I understand the desire to include things like Sorin for flavor, but don't you think high costed cards slow you down a bit much? Really think you could do with some instant removal, bare minimum 4 Fatal Push.

I understand this is meant to be flavorful and fun in lieu of being competitive, and short of outright going Rakdos or Mardu you hit the nail on the head. There are things you can do to make it run smoother though like trimming your mana curve or including answers to common threats. (I realize much of your deck is 2 mana but Highborn does tend to get pricey in aristocrats-style vamps).

Just some blood for thought. Good luck mate.

YamishiTheWickedOne: Would you recommend trimming it to two Highborns? I see where you are coming form Sorin, and I am seriously considering taking him out.

Regarding replacements for these cards, you recommend Fatal Push (or maybe Tragic Slip?). I think this might be an excellent idea ... but can see myself only adding three of them to the mainboard (maybe taking out one of the Gatekeepers?). This is because this deck is ridiculous at creature removal. Between the Mutilates, Damnation, and the engine of Bloodghast + Grave Pact , it literally kills. But ... this unstoppable engine at creature removal takes a mild bit of set up (very mild: mana is never an issue, as there's a subtle black mana ramp present that's very effective), and the Pushes will be a good bridge till the set up is complete.

What are your thoughts? If I do this, this will be the biggest update to this deck in years (kind of exciting).

I think your boardwipes should probably stay, as should highborn as she's vital to the engine. You have the right idea with Lacerator as he's a quick poke for fast damage. You're set up to flawlessly abuse Vampire Nocturnus or if you go mana-light, Dark Confidant, or the budget version Asylum Visitor.

I just think you need quick and dirty removal to keep fast decks from just murdering you as you're setting up.

Note to viewers:

The description is pending an update from the last mainboard/sideboard update.

I think a lot of the 4+ mana cards even with their synergy here are a bit heavy. Granted you're not Rakdos or Orzov so you have ramp, but successful Aristocrats-style vamps tend to usually go really cheap on mana to move fast.

^exception being I'd keep some boardwipes in if nothing else, those help you so much being able to reset an unfavorable situation and drain some blood too.

Really awesome deck. I liked it a little more before the last update. I've never really liked Fatal Push and have always been a Sorin fan. My feelings are hurt! Not really though, probably a good move but I'm a flavor player and liked it a little more before. Just 2 cents. This is the better way though.

Sorin is easily my favorite character. I'd honestly put him over Venser or Gideon in terms of sheer badassery. Thing is he does very little to help this deck. Sorin's a control card, belongs in Dimir to compliment a horde of Jaces. Now if you ever tried Orzov or Mardu, the BW Sorins might be worth a one-of slot for buffs and tokes, both really do help you.

Spark Harvest would be cool replacing 1-2 Hero's Downfall s as it helps with the sacrifice theme (with Blood Artist , Bloodghast , and such). The big downside is that it's sorcery speed, but two mana is a huge jump.

Not bad, I have played competitive with vamps for some time. I would also suggest chucking those Hero's Downfall for Spark Harvest , or even pony up for some Dismember or The Elderspell if you could get 2 more Sorin on SB. Another issue is low tough wipes, life correction, and every tempo control deck could just crush this out into some nasty by mid-game. Its fast, and fun to play for sure, but maybe SB a playset of Vampire Nocturnus for some added ump and evasion for your wee bros, a lot of defang decks would otherwise make them useless aside from activated abilities. Thoughtseize might save you from this.....occasionally. Maybe sideboard some more hand control for early control, or SB Bolas's Citadel which allows land top deck prevention and 1/2 drop flow for mid-range ramp. You could pay 6 life and play 3-4 cards per turn if your correcting with Lifegain otherwise. Solid tempo aggro deck my man, good flow.

Or, for simplicity's sake, Fatal Push is a really good modern kill spell in general. I feel like Dismember is best in green or blue decks that lack options for creature hate otherwise, myself.

Wolfpig suggested a few things I need to get my undead hands on too. The Elderspell looks like sideboard gold. I mean two of the best planeswalkers in Modern are Liliana variants, one is borderline on par with Jace. Having one in play for a 2 mana "kill however many enemy walkers you want to go pure plus" isn't that bad at all.

Thanks much for the suggestions, YamishiTheWickedOne, Wolfpig, and PhoenixNest! Yeah, it's not the most powerful Modern deck, in the like … 3 times I've used this at a Modern event … but it definitely gets better and better whenever I cycle my baby. It's out of the meta (I think?) and people haven't expected it, and lost quite quickly. Particularly against Death's Shadow opponents.

Really like that Spark Harvest idea, and immediately booting Hero's Downfall for it. Let the playtesting commence. I was already planning on the The Elderspell SB, which has almost retroactively been added to my SB for every deck running black haha.

I'll give Bolas's Citadel and Vampire Nocturnus some more thought, too.

Citadel can lag on bad land decking, otherwise its fun to trigger its tap ability when it goes well. Idk you may have to fuddle with it extensively. Nocturnus has won me so many games I can't even count, He is the aggro beast. and pulls immediate removal. He wont help you much though against Death's Shadow Grix.

What would help you against that is some Surgical Extraction for breaking down their deck/hand vitals ASAP. Snapcaster/Thoughtseize/DeathsShadow/ and even pulling a sneaky grab on their extractions, which they will undoubtedly SB into R2-R3 if they have them. It sucks to have to spend/trade 200$+ more to compete with Meta garbage, only to nudge slowly closer to being it in the end. Good luck.

Wolfpig is on the money with Surgical Extraction . One of the best Sideboard cards ever made imo.

Hello!. This deck is dope. I do have a question about the mana base. I get why most decks would use the fetchlands you chose but why use them in a mono black deck? Could you not just use cards like Evolving Wilds ? Seems cheaper and you don't loose the one life. I see that the deck synergizes off you gaining life but not off you loosing life really right?

Hi Tejas! The fetchlands are critically important to the efficiency of this deck. The MVP is Bloodghast . With the fetchlands, I have the ability to bring all the Bloodghasts back twice within a single turn.

Evolving Wilds slows this deck considerably. And since this is a death and taxes style deck, losing 1 life for the fetchlands is a price not even worth noting.

However, if you're considered about budget, you may consider Fabled Passage or Evolving Wilds . I understand; as this deck sits now, it's way over my budget. But as I described in my description, I've been building and improving this deck since day 1, since it has evolved from my very first deck ever. All the high-cost cards have been slowly (excruciatingly) accumulated over the years.