[Deck] The Nightmare Effect

[(nameless one)]

The Nightmare Effect (courtesy of poppeleseed off of MTG Salvation) Link

Named after the ‘enters the battlefield’/’leaves the battlefield’ interaction seen on the Torment Nightmare Horrors, The Nightmare Effect was first piloted by Steve Hanson (Minnesota) in the fall of 2007 after the release of Lorwyn. This grave-based control deck showed much promise, but shortly after its first tournament, the playgroup fell apart and the players spread out. Recently, I decided to try to revive the old deck, and with a little fine tuning, was able to get positive results in local tournaments.


The Nightmare Effect relies heavily on graveyard order, and can be a bit of a mind☺☺☺☺ to run at time. The deck aims to generate card advantage via Krovikan Horror + Tortured Existence, however, many other synergies are present.

This is the official primer for this deck. As tournament results come up, they will be posted in this thread. This thread is intended for discussion on The Nightmare Effect, both for the mono-black builds listed as of 3/31/2010 and splash builds with potential decklists added at a later date. Suggestions are more than welcome. If you notice tags that don't work or typos, please PM me rather than putting it in a post here.

*****Notice*****

When I refer to “The Nightmare Effect” (in caps), I’m referring to the deck. When I refer to “the nightmare effect” (all lower case), I’m referring to the act of triggering a Nightmare Horror’s ‘leaves the battlefield’ ability before the ‘enters the battlefield’ ability resolves.

I. Why Play The Nightmare Effect?
II. Card Choices
III. Considered Cards
IV. Sideboard Suggestions
V. Sample Decklists
VI. Interactions and Strategy
VII. Sample Matchup Analysis

Section I – Why Play The Nightmare Effect?

First of all, I will strongly suggest that you do not attempt to pilot The Nightmare Effect while under the influence of alcohol or hung over. This deck can take some thinking, and when graveyard order matters significantly, you can’t afford to make simple mistakes like accidentally transposing two cards off Buried Alive.

The Nightmare Effect is a fun deck to pilot. It does take some thinking to work, but it can pay off. If you’re looking for something that requires play skill, is easy to learn but a pain to master, this is the deck for you.

The Nightmare Effect excels against slower aggro decks, such as Aggro Loam. This can also hold it's own against most combo decks, and destroys Jank.

The other upside to playing The Nightmare Effect is the cost. Depending on the build, you can complete the main deck for about $30 US. The more expensive (Mono-black) builds reach up to just above $100. This is significantly less expensive than any decks in the upper tier, and the ‘budget’ build can’t be matched anywhere. Splash builds will (obviously) increase the price, depending on the color splashed and the degree of said splash.

Section II – Card Choices

Here I’ll be running through a list of cards currently being run in The Nightmare Effect for different builds, and offering explanations for each.

Tortured Existence – This card makes so many plays of this deck so much more dangerous. In conjunction with Krovikan Horror, the card advantage generated from this 1 cc enchantment becomes ridiculous.


Krovikan Horror – I’d hate to say that this is the card that makes the CA engine work, but it’s true. Even if it’s just chump blocking, he always seems to find a purpose. His activated ability is also a vital part of the deck, as it is another enabler for the nightmare effect. Because no other creature has an ability similar enough to this, Krovikan Horror is very difficult to replace. Because Krovikan Horror relies so heavily on graveyard order, Tortured Existence makes it significantly better. Krovikan Horror also makes threats such as Moat less game ending for us. **Notice** Krovikan Horror’s triggered ability checks at the end of *each* turn. This allows for tricks, especially post board (with Faerie Macabre, for example)

Mesmeric Fiend – One of the nightmares. With a way to sacrifice it when it enters the battlefield, we have an opportunity to permanently strip a card from your opponent’s hand. Without one, we still have a way to temporarily keep an opponent off said card, which can be seemingly permanent in certain matchups (certain combo decks, for example).

Faceless Butcher – The other nightmare. Originally run as a 4-of, because of the high casting cost, was cut down to 2-of in the next build (and further cut to 1 later on). His ability is very powerful, especially when using the nightmare effect, but the casting cost is very prohibitive. The other issue here is that without a target on your opponent’s side, you are stuck eating one of your own creatures. Butcher does a great job of dealing with tokens (Marit Lage), and with using the nightmare effect, can absolutely crush slower aggro.

