Suicide Black Primer (Part 1 of 2)

THE DEFINITIVE SUICIDE BLACK PRIMER


By Edward “Legend” Paltzik

------------------------------------------------------------

   TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Part I: What is Suicide Black?

Part II: Why Suicide Black?

Part III: Examining Suicide Black’s Options

A. The Disruption

1. Primary Disruption

2. Secondary Disruption

B. The Creatures

1. Which Creatures To Play

2. Which Creatures Not To Play

C. Restricted Cards

D. The Mana

E. The Sideboard

Part IV: Building Suicide Black – The Optimal Suicide Deck

Part V: Playing Suicide Black

A. The Archetypes You Will Need to Beat & How to Play Against Them

Part VI: Brief Conclusion

------------------------------------------------------------

Part I: What is Suicide Black?

SUICIDE BLACK:

   An aggressive mono-black archetype based on the strategy of combining crippling hand/land disruption and menacing creatures deployed within the first few turns in an effort to overwhelm your opponent before they can establish any sort of stable position or set up their particular strategy. The moniker of “Suicide Black” refers to the tendency of this archetype to feature powerful, efficient creatures that have “suicidal” drawbacks, such as Flesh Reaver and Phyrexian Negator.

   Suicide Black decks seek to deliver a series of crushing blows to the enemy’s primary resources - his hand and mana -right from the start of the game. If this assault is successful, the opponent will be unable to carry out his own plans, or will be significantly impaired in his ability to do so. More importantly, he will be at a loss to fight back against assorted creature threats such as Nantuko Shade and Hypnotic Specter, a scenario that will often result in the game coming to an end within five or six turns.

   I believe that this is the most effective aggressive strategy available in Type I. Suicide Black decks are best known for their proficiency against the blue-based control decks – Keeper and Accelerated Blue in particular. Additionally, a well-built Suicide Black deck should be quite strong against aggressive strategies after sideboarding, as these decks can succumb to Suicide’s superior creatures and disruption once some removal has been brought in to supplement the effort. The obvious drawback of playing this deck is that it is very much geared towards scoring a knockout punch in the early game. If the opponent survives this initial blast of disruption and creatures, the Suicide Black player may have missed his opportunity, especially against control decks.

   Indeed, this is a very single-minded strategy - Suicide Black's reliance on hitting your opponent very early and very hard with a blitz of disruption and creatures can limit its options later in the game. However, Suicide Black operates based on what I like to refer to as a branch concept: by dealing with the roots of the opponent’s deck (cards and mana) you will head off many dangerous contingencies because the opponent will not be able to use his resources properly. Your opponent may have the potential to use his dangerous cards against you, but it is nothing but potential if these options are taken away from him in a sudden and violent fashion. Playing Suicide Black is all about proactively reducing your opponent’s options.

   Making sure the opponent is buried brutally and quickly should be the driving goal of the Suicide player. The longer the game continues, the more likely it is that the Suicide deck has failed in its mission. However, this is not a rule, as Suicide Black has recently regained at least a small measure of its staying power that was lost with the restriction of the powerhouse Necropotence. This is thanks to the Torment expansion set and a certain unbelievably powerful creature that came with this set, a topic that I will examine later on.

----------------------------------------------------------

Part II: Why Suicide Black?

   Why Play Suicide Black? The best reason to play Suicide Black is its effectiveness against the most prevalent decktypes of Type I, the ubiquitous blue-based control decks that will invariably be a major factor at any high-level Type I tournament. In order to succeed at high-level Type I tournament play, you must be able to beat the blue-based control decks at a no worse than 50% clip, no matter what strategy you are considering. The most common high-level control strategy, and arguably the strongest, is the Keeper archetype. This multicolor control deck can strangle most other decktypes with its combination of countermagic, broken restricted cards, cheap removal, global board control, and the ultimate finisher, Morphling. But, you, the Suicide Black player, are uniquely equipped to deal with this menace.

   Keeper decks have only one weakness, but it is rather gaping - the manabase. The Keeper manabase is designed to hold a four or five color strategy together, and consequently it is susceptible to early game mana disruption, an attack that Suicide Black can provide. Furthermore, Suicide Black’s hand-disruption element can relieve the Keeper player of their dangerous restricted cards and removal spells in order to clear the way for a bone-crushing creature assault, something that other aggressive decks are not able to do. This combination of intense land destruction and stifling hand disruption is what separates Suicide Black from the other aggressive strategies of Type I.

   Suicide Black puts Keeper on a very quick clock - a Phyrexian Negator on the board demands of the Keeper player that he find an answer within four turns - a task that will be made all the more difficult by the disruption that you will be showering the opponent with. Suicide Black is one of the few decks that can reliably be called upon to produce favorable percentages against the Keeper archetype.

   Accelerated Blue, the mono-blue menace that rose to prominence in the summer of 2001 in the form of Legend Blue and its variants, has been weakened considerably by the restriction of Fact or Fiction as of January 2002. However, Accelerated Blue remains as the second most popular control strategy behind Keeper (largely because of its ability to beat Keeper), and you will often have to contend with it. The manabase is far more stable than that of Keeper’s, but its removal options are also considerably less potent.

   Suicide Black decks will typically have an excellent chance of burying the Accelerated Blue player before he can set up and begin paving the way for the inevitable Morphling arrival. Accelerated Blue can produce similarly dominant results as Keeper, even in its weakened state, and remains a potent deck. Suicide Black stands out as one of the few decks than can consistently beat this powerful archetype.

