Mono Black Devotion

[Tyrael]

B/G rules face

[Toddington]

Brain Maggot anyone?

I have been testing it MB for a few days and now my control playtester refuses to play any more matches against the deck (TS + Duress + BM post-board is just game over)

@Tyrael - What's the list were you maining Maggot in?

I've seen a few online that cut the Lifebane/Specter/Demon slot for it. I think cutting the 3 drop slot for it is good, because stripping all their removal and throwing a Demon down seems like a solid path to victory. 12 discard spells against control post-board feels so dirty.

[Toddington]

[deck]Brain Maggot Black[/deck]
I feel like Erebos has value as a finisher here, seeing as though I'm playing 1/1's instead of actual creatures...

I haven't come across a reason to not jam a Nykthos yet, but that could be too cute. Interested to hear what people's take on the Temple count is. I've seen between zero and
six from decks online. 25 land feels fine, I think 26 seems excessive.

Sideboard is a work in progress.

[RedNihilist]

Interesting article -> magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=11829

* [url] tag not working

[RedNihilist]

Personal todo:
- [SCD] Brain Maggot
- [SCD] Staff of the Death Magus
- LBZ vs NVS argument

[Tyrael]

[deck]Creatures (16)
4 Desecration Demon
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4 Brain Maggot
4 Pack Rat

Planeswalkers (1)
1 Vraska the Unseen

Lands (25)
11 Swamp
2 Golgari Guildgate
4 Mutavault
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Temple of Malady

Spells (18)
4 Underworld Connections
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Devour Flesh
4 Hero's Downfall
4 Thoughtseize

Sideboard
2 Dark Betrayal
1 Devour Flesh
2 Doom Blade
2 Golgari Charm
3 Lifebane Zombie
2 Erebos, God of the Dead
3 Duress[/deck]

here's my new list

Keep in mind: I only play this in a control-midrange heavy meta

It's even weaker than mono B vs aggro/burn lists

[ADarkConfidant]

Blue and Red just aren't worth it unless you have a metagame of almost all U/W-based control decks.

White is good against Mono Black dominated metagames.

I find green good against everything except for maybe a Monsters/Mono Blue dominated metagame. But I don't think either metagame conditions exist anywhere.

So yeah...this is what I've played to much improved success:

[deck]Instants and Sorceries
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Bile Blight
2x Devour Flesh
4x Hero's Downfall
4x Thoughtseize

Enchantments
4x Underworld Connections
1x Whip of Erebos

Creatures
4x Desecration Demon
4x Pack Rat
4x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4x Lifebane Zombie

Lands
4x Mutavault
1x Forest
4x Overgrown Tomb
12x Swamp
4x Temple of Malady


Sideboard
2x Devour Flesh
2x Doom Blade [M10]
1x Drown In Sorrow
3x Duress [M10]
2x Erebos, God of the Dead
2x Golgari Charm
2x Pharika's Cure
1x Vraska the
Unseen[/deck]

[RedNihilist]

http://www.channelfireball.com/articles ... -devotion/

[ADarkConfidant]

Got 2nd with that B/G list again. U/W Control becomes a far easier matchup. Beat it twice in one night. Only loss was to Jund Monsters, which I've always had problems with. Still learning to sideboard for it.

[zenbitz]

What do you guys thing of the mono-blue match? Either straight B, Bw or Bg?

[ADarkConfidant]

Got first at FNM tonight! I'm proud of myself because I beat a really good player( who top 8s GPs and SCG Opens) that normally beats me, playing a deck I normally lose to.

Round 1, 2-0 vs R/U Burn

Round 2, 2-0 vs Mono Black Devotion

Round 3, 1-2 vs G/W Hexproof (got ridiculously mana flooded 2 games)

Round 4, 2-0 vs G/W Aggro

Round 5, 2-0 vs Jund Monsters

[deck]Creature (18)
4x Desecration Demon
4x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2x Lifebane Zombie
4x Nightveil Specter
4x Pack Rat

Enchantment (5)
4x Underworld
Connections
1x Whip of Erebos

Land (25)
4x Mutavault
15x Swamp
4x Temple of Deceit
2x Temple of Malady

Instant (8)
3x Bile Blight
4x Hero's Downfall
1x Ultimate Price

Sorcery (4)
4x Thoughtseize

Sideboard (15)
3x Doom Blade
4x Duress
2x Erebos, God of the Dead
2x Lifebane Zombie
4x Pharika's Cure
[/deck]

[RedNihilist]

'grats man!

No BW in your meta?
I see BBoV being a problem without Devour Flesh.

[ADarkConfidant]

'grats man!

No BW in your meta?
I see BBoV being a problem without Devour Flesh.

He comes up in Junk and Esper decks sometimes, but Lifebane and Thoughtseize come down way too early for decks to run more than 2.
To be honest, I've only faced the creature twice in tournaments, and won twice by racing it with Demons and a whip both times.

