(If anyone wants to make a banner to donate for the purpose of this thread, I would be very grateful)
Black Licorice, also referred to by some as the Triple X or Dark Devotion, is a black aggro deck with significant power in its versatile game. Is the game going long? We rack up the card advantage with Phyrexian Arena and bleed them to death with Underworld Dreams or Deathrite Shaman. Is your opponent off to a slow start? Then we can aggro them out of the game with our powerful 1-3 drops like Gravecrawler, Bloodghast, andGeralf's Messenger. Have we reached a stalled board state where no one wants to swing? Blow them out of the water with Gray Merchant of Asphodel. All the different directions this deck can take to victory are what make it such a huge threat.
About the Deck
Lots of people ask "Doesent this deck just scoop to removal? You lose so much devotion by losing your creatures, and cant beat them down with all your creatures being dead." Well, that is definitely one of the wonders of this deck. Another powerful angle of attack that this deck can use is hand disruption. Removal for your guys is very difficult to pull off, and when you keep a hand full of removal and blow it on keeping my creatures dead, how do you fair to a resolved Liliana of the Veil? Do you want to kill my Grave Crawler with a Lightning Bolt? Go ahead. Pretty soon there will be more zombies in play for me to take advantage of his ability to be cast from the grave yard. Geralf's Messenger is also a powerful creature that doesn't mind dying. The deck also runs a copy or two of Whip of Erabos so that those Messengers and Gray Merchants get one more stab at draining your life.
"What about Path to Exile?" Well, there is a little zombie from a long time ago that people seem to forget about that has a wonderful little line of text that reads "Protection from White". No, I am not talking about Stillmoon Cavalier, and we will get to him in a minute. I am talking about Stromgald Crusader. Double black mana cost, protection from white, and to top it off, he can gain flying and a heavy costed fire-breathing. Why not Stillmoon Cavalier you ask? Well, protection from black is much less relevant that protection from white, and while the ability to gain first strike as well as the other abilities that the crusader has is nice, our three drop slot is extremely cluttered. He is definitely an option, but in my opinion, not the best one.
Removal does make our life more difficult though, that is why we run the gamut in enchantments and planeswalkers. The only planeswalker I run currently is Liliana of the Veil, but have considered Sorin Markov due to the decks ability to get to late game and generate so much mana. As far as Enchantments go, we have a few to work with, Underworld Dreams, Phyrexian Arena, or even some creature enchantments like Dead Weight are powerful, but there is one forgotten about enchantment that creates a very powerful engine the deck can work on. Remember me talking about attacking the hand? Well, Mind Slash does that better than almost anything else. Have any zombie in play with a Grave Crawler? Slash there hand away to nothing. I mean absolutely nothing as well, since Mind Slash can hit LAND CARDS as well. The sheer power of paying BB on your turn to make then discard a card is extremely overwhelming for most opponents, even though it is only at sorcery speed.
Now I know I have talked about how the deck can generate lots of mana, and I think we all know where I am going when I say how we get to that level of ramp in an almost entirely Mono B deck......Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. Lots of people said at the beginning of modern that a mono black control attrition style deck would be fine without Cabal Coffers. Well, it definitely was not true. Now we have something so very close that blowing out a game ending Consume Spirit is no big deal at all.
Now that I have given you all a pretty good idea of what the deck can do, Ill go ahead and post my current list.
I have found that Stillmoon Cavalier really helps against our bad aggro matchup and is not a terrible card main board. I keep increasing the number but definitely don't want to go down to more than two Geralfs Messengers.
As for the Leyline, It really wants to be in your opening hand, I just cant seem to fit four in there.
This version has gone through a lot of changes, almost to many to keep track of. Currently testing Nether Traitor and Viscera Seer, who are doing some real work for me together with Bloodghast. I decided to try out one less land, and I think Nykthos was the only safe one to cut, since we really need hard black mana, and usually don't want to see multiples. There is also a lack of Stillmoon Cavalier and Stromgald Crusader in this list, which means less mana sinks for our favorite little shrine.
Card Choices
Viscera Seer: More optimal in lists heavy with recurable creatures, like Nether Spirit, Gravecrawler, and Bloodghast. Protects your guys from path, and helps smooth out draws.
Deathrite Shaman: One devotion, bleeds the opponent dry if they are running a lot of instants and sorceries, and protects your own guys from while gaining you life in the process. Also I hear a turn 2 Liliana is pretty devastating, and Phyrexian Arena and the Messenger can be nuts as well.
Gravecrawler: Great 2 power one drop creature that plays nicely with Liliana if you use her to discard. Also does crazy things with Mind Slash and another zombie in play.
Bloodghast: Similar situation with Liliana, and recurs by only dropping lands. One of the reasons we run so many fetches. Also works with Mind Slash, but in a more fragile way.
Nether Spirit: This card is kinda like Bloodghast 5-8, accept he is virtually unblockable. Hit him up with some decent equipment and he becomes a serious threat, and even without it slowing taking their life down for a lethal Gray Merchant is very important.
Stromgald Crusader: One of the most eye opening cards in the deck. No one sees this guy coming and against certain matchups he is completely un-killable. Its a mana sink for nykthos and blocks baneslayer angel and celestial colonnade for days, and they don't even get to gain life off the angel.
Geralf's Messenger: Bleeds people to death like you wouldn't believe. I have killed an opponent with one of these guys in play, top decked another, and had mind slash and whip in play. That's 11 damage, 9 of it you cant do anything about.
Phyrexian Obliterator: A card that provides very sturdy resistance against all but the fastest creature based strategies. If you need to go offensive, he will almost always hit them, and his devotion is huge.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel: This guy wins us the game most of the time. The life gain is super significant even in small doses, and he blocks Geist of St. Traft all day. Don't forget you can utilize him with Liliana's sack ability and the Whip to double up on damage. I once even discarded one to a Liliana and reanimated with the whip to kill an opponent who had dropped Iona on me.