   Suicide Black’s effectiveness against the blue-based control strategies should be reason enough to play it. Why? Simply because Type I has always revolved around, and will continue to revolve around the blue-based control decks. It is these decks that define the format because they have the highest concentration of broken cards, in addition to the all-powerful game mechanic of countering. Success in Type I begins with beating these decks. If you are able to beat these decks, or at least hold your own, you will be well on your way to Type I success. This is not to diminish the value of dealing with the other strategies of Type I - the aggressive decks, and the combination (combo) decks. In fact, the other two elements of the strategy triangle are essential ingredients of Type I play that have all too often been neglected by deckbuilders. That is why I shall now spend a moment discussing these two strategies before moving on.

   Suicide Black is in fact an outstanding anti-combo deck - perhaps only the blue-based control decks surpass Suicide Black as far as contending with combo decks is concerned. The combo decks of Type I of course have no creatures (Worldgorger Dragon does NOT count), something that Suicide Black likes very much, and are all generally vulnerable to the same kinds of disruption as the control decks are.

   Suicide Black is also highly effective against aggressive strategies, and should have the upper hand against most other aggressive decks if the sideboard is built properly. In summary, Suicide Black is certainly one of the elite archetypes that will be represented at high-level Type I events. Why Suicide Black? If you want to pick up a rock and bludgeon your opponent’s skull, this is the deck for you.

------------------------------------------------------------

Part III: Examining Suicide Black’s Options

A. The Disruption

1. Primary Disruption:

DURESS
HYMN TO TOURACH
SINKHOLE
WASTELAND/STRIP MINE

   These five cards are absolutely mandatory if you want to build a Suicide Black deck. It is not Suicide Black deck without these cards. Duress is absolutely critical in ensuring that you will have the ability to choose and remove the exact card in your opponent’s hand that could potentially ruin your strategy, be it Ancestral Recall, or merely a Swords to Plowshares that would have otherwise prevented your Hypnotic Specter from running amok. Hymn to Tourach will often shut down your opponent’s entire early game. It is the most disruptive hand destruction spell ever printed for this kind of deck.

   Sinkhole sometimes needs a more elaborate explanation. It is used for three reasons. Firstly, it can be used to deny an opponent a specific color, thereby providing you with the branch effect that I have spoken of. A Sinkhole targeted at your opponent’s only white mana source, for example, can potentially negate any white cards that are drawn for the next five turns, likely a fatal window of time for him. Secondly, Sinkholes can be used to cost your opponent a precious turn. Since a Suicide Black deck will typically put the enemy on a quick clock, this can often prove to be the difference. Setting the enemy back one turn may very well allow you to get that one extra attack that you might not otherwise have gotten in. Thirdly, Sinkhole can be used to support a complete shutdown of your opponent’s mana. Since a Suicide Black deck will have nine land destruction cards, in addition to Hymn to Tourach (land can often be pulled out with a Hymn), denying your opponent all of his mana entirely is always a strong possibility and a nearly unbeatable option given the right draw. One important note on Sinkhole: if you do not own Sinkholes, do not attempt to substitute Icequake, Rain of Tears, or Rancid Earth for the Sinkholes. The results will be disastrous. You must acquire Sinkholes if you are to play this deck.

   Wasteland and the lone restricted Strip Mine I have chosen to include in the disruption category since they are generally not used for mana. They are used for the same reasons as Sinkhole, with the added benefit of having no mana cost. These cards have long been proven and really need no explanation. They are an essential part of the disruption package that allows you to completely suffocate your opponent.

2. Secondary Disruption:

NULL ROD
POWDER KEG
MIND TWIST

   Here are three cards that are not necessarily mandatory inclusions in a Suicide Black maindeck. Null Rod should always be used if you are expecting to square off against a large quantity of control decks, which of course you should expect to do in most well developed Type I metagames. However, I recommend two or three Null Rods, but rarely four, as drawing extra copies of this card is a useless and frustrating event, and you can sometimes tutor for one if you need it. A Null Rod will of course shut down all opposing Moxes, Black Lotus, Sol Ring, Powder Kegs, Masticores, Cursed Scrolls, and Zuran Orbs, to name a few of Type I’s core artifacts. Nevertheless, it is somewhat situational, as your opponent will not always draw a Mox, even Keeper, with its seven mana artifacts. (Moxes, Black Lotus, Sol Ring). Null Rod will also be excellent against certain combo decks, but be warned that it is horrible against most aggressive decks, so judging your environment will be important here.

   Powder Keg is often a sideboard card for Suicide Black, but I mention it here briefly to note that it can be a suitable replacement in multiples of two, three, or four in place of Null Rods if your environment features a balanced mix of aggressive decks and control decks. It can sweep away small creatures, yet still smash Moxes. However, the reason that it is not better than Null Rod against control decks is the fact that Null Rod will prevent your opponent from getting even one use out their precious artifact mana. This is a crucial difference that can be the margin between them being stuck on three mana as you eat them alive with creatures and them having that fourth mana to cast The Abyss thanks to their one-time use of a Mox. Null Rod will prevent any topdecked Moxes, Black Lotus, or Sol Ring from being used to spring cards like The Abyss or Balance on you, whereas Powder Keg will not.

