Well engineered plague would be a fine choice as it would help against other tribal decks that have been floating around. Maybe use it in a sped up version of the rock or possibly even napster?

Yeah I decide against the tinker deck.

lol trix? Deck like that is waaay to powerful, I want the matches to be slightly competitive.

Well we cant play direct hate spells. As Tivadar and his crusade are only effective against goblins he is out.

The limitations are simply dont play a broken combo deck and keep the brokeness to a respectable degree. I just want my deck to be able to do well against his deck without making it completely possible for him to defeat me. The only reason im considering balance is because it will wreck his torrent of goblins early on and still be effective against other decks.

Hell im open to any deck that can keep up with goblins. Maybe Oath? Counter Phoenix? I would even play Rebels if it had a chance.

Ok so here is the skinny, my casual playgroup requires that everybody have atleast two decks so we can keep games fun and exciting. The necrodeck you guys helped me make is working extremely well and is a blast to play, however as I mentioned I will soon have to build another deck to pilot. The current deck that has been dominating our little group is a casual goblin deck which tends to outrace most of the field. Im trying to put together a deck that can keep up with the goblin deck and win atleast fifty percent of the time while also doing well against a assortment of aggro decks "they are usually tribal inspired", and some random slow control decks.

The Goblin Deck looks something like this:

4x Raging Goblin
4x Mogg Fanatic
4x Goblin Patrol
4x Mogg Flunkies
4x Goblin Lackey
4x Goblin Matron
4x Goblin Piledriver
2x Goblin King

4x Lightning Bolt
4x Shock
4x Goblin Grenade

18x Mountain

Now although this deck is far from optimal when held up to legacy standards, it is still a formidable foe. I have heard that sliver decks can hold up fairly well against goblins but Im not really in the position to spend that money procuring that many dual lands. That being said I can probably spend around three hundred all together on the deck. Banned and Restricted wise we usually allow artifact mana acceleration, tutors, and other broken spells aslong as they arent used in a combo deck and dont make the decks themselves overbroken as we like to keep the matches close. I was thinking maybe doing a standard version of Angel Stompy with some minor tweaks as the deck in legacy apparently does decent against goblins.

4x Exalted Angel
4x Savannah Lions
4x Mother of Runes
4x Silver Knight
4x Soltari Priest
4x Swords to Plowshares
4x Balance "yes balance! If im about to get overrun with goblins then this will put a boot on their throats"
4x Umezawa's Jitte
2x Sword of Fire and Ice
2x Mask of Memory
4x Land Tax
3x Chrome Mox
4x Ancient Tomb
13x Plains

This is just a rough list though. Land Tax and Balance may be worth using in a completely diffirent mono white shell. However im open to any suggestions of picking a deck. In the end im just looking for something formidable and fun to play. Hell if Blue Skies were able to do well I would even play that.

Oh and we arent allowed to use direct hate cards like Tivadars Crusade. Stuff like engineered plague and powder keg are fine though.

Just a quick question...how do you think this build would fair against a well put together goblin deck? I assume well but that may just be arrogance talking.

Agreed on the spinning darkness, I got its effects and contaigons mixed up haha.

I wanted to include Hymn to Tourach but if you know from experience that its uneeded and more land is required then im happy to go that route.

So something like this then perhaps:

4x Necropotence
4x Deomonic Consultation
4x Dark Ritual
4x Duress
4x Unmask
4x Spinning Darkness
4x Soul Spike
4x Drain Life
4x Consume Spirit

20x Swamp
4x Cabal Coffers

Perhaps you are right about just going for free spell Necro. I dont really wanna use tendrils though as it takes the brokeness to a hideous level. How about this?

4x Necropotence
4x Demonic Consultation
4x Dark Ritual

4x Duress
4x Hymn To Torach
4x Unmask

4x Drain Life
4x Consume Spirit
4x Soul Spike
4x Contaigon

17x Swamp
3x Cabal Coffers

Do you think this work well enough, or do I need four more free spells?

