Why Toshiro?
As much as I love
Tetsuo Umezawa
he is definitely more difficult to build around.
So what does Toshiro actually say?
Legendary Creature Human SamuraiBushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
As much as I love trying to convince people that Bushido is just Annihilator for Kamigawa block, We don't want his attacks to become blocked so this ability is rather useless.
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, you may cast target instant card from your graveyard. If that card would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
The entire deck is built around this effect, the goal get multiple uses out of each kill spell so that we can police the board until we are able to win. Keep in mind that you can only cast the spells immediately after the creature dies, this isn't Yawgmoth's Will on a creature for instants.
Card Choices!
Instants
I'm going to skip over most of the instant removal because the vast majority of it is self explanatory. I'd recommend building it to your local meta, for example if half the decks you go against are black you might want to drop Doom Blade for another removal spell.
Darkness: I've found myself commonly putting myself at two life using Hatred for a second time so it's nice to have a response incase they are able to deal with it.
Entomb: While it can be used to throw a creature into your graveyard and recur it, I mostly use it when Toshiro Umezawa is on board and a creature is about to die so that you can cast an instant from your library at instant speed as well as bait a counter spell with minimal risk.
Grim Return: It's a fairly versatile recursion spell that allows you to get Toshiro Umezawa back after a board wipe or steal a creature that was recently killed.
Hatred: Very powerful wincon in the deck. Pay 19 life whenever your commander connects to instantly remove someone from the game.
Insidious Dreams: 23% of the cards in the deck can be cast from grave so disrupting our own hand to tutor isn't much of an issue.
Scour from Existence: The deck's only spot enchantment removal.
Tendrils of Corruption: Around half of this deck is ramp, I've commonly gained +15 life off of a single use.
Tsabo's Decree: While it is 6 mana, the ability to wipe a single player's board of creatures is an amazing political bargaining tool.
Sorceries
Bubbling Muck: High Tide in mono black.
Chainer's Edict: Deals with pro black creatures.
Dark Petition: tutor that typically only costs one to two mana.
Demonic Tutor: Dark Petition without needed spell mastery.
Exsanguinate: If attacking is no longer an option, this can be used as an alternative win con to burn people out of the game.
Ill-Gotten Gains
: Great if you need to cast an instant a third time to win the game but can work just as well for your opponent.
Mutilate: Board wipe that deals with pro black and indestructible creatures.
Reanimate: It reanimates things. If you couldn't figure that out you probably shouldn't build this deck.
Sadistic Sacrament: Deal with artifacts or take half of someone's mana base.
Toxic Deluge: Cheaper Mutilate that costs life.
Enchantments
Animate Dead / Black Market: The deck functions as creature destruction tribal, lots of things die giving you lots of value.
Necropotence / Phyrexian Arena: Standard mono black card draw
Null Profusion: While putting yourself at a maximum hand size of two, the deck has ways to get around that caveat, the ability to cast cards from your grave allows you to pump your hand size if your cards in hand are not playable.
Artifacts
Caged Sun: Pumps the commander and doubles your mana
Expedition Map: While you will be using it to grab Cabal Coffers most of the time, it can also deal with hexproof and shroud with Arcane Lighthouse or give Toshiro Umezawa fear with Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Gilded Lotus: Used for Ramp.
Jet Medallion: Makes 36 cards in the deck 1 cheaper.
Lightning Greaves: Used to protect Toshiro Umezawa or give a creature haste.
Mana Web: Primarily used to stop counter spells, combined with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth it forces your opponents to tap out on their turn.
Mimic Vat: Graveyard hate / recursion
Mind Stone: Mana ramp or card draw.
Nevinyrral's Disk: The deck's primary way to deal with enchantments.
Sensei's Divining Top: Deck manipulation because of the various shuffle effects the deck has.
Sol Ring: Because commander decks are really only 98 cards in the main deck.
Swiftfoot Boots: same as Lightning Greaves
Thought Vessel: Deals with Null Profusion as well as providing mana ramp.
Creatures
Burnished Hart: Recurable Mana Ramp
Chainer, Dementia Master: Animate Dead on a creature.
Grave Titan: Primarily run as a good stuff card because the deck is light on creatures.
Harvester of Souls: Combined with a board wipe you typically draw enough to win the game, almost as good as a Consecrated Sphinx in black without drawing the hate.
Karn, Silver Golem: Artifact Removal.
Noxious Gearhulk: Life gain and creature removal. I'm thinking of swapping this for Gray Merchant of Asphodel but I'm not sure I have enough devotion to warrant it.
Ogre Slumlord: Provides a decent wall with minimal investment.
Puppeteer Clique: Two use Chainer, Dementia Master.
Rune-Scarred Demon: Large body that can be recurred for a tutor effect.
Sepulchral Primordial: Typically a Win con in large table games, if not it functions as a singe use Chainer, Dementia Master.
Solemn Simulacrum: Mana Ramp and Card Draw.
Planeswalkers
Liliana of the Dark Realms: Mana ramp and can be used to pump Toshiro Umezawa if Hatred is no longer an option.
Liliana Vess: Typically used for the tutor effect but can also cause hand disruption if unchecked.
Notable Lands
Arcane Lighthouse: Deals with hexproof and shroud.
Maze of Ith: Great for getting voltron decks to kill someone else.
Shizo, Death's Storehouse: Used on Toshiro Umezawa to give evasion so that he can connect with Hatred to swing lethal.
Any suggestions are welcome, I currently own this deck and will continue to update it as I get the cards I need.
Cards I'm definitely looking to add are Damnation, Boseiju, Who Shelters All, and Black Sun's Zenith.
