60 maindeck cards + 15 Sideboard

i played a shop aggro list with chalices and crucible, i would cut chalice and add in sphere of resistance for sure.

 perhaps cut the crucibles for jet, and factory number 4.

actually everyone that used to come down from Michigan has decided that the plan is to say we're coming down for this, but instead do something else.

But seriously, we need to start coming back to Ohio, these Hero Zone tournaments are a freekin blast!

Oh is that why treasure trove is so good?

I would turn good spells into hymn to tourach ALL DAY.

I would not switch Mana Leak to Daze, unless you do add 4 stifle. Dark confidant is better than Cutpurse because you can get him out earlier.

Maybe you could try to start with an SS shell, with both confidant and cutpurse, then splash some white for jotun grunt aand what not.

On Repealing chalice, X in a casting cost is zero anywhere but the stack. so in play it costs zero, and if you attempted to repeal it your repeal would be countered.

@credmond: I have played void and I do think it is a good idea. Ill probably test one later on. I don't like bitterblossom, I did test a lsit when the card first came out, but it didn't work the way I wanted it to. I personally like shade, because it makes drawing into mana sources not as bad. I know if you draw your mana you can play any other top deck,  but rituals become useless in the late game. Shade at least makes it a giant growth. Chains is definitely a good side board option.

@ nantuko: stax has been a hard matchup for a long time. This is mainly due to the lack of black artifact hate, obviously. You could go red or green for artifact hate. There are definitely a lot of paths this deck can take, just like other decks of this nature(TMWA?).  Hope your testing goes well.

I've never had a problem with 4 edicts, but your results may differ. Also, I've never played more than 7 discard effects, but there is certainly room for testing, because the new metagame might call for more.

ALso, feel free to call the deck whatever you want. My first deck was very similar to this, and it was introduced to me as Mono Black Control. Therefore, I call decks of this nature MBC.

I did consider Leyline main, but I decided that you would not want to draw into those cards. Wretch handles yawg will, and the deck can eek out game ones against Ichorid. Also, you should be able to win games 2 and 3, if you want to side in 4 leylines and 3 jailer, which is my current plan if i was going to play in an unknown field.

I dont think I would play the spite, and the 8th duress effect could be amazing. Honestly, I've never played more than 7, but the deck should be tested.

Also, I forgot to mention Oona's Prowler as a possible creature.

Well I always have my Mono-Black cards around because I love the deck more than any other deck I've ever played. I don't usually play it in tournaments, because it is not tier one, but when my friends who play casual (but follow the Vintage restricted list) want to sling some cardboard, you can be sure I sleeve up this rad deck.

Well here is a list I wrote about five minutes ago, so unfortunately I have not tested yet. However, I will provide some of my reasonings for the included cards.

MBC

11 Swamp
1 Urborg, tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
4 Mishra's Factory
1 Mox Jet
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
4 Dark Ritual

4 Hypnotic Specter
4 Dark Confidant
3 Withered Wretch
4 Nantuko Shade

4 Duress
3 Thoughtseize
4 Diabolic Edict
3 Null Rod
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Consultation

CARD CHOICES:
Strip/Waste: Mana denial will be stronger because gushing in response or brainstorming into lands will be gone.
Ritual: Leads to insane first turns
Withered Wretch: Ichorid will be popular, and he gives a maindeck answer, this guy is also good against yawgmoth's will based wins.
Nantuko Shade: Good beater, Cheaper than Negator, and can hit for more than Negator. Helps Rituals in the late game by changing them to Giant Growths.
Null Rod: Stops Moxes, Sensei's Divining Top, and other unfriendly artifacts.
Edict: I expect aggro to be a huge matchup, workshops, dawn of the dead, etc.

Possible Inclusions (SB and MD)
Negator: I've stated my reasons for running shade over negator.
Fullminator Mage: Decent ability, but null rods and strip/wastes cover this job.
Engineered Plague(SB): If goblins gets big certain measures are required to take care of those guys.
Leyline: self explanatory
Thorn of Amethyst: Good against combo, like belcher, which will most likely see play for a while.
Jailer: ichorid
Dystopia: discussions on oath are already taking place.
Powder Keg?: we need something for the shops.