Its been awhile since ive posted about this but here is the latest version:

4x Necropotence
4x Demonic Consultation
4x Dark Ritual
4x Duress
4x Hymn to Tourach
4x Sinkhole

4x Hypnotic Specter
4x Nantuko Shade
4x Drain Life

16x Swamp
4x Strip Mine
4x Lotus Petal

I never did end up liking free spell Necro. Their is a certain amount of sadistic pleasure in seeing your opponent get so disrupted they have no clue how they will be able to compete. So far its fairly effective unless so how they can manage to get a creature rush going early on. If you have any suggestions on how to tweak it im happy to hear them. Too bad Ishan Shades doesnt look like it would be effective.

I love the color blue, but ive been kind of bored with just a counterspell deck so ive wanted to spice it up. I wanna make the most annoying blue deck possible. so I thought to myself which blue type of card is most annoying....PHASING. Im trying to put together deck that utilizes phasing and mirage block cards "mirage block is always overlooked". I want it to be competive but it doesnt have have to use all mirage block. Something that can annoy but win consistently. no cluewhere to start though.

I know, im just playing classic because i like using those spikes so much.

Righto mates, well I need another deck to play with in addition to my necro "which works quite well". Being confronted with a generally speedy aggro metagame in my casual group, I was wondering maybe if good ole Oath of Druids might be a good idea? Nonbasic hate is essentially unknown so I figured a manabase more smooth than most could be used without fear. Here is the list:

4xTropical Island
4x Forbidden Orchard
4x City of Brass
4x Gemstone Mine
4x Mishras factory
4x Lotus Petal/Mox Diamond?

4x Oath of Druids
2x Gaea's Blessing
1x Morphling
1x Spike Weaver
1x Spike Feeder

4x Force of will
4x Counterspell
2x Misdirection

4x Brainstorm
4x Standstill
3x Windfall " Icould probably get away with one set of cheap broken draw cards
2x Sylvan Library
4x Powder Keg

Yes I know Darksteel is probably better than morphling but I prefer the classic version. My only worries is that the deck might be too slow without moxen or anything bur other than that I think it should do fine.

Ive decided to change things up a bit. I found a old Jamie Wakefield deck that looks more suitable for casual play. What do you think?

4x Living Death
4x Dark Ritual
2x Puppet Strings
2x Vampiric Tutor
4x Carrion Beetles
4x Bottle Gnomes
4x Phyrexian Ghoul
4x Mindless Automaton
4x Mind Maggots
4x Phyrexian Colossus
18x Swamp
2xPhyrexian Tower
4x Wasteland

The deck is quite fun to play actually, living death is one of those amazing cards that is effective but makes you smile when you play it. The deck does need some tweaking though, im pretty sure I could replace Collossus with spirit of the night or some other big creature and exchange the puppet strings for two new tutors. 'Bottle gnomes maybe replaced with Thrull Surgeons and I was thinking replace the wastelands "nonbasics are rare in my play group" with some fast mana.

Aha, I forget some of these creatures. Thanky you

Ok, while through my old cards to assemble my necro deck I stumbled upon recurring nightmare in all its glory. I need a second deck to play with "its in our rules so we dont get bored" so I decided on this one. However its been a long time since ive played the deck so im not really sure how to go about building i, so I was wondering if anyone could help me assemble a deck list. All sets up to mirrodin are allowed. In addition, lotus petal, mox diamond, grim monolith, mana vault, and other semi decent fast mana producers are allowed but only if they help to speed up the deck and arent used to power a combo.

Oh and nonbasic land hate is pretty much unknown in my play group so dual lands, and other multiicolored producing lands are safe so dont be afraid to suggest them to make a smooth manabase.

Alright so after some testing I realized that diabolic edicts are needed for quick creature kill so I added them. The only thing im not sure about is whether to cut hypnotic specters for unmasks or cut nantuko shades for tendrils of agony. I like tendrils alot but nantuko feels more permanent and has the bonus of being pumped up by lake of the dead.

yeah i was thinking unmasks for the sinkholes too. Im gonna test free spell and this one to see which one is more effective.