Consume Spirit: This card has a lot going for it in a deck that produces lots of mana. The life gain is the original reason I ran it over Profane Command, but I am currently testing out Profane Command in its slot and will edit the primer later with results.
Profane Command: Very similar to Consume Spirit but with more modes. Being able to bring back a Geralf's Messenger that has already hit them for 4 as well as deal three damage to the dome is pretty crucial. I think the fear mode is my least used mode, but more options are always better.
Underworld Dreams: Triple Devotion, bleeds the opponent, punishes card draw, and most people don't see it as a threat that has to be dealt with until it is to late and you Gray Merchant them for 5+ what ever else is in play, and that is on top of the damage the card had whittled away already.
Mind Slash: This card is only a one of because it is terrible in multiples. Two might be ok to run as well, because the effect can be back breaking. I have ripped apart hands right after a Sphinx's Revelation, or dropped it turn 2 and started chaining it turn 3 to remove anything they could play on their turn 3 and 4.
Phyrexian Arena: A lot of people ask me "why not Dark Confidant?" Well, there isn't a definitive answer for that. Bob is ok as well, but its dangerous in a deck that runs 5 drops, and I have considered other more expensive spells in here as well. The double devotion is also fairly relevant, as well as the fact that it is an enchantment and harder to deal with than a bob. I cant tell you the number of people who have said "I didn't know that this card was even legal in modern...."
Whip of Erebos: Probably the weakest card in the deck, however its ability to resurrect Gray Merchants is pretty crazy, and the lifelink can just push the attrition war in your favor.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx: This is our mana engine. I tried three and hated it, because you absolutely want to see one every game. They can chain in multiples like rituals to push your mana sinks way over the top.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth: This is a better swamp most of the time, unless the opponent is in need of black mana and doesen't have any. I can only see this backfiring if Nightveil Specter becomes a thing in modern, which I doubt will happen. Also lets you save your fetch lands for Blood Gast activations only.
Sideboard Abrupt decay: Its a small removal spell that seems pretty relevant. Can hit lots of little creatures and even things like Rest in Peace.
Beast Within: We cant always have a Liliana in play with a Whip and Gray merchant in our hands or on board when our opponent drops an Iona can we? Also is a way to kill lands and leylines, or any other permanent that is really giving us trouble that black couldn't deal with.
Infest: We can be a fast deck, but we are not the fastest deck. Really quick agro that we cannot 1 for 1 like affinity destroys us. Infest is really the best answer I can think of. They blow their hand, and with a shaman, you can cast it turn 2. Without the shaman, turn three might be fast enough.....Also hits Geist and boggle creatures if you hit it fast enough.
Gatekeeper of Malakir: Double devotion and a sac effect for creature heavy decks or Bogles.
Liliana's Specter: A real problem for control matchups when you start making them discard frequently with Mind Slash and Liliana. Its also good for combo matches that aren't based from the yard, like Living End. Plays nice with Whip as well.
Thoughtsieze: Combo and control really don't like this card. Make sure to time it right.
Surgical Extraction: I have thought about making this Leyline of the Void, because its 2 free devotion at the beginning of the game, as well as a complete halt to graveyard base combo decks. I cant figure out a way to fit more of it however, and 2 doesent seem like enough. Extraction is a good card in its own right, and better vs control than leyline. hitting a Cryptic Command can be brutal.
Leyline of the Void: I heavily underestimated this card originally, but have grown to love it. It completely shuts down Living End, which is a horrible matchup for us. It also makes most pod variants much worse by shutting off Voice of Resurgence and persist.
Matchups:
Control:
We have the ability to lose some speed for a good control game. We can easily win late game if we remove there ability to counter a Gray merchant. I haven't had a lot of problems with any variant of this deck yet.
Affinity: I have had a hard time with this. I have won 1 out of probably 10 matches against it, and decided infest was the way to go after that. You have to hope they don't draw well.
Living End: This also seems like a bad matchup because our elements to stop combo revolve around putting things in the graveyard, and they don't care. This deck has kinda faded back into nothing, but it shows up every once in a while and definitely gives us some troubles.
Bogles: Well timed removal spells, infest, and blocking their fliers with Stromgald are your chance here. I have yet to play this matchup, but I don't think its un-winnable, or even necessarily bad. If it is so, black has all the sac effect to make it better.
Rock: I think we are faster than them. Side in removal for the TarmoGoyfs and try to keep gaining the life. Whip is fairly important here.
Melira Pod: Kitchen Finks cant block Stromgald, and our ability to keep them off creatures game 2 should be pretty relevant. They also really don't like Deathrite Shaman.
UG Tron: This can be difficult because of the Pyroclasm's, but if they get reactive to your game plan, then you have a chance to draw the game out to you being able to land a Merchant or Heavy hitting Consume Spirit and win. Sometimes it isn't smart for them to make you sacrifice things, because Geralf's Messenger really hurts in multiples. Wurmcoil Engine pretty much has to be flown over, and if they drop and early one you are doomed.
Jund: I really dont think this matchup is bad for us. I haven't had an opponent to test extensively with, however I have played against it in the finals of two tournaments, and they don't have Path for things that need to be exiled, Bob hurts them for us, and Stromgald flies over everything except Olivia Voldaren, which is the only card that makes this matchup awkward. Make sure you have a way to kill her, because she walks all over you.
That is all I can think of at the time, If I missed anything please let me know.
Updates
1.00- Added Spoiler tags to clean things up
2.00- Fixed numerous typo's, added a matchup, and a deck update
3.00- Added new update to the current decklist I am using.
Also, Dark Prophecy is a better option than Underworld Dreams, considering that you have creatures that dies a lot and come back.
Thank you for contributing to the thread!
The full primer covers Stillmoon Cavalier. Hes a valid option, however the three drop spot is highly cluttered. Coming down a turn before is relevant, and there is no boost in stats for the extra mana, just pro black, which is definitely an upside, but not worth making the change in my opinion. I have thought about running both, but then it comes down to what is better, Stillmoon Cavalier or Geralf's Messenger?
