Gakros - I wanted to tag you in this deck as you helped me bring my focus back to the deck. Can you tell me what you think of the new updates? Anything that you might possibly change or suggest?

glad i could help Pheardemons.
I dont like the Altar's Reap for sure. Why try to kill yourself when there are lots of cards like Smallpox that easily 2-1 the opponent.
Try to find similar cards.
I don't have atm any in mind but i am certain there are lot's of card's that say "both players sac a creature".

My Way of going on the sorc's / instants would be removal to wipe enemy board so i can attack directly.
So i would remove,
- Quest for the Gravelord
- Altar's Reap
- Bloodsoaked Champion
And add,
+ creature removal (and sideboard hand control)
+ Some Unearth creatures (example Extractor Demon to try 1 shot maybe...)

You have the best combination to out resource them .Use it !!!
Don't play on their pace, Make Them play yours.
;)

Gakros - I want to give you a detailed reasoning of the cards you suggested to take out. Then please let me know if it influences your mind about changing anything.

Quest for the Gravelord - This card is there to give me the big guy. All of my creatures are fairly weak, and an overpowering board state is not something that will probably happen with this deck. Quest for the Gravelord is there to give me something that will happen for doing what the deck wants to do. It is almost a 5/5 creature for one mana. Every competitive setting can and would utilize that if they could.

Altar's Reap is in playtesting at the moment, but as you can imagine I go hell bent quite often with this deck. It is there to help draw into more cards, and keep the fuel going. Since it is an instant, I can play it at my opponent's end step sacrificng Bloodghast, to draw two cards, then fetch a land with Verdant Catacombs or Marsh Flats to get it back to still be able to attack if necessary. Literately the board state hasn't changed in that instance. Granted that would be a perfect scenario, but even sacrificing Dark Confidant if my life gets too low, Gravecrawler to be recast, or Bloodsoaked Champion to also be recast, I am gaining a hell of a lot more than I am losing.

Bloodsoaked Champion is one that I have been debating one taking out. However, the recursion is definitely something that synergizes with the game. He is one that I can bring back if I have extra mana. He is definitely one that has helped.

Do you not believe I have enough remmoval? Also do you think I don't have enough hand disruption?

Lastly, has these reasonings change your perceptions or thoughts on any of the cards and/or synergies?

Also future reference, if you go to gatherer.wizards.com you can do simple/advanced searches to find all the cards that you're looking for.

I think you're problem may be that you lose to people going over the top of you, wider than you, and under you, all at the same time. The only matchups I can see this be favorable against is abzan/jund since you can out-value them, and maybe aggro if you can chump block and they don't have battle rage so kick through damage. I like the Extractor Demon because A 5/5 haste flyer can help the deck close out games against a clogged board state, something this deck has trouble with otherwise. I wouldn't include more spot removal because it's not what you're deck is trying to do, and I think collar, liliana, and decay work well enough. I would try to include a couple Languish or, if you have the money, a couple Damnation in the deck to deal with aggro and continue with the "symmetrical effects that aren't really symmetrical" style of the deck.

Red X - Thanks for the comment and suggestions man. I do disagree with decks going "under" me, as this deck is pretty quick to start anyway. Also quicker decks tend to not have a great midrange game, and even worst late game, where my deck beats them every time. The biggest problem is keeping tempo. Over me absolutely, it's why I retired the deck to start, and have added in different combinations of things to try and bridge that gap. Also why white was a part of the deck for awhile to add Path to Exile. Wider is up for debate. I've had very good odds against those kinds of decks, while being completely beaten on other occasions. Honestly that is a 50/50 matchup depending on opening hand.

The thought of Extractor Demon is definitely intriguing. Is that something that is worth multiple spots in the point of trying to discard it every time? Or just a one of to close out late games? I have Phyrexian Obliterator in the sideboard to be another big guy against other big decks. Probably better cards to go there, but it is a pet card and the look on people's faces when they don't have a Path to Exile is great.

As for Damnation, do you think that is mainboard worthy? My worry is a Dark Confidant trigger when this deck already loses enough life. Multiple spots? Only one mainboard with more sideboard?

And for all of these suggestions. What would you recommend to take out?

I would switch the quests with the demons, because the I feel the decks where you need big finishers are ones that can chump a demon for ages and that you want to be using your early turns to get in damage. If you draw it early you shouldn't have a hard time just playing other cards in your hand until you draw a pox, and you can cast it as a 5/5 flyer for 6 later. Damnation I think depends on what decks you're trying to beat with it. I'm thinking use it to blow out aggro, where it would replace cauldron/finks, or to deal with BGx decks, but I don't know if you need help there. AS for under you, I probably should have clarified as through you. I'm talking about Zooicide, skittles, and infect, where they either have Temur Battle Rage or Blighted Agent to not care about blockers. I haven't played with the deck a lot, so I don't know if the Beast Within plus main deck is enough to stop those decks, or if you just get run over.

