Tymaret, the Murder King and/or Underworld Cerberus , possibly?

Cool deck. I love strong synergy like this.

You really should be playing Blood Crypt instead of Guildgates. I know you've probably heard that before but it really makes SUCH a huge difference.

I think this deck could benefit from some burn spells, for example Magma Jet , Mizzium Mortars , Lightning Strike . Personally I'd probably just throw in two Magma Jet s.

I'd also move up to 4x Tymaret, the Murder King . I know he's legendary but in a deck like yours, with so many sac outlets, that won't be a problem at all. He's only a 2/2 so he'll probably die naturally, and even if he doesn't and you draw two, just sac the first one to Blood Bairn !

Also, for your sideboard, I think Devour Flesh would probably be better than Glaring Spotlight against hexproof creatures. And maybe add Dreadbore as well, against planeswalkers? Or Hero's Downfall if instant speed is important to you. Also, Thoughtseize instead of Duress ?

As for what to take out, I think 2x Bubbling Cauldron will do the trick. You only need one to really hurt your opponent, and with Bogbrew Witch you'll be able to tutor for it fairly easily.

Awesome deck, hope I helped!

@yuval good suggestions, thanks! Not ready to break budget for Blood Crypt just yet, but that's my eventual goal (don't have any atm).

Devour Flesh is indeed better than the spotlight...as for Thoughtseize , it'll happen when I get a hold of some :D

I think you're on the right track with Tymaret as well...gonna add one more.

As for burn--it's always good, but the deck is so synergy-dense...maybe in the board it could serve vs. decks that are too fast for my Act of Treason / sac removal?

Yeah I agree, a sideboard spot is always good if you're not sure. Act of Treason is fast enough, but its 4-cmc variants might give you some trouble against really speedy decks.

Also, have you thought about Dark Prophecy ? The triple black casting cost is certainly scary... but damn if you can get that thing online it could kick some major ass. It would totally prevent you from running out of steam. And, if you have two Tymarets out, it would give you an excuse to repeatedly sac them to each other and keep recurring them, all the while drawing cards.

Maybe try running one or two and playtesting to see where it gets you?

Glad I helped! +1 from me

Sound's fun!!!

Hell yeah, if I can get some Blood Crypt to sub in for mountains, the Dark Prophecy would probably be worth running 1 or 2 of!

Hey man, sorry for the triple post, but I keep thinking of awesome ideas for your deck.

How about Xathrid Necromancer instead of Dragon Egg ? It replaces itself, just like the Egg, and the only downside is the tokens don't have flying. The upside? They're better in multiples; if you have two out and sac one, you get two zombies! They also work with Bogbrew Witch , if you ever want to sac her. But the best part? It works with Act of Treason , since there are SO many Human creatures in Standard! Imagine stealing someone's creature, attacking with it, saccing it, AND getting a zombie token as a prize. That is some major card advantage.

By the way I playtested your deck against mine, Standard-born Apostle, and you totally whipped me 2-1. I really like this deck; I may consider making a similar one.

why a full set of a legendary but only 3 Tenacious Dead ?

@yuval thanks for giving it a test! Dragon egg is pretty central to the flavor, and a 2/2 flying firebreather can hurt face really bad. A human-based version with Xathrid Necromancer would likely be crazy, though! Let me know if you create a variation so I can check it out!

@Bababad Mainly because he hits harder and is a sac outlet even when dead. The legendary rule doesn't bother this deck much since it's all about saccing dudes. I only need one Tenacious D in play because of his recursion.

yeah, you only need one tenacious dead....but you kinda NEED one to do things right...and with no card draw i feel like a 4x is necessary

/shrug

Whatever tickles your pickle :)

Hmmm you may be right, it just kind of bites drawing him later. I wouldn't want to remove a Tymaret for a skeletal dorkus. DEMONZ baby!

drop a sadistic child or screaming dryad?

you don't know how much I like theme decks, and for standard thats awesome, +1.

yeah, one screaming dryad axed. Should curve better now!

also you should add more of the witch so the neut gets its full effect more often

OK, committed witches up to 3. I think 4 would be too many, though.

I can't help but interject here; I think that Traitorous Instinct is crucial not only to your win-con but also as your primary form of removal. I disagree with some of the above comments and think you should bring them back up to 4x, at the expense of 1x Bogbrew Witch and 1x Bubbling Cauldron .

Of course, that's just my opinion. Also, here's my version of the deck with the Necromancer: Sac My Creatures, Sac Your Creatures

Cheers!

I made a forum post about this, but seriously. EVERY black deck I see have Desecration Demon in it. Are there any suitable replacements for these decks? I have almost all these cards, and the ones I am missing cost about 3 dollars. I'd rather not have to spend $21 on 4 freaking cards.

Well thats up to you :) But a 6/6 flyer for 4 mana is hard to argue against. And the sac ability can be used in many ways. And as you say, its in almost all black decks, so maby its worth the 21$ if you like to play black decks? :)

Uh. I can't justify supporting that kind of price gouging. I still gotta ask if there are any other alternatives.

LOL, I bought him when he was a bulk rare. Took people a while to realize he's broken.

Yep glad I got myself a couple of Double Dee before his price skyrocketed, what was he at like a buck? haha.

Yeah, he was a dollar rare believe it or not :D

So I'm guessing this card is the best card in all of M:tG.

No one can even conceive of a replacement card.

Woe unto all mortals when this card rotates out! For we shall be without our greatest weapon upon which all our hopes and dreams rest.