Shriekmaw – The card that pushed the deck up a notch. For 2, we’ve got a terror. Alone, that’s not spectacular, however, because of how evoke works, we’re allowed to respond to the sacrifice trigger once it enters the battlefield. This isn’t necessary to get the full effect from ‘Maw, but certainly helps. While he’s got a small butt, the fact that he’s got fear is also incredibly useful.

Corpse Dance – By itself, you can grab a creature or two safely. Alongside Tortured Existence and Buried Alive (mentioned below), you are able to be much more selective. Access to multiple Sac outlets offers much more consistency and allows for repeated reanimations. Another thing to remember is that Corpse Dance *does not* target, so graveyard removal, while it can be a painful, can be played around.

Buried Alive – Buried Alive allows for more consistency in the deck. Being able to grab 3 creatures from your deck can be useful, but alongside with Tortured Existence, you can generate massive card advantage.

Carrion Feeder – While building the deck, I realized that Krovikan Horror alone wouldn’t make for the consistency needed to use the nightmare effect or corpse dance effectively (or to their fullest potential). Carrion Feeder fits several characteristics: It comes down early, it’s a creature and it allows you to sacrifice your creatures for free. The drawback (the inability to block) can show through in the aggro matchups, but versus combo and control is fairly irrelevant.

Tombstalker – Suggested to me by a random on MWS who’s name eludes me, Tombstalker makes for an excellent addition to the deck. In a deck so reliant on graveyard order, the delve mechanic is amazing; you now have the ability to remove pesky sorceries and instants that are dividing your Krovikan Horrors and remove the weaker creatures to make the most of your Corpse Dance. Plus the fact that it’s a 5/5 flyer isn’t too shabby.

Duress/ Thoughtseize – 1cc disruption. There’s not too much to this.

Hymn to Tourach – More disruption, basically there to help accentuate The Nightmare Effect’s control qualities.

Fleshbag Marauder – Currently being played alongside Faceless Butcher. Added to the deck once Reanimator made a showing packing Inkwell Leviathan, but does amazingly well against anything with pro-black or shroud. Marauder is there to compliment Faceless Butcher, not replace him. For those who fear Progenitus, this baby’s your answer.

Beseech the Queen – I’ve been testing this as a 1-of, a silver bullet type tutor. I personally find the versatility of the card to be quite appealing, although it could be replaced based on metagame needs or personal preferences.

Twisted Abomination – Currently being played in a (more) budget build, this fella’ covers deck thinning, ability to make your land drops, and late game, makes for a decent body. He also does a wonderful job alongside Tortured Existence as well as Krovikan Horror.

Terastodon – Being played as a 1-of for the sole use of coming back to rape their field with Corpse Dance. Every time I’ve had this guy hit the field, I’ve won the game. Playing Terastodon offers us opportunities to deal with cards that we otherwise would have almost no chance to deal with (Artifacts, Enchantments, Planeswalkers), as well as offering us an opportunity to get rid of excess lands, moxen, etc. for creatures.

Scion of Darkness – The Scion is currently my test slot. Originally put in because of Reanimator, can help significantly in the late game of many matchups. This card also does a wonder against jank. Cycling can randomly help, although the only times I’ve used it more than one time during a game was once I had them locked down and I was looking for a win condition.

Chrome Mox – Replaced by Twisted Abomination in the budget build, Chrome Mox offers a more explosive first few turns. Unlike Abomination, however, it becomes a dead draw during the late game.

Swamp – The land portion of the manabase was restricted to basics for a number of reasons:

• Wasteland/Back to Basics – Losing lands hurts. Later in the game, you’d like to have 5+mana/turn. Even early on, being stuck on 1-2 lands sucks.
• Blood Moon – As mentioned, the deck can be mana hungry. As it turns out, it’s more specifically *black* mana hungry. Activating your Tortured Existence multiple times on a turn, playing/replaying Shriekmaw all costs black mana; if you’re stuck with 3 Mountains, many of your activations become a lot harder to run.
• Stifle – As of right now (in a mono-black build), running fetchlands does nothing besides open you up to Stifle and ☺☺☺☺ with your graveyard order. One of the last things you need is a fetchland stuck on top of your Horror.

