swamp. It gives such an absurd mana ramping when played right.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - Turns all your lands into broken lands. Works wonders with Cabal Coffers.
Creatures:
Hex Parasite - Good and cheap way to deal with planeswalkers. Requires mana investment, though.
Festercreep - Pauper creature tech to deal with Goblin tokens.
Ravenous Rats - Used in most online Pauper lists.
Nezumi Shortfang - Constant discard. May be good against control decks.
Vampire Hexmage - Great way to deal with Planeswalkers. Can also block early drops and combo with Dark Depths.
Bloodghast - Recursive creature. Useful on Prison decks that run Braids or Smokestack.
Withered Wretch - Graveyard hate for creature-centric builds.
Phyrexian Revoker - I can't say too much of this one other than it stops so many annoying cards that it's worth running at least on SB.
Vampire Nighthawk - Evasive creature with an good body that can destroy any creature and fetch you some life. Serves as an great attacker as well.
Hypnotic Specter - Used to be an staple on MBC and the reason is still valid: If not dealt with, it can rape your opponent's hand in no time.
Liliana's Specter - Used in some Pauper lists.
Faerie Macabre - You'll almost never cast it. But it's an great uncounterable, instant-speed graveyard hate.
Phyrexian Crusader - If you're going into the Infect route. This one is worth running.
Chittering Rats - One of the most used cards on Pauper MBC.
Nether Spirit - Used in most prison builds as an recursive creature.
Geralf's Messenger - Has an good body, Undying and takes an total of 4 life of your opponent without connecting. Seems good to me.
Abyssal Specter - Budget Hypnotic Specter.
Braids, Cabal Minion - It can create an prison-lock against all oppponents if backed up by Bloodghast,Bitterblossom or Crucible of Worlds.
Liliana's Shade - Mana ramping on black is pretty rare nowadays. I may try to use it on an Pauper list to see if it's good enough for it.
Solemn Simulacrum - Mana ramping AND card drawing on an 2/2 body is worth mentioning.
Twisted Abomination - Used in a few pauper lists as an early game land search and an late-game threat.
Spells:
Funeral Charm - Works as an multi-purpose card by making your opponent discard an card or killing that annoying X/1 creature.
Extirpate - Uncounterable way to deal with any problematic card in an graveyard.
Surgical Extraction - Same as above. But trades the uncounterability for being able to be played for "free".
Deathmark - Useful against white and green midrange decks.
Pithing Needle - Shuts off any annoying triggered ability.
Ivory Tower - Nets you some life every turn if you can keep your life full. Works pretty well with Necropotence, as seen on most classic builds.
Nihil Spellbomb - Graveyard hate that cantrips.
Bitterblossom - For 2 mana. You get an 1/1 flying body at the cheap price of 1 life every turn. Works better on more agressive list but may see play on control or prison as well due to cards like Contamination.
Scepter of Fogue - Constant discard. Can be good against control decks.
Smallpox - Massive disruption. For both players.
Sinkhole - Land Destruction at its best. Works well on prison strategies. Pricey
Ratchet Bomb - Worth running since it can deal with artifacts and enchantments, but it's kinda too slow.
Yawgmoth's Will - I think i don't really need to explain why Yawgmoth's Will is an good card. Just keep in mind that you need to know when and how to use it for making optimal play of it.
Contamination - With Bitterblossom or Bloodghast, can lock any nonblack player out of the game.
Rain of Tears - Budget Sinkhole.
Rancid Earth - Same as above. But kills those pesky X/1.
Syphon Life - Works well on multiplayer. Not as good as his discard cousin, but still worth mentioning.
Dystopia - Great sideboard card against white or green decks.
Sadistic Sacrament - Often used as an sideboard card, it can take away any problematic threat in your opponent's deck.
Pox - This one is kinda hard to understand at the very beggining. Most decks that run Pox usually casts it when the opponent has an better board position than the caster, taking him back 2 or 3 turns in terms of cards, lands and creatures while it takes you back one turn. Most decks that run it use recursive cards such as Bloodghast, Nether Spirit or Crucible of The Worlds to rebuild its board position faster than the opponents, backed up by cheap yet efficient spells.
If you want to run it. Try to build your deck around it by using cheap spells and recursive effects to make Pox works as an almost one-sided effect.
(Thanks to Maserati for explaining, with details, how Pox decks works)
Liliana of the Veil - The best black planeswalker printed (and possibly the second best planeswalker printed). Liliana screams MBC everywhere. She disrupts the opponent on every way that MBC wants to disrupt. Most people may see her first ability bad for making its controller discard as well but keep in mind that there are a lot of cards on MBC that may be useless on mid-late game such as discard spells or lands. Even removal sometimes since Liliana herself works as an constant removal.
Crucible of Worlds - Can create Strip Mine lock. Works well with Braids, Cabal Minion or Smokestack.
Trinisphere - If you build your deck around an prison strategy, this may be worth considering.
Powder Keg - Worth running since it deals with artifacts and enchantments, but it's kinda too slow.
Mimic Vat - Works well with creatures that have nice ETB effects. Can also be used to grab creatures that you kill.
Staff of Domination - It works as an multi-purpose tool on decks that can generate an good amount of mana.
Syphon Mind - Works wonders on multiplayer.
Nether Void - The only counterspell worth running on black. Works on more controllish builds and it's far from being budget-friendly.
Liliana of the Dark Realms - New Lili is pretty good for MBC as well. Making the deck never miss an land drop is good, and she also works as an removal.
Smokestack - Works pretty much on the same way that Braids, Cabal Minion works, but is harder to deal with.
Liliana Vess - Classic Lili is still worth running: She can take out cards from your opponent's hand or make you search for the card you need.
Haunting Echoes - Great against control after you ripped his hand. Sometimes casting it finish games.
Mirari - Used to see a lot of play on MBC decks from the Torment Era. May grant huge card advantage for 3 mana and a spell.
Sorin Markov - I could put him on the finisher section, i think he is too slow to win by himself so i decided to put him on this section. Sorin is other of the best planeswalkers ever made for MBC. It can kill ani X/2 creature and fetches you life for it, can make your opponent's life go to ten no matter how much life he've gained before or he can simply wreck your opponent's game by making you play his cards.
Death Cloud - On an deck built around it, casting it means technically winning the game against most decks.
Chalice of the Void - Used to be an staple for some prison decks. Nowadays sees play even on midrange decks on Legacy due to the high number of 1-2 drops on the format.
Finishers
The cards that seal the game. I'll divide them into two sections: Creatures and Non-Creatures.
The number of finishers your deck uses depends on the kind of deck you're playing. But most times 4 is the right number.
Creature Finishers:
Nantuko Shade - Although it's an agressive creature by itself, Nantuko Shade can easily be played on MBC. He is an cheap and efficient creature that can be pretty hard to remove by damage on mid-late game. Keep in mind that this little guy makes your useless late-game Dark Rituals become an boost for him.
Wicked Akuba - Budget Nantuko Shade or Pauper finisher. I run it on my Pauper MBC and it works pretty well. If able to connect to the opponent, makes your late-game Dark Rituals useful.
Nyxathid - Works better on discard-heavy builds that tends to be more aggro-ish. But can still be played on control if running constant discard.
Phyrexian Negator - Classic Finisher. Keep in mind that, by running him, you make your matchups against red decks harder to win.
Plague Sliver - This is kind of an budget finisher. He is a 5/5 for 4 that pings you for 1 each turn. It gets worse if there are multiples on the battlefield. On the good side, it's great against Slivers.
Abyssal Persecutor - 4 mana for an 6/6 flying trample? GREAT! But it needs an way to be dealt with after finishing its work.