   Then we have Mind Twist. This card is a bit slow for Suicide Black, and is really a card more suited for Keeper. In order to gain card advantage with Mind Twist, you will need three mana. Hymn to Tourach only requires two mana to accomplish this. Yes, if you played Mind Twist, you would occasionally benefit from the explosive Mind Twist powered by a Black Lotus or multiple Dark Rituals. But more often than not, Mind Twist will be far less effective than Hymn in a deck where you are trying to accomplish as much as possible right away, and one mana makes a difference. Even playing Dark Ritual + Mind Twist on the second turn only nets you one card. This could simply be accomplished with a second turn Hymn to Tourach, saving that Dark Ritual for an explosive creature burst. Mind Twist was in fact banned for several years, but it is no longer quite the powerhouse that it used to be. However, I am not going to tell you that it isn’t a great card either. It is still a very dangerous card that is worthy of a look if you can somehow find the room, an act which you will find more difficult than you might initially think.

------------------------------------------------------------

B. The Creatures

1. Which Creatures to Play

   NANTUKO SHADE

   Since Torment became legal in March, this has become the most important card in the Suicide Black archetype. Nantuko Shade is the most significant addition to Type I since Invasion’s Fact or Fiction. My Legend Black deck, which I regard as the optimal Suicide Black variant available at this moment, immediately made use of this card to devastating effect. Ultimately, this brought about the acceptance of a new Suicide creature base with Nantuko Shade at its center. Initially, this beast was misunderstood by numerous “experts” who felt that it would be too “slow” for Suicide Black. How wrong they were. In several short months, Nantuko Shade has taken its place as the second-best creature in Type I, right behind the great Morphling.

   Early on, Nantuko Shade is decent, generally attacking for two or three. But Nantuko Shade becomes a nightmare for your opponent as you reach four or five black mana in play. They will either remove it, or quickly succumb to vicious six and seven point attacks. If a game actually turns into a long topdecking struggle, Nantuko Shade gives Suicide Black the staying power that it has been desperately looking for, swelling into a huge powerhouse that will bring the game to an abrupt and startling end with a nine or ten point attack. Indeed, Nantuko Shade increases Suicide’s strength in topdecking mode, since if you draw a Nantuko Shade before the enemy draws their answer, they may just not get another chance to draw that answer, being that the game may just end right then and there on your next attack phase.

   It is my opinion that Morphling is the defining non-restricted card of Type I, being that it is the finisher of control decks everywhere. Previously, Morphling on the table with a decent supply of mana meant a definite game over for Suicide.   Not so anymore, as Nantuko Shade will become large enough to turn the almighty Morphling into mere blocking fodder. The presence of Nantuko Shade will also result in more game one wins against aggressive decks such as Sligh, since backed up by a little disruption, one Nantuko Shade can single-handedly eat another aggressive deck alive.

   Nantuko Shade is now the defining card of the Suicide archetype. It allows you to do things you never could do before with this deck. Four Nantuko Shades are a must in any Suicide Black deck. If you refuse to use Nantuko Shade in Suicide Black, then you deserve to be horribly stung by an agitated swarm of killer bees, resulting in horrible swelling and allergic reactions that cause you to stop breathing.

   HYPNOTIC SPECTER

   The oldest black menace, Hypnotic Specter remains outstanding even today. It is still a legitimate threat against control decks, while being anywhere from good to excellent against most everything else. Four are mandatory in any Suicide Black deck.

   PHYREXIAN NEGATOR

   Four Phyrexian Negators are also mandatory for any Suicide Black deck. However, there is one difference here: the four Phyrexian Negators do not necessarily have to be maindecked (although they certainly should be most of the time). I merely want to allow for a small exception. In an intense aggressive metagame in which control is either absent, in decline, or minimal, Phyrexian Negators should definitely be in the sideboard. However, in most Type I environments, control flourishes, and it doesn't hurt that Phyrexian Negator is also excellent against combo decks. It must also be remembered that Negator is not quite as bad as he is made out to be against aggressive decks, just not very good. Occasionally, you will be able to amass enough permanents in a mid-game or late-game situation to allow Phyrexian Negator to come through for the winning attacks (especially given his trample ability).

   Against any blue-based control deck, any combo deck, or any slow mid-range deck, Phyrexian Negator is great. Dark Ritual + Phyrexian Negator on the first turn will put your opponent on a frantic four-turn clock that will seem all that much faster as you peel apart their hand and remove their mana sources. Essentially what you have in Phyrexian Negator against any non-aggressive deck is a 5/5 for three mana with no drawback. This makes it one of the best bargains in all of Magic, and a mandatory card in the maindeck of any Suicide Black deck, except in the exceptional circumstances that I have discussed.

   FLESH REAVER

   This card deserves four slots in the maindeck of any Suicide Black deck being played in a heavy control metagame, and still deserves consideration even in a mixed metagame. In a metagame favoring aggressive decks heavily, you may want to consider not using Flesh Reaver at all. However, in a worst case scenario, it can just become a big wall that reads “Take four damage: kill target attacking creature.” This, of course, is less than optimal to say the least, but not that awful in a desperate situation. You do not have to include this card if you do not want to and you play in an environment with lots of blockers and/or burn. Nevertheless, Flesh Reaver is blazingly fast and deadly against control and combo. His drawback is fairly meaningless against such decks.

   Many people do not understand this card properly, thinking that you cannot win the game with this card if you are either tied with your opponent in life totals, or if you are at one life, and they are at four life. The ruling, however, is that your opponent will die before your life loss can take effect, so you will win. Therefore, this is an outstanding choice in the right situations that I would recommend more often than not. A must for heavy control metagames.

