is a bit excessive. I understand why you prefer Tormod's Crypt

Maybe Crypt Incursion

Nezumi Shortfang

What about adding in white to take advantage of flicker mechanic, works for both gray merchant and Geralf's Messenger

IE Cloudshift

Not to mention Path to Exile

deck name:devoted-obliteration-of-blue-affinityfor some reason i cant link it

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/devoted-obliteration-of-blue-affinity/

thats how i beat mono blue affinity. repeatedly beat a legacy version with this combo, the last game, i had the ability to hit for over 60 with 2 gray merchants in my hand and a nykthos land in play with no creatures on his side.

I really love your deck it runs exactly the way i want to run mine one day when i get gatekeepers. i would love insperation from you your deck is the closest i would ever get to a cookie cutter build just because of the amazing consistancy and value behind every card you run. i'v been working on a deck for quite some time now but would love to start draining into a more aggro intensive win condition. i would love your help and advice i'm a fallower of your deck and mono black has always been my favorite when you get a chance look up my No hand, no field, no problem

I agree with Hobbswherescalvin. Crypt Incursion is sick with a mono-black control deck. It gets really funny when you play it in response to the opponent over committing in order to deal enough damage to kill you, and you gaining life instead. It can also target your own graveyard if it is more full.

Just a suggestion, but what if you Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx into a Ob Nixilis, Unshackled . Standard is the only thing i really know so im kinda walking into virgin territory, but couldn't that do good against a lot of things like fetchlands and Birthing Pod ?

You mentioned that you are only running one Liliana of the Veil for the time being... what would you end up cutting out to add the second one in?

Awesome deck though, I'm totally copying it haha

Sorry for the comment hiatus.. Looks like I have a lot to catch up on, but here goes..

@toechill: If (when?) I were to acquire another Liliana of the Veil , I would likely cut a Gatekeeper of Malakir in it's place, and then probably replace the other with Waste Not .. Oh, and thanks. I would love to see something like this actually become a thing.. :)

@BleedSilver: You're right; Ob Nixilis, Unshackled would be absolutely devastating against the current meta, but unfortunately, only if this were already a dedicated Devotion deck--that could easily cheat it out early enough to actually make an impact (The only thing that technically makes this a "Devotion" deck is the pair of mainboard Gray Merchant of Asphodel )

@Warmonger: You're right that Crypt Incursion would be awesome in a much slower, more traditional Mono-Black Control deck, but this actually performs more like a Midrange-Aggro with some strong early control elements.. Therefore I don't feel as though I can work it in without weakening myself overall..

@tragic_64: I like the name.. And thank you, I am extremely flattered; your comment actually made my gf a little jealous.. lol.. And sure, I'll give your deck a look-over.. :)

@Hobbswherescalvin: You definitely got a little suggestion happy didn't you.. lol.. But that deck link didn't go anywhere, sorry..

aw shucks :3

How About Relic of Progenitus over Tormod's Crypt ?

@Scorprix: I've considered that one off & on, but in the end I prefer the Crypt due to the literally Zero-mana investment involved; period.. As opposed to the Relic, which requires (1) to cast, and then another (1) if I want to activate it's 2nd ability.. See, I run a lot of mana greedy (3+ cmc) spells, therefore I usually need ALL of my mana--every time to be effective, so when considered under that context; Tormod's Crypt is effective for dropping behind everything else during my 2nd main phase, after any combat shenanagans & attempts at advancing my board state (etc.) that may leave me (and my opponent) tapped out..

Why no Damnation ? Just in case if things get a little iffy. Dash Hopes maybe as well?

@Vicious11: Because I don't own any Damnation (wish I did..), and they're currently out of my budget range.. And beside, the pair of Mutilate s in my sideboard serves it's purpose just fine, there are even situations that can cause the boardwipe to be only one-sided.. ;)

As far as Dash Hopes , I used to that in the early-early, original builds of this deck.. But lately I've been reconsidering it off & on as a possible sideboard option..

Got a big standard/modern tournament coming up in October and am trying to build a similar mono black/devotion/midrange/aggro deck. Im using Phyrexian Obliterator as the my front runner. and Gary for the devotion. What are your thoughts on Fulminator Mage , Stillmoon Cavalier and Phyrexian Crusader ? more for their pro color status. I don't like going to tournaments with the same deck as everyone else. I like to get creative and hope I make something new and powerful. Though this isn't new per say. But I don't think my meta in my area will expect it.

have you ever considered running 1 more Torpor Orb for consistency considering it hits a lot of the meta heavy decks in the format right now? also as awesome as mimic vat can be in some games, why not run Whip of Erebos instead? it runs rather towards the same effect except it can gain you life for the same perpose. on top of that I understand the reasoning behind the siphon life but if your reasoning is to take down control in grindy match-ups wouldn't it just be better to run more land destruction effects to avoid there manlands and get you safely to a win condition? of course i wouldn't exactly know how this fairs in control matchups :/ my list runs packrat so i usually have it if i turn 1 thoughtseize into a turn 2 packrat and it just gets out of hand from there if they cant draw a bolt or path. on top of that thoughtseize and inquisition of kozilek really help in those matchups when your greatest enemy is a well timed turn 2 spellsnare, lightning bolt, or path to exile. of course the hardest matchup will always be burn, with that in mind have you found any tricks to getting around it ? i usually just inquisition and beg for bad draws for them and a stuck vampire nighthawk.

also i've found that against pod, twin, and snapcaster control, torpor orb can be a game changer. with that in mind if you can free up sideboard space it might not hurt to run 2-3 instead of your single. iv seen some decks even run 4 when they know there weakness is a well timed triggered ability. also you might wanna consider Extirpate over surgical extraction. as cheap as it is in comparison the money value difference does little to compare to the insane power of a well timed extirpate with split second going off you can remove burn from a burn players hand without them being able to play it in response and the same goes for snapcaster control targeting the card they needed with there snapcaster. it also evades counters and ALL forms of response at the moment of casting. Oh and last of all Bile Blight is EXTREMELY useful against twin if your trying to get around there combo. as all copies of the creature will be the same card you can bile blight removing either all the pestermites in play or shrink all of the deceiver exarches so they can't deal damage on swings.

As a replacement for Syphon Life in your sideboard I would suggest adding Sadistic Sacrament . For three mana you can pick apart and remove vital win conditions for many different types of decks. It is super awesome against all of the pod match ups because they usually only carry a few crucial cards in their deck that they tutor for and if you take them out before they get a chance to play it then you are doing well. I would say it is much better in than just swinging life totals by 2 as a sideboard card for that 3 mana slot.

I love mono-black control... Can't NOT +1 a deck that runs 4 Phyrexian Obliterator :)

Bloodghast could be a better fit than Nyxathid .

How does Nyxathid work out for you?

I'm running a deck similar to this and he looks like a good devotion 3 drop.

Has he won you any games or have you just generally been meh when drawing into him?

I'm running sort of a similar deck and it was pretty successful at FNM last night, to my surprise. Any ideas or suggestions? I would like to make it faster.

how do you put in a Picture in the describtion? ::)

I was just a little sick on the inside by the idea of Turn 2 Waste Not , turn 3 double Thoughtseize to discard 2 land, giving you a turn 3 Phyrexian Obliterator and setting your opponent back permanently on land. Gross. You might be down 4 life, but you're likely going to use a Seize on turn 1 anyways and that 4/4 trample while your opponent can't respond is very nice.