I think you need to keep Blood Scrivener and Gary both in the main. Scrivener gives you your only form of reach for games that go 5 turns or more, Gary is also another form of reach, but can close out a game in short order. Child of Night is another card that gives you some reach (lifelink), although that is preference between the Rakdos Shred-Freak . Just adding a few cards like this turns a deck that is only dangerous to turn 5 into a deck that can slug it out all the way to late game if needed, or can get so far ahead from lifegain and card draw in the early to mid game they just scoop. If you don't win early, you can still win the war of attrition as you have 30 creatures and they only have 9 removal spells.

I would actually drop 2 enchants and an Ultimate Price to fit in Gary. Enchantments are just a nasty way to get a two for one special and you don't want to rely on them too much. They just take away efficiency, which your deck is all about.

Herald of Torment is a bad dude, but I think Lifebane Zombie fits the spot better. At the very least, you get to look at their hand and decide your next line of play which is huge.

Anyway, I totally dig the deck. Great idea and very fresh from what I normally see so you get a +1 from me. Keep playing it I am totally rooting for you and if you do some FNM post the results!

FelixMourne

After this weekend, i'll consider some of these changes if they would have helped. I'm taking this deck to a 5k this weekend, so there'll be 10 rounds of results to go over. ;D

But to get back to the bulk of your post, I feel like if I made your changes, I would be moving away from the Suicide Black archetype, and just move into Black Devotion Aggro package. For this deck, I just don't care. Don't care what the opponent is doing, don't care if I have to mulligan to 5, don't care if I'm playing Esper control or RDW, I just care about winning the game. If I make the changes that you have suggested, it would mean that the deck cares, and it doesn't.

Of your changes, the only one that I am considering pre-tourny is adding Lifebane Zombie , though alongside the Herald. Possibly in the side. There are very few, but some, games where I wish that I had another big card, but then I draw Mogis's Marauder . So I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Thanks for the comment though, I do appreciate that people seem to dig this deck. You should definitely test your own version and let me know how it does!

ThatBlueMage

Rock that flavor man, not a single f*** was given this day.

I might build it and give it a try if you don't mind. I priced it out on SCG and it cost a whole whopping $29.87 lol. Good luck at the 5k, try to keep a round by round detail so we can see the matchups, your sideboard plans, etc. I find that I learn a lot about how a deck runs when I keep some notes on previous games and look back, it might help you as well.

You gotta pay the troll toll if you wanna get into that boysoul!

+1 for Always Sunny haha

That's what I planned on doing. I intend on having a ton of time between rounds, so I'll probably be able to write a card-for-card review for most games.

Also, if you don't already have like, every card in this deck, just buy on TCGPlayer. It's only like $10 with shipping. lol

Actually a pretty cool black aggro list. The only thing I was a bit confused on was how to turn three win, although turn four and five is very well possible!

Went 3-3 Drop at the 5k tonight. I wanted to play Modern, otherwise I would have stuck it out.

I lost rounds 2, 4, and 5, and Rounds 2 and 5 were due to my drawing terribly. Round four was lost to mono green 2 drops (Burning trees for days into things like Brushstrider and Witchstalker ), and he just played better than I did.

I changed up the list yet again, and I will note those changes here tomorrow.

I like the new updates to the deck. Upped the creature count to 30, which is great. Those enchants were really explosive, but unreliable. And you put in sources for reach as well as lifegain and card advantage. I was considering Xathrid Necromancer in the version I put together as well, but I ended up going with Gary with Xathrid in the side. Still digging the deck, I love efficient budget brews so let us know how it does at events!

I dig your deck, sir. Gets a hearty +1 from me. One idea, though- never refuse a good Cryptborn Horror , especially if it's the same turn you Gray Merchant of Asphodel them for 10 life.

Thanks guys, really appreciate it.

TheNinjaJesus

I've tried out the horror in other decks, and he was always just a win-more card. If I was at the point that he would be a 10/10, they were probably dying soon anyway, and aside from those cases, he's usually just a 3/3 for 3. I could test with some in there though, see how it goes.

I had a Cryptborn Horror flip exactly one game for me. But it was positively epic and glorious.

