B/W Aggro

[JediCheese]

So, I'm looking at playing B/W Aggro in the upcoming format. The combination of Xathrid Necromancer, Athreos, and Pain Seer is too good to ignore. Start including Desecration Demon and Brimaz as amazing finishers and Thoughtseize, Brain Maggot, and Sin Collector as your disruption and the deck looks hot. I'm not sure if you play Obzedat, Ghost Council or not.

I'm not sure where the numbers stand, but the deck looks hot and the SB is loaded due to how many hate bears there are available (anything from Ageis of the Gods to Spirit of the Labyrinth). Another great part is you can move towards a mono-black setup if you want (by adding Underworld Connections or other mono black pieces). Another option to help you draw a ton of cards is Dark Prophecy that enables Devotion and with your creature mass gives you a ton of protection vs removal/sweepers.

I'm throwing out the suicidal version as my initial option (calling it No Pain, No Gain):

Lands (20):
4x Temple of Silence
4x Godless Shrine
4x Mana Confluence
4x Mutavault
Xx Plains
Xx Swamp

Creatures (31):
4x Precinct Captain
4x Brain Maggot
4x Pain Seer
4x Sin Collector
4x Xathrid Necromancer
4x Athreos, God of Passage
3x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
4x Desecrecation Demon

Spells (9):
4x Thoughtseize
4x Ajani's Presence
1x Whip of Erebos/Dark Prophecy/Erebos, God of the Dead

I'm installing Cockatrice on my windows computer as I type and will be shortly sleeving it up online. What's everyones favorite server?

[crazedferret]

Hey Chris, this is similar to what I will be playing. Except I'll be playing esper and more of a midrange deck. Obzedat turns on athreos just about by himself. I find that athreos wants to be a creature. He's not as good just solely for the punisher mechanic. He needs to be a creature. I'm considering disciple of deceit over pain seer - reusable tutor at the two three and four drop spot - can find whip immediately, or desecration demon, or verdict - whatever is needed.

[JediCheese]

The creature quality is so amazing in the 3-4 drop range (Brimaz + Desecration Demon!). You also have amazing spells in the same zone with Whip, new O-ring, and whatnot. At 5 CC, you have Obzedat and Blood Baron and at 6 CC there is rock-star Elspeth.

The deck is crammed with tons of possibilities. I think that running a more control version with Supreme Verdict is a mistake. Your creature quality stacks up well vs opposing aggro (primarily with Brimaz and Desecration Demon but also with Precinct Captain and Mutavault) and you have enough disruption vs control to win before they can stabilize.

With a total of 16 possible hand disruption spells (Thoughtseize, Brain Maggot, Sin Collector, and Lifebane Zombie) you can do an amazing amount of damage to the opponents hand. The only way it could get better was if they used the old template for Brain Maggot so I could make use of Cartel Aristocrat to just outright remove a card by stacking triggers.

Another possible option is token/draw and run the token producing creatures and rely upon Dark Prophecy more. I haven't played this possibility at all, but I could see it being unnecessarily suicidal especially in the current aggro format.

Finally, the SB can go any number of ways. Swap out Sin Collector for Lifebane Zombie vs monsters. Duress and Underworld Connections vs control. Rest in Peace vs G/B Dredge. Blood Baron, Obzedat, and/or Fiendslayer Paladin vs aggro or midrange.

[JediCheese]

Played the deck this weekend, I wish I had tested it more.

1) Removal maindeck is needed. Most problems I ran into were creatures that were 2/3 or 3/3. I think 4x Bile Blight is where you want to be with maybe Hero's Downfall SB.
2) Sin Collector/Lifebane Zombie are ok, but aren't the MVPs that you need in the 3 slot.
3) 2 slot needs another double colored creature. High Priest of Penance or Tithe Drinker?
4) Mana needs to work harder. I'm thinking 4x shock, 4x scry, 4x Mana Confluence, 4x Guildgates, 4x mutavault, 2x basics for a total of 22 lands. Some of the guildgates might get cut because they are bad turn 2+ if you have two CIPT lands.
5) Whip of Erebos is nuts. It turns on Athreos almost by itself (when you start whipping 2 colored creatures). Also the lifegain with Athreos makes racing other decks easy. I think it's a 2 of.
6) Athreos is good, but I got stuck with multiples in hand. It's a 3 of. Also, it's surprisingly easy to make him a creature and go beatdown mode.
7) Spear of Heliod might be wanted. The Precinct Captain and especially the Brimaz tokens die too easily. It would also allow Brain Maggot to get in there more often. Another option is Godsend.
8) Finally the most annoying problem is if you aren't ahead, there isn't any card or set of cards that will allow you to comeback. It's not like R/W where you can topdeck Magma Jet/Boros Charm to win out of nowhere. This deck just doesn't have that feel (I will admit, Desecration Demon feels like cheating at times).