Black Devotion Standard Deck

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Ald3rp
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Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Ald3rp » 22 Oct 2013, 00:36

So before going to bed last night, I told Juliamon I was going to try to build a deck with devotion to black because it has a lot of devotion abilities that look pretty good.

I started off with the Abhorrent Overlord because of it’s harpy populating ability, but I faltered a bit because of it’s sac requirement at the beginning of my upkeep. But then Juliamon made some awesome revelations with Gary, Merchant of Asphodel and Rescue from the Underworld, and even more possibilities with black devotion. So I present this black deck with the help and wisdom from Juliamon:

-Land-
24 Swamp

-Creatures-
4 Baleful Eidolon
2 Tenacious Dead
2 Agent of the Fates
3 Keepsake Gorgon
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
3 Abhorrent Overlord
1 Erebos, God of the Dead
4 Mogis's Marauder

-Planeswalker-
1 Liliana of the Dark Realms

-Spells-
4 Rescue from the Underworld
3 Ordeal of Erebos
2 Doom Blade
3 Hero's Downfall

-Sideboard-
3 Disciple of Phenax
3 Pharika's Cure
3 Returned Phalanx
1 Ordeal of Erebos
1 Cutthroat Maneuver
1 Whip of Erebos
3 Viper's Kiss

With enough devotion to black on the field, if Gary is in the graveyard, send another Gary via Rescue from the Underworld to save Gary. So then, when both Garys come back to the battlefield upon the next upkeep phase, the life gained/lost doubles!
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ElFuzzy
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby ElFuzzy » 22 Oct 2013, 06:40

I re-stumbled upon desecration demon yesterday, that might be fun with 2 black for the devotion and it being a crazy card to boot.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Prospero101 » 22 Oct 2013, 06:44

Desecration Demon is buuuuuuuuuusted. He's a must for any black deck. Hell, I use him in my Modern Dimir cloning deck. Highly recommended.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Duckay » 22 Oct 2013, 14:11

I know it sounds silly, but Pack Rat can be a hilarious inclusion in a devotion deck. Just make sure you understand how the tokens work for devotion.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Prospero101 » 22 Oct 2013, 14:15

I actually got in a really heated argument with my roommate about how his Vraska-generated Assassin tokens didn't count toward his devotion to black...as if nine Harpies weren't enough. Freaking Commander, man.

ANYWAY. I agree that Pack Rat is hilarious. In every deck. Even if it isn't black.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Duckay » 22 Oct 2013, 14:19

For those who don't know, I made certain to know this one before I started playing my mono-black deck. Most tokens that are produced do not add to your devotion, because they do not have a coloured mana symbol on them. Pack Rat tokens do count towards your devotion, because they are a copy of Pack Rat and thus have copied its CMC, among other things.

706.2. When copying an object, the copy acquires the copiable values of the original object's characteristics and, for an object on the stack, choices made when casting or activating it (mode, targets, the value of X, whether it was kicked, how it will affect multiple targets, and so on). The "copiable values" are the values derived from the text printed on the object (that text being name, mana cost, color indicator, card type, subtype, supertype, rules text, power, toughness, and/or loyalty), as modified by other copy effects, by "as . . . enters the battlefield" and "as . . . is turned face up" abilities that set characteristics, and by abilities that caused the object to be face down. Other effects (including type-changing and text-changing effects), status, and counters are not copied.
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guidance
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby guidance » 22 Oct 2013, 16:04

Would tormented hero be good in the mono black deck? It's not a bad attacker, and gives you something to do turn 1 other than thoughtseize.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Prospero101 » 22 Oct 2013, 16:09

If you've got plenty of stuff to buff him, sure. That dude is just crying out for a nice pair of pants.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Matt0Wolfy0Hegi » 23 Oct 2013, 02:32

I have almost the same deck, only I put two Whips of Erebos in.
This means that I can whip a Gary back onto the battlefield, gaining his ability twice.

The way it usually works is that I summon Gary then, next turn, attack with him (for the two lifelink damage the whip gives him) and, if he dies, I Whip him back to the battlefield as a Blocker, getting his effect off twice.

I also run a couple of Balustrade Spy's or Returned Centaurs so that I can get their effect off twice too even if they are dead.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Duckay » 23 Oct 2013, 03:00

Matt0Wolfy0Hegi wrote:The way it usually works is that I summon Gary then, next turn, attack with him (for the two lifelink damage the whip gives him) and, if he dies, I Whip him back to the battlefield as a Blocker, getting his effect off twice.


For the record, you cannot Whip a creature back as a blocker. Not unless there's some other card interaction that allows you to do so. The Whip's ability can only be activated at sorcery speed, and because the Whip exiles at end of turn, the creature won't be around in your opponent's turn to block.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Volafortis » 23 Oct 2013, 12:38

Nightveil Specter works wonders at providing Devotion, and Nykthos is a really nice land to toss in here, and you can always use the mana to draw tons from Erebos.

Gary provides you with plenty of life to draw cards with, an if it's still a problem, the Whip can help a lot.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Ald3rp » 24 Oct 2013, 21:15

I totally forgot I had a Nykthos Shrine legendary land card, so I'm totally throwing that in among the lands!
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Ald3rp
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Ald3rp » 25 Oct 2013, 22:19

Welp, tonight's FNM Standard tourny was a bust and my black devotion deck didn't do so well. My record for tonight is 0 wins, 3 losses and 1 bye. My main issue was that my deck was slow to begin with, while everyone else was busting out creatures and target spells before I could get things out.

Back to the drawing board...
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Ald3rp
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Ald3rp » 30 Oct 2013, 14:33

Okay, so I played against my brother in-law and he suggested I throw in some Diabolic Tutors and more Tenacious Deads
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guidance
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby guidance » 30 Oct 2013, 15:15

Well if you want to keep the deck budget and go for the whole re-animator thing, having a few whips plus maybe the returned centaur to get things into your graveyard might help.

But if you want a winning mono-black deck and are willing to spend the money Desecration demons, and Nightviel specters are a must.
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Tangle Trail
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Tangle Trail » 14 Nov 2013, 22:52

Rakdos shred-freak and Rakdos Cackler can help a lot with early game damage. And pack rats are actually an amazing addition to mono-black devotion. I've won games running a similar deck and only hitting the rats and turning the cacklers and spare land into more rats.
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Re: Black Devotion Standard Deck

Postby Duckay » 14 Nov 2013, 23:04

I've found that I manage the board plenty in early game with Pack Rat and Mutavault, alongside a lot of removal. That being said, I run a very rare-heavy version of the deck (As seen here). That deck is by no means foolproof, and still needs some work, but it has performed very admirably in the past.

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