Night Terrors

[Beautiful-Decay]

http://www.trueghosttales.com/paranormal/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/night-terrors.jpg
A mono-black aggro deck (in a pox-shell) based around a sacrifice theme.

This list haven't been taken to a tournament yet and is therefore inexperienced and unfinished. What I would like you to do is to discus its potential and see if changes should be made and at what costs. If we comes to the conclusion the list has potential I'll take it to a tournament and add the results on the front-topic site the day after.

Creatures (21):
4 Bloodghast
4 Blood Artist
4 Gravecrawler
3 Carrion Feeder
3 Geralf’s Messenger
3 Mortician Beetle

Lands (21):
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Mutavault
2 Volrath’s Stronghold
2 Phyrexian Tower
1 Dakmor Salvage
9 Swamp

Spells (16):
4 Dark Ritual
4 Smallpox
3 Cabal Therapy
3 Buried Alive
2 Pox

+ 2 open slots atm.

SB:
3 Gate to Phyrexia (vs. Aether Vial, Grafdigger's Cage, Tormod's Crypt, Stax-related decks etc.)
3 Attrition (a board control card vs. too fast aggro decks)
2 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale (vs. too fast aggro decks)
1 Filth vs. aggro deck that has to end quick.
+ "The usual" = depending on Meta.

this list could be missing(with priority numbers)
1. Plunge into Darkness, Sacrifice outlet, search and life gain (a good top-deck card.)
2. Gatekeeper of Malakir or another way around destroying the other players army.
3. Innocent Blood
4. Random hand-disruption

Resent Changes:
1. Changed 4 Kalastria Highborn with 4 Blood Artist to save mana and reaching a more secure way of "life-draining".
- This change has strengthen Innocent Blood which already comboes good with the Mortician Beetles, it may finds it place in the list.
2. Removed 2 Vengeful Pharaohs because of messed draws and I'm atm trying to fill the empty slots.

Right now the list possess:
12 Sacrifice cards for the purpose of boosting either Carrion Feeders and Mortician Beetles at the same time. Meanwhile the target slowly gets drained from Blood Artists.
The lack of removal has coursed a need for 2 Vengeful Pharaohs to recur and destroy key-creatures. (Recur through, discard (or Buried Alive) -> ability use -> dredge with Dakmor Salvage and/or discard once more. Dakmor Salvage also secures land-drops each turn to add the army of the Bloodghast needed to fuel the sacrifice-theme.
Volrath's Stronghold was added to be able to recur key cards when top-decking begins and the army may have been destroyed in the process.

Suggested cards by friendly members of TheSource:
1. Thom: Demon of Death's Gate.
2. evanmartyr: Entomb, Goblin Bombardment, Anger.
3. Arianrhod: Diabolic Intent.
4. Vacrix: Oppression.

[xazzax]

Kalastria Highborn is pathetic when you have 8 vampires in decklist.
She's bad in general. How many creatures, mana, lands you need to kill with her?
I like cards good on thier own. Just look on Bob.

Vengeful Pharaoh look's bad for me. He's too slow and screws your draw.

I dont like your decklist in general. You have lots of 2 cards mini combo's, but when you draw card's from other combo (like Gravecrawler and Pharaoh or Highborn) you cant do anything.

[Beautiful-Decay]

Well... some constructive criticism :), how do I improve the decklist?

I dont like your decklist in general. -xarraxyou just told me it had no potential (which is fine), but that dosen't help me improve it.
- If I should remove the vampires, could a replacement be Vengevines and Tarmogoyfs, the Vengevines comboes fine with Gravecrawlers and the cheap creature spells. However, that would turn the deck into a green splash and then we are begining to go back to the original bomb-lists with Pernicious Deed etc. If we would change the list to that, how would you approach it?


Vengeful Pharaoh look's bad for me. He's too slow and screws your draw. -xarrax
- that is without doubt true, but in top-deck mode he actualy proves useful. I've tried to add some hidden Ramp through 4 Dark Rituals and 2 Phyrexian Towers to be able to hard-cast him in the mid game and push. (if he trades with an Tarmogoyf or a Knight of the Reliquary I'll be satisfied, after all, he just goes back to the yard.) Most of the "bomb"-cards you refer to dosen't possess a recur ability, which is why pox decks survive through their spells and others don't. While I may not have Ramp enough... The list only has 2 Vengeful Pharaohs.


I like cards good on thier own. Just look on Bob. -xarrax
Yes, all of the worlds magic players does, that's why all the lists has it. I must admit though I find it kinda boring to throw together some top-meta cards and win like the rest, I can accept a tiar 2 deck and mind-play my way to a win of the day :), but that is my own personal opinion. And I don't know if Dark Confidant would bring much to the list, he don't want to be sacrificed (that's for sure) and he isn't either a vampire or a zombie, he does add card draws though! (which is huge), but Vengeful Pharaoh is actualy in there to finish too or trade with higher creatures (since alot of my creatures can't block) and I wouldn't block with Dark Confidant, if the list was a more original POX-decklist he might fit, but I don't see how he could here. However... If he should be in the list, we might have to add cards like Plunge into Darkness for the sake of life-control since Pox hits rather hard and aggro decks may take a large chunk of our total life due to our creatures are unable to block - How would you approach that problem?