Section III – Considered Cards

Simple enough: A section of cards that I’ve run in the past and have been able to find better replacements for or prove that they’re unneeded. Also for cards that will likely be suggested, so I’ll be saving you the time. Before suggesting other cards, check here first.

Dark Ritual/Cabal Ritual – While a quick boost can be useful, the ability to produce mana consistently is significantly more useful. Late game, this card is more dead than Chrome Mox, where mox can at least be eaten by Terastodon.

Street Wraith – Originally, I had attempted to use Street Wraith + Tortured Existence to generate some small card advantage. 2 life adds up really quickly. Its body is decent, but there definitely better options.

Entomb – With a price tag in the $30 range, it certainly doesn’t help on a significant level. The issue isn’t with the tutor, but more with the graveyard order thing. The significance of Buried Alive as opposed to Entomb is the sheer advantage you can make with Tortured Existence. With Entomb, you can’t effectively grab Krovikan Horror, which is a huge downside.

Soul Scourge/[cards]Laquatus’s Champion[cards] – These just don’t work. Due to the wording, the nightmare effect has no true effect here.

Hypnox – Would have been wonderful, but requires it to be cast from your hand. No such luck here.

Phyrexian Arena – I was looking for a way to draw cards. Didn’t particularly like this one. While it does a good job of drawing you cards, it does have the issue of killing you. For the longer games (which does happen quite frequently), this can be fairly detrimental.

Angel of Despair – I looked at her and thought to myself, “What does she do that I can’t already to?” The answer is simple: Nothing. Terastodon is strictly better for removing pesky permanents, and you already keep creatures in check fairly well through Shriekmaw and Butcher/Marauder.

Petradon – See Angel of Despair. The problem is that, unless your opponent is using/relying on Crucible of Worlds or Life from the Loam, this card is strictly worse than Terastodon.

Section IV –Sideboard Suggestions

Faerie Macabre – Easily recurred grave hate, especially for the Reanimator matchup, but also works quite well against dredge. The surprise factor can be immense, and Tortured Existence can make things rough for the opposing grave-dependent deck.

Pithing Needle – Two of the most popular forms of graveyard hate are easily answered by needle.

Extirpate – I felt that having another form of grave hate could be beneficial. This also can be used against combo, although other disruption in the main can do wonders as well.

Infest – Obviously here to help with the swarms. The Nightmare Effect struggles with fast aggro (Zoo, goblins, elves). This seems to be the best answer; against goblins, keeping them off their chieftains and nailing them with an Infest can slow them down enough for you to stabilize.

Faceless Butcher – Right now, I’ve been running two of these guys in the board. This guy has a tendency to come in during matchups like Dark Depths combo, as well as against Reanimator. Against slower aggro (aggro loam, for example), this guy can be a beast.

Kagemaro, First to Suffer – You will rarely have zero cards in your hand. In fact, as the game goes on, you’re likely to have an increasing number of cards in your hand. This is a creature answer (therefore, tutorable via Buried Alive) to faster aggro decks, especially those utilizing swarms rather than a few bigger guys. I’d recommend using him as a 1-of alongside infest.

Havoc Demon – More chaotic than Kagemaro, Havoc Demon can be used *if* you’re prepared to rebuild. Not that rebuilding is unreasonable for this deck. When the Demon (or Kagemaro, for that matter) goes off, be sure to order your graveyard right; Krovikan Horror needs something on top of it to help spark the rebuilding.

Golgari Brownscale – Suggested to me by Dissolution, this card allows you to survive much longer against burn and friends. Having access to two allows each black mana to turn into 2 life.

Section IV.5 – Splash Sideboarding

Obviously, if you plan on running a splash, you’re able to run different sideboard tech. Here’s a list of the more desirable suggestions for sideboarding for a splash.

