Welcome to the Pre-Archtype thread for Mono-Black Control, where you can express your opinion, ask for those of others, or just read and learn about the concept, strengths, and weaknesses of Mono-Black Control. Feel free to ask questions; support for the development of Mono-Black Control as a deck type is greatly appreciated.
What is Mono-Black Control (MBC)? It's a type of deck where you throw disruption of all different types at your opponent in hopes to incapacitate their board position so that your critters can cruise in for an easy win (although there are variations that use spells like consume spirit and its ilk as a wincon). The reason hit hits from all directions is so that it is a more variable deck that, although it is less focused, is more difficult to counter-act. As a result, your opponent will have a very difficult time protecting all aspects of its plan.
Why did I make this thread? Well, first off, I make this post on behalf of aarondardik. Also, I make it because I feel that MBC is in fact viable, and that it hasn't been tested thouroghly enough. Hence, I make a thread dedicated to the developement of MBC into a teir 1 deck.
Card Choices
The Shadowmoor Spoiler is up, so the cards that work for MBC are in here, now.
Haakon, Stromgald scourge ~ The Haakon Engine is always welcome (actually, it is highly endorsed). It wrechs fae and aggro, and if you use crusader, then it wrecks control for CA, too.
Oona's Prowler ~ 3 things: A) Apply pressure while your control wrecks her board. B) Discard sub-theme if your opponent shrinks it. C) Gets the Haakon Engine running. The third reason is the most important. If you don't run Haakon, don't run this.
Dusk Urchins ~ Black is having trouble with CA. This card looks like it has potential for MBC. If it blocks/is blocks and it dies, you break even. If it kills the other creature, that's card advantage, and each counter that it accumulates beyond that makes it all the better. Good chumper at worst. (Hint: block wither sometimes)
Graveborn Muse ~ A good beater, and draws cards. Haakon and Korlash are also zombies, and there is lifegaining to couter the life-loss. The edge that dusk urchins has over this is that this card is a major target on its head when the field, Urchins doesn't. This card has fallen out of builds for Dusk Urchins almost completely now. Only decks that run muse aslo run urchins.
Augur of Skulls ~ with a turn 1 Thoughtseize, turn 2 this, and turn 3 sac and Stupor, their hand is wrecked. Oh, and a regenerating chumper in the late-game
Epochrasite ~ best off in the slower games as a chumper that doesn't give up, and COULD actually kill something.
Hypnotic Specter ~ this card can both apply pressure AND ruin your opponent's hand and rid it of threats and answers at the same time. Best of all, they don't get to chose which.
Shriekmaw ~ Solid removal, evoked or not, and a good beater in the latter's situation.
Murderous Redcap ~ Potential 4-for-1? For 4 mana? Uhh... yea? Great in a sideboard VS weenie... also, 2 turns of chumping for 1 critter can help. This passes shriekmaw IMO. And if for some reason you play Bad Moon? Oh, I still haven't mentioned the best part about this card... It can hit the player!
Fulminator Mage ~ In a more LD-Focused deck, this card is a bomb. Even not, it's a potential 2-for-1, one of the 2 is a land! For the same cost as Rain of Tears? Wait... What?
Stromgald Crusader ~ Best with the Haakon Engine in the deck, but also a good card to pull out of the SB against white aggro (kithkin).
Nightmare ~ Nightmare is to Korlash as Sleipnir is to Odin... sound good? Some say the horse is a good budget version; I say they're better together. Can you guess why? Hmm?
Plague Sliver ~ regaining popularity, however not within aggro decks, but rather control. With Mind Stone, he's turn 3. The sliver on turn 3 beats korlash any day unless you have #2 for grandeur ready to go at once.
Oona, Queen of the Fae ~ A finisher that can create chumpers so that it doesn't have to hmm? Sounds good to me.
Midnight Banshee ~ A meta-choice finisher; if you see a lot of aggro - namely weenie - this is a good choice.
Demigod of Revenge ~ Okay, this makes Smallpox look really good. You can discard them, sac them, whatever. I'd say it's a pretty good play post-damnation.
Ghastlord of Fugue ~ Underrated IMO. It's a 4/4 unblockable Doomsday Specter for 5 that doesn't bounce... If they can't kill it (because you neutered their hand, or because Nameless Inversion and non-black kill doesn't hit it), it's a good clock.
Dread ~ Its affect in play is less the point... It's the fact that it is a threat that is hard to get rid of for sure.
Thoughtseize ~ Basically a staple. Do I really need to explain?
Distress ~ Doesn't see much play anymore, as it is basically a budget alternative for thoughtseize. Meh..
Stupor ~ Good card advantage, as it's a two-for-one. Additionally, the first card is random, so that screws there plan a bit more.
Mind Shatter ~ Looks GREAT, but in reality, it needs mana accel to be good, because by the time you pla it, it's not going to be hitting much. But with Mind Stone or Coldsteel Heart, it becomes a powerful card early on.
Smallpox ~ It may look subpar at first glance, but think for a sec. You chose when you play this, so take advantage of it. Play it when only they have a creature, or on their last card in hand... Especially good when it hitting you doesn't have as big of an impact by discarding Haakon, or playing Dakmor Salvage.
Rain of Tears ~ If you want to employ a small LD sub-theme.