Don't get me wrong, I like the point that you answared to my thread but I fail to see how it helped me make the deck better. If it was finished I would have added the thread into that category of the website, but it isn't. Atm. I'm seeking answars to improvements and discussion concerning the future of this decklist and see where it takes the list in the end. :-)

[menace13]

This is totally awesome because I play a Skittles infect deck for edh and i use 2% of the cards in your list. How awesome Is that? I know, right?

Oh also, have you tried Phyrexian Negator? Don't know if other pox lists have ever tried that card before but it seems like a good way to lose even more permanents quickly with a unboltable body to boot!-important in rug.meta-. Considered running Lord Of The Pit? I mean it trades with Griselbrand and tramples over Delvers like a champ. Another really good card that everyone is talking about is Chains of Mephistopheles.... Yeah let that sink in........

Good Luck.

[Beautiful-Decay]

I find it funny to be a part of a website that is made to discuss and evolve new decks to the meta of legacy. Though I must admit I find it hard to find the threads that has troll-decklists, but I guess they have to have existed, since the community posts of this website so far has been unfriendly.

However, what Menace13 did was a step in the right direction, to supply the thread with card-options. Sadly I'm not gonna use them but to answar his question:

have you tried Phyrexian Negator? Don't know if other pox lists have ever tried that card before -menace13
- Yes, Phyrexian Negator has been discussed in a pox-shell earlier in MTG's history. However to add more sacrifice to the package would might hurt the deck too much. (but I guess you already knew that) But if I'm wrong, please post a decklist with the following cards you mentioned and we'll take a look at it. :-)

But thanks for the post and thanks for the "Good luck" :-)

[Thom]

You have Bloodghast, Dark Ritual and Buried Alive in your mainboard. Maybe, Demon of Death's Gate could be a nice addition.

[Beautiful-Decay]

You have Bloodghast, Dark Ritual and Buried Alive in your mainboard. Maybe, Demon of Death's Gate could be a nice addition. -Thom
- Yes, I've thought about him several times (most of all to add some serios threats to the board), but I can't seem to figure out if he harms the original sacrifice pump-creatuers too much. But thanks for suggestion! and I would love to see a list with him in, sadly he lacks evasion and is hard to get on the board (without "the right hand.) :/
- Do you think he's available?, if yes how would your list look like?

[Mirrislegend]

No offense, but this is just a bad version of Sam Black's Zombardment. Look up that deck. It does everything you want to be doing, does it more efficiently, and with more power

[Beautiful-Decay]

Year, I see that. (didn't know of the list before.)
- Thanks for your repley. I'll lock the topic and follow zombardments evolution in the meta.

Admin, please lock this thread. :-)

[evanmartyr]

Mortician Beetle is cute, but it's not a Zombie. Seems worse than Carrion Feeder.

Vengeful Pharaoh seems bad because people will likely board in Graveyard hate anyway, and with no Entomb in your list, you're relying on Buried Alive (slow-ish) and discard (bleh) to put it where it needs to be. It also screws your draw for a turn, so that's bad.

I'm confused by your game plan. You're going to beat with recurring 2/x creatures, or slowly drain your opponent with Blood Artist? Seems like having a sacrifice outlet that affects the board (Goblin Bombardment is probably the best option) would be a good way to go. Adding another color for a small splash isn't hard in this format, and it would give you a better SB plan against artifacts than Gate to Phyrexia.

-3 Buried Alive
-1 Pharaoh
+4 Entomb
-2 Mortician Beetle
-2 Pox
+4 Goblin Bombardment
-1 Mortician Beetle
+1 Carrion Feeder
-1 Geralf's Messenger
+1 Anger
-1 Smallpox
+1 Cabal Therapy
-3 Smallpox
+3 Good Removal Spell (TM) (You want to be able to answer the creature that shuts you off or causes you a lot of grief, not just make them sacrifice a noble heirarch or something. Maybe Snuff Out?)

Fiddle with the manabase, getting rid of shitty weird lands to support the addition of red (Phyrexian Tower, Dakmor Salvage, etc).

I don't wanna be "that guy" that thinks he's revolutionized a list with a single suggestion, but Anger is fucking nuts in this deck assuming your GY isn't getting hosed. All of a sudden your zombies are attacking the turn they hit play, your Bloodghasts being fast isn't conditional; you're getting massive extra value out of your engine since it's not JUST ETB/LTB triggers. Filth might warrant a maindeck inclusion since you're running Urborgs, too.

