"If the game is over, there will be no continues, my friend."
Revolver Ocelot about this deck.
== The Strategy ==
This is a deck based around the destruction of your opponents ramp/creature-advantage in the early-game, and then seizing the win at middle-to-late game. The method is exhaust their resources time and time again, be them planewalkers, counter-artifacts or creatures.
From my test play, most decks have either ramp or 1/1 or 2/2 creatures that are very important to their game, and that come down early. Swiping those creatures (be them Llanowar Elves, Birds of Paradise, Lotus Cobras,
Suture Priest
s, Stoneforge Mystics,
Squadron Hawk
s, Memnites, Signal Pests and Eldrazi tokens) more often than not screws my opponents tempo and effectively both slow down or destroy their tempo (if they get screwed getting more creatures). Also makes it easier to force them to sacrifice that Sun Titan when it comes down to the battlefront.
The early kill spells are Geth's Verdicts, Gatekeeper of Malakir, and Dismembers. Black Sun's Zenith can also wipe the boards on turn 3 (if you play first). That Glistening Oil can help here as well.
The early-mid game is based around
Mimic Vat
so I can put down my threats safely; Vampire Hexmages to hold agro, Planewalkers,
Tumble Magnet
s, Sphere of the Suns, Pyromancer Ascension,
Beastmaster Ascension
, and so on the list goes; First strike can also take out Phyrexian Crusaders and
Porcelain Legionnaire
s. Sign in Blood provides me some card advantage and more lands.
Middle game presents Vampire Nighthawk, a flier removal that can net me points if I got a Lashwrithe in play. The nasty Consuming Vapors, which can both destroy a threat (since their board is likely clean) or destroy two creatures. Then comes the Phyrexian Obliterator, which is kind of immune to Red. The Abyssal Persecutor is a trample flyer that will waste at least 2 cards from red to go down.
The late game of this deck is particularly powerful. Life's Finale is an even stronger Black Sun's Zenith if they get some titans on board; Liliana Vess can tutor whatever I need late-game or discard their hand. She can sometimes go ultimate. Sheoldred, Whispering One is just plain overkill if it hits the board, netting them at least a sacrifice. Swampwalk also should not be treated lightly. Steel Hellkite is a non-black flyer that can both destroy birds, titans, artifacts, enchantments or anything that I want on their board. Specially with Lashwrithe.
I mainboarded the Bojuka Bogs, since it's very important to get the dead to not come back haunting me via Sun Titans, Noxious Reveal and Entomber Exarch. Also deal with Bloodghasts and Vengevines. I think they appear often enough to allow a Mainboard.
== The Sideboard ==
My deck fears Leyline of Sanctity. Luckily, I wont likely find them game 1. On game 2, however, if my enemy is playing white and chooses to side, I know it's coming. My strategy is to take out everything that targets out a player and then replace for other kinds of removal. So I'd take out Gatekeeper of Malakir, Geth's Verdict, and Consuming Vapors. Im likely putting 2
Black Knight
s; 2 Ratchet Bombs, a last Black Sun's Zenith, 1 more Life's Finale and maybe a
Massacre Wurm
or some Doom Blades or Go for the Throats.
If they have Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle or some very possant lands or Infect (
Inkmoth Nexus
), Im putting in my Tectonic Edges to deal with them.