Profane Command ~ Almost every Mono Black deck has a use for this card (or 2!) considering there are 4. AT LEAST 2 in your deck, MD or SB.
Damnation ~ An absolute necessity against aggro, as well as many other decks. 3 or 4 between MD and SB.
Nameless Inversion ~ Solid removal, with or without the Haakon Engine. Moots tribal effects on certain carrds if necessary, too.
Tendrils of Corruption ~ This is solid removal that hinders aggro significantly until you gain control, thanks to the life-gain. It basically buys you time in two ways at the same time.
Corrupt ~ Basically, it's a Tendrils that can be used A) post-damn/wrath; and B) as a finisher. Better, IMO.
Rite of Consumption ~ Looks terrible at first glance, but think about it. Saccing Korlash is a 2-mana corrupt that only hits player. Also, Sac a dread, dread gets shuffled. Sac Haakon? Play him back (you get 1 life out of the deal; they loose 3).
Grim Harvest ~ If CA is what you want, this is another place to find it. Even as a 2-of, if you use shriekmaw, it's a killing machine. It can aslo bring beack Urchins for draw, and Korlash for Graneur. Good deal?
Sudden Death ~ With the release of Shadowmoor, it seems like it will be regaining its position over top of Nameless Inversion, as it's power (and split second ability) is so much more valuable for the cost simply f 1 black mana more.
Deathmark ~ A lot more efficient than Sudden Death, but more limited. More often than not just a SB card, but a very good one.
Terror ~ Budget discard if the good uncommon ones are hard to find. Even then, it's still a very solid choice and barely subpar at all.
Bitterblossom ~ Why is this here? Chumper per turn? Growing numbers of wincons?
Liliana Vess ~ A bit slow, but if the deck is using an accelerator, then the extra 1 turn faster it comes out can be very productive.
Beseech the Queen ~ This card brings MBC together; it brings it the integrity that it was lacking. Now, a 1-of of Dread, Extirpate, and Pithing Needle is viable (having extras in the SB of course). Kills with Korlash, too.
Scarscale Ritual ~ as long as you have critters for the counters (like from bitterblossom or oona or Duck Urchin), then this is a solid draw spell.
Extirpate ~ Perfect as GY hate and combo-killing. Sounds good to me; best for the sideboard unless GY fun is like an epidemic in your meta.
Leechridden Swamp ~ Still a swamp to be tutored for with Korlash, still comes into play tapped anyways (just run 2 or 3 so you don't draw them a lot, and tutor for these before basics ALWAYS, and you wont even notice). A good (and free slot) clock.
Scrying Sheets ~ Okay, not I get the SC-Swamps. Good card advantage when you have nothing to do.
Mutavault ~ Walletmuncher. But yes, very good. It's a free creature that dodges wrath/damn, and gets abilities from some tribal stuff, which seems slightly evident at the moment (you think?)
Spawning Pool ~ Budget of the latter, really. Regens, too (kills Sonic Boom (MBC))
Dakmor Salvage ~ People don't like it... honestly, I find it very useful with Smallpox. Give it a shot.
You want to hit them with discard and smallpox, you want either a thoughtseize or smallpox in your opening hand. You can easily use your removal on their combo enablers, the blink aspect can easily be dealt with via removal. note: if your meta consists of many versions of Lark, here are some good cards to put in a sideboard: extirpate pithing needle tormod's crypt
You remove their threats with creature removal and eliminate them before they hit play with discard. Smallpox can kill BoPs and kill their precious land drops while putting haakon in your 'yard. note: Profane Command helps. board more in if available.
Kill their creatures with removal, and mass removal to clear their board, haakon is very powerful in this matchup. good cards? deathmark damnation another Haakon, even. The Inverted combo kills this deck.
Game 1 you really want to hit them with discard and use instant speed removal to deal with the swans. Game 1 is only about 50/50 but game 2 it gets greatly better with the sideboard, using pithing needle , deathmark , and extirpate .
it is the only not so favorable matchup, being 40/60 in their favor. In this matchup the haakon/inversion combo is the most important thing, second being targeted discard against their counters. if you can get the haakon/inversion engine online you will auto-win. Here is what I would sideboard.
This matchup really comes down to removal, it is quite an easy matchup. Use the haakon/inversion engine, damnation and smallpox to kill off their creatures. Garruk and the like can be dealt with by discard. The sideboard is pretty easy. If you have an extra Haakon, as well as some more removal, get it in there.
more to come!
My Thanks To:
~aarondardik for creating a decklist (in here) that warrented enough attention to show how much intrest for this deck-type is really out there. Also, thank you for co-managing this thread with me. AND thank you for the match-up info. ~Volacide for the FANTASTIC banner ~Hodoku for the graphic dividers ~WotC for the long life of M:tG
Why don't you all wait until SHM releases before we start throwing up decklists? We've only seen 2/3 of the set so far thru spoilers. Obviously, is getting some crazy stuff in this next set, but I feel that it will be control that will become the ore viable option.
Why don't you all wait until SHM releases before we start throwing up decklists? We've only seen 2/3 of the set so far thru spoilers. Obviously, is getting some crazy stuff in this next set, but I feel that it will be control that will become the ore viable option.
people really like to make decks and spoiler season is always like this
Introduction 
is getting some crazy stuff in this next set, but I feel that it will be 
control that will become the ore viable option.