So, what do you guys think.

Flash is restricted YES!
Gush is restricted THAT WORKS TOO!
Scroll is restricted ALRIGHTY THEN.
Bainstorm is restricted ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Ponder is restricted WTF!!!

I brainstormed twice only seeing one of the same card, and saw 3cc cards in each brainstorm. Oh well, thats what I get for mulling...

Yeah we tested lots against flash. I was the only who couldn't draw lands. I never kerpt a 7 all day. Ask twaun, he knows about the luck.

I'm very interested in this deck. It looks pretty fun. Just wondering if there is anything to add after the impressive finish at myriad games? Or an opinion on StarOrc's suggestion of black?

Guy, the list also plays three Drains and a mana denial plan. 

This is the list I played recently.

4 Oath
4 Orchard
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Brainstorm
2 Intuition
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
3 Duress
2 Pact of Negation
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Life from the Loam
2 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Krosan Reclamation
2 Platinum Angel
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
2 Island
5 Fetchlands
1 Black Lotus
5 Moxes

I played almost all the cards you mentioned in your post.  What hitman meant about having control a turn earlier is that Pact of Negation is online before you've actually Oathed.  You can still play it before you Oath since you resolve the Oath trigger first.   Misdirection is good at getting an Oath to stick but if you're playing an Oath, Pact is stronger because it can actually counter something besides another counter.  He was just saying there's advantages to playing other versions of Oath besides Tyrant.  He wasn't saying one was better than the other.

the guy from michigan in the last picture is adam muns.

I wish I could grow a beard...


  I know

Believe me Nat, we really enjoy coming out for the fantastic events at the gamer's lounge. I would advise anyone within the area to come on out and get you some vintage. The players are friendly and skilled to boot!

Mike Smar told me I had to post a tournament report due to my top 8 match against Trogdon, so I'll put a mini-report here.

First, I would like to apologize to anyone who's name I've forgotten, it was a long day, mainly because I was very tired.

Round 1 [name?] playing Belcher
Game 1- I win the roll, and have an opener with first turn scroll for F.O.W., with another blue card and Echoing Truth in hand. The game is over when he blows his first hand on empty for ten, that meet the truth.
Game 2- He plays and after a long fame he eventually sticks a welder to weld in his countered Belcher.
Game 3- Duresses and counters rip apart his game plan, and my growing dryad puts him in his place.

Round 2 Mike Smar playing Stax
Game 1- My draw is a slow one, when I realize he is playing Stax I comment on my hand being awful for this match. He welder beats me to twelve and smokestacks any land I had, which were tapped with wires anyways. Welder beats me to 12 and I concede for the sake of time.
Game 2- I may have resolved a ponder. maybe. I don't want to talk about it.

Round 3 [name?] with Ichorid
Game 1- I do basically nothing, and he stomps on me. However, I talk about having leylines in the side, even though I don't. Jedi mind trick FTW.
Game 2-He is unprepared for my jailer, but he plays it out, I'm guessing to make sure I wouldn't attack into an arbor. I did attack into an arbor but with the goyf I had resolved later. Boo yah forest dryads!
Game 3- I keep a controling hand and first turn tutor for jailer. The game is slow, I've countered a contagion, but i'm taking narco damage. The game goes to time so we've got 5 turns. I do some math in my head, and DT for tarmo, who will win it if he doesn't have another contagion. He doesn't so I win in turns.

Round 4 [name?] with GAT
Game 1- I have more maindeck threats, after a clear battlefield most game, tarmogoyf comes in swinging hard.
Game 2- We stalemate, trading good cards and counter, he digs and digs and resolve 'tog.  I have out tarmo and semi large dryad. I lucksack the second Tarmogoyf and am able to attack with a blocker, winning me the game.

Round 5- Jerry Yang with Guile.dec
Jerry does awesome math, and we ID into the top 8. I have time to enjoy a wonderful ice tea. Hooray fpr nourishment!