Dark Prophesy is something that I have considered, it seems a solid include. I have thought of putting underworld dreams in the board, or cutting it entirely, but it always does something, where Dark Prophesy requires my creatures to die, and can come back to bite me in the faster based matchups. Its something I need to try out, since it is a one of. That was also a spot for the Cavalier that I had considered.
I will be testing out Stillmoon Cavalier more in the near future though, once I find a spot for him. Crusader has been bonkers, and more of a good thing is never bad.
I'm intrigued by this. Mind Slash seems interesting to me. If you added more of it, or another sacrifice outlet of some sort, perhaps Dark Prophecy starts to make more sense? And even though Mind Slash isn't great in multiples, it still adds to devotion for backbreaking Nykthos activations.
I like the idea of Demigod of Revenge with Liliana and Nykthos mana available.
I love gravecrawler in a deck like this, but are you running enough zombies to make it worth it? I've never tried with only 8. Maybe it works just fine but I picture him getting stranded from time to time. Maybe Nether Traitor? *Edit* Just realized the Crusader is a zombie. Oops.
Just some thoughts. I'd love to hear how it's playing out if you've done any more testing.
*Edit* Profane Command also seems pretty spicy in a deck running Gray Merchant. Maybe the lifegain from Consume Spirit is too important to pass up, but consider that getting back a Gray Merchant still nets you some lifegain.
Pay no heed to the SB. Just a bunch of cards I'm interested in. There are some experimental synergies here, like Necroskitter and BSZ, Grave Pact and Mind Slash, etc. looks fun! Competitive? Unlikely.
First off, its nice to see that there is at least a minimum interest in this deck on the forums! I appreciate johnald for helping with cleaning up the primer, and have updated it once again to make it a bit smoother. This is my first primer, so any help is greatly appreciated.
Second, I have been to two more tournaments, and have only lost one match since the primer was made, so that makes it one loss in a tournament, 1 out of tournament in playtesting (I have done quite a bit of playtesting, at least 3 times a week). The loss was to Living End, and that deck is super frustrating for this deck. I dont see the deck alot, and none of my friends have it built, so I dont know of it is something that I should take into serious consideration, but for now I have changed the Surgical Extractions to Leyline of the Void since that slows them down enough for me to try and take over the game.
Another couple of changes I made was switching Consume Spirit to Profane Command and switching two [CARD]
Geralf's Messengers [/CARD] for two Stillmoon Cavaliers. This was to assist with aggro match ups where we are slightly weaker, because Cavalier can block as soon as he drops.
I'm intrigued by this. Mind Slash seems interesting to me. If you added more of it, or another sacrifice outlet of some sort, perhaps Dark Prophecy starts to make more sense? And even though Mind Slash isn't great in multiples, it still adds to devotion for backbreaking Nykthos activations.
I like the idea of Demigod of Revenge with Liliana and Nykthos mana available.
I love gravecrawler in a deck like this, but are you running enough zombies to make it worth it? I've never tried with only 8. Maybe it works just fine but I picture him getting stranded from time to time. Maybe Nether Traitor? *Edit* Just realized the Crusader is a zombie. Oops.
Just some thoughts. I'd love to hear how it's playing out if you've done any more testing.
*Edit* Profane Command also seems pretty spicy in a deck running Gray Merchant. Maybe the lifegain from Consume Spirit is too important to pass up, but consider that getting back a Gray Merchant still nets you some lifegain.
Im glad you are interested in this deck idea. I will go over things one by one.
[CARD]
Dark Prophesy [/CARD]would be good with more sack outlets, and is entirely a valid option. I am only running one Mind Slash currently (for the reason you stated, it has diminishing returns) and until I can find another sack outlet that I really like, I think Ill keep the card on the sidelines, but Its definitely something to keep an eye on.
Demigod of Revenge was something that I pondered for a while, but he isnt a zombie. This isn't exactly a zombie tribal, but its really close. I also dont want to raise my curve to much. Demigod would probably work just fine in more aggressive strategies, and if you decide to use him make sure to remember the way that his ability triggers, because counterspells can be very inefficient on him if your opponent doesn't know what he is doing.
I want to run Phyrexian Obliterator so badly, but I don't think there is room, he falls under the same problem of Demigod, being that he isn't a zombie. His devotion is really high and he is a great creature, and If I could find room for some I would love to, but I cant find room at this very moment. If you proxy or throw together a list and find a great spot for either of these guys let me know.
Profane Command is a really good idea and I have switched out Consume Spirit for it to see how it runs. It has so many more options, and honestly if I am using Consume spirit to gain life I am probably already losing, because it doesn't really gain significant life until later in the game. Ill see how it goes.
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"It's like some kind of Voltron... made of elephants??"
idea is to not only exploit devotion, but to gradually stabilize the field with creatures and enchantments, and I have chosen to use more enchantments than other builds since they are generally harder to answer than creatures. the arenas and singleton erebos are all there for the card draw, and I was thinking with nykthos and whip, life and mana should be easily obtainable to use erebo's card draw ability. and providing a 5/7 indestructible body there is also good. Gravepact is there to serve as a 3 devotion creature trader, that allows me to attack with my bloodghast whenever possible, and it'll make it hard for my opponent to deal with my chump blockers profitably.
I am debating whether to use inquisition MB and what to replace. Currently proxying the list and trying with my friends, still need to do more testing
Edit: I am currently not running any deathrite shamans since i dont have spare fetches to run in this deck. and I believe that deathrites are better with green splash (which also grants us access to decay and pulse.) another thing I would consider is hero's downfall, at least a MB answer to the PWs. The reason I didnt play full playset of nykthos is because i cant risk drawing more than 1 in my first 4 turns running only 23 lands. After some testing I am thinking about swapping my obliterators with gravecrawlers...