Green

· Krosan Grip and/or Nature’s Claim – Running a splash allows you to deal with horrible weaknesses that you weren’t able to deal with as easily in the mono-black build. Enchantment-based graveyard hate (Wheel of Sun and Moon, Leyline of the Void and to a lesser extent, Planar Void) is one of those. Green offers K-grip, which also easily handles other threats in the format. Nature’s Claim can also be used, and its usefulness depends on the matchup. Obviously if you’re playing in a Thresh/Landstill meta, Grip is the call. If you need something faster (say, against MBA), Claim might be the right call.

· Tranquil Domain – I’ve always had a bit of a hardon for this card, ever since goblins was splashing green to live through Engineered Plague. If you’re seeing enchantress, this might not be a terrible call. Reverent Silence can also be used here.

· Indrik Stomphowler, Acidic Slime and family – Green’s probably got the best creatures for their CIP abilities. The Slime offers land destruction without giving away creatures, although it’s far less aggressive.

White

· Disenchant and similar effects – see Krosan Grip above.

· Circle of Protection: Red/Aegis of Honor – If you’re struggling with zoo, this might be the answer. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to test the splash yet, but from experience, The Nightmare Effect struggles with Burn and Sligh decks. If you’re seeing plenty of these archetypes in your meta, it might be suggested that you try one of these.

· Ethersworn Canonist and Rule of Law – Technically can be run versus combo, particularly Storm (duh) and Enchantress. This only should be done if the current disruption suite (of 9-12 cards) that you’re running is still lacking.

Red

· Red Elemental Blast/Pyroblast – Hello format. What? Blue is played in legacy?

· Pyroclasm/Volcanic Fallout - To help with goblins and merfolk, and zoo (to a lesser extent). Fallout can be impressive, especially if you’re counting on counter-top or merfolk to make a strong showing. Instant speed can also help significantly with a Zombie Swarm.

· Petradon – This could also be played in the main, but it’s just a nice way to sneak some more control in. Using the nightmare effect with him can make for some upset opponents, however, once their lands are gone, you *will* have to target your own stuff when it enters.

Blue

I refuse to make suggestions for a blue splash. Attempting a blue splash will likely change a significant portion of the deck and therefore lose good chunks of what makes the deck perform the way it does, and I will be no part of it.

[(nameless one)]

Section V – Sample Decklists.
Here I’ll cover the evolution of the deck as it progressed from its beginning to the build I’m currently running. Recommendations for manabase changes for splash builds will also be covered here.

Version 1 Decklist

4 Carrion Feeder
4 Krovikan Horror
4 Mesmeric Fiend
4 Faceless Butcher
4 Shriekmaw
3 Street Wraith

4 Tortured Existence
3 Buried Alive
4 Duress
4 Corpse Dance

4 Chrome Mox
18 Swamp

The first version of the deck relied much more heavily on the nightmares. Butcher and Fiend were both being run as 4-ofs, and Shriekmaw was also featured as a 4. This build is definitely a meta deck, hoping to prey on Aggro-Loam and Reanimator. Tortured Existence offers resistance to opposing Reanimates, while making Exhume dangerous for them to cast, and Aggro-Loam can be dealt with by removing threats their threats. Nearly all of their threats can be dealt with via Shriekmaw, and Chalice of the Void can be played around fairly well.
However, this build did struggle. The deck relied fairly heavily on higher casting cost creatures and lacked the disruption to allow for a longer game, where this deck shines. Street Wraith, where it was originally run to generate a bit more card advantage/deck thinning, but the 2 life added up really quickly, and you could rarely afford to use it more than twice.

Version 2 Decklist

4 Carrion Feeder
4 Krovikan Horror
4 Mesmeric Fiend
2 Faceless Butcher
4 Shriekmaw
2 Tombstalker

4 Tortured Existence
3 Buried Alive
4 Duress
4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Corpse Dance

4 Chrome Mox
18 Swamp

Changes to this build weren’t huge; however they did make a world of difference. Tombstalker allows you to effectively re-order the graveyard, making Krovikan Horror tricks significantly easier (removing sorceries allows you to grab back Horror without having to go through Tortured Existence). Hymn to Tourach allows for additional disruption which, as mentioned above, is needed to move the game away from the earlier parts, allowing an opportunity to get engines online. Faceless butcher was reduced to a 2-of, mostly due to its inhibitive casting cost. Lastly, I dropped one Corpse Dance. It’s only really at its full potential later in the game, or after the 4th turn or so, therefore, it’s less vital that you see it in your opening hand.