[Arianrhod]

Diabolic Intent

I'm just gonna leave that here. Dunno if you're just going to imitate Sam Black's deck or keep tuning this with ideas from his list, but you might find that card useful in either instance. Seems much better than Plunge into Darkness....exiling the cards you aren't taking seems really painful.

[Mirrislegend]

Year, I see that. (didn't know of the list before.)
- Thanks for your repley. I'll lock the topic and follow zombardments evolution in the meta.

Admin, please lock this thread. :-)

Good on you for being able to admit it! And btw, Zombardment looks like a BLAST. Have fun

[Vacrix]

Post-board Oppression seems pretty boss. This deck plays around it pretty well. It shuts down cantrips. Hard. Thats good against control but also against the blue combo decks like Hive Mind, Spiral Tide, SnT, that set up with cantrips. They'll have a hard time protecting themselves from Cabal Therapy's and Pox's if you can land this early, like with a Dark Ritual. Its also great against storm combo. They can't cantrip into their anti-hate as easily and you can rape their hand in the mean time with Poxen, Therapies, etc. This deck also plays around it rather nicely since it has such excellent 1 drops. It can play off very few lands and land threats post-Oppression when you aren't sitting on that many cards, after you've discarded all the recurrable creatures.

This deck looks like a lot of fun to play. I look forward to trying this on Cockatrice. How good is Blood Artist though? Thats the only card I'm really conflicted about.

[Beautiful-Decay]

Well... it seems like the thread wasen't closed. And after all your card suggestions I do see alot of your points! :-) So thanks for all your feedback.


Mortician Beetle is cute, but it's not a Zombie. Seems worse than Carrion Feeder. -evanmartyr
- Carrion Feeder is already in the list. :) and... well... I don't get how they can be compared against each other since they really does two different things. Carrion Feeder is a sac-outlet which Mortician Beetle isn't and the Carrion Feeder can't block which Mortician Beetle can... The Carrion Feeder grows only to your sacrifices where the Mortician Beetle grows to both yours and the opponents (which really matters because of 4 Smallpoxes, 2 Poxes and hopefully a few Innocent Bloods in the final version), this way the beetle can get big enough to answar or at least defend for a turn in need, which Carrion Feeder can't.

However removing The Mortician Beetles sets me up with only the Blood Artists to block either Knight of the Reliquary and/or Tarmogoyfs which is a very low chance for me to survive a attack with a resolved Pox etc. That was why the Bettle went in the list, he grew fast.. that's about it. Any suggestions for an replacement would really be appreciated. The cards I've shown on the list is owned atm. So the bombardment-list hasen't been tested by me yet, but it seems like a good call... Where it is combo-related this is more of an aggro-approach with the same feeling to the deck. Since I don't own the Bombardment deck I still are gonna take this to a tournament next week a replacement for the Mortician Beetles would be good.

However, removing Mortician Beetle would give us the opportunity to remove Volrath's Strongholds to add Unholy Grotto, which would do the same, but save us a colorless mana.


-3 Buried Alive
-1 Pharaoh
+4 Entomb
-2 Mortician Beetle
-2 Pox
+4 Goblin Bombardment
-1 Mortician Beetle
+1 Carrion Feeder
-1 Geralf's Messenger
+1 Anger
-1 Smallpox
+1 Cabal Therapy
-3 Smallpox
+3 Good Removal Spell -evanmartyr
- I must admit I like this approach on the list, but I may also believe that making it a hybrid between aggro and bombardment may end in the question: why not full bombardment?
- What I however do agree on is the removal, it is needed! very needed. And Anger could be a nice addition though Bloodghast is suppose to get haste early-mid game and Geralf's Messenger comes into play tapped :/
- I would like to add Entomb over Buried Alive because of its speed-level but it also comes with a flaw. Due to our large amount of creatures which revives from the grave, an entomb isn't often enough to start a threatning sac-engine, but I may be wrong (because that argument is based upon a non-tested view! and is not supported in any way by experience from MTG-games.)


How good is Blood Artist though? Thats the only card I'm really conflicted about. -Vacrix
- I must admit he isn't a bomb like some of the other cards, but he is close to the only creature we have which has the ability to block threats, which is why he is there. He leeches a little and helps the majority of the game-plan but could be exchanged without doubt. :-)

I've removed the Vengeful Pharaohs, you guys were right... after alot of play testing the kept on screwing up my draws and were more a burden than a succes of removal.

I would like some list examples for inspiration please! :-D would be nice of me to see alot of the suggested cards in action and/or a decklist :-) so please write a few lists so I can try them out and see what could imbue my own :-D
'cause as you all see there is plenty of amazing cards to support the aggro-related approach, the problem is space. :-)
- evanmartyr suggest to splash red into the mix, what would you do?