Happy to help.

Hiddenstrings, I think you misunderstood me? First, I'm glad you realize that Notion thief does indeed"work" with master of feasts, it's just not a very reliable combo and his wimpy body was enough for me to go back to mono black.

Second, after reading your comment it seems you think I'm advocating running altar's reap INSTEAD OF cremate. That is incorrect. I love cremate and think it fits in well with this deck.

Here's what you said: "If all I had was an Altar's Reap it would have been 100% useless as I certainly wouldn't have sacrificed my Master of the Feast nor Nightveil Specter"

And I agree, I wouldn't flat out sacrifice either of those just to draw 2 cards. But let me ask you, did those two cards survive the entire match? If so you got very lucky or had a terrible opponent but most likely those 2 cards didn't both finish the match. Altar's reap turns a negative into a positive. I'll explain: CREATURES DIE. Plain and simple. They are removed, banished, exiled or killed in combat correct? If you keep up 2 measly little mana you can cast altar's reap when their death occurs and draw 2 cards! I am in no way promoting sacrificing a creature just to draw two cards. Use altar's reap when the inevitable death of one of your creatures is about to happen.

I'm only explaining this because I'm not really sure you understand the concept. Here's another example of something you said that leads me to this assumption:"Not to mention, if I take a card with Brain Maggot 9 times out of 10 I didn't want them to have it to begin with."

AGREED! I take cards I don't want them to have either. But the truth is, the more important the card is that you take, the bigger the bulleye is on your brain maggot. They will kill that bastard the first chance they get and take their card back. Wouldn't you like to have some card draw to counteract what they got back from killing maggot? With altar's reap you can. When they go to ultimate price, bile blight, abrupt decay, banishing light, detention sphere (etc etc) your brain maggot... cast altar's reap! The maggot was going to die anyway.

Do you understand my reasoning for altars reap now?

And you also mentioned that mind rot emptied out your opponents hand twice, right? So what you're telling me is that you spent 3 mana, at sorcery speed, to make your opponent discard 2 cards? that's just not good value most of the time. And if you did it twice most likely you cast it to make him discard ONE card. no bueno. Sure, you can get lucky and hit a good card but I just think mind rot is too slow and not very effective late game.

Your inclusion of Liliana's reaver leads me to believe that making opponents discard is important to you so I'm sure you prefer to play mind rot. That's cool. But the title of your thread says "criticism needed" so I'm just offering up mine and trying to help make this deck as competitive as it can be.

Do me a favor and just try it. Play 4 games swapping out altar's reap for mind rot. Don't sac a creature until your opponent is killing it, and let me know how it goes?

I'd also like to point out that Ordeal of Erebos is great if you have something like Bloodcrazed Hoplite to trigger it ASAP. This particular deck won't do anything with that information however, just though I should point that out.

.... In fact, I happen to have a deck centered around the idea over at I B.E.G. You, if you're interested. It's a pretty good way to get more value for cheaper while having the same effect as Mind Rot . You have to build around it though, which is why I said it won't work in here.

@tprintz, I understood you, bro. And it is an excellent response to someone killing off a creature, no doubt.

And I DO desire criticism. It helps open pathways to better deck building. If I shoot something down, that also doesn't mean I'm correct in doing so. I just either haven't been convinced, or I'm just convinced the suggestion doesn't have merit in my own eyes.

Honestly, though, the more I debated Cremate last night the more I thought I might need something else in its place.

I just really wish Read the Bones wasn't a 3 drop.

Ok i was going to raise 2 points, but since you are on the topic of Cremate , i will agree that it doesn't anything to help you. If that slot is filled with a threat, then what is the purpose of drawing a card. And you can always put a few Agent of Erebos in the sideboard to deal with graveyard shenanigans.

So back to the two original topics that came to me. First one, after looking at the list i noticed 2 Mana Confluence in a mono-black deck, i'm like "huh?"... Then i see Nightveil Specter and i'm like "you greedy bastard..." :) haha. i think if you are on that plan, adding some scry lands wouldn't be a bad idea. Probably just 4 that cover the other colors, it shouldn't bugger you up, and the scry ability is so good.