No love for Gatekeeper of Malakir ? I had the same idea of a monoblack aggrodevotion deck and it seemed just right to play him.
and what about Beseech the Queen ? 4 tutors for every card seems good and can allow us to run a toolbox.
Interesting take on beseech the queen, will try to work that in. the only problem is though a 3 mana tutor that does not contribute to our devotion plan might not fit into the aggro/midrange theme, but with this many creatures it's hard to play control for us.
I have a 2 2 split between Geralfs Messenger and Stillmoon cavalier because of the decks inherent weakness to aggro. I'm liking it so far. I also changed Surgicals to leylines, the free devotion is very helpful.
Infest definitely helped my game vs affinity, but it is still unfavorable. I now have two match losses since the decks creation, one to Living End and one to some weird homebrew LD deck with Dramatic Entrance and Terastadon, but I blame the latter on me not treating the deck like the combo deck it was and siding in thoughtseizes.
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"It's like some kind of Voltron... made of elephants??"
I have a 2 2 split between Geralfs Messenger and Stillmoon cavalier because of the decks inherent weakness to aggro. I'm liking it so far. I also changed Surgicals to leylines, the free devotion is very helpful.
Infest definitely helped my game vs affinity, but it is still unfavorable. I now have two match losses since the decks creation, one to Living End and one to some weird homebrew LD deck with Dramatic Entrance and Terastadon, but I blame the latter on me not treating the deck like the combo deck it was and siding in thoughtseizes.
He is 100% right. No reason to not run Vampire Nighthawk. Also since you're stone cold dead to Karn, you may want some number of Hero's Downfall.
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In case I didn't tell you, I don't care about your opinion I just want your facts. And not the facts that make you seem smart. I want the ones that are actual facts.
Why are you running arid mesa? It fetches plains and mountains..in a mono black deck? If you are running more fetches, possibly consider marsh flats as an additional, and then how about deathrite shaman as a one drop mana accelerator and additional grave hate? Often enough, you can just as easily hit your opponents fetches and slow them down in the process while accelerating your own game plan.
More targeted hand removal over some of the sacrifice and destruction might be useful. Possibly inquision of kozilek, duress, or even despise if you're worried about planeswalkers that much.
Sign in blood seems interesting. Straight up question, though. Is it performing superior to dark confidant (a permanent for devotion count and an attacker in its own right) or phyrexian arena? I acknowledge it isn't as fast for card draw and will probably get blown up pretty quickly.
Why are you running arid mesa? It fetches plains and mountains..in a mono black deck? If you are running more fetches, possibly consider marsh flats as an additional, and then how about deathrite shaman as a one drop mana accelerator and additional grave hate? Often enough, you can just as easily hit your opponents fetches and slow them down in the process while accelerating your own game plan.
More targeted hand removal over some of the sacrifice and destruction might be useful. Possibly inquision of kozilek, duress, or even despise if you're worried about planeswalkers that much.
Sign in blood seems interesting. Straight up question, though. Is it performing superior to dark confidant (a permanent for devotion count and an attacker in its own right) or phyrexian arena? I acknowledge it isn't as fast for card draw and will probably get blown up pretty quickly.
So you are 100% correct in most of these!
I accidentally put Demise instead of Downfall and Arid Mesa instead of the aforementioned (shows how tired I am these days! lol)
With regards to the deathrite that is a perfect choice and I will find room to fit it in. Complete oversight on my part.
For Bob I thought long and hard and that is the conclusion that I ran into when I considered him. He will get blown up and I won't get the value that I need out of him.
I would Drop 1 Messenger, 1 Obliterator and 1 Geth's Verdict for 3x deathrite shaman.
Dark confidant may get blown up, but "dies to removal" isn't a great argument most of the time. No disrespect meant, but a good card is a good card, and most of your cards have just as big a target on their heads.
If you're going to run deathrite, you'll want 4 of him, no doubt about it. He's potentially an even bigger target than dark confidant and any kind of 1 drop mana accelerator might as well say "blow me up now!" to anything packing red removal, which a lot of the format does.
I wouldn't drop messenger or obliterator. Geth's verdict is an equally strong choice for removal, as you already have thoughtseize (can hit a creature pre play as needed), gatekeeper of malakir, and hero's demise.
Erebus; I can't see why you would really want such an expensive and relatively useless guy, unless there is more soul sisters running around than I know about?
Also, I can't believe I forgot to mention it, but liliana of the veil definitely deserves to be in here as an extremely solid contender for card advantage in this and devotion count.
@ Welt Krieg COMPLETELY forgot about Lilianna. You are completely right. I am transfering this from standard and in standard there is a good deal more life gain out there. Also can't forget about Melira-Pod I would at the very least SB him for that reason alone.
Will think about the list more and incorporate these in. Thank you for the Feedback!!
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http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/modern-deck-creation/597491-bx-devotion
Black Licorice, also referred to by some as the Triple X or Dark Devotion, is a black aggro deck with significant power in its versatile game. Is the game going long? We rack up the card advantage with Phyrexian Arena and bleed them to death with Underworld Dreams or Deathrite Shaman. Is your opponent off to a slow start? Then we can aggro them out of the game with our powerful 1-3 drops like Gravecrawler, Bloodghast, andGeralf's Messenger. Have we reached a stalled board state where no one wants to swing? Blow them out of the water with Gray Merchant of Asphodel. All the different directions this deck can take to victory are what make it such a huge threat.
About the Deck
"What about Path to Exile?" Well, there is a little zombie from a long time ago that people seem to forget about that has a wonderful little line of text that reads "Protection from White". No, I am not talking about Stillmoon Cavalier, and we will get to him in a minute. I am talking about Stromgald Crusader. Double black mana cost, protection from white, and to top it off, he can gain flying and a heavy costed fire-breathing. Why not Stillmoon Cavalier you ask? Well, protection from black is much less relevant that protection from white, and while the ability to gain first strike as well as the other abilities that the crusader has is nice, our three drop slot is extremely cluttered. He is definitely an option, but in my opinion, not the best one.
