For those of you running the B/r Crypt build, have you considered blightning for control? It's redundant with Mind Sludge, but it's cheaper and comes out earlier.
Needlebite trap, btw, is a situational card at best. The goal of this deck is to wear down the opponent's resources. Any card that doesn't help do that doesn't belong in the deck. The only time needlebite might do that is against aggro decks that run out of steam, but you aren't likely to be using the trap ability against them, are you? It just doesn't fit.
The two main changes are MD Sorin and Echoes. Before I explain why, I need a bit of a preface. Like MBC decks of old, the goal is to slowly wear away at your opponent's resources until you can force a big, game breaking spell through, at which point the game might as well be over. Small bits of card advantage like Sign in Blood and Gatekeeper are certainly helpful here. The lifegain also forces your opponent - usually aggro - to keep throwing resources at your life total. Eventually they run out.
The key, then, is the game breaking spells. Bloodwitch is a decent finisher, but she isn't game breaking. Sludge has that effect on any deck that keeps stuff in it's hand, but aggro decks can kill you with an empty hand.
Hence, first of all, Sorin. I tested him and now see the light. He forces your opponent to deal with him or he is the game breaking spell. He also provides even more card advantage against aggro, and life gain to stall. You just have to get to 6 mana.
Hauning Echoes, I think, is a great multipurpose control card in this deck. When you cast it against aggro, you remove many potential threats from their deck and make their topdeck mode much worse. Ideally you cast it later so you can completely cripple them, but early is probably better for survival purposes. Against control resolving an echoes probably means you win. Unless there's a BSA on the board and you have no way of dealing with it.
I ran into a few aggro decks tonight, and Bond proved to be more a pain in the neck than anything. I think this deck can reliably handle control w/ sludge, duress, Bloodwitch (for baneslayer), and options like Sadistic Sacrament and Haunting Echoes, so these will probably go for some more removal. Blood Tribute may go as well.
@red splash
You are trading weaker tendrils, lower percentage 1st turn Duress, and lower percentage 3rd turn gatekeeper for whatever red you get in return. Consume Spirit also becomes worse. Terminate is great and all, and blightning, unlike sludge, helps a bit against aggro, but think about what you give up.
I've been thinking about a slightly different build than what you guys have been looking at. In preliminary testing, it seems to give Baneslayer based control absolute fits and fares well against control in general, but I haven't ran across much aggro yet.
The deck basically runs around using life gain as a legitimate weapon through Sanguine Bond, and as a stalling technique against aggro. Without further ado, on to the cards
24x Swamp
Some nonbasics might improve the deck here, but every point of tendrils damage counts. Other options include Piranha Marsh and Gargoyle Castle. 1-2 Castle is probably a good bet, I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet
12x Vampires
Nighthawk is a pretty beastly on it's own, and it hits for 4 when bond is out. Gatekeeper is an automatic. Relatively cheap spot removal in a 2/2 package. Bloodwitch laughs off Baneslayers all day long, and just refuses to die to anything but sweepers, terminate, or doubled up burn spells. All of the creatures help the her ability, and bond, again, just makes it better. Bloodghast is an interesting option here, but we really need our creatures to do double duty on the defensive end. Other vampires are also interesting, but nothing fantastic.
4x Sanguine Bond
This card is what the deck revolves around. Basically, with this in play, gain as much life as possible and don't feel guilty about it. It turns stalling into killing. The optimal number might be 3, not sure. Keep in mind that having 2 in play makes Nighthawk swing for 6, but you still don't want to see them too early against aggro.
4x Duress, 2x Mind Sludge
Anti-control. 2 more sludge in the sb for good measure. Duress also nails nasty things like Blightning, Lightning Bolt, and any quests and traps that might be lurking.
4x Tendrils, 4x Consume Spirit
Kill creatures and gain life at the same time. This deck just begs for corrupt, but Spirit is all it gets. With a Bond out, 7 mana and a Spirit in hand, you can do 10 damage to the opponent in one swing. (I still wish it was corrupt). Spirit is one of the weakest links since, against aggro, it doesn't kill much until turn 4, and by then there are bigger things to worry about. Tendrils, on the other hand, is a great way to kill nasty things like angels the turn after they are cast.
4x Sign in Blood
Card advantage. Nuff said. You don't have much to cast early in the game anyway.
2x Blood Tribute
Combos with a vampire and Sanguine Bond for the win. Just one way to topdeck like a madman to get out of a terrible situation. Also a great way to buy another turn against aggro, though this isn't really what you hope to use the card for.
The sideboard is incomplete, but Sacrament hoses combo and, kicked, it can hurt control. Sludge is obviously for control, while infest and doom blade help against aggro. Infest seems somewhat weak with the plethora of big, cheap creatures available, but it will be appropriate against some decks. If it was -3/-3 it would be maindecked. Feast of Blood isn't worthwhile since you will never reliably have 2 vamps out.
The problem, of course, is aggro. What this deck would love to have is a) Corrupt and b) Mutilate. Something like them is hopefully forthcoming in the next set, but that will be in some time. In the mean time, Consume Spirit vs. better removal is an interesting question. And if more MD removal, is it infest or spot removal? If spot, Doom Blades or something that kills vamps like disfigure?
A card that isn't and probably shouldn't be in here is Bloodchief Ascension. Topdecking it late against aggro is not something you want to do. The planeswalkers also look like too little too late to me, but I haven't tried them much yet.