   MASTICORE

   Despite the fact that Masticore is often a sideboard card, I will discuss it here since it is often worthy of a couple of maindeck slots. I would like to start off by saying that this is an outstanding creature, and that four Masticores total between the maindeck and sideboard are not negotiable. However, in a control heavy metagame such as New York’s Neutral Ground, where I play, he does not belong in the maindeck most of the time, due to the fact that he is not very good against Keeper, Accelerated Blue, or combo. However, this is not always the case - as Masticore does have at least two redeeming features against Keeper - immunity to both The Abyss and Circle of Protection: Black.

   My usual plan is to have four Masticores in the sideboard ready to go against aggressive decks. In a more aggressive metagame, maindecking two or three Masticores can be very solid. In Legend Black, I have all four Masticores in the sideboard. I will elaborate more on Masticore and sideboarding strategies later in this primer. Please note that Masticore’s poor interaction with Null Rod is never an issue - they will never be in the deck at the same time.

   PHYREXIAN WAR BEAST

   I support this card mainly because of its utility in more aggressive metagames, where using Flesh Reaver is not practical, or where using Phyrexian Negator maindeck may just not be that great. As I will discuss later, it may be called for in certain situations to eliminate (maindeck) the “Suicide” element of Suicide Black (Phyrexian Negators and Flesh Reavers) and replace them completely with Phyrexian War Beasts and Masticores. Phyrexian War Beast is to be used primarily in the most aggressive metagames. Before the printing of Nantuko Shade, I would not have said this, but now there are four truly excellent creatures for control metagames (Nantuko Shade, Hypnotic Specter, Phyrexian Negator, Flesh Reaver), pushing Phyrexian War Beast out of the starting lineup in many instances.

   As I have noted, Phyrexian War Beast can be a decent replacement for Phyrexian Negator in certain situations in which the player of the Suicide Black deck judges the metagame to be calling for Phyrexian War Beast. It is a very decent bargain for three mana, giving you a very solid body with a minimal drawback. Against control and combo, it really is a bit too slow to intimidate. However, if you do have to go up against a control deck, Phyrexian War Beast is not terrible, dodging both The Abyss and Circle of Protection: Black. Given this fact, if you are really down on Flesh Reaver, you might consider putting Phyrexian War Beast in if the metagame is on the controlling side, but still packed with aggressive decks. But if the metagame is really slanted towards control and combo, don’t pack Phyrexian War Beasts. This is a card that you will generally either maindeck, or not use at all.

2. Which Creatures Not To Play

   This section I have included to discuss an element of building Suicide Black that I think is just as important as what you ultimately decide to include — what you don’t decide to include. I do this because of the persistence of beliefs in building Suicide Black that I feel just don’t stand up to rigorous scrutiny. The following creatures have all been bandied about in discussion forever, it seems, but for various
reasons, I feel that they are either sub-optimal, or are just past their prime. Please note that I cannot possibly cover every such card, so I will merely address some of the most commonly discussed creatures that don’t quite make the cut, but that you might have been considering playing.

   THE ZOMBIES - CARNOPHAGE & SARCOMANCY

   Anyone who has followed my Type I career at all, from my appearances on beyondominia.com (when I evaded a certain moderator’s site bans) to my current rebirth on themanadrain.com, or my tournament reports at neutral ground.net, should by now be familiar with my position on these cards. I have made these two cards into one of my biggest Type I issues - I think they are weak and not needed in Suicide Black. This has been a battle that has raged continuously in the Type I community, and I have been the main proponent of eliminating these cards altogether from the archetype.

   I am willing to offer you as blunt an assessment as possible: absolutely under no circumstances play these cards. The “Zombies” as they are known, I am proud to say, are finally being phased out, a battle I feel I am finally gaining the majority of the Type I community as supporters in. Advocates of the Zombies have long contended that Suicide Black needs more “one-drops,” thinking that the

ten potential first turn plays of Legend Black are not enough (four Duress, four Dark Ritual, Mox Jet, Black Lotus). Even if you do not own a Mox Jet and/or Black Lotus, I would still tell you not to play these Zombies - trust me, your deck will be plenty fast enough.

   The argument that the Zombies provide the Suicide Black deck with more speed and early pressure is completely erroneous. I will explain why these cards merely give you the illusion that you are putting pressure on the opponent, when they are in reality doing nothing of the sort. First of all, the Zombies, as 2/2’s, are simply too small to scare control decks, or put them on any kind of significant clock, yet are also too small to scare aggressive decks. Even given a head start over Flesh Reaver, Nantuko Shade or Phyrexian Negator (I will leave Hypnotic Specter out of this, since it is not used for its size), the damage caused by the Zombies will easily be made up and then surpassed by these larger creatures.

   Let’s imagine that I cast a Carnophage on turn one. By the end of the fifth turn, the Carnophage will have done eight damage. A different scenario: Let’s say that I was busy disrupting my opponent, and I couldn’t cast my Flesh Reaver or Nantuko Shade until turn three. By the end of the fifth turn, I will have done the same amount of damage with a Flesh Reaver as I did with the Carnophage that had a two turn head start! Similarly, Nantuko Shade will almost certainly deal at least eight damage in such a scenario - and in both of these examples I gave the Carnophage a head start just to demonstrate how much slower it is than the optimal creatures! So as you can see, the illusion of dealing more damage faster with Zombies is merely that - an illusion!