Removal does make our life more difficult though, that is why we run the gamut in enchantments and planeswalkers. The only planeswalker I run currently is Liliana of the Veil, but have considered Sorin Markov due to the decks ability to get to late game and generate so much mana. As far as Enchantments go, we have a few to work with, Underworld Dreams, Phyrexian Arena, or even some creature enchantments like Dead Weight are powerful, but there is one forgotten about enchantment that creates a very powerful engine the deck can work on. Remember me talking about attacking the hand? Well, Mind Slash does that better than almost anything else. Have any zombie in play with a Grave Crawler? Slash there hand away to nothing. I mean absolutely nothing as well, since Mind Slash can hit LAND CARDS as well. The sheer power of paying BB on your turn to make then discard a card is extremely overwhelming for most opponents, even though it is only at sorcery speed.
Now I know I have talked about how the deck can generate lots of mana, and I think we all know where I am going when I say how we get to that level of ramp in an almost entirely Mono B deck......Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. Lots of people said at the beginning of modern that a mono black control attrition style deck would be fine without Cabal Coffers. Well, it definitely was not true. Now we have something so very close that blowing out a game ending Consume Spirit is no big deal at all.
Now that I have given you all a pretty good idea of what the deck can do, Ill go ahead and post my current list.
The Deck
Original
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Gravecrawler
4 Bloodghast
4 Stromgald Crusader
4 Geralf's Messenger
3 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Enchantments:
1 Mind Slash
1 Underworld Dreams
3 Phyrexian Arena
2 Whip of Erabos
3 Liliana of the Veil
Spells:
3 Consume Spirit
Lands:
4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Verdant Catabombs
4 Marsh Flats
2 Overgrown Tomb
9 Swamp
2 Beast Within
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
2 Liliana's Specter
2 Gatekeeper of Malakir
3 Infest
2 Abrupt Decay
V.2
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Gravecrawler
4 Bloodghast
4 Stromgald Crusader
2 Stillmoon Cavalier
2 Geralf's Messenger
3 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Enchantments:
1 Mind Slash
1 Underworld Dreams
3 Phyrexian Arena
2 Whip of Erabos
3 Liliana of the Veil
Spells:
3 Profane Command
Lands:
4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Verdant Catabombs
4 Marsh Flats
2 Overgrown Tomb
9 Swamp
2 Beast Within
2 Leyline of the Void
2 Thoughtseize
2 Liliana's Specter
2 Gatekeeper of Malakir
3 Infest
2 Abrupt Decay
Changes
-2 Geralf's Messenger
-3 Consume Spirit
-2 Surgical Extraction (sb)
+2 Stillmoon Cavalier
+3 Profane Command
+2 Leyline of the Void (sb)
V.3
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Gravecrawler
4 Bloodghast
4 Stromgald Crusader
3 Stillmoon Cavalier
2 Geralf's Messenger
3 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Enchantments:
1 Mind Slash
3 Phyrexian Arena
2 Whip of Erabos
3 Liliana of the Veil
Spells:
3 Profane Command
Lands:
4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Verdant Catabombs
4 Marsh Flats
2 Overgrown Tomb
9 Swamp
2 Beast Within
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Thoughtseize
2 Liliana's Specter
2 Gatekeeper of Malakir
2 Infest
2 Abrupt Decay
Changes:
-1 Underworld Connections
-1 Infest
+1 Stillmoon Cavalier
+1 Leyline of the Void
I have found that Stillmoon Cavalier really helps against our bad aggro matchup and is not a terrible card main board. I keep increasing the number but definitely don't want to go down to more than two Geralfs Messengers.
As for the Leyline, It really wants to be in your opening hand, I just cant seem to fit four in there.
V.4
4 Deathrite Shaman
3 Viscera Seer
3 Gatekeeper of Malikir
4 Bloodghast
4 Nether Traitor
3 Geralf's Messenger
3 Phyrexian Obliterator
3 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
3 Liliana of the Veil
Enchantments:
3 Phyrexian Arena
Artifact:
1 Lashwrithe
Sorceries:
4 Profane Command
Lands:
3 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Uraborg
18 Swamp
3 Leyline of the Void
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Thoughtseize
2 Infest
2 Disfigure
This version has gone through a lot of changes, almost to many to keep track of. Currently testing Nether Traitor and Viscera Seer, who are doing some real work for me together with Bloodghast. I decided to try out one less land, and I think Nykthos was the only safe one to cut, since we really need hard black mana, and usually don't want to see multiples. There is also a lack of Stillmoon Cavalier and Stromgald Crusader in this list, which means less mana sinks for our favorite little shrine.
Card Choices
Viscera Seer: More optimal in lists heavy with recurable creatures, like Nether Spirit, Gravecrawler, and Bloodghast. Protects your guys from path, and helps smooth out draws.
Deathrite Shaman: One devotion, bleeds the opponent dry if they are running a lot of instants and sorceries, and protects your own guys from while gaining you life in the process. Also I hear a turn 2 Liliana is pretty devastating, and Phyrexian Arena and the Messenger can be nuts as well.
Gravecrawler: Great 2 power one drop creature that plays nicely with Liliana if you use her to discard. Also does crazy things with Mind Slash and another zombie in play.
Bloodghast: Similar situation with Liliana, and recurs by only dropping lands. One of the reasons we run so many fetches. Also works with Mind Slash, but in a more fragile way.
Nether Spirit: This card is kinda like Bloodghast 5-8, accept he is virtually unblockable. Hit him up with some decent equipment and he becomes a serious threat, and even without it slowing taking their life down for a lethal Gray Merchant is very important.
Stromgald Crusader: One of the most eye opening cards in the deck. No one sees this guy coming and against certain matchups he is completely un-killable. Its a mana sink for nykthos and blocks baneslayer angel and celestial colonnade for days, and they don't even get to gain life off the angel.
