Monoblack Undead

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This is an attempt to bring back the old monoblack decks in a form that could actually make sense in Legacy. Interested in your thoughts

22 Creatures

4 Gravecrawler
4 Bloodghast
4 Blood Scrivener
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Diregraf Ghoul
2 Carrion Feeder

20 Spells

4 Dark Ritual
4 Smallpox
4 Thoughtseize
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Quest for the Gravelord

18 Lands
4 Fetchlands
14 others

SB:
Extirpate

[dte]

If you play Blood scrivener, you really want to play SDT.

Is it a budget deck?
If yes, what are the fetches for?
(even if no btw)
And if no, 4 DR, 16 cards good from the graveyard but no lili?

Also I like probe when I play cabal and /or all in (DR lili T1), and paying life is in the black thematic.

I do realize that when you add cards you should remove some, I will remove quest first. Then it will be a bit harder.
Maybe 2 seize (==> SB), 2 ghoul, 2 DR because all those cards are really bad topdecks.
Instead I would maybe play 4 SDT, 4 lili, 2 probes and up the fetch count.

[FoolofaTook]

Here's how I would attempt Monoblack Undead at this point:

4x Viscera Seer

They're going to remove your creatures often and try to send them to exile or the bottom of your library in the worst case. Being able to sac them for a scry gets them in the GY where you need them. Combos with playing Magic which is always a good thing.

4x Blood Artist

Getting a life and doing a life to the opponent every time a creature goes to the GY is pretty amazing for you.

4x Bloodghast

Yep.

4x Dark Confidant

Must add. This is the reason you have a chance in the card advantage race. He's not undead unfortunately but he sure looks kind of sickly so we can pretend.

4x Blood Scrivener

Not a strong card but has synergy with Smallpox, Hellbent and Gravecrawler.

4x Diregraf Ghoul

Reasonable early beater. Would be better as a Vampire Lacerator except for the synergy with Gravecrawler.

4x Gravecrawler

Combos with Viscera Seer, Blood Artist and the ghouls.

2x Umezawa's Jitte

Undead with knives, yikes.

4x Cabal Therapy

Yep.

3x Abrupt Decay

Must have or lockouts will happen frequently.

3x Smallpox

Yep.

4x Verdant Catacombs
3x Bloodstained Mire
3x Marsh Flats
4x Bayou
4x Swamp
1x Volrath's Stronghold
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

SB to be determined by what is really giving the list trouble in the basic configuration. Darkblast definitely in the mix there. Krosan Grip in the mix for control matchups where Sensei's Divining Top and/or Batterskull will do you otherwise.

BTW, the list screams for Deathrite Shaman, maybe ditch the Diregraf Ghouls and take your chances with just Blood Scrivener and Gravecrawler?

[thefreakaccident]

Without a way of denying your opponent from developing their board, this kind of strategy has no hopes of succeeding. Scrivener, and quest for the gravelord are too slow. You either need a way of proactively negating your opponent from laying bombs onto the table, that will end the game in their favor, or a way to remove those threats as they come. You have neither of these solutions. Occasionally, if the opponent has a terrible draw and does close to, or literally nothing, ritualing out three 2 power critters can seal the game, but this is legacy, and players tend not to keep those kinds of openers in a competitive environment.

[Chatto]

I would really suggest dropping Quest for the Gravelord, Dark Ritual and Thoughtseize. Instead, try Liliana, Innocent Blood and some other kind of removal like Dismember, or discard. This would only when you want to stay Mono Black.

I would agree with Foolofatook that perhaps a green splash is wanted if you want to prefent a whipeout of the board. But then I would suggest Eva Green.

[apple713]

not sure where but you should probably find a spot for contamination