Phyrexian Obliterator - Negator on steroids, It's virtually unblockable and can seal the game pretty fast. Pretty good for only 4 mana.
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade - At my point of view, one of the best finishers for MBC. It gets stronger as the game progress and isn't bad of being run in multiples.
Phyrexian Vatmother - If you're going through the infect route. This one can serve as an budget or additional finisher.
Lashwrithe - Not an creature, but works as one. It's an Korlash that can be equipped on other creatures you may have on your deck to make them huge threats. Run these only on creature-heavy builds.
Malakir Bloodwitch - Evasive creature with protection from white. Good if your deck has an vampire subtheme. Budget finisher.
Bloodgift Demon - Phyrexian Arena on an 5/4 evasive body for 5 mana.
Demigod of Revenge - 5/4 haste flying for 5 is good. Gets even better if your opponent kills one of them and you have another in hand. If you're going to play these, play 4.
Divinity of Pride - If you're going to the life-draining route, this one may be worth running
Skithiryx, The Blight Dragon - If you're going on the Infect route, this one is your finisher of choice.
Batterskull - Again, not an creature but works an one. 5 for an 4/4 lifelink vigilance isn't that great. But the fact it is an recursive creature makes it worth mentioning.
Nightmare - An classic and budget-wise finisher.
Midnight Banshee - Creature that makes all nonblack creatures weaker every turn. Budget finisher.
Dread - Evasive and strong finisher that punishes your opponent for attacking you. Budget-wise.
Grave Titan - Great finisher. Maybe the best for MBC nowadays. For 6 mana you get an total of 10 power in 3 bodies. When attacks, two new 2/2 bodies for you.
Kokusho, The Evening Star - An big, evasive body that punishes your opponent for killing it. Not budget friendly.
Laquatus's Champion - Takes 6 life from your opponent when ETB. has an weak toughness but regenerates.
Geth, Lord of the Vault - 6 mana for an 5/5 evasive body with an ability that can bring back creatures you killed and put them at your side.
Visara, The Dreadful - Evasive body that can kill any creature, used on some of the Torment era builds.
Massacre Wurm - It's basically Infest with an 6/6 body for 6 mana. As an bonus, it punishes your opponents for having an army of weenies.
Oona, Queen of the Fae - Can win the game by 3 different ways. Good for making an weenie army.
Steel Hellkite - When it connects, it will, most of times, take away your opponent's best threat or clean his board of weenies.
Wurmcoil Engine - An personal favourite. It kills any creature, fetches you life and is hard to be dealt with.
Shelodred, The Whispering One - Its constant edict+reanimate effect may make her an decent finisher.
Avatar of Woe - It can come for 2 in long games against aggro and kills any creature. May be worth considering.
Tombstalker - Last time i've checked, an 5/5 for 2 mana is pretty good. Can be kinda problematic running multiples if you're playing an more midrange-ish deck.
Griselbrand - It's basically Yawgmoth's Bargain with an 7/7 flying lifelink body. Not very budget-friendly nowadays.
If you have ways to make tons of mana (such as Urborg + Cabal Coffers), you can also try to use the Eldrazi Titans as finishers.
Non-Creature Finishers:
Sorin's Vengeance - 10 damage of pure life-draining for 7 mana. Worth being used on builds that run some beatsticks or that runs Sorin itself.
Exsanguinate - Good finisher for multiplayer.
Phyrexian Totem - I've seen a few prison decks run those as their choice of finisher. It's an early game mana ramp that for 3 mana every turn works as an Phyrexian Negator.
Karn Liberated - Well, it works as both discard and removal, is hard to deal with through damage and has an finisher that can win the game by itself. I think it's worth considering it an good finisher.
Decklists:
Mono-Black Control by 1996 Pro Tour New York Qualifier Winner Paul Pantera:
2x Dancing Scimitar
3x Order of the Ebon Hand
2x Sengir Vampire
2x Ihsan's Shade
4x Hypnotic Specter
4x Hymn to Tourach
4x Dark Ritual
3x Necropotence
3x Drain Life
2x Demonic Consultation
4x Nevinyrral's Disk
1x Zuran Orb
1x Ivory Tower
1x Icy Manipulator
4x Mishra's Factory
4x Strip Mine
17x Swamp
Justin Gary's MBC, from U.S. Nationals' Top 8 from 2003:
23 Swamp
3 Undead Gladiator
1 Visara the Dreadful
3 Chainer's Edict
3 Corrupt
4 Diabolic Tutor
4 Duress
2 Haunting Echoes
2 Innocent Blood
1 Mind Sludge
1 Mirari
3 Mutilate
1 Riptide Replicator
2 Skeletal Scrying
4 Smother
Traditional Pauper MBC by Zelderex's Pauper MBC Primer:
3 Barren Moor
20 Swamp
Creatures: 16
4 Chittering Rats
4 Phyrexian Rager
4 Ravenous Rats
2 Liliana's Specter
2 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
4 Corrupt
4 Sign in Blood
4 Tendrils of Corruption
3 Geth's Verdict
2 Echoing Decay
2 Grasp of Darkness
2 Wrench Mind
Standard Mono-Black Control by Philip Johnson:
1 Griselbrand
2 Grave Titan
2 Wurmcoil Engine
4 Solemn Simulacrum
Instants [4]
2 Doom Blade
2 Go for the Throat
2 Increasing Ambition
2 Sever the Bloodline
3 Black Sun's Zenith
Planeswalkers [5]
2 Liliana of the Veil
3 Karn Liberated
2 Batterskull
4 Pristine Talisman
4 Sphere of the Suns
Lands [25]
3 Buried Ruin
3 Cavern of Souls
19 Swamp
Modern Mono Black Control by Michael Diezel:
1 Phyrexian Obliterator
1 Tombstalker
4 Bloodghast
4 Dark Confidant
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Gravecrawler
4 Tragic Slip
Sorceries [11]
3 Thoughtseize
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Smallpox
Planeswalkers [4]
4 Liliana of the Veil
2 Tectonic Edge
3 Marsh Flats
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Mutavault
8 Swamp
Legacy's The Gate by Pocholo Bernardo:
2 Withered Wretch
3 Abyssal Persecutor
4 Dark Confidant
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
4 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Geth's Verdict
2 Go for the Throat
4 Dark Ritual
Sorceries [8]
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Hymn to Tourach
2 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Chalice of the Void
Lands [21]
1 Bojuka Bog
4 Wasteland
16 Swamp
Legacy's Smallpox by Kurtis Frazier
2 Nether Spirit
Instants [4]
4 Dark Ritual
Sorceries [19]
3 Innocent Blood
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Sinkhole
4 Smallpox
2 Nether Void
Planeswalkers [4]
4 Liliana of the Veil
Artifacts [5]
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Powder Keg
3 Cursed Scroll
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
11 Swamp
Legacy's Pox by Daniele Zambon
2 Nether Spirit
Instants [5]
1 Spinning Darkness
4 Dark Ritual
Sorceries [20]
1 Pox
3 Innocent Blood
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Sinkhole
4 Smallpox
1 Nether Void
Planeswalkers [4]
4 Liliana of the Veil
Artifacts [3]
3 Cursed Scroll
Lands [25]
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
13 Swamp
Vintage's Dark Times by Félix Lorente:
4 Dark Confidant
4 Hex Parasite
4 Nether Shadow
4 Vampire Hexmage
Instants [13]
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Vampiric Tutor
3 Diabolic Edict
4 Dark Ritual
4 Mental Misstep
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Yawgmoth's Will
4 Thoughtseize
Enchantments [1]
1 Necropotence
Artifacts [2]
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Strip Mine
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Dark Depths
4 Wasteland
9 Swamp
Grixis' Casual Creatureless MBC:
2x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
18x Swamp
4x Phyrexian Arena
4x Geth's Verdict
4x Unmake
2x Dismember
2x Smother
4x Duress
3x Hymn to Tourach
3x Black Sun' Zenith
2x Barter in Blood
2x Sorin's Vengeance
Grixis' Pauper MBC
20x Swamp
4x Crypt Rats
4x Wicked Akuba
4x Echoing Decay
4x Tendrils of Corruption
2x Grasp of Darkness
4x Hymn to Tourach
2x Duress
2x Unearth
2x Corrupt
Mono Black Staxx by Maserati
4 Wasteland
2 Mishra's Factory
4 City of Traitors
3 Polluted Delta
2 Bloodstained Mire
9 Swamp
4 Damnation
4 Rancid Earth
4 Smallpox
4 Dark Ritual
4 Desolation
3 Sundial of the Infinite
4 Crucible of Worlds
4 Smokestack
4 Trinsiphere
Notes:
Feel free to give suggestions of card choices, decklists, and useful links that i should post on the primer.