Geralf's Messenger: Bleeds people to death like you wouldn't believe. I have killed an opponent with one of these guys in play, top decked another, and had mind slash and whip in play. That's 11 damage, 9 of it you cant do anything about.
Phyrexian Obliterator: A card that provides very sturdy resistance against all but the fastest creature based strategies. If you need to go offensive, he will almost always hit them, and his devotion is huge.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel: This guy wins us the game most of the time. The life gain is super significant even in small doses, and he blocks Geist of St. Traft all day. Don't forget you can utilize him with Liliana's sack ability and the Whip to double up on damage. I once even discarded one to a Liliana and reanimated with the whip to kill an opponent who had dropped Iona on me.
Consume Spirit: This card has a lot going for it in a deck that produces lots of mana. The life gain is the original reason I ran it over Profane Command, but I am currently testing out Profane Command in its slot and will edit the primer later with results.
Profane Command: Very similar to Consume Spirit but with more modes. Being able to bring back a Geralf's Messenger that has already hit them for 4 as well as deal three damage to the dome is pretty crucial. I think the fear mode is my least used mode, but more options are always better.
Underworld Dreams: Triple Devotion, bleeds the opponent, punishes card draw, and most people don't see it as a threat that has to be dealt with until it is to late and you Gray Merchant them for 5+ what ever else is in play, and that is on top of the damage the card had whittled away already.
Mind Slash: This card is only a one of because it is terrible in multiples. Two might be ok to run as well, because the effect can be back breaking. I have ripped apart hands right after a Sphinx's Revelation, or dropped it turn 2 and started chaining it turn 3 to remove anything they could play on their turn 3 and 4.
Phyrexian Arena: A lot of people ask me "why not Dark Confidant?" Well, there isn't a definitive answer for that. Bob is ok as well, but its dangerous in a deck that runs 5 drops, and I have considered other more expensive spells in here as well. The double devotion is also fairly relevant, as well as the fact that it is an enchantment and harder to deal with than a bob. I cant tell you the number of people who have said "I didn't know that this card was even legal in modern...."
Whip of Erebos: Probably the weakest card in the deck, however its ability to resurrect Gray Merchants is pretty crazy, and the lifelink can just push the attrition war in your favor.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx: This is our mana engine. I tried three and hated it, because you absolutely want to see one every game. They can chain in multiples like rituals to push your mana sinks way over the top.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth: This is a better swamp most of the time, unless the opponent is in need of black mana and doesen't have any. I can only see this backfiring if Nightveil Specter becomes a thing in modern, which I doubt will happen. Also lets you save your fetch lands for Blood Gast activations only.
Sideboard
Abrupt decay: Its a small removal spell that seems pretty relevant. Can hit lots of little creatures and even things like Rest in Peace.
Beast Within: We cant always have a Liliana in play with a Whip and Gray merchant in our hands or on board when our opponent drops an Iona can we? Also is a way to kill lands and leylines, or any other permanent that is really giving us trouble that black couldn't deal with.
Infest: We can be a fast deck, but we are not the fastest deck. Really quick agro that we cannot 1 for 1 like affinity destroys us. Infest is really the best answer I can think of. They blow their hand, and with a shaman, you can cast it turn 2. Without the shaman, turn three might be fast enough.....Also hits Geist and boggle creatures if you hit it fast enough.
Gatekeeper of Malakir: Double devotion and a sac effect for creature heavy decks or Bogles.
Liliana's Specter: A real problem for control matchups when you start making them discard frequently with Mind Slash and Liliana. Its also good for combo matches that aren't based from the yard, like Living End. Plays nice with Whip as well.
Thoughtsieze: Combo and control really don't like this card. Make sure to time it right.
Surgical Extraction: I have thought about making this Leyline of the Void, because its 2 free devotion at the beginning of the game, as well as a complete halt to graveyard base combo decks. I cant figure out a way to fit more of it however, and 2 doesent seem like enough. Extraction is a good card in its own right, and better vs control than leyline. hitting a Cryptic Command can be brutal.
Leyline of the Void: I heavily underestimated this card originally, but have grown to love it. It completely shuts down Living End, which is a horrible matchup for us. It also makes most pod variants much worse by shutting off Voice of Resurgence and persist.
We have the ability to lose some speed for a good control game. We can easily win late game if we remove there ability to counter a Gray merchant. I haven't had a lot of problems with any variant of this deck yet.
Affinity: I have had a hard time with this. I have won 1 out of probably 10 matches against it, and decided infest was the way to go after that. You have to hope they don't draw well.
Living End: This also seems like a bad matchup because our elements to stop combo revolve around putting things in the graveyard, and they don't care. This deck has kinda faded back into nothing, but it shows up every once in a while and definitely gives us some troubles.
Bogles: Well timed removal spells, infest, and blocking their fliers with Stromgald are your chance here. I have yet to play this matchup, but I don't think its un-winnable, or even necessarily bad. If it is so, black has all the sac effect to make it better.
Rock: I think we are faster than them. Side in removal for the TarmoGoyfs and try to keep gaining the life. Whip is fairly important here.
Melira Pod: Kitchen Finks cant block Stromgald, and our ability to keep them off creatures game 2 should be pretty relevant. They also really don't like Deathrite Shaman.
UG Tron: This can be difficult because of the Pyroclasm's, but if they get reactive to your game plan, then you have a chance to draw the game out to you being able to land a Merchant or Heavy hitting Consume Spirit and win. Sometimes it isn't smart for them to make you sacrifice things, because Geralf's Messenger really hurts in multiples. Wurmcoil Engine pretty much has to be flown over, and if they drop and early one you are doomed.
Jund: I really dont think this matchup is bad for us. I haven't had an opponent to test extensively with, however I have played against it in the finals of two tournaments, and they don't have Path for things that need to be exiled, Bob hurts them for us, and Stromgald flies over everything except Olivia Voldaren, which is the only card that makes this matchup awkward. Make sure you have a way to kill her, because she walks all over you.
