Maybeboard is for cards that used to be in the deck.
Here is a complete guide to why and how this deck can function:
Lands: the most basic of things for a deck, yet can win you the game. Why are said lands in the deck?
Ancient Tomb
- better
Temple of the False God
besides the damage. Free bonus mana.
Cabal Coffers
- simple; lots of mana. Yes, Snow-Covered Swamps work with this as well as all the other lands and mana-multipliers.
Command Beacon
- for when Mikaeus starts costing too much for you to handle.
Dark Depths
- mana sink that chills until it two-shots someone unless it runs into a
Path to Exile
Deserted Temple
- kind of a 'meh' land, but works great if you net tons of mana from the Coffers or Nykthos.
High Market
- some nice sac triggers and mini life gain.
Lake of the Dead
- in an emergency, this can let you play some nasty stuff, at the cost of popping a land on enter and one for that burst of mana.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- duh, tons of mana.
Phyrexian Tower
- sac trigger while also giving an extra mana.
Snow-Covered Swamp
- for
Extraplanar Lens
so most people cant benefit like they can off of
Gauntlet of Power
.
Spawning Pool
- iffy manland that can reanimate from Mikaeus and can regenerate. Mainly a trump blocker unless you're crushing.
Strip Mine
- for those times when others run lands like Nykthos.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
- helps with colorless lands and makes the Coffers into a bomb.
Volrath's Stronghold
- pseudo-reanimation for the times you need to repeatedly recast that sad robot without Mikaeus.
Westvale Abbey
- once you get some zombie tokens or enough fodder to have fun, flip into game-ending death machine. First ability is pretty trash so don't use unless emergency.
Creatures: that part of the deck people mainly pay attention too since you gotta kill people with 'em. The most ever changing part of a deck.
Blood Artist
- creatures die a lot when you're board-wiping or sacrificing creatures for ETB triggers, Grave Pacting, mana, etc., so hurting people to your benefit works just fine.
Bloodghast
- works well with sac triggers since he brings himself back. Run
Reassembling Skeleton
if you have no $$.
Crypt Ghast
- worse
Nirkana Revenant
that trades the pump with extort. Fun and powerful. Replacement for
Gauntlet of Power
because we don't like to help others.
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
- mana sink that can wipe the field and one shot people. Great flyer.
Duplicant
- exile threats in black without
Ashes to Ashes
, and also pseudo-clones what it kills.
Erebos, God of the Dead
- brutally valuable card. People run
Greed
, but this is just an extra life per draw in return for a 5/7 indestructible god that stops life-gain.
Fleshbag Marauder
- spooky zombie for crawler that forces your non-token-playing opponents to take a hit. Pops twice if you have Mikaeus out (gotta love undying).
Grave Titan
- pure value for a 6 CMC 6/6 Deathtouch that spits out Zombies like crazy. He absolutely loves
Lightning Greaves
.
Gravecrawler
- the 2nd spookiest (Mikaeus 1st) zombie of them all. Never goes away until all the Zombies are gone. Amazing sac trigger and combos infinitely with cards like
Grave Pact
.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
- Gary himself. Another spooky zombie for crawler that usually ends the game. Get a big field and make him re-enter a couple times, and by now you've drained everyone. Life-gain is good!
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
- for when you're not feeling like reanimating their weenie deck, so you make useful sac fodder and game-enders. More life-gain. Try not to play when you can reanimate their cool stuff (another reason for sac triggers).
Kokusho, the Evening Star
- super strong flyer that likes to die a LOT. Make him die as long as he comes back.
Massacre Wurm
- the destroyer of token decks. I find
AEther Snap
to be too specific, so I see this to be a great countermeasure. Get this to come back 3 times in a turn and you got yourself a great boardwipe.
Nirkana Revenant
- the cool
Crypt Ghast
. Ghast lets you extort, but the vampire is bigger and makes herself MUCH bigger when you have mana floating around. One of the few mana-sinks for the end game.
Phyrexian Obliterator
- pure value. This card's only purpose is to become the target of a
Path to Exile
or piss someone off. Better in 1v1.
Sheoldred, Whispering One
- here for some nasty power. Constant sacrifice and self-reanimation is pretty fun. Also swampwalk is a nice touch, especially with Urborg out.
Sidisi, Undead Vizier
- yay, more deathtouch! But really, this is a better
Rune-Scarred Demon
that helps crawler. Can give two tutors with Mikaeus out.
