I like Venser's Journal in just about any deck with draw power. It's amazing in my Zegana EDH and I'm considering adding one to my Sydri deck. The spellbook effect is alright but it's that in conjunction with the free repeated life gain that makes it really good. Staple? Probably not.

I am not saying that there is no deck that could ever use venser's journal, I am simply saying that it is not a staple.

I'm not sure I understand how venser's journal and necropotence are better than reliquery tower, library of leng, or spellbook? Every black deck I have has necro in it, and every deck I have (well almost every) has reliquery tower. Some of my decks have library, none have spell book.

I get the repeated life gain is 'useful', the question is it worth 5 mana? I have friends with Zegana, and she is a beast, but I don't think any of them play the journal, they just occasionally discard. One had a reasonable amount of recursion, and flashback cards to benefit from the discard.

I am also not sure if you are drawing that many cards, why ivory tower, which could help early game get a lead, isn't better?

Most of my decks use the graveyard as a resource, so maybe that is why I don't like 5 mana costed library of lengs.

There is so much search for lands, and so much land recursion, that reliquery tower is generally all I really need for that ability.

But the question in this forum is not whether a card is 'good' or 'awesome in this deck', or 'really underpowered and over costed', it is whether or not it is a STAPLE, and in my book an artifact/land that is a staple in a format, means pretty much every deck should be looking at it and considering whether they should play it. And Journal is clearly NOT at that level. Playable? absolutly. Staple? not likely.

Not to mention both spell book and library are trinket mageable.

Oh, and Trinket Mage should definetly be on the list, unless this is a list of only expensive staples, and the other one is for cheaper staples.

Please add Sultai Charm to the List. Very good All-Star removal, that can be cycled if not needed.

Is it possible to resort this into their respective colours? I feel that would be more useful for comparing them to your own cards and so on.

If you click the outer rings of the color pie below, it will highlight the cards of that color in the list above

Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond should be included in any EDH deck running Black. The combo goes infinite to defeat any number of opponents and either piece is solid gold on its own.

Monastery Mentor is absolutely insane in EDH, if left alone will create a large amount of prowess monks which can do serious damage to a defenseless player.

Opening the discussion for BFZ inductees here. I'm trying to decide if Scatter to the Winds and Ruinous Path are good enough . . . but they seem to be mostly role players. Awaken in general doesn't awe me as an EDH player.

Newlamog however seems to be an auto-include in many decks (Animar in particular).

Serra Ascendant!

Serra Ascendant!

(Pssst, just so you know. There's an edit button at the top of your newly ridden comment! :) )

Scion of the Ur-Dragon! It's my favorite commander that I've used, one hits anyone in my dragon commander deck! :) He is also one of the few 5 colored commanders

I'm voting Kaervek the Merciless as a power card. Having him out with some form of protection can seriously control the board for a good length of time. Not to mention he can inadvertently kill an opponent in a round by the number of spells cast. He makes opponents think twice before doing anything, "Who he gonna kill next?"

Grim Haruspex is a Dark Prophecy with a body, deserves a shoutout. Chainer Dementia master is great aswell.

Jolrael, Empress of Beasts;Phyrexian Processor;Windfall...

Is Blazing Archon any good?

Not sure if they have been mentioned yet, but Buried Alive and Victimize should be auto-includes in most Black decks.

gamble

Hello my friend, your list will no longer be updated ?

eyes2sky. lookit

needs moar frontline medic

To add: Declaration of Naught. Voltron commanders stay in command zone. If they are running combo, name one of the pieces. It comes down early and slows the opponent down. You could also just name Sol Ring if you are in multiplayer.

Pillowfort decks also like this + Nevermore. Really locks an opponents commander to command zone.

Well, I guess you can remove Prophet of Kruphix seeing how it is banned now and all. Still a good card but you can also do the same thing with both Seedborn Muse and Yeva, Nature's Herald do p.much the same thing, if a bit more green heavy.

Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir with Seedborn Muse in play is even more oppressive than a Prophet of Kruphix.