Top 8 Mark Trogdon with Workshop Aggro
Game 1- I mull, I first turn lotus + sea into Dryad and DT for Recall and pass. He plays SOFI and passes. I recall and start beats. From then on I counter any of his creature attempst, and win off my Dryad.
Game 2[ GAME OF THE DAY!]  I'm on the draw. My opening 7 is Lotus, Emerald, Dryad, Will, Brainstorm, Gush, and Merchant Scroll. I keep. Trogdon opens up with Mishra's Factory into Sol Ring and passes the turn. I topdeck Ancestral Recall. Mike Smar behind me calls out a Sports Center Update(tm). I play lotus and Recall into Fastbond, Gush, and 3rd card that I don't really remember. I play Mox Emerald and Dryad, and then Brainstorm. Brainstorm hits Trop, Fetch, and Time walk which I put back, but ended up tutor ing for it later. I play Trop and then fastbond into a delta and fetch for a Sea. Gushing and Scrolling for Gushes ensues. All 4 gushes are cast, and then I will. More gushes are cast, as is a Time Walk and Scroll for Cunning Wish. The walk turn entails Wishing for Berserk and swinging for 32 damage.

Top 4 split $86 a person
It was a good day.

Props
Gush<3
'goyf for being really good in the mirror
Mike smar for encouraging me to play GAT and basically calling game 2 against Trogdon.
trogdon for being a good sport
and Paul Kim for driving and also making top 8. Michigan REPRESENT
Jerr Yang and Nam for singing Trogdon the burninator

Slops
Mike Smar for being my match loss
Bad Beats in poker the night before.

Well I just tested against GAT and Long, and I don't think you need the angel. Colossus just finished the game, and if my clock was slowed by getting an angel they could've regained control. Long and GAT have enough draw and tutor to get a bounce soell in 4 turns. I won most the games, and the games I lost were so close. These were some of the best games I've played in a long while. At any rate colossus is good, especially when he is under all the protection this deck has to offer.

You control the early game enough to where the tinker plan is usually a safe option anyways. Against a lot of decks packing leylines you want to win fast anyway because those decks will kill you fast if they are going to win. Even though you are restricted to the tinker plan or hard casting your big guys[ask lennon marx it happens quite often] it is often how you win games anyway. I casted darksteel twice tonight. One time without academy.Sure thirst loses a little value under leyline but hey you can't have it all.

On another note I'm not saying welders aren't good in fact they are amazing, I did use them tonight and their worth is obvious. That guy will win you games, but he is not necisarilly needed to win all games. Anyways you have enough tutor or draw to get your 1Echoing truth if you need to.   

I agree with hitman about the 4 Underground Seas. In the testing I have done with this build of slaver, it usually isn't dissapointing to see multiple seas. It has allowed me to play Duress,  and then play DT, yawg will, etc. with out worries of opposing counterspells, thus putting me in the perfect position to win the game. Of course most of my testing was on MWS, so it is hard to gauge the playskill of the opposing player. Also, I haven't been dissapointed with colossus or fire/ice. They are both so good against goblins. You almost always have at least a second turn tinker, and grabbing colossus before they have a chance to set up an amazing board, well I think it speaks for itself. Fire /Ice is also good in that matchup, and as already stated helps other matches by killing welders, confidants, and other pesky creatures.

I was running a  deck for a long time. My latest list ran Enlightened Tutor and a tool box for it. I added in more moxen,1 engineered explosives, 1 jitte, 2 seal of cleansing, and crucible, which you already run.

jitte maindeck helps to speed up your clock when you lucksack into it(not always the best tutor target against say, storm combo), and make game 1 against aggro much better for you. My creature removal package always cosisted of 4 stp, 3-4 edicts, 1 ee and 1 jitte. It tends to be enough. but there was a time where I also ran 2 darkblast. Also EE gives you a maindeck answer to ETW tokens. Something which you don't really have an answer for.

I was trying to find room for sensei's divining top because it has synergy with bob, and it freeking stacks your deck! but my other slots just seemed more important.

seals maindeck really help you deal with stax's pesky lock peices, at least until you can drop a kataki.  also oath finds it hard to win when you kill their oaths.however, i have won a game against oath where there were three oaths out. I had waste +crucible, and recurring darkblast ensured no forbidden orchard shenanigans. Mishra's factories won the game for me.

Enlightened tutor helps you grab rule of law against tendrils base decks.