Needlebite trap, btw, is a situational card at best. The goal of this deck is to wear down the opponent's resources. Any card that doesn't help do that doesn't belong in the deck. The only time needlebite might do that is against aggro decks that run out of steam, but you aren't likely to be using the trap ability against them, are you? It just doesn't fit.
24x Swamp
Creatures
4x Vampire Nighthawk
4x Gatekeeper of Malakir
4x Malakir Bloodwitch
Spells
4x Tendrils of Corruption
4x Sign in Blood
3x Duress
2x Haunting Echoes
2x Mind Sludge
4x Disfigure
3x Consume Spirit
2x Sorin Markov
1x Duress
4x Infest
4x Deathmark
2x Mind Sludge
4x Sadistic Sacrament
The two main changes are MD Sorin and Echoes. Before I explain why, I need a bit of a preface. Like MBC decks of old, the goal is to slowly wear away at your opponent's resources until you can force a big, game breaking spell through, at which point the game might as well be over. Small bits of card advantage like Sign in Blood and Gatekeeper are certainly helpful here. The lifegain also forces your opponent - usually aggro - to keep throwing resources at your life total. Eventually they run out.
The key, then, is the game breaking spells. Bloodwitch is a decent finisher, but she isn't game breaking. Sludge has that effect on any deck that keeps stuff in it's hand, but aggro decks can kill you with an empty hand.
Hence, first of all, Sorin. I tested him and now see the light. He forces your opponent to deal with him or he is the game breaking spell. He also provides even more card advantage against aggro, and life gain to stall. You just have to get to 6 mana.
Hauning Echoes, I think, is a great multipurpose control card in this deck. When you cast it against aggro, you remove many potential threats from their deck and make their topdeck mode much worse. Ideally you cast it later so you can completely cripple them, but early is probably better for survival purposes. Against control resolving an echoes probably means you win. Unless there's a BSA on the board and you have no way of dealing with it.
@red splash
You are trading weaker tendrils, lower percentage 1st turn Duress, and lower percentage 3rd turn gatekeeper for whatever red you get in return. Consume Spirit also becomes worse. Terminate is great and all, and blightning, unlike sludge, helps a bit against aggro, but think about what you give up.
24x Swamp
Creatures
4x Malakir Bloodwitch
4x Vampire Nighthawk
4x Gatekeeper of Malakir
Spells
4x Tendrils of Corruption
4x Duress
4x Sign in Blood
4x Sanguine Bond
2x Blood Tribute
2x Mind Sludge
4x Consume Spirit
2x Mind Sludge
4x Infest
4x Doom Blade
3x Sadistic Sacrament
The deck basically runs around using life gain as a legitimate weapon through Sanguine Bond, and as a stalling technique against aggro. Without further ado, on to the cards
24x Swamp
Some nonbasics might improve the deck here, but every point of tendrils damage counts. Other options include Piranha Marsh and Gargoyle Castle. 1-2 Castle is probably a good bet, I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet
12x Vampires
Nighthawk is a pretty beastly on it's own, and it hits for 4 when bond is out. Gatekeeper is an automatic. Relatively cheap spot removal in a 2/2 package. Bloodwitch laughs off Baneslayers all day long, and just refuses to die to anything but sweepers, terminate, or doubled up burn spells. All of the creatures help the her ability, and bond, again, just makes it better. Bloodghast is an interesting option here, but we really need our creatures to do double duty on the defensive end. Other vampires are also interesting, but nothing fantastic.
4x Sanguine Bond
This card is what the deck revolves around. Basically, with this in play, gain as much life as possible and don't feel guilty about it. It turns stalling into killing. The optimal number might be 3, not sure. Keep in mind that having 2 in play makes Nighthawk swing for 6, but you still don't want to see them too early against aggro.
4x Duress, 2x Mind Sludge
Anti-control. 2 more sludge in the sb for good measure. Duress also nails nasty things like Blightning, Lightning Bolt, and any quests and traps that might be lurking.
4x Tendrils, 4x Consume Spirit
Kill creatures and gain life at the same time. This deck just begs for corrupt, but Spirit is all it gets. With a Bond out, 7 mana and a Spirit in hand, you can do 10 damage to the opponent in one swing. (I still wish it was corrupt). Spirit is one of the weakest links since, against aggro, it doesn't kill much until turn 4, and by then there are bigger things to worry about. Tendrils, on the other hand, is a great way to kill nasty things like angels the turn after they are cast.
4x Sign in Blood
Card advantage. Nuff said. You don't have much to cast early in the game anyway.
2x Blood Tribute
Combos with a vampire and Sanguine Bond for the win. Just one way to topdeck like a madman to get out of a terrible situation. Also a great way to buy another turn against aggro, though this isn't really what you hope to use the card for.
The sideboard is incomplete, but Sacrament hoses combo and, kicked, it can hurt control. Sludge is obviously for control, while infest and doom blade help against aggro. Infest seems somewhat weak with the plethora of big, cheap creatures available, but it will be appropriate against some decks. If it was -3/-3 it would be maindecked. Feast of Blood isn't worthwhile since you will never reliably have 2 vamps out.
The problem, of course, is aggro. What this deck would love to have is a) Corrupt and b) Mutilate. Something like them is hopefully forthcoming in the next set, but that will be in some time. In the mean time, Consume Spirit vs. better removal is an interesting question. And if more MD removal, is it infest or spot removal? If spot, Doom Blades or something that kills vamps like disfigure?
A card that isn't and probably shouldn't be in here is Bloodchief Ascension. Topdecking it late against aggro is not something you want to do. The planeswalkers also look like too little too late to me, but I haven't tried them much yet.
Any comments?