As this is primarily a creature deck, we'll be running between 23-26 creatures. I'll provide the base build first, then offer options for customization based on price point. The general idea is to build a deck that's perfectly okay with our creatures dying. Everything's built to make our opponent's removal worth less, either being wasted or costing them something.
MAINBOARD
3x Bontu the Glorified - Bontu is the deck's namesake. She's a massive threat that most people won't see coming given her relatively low play rate. She's also tricky. Bontu can't attack or block unless one of our own creatures died during the turn. Fortunately, that's what we're building the deck around. She has her own sac outlet, letting us drain for 1 and Scry 1. In addition, Menace and Indestructible make her hard to deal with. We'll run 3 copies (4 if you're feeling frisky). It doesn't matter if we get multiples in hand, because the Legendary Rule counts as a "death." We can play and sac the new copy of Bontu, activating the one already on the battlefield.
3x Yahenni, Undying Partisan - This Aetherborn is our second big threat. She's also packing on-demand Indestructible, which also functions as a manaless sac outlet. As opposing creatures die, she'll get bigger, particularly if we're running Fatal Push in the maindeck. We'll run 3 (or 4 depending) of her as well.
3x Bone Picker - This vulture is a fun card to play that makes for some crazy combos. We're already saccing our own creatures, and with Deathtouch or Fatal Push also in our deck, the chances of playing the vulture for is very, very high. A 3/2 body with Flying and Deathtouch that can come out long before turn 4 is a big deal.
3x Plague Belcher - This gas-filled puppy is a massive powerhouse on turn 3. We're already geared to sac creatures, so we have targets to drop his two -1/-1 counter onto. A 5/4 body with Menace is a big threat at all stages of the game. His second ability also synergizes with
Doomed Dissenter
and adds to our ping/drain.
4x Scrapheap Scrounger - The junkyard dog is pretty common in black decks that play with the graveyard. It's no different in ours. A big body for cheap that we can get back onto the battlefield make it ideal. We can sac it and return it pretty easily.
4x Dread Wanderer - Solid 1-drop that gives us early power and late-game recur for saccing to Bontu or Yahenni. His creature type makes him relevant for Gas Puppy's trigger.
4x
Wretched Camel
- The dude is another sac target and early force. Opponents will be reluctant to block it early on risk of having to discard. Later, we can sac it and force the opponent to discard on our tempo.
SIDEBOARD
Just one creature in the sideboard:
Ruin Rat
- A 2-drop 1/1 with Deathtouch doesn't seem that great, unless we're facing Aggro Red and want to keep
Earthshaker Khenra
forever dead, or into any reanimator deck. It's decent into Zombie tribal as well.
MAYBEBOARD
Just a few thoughts here. Feel free to make suggestions.
Noxious Gearhulk - With the prevalence of Abrade, running artifact creatures is a little more risky, but this big guy gives us a late-game answer to beatdown or ramp decks. They can come in instead of a couple of Bontu or Plague Belcher.
Doomed Dissenter
- On the surface, this poor guy seems pretty underwhelming. And he kinda is. But in our deck he becomes a valuable tool. His ability discourages opponents from block his attack early (why give us a bigger body?), but it also makes him an excellent target for Bontu's ability, Yahenni's sac, or as a place to dump the -1/-1 counters from The Gassiest Puppy. Finally, we can recur
Doomed Dissenter
with Supernatural Stamina, looping for 3 power across two bodies.
Gifted Aetherborn - This card plays well with our deck, but is less than ideal to sac for Bontu or Yahenni. A 2/3 Deathtouch/Lifelink is very nice into aggressive decks, however, where we need to keep life totals high and discourage aggressive attacks. They can come in for That One Really Screwed Dude if we need to simply stand and fight.
Dreamstealer - Being a 3-drop is what makes me second-guess the card. I want to be able to dump out a lot of 1-2 drops (helped by the Monument, and this is going to compete with our big guys already. That being said, it's a fantastic card for what this deck is trying to do otherwise. Menace, opposing player discard, and comes back from the graveyard as a massive BEAST. Even before it dies, pumping Dreamstealer with Supernatural Stamina makes for huge momentum swing. Will be testing this in place of Scrapheap Scrounger.
Glint-Sleeve Siphoner - Another 2-drop with Menace that gives us a form of card draw through energy. The life loss on card draw isn't an issue with all our other sources of drain, but generating energy to use it regularly can be tricky in a deck that otherwise runs no energy generation. Should we chose to run this gal, we'll need to side in 4x Aether Hubs.
Festering Mummy - Some synergy with Plague Belcher, and it would act as a kind of removal for early creatures when sac'd. Doesn't bring a whole lot to the table, however, if it lives.
Filigree Familiar - I like the card's art. Apart from that, the lifegain and card draw are nice, but the 3 CMC is a bit steep for what we're doing in this deck. Particularly since it doesn't benefit from Bontu's Monument.