Version 3 Decklist

4 Carrion Feeder
4 Krovikan Horror
2 Mesmeric Fiend
1 Faceless Butcher
1 Fleshbag Marauder
4 Shriekmaw
2 Tombstalker
1 Scion of Darkness
1 Terastodon

4 Tortured Existence
3 Buried Alive
3 Duress
4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Corpse Dance
1 Beseech the Queen

4 Chrome Mox
18 Swamp

The latest version became slightly toolbox-ish. Things like Terastodon found a place fairly quickly once I had my first matchup against Enchantress. While looking into black, there was (obviously) zero answers to enchantments, and no creature-based ways to destroy artifacts. This prompted me move some toolbox guys into the deck. Scion of Darkness is the test slot right now, but seems to hold its own, especially versus jank. Beseech the Queen acts as Tortured Existence #5, Corpse Dance#4 and Buried Alive #4. It also can grab most of the non-toolbox creatures in the deck, especially when in need of a sac outlet (Feeder is CMC 1). I’m most satisfied with this build (of the decks I’ve tested IRL), mostly due to versatility that the toolbox provides.

Section VI – Interactions and Strategies
(For the sake of my sanity, I’m going to break this down into subsections.)
The nightmare effect – The trick which the deck is named after. The nightmare effect is achieved fairly simply:

· Step 1: The nightmare enters the battlefield.
· Step 2: Once it enters the battlefield, you choose a target for its ‘enters the battlefield’ triggered ability.
· Step 3: Before this ability resolves (you must retain priority), remove the nightmare from play. This can be done by sacrificing it (which is how this deck handles it), but can be done by other means, though not in the given decklists. **Notice** By passing priority after naming a target, you allow the ability to resolve. Once this happens, you no longer are able to use the nightmare effect to get a permanent effect; in this case, it can be undone by later removing the nightmare from play.
· Step 4: Because the nightmare left play, it’s ‘leave the battlefield’ trigger will be put on the stack on top of the ‘enters the battlefield’ trigger.
· Step 5: The leaves play trigger resolves, but since its first part hasn’t resolved yet, the initial target cannot be returned (creature back onto the battlefield if done by Faceless Butcher, card back to hand if done by Mesmeric Fiend)
· Step 6: The ‘enters the battlefield’ finally gets to resolve. Because the ‘leaves play’ trigger has already resolved, the target will be permanently exiled.

Simply put, the nightmare hits play, you sacrifice it, the nightmare permanently exiles an appropriate target.

Buried Alive – Stacks made from Buried Alive can be incredibly useful to the nightmare effect. The big thing is the versatility that Buried Alive can give; you can make stacks for most situations. For example, you’re playing against an agro deck and have Tortured Existence, but need removal, grabbing something like Shriekmaw + 2x Krovikan Horror (under the ‘Maw, of course) can allow for some serious damage to their field. The three picks can obviously suit the need, so if you need removal but don’t have Tortured Existence, Marauder allows you to turn your Corpse Dance into a recurring edict. I won’t go through all the possible stacks, but you can answer nearly all situations with Buried Alive + Tortured Existence/Corpse Dance.

Tortured Existence – This is where the card advantage is made. Krovikan Horror plus Shriekmaw allows for 3 mana removal each turn. Horror + Marauder offers 4 mana edicts each turn. Post board, Faerie Macabre allows you to nerf their graveyard slowly but surely. Tortured existence also offers protection from grave-hate. Any card-specific graveyard removal is easily trumped (this also deals with Reanimate fairly easily). Cards like Tormod’s Crypt and Relic of Progenitus are a little more difficult (especially the latter) pre-board, but Tortured Existence can make their removal less effective as it limits what they hit to the least effective cards you’ve got access to.