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
Keep in mind that both MBC and Discard has an very similiar early-game plan (unless you're playing some discard deck made around Megrim and The Rack). Both try to make your opponent run out of his toes by discard, the difference is between both is that MBD works better on early-mid game, due to having more slots dedicated to discard pieces and engines that work well with it. MBC wins through the mid-late game, having an slower gameplan that includes, in most lists, at least 4 discards (I've already seen some MBC decks without any discard but i believe it makes your control and combo matchup a lot worse). And remember, the good thing about black decks is that an good amount of its cards works well in almost any build you try to make.
Also, some midrange MBC decks could be considered discard decks (if it uses the usual 8 discard package and hippies),
What exactly means MP?
Consume Spirit is on the removal section because i see them being used, most of times as an removal or an pseudo-finisher in more midrange-ish builds. I'll put Exsanguinate on finishers instead of removal since i forgot it doesn't hit creatures lol. Drain Life wasn't added 'cause as far as i know it simply does the same thing that Consume do.
Nighthawk is on the primer, Miscalaneous section. If Soul Snuffers were common, i'd add it without any doubt. But is it really worth being played on MBC? It's for mana to kill all X/1 dudes and make other dudes, including himself, weaker.
I'm gonna include the other sugestions, I'll also include Ranci Earth since it seems like an better Rain of Tears for this deck.
Also, i'd like to include Pox on the Miscalaneous, but i don't know how to explain, in an easy way to understand, how this card works and how it should be used for optimal play. Could you help me on it?
Would you mind if i include your list on the primer's decklists?
Forgot about Victim of Night and Dyspotia. Gonn add them and Syphon Mind/Syphon Life for multiplayer purposes.
Disciple works as an sac outlet. Most of times Percy isn't the creature you re gonna sac it for. But it's an creature that nets you card, life AND can be used as an sac outlet for Percy without being bad. Of course you could use Innocent Blood or any other sac spell to take Percy out, but i think Disciple is worth mentioning.
And sorry for my grammar mistakes. I'm not native, but i'm gonna fix'em as well.
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
The question about Soul Snuffers is: Is it good outside Highlander? Is it worth running on MBC?
Idk. Most recursive creatures this deck wants are for prison strategies. And prison strategies don't like the idea of having to pay mana for bringing back his sac outlet. If more people agree that I should put it in, I will.
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
Oona, Queen of the Fae: A big flyer that bypasses quite a bit of removal. She is also great since she provides you with additional 1/1 flying dudes. I would only run her in mbc lists running Cabal Coffers.
Kokusho, the Evening Star: Another large flyer that eats into opposing life totals. Kokusho plays quite nicely with mbc since you are free to clear the board with Damnation/Mutilate or just play another Kokusho to seal the game.
Staff of Domination: In a mbc list running Coffers, this is a nice card. It draws you multiple cards, taps down a threat, or untap a threat of your own.
Mimic Vat: Lets you abuse "enters the battlefield" creatures or just pop out a hasted massive threat each turn. You would be surprised by the number of times a Mimic Vat with a Shriekmaw/Skinrender can shut down aggro.
You should list Cruel Tutor and Grim Tutor in your primer. They are pricey and can be hard to acquire, but they still deserve mentioning.
Nice cards, gonna add them.
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
It depends on your build. Disciple works better on builds that run more than 12 creatures, or those which run recursive creatures. It's pretty good on builds that run Lashwrithe, since you can sac the germ token and equip it on him. I could also see it being used with Demigod of Revenge in post-combat phase, since it becomes likely for you to play another demigod next turn.
It doesn't work on any MBC deck, but it works on a MBC deck that can make profit from it. Also, i've just realized that it isn't that good with Percy, gonna change it on the primer.
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
Of course, Necro is bad with other aditional lifeloss spells on the deck. But it's not really an card that needs to tweak that much around it. Most MBC decks nowadays run some way to gain life as the game progress (Nighthawk, Tendrils, Corrupt, even Jitte on Midrange builds), which makes necro's lifeloss affordable since it grants answers to your opponents' threats.
I believe Necro isn't actually an card that needs to be built around, but it's an card that must be played wisely for its optimal use. It's not because it can take you to seven cards every turn that you MUST use it to have seven cards every turn.
I'm going to add Ivory Tower to the primer since it works well with Necro and used to see play on older lists.
On an side note, do you guys think that Umezawa's Jitte is worth mentioning on the primer. It works better on aggro decks but some midrange lists run it.
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
Gonna add Genju as an budget finisher and Darkmoor Salvage as an recur land.
Isn't Death Cloud used only on Rock decks with persist creatures and fast mana ramping?
Never seen an MBC list run Tendrils of Agony and i think it requires too much mana on the deck to be useful for at least 8 points of damage (considering the deck's average curve is 2-3 and gets heavier through the game). By the time you want to use it for 3-4 times, wouldn't you just do better running Corrupt or Sorin's Vengeance, which doesn't force you to cast other spells to make it effective ?
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
There are plenty of ways. I run it in my MBC deck without rituals, and it only runs 19 lands, and no ways of recurring them. Control decks aim for longer games, and mid-to-late games make it easy to get 6-7 lands out. If you have cabal coffers, things are even better. Anyway, with 6-7 lands out, just throw out cheap discard spells like duress or thoughtsieze. Or through out our cheap removal like ghastly demise or Innocent blood. Or even better would be "free" spells like spinning darkness or flashback cabal therapy. You only need to cast a few of these then toss the tendrils out. the good part is the cards like duress can take out any counterspells they might have. Another option is to let you opponent play the spells for you. Play something you know they will counter or wait for them to throw out some removal on your own guys. Plenty of players will wait until you attack to use the kill spells, and a good player will know how to force their opponent between a rock and a hard place. Between you and your opponent, 2 spells besides tendrils really shouldn't be that hard to come up with.
In fact, I can never recall a time when tendrils have ever hit for less than 6 life in any of my games.
Thanks, looking forward for your contributions.
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
This primer wasn't good enough to be moved to the Primers section?
On DeTora's extra land drop on PT:GTC
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Thanks to DarkNightCavalier for this awesome banner. [I'd cut the symbols.]
What is Mono Black Control ?
almostnever uses Counterspells(and when uses, it's the overpriced Nether Void). It uses, instead, lots of removals andsomediscard, powered up by strong card-drawing and finishers...Which can vary from very though creatures to life-draining spells.MBC has been present in Magic since the first days of the game. Although its first golden age was back in 1996, the so-called Black Summer. When the format was dominated by Necropetence. The deck then made an comeback on the Urza Block...Running Phyrexian Negator with strong discard and good removals. With the release of Torment, a black-centered set, MBC has shown up again. Actually, the set gave so much great cards for black that it was impossible to not see the deck make a comeback. Nowadays, MBC sees some play on most formats [it does?], but isn't tier one in any of them. It's closest build to see competitive play is on Legacy as "The Gate". Although this deck tends to be more of an aggro-ish deck.