And finally, this deck need more Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver . i mean c'mon man, it's like so obvious...

Ashiok would be nice, yes, and if I end up adding Temple of Deceit I will probably include him. I like Cremate but I guess it is just a waste of space. One card nets me one card. Why bother to include it, I guess. I'll have to think this one out.

I don't really want to run Underworld Connections . I guess it's a toss up between that and Read the Bones . BOTH clogging up my 3 drop.

Definitely dump Underworld Connections for Read the Bones . Connections is better if you're going Aggro with a need to sustain your drops. Bones would be much better for your type of deck.

I also think you severely underestimate the card. Imagine this: It's turn 5 and you've hit every land-drop. You're down to your last card, a Read the Bones . You have no creatures on the table and the opponent just dropped a Polukranos, World Eater and he'll be able to go Monstrous and swing for kill next turn.

You cast.

You Scry 2.

"Oh, wow, two lands!? I would've been completely screwed!"

Then you put them to the bottom and draw...

Liliana's Reaver and Doom Blade . Congratulations, you just won the game because of the Scry 2.

Trust me, that card is worth every single mana and life it costs.

Not gonna get into which is better for this deck on the 2 draw card spells. i like both cards...

But Ashiok is superior than both card draw spells by far, for this deck...

Why?

Because if your strategy is disruption you should be playing threats that your opponent will have a hard time dealing with. Why are you wasting card slots on cards where you are trying to answer your opponents threats?

Screw card draw, run a playset of Ashiok and beat your opponents face with their own creatures as they struggle to find an answer for YOU...

I love Ashiok and used to run him on my Dimir mill.

I suppose the 4x Temple of Deceit , 2x Mana Confluence and 2x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx ought to be enough for Blue mana. Heck, if I've got a Nightveil Specter on board I can bring in some Blue mana from Nykthos with him.

Yeah. I like it.

Read the Bones will be a temporary addition until I can get my Ashiok back.

This deck's worst enemy might just be Abrupt Decay . Lol

Cremate isn't a waste of space at all. Aside from the ability to stop yard shenanigans, it essentially reduces your deck to a 56 card deck - that means you're more likely to draw the threats that you actually want to draw. Definitely mainboardable, and almost certainly better than having extra redundant removal in your sideboard.

Keep in mind though that you might want to Sideboard it out when going agaunst X/B Constellation decks, thanks to Agent of Erebos .

Named_Tawyny, you're correct. I really do like Cremate , but I ended up agreeing that Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver fits in this deck too perfectly to ignore. And seeing as I already had a couple. ..

However, when I go to my venue on Sunday (I've had, and still have, the flu, so I won't be going tonight to FNM), I'll probably run 2x Cremate and 2x Read the Bones . I COULD run 2x Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver and the only Temple of Deceit I've got, but I'm not sure that'd be wise.

Lifebane Zombie is begging to be included in this deck. Its too good, discards cards, and gives 2 devo in a 3-1 body that hits non-black hard.

No Watery Grave ?

@Develagent666, I got rid of them a while back. I'm also hoping to keep this deck a standard throughout rotations, with minor changes, obviously.

@BobTheImam, yet another good card. I don't have it and don't want to buy it. Any other investments to this deck will happen when m15 arrives.

Now this is nice."No hand for you"

Yup. Once rotation rolls around and we see what more is available to offer the deck my pronounce that even further. Can't wait to see what's on the horizon. Thanks fit for the vote!

