Black Ankh

[ebbitten]

My cousin and I were looking through some old cards and we stumbled across Ankh of Mishra. Realizing that it fairly completely nerfs Fetches (5 damage for 1 land) we decided to make a Deck around it. We tried 9 land stompy+Ankh but i didn't work all that well. So i came up with the idea (kinda) of a Mono black Accelerated Sui-esque deck. The results came up to be the following:

// Deck file for Magic Workstation (http://www.magicworkstation.com)

// Lands
10 [TE] Swamp (4)
4 [TE] Wasteland
2 [PLC] Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

// Creatures
4 [TO] Nantuko Shade
4 [4E] Hypnotic Specter
3 [SOK] Hand of Cruelty
3 [CS] Stromgald Crusader
4 [RAV] Dark Confidant

// Spells
3 [ON] Smother
4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
3 [BOK] Umezawa's Jitte
4 [B] Sinkhole
4 [B] Ankh of Mishra
4 [R] Dark Ritual
4 [MR] Chrome Mox

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [US] Duress
SB: 4 [PLC] Extirpate
SB: 4 [7E] Engineered Plague
SB: 3 [UD] Phyrexian Negator


It seems to have fairly good matchups all around although it can be inconsistant at times. The ankhs help the worst matchups (control) by attacking there late game plans.

Any helpful critics are welcome.

[So Annoying My Account Is Banned]

Black knight is better than hand of cruelty because it has first strike instead of bushido.

Hand of cruelty is also from kamigawa block and doesn't have 'jitte' 'needle' or 'gifts ungiven' in it's name, so that makes it default to suck.

16 land seems really freaking thin, your shade will never get too big because of it. maybe add some twisted abominations for swampcycling, or add more lands. Coffers is really good with shade too, but not always an auto include.

In my own opinion, the deck doesn't look too impressive to me. But that's just my opinion, so don't take it personally.

=\

[ebbitten]

4 dark rituals and 4 chrome moxen should also count for some of the land curve, although i'm thinking the pump knights will probably have to go, just not sure what i should replace them with.

[Happy Gilmore]

Your not running Hymn to Torach O_o, you need to fit it in somehow.

Don't forget the Prowler

4 Wasteland
13 Swamps
3 Chrome Mox
4 Dark Ritual


4 Dark Confidant
4 Oona's Prowler
4 Nantuko Shade
4 Hypnotic Specter

4 Thoughtseize
4 Hymn to Torach
4 Smother
4 Ankh of Mishra
4 Sinkhole

[ebbitten]

That was my first thought also, but theres so many 2 drops and i really want to play jitte and that requires creatures.

[Happy Gilmore]

That was my first thought also, but theres so many 2 drops and i really want to play jitte and that requires creatures.

I really don't think its good enough to run main but don't take my word for it. Prowler is certainly better than either of the knights.

[thefreakaccident]

prowler + specter = amazing!

The amount of discard between these two is epic... and with LD and ank, it will be very hard for control to cope... nice list Happy!

I would also go as far as saying that extirpate would be very good in here (discard and LD theme deck)... but I have been in love with that card without cause since it came out.

[Tacosnape]

On the contrary, Prowler is really bad here. You're just giving them something productive to do with the lands they're afraid to play.

The idea of Ankh in Sui Black is highly highly intriguing, however. I can't think of a deck that can use it better at present given the deck's manabase. From someone who's disillusioned with Sui Black at present, I very well might give this a whirl.

[Fuzzy]

Rishadan Port and Ghost Quarter looks good if you add more Urborgs.

[Cavius The Great]

Have you considered Icequake or Rain of Tears as additional land destruction cards?

[ebbitten]

I've considered them however the 3cc is a problem, and i really want all my 3cc cards to be fairly gamebreaking; although if this deck took a slightly more controllish (read: more lands) it would definitely be considered.

[Cavius The Great]

I think that Smallpox would be a perfect fit in this deck as additional land destruction and then some. I consider it an auto-include, what do you guys think?

[kirdape3]

Smallpox costs you four cards - a land, a creature, a card in hand, and the Smallpox itself, for three of theirs at best. With only a limited number of each in this deck (16 lands and 19 creatures in the first posted version), are you really sure you're willing to play such a symmetrical effect that you can't abuse?

Smother should actually probably be Vendetta, Snuff Out, or Ghastly Demise. Two mana in this deck is a huge number, and as it is you are going to have better things to do with your mana than kill their Tarmogoyf when you can do it for less than 2.

[Cavius The Great]

I'm pretty sure that if you cast a first turn ritual, mox, ankh, sinkhole. followed by a second turn smallpox you pretty much sealed the game. I also think that Smallpoxes downsides are not as important as you make them out to be, since it causes a significant disadvantage for your opponent as well.

I also think that Ghost Quarter is better with Ankh than Wasteland is, since it's able to deal damage to your opponent if he complies to search his library for another land.

[kirdape3]

That seems awfully good of a start (as in, evaluate the probability of that happening), and I'd rather have Confidant there as the followup anyways. What you're proposing is this:

Cards in hand: 1 maximum (Swamp, Ritual, Chrome Mox imprinting (2) Ankh, Sinkhole, Smallpox (2) in nine cards seen on the draw)

Board: Chrome Mox imprinted

Their maximum cards in hand: 6, 5 if they've played a land on their turn, 4 if they've played anything else.

Six cards is a whole lot, and you still haven't done anything yet. God forbid that they're playing a deck with Aether Vial in it, or you've blown your entire hand on doing stone nothing and are likely out of the game entirely. In this case, Smallpox just kills you.

[ebbitten]

I also think that Ghost Quarter is better with Ankh than Wasteland is, since it's able to deal damage to your opponent if he complies to search his library for another land.

No, sorry maybe in addition to, giving the oppenent choices (freely) simply is not a great plan if you like to win. Also smallpox really does branch this deck out into an entirely different route (much much more controllish) if you would like to explore this possibility that would be very much appreciated.

[Barook]

Looks like a pretty fun and interesting concept. I guess I'll give it a try.

@ebbitten: Just asking: Why are the Gaters in the board? Are they too risky to run them in the main in the slot of Hand?
And how good is the mana denial plan here? Is Wasteland (in combination with Sinkhole) really worth it with the low count of black sources while the deck is quite :b:-hungry? If they have non-land mana sources (Combo or Aether Vial), this plan is kinda weak.

[ebbitten]

the gator probably should be in the maindeck i just got sick of facing burn, but i believe the land destruction is a must if you want ankh to get anywhere, forcing someone to lay a fetch and take 5 against sui black decks is just too good to pass up.