The intent with this deck is to be able to have a Demon for lots of different situations using Shadowborn Apostle as the enabler.
Key Pieces
Shadowborn Apostle - Main piece of the deck. With it having a sacrifice ability, the main concern is finding cards that combo off it. Having new bodies made by either Xathrid Necromancer or by Nightmare Shepherd to replace them, gaining some life from Blood Artist, or destroying a threat with Reaper from the Abyss, the intent is to keep the pressure on the opponent whilst also adding huge bodies.
Immortal Servitude - The main use for this card will be to revive all of the Shadowborn Apostle and get more Demons out.
Agadeem's Awakening
- Pretty much same as above but also with the ability to play as land in the early game if struggling to get. With X=3, it would be a good way to reestablish a Xathrid Necromancer and Blood Artist engine if they had been eliminated early on as well as get out another Shadowborn Apostle.
Demons
Demon of Dark Schemes - Meant as a mass creature removal for weenie decks but also works as a companion for Shadowborn Apostle to gain energy counters when they die and then pull creatures from the graveyard which will be good against Goryo's Vengeance decks.
Griselbrand - Card draw and threat in one body is great for a lot of reasons so it's an automatic inclusion to this deck.
Lord of the Void - Another big body threat but with mill attached that potentially nets you a free creature is also too good to pass up for this deck.
Ob Nixilis, Unshackled - I had debated between this or Ob Nixilis, the Fallen but the deciding factor was the presence of fetchlands in Modern made this one less situational than it would be in other formats. The +1/+1 counters for creatures dying also works very well for this deck to potentially go from a 4/4 to a 10/10 in one turn.
Reaper from the Abyss - The ability to have repeatable removal on each turn is nothing to dismiss so having something that will do that while synergizing with the main combo is a must.
Sideboard
Archfiend of Depravity - For weenie decks and tribal decks that spread themselves wide, this is great for making the opponent really pull their numbers back down to something manageable.
Fatal Push - Targeted removal without having to put a creature out is a must sometimes and when it can be combined with the sacrifice mechanisms of the deck, all the better.
Nightmare Shepherd - More than likely to be used as a late game threat to get out more big bodies with a combo of this and Immortal Servitude to resurrect all the Apostles, sac them for a Demon and make Nightmare copies to sac for another Demon. Alternatively, it can be an early game threat to get out this and another strong Demon in one turn. Combined with Xathrid Necromancer, this can also help to generate a lot of Zombies.
Razaketh, the Foulblooded - Repeatable tutor effects for two life and a creature is an amazing effect on a strong body.
Rune-Scarred Demon - Same as above, tutor effects are great, especially as a ETB effect.
Shadowborn Demon - ETB removal on a decent body is good. The downside is the repeated sacrifice to keep it around but that can either be negated by the Apostle combo or used to fuel other cards.
Taborax, Hope's Demise - Optional card draw on a body is great and combos very well with Shadowborn Apostle. Buffing itself to gain lifelink and swing for huge numbers is always an added bonus.