Updates
2.00- Fixed numerous typo's, added a matchup, and a deck update
3.00- Added new update to the current decklist I am using.
Credit goes to Brofoux for the Sig pic.
Current Modern Deck
Black Licorice
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11006564#post11006564
Also, Dark Prophecy is a better option than Underworld Dreams, considering that you have creatures that dies a lot and come back.
Thank you for contributing to the thread!
The full primer covers Stillmoon Cavalier. Hes a valid option, however the three drop spot is highly cluttered. Coming down a turn before is relevant, and there is no boost in stats for the extra mana, just pro black, which is definitely an upside, but not worth making the change in my opinion. I have thought about running both, but then it comes down to what is better, Stillmoon Cavalier or Geralf's Messenger?
Dark Prophesy is something that I have considered, it seems a solid include. I have thought of putting underworld dreams in the board, or cutting it entirely, but it always does something, where Dark Prophesy requires my creatures to die, and can come back to bite me in the faster based matchups. Its something I need to try out, since it is a one of. That was also a spot for the Cavalier that I had considered.
I will be testing out Stillmoon Cavalier more in the near future though, once I find a spot for him. Crusader has been bonkers, and more of a good thing is never bad.
Credit goes to Brofoux for the Sig pic.
Current Modern Deck
Black Licorice
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11006564#post11006564
I like the idea of Demigod of Revenge with Liliana and Nykthos mana available.
Any consideration for finding room for a Phyrexian Obliterator or two?
I love gravecrawler in a deck like this, but are you running enough zombies to make it worth it? I've never tried with only 8. Maybe it works just fine but I picture him getting stranded from time to time. Maybe Nether Traitor? *Edit* Just realized the Crusader is a zombie. Oops.
Just some thoughts. I'd love to hear how it's playing out if you've done any more testing.
*Edit* Profane Command also seems pretty spicy in a deck running Gray Merchant. Maybe the lifegain from Consume Spirit is too important to pass up, but consider that getting back a Gray Merchant still nets you some lifegain.
4 Bloodghast
4 Nether Traitor
4 Geralf's Messenger
2 Necroskitter
3 Demigod of Revenge
2 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Spells:16
2 Black Sun's Zenith
2 Consume Spirit
1 Profane Command
4 Dark Prophecy
3 Liliana of the Veil
3 Mind Slash
1 Grave Pact
4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
18 Swamp
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Death's Shadow
1 Enfeeblement
1 Glistening Oil
1 Kiku, Night's Flower
1 Nantuko Shade
1 Scepter of Fugue
1 Devouring Swarm
1 Hissing Miasma
1 Hypnotic Specter
1 Maga, Traitor to Mortals
1 Murderous Betrayal
1 Necroplasm
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Underworld Connections
1 Underworld Dreams
1 Abyssal Persecutor
1 Damnation
1 Desecration Demon
1 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
1 Lashwrithe
1 Mutilate
1 Necrotic Ooze
1 Nekrataal
1 Whip of Erebos
1 Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
1 Vengeful Pharaoh
1 Enslave
1 Geth, Lord of the Vault
1 Hythonia the Cruel
1 Sorin Markov
1 Grave Betrayal
1 Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet
1 Phage the Untouchable
1 Griselbrand
1 Reiver Demon
Pay no heed to the SB. Just a bunch of cards I'm interested in. There are some experimental synergies here, like Necroskitter and BSZ, Grave Pact and Mind Slash, etc. looks fun! Competitive? Unlikely.
Second, I have been to two more tournaments, and have only lost one match since the primer was made, so that makes it one loss in a tournament, 1 out of tournament in playtesting (I have done quite a bit of playtesting, at least 3 times a week). The loss was to Living End, and that deck is super frustrating for this deck. I dont see the deck alot, and none of my friends have it built, so I dont know of it is something that I should take into serious consideration, but for now I have changed the Surgical Extractions to Leyline of the Void since that slows them down enough for me to try and take over the game.
Another couple of changes I made was switching Consume Spirit to Profane Command and switching two [CARD]
Geralf's Messengers [/CARD] for two Stillmoon Cavaliers. This was to assist with aggro match ups where we are slightly weaker, because Cavalier can block as soon as he drops.
Im glad you are interested in this deck idea. I will go over things one by one.
[CARD]
Dark Prophesy [/CARD]would be good with more sack outlets, and is entirely a valid option. I am only running one Mind Slash currently (for the reason you stated, it has diminishing returns) and until I can find another sack outlet that I really like, I think Ill keep the card on the sidelines, but Its definitely something to keep an eye on.
Demigod of Revenge was something that I pondered for a while, but he isnt a zombie. This isn't exactly a zombie tribal, but its really close. I also dont want to raise my curve to much. Demigod would probably work just fine in more aggressive strategies, and if you decide to use him make sure to remember the way that his ability triggers, because counterspells can be very inefficient on him if your opponent doesn't know what he is doing.
I want to run Phyrexian Obliterator so badly, but I don't think there is room, he falls under the same problem of Demigod, being that he isn't a zombie. His devotion is really high and he is a great creature, and If I could find room for some I would love to, but I cant find room at this very moment. If you proxy or throw together a list and find a great spot for either of these guys let me know.
Gravecrawler works wonders here, because Stromgald Crusader, Geralf's Messenger, Stillmoon Cavalier, and Gray Merchant of Asphodel are all zombies. I very rarely cant bring him back.
Profane Command is a really good idea and I have switched out Consume Spirit for it to see how it runs. It has so many more options, and honestly if I am using Consume spirit to gain life I am probably already losing, because it doesn't really gain significant life until later in the game. Ill see how it goes.
Credit goes to Brofoux for the Sig pic.
