The game plan here is simple and straightforward: Gain control early via discard, maintain that control with spot removal, and finish with our heavy hitters.
Dark Ritual helps us gain control by providing an early start. That extra three mana at the start of game can be such a difference maker.
Thoughtseize is one of the best discard spells in game. Picking off any nonland card for the cost of one mana and two life is well worth it.
Knight of the Ebon Legion is a great slowly building threat. His ability can help you take down larger creatures or help to make him larger as the game continues.
Hymn to Tourach is an even older staple of discard strategies. Two cards at random for two mana has always been solid.
Sinkhole, two mana for one land in the yard. Keeping you opponents off of their lands in the early helps give the deck a chance to establish it's bigger threats.
Gatekeeper of Malakir is a serviceable creature. Normally we should be holding this until turn three or later to take advantage of it's kicker, but in a pinch a Grizzly Bears can still get the job done when it needs to.
Murderous Rider/Swift End is another card that gives us options. We can use it as removal and then as a creature or just as a creature. The life loss from the removal side can be offset in one swing by the creature side.
Nighthawk Scavenger comes to replace his older brother, Vampire Nighthawk. Do I think that this is the next Tarmogoyf, no, but it is a solid card. With all of the discard and removal that we are packing it should be swinging for five most of the time.
Phyrexian Obliterator comes in as a huge threat. Not only is it a 5/5 but it has trample, so it can't just be chump blocked. It's reverse Phyrexian Negator ability makes blocking difficult for the opposing player.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel can swing or even win a game by itself. All of our creatures, save for Knight of the Ebon Legion, contribute at least two to our devotion to Black.
Demigod of Revenge (Tombstalker is out and Demigod of Revenge is in.) Hasty 5/4 beater that swoops in from the skies. You have your standard Demigod of Revenge reanimation shenanigans that it can do all by it's self. On top of that He acts as 5 to our devotion to Black as opposed to Tombstalkers' 2 to make Gray Merchant of Asphodel even more powerful.