Why play MBC ?
The deck's strategy is to disrupt your opponent through early and mid-game via discard and removal, estabilishing a board control by making your opoonent run out of resources. This is when you start to play your agressive plan by dropping huge bombs or strong spells that can win the game pretty fast.
The number of discards, removals and threats you run depends pretty much on how you want your deck to work: Some decks run only 4-8 threats, while running 4 to 12 discard spells, an good amount of card drawing and tons of removals. Other builds try to have more threats by playing somewhat 12 creatures while having less removals. It depends on what kind of deck you're running, since MBC can be run into 3 different ways:
1) Control deck, with tons of removals, some discard and a few finishers and backbreaking spells.
2) Midrange deck, running more threats and being kinda creature-centered. Making it more agressive.
3) Prison deck, running combinations of cards that locks the opponent out of the games. Packed up by a few removals and lots of discards.
Usually, MBC starts the game making your opponent discard and then it destroys the opponents' threats that hit the table. Later on, it drops its "bombs" to seal the game. The deck may also go into a Prison deck route, using 2-card interactions to lock opponents out of the game. Keep in mind that Prison strategies are considered one of the most unfun strategies of Magic and can be boring even to its pilot.
Another reason to run MBC is that it also tends to be an amazing deck for multiplayer.
How to Build MBC ?
You want to remove your opponent's resources and destroy his creatures while still beating him in the face? Run Midrange.
You want to extend the game, making your opponent run out of resources and then drop game-winning bombs? Run Control.
You want to lock your opponent's game and make him lose slowly and painfully? Run Prison.
Usually for MBC, the first two routes are chosen [are they?]. By deciding what route you choose, it makes you decide which cards you should run and which cards you shouldn't. Some cards usually are present in any route you choose, since they're pretty good for any of those decks.
The manabase also depends on your build: Midrange lists tends to use something between 22-24 lands, while Control plays something between 24-27. Prison decks depends on which spells they're using, but it's most of times never less than 20.
Card Choices
Since MBC's plans usually starts with discard, i'll begin with them.
Discard can be divided in two sections: Selected discard or multiple discards.
Selected discards are the ones who let you choose which card your opponent will discard, usually by looking at his hand. It also gives you information on what your opponent is playing, thus making you anticipate its moves by playing around it.
Multiple discards are cards that take more than one card from your opponent, generating Card Advantage. but doesn't let you choose them.
The more slow the deck is, the less discard it'll run. [makes sense. but needs to be explained. and I'm not sure it's true] Most MBC decks runs somewhere between 4 to 8 discards. Faster decks sometimes run 10 discards, while slower decks runs 4 or less.
Selected Discard:
NOTE: Keep in mind that, since MBC has lots of ways to deal with creatures, you should almost always take out an noncreature spell with selected discards. [because...]
want torun a lot of removals for them? It's still considered by some the best 1cmc discard spell ever made. And from my point of view, the best discard spell for this deck.Thoughtseize - Duress was considered by all players the best 1cmc discard spell until the printing of this card. For 1 mana and 2 life, you can take out ANY nonland card on your opponent's hand. Keep in mind that the 2 life you lose from it can mean a lot against faster decks. Also, it's price tag isn't very favorable.
Inquisition of Kozilek - This one is better used on early game, therefore, better played against aggro and combo decks. Takes out your opponents' early threats without costing any life. Keep in mind that, since you're playing an controllish deck, this card tends to be pretty bad on late-game. [it's not a only a matter of timing, but mana curves in general.]
Appetite for Brains - The reverse of Inquisition. This one is better played against control and midrange decks and is better played on late-game. [I'd not mention this.]
Blackmail - It's not really that great of an card since it gives your opponent the oportunity to decide which cards you should see. [same as above. discard primer covers a lot of discard options, we don't need to list the bad ones here]
Cabal Therapy - This card needs a little play around it. Better used when packed with another selected discard or with something worth sacrificing. Still, it can take out any nonland card.
Distress - Thoughtseize that trades 2 life for 1 more mana. Not really good but worth mentioning. [see above]
Mesmeric Fiend - Takes out one card from your opponent's hand. But that card will come back to him if it dies. [generally not a good idea if you run sweepers, the WB 2/2 version is good because it can beat while withholding a drop in the op.'s curve. that's not MBC's game]
Multiple Discard:
NOTE: Keep in mind that multiple discard is great on early game but pretty much useless on late game against most decks. [explain why]
Wrench Mind - Budget Hymn. For 2 mana you take 2 cards at your opponent's choice. Pretty bad if used against artifact-heavy decks. [not worth mentioning]
Augur of Skulls - It serves as an blocker or as an discard outlet...
May beGood in pauper.Stupor - See it as an mix of Hymn and Wrech Mind that costs 3 mana. Can be seen as an budget Hymn as well. [not worth mentioning]
Mind Rot - If you're going to run it.... Run Stupor or Wrench Mind instead. [not worth mentioning]
Persecute - For 4 mana, wrecks any monocolored deck and is pretty good against multicolored deck as well.
Mind Sludge - Most of times it reads: "4B - Target player discards his or her hand". Great card for MBC.
Mind Twist - Can do insane things, especially when packed up with Dark Ritual. Banned on Legacy.
Mind Shatter - Same as above but costs 1 more mana. That being said, most of times not worth running. [not worth mentioning]
Removals:
I'll divide removals in three categories: Targeted, Sacrifice, Sweeper.
Targeted removals are spells that deals with creatures right away, but can't deal with creatures with Shroud, Hexproof, Protection from Black [or that are indestructible].
Sacrifice removals are those which forces your opponents on sacrificing creatures. Therefore, it may not take out the creature you need to take out.
Sweeper removals are spells that, most of times, destroy all creatures on the battlefield.
MBC usually runs something between 12 to 18 removals, depending on the build.
Targeted Removals:
Ghastly Demise - Better used on decks that can fill up the graveyard. [not worth mentioning]
Terror - Classic removal. Cheap and efficient but can't kill black creatures or artifact creatures.
Shriekmaw - Terror on a stick which can be evoked, being used early game as an sorcery-speed Terror. Also, has evasion.
Doom Blade - Same as Terror but kills artifact creatures. Let creatures regenerate, which may be a little relevant against a few decks.
Smother - Better used against weenie decks or decks with an low creature curve.
Go for the Throat - Great removal that only fails against artifact creatures.
Victim of Night - Great removal against most creatures. Not recommended if your meta has an good amount of the creature types it can't kill.
Hideus End - Doom Blade that also takes some life from the opponent for 1 more mana. [not worth mentioning]
Dark Banishing - Terror + Doom Blade = This. But costs 1 more mana. [not worth mentioning]
Murder - This newcomer from M13 is worth mentioning since it is an unconditional creature removal.
Assassinate - If you're going to run it, you should run Murder instead. [not worth mentioning]
Rend Flesh - Good against anything that isn't an spirit. But i'd still run Murder.
Unmake - Unconditional removal that deals with any creature not called Misthollow Griffin forever.
Ash to Ashes - For 3 mana and 5 life, you exile 2 creatures. Seems good to me. [not worth mentioning]
Sever the Bloodline - Great at killing tokens. At worst, it exiles creatures and has flashback.
Snuff Out - Dark Banishing that can be played for free by the price of 4 life.
