Braids Stompy

[Onslaught]

For older info on this archetype (commonly known as Demon Stompy), here is a thread that had its last reply in 2012: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?8332-Deck-Demon-Stompy-(Black-Chalice-Tomb-Aggro)

The Stompy Package

4 Chalice of the Void
4 Trinisphere
4 Chrome Mox
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors

These are your prison pieces/acceleration, and many decks in the format right now simply crumble when you resolve a first turn Chalice set at one counter. Since black doesn't have a Spirit Guide, you might be tempted to run Dark Ritual. Aside from the anti-synergy with Chalice, Ritual doesn't really belong in this deck since you want to constantly get permanents onto the board. More on that later.

2B Creatures

You commonly have 2B available on turn 2, and sometimes even on turn one. We want lots of permanents, so finding utility effects from 2B creatures is ideal. Candidates include:

Bone Shredder/Shriekmaw/Fleshbag Marauder (removal)
Phyrexian Rager (permanent that cantrips)
Priest of Gix ("free" permanent, mana fixing can be relevant)
Gathan Raiders (beater)
Dauthi Marauder (unblockable, excellent at carrying equipment)

Other Creatures

Braids, Cabal Minion - I consider this to be the key card in the deck, otherwise you should be playing Dragon Stompy. Under a fast Trinisphere, Braids automatically ends the game. A turn one Trinisphere is uncommon, but a turn 2 Trinisphere on the play followed by turn 3 Braids is an inescapable hard lock since you continue to draw permanents and they cannot cast spells.

Lodestone Golem - It is not difficult for this deck to generate 4 mana, but I am still unsure on his inclusion.

Phyrexian Revoker - I run him x4 in every permutation of the deck so far and I haven't regretted it once. Ultimate utility creature in a deck that already has multiple routes of denial.

Twisted Abomination - mana fixer, removes to Chrome Mox, and can even be casted in a pinch. I waffle between running 0 and 1 copies of this card.

Miscellaneous big bodies: Demon Taskmaster, Abyssal Persecutor, etc - I find that this deck doesn't need or want high power creatures that don't advance your gameplan other than swinging. I'd rather play utility stuff that enhances the lockdown aspect instead of just getting a fat clock onto the board.

Equipment

Any time you can generate large amounts of colorless mana, you of course want to load up on the Equipment. It is especially important in this deck since your creatures are mainly small/vanilla beaters with no real presence after their initial enter the battlefield effects. Jitte is the go to equipment to emphasize, but Sword of Light and Shadow also has tremendous synergy with this deck. Not only does it help ease your life loss from Tombs, Rager, etc, but recurring permanents for Braids is a massive boon. You can also use it to recur Bone Shredder after not paying the Echo cost, which is a nice bonus. Currently, I try to run at least 4-5 equipment in every build so far.

Remaining Lands

After the Ancient Tombs and City of Traitors, you're pretty much just looking at Swamps and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. Depending on whether or not you run Twisted Abomination, I've found 18-20 land to be ideal. It may be worth considering a single copy of Tomb of Urami as well.

Sideboard Options

Despite being Mono Black, there are a lot of nice options here:

-Leyline of the Void (can easily be hardcast in this deck)
-Perish (fits right into the 2B sweet spot)
-Engineered Plague (somewhat underwhelming right now)
-Chains of Mephistopheles
-Bane of the Living (you have enough mana to play him turn 2 and sweep the board turn 3)
-Plague Splitter
-Gloom
-Ratchet Bomb

Sample Decklist

I am always tinkering with candidates from the above lists to try to find the optimal build, right now I am testing:

4 Chrome Mox
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Trinisphere
2 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Sword of Light and Shadow

4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Phyrexian Rager
4 Priest of Gix
3 Bone Shredder
3 Dauthi Marauder
3 Braids, Cabal Minion
3 Lodestone Golem
1 Twisted Abomination

4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
8 Swamp
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

[jamis]

When I was messing around with Demon stompy, I remember Mimic Vat being key, especially combined with Shriekmaw. Was there any thought to its inclusion in the current list?

[Barook]

I agree that Mimic Vat seems key, especially with your CiP creatures.

Thieving Sprite might fit the Vat plan as well since it gives you an evasive equip carrier. Shriekmaw and some Fleshbag Marauders should be a must in that case as well.

Liliana of the Veil should be considered, despite her CC.

[Onslaught]

The problem I had with Mimic Vat was threat density. Obviously it's a complete blowout if you can get it going (especially with a raw Braids), but you can't cut any of the prison pieces, mana, or equipment to fit it in. So now you are cutting creatures, and you often have awkward hands where Mimic Vat is a blank card or you have a Chrome Mox that you can't play because you want to cast the creature for Mimic Vat. In my testing it felt like a "win more" card, and it is kind of at odds with the prison aspect.