Help with a Mono Black Tendrils deck

[klu]

Darkblast and coffin purge are just bad cards for these type of decks since the combo is far more fast than any deck playing goblin welder (this guy is never a big probem) and same against stax. The fact is that it does not kill the only boringcrea that you could see on the table : meddling mage and true believer.
I don't know what are the card you wan't to remove with your coffin purge?

Why run kobolds where you could play shield sphere and phyrexian walker? the walls are really usefull against any kind of aggro-control decks, they are artefact for the blue part (if you run it).

Against meddling the best card you can find is Massacre, free cost and it cleans up your opponent board and you keep your little wall that will give you again some turns before going.

Defense grid, i don't like this card since you have nothing to play it on turn one (you do not run moxen). You will then have to play it on turn two which means a turn three kill. The best card is xantid because it has a lot of synergy with the other piece of the combo.

Why would you play Death Wish over Grim Tutor?

possibly because of budget concerns.

I think you must not think a list in budget terms. First, write it with the best components you can find, second adapt it to the card you'll be able to play. I think we cannot deck-build in suboptimal choices.
I agree you can play without moxen and lotus because they are expensive and hard to find for just a tournament ( even if it's possible, i played about 20 tournaments being full powered (nearly each power was different) where i don't have even a mana drain.)

[profoundd]

Why run kobolds where you could play shield sphere and phyrexian walker? the walls are really usefull against any kind of aggro-control decks, they are artefact for the blue part (if you run it).

We ran the kobolds for two reasons.
A) Style.
B) Can be imprinted on chrome mox. (It's happened a few times...)

Against meddling the best card you can find is Massacre, free cost and it cleans up your opponent board and you keep your little wall that will give you again some turns before going.

Agreed.

[Hillboy]

Just an idea, if you ran Phyrexian walkers and shield spheres or ornathopters you could splash in a little blue for retract or hurkls recall bring them back to your hand then play them again to up the storm count. Chromatic Sphere might be all the splash you need but I haven't tested it so I wouldn't know.

[thatguynextdoor]

Mono black seems a bit strange to me, but I'm going to post ideas under the assumption that you want the deck to stay mono black. Your draw obviously is just atrocious with the decklist you are running, and reading the posts was making me slam my head on the desk until I got 3/4 down the page when finally someone suggested SKULLCLAMP. The addition of Skullclamp will rock your world. There are still a few problems with the deck however, primarily Chalice...you have no answer to it (which is why I would have advocated for a Green splash but again I wont get into that). Your ONLY hope to deal with chalice is hope you are playing first and play some discard unfortunately =/. I cant think of much more to say except Chalice will rape you every time. I mean yes, in theory you could play Kobbys, have them countered and Tendrils a few times but..lets be realistic, its not going to work.

This leaves you 2 possibilities: Either an eventual splash to Green (Oxidize, even Xantid Swarm (works nice with Clamp) or if you insist on keeping it mono black, a secondary creature kill (ie Negator). I also am going to suggest Restless Dreams (not sure if it was suggested already-its a great card in this deck. Death wish should just be cut, its unnecessary, and for a deck like this you simply need to win as soon as possible, and this card does all but that. Its mana cost is also insanely high for a deck like this. In my opinion, Culling of the Weak should not even be played, again you are shying from the point of the deck...win as soon as possible. I would play 2 Cullings MAX. Hmm its rather early in the morning here so thats all I can think of right now, if I think of any other ideas Ill definitely drop by again

Best of luck,
Kyle

[Clay]

Here are some ideas that I've used.  I did very well in tourneys where about half the field was powered.  Not quite mono black, but pretty close.

Lotus Petal
4 Skullclamp
2 Phyrexian Walkers
2 Ornithopter
2 Claws of Gix
1 Sol Ring
1 Zuran Orb
2 Spellbook
Mana Vault
Grim Monolith
Mana Crypt

12 Kobolds

4 Dark Ritual
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Demomic Consultation
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Necropotence
3 Tendrils

2 Naturalize
1 Regrowth

4 Bayou (or other G/B land)
2 Gaea's Cradles
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Lake of the Dead
6 Swamps

Hmm...I'm missing two, can't remember them now.  Chrome Mox and Mox Diamond would work fine....And I know this looks like a pile, but it has very good synergy.  Claws of Gix lets you sac Walkers with Clamps on them, Necropotence, or any blocker, spellbook is good with Necro, etc...

Note on Chalice of the void-it sucks, but you can still beat it.  It counters the spell, but it still has been played, adding to the storm count.  If you have a spellbook, just sit until you've got enough to do, and try not to die in the meantime.  If they think they've got you, they're not as likely to be going for the kill, and think they have breathing room.  Or you'll have to use two Tendrils to kill them.  Tougher, but doable. 

As for sideboard, here are some that worked well for me.
Sword of Fire and Ice and Light/Shadow-Kobold beats is great...
Death Wish-you know someone is going to extract your Tendrils...
Gaea's Blessings (if Dragon is popular)

Anyways, hope this helps.