Either way, for that week I expected heavy aggro, some monsters, and maybe some creatureless control; so I metagamed against that. Worked out well.
Next time, I'll probably play a bit differently.

[ADarkConfidant]

http://www.starcitygames.com/article/28 ... icago.html

She just got 2nd at GP Chicago. She had the same "race a late game Blood Baron" strategy as me. 0 Devour Flesh, as scary as it sounds.

[RedNihilist]

Really nice article, btw.
I'll try out her ideas, the point she makes about DF and the temples are actually interesting.

[zenbitz]

So her mirror sideboard is +whip +2 read the bones +1 dark betrayal -4 lifebane zombie?

Maybe obvious, but I don't play mono black at all...

[RedNihilist]

I guess the 2x Erebos just have to come in, some way or the other.
Maybe for a HDF, maybe for a Swamp (not kidding here), maybe you just keep only a whip.

[ADarkConfidant]

[deck]
Instant (10)
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Bile Blight
2x Devour Flesh
4x Hero's Downfall

Land (25)
4x Mutavault
4x Overgrown Tomb
13x Swamp
4x Temple of Malady

Creature (16)
4x Desecration Demon
4x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4x Lifebane Zombie
4x Pack Rat

Enchantment (5)
4x Underworld Connections
1x Whip of Erebos

Sorcery (4)
4x Thoughtseize


Sideboard (15)
1x Devour Flesh
4x Doom Blade
1x Drown in Sorrow
4x Duress
2x Erebos, God of the Dead
2x Golgari Charm
1x Vraska the Unseen
[/deck]

Got 1st place again with B/g. Boarded in Vraska a bit more, and was glad I did. Sorry she'll be leaving soon.

1st round vs Black Devotion: 2-0

2nd round vs G/W Hexproof: 2-0

3rd round vs B/W Midrange: 2-1

4th round vs G/W Midrange: 2-0

[RedNihilist]

Congrats!

[ADarkConfidant]

This has been AWESOME during testing. Liliana Vess is great.


[deck]Land (25)
4x Mutavault
4x Overgrown Tomb
12x Swamp
4x Temple of Malady
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Enchantment (5)
4x Underworld Connections
1x Whip of Erebos

Sorcery (4)
4x Thoughtseize

Planeswalker (2)
2x Liliana Vess

Instant (10)
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Bile Blight
2x Devour Flesh
4x Hero's Downfall

Creature (14)
4x Desecration Demon
2x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4x Lifebane Zombie
4x Pack Rat


Sideboard (15)
3x Doom Blade
1x Drown in Sorrow
3x Duress
2x Erebos, God of the Dead
1x Garruk, Apex Predator
2x Golgari Charm
2x Pharika's Cure
1x Vraska the Unseen[/deck]

[ADarkConfidant]

Got 1st for the 3rd week in a row. This week was the M15 release, so I expected heavy aggro, and came prepared with a weenie-hate sideboard. I think the results speak for themselves.

Round 1 vs G/W Hexproof: 2-0

Round 2 vs R/W Aggro: 2-1

Round 3 vs G/R Monsters: 2-0

Round 4 vs Boss Sligh (red aggro): 2-1



Was tough but I did it! The card that won most matches was Liliana Vess . Her, combo’d with Underworld Connections, made any card in my deck instantly available for 1 mana and 1 life.
Also, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth spoils you so
much! You will notice after playing a few games with it, and then you don't draw it later on and get frustrated at Mutavaults for not tapping for black.
Liliana was amazing, though. Cannot say that enough.
Garruk won a game, but Liliana tutored him up once I got to 7 mana( not including the mutavault that had Underworld on it, to put it in my hand).


Here’s the list:

[deck]Land (25)
1x Llanowar Waste
4x Mutavault
4x Overgrown Tomb
11x Swamp
4x Temple of Malady
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth



Enchantment (5)
4x Underworld Connections
1x Whip of Erebos

Sorcery (4)
4x Thoughtseize

Instant (10)
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Bile Blight
2x Devour Flesh
4x Hero’s Downfall

Creature (14)
4x Desecration Demon
2x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4x Lifebane Zombie
4x Pack Rat

Planeswalker (2)
2x Liliana Vess



Sideboard (15)
2x Doom Blade
2x Drown in Sorrow
3x Duress
2x Erebos, God of the Dead
1x Garruk, Apex Predator
2x Golgari Charm
2x Pharika’s Cure
1x Vraska the Unseen[/deck]
n
Going from 4 Gray Merchants to 2 was great also. Think of Lilana as a fetch land, and Gray Merchant as a dual land. She helps me get him when I need him, and get other things when I need other things. I always have removal with her and Underworlds both out at once.
This list has definitely moved away from it's devotion deck roots, but that's a good thing.

I just call it B/G Rock now.