Faceless Butcher - Exiles an creature when ETB and have an 2/3 body. Keep in mind that, if he dies, the exiled creature comes back. [as Fiend, it's problematic if you plan to sweep later.]
Tragic Slip - Kills X/1 or can even kill an Darksteel Colossus if <you kill> another creature [dies] before.
Disfigure - Cheap and efficient removal against weenies. [not worth mentioning]
Dead Weight - Same as above but makes bigger creatures weaker. [not worth mentioning]
Grasp of Darkness - Kills most creatures on the early and mid game for 2 mana. [not worth mentioning]
Echoing Decay - Great at killing tokens for cheap. [not worth mentioning]
Dismember - Considered by some the best black removal ever made. Cheap and efficient that can kill many creatures.
Skinrender - Destroy anything with toughness 3 or less or makes anything bigger than that weaker while granting an 3/3 body.
Serrated Arrows - Used a lot on pauper. It serves as an colorless removal against weenies and an permanent debuff against bigger threats. [not worth mentioning]
Tendrils of Corruption - An personal favourite. It's a little bit overcosted but kills a lot of creaturs and nets you lots of life doing so.
Spinning Darkness - Free removal against nonblack creatures that fetches you some life. [not worth mentioning]
Soul Spike - See above, but that one can be used against any creature and against your opponent as well. [not worth mentioning]
Consume Spirit - Are used in a very few Pauper MBC lists, and can be used as an finisher sometimes.
Drain Life - Same as above, but a little restrictive by not letting you pay 8 mana to gain 6 life while killing an 4/4 creature. Run those only if you own them but don't own Consume Spirit or if you're trying to go into the oldschool route. [not worth mentioning]
Sacrifice Removals:
Geth's Verdict - Instant speed sacrificing effect that takes 1 life from your opponent. At my point of view, the best sacrificing effect ever made.
Diabolic Edict - Same as above but slightly worse and less budget-friendly. Run these only if you own them already.
Cruel Edict - Same as Diabolic Edict, but at sorcery speed.
Chainer's Edict - Same as Cruel Edict. But worth running due to Flashback.
[I'd mention the 2cmc Edicts in one paragraph, sorted by relevance. (Geth, Diabolic, Chainer, Cruel).
Gatekeeper of Malakir - 99% of the times you'll play it with its kicker cost. It's an Cruel Edict with an 2/2 body for 3. I'd run these anytime of the day.
Fleshbag Marauder - Sacrificing effect on an 3/1 body. Keep in mind that if you cast him without any other creature on the battlefied, it'll only be an overcosted Innocent Blood [that can be recurred, that's its selling point].
Tribute to Hunger - Makes opponent sacrifices an creature for 3 mana and fetches you some life. Worth considering. [not worth mentioning]
Consuming Vapors - Tribute to Hunger x2 at sorcery speed that costs 4. Worth running if your curve allows it. [not worth mentioning]
Barter in Blood - Innocent Blood x2 for 4 mana. Used a lot better in creatureless builds or builds that run very few creatures.
Killing Wave - The reason i won't put it on the sweeper section is that it lets your opponent choose which creatures he's going to sacrifice, therefore working as an sacrificing effect. It's a lot more useful on late game, when you already have an good amount of mana. [not worth mentioning]
Sweeper Removals:
Engineered Plague - Great when used early game against tribal weenie decks.
Infest - Sweeper against weenies for cheap.
Hideous Laughter - Infest at instant speed.
Massacre - Great against white aggro decks.
Evincar's Justice - Great sweeper for pauper.
Pestilence - Used to see play on oldest lists as an 1 or 2-of. Nowadays, it's only used on a few pauper decks.
Damnation - Deals with anything that isn't indestructible. The best black sweeper ever made.
Mutilate - Sweeper that gets better as the game goes into mid-late. Works pretty well when played on turn 4 and gets better onward.
Nevinyrral's Disk - The other contender for the best black sweeper. It destroys anything that isn't land or planeswalker. Keep in mind this is one of the only ways that black have to deal with artifacts.
Night of Souls' Betrayal - Used on builds with little to no creatures. Kills permanently any X/1 creature. It's legendary so, unfortunately, can't be used in multiples.
Curse of Death's Hold - Used as an anti-weenie card on some decks. Costs 1 more than Betrayal but doesn't debuff your creatures and can be played on multiples.
Life's Finale - Budget Damnation. Cleans the board and lets you take out 3 threats from your opponent's deck.
All is Dust - Overcosted, but can deal with enchantments and planeswalkers as well.
Oblivion Stone - As much overcosted as the card above....And deals with ALL nonland permanents. Keep in mind this is one of the only ways that black have to deal with artifacts.
Black Sun's Zenith - At early game, it's good to deal against weenies. At mid-game, it makes strong creatures a lot weaker. At late-game, it can kill any creature. And it's reusable.
Draw:
I'll divide Draw on two sections: Draw and Tutors. I think both names tell what the cards on each section do.
The number of draws an MBC deck runs depends pretty much on what draws are played and how the deck itself plays. But it tends to be something between 4 to 8.
Draw Spells:
Night's Whisper - Same as above, but can't be used on opponents. Use them only if you own them but don't own Sign in Blood.
Dark Confidant - I consider this one the best creature ever printed. It's cheap, has an good body (2/1) and gives an massive amount of card advantage. But it's better used on more agressive strategies with cheap curve.
Necropotence - I think i can easily call this one the best black card ever printed. It offers and HUGE card advantage in the exchange of life. If you have any doubts about this card's power, search on the wiki for the Black Summer. Banned in Legacy.
Phyrexian Arena - The closest thing you can get from Necropotence at an cheap mana cost. Draw 1 extra card per turn by the excange of 1 life.
Dark Tutelage - Dark Confidant + Phyrexian Arena = This. Bad card, not worth running. [why mention it?]
Phyrexian Rager - 1 card and a 2/2 body for 3 mana and 1 life. Not bad, but not really that good. Used on most pauper lists. [not worth mentioning]
Graveborn Muse - Usually, it's an Phyrexian Arena on a 3/3 body.
Disciple of Bolas - Pretty good if you sac an fatty for it. Works better on builds that are creature-based or that run cards that can make profit from it, such as recursive creatures or equipments with Living Weapon. [not worth mentioning]
Greed - It may draws you a lot of cards....But at the price of 2 life and mana. May work if you make an build that gains tons of life. [not worth mentioning]
Yawgmoth's Bargain - Technically Necropotence for 6 mana. Banned on Legacy.
Skeletal Scrying - Although this one needs things on your graveyard to work, it's one of the best black draws ever. At instant speed you can draw lots of cards if you have enough mana and enough cards in your grave for it. Better used on mid-late game.
Tutor Spells:
Imperial Seal - Very pricey Vampiric Tutor at sorcery speed. Banned in Legacy.
Demonic Tutor - The father of all Tutors. For 2 mana you get any card from your deck and put it into your hand. Banned in Legacy.
Infernal Tutor - Not really that good on MBC, but can bring you any card from your hand that you need another, or can be an Demonic Tutor if your hand is empty. [not worth mentioning]
Beseech the Queen - The best legal tutor for black. At worse, it fetches you an card with cmc 3 or less. At best, it fetches any card in your deck for 3 mana.
Cruel Tutor - Sorcery-speed Vampiric Tutor for 3 mana. [not worth mentioning]
Grim Tutor - For 3 mana and 3 life, puts any card from your deck into your hand. Very pricey. [not worth mentioning]
Diabolic Tutor - Overcosted Demonic Tutor. Has seen a lot of play back on the Torment era.
Increasing Ambition - 5cmc tutor that has flashback. [mention that it needs heavy accel]
Diabolic Revelation - Overcosted tutor that, if used with tons of mana, can search for a lot of cards from your deck.