ET was always really good to me, however our metas are a little different so I don't completely know if it is the right call for you.

Also, I had always ran 4 duress and 3 hymn to tourach. going first turn d. rit--> duress + hymn to tourach is hard for any deck to come back from. well maybe not madness.....

I hope I have helped with your deck.

Also have any of you tested green? I've been satisfied in my testing with the addition of gaddock teeg and tarmogoyf.

The only time i can remember my mana base sucking out was in the top 8. Game 3 aginst Trogdon was really bad for me. The list still needed testing. I mean it got me a top 8, and a flooded strand, but i was looking for some cash that day.

Also I believe hitman's new list will be stronger anyways.

It was a good tourney, even though I didn't top 4 ( ) and an awesome store. I hope to make it down for another.

My mini report just incase someone wants to know:


Round 1:Mike Smar with Empty Gifts.
Game 1 i kept a shaky hand, and his tinker->colossus finished it. Game 2 I have a good spot until he pithing needles my welder and finishes the game with tinker -> colossus

0-1, 0-2

Round 2: Justin Dewey Affinity

He was a really cool guy and after we mildly converse we take off.However, in a very unfortunate event i do not remember most details. He will probably have a good recolection as he was taking notes. but i win games 1 and 3, he wins 2 due to 3 ravagers on table.

1-1, 2-3

Round 3:Nat Moes Moxie fish
Also a really cool guy, and I don't remember the details. I know juggs brought home a game for me, but he was able to win in three.

1-2, 3-5

Round 4: Kyle Frank U/G fish
MY friend, who quit magic right after the tournament[needed money, so he wanted to sell his cards] I beat him in 2. He really couldn't get a good threat out, nor could he counter things...(8 spheres!!) i just beat for both wins.

2-2, 5-5

Round 5: Paul Kim Control Slaver.
I get paired down and have to verse my friend paul. Paul concedes to me because I have the better record and i get sent in to the top 8.

Top 8
I'm playing Trogdon. Game 1 I crush him(thanks magus of the moon!!). However game 2, I can't stick a decent permanent due to Multiple forces and dains. His manlands do their jobs.
Game 3 Mr. Trogdonsmacks me around as I procede to draw blanks. I end the game with 4 Magus of the Moon in hand, and a workshop, b. ring, and 2sphere on the board. i didn't mind losing to Trogdon as he is a good player and a really nice guy.

I ended up leaving with a signed Flooded Strand for a prize, which is alright by me.

After testing this deck alongside ss, this is the weaker choice. I'm going to stick to ss and forget about this. but it is still open for discussion if anyone feels the need.

alright that sounds good.

yeah I was thinking
-2 Juzam

+1 Negator
+1 chain of vapor or something


I think confidant is a great card. but is he better for this deck than the cutpurse? because then i would run
4 bob
4 negator

for my creatures..

So I finally decided to play a decent deck. My friend and I wrote a list for SS that was adapted for my local metagame, don't get me wrong it is a good list. I just wanted to try to have multiple lists so they don't know what to side for. Anyways I started with SS and combined it with Sui because Sui has bigger threats. This is just off the top of my head, but I'll do some testing. Here are the results, please give suggestions.

THE SUI SOLUTION

MANA
4 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
4 Underground Sea
2 Watery Grave
3 Swamp
2 Island
1 Black Lotus
5 Moxen
1 Lotus Petal
4 Dark Ritual

CREATURES
3 Dimir Cutpurse
3 Phyrexian Negator
2 Juzam Djinn

DISRUPTION
4 Force of Will
4 Duress
4 Mana Leak
3 Hymn to Tourach
1 Echoing Truth

DRAW
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Brainstorm

TUTOR
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor

LEFTOVERS
1 Time Walk

SB IDEAS:
-Leyline of the Void/Singularity
-Smother
-Threads of Disloyalty
-Engineered Plague

ideas??


Card Choices:
Cutpurse-I like the card personally but if there is a better option for this slot let me know.

negator/djinn- big threats just owning and giving this deck a good clock... hopefully

mana leak-i like the card, and it is not as bad as a lot of people have told me it was

If your curious about any of the other cards just ask.

If I play this in a tournament, I'll post results and also I'll put in some testing.