Dreaded Depths

[Justin]

Most versions of decks using the Dark Depths/Vampire Hexmage combo that are green and use cards like Living Wish, Crop Rotation, and Life From the Loam to find the combo. I was thinking that it might be fun to try a Blue/Black version that also uses the Phyrexian Dreadnought/Stifle combo as well. For a while there has been a deck called Dreadstalker (which used Dreadnought and Tombstalker), but it never really caught on. One of the weaknesses is that Tombstalker was a bit to slow as a turn four clock. Now that Marit Lage is available as a 20/20 flying, indestructible creature, I thought it might be good to try him in place of Tombstalker. This deck is less consistent that Dreadstalker because there is not a common card that enables both big creatures (such as Vision Charm). On the other hand, the deck is much more powerful and can win faster.

Dreaded Depths plays the two big and cheap combo creatures in the format, and uses a combination of discard and free countermagic to protect itself. Here is my initial list:

// Lands
4 [ON] Polluted Delta
4 [R] Underground Sea
1 [ON] Flooded Strand
4 [CS] Dark Depths
3 [PLC] Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 [TE] Wasteland

// Creatures
4 [MI] Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 [ZEN] Vampire Hexmage

// Spells
4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
4 [AL] Force of Will
4 [NE] Daze
4 [MM] Brainstorm
4 [MR] Chrome Mox
4 [SC] Stifle
4 [LRW] Ponder
3 [M10] Duress
1 [TSP] Trickbind

// Sideboard
SB: 3 [JU] Cabal Therapy
SB: 4 [MM] Snuff Out
SB: 4 [M10] Pithing Needle
SB: 4 [ALA] Relic of Progenitus

I'm not too sure about the sideboard, as I've given most of my thought to the main deck. I'll talk about how the deck works.

COMBO PIECES: The combo pieces here are Dark Depths/Vampire Hexmage to create Marit Lage and Stifle/Phyrexian Dreadnought (also with a single Trickbind). Hopefully the deck will be able to consistently find at least one of the combos.

CANTRIPS: Brainstorm and Ponder are used to dig deeper into the deck to find the combo pieces. Fetchlands are obviously very useful as well.

DISCARD: The deck runs a full set of Thoughtseize and Duress to strip away countermagic and removal from the opponent's hand to allow for the quick win.

COUNTERMAGIC: The deck also uses a full set of the "free" counters (Force of Will and Daze) to protect itself.

NON-BASIC LANDS: In addition to the usual duals and fetches, the deck plays Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth to allow for the possibility of a Turn 2 Marit Lage and allowing your Dark Depths to tap for black mana. Wasteland is also used to protect Dark Depths from opposing Wastelands, as well as for mana denial.

CHROME MOX: This is used to accelerate the deck and put serious pressure on the opponent. It makes a TURN 1 Dreadnought possible, or a TURN 2 Marit Lage without the benefit of an Urborg.

The trick is to get a big guy on the board in the first couple turns and put the opponent on a very short clock.

[Nessaja]

While Dark Depths is a land technically you cannot count on it being a mana producing land, yes you could potentially draw an urborg, but if you don't you're running 16 mana producing lands which is quite simply far too few.

I'd run more lands and replace chrome mox with mox diamond. Makes sense with your land base too.

[Justin]

While Dark Depths is a land technically you cannot count on it being a mana producing land, yes you could potentially draw an urborg, but if you don't you're running 16 mana producing lands which is quite simply far too few.

I'd run more lands and replace chrome mox with mox diamond. Makes sense with your land base too.

I disagree with this. Chrome Mox replaces a land because you pitch a non-land card to it. Mox Diamond, on the other hand, does not replace a land because you must pitch a land to it. Running four Chrome Mox is like running four extra lands. Also, Mox Diamond is better in decks that run a lot of lands. Chrome Mox is better in decks that run relatively few lands and run a high number of spells. For this deck, Chrome Mox is the superior choice.

[Mark Sun]

I disagree with this. Chrome Mox replaces a land because you pitch a non-land card to it. Mox Diamond, on the other hand, does not replace a land because you must pitch a land to it. Running four Chrome Mox is like running four extra lands. Also, Mox Diamond is better in decks that run a lot of lands. Chrome Mox is better in decks that run relatively few lands and run a high number of spells. For this deck, Chrome Mox is the superior choice.

I don't want to straight out say that I disagree, but I want to point out that if you're playing first, you have to pitch something to Chrome Mox. As in, might have to be Force, might be a Daze, might be a Hexmage, etc. You may not even get the color that's relevant.