Miscellaneous:
Those are cards that can be added to the deck along with discards, removals and finishers. Sometimes MBC decks drops some of its finishers to add more of those cards.
I'll divide this one in three sections: Lands, Creatures and Spells.
Lands will list lands that may be for the deck.
Creatures will list creatures that are useful on their own, but most of times aren't strong enough to seal the game by themselves.
Spells will list spells that are worth mentioning for being useful for the deck's gameplan.
Lands:
Dark Depths - Worth running if you want to play the Hex Depths plan. [?]
Mishra's Factory - Lands that turn into creature can be pretty useful.
Mutavault - See above. But a lot less budget friendly.
Blinkmoth Nexus - See above. But has evasion.
Inkmoth Nexus - Works a lot better if you're going into the Infect route. Otherwise, there will be lots of times where you'd wish it was Blinkmoth Nexus instead. [why? it ends games faster]
Strip Mine - Land that destroys any land. Can lock the game with Crucible of Worlds. Banned in Legacy.
Wasteland - An slightly worse and a lot more pricey version of Strip Mine.
Fetchlands - Not really mandatory or necessary but some lists run it for deck thinning. [not worth mentioning. tag is not working]
Bojuka Bog - Maindeckable graveyard hate. Sometimes the fact it ETB tapped can be bad.
Barren Moor - Used in a few Pauper lists as an additional card draw. [not worth mentioning]
Darkmor Salvage - Recursive land. Works well on decks that run an land-saccing engine such as Smokestack.
Lake of the Dead - You lose an land but ramps into 4 mana. One of the best lands for MBC. [? Uhm, no it isn't. In Suidicde it's good, hardly in a deck that needs long term resources]
Cabal Coffers - I'd say this is the most broken land MBC can have other than Swamp. It gives such an absurd mana ramping when played right.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - Turns all your lands into broken lands. [?] Works wonders with Cabal Coffers.
Creatures:
Hex Parasite - Good and cheap way to deal with planeswalkers. Requires mana investment, though. [not worth mentioning]
Festercreep - Pauper creature tech to deal with Goblin tokens. [not worth mentioning]
Ravenous Rats - Used in most online Pauper lists. [not worth mentioning]
Nezumi Shortfang - Constant discard. May be good against control decks.
Vampire Hexmage - Great way to deal with Planeswalkers. Can also block early drops and combo with Dark Depths. [DD is the only reason to play this]
Bloodghast - Recursive creature. Useful on Prison decks that run Braids, Cabal Minion or Smokestack.
Withered Wretch - Graveyard hate for creature-centric builds. [not worth mentioning]
Phyrexian Revoker - I can't say too much of this one other than it stops so many annoying cards that it's worth running at least on SB.
Vampire Nighthawk - Evasive creature with an good body that can destroy any creature and fetch you some life. Serves as an great attacker as well.
Hypnotic Specter - Used to be an staple on MBC and the reason is still valid: If not dealt with, it can rape your opponent's hand in no time.
Liliana's Specter - Used in some Pauper lists. [not worth mentioning]
Faerie Macabre - You'll almost never cast it. But it's an great uncounterable, instant-speed graveyard hate. [not worth mentioning]
Phyrexian Crusader - If you're going into the Infect route. This one is worth running.
Chittering Rats - One of the most used cards on Pauper MBC. [not worth mentioning]
Nether Spirit - Used in most prison builds as an recursive creature.
Geralf's Messenger - Has an good body, Undying and takes an total of 4 life of your opponent without connecting. Seems good to me.
Abyssal Specter - Budget Hypnotic Specter. [not worth mentioning]
Braids, Cabal Minion - It can create an prison-lock against all oppponents if backed up by Bloodghast, Bitterblossom or Crucible of Worlds.
Liliana's Shade - Mana ramping on black is pretty rare nowadays. I may try to use it on an Pauper list to see if it's good enough for it. [not worth mentioning]
Solemn Simulacrum - Mana ramping AND card drawing on an 2/2 body is worth mentioning.
Twisted Abomination - Used in a few pauper lists as an early game land search and an late-game threat. [not worth mentioning]
Spells:
Funeral Charm - Works as an multi-purpose card by making your opponent discard an card or killing that annoying X/1 creature. [not worth mentioning]
Extirpate - Uncounterable way to deal with any problematic card in an graveyard.
Surgical Extraction - Same as above. But trades the uncounterability for being able to be played for "free".
[I'd mention these in one paragraph]
Deathmark - Useful against white and green midrange decks. [not worth mentioning]
Pithing Needle - Shuts off any annoying triggered ability.
Ivory Tower - Nets you some life every turn if you can keep your life full. Works pretty well with Necropotence, as seen on most classic builds.
Nihil Spellbomb - Graveyard hate that cantrips. [not worth mentioning]
Bitterblossom - For 2 mana. You get an 1/1 flying body at the cheap price of 1 life every turn. Works better on more agressive list but may see play on control or prison as well due to cards like Contamination.
Fugue" target="blank">Scepter of Fugue - Constant discard. Can be good against control decks.
Smallpox - Massive disruption. For both players. [needs to be explain better. But Pox is an archetype of its own anyways.]
Sinkhole - Land Destruction at its best. Works well on prison strategies. Pricey. [why would MBS run random LD?]
Ratchet Bomb - Worth running since it can deal with artifacts and enchantments, but it's kinda too slow. [also mention Powedre Keg, and youre saying it's worth it but too slow?]
Yawgmoth's Will - I think i don't really need to explain why Yawgmoth's Will is an good card. Just keep in mind that you need to know when and how to use it for making optimal play of it. [honestly, I don't think this belongs in MBC]
Contamination - With Bitterblossom or Bloodghast, can lock any non-black player [honni soit qui mal y pense] out of the game.
Rain of Tears - Budget Sinkhole.[not worth mentioning]
Rancid Earth - Same as above. But kills those pesky X/1.[not worth mentioning]
Syphon Life - Works well on multiplayer. Not as good as his discard cousin, but still worth mentioning.
Dystopia - Great sideboard card against white or green decks. [not worth mentioning]
Sadistic Sacrament - Often used as an sideboard card, it can take away any problematic threat in your opponent's deck. [not worth mentioning]
Pox - This one is kinda hard to understand at the very beggining. Most decks that run Pox usually casts it when the opponent has an better board position than the caster, taking him back 2 or 3 turns in terms of cards, lands and creatures while it takes you back one turn. Most decks that run it use recursive cards such as Bloodghast, Nether Spirit or Crucible of The Worlds to rebuild its board position faster than the opponents, backed up by cheap yet efficient spells.
If you want to run it. Try to build your deck around it by using cheap spells and recursive effects to make Pox works as an almost one-sided effect.
(Thanks to Maserati for explaining, with details, how Pox decks works) [refer to Xanth's (?) Pox Primer in Legacy]
Liliana of the Veil - The best black planeswalker printed (and possibly the second best planeswalker printed). Liliana screams MBC everywhere. She disrupts the opponent on every way that MBC wants to disrupt. Most people may see her first ability bad for making its controller discard as well but keep in mind that there are a lot of cards on MBC that may be useless on mid-late game such as discard spells or lands. Even removal sometimes since Liliana herself works as an constant removal. [strongly disagree. neither is she that good, nor is your explanation anywhere near correct. there's a reason why she tanked from 70$ to below 20$.]
Crucible of Worlds - Can create Strip Mine lock. Works well with Braids, Cabal Minion or Smokestack.