Corpse Dance – This one’s pretty straight forward; however, there are some very important tricks you should know about before playing this deck:

· 1. End of turn – Because Corpse Dance creates a triggered ability that goes off at the beginning of the next end step, you are able to cast Corpse Dance during the end step of an opponent’s turn and keep the creature until your end step. This can be done to get to a creature that’s second from top, or to help with an alpha strike.
· 2. Instant Speed – Instant speed discard is broken. Wizards acknowledges this, and will rarely print this (Haunting Hymn and Funeral Charm are the only two I can think of offhand). While playing The Nightmare Effect, you have an opportunity to abuse a similar effect to effectively lock an opponent out of the game. This particular interaction uses Mesmeric Fiend, any sac outlet and Corpse Dance. Because priority is passed during the draw step (after the player draws), you are able to cast Corpse Dance, bring back Mesmeric Fiend and use the nightmare effect to permanently exile the card from their hand. While doing this, you opponent has no opportunity to cast anything outside of instants, and only allows lands to stick in their hand.

Obviously Krovikan Horror is a huge part of most of the interactions, which is why there’s a 4-of plus Buried Alive. While he is a huge part, he isn’t necessary; however, if they get stripped from your deck completely (Extirpate, Cranial Extraction etc.) you will likely become more dependent on Corpse Dance to push through for your win.


***
All the suggestions for this deck will directly be ask to poppeleseed whether if the mentioned ideas were already tested. Just to let you all know, I am not the creator or developer of the deck. I just wanted to share this deck. Its a good deck under a good budget. It also contains my favourite pauper card: Tortured Existence.

[(nameless one)]

Reserved for Matchups

[kicks_422]

Have you ever given Oversold Cemetery any consideration?

[Peter_Rotten]

Deleted a bunch of chaff.

[(nameless one)]

Have you ever given Oversold Cemetery any consideration?

Nope. Same reason that I haven't considered considered Ashen Ghoul or Nether Shadow; there's really no purpose in having that many creatures in your graveyard. Doing so makes Relic or Crypt hurt significantly more.

[Yo-hann]

Really like the deck idea, some of the cards seems kind off week.
Can help wondering what would happen if you ran 8-10 fetch lands and Bloodghast.

Also i think you should run dark ritual, it really gives any mono black deck a great turn 1 or 2 depends on what you want. Also have you tried a white splash that gives you tidehollow sculler?

[Gocho]

Do you have enough "sacrifice a creature" cards to trick "the nightmare effect"?
You only have Carrion Feeder and Krovikan Horror, but Krovikan has 4cc and needs 1 mana to activate. If you can support them, perhaps Thoughtpicker Witch could be useful too to soft-lock your opponent (making him draws only lands).

I think that you need a non-creature card to make "the nightmare effects" with a card that the opponent can't remove easily, but I can't find a black one. Some non-creature funny effects in other colors (or colorless):
Altar of Dementia
Goblin Bombardment
Martyr's Causa
Spawning Pit

[blaat]

It's a fun deck, have been playing with some cards not mentioned above (prolly casual style):

madness
- basking rootwalla, great for discard, but even sicker with 2 available under tortured existence, so you can repeat it a lot of times, and if you use phyrexian altar for some reason you can play it infinite.
- Grave Scrabbler, with tortured existence, return 2 creatures and put it in play.

sac outlet:
I run a 3/3 split of carrion feeder and spawning pit.
With 2 rootwalla active under tortured existence, you can create a lot of tokens with the pit.

Too bad almost everyone scoops when tortured existence engine is online, so testing is a b*tch.
But if the deck works like it should and you can play gatekeeper of malakir / shriekmaw / mesmeric fiend / other every turn, I can see it work.
But then again, legacy is fast and I think this deck as it is now isn't ready for it yet.

[Gocho]

It's a fun deck, have been playing with some cards not mentioned above (prolly casual style):

madness
- basking rootwalla, great for discard, but even sicker with 2 available under tortured existence, so you can repeat it a lot of times, and if you use phyrexian altar for some reason you can play it infinite.
- Grave Scrabbler, with tortured existence, return 2 creatures and put it in play.

sac outlet:
I run a 3/3 split of carrion feeder and spawning pit.
With 2 rootwalla active under tortured existence, you can create a lot of tokens with the pit.