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
- I advise to not play this card, given Skittles likes to end friendships with his Ebola slap. 2-turn kill with Mikaeus and extremely unfair side win-con for competitive players.
Solemn Simulacrum
- this sad robot likes to ramp you for all those draws and basic land. There's not a real good reason to leave him on the field unless you have plans for him. Made to enter, die, and recur.
Wurmcoil Engine
- another card with pure value. Lifelink AND Deathtouch? Lots of babies when it dies, then usually UNdies? Theres no reason to not play this in almost every commander deck.
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
- overpriced yet resourceful card. At second glance, you see him as a mediocre card. But if you sac him before attacking, he can recur ANY black card, including
Demonic Tutor
. Sadly, he's a human, so Mikaeus can't bring him back. But even as a one trick pony, he can help you immensely.
Planeswalkers: Pretty short list given I'm not a fan of how slow all the black planeswalekrs are.
Karn Liberated
- easily one of the best planeswalkers ever printed. Able to go in any deck, he removes ANYTHING from field and hand, and for fun he restarts the game? What kind of popular card does something like that?
Enchantments: The part of the deck that likes to make people cry.
Animate Dead
- lets you take any creature from any grave with the small penalty of -1/0. Feels good man for when you throw Sheoldred in the grave.
Black Market
- nets you a crazy amount of mana just for having stuff die. (remember that crawler combo?)
Contamination
- a cruel card that puts a target on your head. Sadly, your multipliers won't work now, but anyone who isn't mono-black or colorless just got hit very hard. Sac on upkeep is more of a benefit than a cost, triggering stuff like sad robot.
Dictate of Erebos
- costs one more than Pact to give flash, but it's in here for the trigger not the instant speed. Your stuff usually likes to die, so why not make your opponents suffer for your benefit?
Grave Pact
- Dictate with more devotion and one mana less.
Infernal Darkness
- Contamination #2, but Nykthos and Coffers are still AOK. Upkeep cost sucks so you usually sac it after 3-5 turns, but the advantage is overwhelmingly worth it.
Necromancy
- cool reanimation that you can use for a turn with instant speed. Or use it the right way at sorcery speed and take anything for 3 CMC. Used over
Animate Dead
mainly for the instant speed option.
Necropotence
- best black draw engine to exist besides the banned
Yawgmoth's Bargain
. Fill your hand to seven at the end of every turn at the cost of life? Who cares when you can pump out 5 cards a turn! Just keep in mind that discarded cards get exiled.
No Mercy
- this deck needs to be left alone for a while to work, to this works great unless your opponent has lethal damage. People usually deter from you in multiplayer when you cast this, so it's either targeted for removal or you can set up.
Phyrexian Arena
- strong draw engine. Basically a black howling mine, just for you.
Wound Reflection
- damage doubler in black! If you'd like, run
Sorin Markov
to instantly kill someone. Very powerful card, especially when paired with an
Exsanguinate
.
Artifacts: Don't forget about one of the best card types in the game. These basically set up your game to win, fast and easy.
Altar of Dementia
- sac trigger that lets you mill others to death slowly or yourself for some creatures.
Ashnod's Altar
- sac trigger and free mana. Mana usually doesn't do anything besides get free colorless stuff, but it's a poor man's
Phyrexian Altar
Caged Sun
- multiplier that helps only you with ALL lands that tap for your color, black. Buffs the field and is overall value. Better Gauntlet for one more mana.
Cauldron of Souls
- combos with Mikaeus to let creatures undie, persist, undie again, then die again for fun. Combos with cards like Gary excellently.
Extraplanar Lens
- super low drop multiplier that only makes you exile a land. With Snow Swamps, you get double mana turn 3. Crazy.
Jet Medallion
- black stuff costs one less. Duh?
Lightning Greaves
- Give Mikaeus protection and some hastah pasta for your other dudes like
Grave Titan
.
Phyrexian Altar
-
Ashnod's Altar
that gives colored mana, so you can recast crawler forever for ETB/LTB fun.
Sensei's Divining Top
- auto-include to almsost every single commander deck. Lot's of awesome manipulation.
Skullclamp
- draw engine when you ca sac stuff.
Sol Ring
- no explanation needed.
Whip of Erebos
- the active ability doesn't get used much except to close games. The static lifelink ability is amazing enough.
Instants: Short, valuable section meant for power.
Entomb
- turn one throw in that
Bloodghast
, get him for free turn two and cast a
Demonic Tutor
? Really though, it's just a mini, overpriced
Buried Alive
. Amazing grave-filler.
