Description is work in progress!
This deck looks to control the boardstate with fat 4 mana 6/6 creatures and life gain combined with cheap instant speed removal.
Erebos easily gets to 5 devotion with creatures such as desecration demon, lifebane zombie, gray merchant, and nightveil specter! This means not only does he stop you from allowing the opponent gain life from alms beast and devour flesh, but he will most likely aid in beating down as a 5/7 creature! Not to mention paying 2 life for a card is a nice option to have.
Whip of Erebos allows us to get the ghost council out of the graveyard and back into our field AND gives every single creature we control lifelink! Desecration demon into this is HUGE.
Including the sideboard, this deck can peer into an enemy's hand over and over and remove the toughest pieces, while maintaining reasonable board presence. Lifebane Zombie is a 3/1 intimidate for 3CMC that lets you see the enemy's hand and EXILE ANY green or white creature spell. Sin Collector smashes down on instants and sorceries, and duress hits everythig but creatures and lands! Knowing what you're up against and pulling out some key threats may hold the key to victory.
Nightviel Specter is a strange card. Anyone playing mono white or black spells or a mirroring deck has a distinct disadvantage when you play this card. Not only does it give a whooping 3 devotion to black, it is a flying 2/3 which can stop aggro if need be AND if you start swinging with it, you can cast enemy cards! This means if you pick up a land from their deck, its now yours to play. You can cast an enemy elspeth, sun's champion if you have the mana! Maybe steal away a Heliod?! Maybe it ramps you a land? Who knows?
Blood Baron of vizkopa is a removal player's nightmare. He HAS to mizzium this or sweep this to be card effective. a 4/4 pro B/W with lifelink is pretty fair for 5 mana. Add on a situation win condition and I'm in.
If the board ever stalls too long you have a chance to topdeck the gray merchant. With only a whip and a desecration demon, you can drain an enemy 6 life and gain the same! so for 5 mana you deal 6 damage and get a 2/4 body that gives devotion itself! Guess what happens if the enemy blocks him when you swing? He dies. Duh, right? Good thing that whip will allow you to cast him again for a measily 4 mana, draining another 6 life! Jokes on you for blocking!
The mainboard is designed to have a chance against both control and aggro. The sideboard sees the enemy's deck and allows you to fine-tune yours to fit your needs. The enemy is running american control? Side in Sin collectors, glares, and duress. Tell their assemble the legions and angels of serenity goodbye along with their sphinx's revs! The enemy plays aggro? Soldier of the pantheon is amazing against G/W and B/G aggro, allowing you to feel safer earlier. High priest of penance allows you to 2-for-1 poorly executed attacks or simply stall against more capable foes. No one wants to get blocked by him and pay the fee. glare may be good against some aggro decks as well if they run white (boros or selesnya).
Playtesting:
I have playtested several other decks including the superheroes deck and 1 million turn deck on the 'top decks' page. I have a 3-2 record vs the aggro (60%) and a 3-2 vs the american deck (60%). I did not sideboard either deck. Just kind of toying around and checking the chinks in my armour and finding ways to improve.
*I've made significant changes and the old records are nearly void. New tests with the current [Sept. 28, 2013] deck has me at 4-1 (80%) against the superhero deck. No play vs the American control has been done since the changes.
I'll try to find the time to explain each card in a nice formatted style if this deck gets more views/ a higher score.
WHAT CHANGES CAN YOU THINK OF?
Notes*
Thoughtsieze is amazing! If I had the extra cash I'd main 3 of those instead of the underworld connections and a devour flesh. Unfortunately that isn't the case...
