This will likely be my most reviled pauper deck. It runs lots of land destruction to stall out the opponent's deck while brutalizing them with chunky creatures.
I've been ruminating on the thought of a mono-black land destruction deck for decades, but the creature options to use as finishers was lack-luster until recently. That all changed with the release of the LOTR set and Troll of Khazad-dum--I mean wow, swampcycling with super-menace, that just screams to be Exhumed!!!
Since the deck runs Exhume, there needs to be other creatures that do things with the graveyard. Gloomfang Mauler is similar to the Troll but can also grant menace to something else. Carrion Grub will load cards/creatures into the graveyard while likely having power 5+ and is still an okay blocker when its power is zero (at least no defender keyword, right?). Gurmag Angler is so well known in the format that it is an auto-include for the deck's arch-type.
15 land destruction spells should be enough for the deck (25%). I went with the most reliable options with the lowest mana costs (also the oldest). All of my creatures will easily survive Rancid Earth's threshold ability which should help clear away my opponent's chaff. The others cards are self-explanatory.
Some of you may be saying, "Why no Choking Sands?"-- Well the answer is that Swamps are too commonplace to potentially risk holding a useless card.
The Mana Base- Barren Moor because cycling is important for a couple of the creatures and simply thinning the deck. Peat Bog to get faster mana and then stuff the graveyard with cards. Bojuka Bog for reigning in the downside of Exhume. Dark Ritual for tempo and early game shenanigans. Lastly, Infernal Idol as a solid choice mana-rock (enters untapped) and can be sacrificed for a Night's Whisper-style effect.
With this deck, I often can get a first turn Troll of Khazad-dum into play which is usually devastating for the opponent (play Swamp-->Dark Ritual-->Swampcycle the Troll-->Exhume). However, the wiser play is to forestall a turn one Troll for a better board state and go for the turn 2 Troll (play Swamp-->Dark Ritual-->Infernal Idol (tap)-->Swampcycle the Troll. Turn 2 Play another land-->Exhume the Troll).
Sideboard- Duress for dealing with blue players and pesky Counterspells. Pestilence for clearing chaff creatures. Ray of Ruin should help against threats that Pestilence doesn't clear. Return to Action as a countermeasure for my opponent's removal. Shred Memory for interaction with Exhume which can go 2 ways: Tutoring the Exhume or preventing my opponent from getting benefit from the Exhume.
