[Deck] Cruel Tendrils

[blacklotus3636]

I did a search to see if there were any other decks like this one being discussed and I didn't really find anything that was quite like this aside from it being a tendrils deck. I also did not make this list. I found it on starcitygames one day looking for new tendrils innovations. I of course heard someone rant about how thier deck was very fast and consistent which I'm sure has been said a million times before but I always test things this is the list he gave in the thread:

4 land grant
2 bayou
4 lotus petal
4 chrome mox
4 dark ritual
4 cabal ritual
4 culling the weak
4 Lions eye diamond
4 shield sphere
4 phrexian walker
2 ornithopter
4 infernal tutor
2 diabolic intent
3 tendrils of agony
2 ill-gotten gains
4 cruel bargain
4 infernal contract
1 meditate

On the lack of spoils of the vault: When you are running 8 infernal contracts you have to decide whether you want the ability to play four infernal contracts a game that always draws you four cards or if you want a one mana tutor that can only be used once and everytime you do you pray it doesn't kill you. I thought initially that taking spoils out was going to slow the deck down but with 12 power ritual effects and 4 lions eye diamond infernal tutor is the all star in this deck. All taking out spoils has really done is made the deck more consistent.

On the creature engine: This is probably the area that causes the most problems. There are instances when you have a few too many useless creatures in your hand and there are other times when you don't have enough creatures to play a culling or a diabolic intent. Overall though culling the weak has proven to be so strong I wouldn't run the deck without it. They also serve the added bonus of counting for spells themselves and can block early lackeys and such to keep super aggressive decks in check long enough for you to win if you have a particularly slow hand.

On chrome mox: In the nausea builds I kept wishing I had more free mana other than lotus petal and so I went back and forth between elvish spirit guide and chrome mox but never really satisfied with either. With the awesome drawing power this deck has and its need for more free manachrome mox fits in perfectly. Plus chrome mox gives you a way to get unplayable things out of your hand to make infernal tutor more effective

The meditate slot: I really don't like any non-black cards in this deck but I'm not quite sure what else to put in its spot. I also think the deck could go down to two tendrils because drawing more than one sucks alot but no less than two. I'm interested in hearing suggestions for the slots.

These are just some observations I've made about the deck so far. If anyone has anything to add after testing it a while I would be open to anything any of you have.

[Togit460]

First of all, there are other threads for this deck. Secondly please explain a little more thoroughly if you were to do a thread. That is all.

[Bongo]

Two cards that might be interesting:

Reprocess 2BB
Sacrifice any number of artifacts, creatures, and/or lands. Draw a card for each permanent sacrificed this way.

This could be good to get rid of excess creatures, Moxen and Diamonds, while drawing more cards.


Promise of Power 2BBB
Choose one - You draw five cards and you lose 5 life; or put a black Demon creature token with flying into play with power and toughness each equal to the number of cards in your hand as the token comes into play.
Entwine {4}

The deck can easily ramp up to five mana, and the demon token would provide an additional win-condition besides Tendrils in emergencies.

I goldfished a bit with the following list:

4 Lotus Petal
4 Chrome Mox
4 Dark Ritual
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Culling the Weak
4 LED

4 Land Grant
2 Bayou

4 Shield Sphere
4 Phyrexian walker
2 Ornithopter

4 Infernal Tutor
2 Diabolic Intent

4 Cruel Bargain
4 Infernal Contract

2 Tendrils
2 Ill-Gotten Gains
2 Promise of Power

This is really fast, you can even pull out turn 1 wins sometimes. This is definitely on my radar now.

[emidln]

My posted list already pulls off turn 1 kills above 50% of the time. The thing is, you don't want to try for it. It is much more of a "sure thing" that gets you points for the match win when you wait and only go off when pressure is put on you. This is a lesson that many people never learn when playing Contract Tendrils.

On the Meditate/Tendrils numbers, I liked 3 just because I was testing against UGR Threshold quite a bit because it was in my meta. Played properly, you're better than even against UGR Threshold, although decks with Meddling Mage are still hard. I'm not sure what it wants to become, probably Massacre or something MD, maybe Charbelcher MD again, but Meddling Mage is a clock the MD can't deal with. Daze, FoW, and creatures are largely irrelevent when you are piloting the deck correctly. Meddling Mage is game over without an alternate win or removal main.

[Togit460]

I heavily dislike land grant in this deck, It allows opponents to play around you too easily. As well as letting them know if/when you can go off. Promise of power also seems underpowered for it's cost, but i could be wrong. This deck has an extremely fast goldfish. That said though, it's been highly inconsistent when i played with it and that's the reason I haven't kept with it. Goblin charbelcher > promise though if you stay with 2 land and 4 land grant.

[emidln]

Goblin Charbelcher or Meditate are definitely better than Promise of Power. Stuff that costs 5 is generally really bad, especially when it causes non-variable life-loss. Grim Tutor would be much better, but we can't play it after a couple draw4s. Meditate is good, but drawing a Meditate off a Meditate has the brainstorm problem of being beyond bad. Also, double Meditate in your opening 7 is basically a forced mulligan.

I believe Land Grant is fine as long as you don't blindly play it without good reason. There are very few times where a countered land grant single-handedly will lose the game for you. In most of those games, you are trying to go off turn 1 for whatever reason and probably should wait to begin with.