i absolutely love how over-the-top expensive this deck is lmao. have you considered a couple foil Cabal Stronghold to ramp into something like a Griselbrand?

spicechicken

First off, thanks for the upvote! I really appreciate it.

While I absolutely love our new modern Cabal Coffers, I really think it just wastes away it's life on the board. I've been playing Mono-black for years now, and I have always found that when you play Liliana of the Veil, pretty much anything you play above 4 cmc looks like discard fodder because that's what will sit in your hand when you get there. Gary is an exception because he just wins games by getting played.

Also, with the amount of black mana symbol requirements this deck has, it becomes difficult to put in cards like Stronghold because I never want it in my hand until at least turn 3-4; and by that point I just want gas, not more swamps.

There also comes a point where we can just cast all our spells we draw anyway, and by that point, ramping to absurd amounts doesn't change much of anything. However, the card could be sweet in something like Death Cloud. I'll be sure to add it to the primer.

that's actually really cool! i never even thought about Death Cloud but yeah that ramp would be insane. I just have a foil Cabal Stronghold and a couple Dread Shades and am trying to build my own modern mono black deck. I really appreciate this primer for something to work towards.

Love the theme here, awesome description, but

If satan played magic the gathering... it would be lantern control.

This has been greatest and most helpful primer I have ever seen for an mtg deck. I was always interested in building mono black in modern but had no idea where to start. Thank You so much

tallen5825

Thanks for your praise, good luck on your list!

Hi- There are a few cards that deserve honourable mentions from my testing. I've got this big list of cards I've tested and made work, but a lot of it is pure jank. Mono black deckbuilder's toolbox The ones below deserve specific mention.

Plunge into Darkness. It pseudo tutors, its a sac outlet, it hates on burn. Its ability to look for a sideboard card is both understated and very strong.

Imp's Mischief is a meta call, but in some metas is devastating. Used to be run a lot to redirect splinter twin, will likely see play when something similar reapears.

Blade of the Bloodchief is a big payoff card for mono-black vampire tribal, as sitting lower to the ground and spamming creatures/removal makes lashwrithe and this a lot stronger.

Oona's Blackguard and Earwig Squad have in the past worked well in bitterblossom lists.

Everlasting Torment is also has a playable if not amazing -1/-1 counter list including Geralf's Messenger Crumbling Ashes and Necroskitter with Black Sun's Zenith.

Dark Prophecy is worth mentioning in that it is unplayable. You have to say it or people will try. Unless its a key combo peice in a Zulaport Cutthroat list, don't bother. Jam a Phyrexian Arena or heck, Underworld Connections instead.

Defense Grid, Storage Matrix and Culling Scales deserve mention as artifacts. They aren't in favour at the moment, but have in the past been devastating tools. Sun Droplet is often a better Dragon's Claw, or in a degenerate meta, copies 5-8.

Soul Spike is a powerful wincon when you can draw your library, which is tricky in mono black, but very possible with Grim Haruspex lists. The lifegain can also offset lifeloss a lot of repeatable 'draw your library' cards often incur.

Gonti's Machinations is a 1 mana lightning helix with suspend which bypasses leyline.

Great Primer, I love it!

One quick question:

Why is Defense Grid under 3 drops?

Divest and Kitesail Freebooter both see modern play, yet neither seem to be on this primer, would you say they do not belong here?

SynergyBuild

Grid was mistakenly put there.

I don't think Divest is good at all for modern, as we have access to Inquisition of Kozilek, Thoughtseize, and Duress, all of which are far better mainboard or sideboard.

I think Kitesail Freebooter is a fine 2-drop, and very similar to Brain Maggot, I'd say if you are going to play it in mono-black, I'd play two copies of it at most.

It is only that Despise was mentioned. I thought Divest was better.

Hey this is a very helpful Mono-Black resource, thank you for putting it together Sargeras. Under Budget & Non-Budget Example Decks the link to "mono black control" isn't working. I've been playing a budget 8-Rack Black Control deck called Card Funeral and you are welcome to feature it in your list if you'd like to. Also I love the large artworks that you used with each topic!

Panharmonicon would like a home in this :o

ChubyCryBaby

It's already in the 4-drop list friend

Cut two Obliterators for the fourth copy of Geralf's Messenger and Gray Merchant of Asphodel.

Nightwing690 reasoning?

Why the fetches? Although you have a good matchup vs. aggro, the minimal filtering effect they provide doesn't seem worth the life loss.

ThoAlmighty

The fetches are played for card filtering, it is very common to flood out in this deck, especially with 24 basics, and since they were added, they have been really useful. In all honesty, the life loss has not been an issue for me really. Usually losses with this deck are because our opponent got a combo kill, or played a karn on turn 3, and generally not because we payed one life to thin our deck.

I'd advise taking a look at this article. It's a bit old but the math still stands. You seem to have a pretty set sideboard but replacing some of the fetches with shocks to splash stuff like Blood Moon could be strong. It'd reduce the efficacy of the Merchant but nets surprise free wins against Tron and such.

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/print.asp?ID=3096

ThoAlmighty

Ironically, blood moon doesn't do that much more against Tron then Damping Sphere does in my experience playing this deck. Because 99% of the time, they will blow it up with Oblivion Stone anyways if they draw it (I get nature's claim and sylvan scrying), but this deck generally doesn't pressure the opponent for setting up. but in all honesty Stony Silence and other white cards are what would give you a real edge in my opinion.

In either case, I'm not too concerned with tron, since aggro and combo make up a lot of my meta so tron players generally don't do too well.

If I may.... I've been toying with a rakdos deck. Either devotion or"control" if your having trouble with against tron, scape shift ect. I know it seems really all in to do this but isn't that the point of a sideboard. 4 surgical extractions. Thoughtseize+surgerical. You you'll take 4, but you kit a karn or emrakul. 4 life to get rid of that problem seems like a trade off beyond belief lol. Or run surgical extraction.4 mana can't be countered name a card... good bye lol

Typo.... second surgical exstraction is actually slaughter games

Phyrexian Obliterator would be nice to have

Have you tried Josu Vess, Lich Knight ? If so, how'd it work out for you?

GHoag

Josu Vess, Lich Knight could be fun in a casual build. I would not play it otherwise.