   Additionally, in a deck where space is tightly packed with so many quality cards, you can not afford to waste space on mere 2/2’s. In order to get four-power from Zombies, you need to cast two of them. In order to get four power from Flesh Reaver, you only need to cast one. Or, think if it in a different way. Which would you rather do - cast a first turn Dark Ritual for three Zombies, or for one Phyrexian Negator? In the first situation, you have expended three cards in addition the Dark Ritual for six power of creatures at a combined casting cost of three.   In the second situation, however, you get only one less power while expending only one card in addition to the Dark Ritual!

   Playing Zombies ties up valuable slots that could be used for more disruption, more mana, and perhaps even more utility. The best solution to this is to consolidate and play the larger creatures with slightly higher casting costs that will quickly make up for their higher casting cost by putting the Zombies to shame in the damage race. Do you really want to be sitting across the table from another Suicide Black player who did the right thing, while you are still playing Zombies? I don’t think so.

   JUZAM DJINN

   You may like Mark Tedin’s brilliant artwork, and you may like the historical value of Juzam, but if you have not already come to grips with what I am about to say, it is time to do so. Juzam Djinn has NO place in competitive Type I, and it has been that way for quite some time now. Think about it - he is strictly worse against control and combo than Phyrexian Negator (the card he is most often compared to), while also being worse against aggressive decks than Masticore.

   Phyrexian Negator is a full turn faster against control than Juzam Djinn, while Masticore can single-handedly ruin an aggressive deck’s assault, something that Juzam Djinn cannot do. Masticore also has several other advantages over Juzam that I have already discussed. These two niches that Juzam Djinn used to fill - being a fast clock against control, and being a large body against aggressive strategies - have been completely taken over by Phyrexian Negator and Masticore. I may as well briefly mention Juzam Djinn's Planeshift cousin, Phyrexian Scuta, which is similarly not usable in Suicide Black for the same reasons as Juzam Djinn.

   CHIMERIC IDOL

   When analyzing Chimeric Idol, there really has to be only one question asked, then answered. Is it better than Phyrexian War Beast? This is the most relevant question of course, because Phyrexian War Beast fills the same niche that Idol would have filled in the three mana artifact creature slot. My answer to this questions is no, Chimeric Idol is not better than Phyrexian War Beast, and it is not even as good as Phyrexian War Beast. For the same mana cost, War Beast gives you an extra toughness, which is a huge difference, given the common use of Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, and Incinerate in Type I. Phyrexian War Beast’s drawback is fairly minimal, while Chimeric Idol’s is seemingly minimal as well. However, Chimeric Idol’s status as an artifact, not an artifact creature, will make it completely useless if you want to use Null Rod (although I certainly concede that if you were using Phyrexian War Beast or Chimeric Idol, you probably would not be using Rod to begin with, since you would be in a highly aggressive metagame). Do note that Chimeric Idol does evade Balance, though.

   JUGGERNAUT

   For four mana, you just don’t get that much - a boltable creature that isn’t nearly as fast as Flesh Reaver and Phyrexian Negator, and not nearly as useful as Masticore. Phyrexian War Beast is better because its lower casting cost and higher toughness more than offset its lower power when facing off against aggressive decks. Sure, Juggernaut dodges The Abyss and Circle of Protection: Black, but Phyrexian War Beast and Masticore also do that.

   THE PUMP KNIGHTS – ORDER OF THE EBON HAND &
   KNIGHT OF STROMGALD

   Strictly worse than Nantuko Shade with the one exception of being immune to Swords to Plowshares. Do you really want to sacrifice the monstrous damage potential of Shade for these pedestrian choices? Weaker in every respect besides the protection from white - which essentially means “protection from Swords to Plowshares” given the total extinction of White Weenie decks.

   THE SHADOWS - DAUTHI HORROR & DAUTHI SLAYER

   I am against these cards for the same reasons as the Zombies - they are low-impact cards. In fact, you are paying one more mana than you would for a Zombie, and you still get the same power with a mostly lame ability. The shadow evasion ability will be mostly meaningless against control decks, all combo decks, and most aggressive decks. All control decks will have no blockers besides Morphling, and all combo decks have no blockers, period. Aggressive decks will not be intimidated by two-power attackers, especially ones that are so easy to kill. If you choose to run these cards in your Suicide deck, you deserve to be trampled to death by a large terrestrial mammal in a bog somewhere in Northern Canada.

   THE SKITTERING CREATURES - SKITTERING SKIRGE
   & SKITTERING HORROR

   I used to like Skittering Skirge, but right now, it just stinks. Phyrexian Negator, Phyrexian War Beast, and Masticore all come into play after Skittering Skirge does, which will cause you to lose the Skittering Skirge, cast it after the other creatures (which would defeat the purpose of Skittering Skirge’s lower casting cost), or even worse, hold back on your other threats! The flying ability is really not significant given the fall from prominence in the recent past of Moat - besides, even those Keeper players that use Moat will readily concede how difficult it is to get the 2WW needed to cast a Moat against Suicide Black.

   As for Skittering Horror, it is actually halfway decent - at first glance. You get a four power threat for three mana, which doesn't seem all that bad. However, when you really think about it, you are not getting as much as you think. It is worse than Phyrexian Negator (better power to casting cost ratio), Flesh Reaver (better power to casting cost ratio), Nantuko Shade (no comment), and Hypnotic Specter (special ability). Skittering Horror is also worse than Phyrexian War Beast, since it has a higher toughness, and is an artifact creature that diversifies your creature base. Of course, Skittering Horror is also worse than Masticore. Let's also not forget about the obvious drawback of Skittering Horror, which while less annoying than with its lower-casting cost cousin Skittering Skirge, is still a major drawback, especially when you just need to pour it on in a creature assault and suddenly find that you will have to sacrifice the Skittering Horror to deploy another creature.