He was Orzhov, at 63 life, and I was at 19. A Blood Baron of Vizkopa on the table, Havoc Festival on the table on my side. I draw, lose half my life, and he's thinking he has the win in the bag since his Blood Baron just launched to 10/10. I had the Horror in my hand already. I leave all my lands untapped, and motion to him for his turn to start. He draws, I say, "oh, wait a second..." tap a forest...

Savage Summoning .

His grin is still ear to ear. A chump-blocker, surely, to prevent the Blood Baron from doing lethal (which I already had on the battlefield. His miscalculation). He then calculates his loss of life. Rounded up. 27 life lost.

28/28 Cryptborn Horror WITH TRAMPLE!

He swings madly with the Blood Baron. I chump-block. Next turn, I'm down to 5 life. His grin resumes. It was close, but he managed to eke it out. He was at 2 life after I had sent over everything I could. He gets ready to untap. I have 3 mana left. I say, "Wait a second..."

Predator's Rapport ! Gain 56 life! Your Blood Baron's a 4/4.

He seemed so crest-fallen.

I've always loved Horror, as a creature subtype. That game reminded me why.

New discovery!

Child of Night is strictly better than Rakdos Shred-Freak . Who knew?

Dropping a human and cutting some synergy with Xathrid Necromancer is totally made up for in the fact that I can stabilize myself with the extra life to be able to afford more Pain Seer and Herald of Torment triggers. Thanks FelixMourne for the idea.

TheNinjaJesus That's an awesome story. Really cool that Jund Jank pulled it off that hard.

(I would also like to point out that I realize that this deck isn't exactly traditional Suicide Black anymore, however, I am keeping the hub because I'd like to see the archetype becoming a thing again, instead of just being called "Mono black aggro")

ThatBlueMage

Do you ever find you run out of gas if Pain Seer doesn't hit the field? That is what kept happening to me with the version I put together so I put Dark Prophecy in as a two of. The deck runs 30+ creatures so it is a sure fire way to draw cards, but I also run Gary in the main so that devotion is a total bomb. It also gives you some resilience to a board wipe as you will suddenly have a fist full of cards after they kill your 5 creatures. I also put in Whip of Erebos as a two so I don't have to rely on Child of Night for lifegain, give devotion for Gary, and mid to late game whip backs to keep up the pressure.

Also, multiple Pain Seer s without a source of high lifegain killed me a few times in short order so I tossed some Devour Flesh in there if I need to kill off one of my own dudes and still gain some life out of the deal. It's also the only method the deck has for killing Blood Baron of Vizkopa who will crushes the deck upon resolution.

I won't be that guy to post my version of the deck here, but if you do want to take a look at it check out my profile. You might get some good ideas, and you might give me some good ideas!

Hey guys, I got 1st at FNM with this jank tonight. Just thought you ought to know.

Felix, No, I don't have that problem. It could just be that I draw really well, but I often don't even need pain seer to keep things going. And the Child of night is fine for lifegain alongside Gift. I've also found that Devour flesh is pretty bad because I don't want them gaining any life. I just out-race a blood baron should one hit. I'll check out your build later on.

TheNinjaJesus you cant gain life with Havoc Festival out you should have lost.

maybe add in Thrill-Kill Assassin over Child of Night ?
Unlike Child of Night , it lives through Shock , can't be blocked by Sylvan Caryatid and other 3+ toughness creatures, and it's a human to trigger Xathrid Necromancer .

However, you lose the lifelink, which may hurt you.

Frayace

I think those two cards mentioned are a matter of preference. The buddy that made this deck with me runs Thrill kill over Child because he's bigger on the necromancer plan. It's definitely an option, but not my preference.

I have made a modification to this list, and am now running it as BR Humans. Basically it capitalizes on Xathrid Necromancer , and includes red cards such as Spike Jester , Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch , and Lightning Strike .

I'm running it at SCG Milwaukee this weekend, and I will report back with how it did.

Why take out Cackler against UWx variants? Cards the nuts. The only time I ever think about maybe taking out the Cack is against MonoU devotion on the draw.

It's kind of habit from back when this was more enchantment based. I think you're right, especially with the synergy of turn 4 cackler + marauder. Just swap out all instances of cackler in sideboard plans with tormented hero.