Red X Most of my creatures can't block anyway. Liliana of the Veil makes them sacrifice a creature, and instant speed Abrupt Decay and Dismember can destroy their creatures. I just don't feel like I need to worry about those kinds of decks. I'm willing to playtest your idea for Extractor Demon, but just do not feel it will be one to keep. I like the overall idea, but Quest for the Gravelord allows me a 5/5 just about anywhere in the game for one mana. Any competitive format would take advantage of that.

I like some of the reasons for Damnation, however Kitchen Finks is there mainly for burn. I'd probably bring Nature's Claim down and take out a couple Beast Within. Something I'll think about.

Again thanks for suggestions man.

Since you are saying you are often hellbent, maybe Asylum Visitor could help?

Bloodspawn - that is an intriguing card and thought. Madness makes it worthwhile to discard, two mana is efficient for the deck, and it applies if my opponent decides to go hellbent for whatever reason. The lifeloss may be relevant, but I can probably figure a way around it. Can also block if needed. I may playtest between that and Altar's Reap. Thanks of the suggestion.

Note that if you and your opponent both are hellbent you will draw a card both in your and your opponents upkeeps (in addition to the one drawn in your draw step). Since you play a full play-set of Smallpox, recursion creatures and low CMC i would try it over Dark Confidant. You will lose less life, draw more cards in the longer games and if you would ever happen to play Smallpox when you have four lands in play and visitor in hand you could play it for it's madness cost (assuming you have e.g. a Bloodsoaked Champion in play for the Sacrifice effect)

Bloodspawn - Thanks for the reminder. Also, if you discard Asylum Visitor to Smallpox and you use its madness cost, Smallpox will resolve first, then Asylum Visitor will be put on the battlefield. Therefore I don't have to worry about sacrificing it to Smallpox. I don't know about replacing it with Dark Confidant, as Asylum Visitor has a restriction. It might be worth playtesting, but not sure...we'll see. It would be so much easier for the budget for the deck though. Definitely could replace Altar's Reap.

Smallpox has several effects to resolve in the order listed on the card. Since the discard effect is before the sacrifice effect that's where you will have your madness trigger and your window to cast Asylum Visitor for it's madness cost. The asylum visitor spell will be on top of the stack and resolve before the rest of the effects of small pox. It's part of what makes smallpox worth playing for 8-rack since creatures like Loxodon Smiter will end up being sacrificed if they are discarded to it and it's controller control no creatures.

card specific ruling for smallpox from gatherer: Each player loses 1 life. Then, starting with the active player and proceeding in turn order, each player chooses a card to discard (normally without seeing what other players have chosen) and all discards happen simultaneously. Then, starting with the active player and proceeding in turn order, each player chooses a creature to sacrifice (this time players can see what other players have chosen) and all sacrifices happen simultaneously. Then the process that happened for creatures is repeated for lands.

Actually i realised theres actually a difference and i might be wrong and you right :) Asylum Visitor will be cast while Loxodon Smiter enters the battlefield as a replacement effect!

Correct. Asylum Visitor's madness is separate than entering the battlefield. PLUS, Smallpox discard effect is apart of the card itself. EVERYTHING on Smallpox resolves first. When you get to the discard part, you pay the madness cost and Asylum Visitor is in exile until Smallpox finishes resolving all of its effects, then Asylum Visitor is put onto the battlefield. That is how I understand the ruling.

You are right! Thank you for the discussion, now i have a new power play to use in the next modern FNM i go to :)

Thanks for the upvote and kind words saturn999. Yea it left my focus for awhile because I became upset with how the deck performed. I should've just altered it then, but coming back to it now seems like it gives me a new perspective on how to play it and what to add.

why is gravecrawler in the deck? sure its a solid creature but without any other zombies (except the 5/5 token) there really isn't any way to reanimate him with any real consistancy, but Nether Traitor may fill a similar nich or gravecrawler and Relentless Dead/Lotleth Troll may help give gravecrawler some consistency.

Vengevine is expensive but has its place in a deck with such a low curve, and the haste is a nice bonus.

Izu_Korasu First off thanks for the comment and suggestions.

Gravecrawler is in the deck because Relentless Dead and Nether Traitor only return if I have the mana open when something dies, which can be strained when I'm playing Smallpox. Gravecrawler allows me to recast it whenever I want to. Relentless Dead can only be brought back if it dies from the battlefield in which I am also discarding cards with Liliana of the Veil and Smallpox.

I like Lotleth Troll overall, but it is one that I can't return from the graveyard if discarded. Granted Dark Confidant and Drana, Liberator of Malakir can't either, but their effects I feel are more powerful and help my boardstate more than Lotleth Troll. However, Lotleth Troll is probably one worth playtesting. The problem with it is I have a finite number of creatures worth discarding, plus some of them I would want to cast if able in certain situations.

Vengevine is an interesting idea. