Don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some Icy Assassins, but the speed is a little short of manageable in today's game. However, if you can manage to cut the deck count to 60 by trimming some fat (includingone Icy), you may find that the reliability will be incredibly more manageable. For example, you could afford to lose Turn to Frog without batting an eye, Assassinate since you plan on using Vinny for it anyway (that's what I've always called the Assassin), even Numbing Dose is slightly out of place just because of it's mana cost. Finding ways to cut corners would make this deck insanely faster and more consistent. Look to cut down your curve, see if you can try to not have anything higer than a CC of 4. I think you'd be more than pleased with the results. Hope these ideas help. Should you have a chance, I welcome any comments you could offer my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027). I'm trying to check it off my list and shelf it as my goto casual build. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Not sure where you're wanting to head with this, but I'd suggest that you make this mono-R and focus on letting the speed of dragons shine through. Look towards adding Desperate or Pyretic Ritual to the build to accelerate the dragons out onto the board. Look towards Browbeat for card draw or alternate damage dealing. Control can come in the form of Lightning Bolt or Flame Slash. I'm guessing you really want to play Nicol Bolas, but you're lacking the acceleration you need to play him consistently and quickly. Sorry. If you can afford to work in some dual lands, that would be a huge start so that you don't have to deal with getting color hosed when you're trying to play him. But thinning the deck down to 60 will only help that strategy, as well, considering it would directly increase your chance at drawing him out right. The last alternative would be to keep Bolas, but play the deck more like a two color deck (I'd keep red). Factor in R/U and B/U dual lands to cover your blue mana sources, but then still have the direct control and burn from Red while having the search from Black. Honestly, that might be the best route all together. Hope these ideas help. Should you get a chance, I welcome any comments or criticism you can offer my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027). I'm trying to make it as final as possible and any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
With 25 lands in a 60 card deck with a close to balanced mana curve, you're going to find yourself drawing too many 'empty' cards and slowing you down. Considering most of your curve is =4, consider dropping your land count down to 23 (by removing 2 mountains) and then try to add in R/W duals (in any form affordable) to help prevent color issues in the early game. However, you may even find better luck by removing Red from the build all together. The few red cards you're running with aren't going to make or break your win/loss percentage. Righteousness might be a nice add here for defensive support, or, basic control in the form of Swords to Plowshares. Just a thought. Hope these ideas help. Should you get a moment, I welcome any comments or criticism you can offer my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027). I'm trying to make it as final as possible. Thanks!
To make this work, you really need to find a way to accelerate your mana base. With only 18 lands, you're going to find yourself sitting on most of your cards for extended periods of time. Since most of your deck is artifact-based, consider adding in Cloudpost to help accelerate some colorless mana. Temple of the False God (a land which I typically do not suggest) might be able to find a place here as a one or two of. Ultimately, you need to find a way to crank out your 4+ CCers faster than where you sit right now, otherwise, many games will be over before you can really get rolling. Hope these ideas help. Should you get a moment, I welcome any comments or criticism you can offer my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027). I'm trying to make it as final as possible. Thanks!
It might make things a little expensive, but consider adding in Vindicate as it will help address ANY threat that hits the board. Also, the classic Consume Spirit/Drain Life will be a great way for spot health as needed: pair either with a Cabal Coffers and enjoy some crazy life gain. Hope these ideas help. Should you get a moment, I welcome any comments or criticism you can offer my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027). I'm trying to make it as final as possible. Thanks!
Nah, I'd keep the Lilliana's but would for sure drop the Mindslicer and Sorin's Vengeance. Sorin's is nice and all, but it costs way too much. I'm assuming, though, that you're using it as a primary kill con. Rather, look towards The Rack or other artifacts that can help with your damage dealing. Oddly, though, I do like Painful Quandry here (I usually suggest that people play without it), the synergy it has with Dash Hope is nice. That said, consider adding in 2 more Dashs in place of the Sorin's and Slicer, alone they can be the difference between a fast win and a long loss. They will also cover the 10 damage you end up losing from Sorin's. Hope these ideas help. Should you get a moment, I welcome any comments or criticism you can offer my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027). I'm trying to make it as final as possible. Thanks!
I've always been a fan of Gempalm Polluters for the cycling ability. It's a great way to sneak some unavoidable damage. Keep in mind that Zombie Lord was errated and is now a zombie in addition to a lord. While his ability isn't great, it can come in handy (all zombies gain B: Regenerate and Swampwalk). Not sure how much those two will help. If you get a chance, could you please look at my Black Hole deck ( http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027), I will welcome any comments or criticism you can offer. Thanks.
Agreed, your early game is asking for trouble. I can't remember the name of it, but there's a green wall for 1G that taps for G, so, in essence the same thing as the Llanowars but a better blocker. Beast Within might be a solid add, as well. Many people don't like the card because of the 3/3 it grants, but if you can't deal with a 3/3 then you have bigger problems. For potential acceleration, look to Upwelling. It's a great way to float mana from turn to turn so that you can play some of your Eldrazi spells a turn sooner. That could make a difference in more than one game. Sylvan Library and Sensei's Diving Top could also bring some valuable card quality into the build, as well. I hope these ideas help. If you get a chance, please take a look at my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027), I'm trying to get it as final as possible so I can check one off the list, if you know what I mean. I welcome any comments or criticism you can offer. Thanks!
This is what bad Relentless Rats decks look like. Just having as many as possible doesn't help anything. Rather, what needs to happen is you need to have a lot hit the board quickly. Therefore, tools like Thrumming Stone are essential! Search in the form of Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor (both for the Thrumming Stones), and Desperate Research could all vastly improve the speed in which the rats hit the board. Mana accelerators like Extraplanar Lens, Cabal Coffers, etc., could also help tremendously. Bottom line, having as many Rats in the deck is not what makes a good Rats deck good. It's the speed in which the number of rats hit the board. With this build, you get stunted with (eventually) one per turn if you're lucky (factor in a depleted hand and/or land draws). Even draw would greatly assist your cause. Sign in Blood, Necropotence, Spellbombs, etc. There is nothing different between the philosophy of a good deck and a good rats deck. You shouldn't expect a deck with 36 creatures to win just because, so don't think a deck of 36 rats will be any different. It's all about finding and utilizing the mechanics that make the rats's ability that more broken. Hope these ideas help. Should you get a chance, please take a look at my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027), I'm trying to make it as final as possible so that I can check one off the list, if you know what I mean. I welcome any comments and criticism you can offer! Thanks!
Well one! The only creature I like to see in a Reanimator deck that isn't here is Reya. Still, without her, you have a very nice balance of animate and bury. In regards to a sideboard, though, consider Innocent Blood (as you can reanimate your sacrifice) or Edicts to help you balance any obstacles that might pop up in the early game. Though, now that Entomb is no longer restricted, I can imagine there being few issues with early threats. I might have to rebuild my reanimator deck. If you get a chance, please take a look at my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027). Any comments or criticism would be much appreciated as I'm trying to make it as final as possible. Thanks!
This looks interesting. I question why you don't make it mono-black, though. From what I can gather, it seems as if you're trying to different strats (discard and mill). While both can be effective, you might find at times splitting the duty might become tedious and inconsistent. However, if you plan on staying B/U, consider adding in some draw to help keep your hand size at a moderate amount. Brainstorm, Ponder, Tezzerit's Gambit, etc. are all viable options to help get you some cards on hand; or, if multi-player is your forte, try Syphon Mind. Hope these ideas help. Should you get a chance, please take a look at my Black Hole deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027). I welcome any comments or criticism you could offer the build as I want it to be as final as possible. Thanks!
Glad to hear these ideas will work for you! In a casual format, in my area. My Black Hole deck is my go to deck in the casual format and it rarely lets me down. I hope it brings as much frustration to your friend(s) as I know it brings mine.
I try to follow the banned/restricted list as closely as I can. The only deck where I break that rule is with this one and the multiple inclusions of Necropotence. When I first started playing Necro was NOT restricted but Demonic Tutor was, so when it comes to Necro decks, I follow that rule. Consider this as Type 1 legal before the Black Summer.
Well done! Everything seems to be in the correct order. The only suggestion I could make is to consider Thirst for Knowledge for some added advantage when you need it. I've found that it offers unique flexibility at times. Love the fact that Dispatch made it in here. So many people leave it out and it's quite possibly one of the best removals in the block. Should you get a chance, I welcome any comments or criticism you can offer any of the builds I have posted here. Just click on my name to see the deck list. Thanks!