   So summarizes the creatures of Suicide Black (and not of Suicide Black), but I would like to add one helpful guide to aid in your construction of a Suicide Black deck before taking it to the next tournament. This is a very cut-and-dry assessment, and is merely meant as a basic guide. Obviously metagames are not always as simple as I am about to make them. There are certainly more than three types of metagames, but for the purposes of brevity, I have prepared the following reference chart in such a manner.

   SUICIDE BLACK CREATURE CHART

For A Heavy Control Metagame:

MAINDECK: Nantuko Shade, Hypnotic Specter, Phyrexian Negator, Flesh Reaver
SIDEBOARD: Masticore

For a Mixed Metagame:

MAINDECK: Nantuko Shade, Hypnotic Specter, Phyrexian Negator, Masticore/Phyrexian War Beast/Flesh Reaver
SIDEBOARD: Extra Masticores, or four Masticores

For a Heavy Aggressive Metagame:

MAINDECK: Nantuko Shade, Hypnotic Specter, Phyrexian War Beast, Masticore
SIDEBOARD: Phyrexian Negator, Extra Masticores

-----------------------------------------------------------

C. RESTRICTED CARDS

   I will make this brief, since the issues are fairly simple with these cards, or because in some cases there are no issues at all.

   DEMONIC TUTOR

   No discussion. A must.

   DEMONIC CONSULTATION

   This excellent card certainly has a place in Suicide Black decks, but it is not a must because to use Demonic Consultation or not to use it is a very individual choice. The drawback to using Demonic Consultation is really not all that bad — it will generally get you the card you need with little trouble, at instant speed. However, there are people (including me) who do not use it because of the somewhat irrational but nevertheless well-grounded fear of bad consults, or merely the hesitation to use a card that doesn’t need to be used. Demonic Consultation will not win you games very often on its own, but it can help to find that Hymn to Tourach to finish your opponent off, or get that Phyrexian Negator to menace an opponent at a low life total. Just don’t ask me to use it. Go for it if you want.

   VAMPIRIC TUTOR

   Don’t use it. Worse than both Demonic Tutor and Demonic Consultation. Vampiric Tutor doesn’t put the card you need directly into your hand, resulting in a –1 swing in your hand size, and is just not an impact card often enough.

   YAWGMOTH’S WILL

   Not all Suicide decks use this card - and I don’t know why! In my opinion, the inclusion of a Yawgmoth’s Will in your Suicide deck is mandatory - this card WILL win you games single-handedly. While it is generally not an early game card, it can occasionally come into use early if you have a couple of Dark Rituals in the graveyard (or a Black Lotus) and some disruption spells to reuse again. If the situation dictates it, don’t be afraid to cast a “weak” will, meaning a Yawgmoth's Will that only gets you a Strip Mine or one spell back. In the mid-game, you will find that Yawgmoth's Will is generally the backbreaker, allowing you to direct a sudden blast of Dark Ritual/Black Lotus powered Sinkholes, Hymn to Tourachs, Wastelands, and creatures right back at the opponent who thought that he had seen the last of those cards. In the late game, Will is also a backbreaker, bringing back dead creatures to terrorize your unfortunate opponent once again. Use this amazing card.

   NECROPOTENCE

   If you are using Flesh Reavers, don’t use Necropotence. If you are not using Flesh Reavers, consider using it - although this is a contradiction. For, if you are using Reavers, you will probably be mainly concerned with beating control and combo decks. Yet, if you are not using Reavers, you will be mainly concerned with beating aggro decks - and Necro will not be very good in such situations. As a restricted card, Necro is sort of random - it doesn’t really fulfill a specific need anymore. I don’t use it, but it is still good.
------------------------------------------------------------

D. The Mana

   I will now briefly discuss the manabase of a Suicide Black deck.

   MOX JET AND BLACK LOTUS

   Use them if you have them, of course. I will say this about Black Lotus, though - it makes a bigger difference than you think. I have won several games against control decks on the strength of the explosive Swamp + Black Lotus = Duress + Phyrexian Negator/Hypnotic Specter play, or even with a Dark Ritual thrown in, resulting in a first turn Phyrexian Negator/Hypnotic Specter AND Flesh Reaver with Duress backup. I would say that having a Black Lotus in your deck is worth at least a game or even slightly more per tournament that might have gone the other way - that is a difference worth pondering if you don’t have a Black Lotus, but you have the ability to acquire one.

   DARK RITUAL

   If you don’t want to use four Dark Rituals in Suicide Black, then you deserve to be severely beaten by an enraged pack of schoolchildren armed with cudgels.

   SWAMP

   I recommend using seventeen Swamps if you also have a Black Lotus and a Mox Jet in your deck, and eighteen if you are unpowered. Do not cut corners on the mana with this deck - especially since Suicide’s mana demands are fairly significant with Nantuko Shade now aboard, and Masticore waiting in the sideboard. You need at least two swamps in play to get things started, and more thereafter. You will pay dearly if you cheat your deck out of its mana. I am a firm believer that the proper way to build a mana base is to err on the side of caution and play slightly more mana, rather than slightly less.