Current Modern Deck
Black Licorice
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11006564#post11006564
23 Lands:
19 Creatures:
4 PWs:
4 Liliana of the Veil
7 Enchantments:
7 Other spells
4 Inquisitions on the side
idea is to not only exploit devotion, but to gradually stabilize the field with creatures and enchantments, and I have chosen to use more enchantments than other builds since they are generally harder to answer than creatures. the arenas and singleton erebos are all there for the card draw, and I was thinking with nykthos and whip, life and mana should be easily obtainable to use erebo's card draw ability. and providing a 5/7 indestructible body there is also good. Gravepact is there to serve as a 3 devotion creature trader, that allows me to attack with my bloodghast whenever possible, and it'll make it hard for my opponent to deal with my chump blockers profitably.
I am debating whether to use inquisition MB and what to replace. Currently proxying the list and trying with my friends, still need to do more testing
Edit: I am currently not running any deathrite shamans since i dont have spare fetches to run in this deck. and I believe that deathrites are better with green splash (which also grants us access to decay and pulse.) another thing I would consider is hero's downfall, at least a MB answer to the PWs. The reason I didnt play full playset of nykthos is because i cant risk drawing more than 1 in my first 4 turns running only 23 lands. After some testing I am thinking about swapping my obliterators with gravecrawlers...
UBRGrixis ControlUBR | URPhoenixUR | UWMiraclesUW |GBRJundGBR | UBFaeriesUB | UBWAd NauseumUBW |GBRWBlueless ShadowGBRW |
MTGA
UBRGrixis ControlUBR | UTempoU
Interesting take on beseech the queen, will try to work that in. the only problem is though a 3 mana tutor that does not contribute to our devotion plan might not fit into the aggro/midrange theme, but with this many creatures it's hard to play control for us.
UBRGrixis ControlUBR | URPhoenixUR | UWMiraclesUW |GBRJundGBR | UBFaeriesUB | UBWAd NauseumUBW |GBRWBlueless ShadowGBRW |
MTGA
UBRGrixis ControlUBR | UTempoU
Infest definitely helped my game vs affinity, but it is still unfavorable. I now have two match losses since the decks creation, one to Living End and one to some weird homebrew LD deck with Dramatic Entrance and Terastadon, but I blame the latter on me not treating the deck like the combo deck it was and siding in thoughtseizes.
Credit goes to Brofoux for the Sig pic.
Current Modern Deck
Black Licorice
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11006564#post11006564
how was your MU like against pod decks?
UBRGrixis ControlUBR | URPhoenixUR | UWMiraclesUW |GBRJundGBR | UBFaeriesUB | UBWAd NauseumUBW |GBRWBlueless ShadowGBRW |
MTGA
UBRGrixis ControlUBR | UTempoU
Creatures
3xDeathrite shaman
4xBloodghast
4xGatekeeper of Malakir
4xGeralf's Messenger
3xPhyrexian Obliterator
4xGray Merchant of Asphodel
Enchantments
4xUnderworld Connections
2xWhip of Erebos
Instant/Sorcery
3xThoughtseize
3xDismember
2xGeth's Verdict
1xGo for the throat
Lands
23xSwamp
Don't really have a sideboard yet. I do know that Hero's Downfall will be in it for sure. Any suggestions on a sideboard would be much appreciated!
Cubetutor Link
He is 100% right. No reason to not run Vampire Nighthawk. Also since you're stone cold dead to Karn, you may want some number of Hero's Downfall.
Cockatrice username: Blackcat77
take a look here, imo this is a superior version
UBRGrixis ControlUBR | URPhoenixUR | UWMiraclesUW |GBRJundGBR | UBFaeriesUB | UBWAd NauseumUBW |GBRWBlueless ShadowGBRW |
MTGA
UBRGrixis ControlUBR | UTempoU
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
3 Nantuko Shade
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Phyrexian Obliterator
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2 Erebos, god of the dead
4 Geth's Verdict
4 Hero's Downfall
4 Thoughtseize
4 Sign in Blood
1 Consume Spirit
3 Nythkos
4 Verdant Catacomb
1 Marsh Flats
14 Swamp
I am pretty sure you can get a turn 5 win fairly easily with this. Given Nythkos
Thoughts? Let me know.
More targeted hand removal over some of the sacrifice and destruction might be useful. Possibly inquision of kozilek, duress, or even despise if you're worried about planeswalkers that much.
Hero's demise? What legendary creatures are you seeing that you need specific removal for them that something like smother, doom blade, or go for the throat isn't superior? Do you really mean hero's downfall?
Sign in blood seems interesting. Straight up question, though. Is it performing superior to dark confidant (a permanent for devotion count and an attacker in its own right) or phyrexian arena? I acknowledge it isn't as fast for card draw and will probably get blown up pretty quickly.
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
So you are 100% correct in most of these!
I accidentally put Demise instead of Downfall and Arid Mesa instead of the aforementioned (shows how tired I am these days! lol)
With regards to the deathrite that is a perfect choice and I will find room to fit it in. Complete oversight on my part.
For Bob I thought long and hard and that is the conclusion that I ran into when I considered him. He will get blown up and I won't get the value that I need out of him.
I would Drop 1 Messenger, 1 Obliterator and 1 Geth's Verdict for 3x deathrite shaman.
If you're going to run deathrite, you'll want 4 of him, no doubt about it. He's potentially an even bigger target than dark confidant and any kind of 1 drop mana accelerator might as well say "blow me up now!" to anything packing red removal, which a lot of the format does.
I wouldn't drop messenger or obliterator. Geth's verdict is an equally strong choice for removal, as you already have thoughtseize (can hit a creature pre play as needed), gatekeeper of malakir, and hero's demise.
Erebus; I can't see why you would really want such an expensive and relatively useless guy, unless there is more soul sisters running around than I know about?
Also, I can't believe I forgot to mention it, but liliana of the veil definitely deserves to be in here as an extremely solid contender for card advantage in this and devotion count.
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
Will think about the list more and incorporate these in. Thank you for the Feedback!!