This deck (formerly known as Cao Cao, Lord of Discard) is an homage to my buddy's Type 1 60-card discard deck from back in the '90s.
While that deck was trying to win with discard pain: Megrim, The Rack, etc. - I care more about just forcing card advantage, and then controlling from there.
Waste Not really makes the deck hum. It and Geth's Grimoire power up all the discard in the deck. While The Haunt of Hightower's ability will give you a big scary beater if folks are discarding cards.
And with all the discard, and removal, this deck packs, there should be plenty of creatures in your opponents' graveyards. Let’s take them! Animate Dead, Sepulchral Primordial, etc.
And if your undead beaters didn’t do the trick, use your big mana generators Cabal Coffers,Crypt Ghast, Bubbling Muck, etc. to cast a gigantic Exsanguinate or Torment of Hailfire.
You can see the deck in action at The Uncommons in NYC here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-07/hasbro-s-free-magic-the-gathering-arena-official-launch-is-2019
Enjoy!
Record: 14-23, 38% win percentage
September 2021 Deck Changes
Out:
Dark Ritual - Just not impactful enough in EDH
Royal Assassin - a throwback pet card, but black has so much removal it is just outclassed
Murderous Rider - see above, so much removal at my disposal already
Hellish Rebuke - Never got to cast it. But an easy card to cut as it isn't on theme or clearly impactful
In:
Awaken the Erstwhile - Generally I avoid the 'each player discards' cards in this deck as I love card advantage. But dropping this at the right time - with my commander out, or Geth's Grimoire, or Waste Not - could just win me the game with the boost I get from it. Let's see how bad the zombie crackback is though...
Ghouls' Night Out - Really excited about this. Sepulchral Primordial-lite on a 5 cmc spell.
K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth - Deck is all black, so why not. Could lead to some explosive turns
Blood Pact - Can't have too much card advantage
October 2021 Deck Changes
In
Rise of the Dark Realms - This deck often jumps out to a lead but doesn't have a ton of ways to seal the deal. With all of the discard, there should be plenty of treats in everyone's yards. And I can make mana in bunches with Cabal Coffers, etc. so the 9 cmc doesn't dissuade me. Plus this is just mono black staple fun.
Out:
Awaken the Erstwhile - was a question mark above and rise needed a spot
Bojuka Bog - As my reanimator package ticks up in size and quality, I'm realizing I almost never want to get rid of an opponent's yard - and bog is not a 'may'. Switched it out for a swamp.
November 2021 Deck Changes
In:
Big Game Hunter - joins bone shredder, shriekmaw, and chupacapbra as efficient, re-animatable single target removal on legs.
Fell Stinger - see above - now have re-animatable card advantage with a sac outlet attached.
Myojin of Night's Reach - now this is a mean card that instantly makes the game archenemy. and it is a high cmc. but if it resolves - I should have a good shot of winning the game
Out:
Succumb to Temptation - hate cutting card advantage, but this is the least efficient of it
Blood Pact - hate cutting card advantage, but this is the least efficient of it
Erebos, God of the Dead - generally a great mono black staple - but isn't synergistic with the deck and doesn't win me games
December 2021 Deck Changes
In:
Hagra Mauling
- replace a swamp with this, almost all upside
February 2022 Deck Changes
In
Virus Beetle - now my 4th version of this effect
Soul Shatter - think this card is great actually. black's grasp of fate.
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire - not convinced this card synergizes with the deck well. but cracked one so ill try it. pulling a swamp
Blood Pact - felt light on draw. this is basically a tie with succumb to temptation
Out
Herald of Anguish - unlike my other big mana discard bombs - this guy isn't guaranteed to 'do his thing'. in theory i cast him, he gets killed, never triggers the discard. not worth it for 7 cmc
Myojin of Night's Reach - cutting from the top here - my clunky expensive cards
Bad Deal - see above
May 2022 Deck Changes
In
Imp's Mischief - unique low cmc effect in black
Out
Blood Pact - right on the bubble but cuttable
June 2022 Deck Changes
In
Snuff Out - free spell. hard to beat.
Out
Dread Presence - 4 mana, have to wait a turn for impact. can get removed, wrathed, whatever. or i could not draw a land.
July 2022 Deck Changes
In
Curtains' Call - increasingly i'm thinking of targeted removal that hits multiple things as card advantage. i.e. vandalblast, heliods intervention, soul shatter. with this + snuff out + soul shatter as recent adds, i have a ton of targeted creature removal in this deck, for better or for worse. the fact that my main playgroup is 5 person pod also helps this card.
Pelakka Predation
- this is a bad mdfc. but! it is synergistic with the deck. so why not, considering its also a land. pull a swamp for it.
Out
Swiftfoot Boots - the haunt is really a red herring tbh. and he's 6 mana. so am i going to play this and wait until i have 7 mana to cast him so i can equip it? no. at least greaves is more generally useful than this
November 2022 Deck Changes
In
Hostile Negotiations - black fact or fiction - one of my fave cards. and i have a ton of reanimation in this deck to take advantage of the two piles.