Over at a different deck page (Junk Crusher) you mentioned I should come over here and take a look. I like what you've got going on here. I agree with the Master of the Feast versus Desecration Demon issue for this deck specifically, because in this deck you have so much spot discard (Maggot + Thoughtseize) that a good percentage of games you will be able to clear a path for the Master. I do have a few separate thoughts as well:1) Diversify your removal and increase the amount you are running. This is in essence a control deck, and you want answers to your opponent's creatures. Try a few Ultimate Price and Devour Flesh. 2) Mind Rot is not a very good card. It is fine, but since you are picking apart their hand with spot discard anyway, I don't think you need this. You will be better off having straight removal in these slots.3) I dot think that six blue sources is enough to cast your Ashiok on time every game. I would recommend adding some Watery Graves, and if you don't want to buy those (shocks can be a tad expensive), then use Dimir Guildgates or even just a few basic Islands. Nothing in your deck is so color-intensive that the Islands will disrupt you enough so that you'd notice. On a related note this deck probably wants 24-25 lands.4) Lastly, find room for 3-4 copies of Underworld Connections in your seventy five. It is an extremely strong card that can single handedly win you games versus controlling and midrange decks.

I like the deck and I hope I have been of some use to you. Good Luck!

@PlanesWalked, thanks for commenting. You bring up some good points. I need to be convinced on some of them, I think. 1) I used to have 2x Devour Flesh mainboard and 1x sided. I can't recall why I removed them other than to run more creatures. It may have also been because I never really used them. BUT, coincidentally enough, recently I've been questioning myself as to why they're not included. I may bring them back in. Ultimate Price , however, I've never really cared for. Although, it can get the job done. 2) Other than being a 3 drop, what is it you don't like about Mind Rot . On occasion, it has served me well, completely emptying the opponent's hand on my upkeep right after they draw from Master of the Feast . 3) You're probably correct here, although it's actually 8 sources of blue if I include generating them from Nykthos+Nightveil. Fairly costly, though, for sure. I had assumed seeing as Ashiok only needs one blUe mana, it might ok. I wasn't really caring for Ashiok to come out on any specific turn, either. Moreover, wanting Nightveil or Master to come out on T3 and if I get lucky, Ashiok later. But I may be wrong here. I don't want to add guildgates or islands as they'd seriously slow deck down. It's possible that because I won't get anymore Watery Grave s that I either need to get rid of Ashiok, or drop him down to 2x. Also, 24-25 lands would be way Too much for this deck based on the drops. That many if I had lots of 5-7 drops, maybe. 4) I started with 4x Underworld Connections but removed them because a) too many 3 drops b) getting devotion from creatures c) it slowed the deck down d) most every card I draw I can use already, so I've not needed more draw.

Feel free to fire back, if you I'm missing the big picture. I'm just stubborn.

I took out 2x Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver and replaced it with 2x Devour Flesh . I'd need some MAJOR convincing to remove the Mind Rot , however. I almost want to be convinced. ..

Alright, a discussion!

The general idea with the land count increase was that as a control deck you want to make all of your land drops up until you hit four or five lands. You are correct that with your curve you need it less than most. No Elspeths or Sphinx's Revs in this deck makes it less needed. I would still increase to 24, but I don't like missing land drops unless I'm playing a very aggressive deck.

As for Mind Rot, it just isn't super useful. Some games you will want it to get the last few cards out of your opponent's hand, and some you will draw it off the top of your deck late in the game when you need a card that actually does something. The big issue with this sort of card is that you are spending your entire turn not really doing much. Sure you are technically ahead on cards, but it doesn't help against what is already on the board, or what may come down next turn. Spot discard protects you from problem cards, but Mind Rot can leave you vulnerable to the opponent's next play. If you like it then keep some, I just wouldn't run the full three.

On the Underworld Connections front it is just an amazing card draw engine. You haven't truly played midrange in standard until you have run away with a game drawing two cards a turn. When games are defined by each player casting creatures and removal, the last creature to stick wins the game, and if you have a bunch more cards your will win that attrition battle. Don't put any in your main if you don't like it, but I heartily recommend you try it out against control and midrange decks, it is just so good.

Keep up the discussion, I'll try to answer any questions / explain my positions where able.

Do me a favor? Break your deck out and play against my current deck with the Playtester. Tell me what you think.

I'm trying to devise a plan for getting rid of Mind Rot but still maybe not use Underworld Connections .