Trinisphere - If you build your deck around an prison strategy, this may be worth considering. [not worth mentioning]
Powder Keg - Worth running since it deals with artifacts and enchantments, but it's kinda too slow. [belongs in the same paragrapg as Ratchet Bomb]
Mimic Vat - Works well with creatures that have nice ETB effects. Can also be used to grab creatures that you kill.
Staff of Domination - It works as an multi-purpose tool on decks that can generate an good amount of mana. [not worth mentioning]
Syphon Mind - Works wonders on multiplayer.
Nether Void - The only counterspell worth running on black. Works on more controllish builds and it's far from being budget-friendly.
Liliana of the Dark Realms - New Lili is pretty good for MBC as well. Making the deck never miss an land drop is good, and she also works as an removal.
Smokestack - Works pretty much on the same way that Braids, Cabal Minion works, but is harder to deal with.
Liliana Vess - Classic Lili is still worth running: She can take out cards from your opponent's hand or make you search for the card you need.
Haunting Echoes - Great against control after you ripped his hand. Sometimes casting it finish games. [not worth mentioning]
Mirari - Used to see a lot of play on MBC decks from the Torment Era. May grant huge card advantage for 3 mana and a spell. [used to copy removal & discard for CA, and on drain spells ftw. f.e. copy Sorin's Vengeance = gg]
Sorin Markov - I could put him on the finisher section, i think he is too slow to win by himself so i decided to put him on this section. Sorin is other of the best planeswalkers ever made for MBC. It can kill ani X/2 creature and fetches you life for it, can make your opponent's life go to ten no matter how much life he've gained before or he can simply wreck your opponent's game by making you play his cards. [bad explantion]
Death Cloud - On an deck built around it, casting it means technically winning the game against most decks. [needs better explanation, and usualy, DC decks are not MBC]
Chalice of the Void - Used to be an staple for some prison decks. Nowadays sees play even on midrange decks on Legacy due to the high number of 1-2 drops on the format.
Finishers
The cards that seal the game. I'll divide them into two sections: Creatures and Non-Creatures.
The number of finishers your deck uses depends on the kind of deck you're playing. But most times 4 is the right number.
Creature Finishers:
Nantuko Shade - Although it's an agressive creature by itself, Nantuko Shade can easily be played on MBC. He is an cheap and efficient creature that can be pretty hard to remove by damage on mid-late game. Keep in mind that this little guy makes your useless late-game Dark Rituals become an boost for him.
Wicked Akuba - Budget Nantuko Shade or Pauper finisher. I run it on my Pauper MBC and it works pretty well. If able to connect to the opponent, makes your late-game Dark Rituals useful. [? - not worth mentioning]
Nyxathid - Works better on discard-heavy builds that tends to be more aggro-ish. But can still be played on control if running constant discard. [wrong primer]
Phyrexian Negator - Classic Finisher. Keep in mind that, by running him, you make your matchups against red decks harder to win.
Plague Sliver - This is kind of an budget finisher. He is a 5/5 for 4 that pings you for 1 each turn. It gets worse if there are multiples on the battlefield. On the good side, it's great against Slivers.
Abyssal Persecutor - 4 mana for an 6/6 flying trample? GREAT! But it needs an way to be dealt with after finishing its work.
Phyrexian Obliterator - Negator on steroids, It's virtually unblockable and can seal the game pretty fast. Pretty good for only 4 mana.
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade - At my point of view, one of the best finishers for MBC. It gets stronger as the game progress and isn't bad of being run in multiples.
Phyrexian Vatmother - If you're going through the infect route. This one can serve as an budget or additional finisher.
Lashwrithe - Not an creature, but works as one. It's an Korlash that can be equipped on other creatures you may have on your deck to make them huge threats. Run these only on creature-heavy builds.
Malakir Bloodwitch - Evasive creature with protection from white. Good if your deck has an vampire subtheme. Budget finisher.
Bloodgift Demon - Phyrexian Arena on an 5/4 evasive body for 5 mana.
Demigod of Revenge - 5/4 haste flying for 5 is good. Gets even better if your opponent kills one of them and you have another in hand. If you're going to play these, play 4.
Divinity of Pride - If you're going to the life-draining route, this one may be worth running
Skithiryx, The Blight Dragon - If you're going on the Infect route, this one is your finisher of choice.
Batterskull - Again, not an creature but works an one. 5 for an 4/4 lifelink vigilance isn't that great. But the fact it is an recursive creature makes it worth mentioning.
Nightmare - An classic and budget-wise finisher.
Midnight Banshee - Creature that makes all nonblack creatures weaker every turn. Budget finisher.
Dread - Evasive and strong finisher that punishes your opponent for attacking you. Budget-wise.
Grave Titan - Great finisher. Maybe the best for MBC nowadays. For 6 mana you get an total of 10 power in 3 bodies. When attacks, two new 2/2 bodies for you.
Kokusho, The Evening Star - An big, evasive body that punishes your opponent for killing it. Not budget friendly.
Laquatus's Champion - Takes 6 life from your opponent when ETB. has an weak toughness but regenerates.
Geth, Lord of the Vault - 6 mana for an 5/5 evasive body with an ability that can bring back creatures you killed and put them at your side.
Visara, The Dreadful - Evasive body that can kill any creature, used on some of the Torment era builds.
Massacre Wurm - It's basically Infest with an 6/6 body for 6 mana. As an bonus, it punishes your opponents for having an army of weenies.
Oona, Queen of the Fae - Can win the game by 3 different ways. Good for making an weenie army.
Steel Hellkite - When it connects, it will, most of times, take away your opponent's best threat or clean his board of weenies.
Wurmcoil Engine - An personal favourite. It kills any creature, fetches you life and is hard to be dealt with.
Shelodred, The Whispering One - Its constant edict+reanimate effect may make her an decent finisher.
Avatar of Woe - It can come for 2 in long games against aggro and kills any creature. May be worth considering.
Tombstalker - Last time i've checked, an 5/5 for 2 mana is pretty good. Can be kinda problematic running multiples if you're playing an more midrange-ish deck.
Griselbrand - It's basically Yawgmoth's Bargain with an 7/7 flying lifelink body. Not very budget-friendly nowadays.
If you have ways to make tons of mana (such as Urborg + Cabal Coffers), you can also try to use the Eldrazi Titans as finishers.
[this needs some trimming, that should be done with the community. the Eldrazi link needs to be an url= one linking to the search.]
Non-Creature Finishers:
Sorin's Vengeance - 10 damage of pure life-draining for 7 mana. Worth being used on builds that run some beatsticks or that runs Sorin itself.
Exsanguinate - Good [:rolleyes:] finisher for multiplayer.
Phyrexian Totem - I've seen a few prison decks run those as their choice of finisher. It's an early game mana ramp that for 3 mana every turn works as an Phyrexian Negator.
Karn Liberated - Well, it works as both discard and removal, is hard to deal with through damage and has an finisher that can win the game by itself. I think it's worth considering it an good finisher.