Geier Reach Sanitarium - totally whiffed on this synergistic piece for a while now
Plus another swamp - adding a land to each of my decks this month to increase land count
Out
Big Game Hunter - wondering if creature based removal even makes sense in this deck
Crux of Fate - non optimized 4th board wipe can go
Pelakka Predation
- not worth the tapped aspect
January 2023 Deck Changes
In
Dark Ritual - previously cut, but the deck has felt really sluggish lately. think its worth the card disadvantage
Out
Bone Shredder - changing my thinking around body-based removal in this deck. think i really want to be reanimating my opponents stuff ideally. and instead have instant speed spell removal
February 2023 Deck Changes
In
War Room - unclear how i missed adding this card. i love it. in my other mono color decks.
Out
Swamp
May 2023 Deck Changes
In
Nezumi Informant - yet another copy of burglar rat
Breach the Multiverse - absolutely nasty with my commander out. and if not- another sepulchral primordial
Out
Shriekmaw - souring on sorcery speed removal on bodies in this deck
Ravenous Chupacabra - ""
September 2023 Deck Changes
In
The Irencrag - love me untapped 2 cmc rocks
Hopeless Nightmare - similar to vicious rumors
Out
Curtains' Call - good but not great
Hostile Negotiations - 4 cmc is tough
January 2024 Deck Changes
In
Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal
- think this is an upgrade over haunt. 1 cmc cheaper, comes out a turn earlier. more discard. maybe blockers. maybe card draw. pretty rare i swap out a commander
Swiftfoot Boots - may as well protect this guy and give him haste
Out
The Haunt of Hightower - served the deck well for 3 years
Plaguecrafter - the second text is a trap - doesnt really synergize as its so rare folks have zero card
January 2024 Deck Changes Part II
In
Infernal Grasp - realizing I've cut a ton of spot removal in here - just a no frills efficient kill something here
Awaken the Erstwhile - this card is looking like an 'i win the game' if my new commander is out. cast it. likely make a few bat blockers. swing. draw 3 cards. and in general - should have more bat blockers on the board to deal with the zombie crackback. waste not and geth's grimoire are fine to cast this into as well. as well as just a commanding board state - cast this and run to the win. its just fun too
Out
K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth - not synergistic and people attack into this deck a lot so i dont have a ton of life to play with
The Eldest Reborn - does everything i want, but slowly, and for a lot of mana
April 2024 Deck Changes
In
Skullclamp - perfect fit with the bat. also have nezumi shortfang style guys that want to be clamped
Out
Snuff Out - color restrictions not great
May 2024 Deck Changes
In
Hostile Investigator - theres not a ton that triggers off discard - so even though a clue is underwhelming, think its worth it
Tinybones Joins Up - goes into on the bubble with my other 1 cmc non creature discard things
Delirium Skeins - think this functions like awkwen the erstwhile where if i cast it with my commander down i can recoup the card advantage and potentially win
Megrim - going to try to win in a more on theme manner vs. the mono black staples. think these are among the 3 best. and nostalgic!
Liliana's Caress - ""
Plus two swamps
Out
Witch's Cottage - do not like this land, get a basic swamp in here to power my big mana synergies
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire - ""
Infernal Grasp - vanilla cuttable removal
Ghouls' Night Out - like this card but 5 cmc and cant block
Necromancy - like this reanimation but deck is getting tight
Gray Merchant of Asphodel - mono black win con - cutting to try to win in different ways
Exsanguinate - ""
June 2024 Deck Changes
In
Fell the Profane
- better hagra mauling
Quest for the Nihil Stone - i think i want this? 0 cards in hand is a tall order but i can probably do it
Shrieking Affliction - What I thought the rack was
Out
Swamp
Phyrexian Arena - too slow these days
Sepulchral Primordial - love the card but expensive and deck is getting tight
August 2024 Deck Changes
In
Diresight - upgraded read the bones! even better here with my reanimation theme
Bandit's Talent - does everything i want to do
Blood Pact - Generally my thought is - go higher on little draw spells in all my decks. And cut the on the bubble stuff. Then I get to my good stuff more AND run out of gas less and the deck runs smoother
Out
Hopeless Nightmare - souring on these non-creature single discards
Tinybones Joins Up - ""
Vicious Rumors - ""
October 2024 Deck Changes
In
Lavaspur Boots - the bat really wants to swing the turn it comes down
Let's Play a Game - second copy of unnerve
Mikokoro, Center of the Sea - new grouphug everyone draws if peoples hands go empty
Howling Mine - ""
Withering Torment - upgrade to feed the swarm!
Out
Feed the Swarm - like the new instant version
Awaken the Erstwhile - think id rather not discard my hand and my playgroup will kill me with the zombies
Delirium Skeins - ""
Fell Stinger - quality card but cuttable in this deck not a ton of synergy
Swamp
October 2024 Deck Changes Part II
In
Hellish Rebuke - instant speed surprise no mercy - cqst it before combat for protection. realizing i am arch enemy in this deck so need more removal/protection
Curtains' Call - acts similar to a soul shatter - similar reason to above
Out
Hostile Investigator - just not impactful enough for the mana investment. the clue mana investment sucks
Necropotence - this deck cannot handle this much life loss and cannot win fast enough to take advantage of the power card. paints a big target on me