I'm of the mindset that you might be a little short on land. Cabal Coffers are amazing and all, but too many can be devastating in the early game. Further, there really isn't much in the deck that really requires you to run them. You can go two directions to remedy this: shave the Coffers down to 2, or shave the count down to 3 and add in Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth to help prevent early issues. Once that is accomplished, consider Exsaguinate, Consume Spirit, or Drain Life. They'll serve as AMAZING kill conditions with the Coffers while giving you something to really abuse the Coffers on. You might also consider running the route of Edicts in place of the Doom Blades and Throats. While they don't allow targetting, they will address what you need them to when you need it. They also are not effected by Indesctructible issues (should that be a concern). Lastly, and this is just preference, consider replacing Bargain with Necropotence. While Bargain gets you the cards immediately (which is better than Necropotence), Necro hits the board ridiculously faster (which is why it's better than Bargain). While you are running the Rituals to help speed the cause for Bargain, they will also accelerate Necro (even faster) so that you never have card issues and always have advantage. Further, having Drains to support either WILL guarantee your success rate ten-fold. To see what I mean, take a look at my mono-Black build. It's remarkably similar to yours with some slightly significant changes (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=345027). I, too, used to run Lilliana (her ability works remarkably well with Necro/Bargain), but I found that I was using her for the same thing(s) every game and was able to replace her with Demonic and Vampiric Tutors. This allowed me to run a deck that has nothing exceed a 4CC, and ultimately control every element of the game until lethal damage. Take a look at it, you won't be disappointed and I really believe that you might be able to pull some ideas to help make your friend adjust his playstyle. Thanks!
Temple of the False God is one of those lands that can handicap you right off the start. Consider replacing it with Rootbound Crag or another R/G dual to help prevent any color hosing early on. In terms of your theme, look at misguided Rage. While not an LD card persay, it's flexibility is really fascinating and can lead to a pretty interesting meta game. Next, you typically need LD to play pretty quickly. Ideally, you're popping a land as quickly as turn 2 (black can do it turn 1). To remedy this, add in Desperate Ritual so that you can get the land advantage on turn 2. Strip Mine would also be a solid add here. Finally, with a couple of modifications, you could successfully turn this into a mono-R deck. Going mono-R will allow you to implement some burn for control and defense. I'm not convinced you need the acceleration in this build (Growth, Birds, etc) because you should have the mana advantage anyway. I understand that Fireball is your ultimately kill condition, but you could probably find a better alternative in the form of moderate creature strength, or as I play it, Slith Firewalkers as they get uncontrollably huge with LD backing them. Should you get a chance, take a look at my mono-R LD deck (http://www.mtgvault.com/ViewDeck.aspx?DeckID=154811), it runs LD on a slightly different angle, but you might be able to pull some ideas from it. Or, if other decks suit your fancy, feel free to click on my name to see the deck lists; I have 3 LD builds posted on the site, each more peculiar and violent than the other. Thanks!
Everything looks in order. I would consider AEther Vial, Fling, and possibly a full playset of Thoughtcasts. Otherwise, things are wherebthey are supposed to be. Possibly Disciple of the Vault in place of the Hoverguard. Thurst for Knowledge might also be a solid add. Of course, these would all work as sideboard as well. Oh, and maybe AEther Spellbomb for the bounce if you need it. Should you get a chance, i welcome any comments or criticism you can offer on any of the decks i have posted here. Just click on my name to see the deck list. Thanks.
Consider tossing in Fling to give you an alternate win con. Beyond that, im not really seeingbwhat youre really tapping into with in regards to Affinity. Most of your deck has steep costs that arent effected by Affinity. Dont get me wrong, Scourglass is well played here, and you have other great tandems/combos, but you are missing the boat on speed. Look towards Trinket Mage for acceleration as he can search for lands, Thoughtcast or Thirst for Knowledge for draw, Sol Ring for acceleration, and Glimmervoid for coloring. Classic Affinity also included Disciple of the Vault; when paired with Atog or Arcbound Ravager things ended quick. Hope these ideas help. Should you get a chance, i welcome any comments or criticism you can offer any of the decks i have posted here; just click on my name to see the deck lists. Thanks.
Siren's Call turns War Tax into a WoG if you need it. The look you get when Sirens goes off is classic. I question Arcane Denial here. The card you get does not outweigh the two they get. Memory Lapse might be a solution as it also serves as disruption; but the straight Counterspell is probably best. Hope these suggestions help. Should you get a minute, i welcome any comments or criticism you can offer ny of the decks i have posted here; just click on my nake to see the deck lists. Thanks.
Browbeat! Because of how quickly burn plays out of your hand, you need some option to get cards back. Browbeat successfully accomplishes that chance. For the mana, the either or option is a decent trade off. After that, consider Slith Firewalker. They hit the board fast and get ridiculously huge. Great for any burn speed deck. Should you get a chance, I welcome any comments you could offer one of the decks I have posted here. Just click on my name to see the deck lists. Thanks!
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