I feel like -4 Ponder and +4 more Basics will allow you to run Diamond in its place. Plus, you'll be safe(r) from Blood Moon effects.

[Justin]

I don't want to straight out say that I disagree, but I want to point out that if you're playing first, you have to pitch something to Chrome Mox. As in, might have to be Force, might be a Daze, might be a Hexmage, etc. You may not even get the color that's relevant.

I feel like -4 Ponder and +4 more Basics will allow you to run Diamond in its place. Plus, you'll be safe(r) from Blood Moon effects.

I've tested the deck and the land counts works fine. It doesn't play any spells that cost more than two mana, so it does not need a mana count over 20. Chrome Mox also helps the deck avoid blood moon effects. You can't take ponder out of the deck. It, along with brainstorm, is essential for cantripping and finding the combo pieces. If you have a situation in which there is no good card to imprint on the mox, you have two options. You either keep the mox in your hand and don't play it or you mulligan. You don't have to play it and it won't always be good for you. However, the fact that it will sometimes allow for a first turn Dreadnought or second turn Marit Lage makes it a powerful addition to the deck. However, due to the inconsistencey, I would not blame someone if they wanted to substitute four basics for the moxen. Further testing is required.

[Maveric78f]

You waznt dark confidant in this. FoW is not that sexy in a list with already so much card disadvantage. I would go -4 FoW +4 dark confidant.

[Hopo]

You waznt dark confidant in this. FoW is not that sexy in a list with already so much card disadvantage. I would go -4 FoW +4 dark confidant.

But fow would be mandatory in order for your nought or Marit Lage to survive.
Now there's no protection against topdecked swords or bounce. Losing your token is unacceptable, as it has already cost you 2 mana, a landdrop and a dude. Too bad the token doesn't have shroud instead of indestructibility. It would be a lot more devastating like that.

Confidant is a decent addition, though. I also doubt that you need 4 depths, as you have the maximal cantrip package. I'd also like to fit in Grim Discovery, as it is a custom made card for the deck in order to fight through removal/wasteland.

[Maveric78f]

But fow would be mandatory in order for your nought or Marit Lage to survive.
Now there's no protection against topdecked swords or bounce. Losing your token is unacceptable, as it has already cost you 2 mana, a landdrop and a dude. Too bad the token doesn't have shroud instead of indestructibility. It would be a lot more devastating like that.

Confidant is a decent addition, though. I also doubt that you need 4 depths, as you have the maximal cantrip package. I'd also like to fit in Grim Discovery, as it is a custom made card for the deck in order to fight through removal/wasteland.
If you get your token sworded:
- you lose 2 manas, 1 land drop, 2 cards, you gain 20 life.
- your opponent loses 1 mana and 1 card.
It's not THAT awful for a topdecked card.

About Grim discovery you're completely right, but there is not so many room for those cards.

// Lands/Mana 22
4 [ON] Polluted Delta
4 [R] Underground Sea
1 [ON] Flooded Strand
3 [CS] Dark Depths
2 [PLC] Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 [TE] Wasteland
4 [MI] Mox Diamond (for grim discovery)

// Creatures 11
3 [MI] Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 [ZEN] Vampire Hexmage
4 [RAV] Dark Confidant

// Spells 27
4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
4 [M10] Duress
4 [NE] Daze
4 [MM] Brainstorm
4 [SC] Stifle
4 [LRW] Ponder
3 [ZEN] Grim Discovery (wastes, DD, fetches, Mox Diamond food, wasted lands)

It looks fine like this. I'd rather have some basic lands though, at least 1 swamp, since the deck needs BB but never UU. And against path, you want at least something not to cry about.

[sauce]

why is there no way to tutor combo pieces??
needs moar living wish / e.witness / intuition / loam

[Darkenslight]

BEseech the Queen? IT can tutor for all the pieces of both combos, but the only downside is that it costs a minimum of BBB.

[Justin]

why is there no way to tutor combo pieces??
needs moar living wish / e.witness / intuition / loam

There is another thread for green Darks Depths decks here: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14959

This version is for black/blue versions that run Phyrexian Dreadnought. I don't think you could run a reliable green version with Dreadnought (could be wrong though). This deck is faster than the green version, but less consistent. Still, it can find a combo much more likely that you would think even without tutors, thanks to running two combos (Marit Lage and Dreadnought) along with eight cantrips plus fetchlands.