Too bad almost everyone scoops when tortured existence engine is online, so testing is a b*tch.
But if the deck works like it should and you can play gatekeeper of malakir / shriekmaw / mesmeric fiend / other every turn, I can see it work.
But then again, legacy is fast and I think this deck as it is now isn't ready for it yet.

If you go Madness, you must see Dead Dog a Pauper deck played in MTGO. At the end of the article:
http://puremtgo.com/articles/pauper-...t-tools-part-2

[bakofried]

You know, I've been goldfishing with this, and if I don't have Tortured Existance, the deck kind of falls on it's face. Am I missing something?

[thefreakaccident]

I don't know if this deck is a joke or not...

If it isn't, cards like small pox, cabal therapy, bloodghast, and something large (maybe upping the counts of the stalkers, or running gatekeeper... dunno)... Something else to consider (although it is rather slow) is recurring nightmare.

[bakofried]

Why would it be a joke? It's a really well written primer, and the engine, once it gets going, is sick. But again, getting the engine going has been a problem, and that's just in goldfishing.

[dahcmai]

Seems like Oversold Graveyard would be a nice back up to the Tortured Existence. Especially since it seems to be the whole engine. I haven't tried it, but that's just what looks like would fit nicely at a glance.

[Pastorofmuppets]

you've also gotBlasting Station, Dimir House Guard (which also tutors up Horror), Mind Slash for sac outlets. And since tempo doesn't seem to be your mission, might I suggest Trinisphere, at least in the SB?

[puppektion]

Seems like Oversold Graveyard would be a nice back up to the Tortured Existence. Especially since it seems to be the whole engine. I haven't tried it, but that's just what looks like would fit nicely at a glance.

Look at posts #4 and 6

Mind Slash

It's the "Play only as a sorcery" that contributes to this one's unplayability. It's not terrible, but with it, you can't drop a mesmeric fiend or faceless butcher (or shriekmaw and get a twofer. It also makes it so combat tricks don't work. It *does*, however, do a good job of keeping food in the graveyard for corpse dance.

Dimir House Guard doesn't seem terrible, but isn't it do basically the same thing as buried alive?

As for trinisphere, it doesn't seem terrible. Given that you're probably not going to be dropping it on turn 1, it's not like it shuts down your plan competely. However, here's the curve for the deck:
CC// # of cards
0 // 4
1 // 11
2 // 10 (Shriekmaw is listed here)
3 // 5
4 // 5
5 // 4 (Corpse dance with buyback)
other // 4

With that many 1s and 2s, I personally would be a little hesitant to run trinisphere. I might consider something like Thorn of Amethyst for the combo matchup as most of what you're running seems to be creature-based.

[Mystical_Jackass]

Great primer. It's one of those combos that requires "several pieces to make the staff work" (reminds me of D2 >.<), which is gonna make it a little fragile.

swords/path a creature - removed for good
gy removal, nothing to work with
disenchant, you lost your lil combo generator

Unlike Survival though, it loses a little consistency 'cause it lacks the ability to tutor for the creatures... it just sorta has to work with what it has unless you get buried alive to play from your yard. I almost suggest confidant, arena, or some draw engine to keep you going.

I also wonder why not just run Recurring Nightmare. You're basically utilizing the same ability, it's less fragile, and they come directly into play which does all the hard work of casting it for you. Bitterblossom could be used in place of tortured existence then

[Octopusman]

"You've got quite a treasure there..."

I haven't noticed this deck before but am really drawn to its potent Death and Taxes style control using the stack.
I might have time to do MWS to test some stuff on these boards just after 10 PST.

Good stuff I want to see more in this thread.

[xTrainx]

Since you are sac-ing a lot of your creatures, you could try Diabolic Intent as a card to help tutor up Tortured Existence.

[Pastorofmuppets]

How about Corpse Connoisseur? He makes for a Buried Alive that you can loop to your little heart's desire.
oh my god, Protean Hulk would be ungodly in this deck. He's a total blowout.
EDIT: Also, vs. Storm AND Zoo, might I suggest a big life-gainer like Blind Hunter (okay,not very big, but still tight), Ancestor's Chosen, or Kokusho, the Evening Star?