   SOL RING

   You shouldn’t play this card maindeck unless you are also maindecking Phyrexian War Beasts and/or Masticores, since most of your spells require colored mana, not colorless mana. However, if you are maindecking the aforementioned cards, Sol Ring is good. It is even possible, and good, to sideboard a Sol Ring in along with Masticores to add a bit more speedy mana to power the Masticores. I am going to do this myself given the opportunity if I have an empty sideboard slot on a given day. Another reason not to maindeck this card is its obvious lack of synergy with Null Rod - you are already playing with Black Lotus and Mox Jet, and adding Sol Ring will start to make Null Rod a little annoying for yourself.

   WASTELAND/STRIP MINE

   I have already discussed these cards and their unquestionable value in the disruption section, I just bring them up here since they also count as mana sources, and as a reminder to never play less than the full compliment of five. Including Wasteland/Strip Mine, Swamp, Mox Jet/Black Lotus, and Dark Ritual, your total mana source count should generally be twenty-eight, and no less than twenty-seven.

   BRIEFLY: WHAT NOT TO PLAY

   Creatures warranted a more extensive section of this sort, but I will briefly touch on this issue with mana sources. First of all, do not, under any circumstances, play Mishra’s Factory. It will just give your opponent a Wasteland target in a deck that should have none. Mishra's Factory is also easily removed in a variety of other ways, and even more importantly, is impossible to use in a deck that already is at its critical mass of colorless mana in the form of Wasteland and Strip Mine. Secondly, do not ever use Rishadan Port - it is horrible and completely unnecessary given the superiority of Wasteland in this area. Also, the amount of colorless mana that this would mean including precludes the use of this card for the same reason as Mishra’s Factory.

   In summary, do not, under any circumstances, use any nonbasic lands in Suicide Black besides Wasteland and Strip Mine - yes, that also goes for any absurdities such as Lake of the Dead and Cabal Coffers, two really bad ideas that I have heard thrown around from time to time. The last thing you need is to open up your manabase to attacks from enemy Wastelands. The sturdy manabase of Suicide Black is one of its strong points - don't turn a strength into a weakness.

   Finally, never, ever, use any artifact mana besides Mox Jet, Black Lotus, and Sol Ring (in the way I prescribed). Off- color Moxes are a big no-no. You desperately need black mana, not colorless mana, and speed is certainly not a problem in this deck given the presence of Dark Ritual.

------------------------------------------------------------

E.   The Sideboard

   The sideboard of a Suicide Black deck is equally important as the maindeck. Black has a wide array of deadly sideboard hosers to cripple its enemies, and has the necessary options to battle enemy hosers as well. Also, there are the sideboard artifacts that I have already discussed, which I will look at again. Let’s take a look at these options.

   MASTICORE

   Well, Masticore has already been discussed at length. Four is a must if you are not using any maindeck copies of this card. You will want to bring this guy in against Sligh, Stompy, or any random aggressive deck. You may also want to sneak in a couple against Keeper if you think that they are bringing in Circle of Protection: Black or Light of Day. Also good against mid-range decks such as Parfait as you will evade not only the dreaded Circle of Protection: Black, but Story Circle as well. You may even want to bring in a couple of Masticores in the mirror match, despite their vulnerability to Hymn to Tourach.

   POWDER KEG

   You’ll want four copies of this card brought in against the same decks that Masticore goes in against. But you will also sometimes need to side this in against Keeper, which means that your Null Rods will have to come out. The reason that this is so is because Keg is your only way to deal with Keeper’s Ensnaring Bridge, which will certainly create severe difficulties for you if it is cast and not dealt with. The happy thing about this strategy is that you will at least retain the ability to deal with their artifact mana, and you may even be able to kill a Morphling with a Keg every now and then.

   NULL ROD

   As I have already mentioned, you are most likely going to want this either maindeck or not at all. However, the one time I might consider having a couple of Null Rods in the sideboard is in a situation where I expected mostly aggressive decks, but maybe a few dangerous Academy decks or other heavy artifact decks that the Rod might be able to aid against. Occasionally, you will encounter random decks using cards like Metalworker and a whole load of artifact mana that Null Rod will also be quite good against.

   PHYREXIAN NEGATOR

   As I have mentioned, Phyrexian Negator should only be in the sideboard if you are playing in a heavily aggressive environment with control being mostly absent or weakened, and if so, there should be four copies of this card in the sideboard.

   DYSTOPIA

   This is the best black sideboard card ever printed. If it only got rid of white permanents, or only got rid of green permanents, it would be decent. But as it is, this is an unbelievable card that has the potential to net you considerable card advantage at a very reasonable cost to your life total. Not only will you want it to remove usual nuisances such as Circle of Protection: Black, Oath of Druids, and Compost, you will find this card incredibly useful in removing creature hordes, or in removing random threats such as the occasional Miracle Grow or Super Grow deck, which generally relies on creatures such as Nimble Mongoose, Quirion Dryad, occasionally Werebear, and sometimes the dangerous Mystic Enforcer. I will typically play three or four Dystopias in my sideboard, and you certainly can’t go wrong with this card, especially in a random environment.

   CONTAGION

   Another outstanding sideboard choice. I will usually run three or four Contagions in my sideboard because of their excellence in several common matchups. These are other Suicide Black decks, Stompy, and creature-heavy Sligh. Contagions will also be quite useful against random scrubs, who will often be playing unusual creatures not often seen in Type I, but which will nevertheless be threats that need to be dealt with.

