It would be nice...probably splashing red for Rakdos's Return after DM drops (cheaper shocklands hopefully) but for now spam summoning things due to card advantage will just have to suffice :-)

I am thinking about dropping 2x Rise from the Grave for a 3rd Vampire Nighthawk and a Bloodgift Demon (or Staff of Nin) for sideboard. What do you guys think?

I agree with that, and go with Bloodgift Demon over Staff of Nin.

Actually, no, use the Staff. You can side it in if you find your Demons getting killed in g1

@meecht

valid point, ill board them in for now and test a little after work.

Really like this deck. However consider Heartless Summoning to help get your Crypt Ghast out earlier if your having land issues. But beware of the reverse synergy with Knight of Infamy.

I havent had any mana issues with this deck (not since the Sign in Blood were added) and i had HS in an original build...didnt help me too much because during midgame it only made my creatures weaker.

Seems pretty solid. I used to do a similar heartless deck but crypt ghast just makes this mean. Just awesome. +1 :)

Thanks! Im loving it so far. If i acquire the funds ill sneak in 2 xCavern of Souls against control...but i dont have the money and few are willing to part with their caverns.

switched a few things around.

added 2x Witchbane Orb and 1x Elixir of Immortality...they are much more versatile than Knight of Infamy...who i never wanted to switch out for Nighthawk....after testing against naya aggro, esper control, mill, and exalted decks.

So I like the deck, but where exactly is your early game presence? Against a Burn deck or extremely aggressive mana-ramp, I think some problems arise. Vampire Nighthawk and Murder seem to be your only defense in the early stages of the game. If you, in your opening hand, don't have either of those or Devour Flesh, it seems like that'll be an instant mulligan or loss.

Don't get me wrong; I like the deck. But what are you going to do against early game winners?

@StealthyGunnar Reasonable worry, but in my playtesting against aggro decks i tend to lose about 7 life max, gain 5 or so back...or just dominate them after turn 3.19 of my cards are 2 drops or 3 drops. 7 of those are removal. 4 are draw cards (fixes almost every problem). 8 are creatures (creatures that hit the board hard). This on its own is fairly consistent. I always have a kill spell early game OR sign in blood turn 2 (i can put a monkey wrench in whatever ramp/aggro they are attempting. After that i tend to dominate the field except in token situations. For everything else there is sideboard...Elixir of Immortality recoups the loss of life against early game decks. And as always, Mutilate cleans the slate.

Alright. Well as long as you're winning, I suppose it doesn't matter ;)

Yup! A single removal spell early game stops their tempo...just enough for me to catch my footing (even against the Burning-Tree Emissary and Flinthoof Boar combo) :) If i feel like it isn't enough early game, ill add in Tragic Slip or Thrull Parasite early game

Okay, I am running a deck with a similar idea and I have some thoughts for you...

First, since you are relying on Crypt Ghast for enough mana to run big spells, replace the Increasing Ambition with Diabolic Revelation. Rather than spend 12 mana to get 3 cards on turns 5-6, you can instead just pick out 5 cards on turn 5. Any later, and you can amass a huge combo by just getting 3 or 4 cards, 1 or 2 being more Ghasts and then whatever else you need.

I agree with Stealthygunner about the early game presence. Even if you are winning now, you will find problems against G, W, and R decks, especially G/W or G/R.

The idea you are going for is great, but you are trying to do too much. You should consider running just 4 or 3 of each card so you can have a more stable strategy. Pick out 1 or 2 awesome expensive creatures and use them.

Murder and Devour Flesh are garbage. Instead, use 4x Ultimate Price and Victim of Night. The only (non-hexproof/non-indestructible) creature you can't hit with those two spells are Huntmaster of the Fells  ^Flip.

Like I said, my deck is similar. I was elated when Crypt Ghast came out. What I do is focus on Extort, control, and drawing cards. Only Bloodgift Demon and Crypt Ghast are above 4 CMC, while my early game is all about using Thrull Parasite and Blood Artist with removal spells. Once the Ghast drops, I can play a Demon and keep drawing, Extorting, and finish them off with the fliers. Very effective. Take a look and get some ideas. Your deck looks fun, but too many different cards.deck:The-Taxman

Oh yeah, also: Staff of Nin, Liliana of the Dark Realms, Geralf's Messenger and Lord of the Void don't fit this deck at all. I can see why you would think the Staff and Geralf's work, but you would be better off with some cheap removal spells for support.

Lastly, Mutilate should be a sideboard card, especially if more than a third of your deck is creature-based. You only really need it bad against populate, green ramp, white weenie or Goblins.

You are right about Geralf's Messenger not fitting the deck half the time. But they come in handy more often than not. You are quite wrong about the other cards though :-. Hell the other 3 are win cons.

Mutilate is in there as a precaution against the multitude of naya weenie and token decks in my meta. And my Desecration Demon can live through it usually and command the field.

@Psychonautical (btw love psychonauts)

The reason i have Murder is the guaranteed kill aspect of it and Devour Flesh is in there because ALOT of esper control in my meta run Geist of Saint Traft and there are two successful cipher control decks running around with Invisible Stalker.

Ultimate Price Is a wonderful card, but my primary fears Geist of Saint Traft, Sigarda, Host of Herons, Obzedat, Ghost Council, and Lazav, Dimir Mastermind.

Im willing to have a card with 1 more solid mana cost when it is a guarantee, not just an 80% of the time (If i can't kill any of these guys within 3 turns i usually lose). I am debating on boarding Mutilate, but it has saved my skin too many times to count.

Just know i am doing my best not to rely heavily on Crypt Ghast, he just allows me to sneak a win turn 5. Liliana of the Dark Realms picks up the slack of i cannot draw or resolve CG, she gives me a finisher, and when i get the blood crypts easily makes my Rakdos's Return a one shot. (this deck works even if i don't get either, which is why the mutilate is in as a failsafe)

I have removed Increasing Ambition in lieu of Staff of Nin because SoN wins games.

I have tossed around Thrull Parasite and Blood Artist, but every time i drew either i wished i had a beater or a kill card.

I wish to keep Geralf's Messenger for now because if he resolves he is 4 life loss (usually). I can easily gain back the life lost due to starting semi-late and he starts hitting them back hard. I would add 1x Desecration Demon 2x Tragic Slip and 1x Victim of Night if i were to remove the GM.

Sorry for the curt previous responses, i have been updating via a phone up until this point and honestly didn't see your first entry (i only saw the cards you listed as garbage) so i was a little taken aback. My apologies. Thanks for your advice

check out my mono black deck for ideas Evil Dead

Testing diff forms of control for a bit (boarding Mutilate to see if it can be removed permanently)

Cycling out Murder and Geralf's Messenger FOR NOW. Testing Nightveil Specter because its a stable flyer that trolls the opponent on combat damage and pairs well with liliana's -3 and Ultimate Price for testing purposes. Will tweak/change back some after my MCB test tomorrow.

Also tesing Basilica Screecher in lieu of NS

......and Basilica Screecher is staying.....extorting my creatures and kill spells got insane...very quickly