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Oct 1, 2011 -- 3:32AM, Baelinicus wrote:

Just out of curiousity, why Fleshbag Marauderer over Gatekeeper? Is it so we can sac things like the thug to return a Shriekmaw, or is it just dependent on personal preference?

Yes. Ultimately the 3 powerr is more important than the 1 toughness in the format. Also the recursion gimmicks...

The previous monday there was a local Modern tournament held in my neighborhood's store but my "Next Level Pod" deck wasn't ready. So I jumped to this thread and thought of tweeking your list. I actually ended up with a Mono Black Control list:
21 x Swamp
1 x Dread Statuary

1 x Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
2 x Maga, Traitor to Mortals
1 x Bloodgift Demon
1 x Death's Shadow
4 x Hypnotic Specter
1 x Sorrin Markov

4 x Geth's Verdict
4 x Victim of Night
3 x Cruel Edict
3 x Smother
4 x Unmake
2 x Consume Spirit
4 x Phyrexian Arena
4 x Sign in Blood


Before I listen to the cliche "Sorrin is bad" thing, I gotta tell ya that this list was formed 3 days before the event. I just wanted to pile up some black destruction cards and participate just for the sake of experience. Surprisingly, I finished 4th, which is way better than I expected (I know this list is bad, ok?) and I could have finished 2nd if I was clever enough to pack Leyline of the Void s in my sideboard, to fight off that living end deck that finished 1st. A zoo list finished 2nd and a U/W Aggro/control list finished 3rd.

Notes on this type of deck: Geth's Verdict and Victim of Night are overkill cards. They simply do amazing things for this deck, they dirsupt so much the tempo of the opponent that it can be nerve-breaking as hell.

Maga and Sorrin will be the first ones to be kicked out. I want Grave Titan s in there.

Skithiryx and Death's Shadow were surprisingly big bombs. Especially the 2nd one, it has such a nice synergy with Phyrexian Arena that I ended up finishing off many opponents right before I was dead.

I have also noticed that I need damnation. So much destruction and it's simply not good enough to race zoo. And we have some amazing zoo players at my local store. Damnation can also buy you some more time to actually have a good chance against Living End at game 1.

So, thoughts so far are: -1 Sorrin, -2 Maga, -2 Consume Spirit, +2 Grave Titan, +3 Damnation.

Currently trying to find slots for Liliana 2.0. Probably the Smother s will get out.

Then, I tried fitting Smallpox and death cloud in there, but losing your own lands is just too much. I would run that tactic in a G/B Rock Control deck with Life from the Loam , etc. Also tried Dredge mechanics but the only card I would use is Bloodghast . I can guess that control decks will appear in modern now, as more rogue decks against zoo decks, so that Vampire is a control-killer and would do especially well.

Might be that new one from Innistrad thats double black too. But I'd say doom blade?

This deck was built for the initial launch of Modern pre-bannings. Zoo was a big deal then. So was 12-post. Lots of combo was going on then too.

NOW.... 12-post is gone and we have Urzatron... which means Fulmy + Shadow + GQ can still be effective. But you cannot be missing any of those pieces. Combo got neutered down to creature based combo decks. Robots are a problem still.

The next problem is jund. Which is completely different than fighting Zoo. The trick to beating Jund in MBC is to not commit any permanents to the board aside from lands until after they cast bloodbraid elf. You have to just remove their threats... cope with Liliana (tough without just legend-ruling her... not a budget option).... then sweep their board and play a finisher. Note, the exception to this rule is of course you can play Bloodghast and if they remove it that's fine. No problem.

So if you're asking me to update this concept I'd look at (under construction while I regard the OP):

3 x Bloodghast
4 x Dark Confidant
4 x Fulminator Mage
2 x Stinkweed Imp
3 x Fleshbag Marauder
1 x Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
1 x Gravecrawler

3 x Liliana of the Veil

4 x Shadow of Doubt
4 x Lingering Souls
3 x Nameless Inversion
4 x Smallpox

4 x Ghost Quarter
2 x Dakmor Salvage
4 x Fetches
3 x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
12 x Swamps


Note, you can use Godless Shrine in the swamp count if you have/afford. They only do something awesome like let you hardcast Lingering Souls. 

Gain card advantage, attack resources... if Bob goes unmolested eventually upgrade him into a Fleshbag Marauder. Finally win with bloodghast or lingering souls army. 

16 ways to attack manabases (modern's big snub to rogue deck builders), 15 creature removal spells, resilient attackers, recursion, Haakon Inversion (for lulz), and Smallpox which does wreck a lot of strategies.

I apologize, as I made this less budgety now. But it could maybe beat some Tier 1. 

As usual, please test with proxies before spending resources on acquiring cards (unless its Bob, he's a goal for everyone to own a set). Share feedback and I can help tune.