   PERISH

   This card can be great, but it is somewhat narrow in its uses when compared to Dystopia and Contagion. You’ll definitely want some Perishes if you are in a metagame filled with Stompy, Miracle/Super Grow, and random creature decks. As a general rule, the weaker your metagame is, the more you will probably want Perish. If you play in a truly weak, random metagame, and Dystopia and Contagion are not enough in the way of removal, then you may want Perish.

   DIABOLIC EDICT

   Good against the emerging Worldgorger Dragon.dec, but not nearly as effective as Planar Void. However, it does have the added advantage of being more versatile since it can also be decent against Accelerated Blue decks, especially those that run Ophidians in addition to the obligatory three or four Morphlings. Overall, though, a very narrow card that should not see play very often except against these decks, and even then only if they make up a large part of your metagame, or if for some reason you have empty sideboard slots to play with.

   PLANAR VOID

   This card is excellent against three decks: Worldgorger Dragon.dec, Pandeburst, and Survival. Pandeburst and Survival are not common decks in Type 1, but if Worldgorger becomes rampant, this will be an excellent solution to the menace. This card will completely halt Worldgorger Dragon.dec, as your opponent will be unable to go off with a Planar Void in play. As of now, it remains to be seen how prevalent this decktype will become, but I predict that Worldgorger will become a very important part of the global Type I metagame.

------------------------------------------------------------

Part IV: Building Suicide Black - The Optimal Suicide Deck

   Is there an optimal Suicide Black deck? Well, there is no such thing as a 100% optimized deck since it is human beings that build decks, and not robots. However, I would like to offer what I believe to be the optimal Suicide Black deck available in the current Type I metagame, Legend Black, my Suicide Black deck that I have been playing for months. I developed this deck with the help of Yan “Negator” Margolin. Since then, I have made numerous adjustments, and have been promoting this deck endlessly during this period, using it to champion Nantuko Shade and some supposedly unorthodox Suicide deck-building concepts. The restriction of Fact or Fiction caused me to migrate from mono-blue (Legend Blue) to mono-black back in January, and I have been pleased with the transition. I will discuss the base version of the deck, metagamed against the heavy control metagame of Neutral Ground New York, then discuss what changes I would make to outfit the deck for different environments using some of the basic ideas I have discussed up to this point in the primer.

LEGEND BLACK (Composite Sample)

Creatures: (16)

4 Nantuko Shade
4 Flesh Reaver
4 Phyrexian Negator
4 Hypnotic Specter

Disruption: (14)

4 Duress
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Sinkhole
2 Null Rod

Restricted: (2)

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth’s Will

Mana: (28)

4 Dark Ritual
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
17 Swamp

Sideboard: (15)

4 Masticore
3 Contagion
4 Powder Keg
3 Dystopia
1 Sol Ring

Reserve Sideboard: (Ready to go if needed)

4 Planar Void
4 Perish
1 Contagion
1 Dystopia
1 Null Rod

   As you can see, Legend Black is geared towards playing in a control metagame. However, it is easily customizable to fit whatever environment you play in while still retaining its original framework. Any of the sideboard cards that I have discussed up until this point would be considerations in the right metagame, cards such as Perish or Planar Void, as you see in my “Reserve Sideboard.” As for the actual gameplay of the deck, I would launch into a whole explanation of how it works, except for the fact that the sum of what has preceded this section should suffice. Furthermore, when I actually get to the section on matchups, I will elaborate on the playing of this deck.

   The following is what I might consider in my imaginary sample “mixed” metagame:

CREATURES: (14)

4 Nantuko Shade
4 Phyrexian Negator
4 Hypnotic Specter
2 Masticore

DISRUPTION: (16)

4 Duress
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Sinkhole
4 Powder Keg

RESTRICTED: (2)

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth’s Will

MANA: (28)

4 Dark Ritual
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
17 Swamp

SIDEBOARD: (15)

2 Masticore
1 Sol Ring
4 Dystopia
4 Contagion
2 Perish
2 Null Rod

   Notice the obvious benefit of running maindeck Powder Kegs - game one removal against creatures, albeit with the drawback against control decks that I have mentioned. Also notice the sideboard containing two Perishes, and two Null Rods in case a nasty Workshop or Academy deck ambushes you. The overall theme you should notice with this intermediate build is that it retains some of the faster anti-control elements while compromising a bit with the removal of Flesh Reaver and maindeck Null Rod.

   Finally, here is what I might consider running in an environment where aggro runs wild.

CREATURES: (16)

4 Nantuko Shade
4 Hypnotic Specter
4 Phyrexian War Beast
4 Masticore

DISRUPTION: (14)

4 Duress
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Sinkhole
2 Powder Keg

RESTRICTED: (2)

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth’s Will

MANA: (28)

4 Dark Ritual
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
16 Swamp

SIDEBOARD: (15)

2 Powder Keg
4 Phyrexian Negator
4 Contagion
4 Dystopia
1 Perish

   Notice the complete transformation from Legend Black geared towards a control-heavy environment to the above. Sol Ring is now maindecked. Flesh Reavers are absent, as are Null Rods from both the maindeck and sideboard. Phyrexian Negators have been moved to the sideboard, and the Powder Keg count maindeck is actually decreased to two, since room needs to be made for the Masticores and Phyrexian War Beasts.

   So I have presented you with three distinct possible builds of Legend Black, now let’s take a look at the matchups you will have to be familiar with when playing this deck in a tournament.

------------------------------------------------------------