Hey everyone! My name is EpicWarfare and I am writing out this decklist to feed the need for some off color burn shenanigans! I'm also going to explain the card choices of the deck. Anyone that has suggestions please let me know, this has been a really fun deck to explore and I would love to take it to another level of competitive viability (or at least to a new level of jank!)
Shameless promotion: here's my Twitch channel! https://www.twitch.tv/epicwarfare11
LANDS
Swamp - Self explanatory.
Leechridden Swamp - I like having one of these to give you some extra reach. I wouldn't play more than one since it enters tapped, but I like having a land that isn't as bad of a topdeck feel-bad in some situations (although only having 20 black permanents in the deck, lots of them being fragile, makes it less consistent.)
EDIT Added 4 Bloodstained Myre and 1 Smoldering Marsh to the mana base for Bump in the Night flashback as well as the ability to fetch out our Leechridden Swamp.
CREATURES:
Vampire Cutthroat - This card has been hilarious. Not much in Modern blocks it, so when it comes down on turn 1 it usually turns into a one mana Lighting Helix (or better) if left unchecked by removal. SaffronOlive laughed at it (and for good reason, I get it) but it's won me some games I shouldn't have, even when drawn late. NOTE: I used to run Tormented Soul in this slot, but I found the lifegain from the Cutthroat very relevant in buying extra time and the ability to block is also crucial in the right situation. Oh, and Skulk on a 1/1 might as well read "Unblockable" in Modern (Lingering Souls really stings though).
Thrull Parasite - Another card that people don't see coming, it adds one damage to most of your spells and allows you to get away with not having a two drop turn two that you want to cast (Sign in Blood isn't always the best turn 2 play). The active ability has also been relevant in removing counters off of Aether Vial, Chalice of the Void and Planeswalkers.
Asylum Visitor - Good card with a late Collective Brutality, but mostly it's just an aggressive two drop that helps draw some extra cards when your hand inevitably becomes empty.
Geralf's Messenger - All star in any aggressive mono black deck, not much else to add here.
EDITPhyrexian Obliterator - Can't believe I didn't play this card before, it closes out games if the opponent stabilizes your earlier plays. Vulnerable to Path and Push but usually your opponent has used those cards before this hits the table, and in multiples it's terrifying.
INSTANT / SORCERY
Alms of the Vein - Honestly, this card almost didn't make the cut originally since it doesn't interact at all with the opponent but the synergy with Collective Brutality is hard to ignore and it gains 3 life which can buy you an extra turn sometimes.
Bump in the Night - Another card that doesn't seem all that great, but this deck needs reach which this provides and having it be one mana works well with Thrull Parasite extort.
Collective Brutality - Card is bonkers in this deck, does everything you want and sometimes gives Madness value. Pinnacle of the deck.
Sign in Blood - Draws cards when you need it, hits face when you need it, works well with Underworld Dreams to turn into a make-your-own Boros Charm effect. Not a great turn 2 play which makes this the first card I would cut for a more consistent "Turn Two" two drop (see maybeboard for what I have been sometimes replacing Sign in Blood with) but the card is undeniably flexible.
EDIT I now play Stromkirk Condemned in this slot (see Maybeboard explanation).
Fatal Push - Removal that works well with Thrull Parasite. One could add some fetchlands into the list to trigger Revolt more often but I prefer having my life stay as high as possible so I can grind people down with Underworld Dreams if the game comes to that.
ENCHANTMENT
Underworld Dreams - This card allows you to change up your game plan in an aggressive mirror. After sideboard especially, sometimes you are removing cards like Bump in the Night for Disfigure to have more interaction, and having this card in the deck allows you to play the control game in certain matchups. Also works pretty well against decks that like to draw lots of cards, and it's a hard card to remove once it resolves. Plus it's absolute jank, so I love it :P
EDIT I now play Phyrexian Obliterator in this slot.
_SIDEBOARD
Disfigure - Take out Bump and put in this in an aggressive creature matchup (Affinity, Vizier combo, Merfolk).
Inquisition of Kozilek - I put this in against Burn, Death's Shadow, and most combo decks such as Gifts Storm. I take out either Fatal Push (combo) Asylum Visitor (Death's Shadow) or Sign in Blood (Burn).
Relic of Progenitus - Obligatory graveyard hate. I prefer Relic over Leyline because it can draw us some cards so we don't lose card advantage for our own game plan and it is easier to cast if drawn into. Also works with Thrull Parasite extort :P
Thoughtseize - The 3 of feels weird but I like having more cards against combo/control decks. I chose Thoughtseize over Duress so I have the option to get rid of Baral, Chief of Compliance against Storm and Snapcaster against combo/control decks.
MAYBEBOARD
Stromkirk Condemned - This card has been interesting to test with. The activated ability works well with Vampire Cuttroat (making him even MORE OP, if one could believe that is possible) for a, usually, unblockable 2 life drain each attack, the discard ability gives outlets 5-8 for the Madness effects of Asylum Visitor and Alms of the Vein, and it gives you something to discard lands to for a profit. I honestly think this card is overall better than Sign in Blood in the list since it gives you another creature that has strong synergies with the rest of the deck. The interaction between Sign in Blood and Underworld Dreams would be missed, and you lose a bit of topdeck burn potential, but you gain a consistent two drop to play turn two. I'm honestly still on the fence with this decision and plan to continue testing both.
Thank you to everyone that has shown interest in the deck!!! If anyone has any suggestions please post! I also have a Twitch channel and have been thinking of getting back into streaming, so would this be something that people would be interested in watching me play on Twitch.Tv...??
TL:DR Mono Black Burn feels jank, is jank, let us embrace it together.