I like how free spell necro works, but would mine work?

Ok here is my updated list for Necropotence

4x Nantuko Shade
4x Hypnotic Specter
4x Necropotence
4x Demonic Consultation
4x Dark Ritual
4x Duress
4x Hymn to Tourach
4x Drain Life
4x Sinkhole
2x Yawgmoths will

4x Lotus Petal
3x Lake of the Dead
15x Swamp

The deck is now a bit more flexible in my opinion. It can win either by bashing your opponent with Shades/Specters or Drain Life-ing them into oblivion. The Drain Life can also be used for creature removal and can further feed the skulls hunger. Although it no longer has strip mine for disruption, the deck can use lake of the dead to fuel large Drain Lifes or steroid pump Nantuko Shade. So what do you guys think? Oh and is 15 swamps enough to make Lake of the dead effective?

The Tinker is pretty nice, Tolarians would get me shot shot though. Other than that I like it alot.

Lol Tolarian Academy would get me shot. This Necropotence deck is kinda pushing it. I figure I'll make some really good control blue deck but saddle it with some jank here and there for funs sake.

Yeah testing is probably the best method to tweak it to perfection. I'll probably make a mono blue deck, something sem janky with Arcane denials and diminishing returns to make up for this necro deck.

Hmmm im thinking maybe drop negator for nantuke shade "like a pump knight but superior". Maybe drop unmask for drain life and spector for powder kegs?

I like the idea of tendrils of agony but it seems kinda slow.....I wanna a Necro deck that hits hard and blisterinngly fast

Demonic Tutors are out of the question hence the consults.....mind twist I might be able to add "hmm so evil". What would it look like with full mind twists I wonder?

A couple of friends of mine have lured me back into playing magic recently. The format they play in is fairly relaxed, basically stuff lin vien of strip mines and lotus petals are allowed. At a loss on what to play, I decided on a classic deck that warms my heart-Mono Black Necropotence. Any suggestions on it are much appreciated. My budget is somewhat constrained though, any expensive cards in the list I already own from awhile ago so nothing over like 20 bucks.. Oh and Im not partial to the changed look of the newer magic sets so I'd like to keep all the cards from sets before then.

Mono Black Necropotence

4x Necropotence
4x Demonic Consultation
4x Dark Ritual
4x Duress
4x Hymn ro Tourach
4x Unmask
4x Sinkhole
2x Yawgmoths will

4x Phyrexian Negator
4x Hypnotic Spector

14x Swamp
4x Strip Mine
4x Lotus Petal

I'll pretty much be playing against some mono blue control, goblins, and some random creature based decks. My concern is whether or not I should toss the unmasks for eiither powder kegs or Diabolic Edicts. Or maybe toss the nNgators for Drain Life. What do you guys think?

Oh if you guys any ideas for other decks I can play please do suggest them. Survival based decks were always fun.....maybe tinker too.

4x Hypnotic specter
4x Phyrexian negator
4x duress
4x hymn to tourach
4x unmask
3x sinkhole
4x dark ritual
3x necropotence
4x demonic consultation
2x powder keg
1x demonic tutor
1x yawgmoths will

15xswamp
4x wasteland
3x lotus petal

I think its pretty solid. Im not quite sure about unmask but cabal therapy seems to be kinda hit and miss. There might be a better replacement for lotus petal but it looks good too.

Yeah I know necro is broken but aslong as they die with creature or covential means it doesnt matter. No ungodly fast combo deck certaintly. The new 1.5 is pretty close, cept I can use necro and consults. Im just wondering what A modern mono black necro deck would be with all of these new sets.

Well normally usually I wouldnt need help but the area im playing in is weird, they allow some restricted cards to be played but not others. Basically they dont mind lotus petal, mox diamond, chrome mox etc. Just not the power 9 or obviously broken combo cards. Since I like black I figure I would make a black deck. Im kinda undecided between nether void or necro. I can make nether easy but For some reason necropotence looks attractive. problem is im not sure which modern cards would go in it. any ideas?