MP - B/R Living Death

[Mikeymike]

Need help with this deck, its actually more of a combo deck than the typical Living Death deck.

The idea is to get 3+ Champions into the Graveyard and then Death/Defile them all into play in 1 fell swoop.

Creatures 19
4 Laquata's Champion
4 Mesmeric Fiend
3 Bone Shredder
3 Krovikan Horror
3 Balthor the Defiled
2 Sadistic Hypnotist

Spells 15
4 Buried Alive
4 Duress
3 Living Death
2 Eradicate
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor

Mana 26
1 Strip Mine
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Jet
4 Badlands
4 Tainted Peaks
3 Cabal Coffers (16 swamps)
12 Swamp

Thoughts?

 

[train]

Why the lone strip mine?

Why not Dark rituals or Cabal Rituals...

Also, Longhorn Firebeasts could also be thrown in the graveyard in case you have Champions in your hand...

That's what usually happened during my games... to put them into the graveyard I would use any manner to discard them - such as mindslicer...

 

[Mikeymike]

1 Strip Mine b/c its restricted in Type 1. Even though its casual, its best to stick to the DCI B&R list.

I had Dark Rituals in here initially, but I replace them with Coffers. I like the Speed of the Rituals better, but over a longer game (which many MP matches are) the permanence of the Coffers will prove to be better.

Longhorn Firebeast is a pretty good idea, but in MP people will be fine with its 3/2 body. I like it for 1 on 1, but it doesn't have enough punch for MP.

---------
Like the idiot that I am, I just realized I took EVERY red card out of the deck already before I posted it.

So Cut
4 Badlands
4 Tainted Peaks

+4 Swamps
+2 Volrath's Stronghold
+2 Phyrexian Tower

 

[train]

That'll work - the reason I mentioned the firebeasts was because of the badlands...

What about Oath of Ghouls...

 

[Mikeymike]

Oath of Ghouls, my sweet baby. I love Oath of Ghouls, love it - but I don't think I need it in here for a few reasons: I don't necessarily need to pull my critters out of the GY since I'll be Deathing, I don't want to give my opponents an oppotunity to use it, and I've got Volrath's Stronghold doing the same thing. That said, its really good with Buried Alive and Bone Shredders.

Should I bother with the Mesmeric Fiends? I like them, but with my sackable creatures and the Living Death, I just don't see them living long enough to be super effective. If I remove them I can put in Eater of the Dead and something else, like maybe Highway Robbers or Sengir Autocrat.

 

[train]

You could stay with 2 casting cost - Crypt keeper - and since this is type 1 - this bad boy could stop them from re-growthing or going perpetual...

 

[Mikeymike]

Haha, perfect! - especially since he's cheap and works perfectly with Living Death. Thanks Train.

 

[train]

Glad the Express could deliver...

Thanks for the input on my OBC...

 

[NorrYtt]

I use Thrull Surgeon in lieu of your MesFiends. There is also this fat beefy thing called Phyrexian Plaguelord who totally owns the red zone.

I say drop the Sadistic Hypnotists and play a couple Plaguelords. You can then throw your whole team in the graveyard at instant speed. You can sac MesFiends to a Plaguelord to permanently remove a card and you might try Faceless Butchers and as well. You can Butcher your own creature, then Living Death and you get your creature back.

 

[Mikeymike]

Phyrexian Plaguelord, why is it so easy for me to forget about this guy? I have 4 of him and everytime I pass him in my 'keeper' binder I tell myself I need to get him in a deck. Thanks NorrYtt for the smack in the back of my head.

I like him better than the Krovikan Horror in here. He might be 1 more and not have the 'come back to hand' ability, but I do like his extra beef - and his creature removal is just downright better.

The reason I can't remove the Hypnotist is that Weds. night it did exactly what it was supposed to do twice in 5 games - remove my opponents hand (and counters) so I can cast Living Death for the win. You can't use him as an instant, which is poor, but his hand destruction ability is just so important. Its also another way for me to get rid of Arts and enchantments, something this deck had a tough time with.

2 things this deck is short on: Lifegain and card-drawing. And since the best black card draw costs life, it puts me in a fun spot. I suppose I can manage without either, the deck can win (and did) without Buried Alive and I've got enough LD effects that I can live without the card draw, but I should probably squeeze in 1 Zuran Orb somewhere.

Train, your Crypt Creepers were a wrecking ball. They worked beautifully, thanks again.

 

[Spiderman]

For my card drawing problems in my black deck, I went back to good 'ol Jayemdae Tome... Costs a fair amount but you gotta do whatcha gotta do.

 

[NorrYtt]

Bottle Gnomes for life gain and Mindless Automaton for card drawing and Living Death synergy.

 

[train]

Maybe taking out the hypnotists and putting in bottle gnomes and 1 Necro/Bargain - The Grandmommas of all card card drawing.

Wastelands - they're not restricted are they?

 

[Mikeymike]

Here is the current build

Creatures 19
4 Laquata's Champion
4 Crypt Creeper
3 Bone Shredder
3 Balthor the Defiled
2 Sadistic Hypnotist
2 Phyrexian Plaguelord
1 Avatar of Woe

Spells 15
4 Buried Alive
4 Duress
3 Living Death
2 Eradicate
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor

Mana 26
1 Strip Mine
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Jet
1 Black Lotus
2 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Phyrexian Tower
3 Cabal Coffers
16 Swamp

The Tome is actually pretty good in here being that I'm usually not tying up my mana, but the Mindless Automaton is probably better in that its another creature AND it finally gives me a way to discard. Its not as efficient, but it is more versatile. I like the Bottle Gnomes too, I'm just not sure if they are doing quite enough.

What to take out? I don't really need the Avatar of Woe in here, its just so good and it allows me to kill black creatures - but I can probably do without it. Eradicate is also tough for me to remove, its really strong in this deck and even better in MP. Beyond that, I'm worried that I'm getting a little too light on creature kill. Maybe 1 more Bone Shredder for 1 more Automaton?

Regarding Wastelands, yes I could use them. Cutting 1 Coffers for now, maybe try to find room for 1 more Wasteland down the road.

Thanks guys!