Exsanguinate
- nice mana sink to save you and can potentially kill.
Hero's Demise
- I was surprised to see barely anyone has this card. Why not? It's a black kill spell that's not color-restricted and kills commanders! This just screams commander staple.
Slaughter Pact
- your emergency kill-spell when things go haywire for you. Better hope their creature isn't black, cause this is your best bet.
Vampiric Tutor
- a turn one tutor that can set your game up for you or grab the game-ending card. Amazing card, especially when you respond to mill and throw yourself a guaranteed creature in the grave.
Sorceries: Last but not the least of our types. This is where a lot of power lies hidden.
All Is Dust
- removes enchantments and gets around indestructible. With Mikaeus out, you don't usually mind wiping yourself.
Ashes to Ashes
- great removal. Better dismember that deals with indestructible.
Beseech the Queen
- nice tutor that keeps you in your tempo. If played on turn three and you have at least two Swamps, go for
Extraplanar Lens
every time. Turn three multiplier is crazy.
Black Sun's Zenith
- great answer to
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
and indestructibility. Usually played for 10 CMC to kill
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
and the rest of her disgusting army.
Buried Alive
- like playing
Entomb
three times. Usually go for the revenant for mana, a beater, and a utility creature. Most go for
Bloodghast
just to have a creature, but he isn't the only answer.
Damnation
- the overpriced black
Wrath of God
. Great against basically anything that isn't indestructible. If you'd like to save a lot of money, replace with
Crux of Fate
. There, you only lose out on Skithiryx and Kokusho dying.
Demonic Tutor
- black staple for every commander deck. Just run it. You can grab anything for two mana this is busted.
Diabolic Intent
- Demonic #2 that elts you pop a creature for utility.
Dread Return
- brings back a buddy and can later come to do it again at the cost of popping three tokens or three creatures with nice dying abilities. Powerful card.
Living Death
- let's switch the grave and the field because why not? This is hilarious when you have an infinite sac trigger out, especially the
Altar of Dementia
to mill even more. Doubles as a board wipe and a reanimator.
Reanimate
- for when you really want that turn two Skithiryx to be a piece of trash. Valuable reanimation spell, hence the name.
Toxic Deluge
- arguably one of the best boardwipes in black. Three mana Black Sun that uses life instead. Just doesn't put on physical counters. Worth it.
Victimize
- basically you get 2 for 1. Pull out two dudes and trigger the one that dies, or just throw away a token.
Yawgmoth's Will
- dangerous and effectively busted card. Your grave becomes your hand, but anything that goes back that turn gets exiled. Play this card carefully. It's usually used to pull out unrecoverable things like
Demonic Tutor
and
Caged Sun
.
Notable Combos (Accidental):
Gravecrawler
,
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
, Pyrexian Altar- sacrifice crawler to undie for a black mana. Repeat, then cast him from the grave again. One black is floating, and rinse and repeat for infinite mana. Works well with cards like
Exsanguinate
or any other mana sink, and
Grave Pact
.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
,
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
,
Cauldron of Souls
,
Ashnod's Altar
(or any sac trigger)- play Gary, opp. lose 5, sac Gary, he undies, opp. lose 5, give him persist with the cauldron and kill him, he persists, opp. lose 5, kill him again, he undies, opp. lose 5, then if you need more free mana or hilariously have a
Reanimate
of some sort, kill him again. Also works with any creature that has a useful ETB trigger, like
Grave Titan
. Goes nuts with
Sidisi, Undead Vizier
.
Contamination
,
Gravecrawler
, any zombie (preferably Mikaeus)- lock down everyone not playing mono-black while you sit back and go off. The literal only downside is you cant get bonus mana.
Buried Alive + Reanimate
- usually reanimate a Sheoldred you shove in there to get some free jazz. Buried Alive is one of the strongest cards in any grave-based deck.
Any sac trigger and
Living Death
- retrigger lots of nastiness if Mikaeus is out, then have Mikaeus go to the grave if he's out. Get it all back and retrigger it again, possibly sacrificing it again for more triggers. It's like flickering, but it's black. And more fun. Sometimes opponents benefit from this, like if you had
Grave Pact
out, but you're usually good.
Massacre Wurm + Sudden Spoiling
- opponent boardwipe plus mass life loss. Also both work great separately.
Deserted Temple
and Nykthos,Shrine to Nyx / Cabal Coffers or any utility land - reactivate for tons of mana or extra utility.