Decklists:
Mono-Black Control by 1996 Pro Tour New York Qualifier Winner Paul Pantera:
2x Dancing Scimitar
3x Order of the Ebon Hand
2x Sengir Vampire
2x Ihsan's Shade
4x Hypnotic Specter
4x Hymn to Tourach
4x Dark Ritual
3x Necropotence
3x Drain Life
2x Demonic Consultation
4x Nevinyrral's Disk
1x Zuran Orb
1x Ivory Tower
1x Icy Manipulator
4x Mishra's Factory
4x Strip Mine
17x Swamp
Justin Gary's MBC, from U.S. Nationals' Top 8 from 2003:
3 Cabal Coffers
23 Swamp
Creatures: 4
3 Undead Gladiator
1 Visara the Dreadful
Other Spells: 30
3 Chainer's Edict
3 Corrupt
4 Diabolic Tutor
4 Duress
2 Haunting Echoes
2 Innocent Blood
1 Mind Sludge
1 Mirari
3 Mutilate
1 Riptide Replicator
2 Skeletal Scrying
4 Smother
Traditional Pauper MBC by Zelderex's Pauper MBC Primer:
3 Barren Moor
20 Swamp
Creatures: 16
4 Chittering Rats
4 Phyrexian Rager
4 Ravenous Rats
2 Liliana's Specter
2 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
4 Corrupt
4 Sign in Blood
4 Tendrils of Corruption
3 Geth's Verdict
2 Echoing Decay
2 Grasp of Darkness
2 Wrench Mind
Standard Mono-Black Control by Philip Johnson:
1 Griselbrand
2 Grave Titan
2 Wurmcoil Engine
4 Solemn Simulacrum
Instants [4]
2 Doom Blade
2 Go for the Throat
2 Increasing Ambition
2 Sever the Bloodline
3 Black Sun's Zenith
Planeswalkers [5]
2 Liliana of the Veil
3 Karn Liberated
2 Batterskull
4 Pristine Talisman
4 Sphere of the Suns
Lands [25]
3 Buried Ruin
3 Cavern of Souls
19 Swamp
Modern Mono Black Control by Michael Diezel:
1 Phyrexian Obliterator
1 Tombstalker
4 Bloodghast
4 Dark Confidant
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Gravecrawler
4 Tragic Slip
Sorceries [11]
3 Thoughtseize
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Smallpox
Planeswalkers [4]
4 Liliana of the Veil
2 Tectonic Edge
3 Marsh Flats
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Mutavault
8 Swamp
Legacy's The Gate by Pocholo Bernardo:
2 Withered Wretch
3 Abyssal Persecutor
4 Dark Confidant
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
4 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Geth's Verdict
2 Go for the Throat
4 Dark Ritual
Sorceries [8]
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Hymn to Tourach
2 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Chalice of the Void
Lands [21]
1 Bojuka Bog
4 Wasteland
16 Swamp
Legacy's Smallpox by Kurtis Frazier
2 Nether Spirit
Instants [4]
4 Dark Ritual
Sorceries [19]
3 Innocent Blood
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Sinkhole
4 Smallpox
2 Nether Void
Planeswalkers [4]
4 Liliana of the Veil
Artifacts [5]
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Powder Keg
3 Cursed Scroll
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
11 Swamp
Legacy's Pox by Daniele Zambon
2 Nether Spirit
Instants [5]
1 Spinning Darkness
4 Dark Ritual
Sorceries [20]
1 Pox
3 Innocent Blood
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Sinkhole
4 Smallpox
1 Nether Void
Planeswalkers [4]
4 Liliana of the Veil
Artifacts [3]
3 Cursed Scroll
Lands [25]
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
13 Swamp
Vintage's Dark Times by Félix Lorente:
4 Dark Confidant
4 Hex Parasite
4 Nether Shadow
4 Vampire Hexmage
Instants [13]
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Vampiric Tutor
3 Diabolic Edict
4 Dark Ritual
4 Mental Misstep
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Yawgmoth's Will
4 Thoughtseize
Enchantments [1]
1 Necropotence
Artifacts [2]
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Strip Mine
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Dark Depths
4 Wasteland
9 Swamp
Grixis' Casual Creatureless MBC:
4x Cabal Coffers
2x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
18x Swamp
Enchantments: 4
4x Phyrexian Arena
Instants: 12
4x Geth's Verdict
4x Unmake
2x Dismember
2x Smother
4x Innocent Blood
4x Duress
3x Hymn to Tourach
3x Black Sun' Zenith
2x Barter in Blood
2x Sorin's Vengeance
2x Sorin Markov
Grixis' Pauper MBC
4x Barren Moor
20x Swamp
Creatures: 8
4x Crypt Rats
4x Wicked Akuba
4x Geth's Verdict
4x Echoing Decay
4x Tendrils of Corruption
2x Grasp of Darkness
4x Sign in Blood
4x Hymn to Tourach
2x Duress
2x Unearth
2x Corrupt
Mono Black Staxx by Maserati
4 Wasteland
2 Mishra's Factory
4 City of Traitors
3 Polluted Delta
2 Bloodstained Mire
9 Swamp
4 Damnation
4 Rancid Earth
4 Smallpox
4 Dark Ritual
4 Desolation
3 Sundial of the Infinite
4 Crucible of Worlds
4 Smokestack
4 Trinsiphere
comments & editiorial notes/changes in... green.
wall of souls one of the best early defenders if your going for a more spell heavy deck synergies really well with phyrexian obliterator
guul draz assassin an awesome one drop that becomes a great beater/board control card really good card to invest mana into if your playing a slower paced game, especially if your running mana ramp like cabal coffers. he gets ignored early and becomes a problem later
royal assassin the original assassin guul draz is better but i mentioned this as a reference. you used to DR him on t1 which made him really good, but hes not as good anymore because of his cost and all the cheap removal options
sudden spoiling a great card to pack against problematic creatures like wurmcoil engine and sphinx of jwar isle combos well with assassin cards and your smaller blockers like gatekeeper of malakir
shadowfeed this card is a bit niche i agree but its amazing graveyard hate and burn hate. sometimes when your sideboarding you dont have room for 2 hate cards its nice when you can combine your options.
all these cards should be on the list
dont disrespect DR
"If there is such a thing as too much power, I have not discovered it."
--Volrath
BGBGBGBGBGBGBGBGBGBGBGB
1. Note Blutsau's corrections / changes listed above; they're quite helpful.
2. I might recommend not listing discard choices first in the card lineup. The first time I glanced at this primer, I thought, "Don't we already have a discard primer?" Wiser to move it further down the list of card choices. That being said, maybe a link to the discard primer and a disclaimer that although discard is part of MBC, MBC is not necessarily discard.
Thanks to GR @ Yavin IV Studios for the signature!
What's the general feeling about the primer as it stands now?
Thanks to GR @ Yavin IV Studios for the signature!
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
2 Vampire Nighthawk (possibly will be adding a third one, still testing)
2 Abyssal Persecutor
4 Dark Ritual
2 Duress
4 Innocent Blood
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Geth's Verdict
4 Hymn to Tourach
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Phyrexian Arena
2 Liliana of the Dark Realms (the veil'd liliana is better, but I still haven't got her, this one makes her good plays as well)
2 Mutilate (as said, a very budget very useful damnation)
20 Swamp
This list does pretty well even without the veil'd liliana, that I think it's a must in MBC
In my play ground, it comes a lot to luck as to what Hymn to Tourach strips, since I play a lot against reanimator, and a turn 2 Iona is as good as it gets against us. One of the most common plays that I get that ensures the game for me, is
turn 1: Swamp, tap, dark ritual, Kozilek(duress), Hymn
4x Gatekeeper of Malakir
4x Phyrexian Obliterator
4x Grave Titan
2x Doomblade
4x Sign in Blood
4x Dark Ritual
4x Duress
2x Black Sun's Zenith
Once again, thank you guys for helping me create this. I really love using this deck, and it functions really well.
If you guys have any pointers, and tips for me with my deck, please feel free to let me know.
EDIT:
Thinking about adding 3 Classic Lilly's. She's 5 cmc, but her abilities are amazing. Discard, plus allowing me to fish for a Titan or Obliterator. I honestly can't see why I would want to use the Veil version, or the Dark Realms version.
My Decks:
Life Drain and Gain:symw::symb:
The Firemind:symr::symu:
Grave Power:symg::symb:
Werewolves:symg::symr:
Mono Black Control
Bant Slivers:symw::symg::symu:
Mono Blue Control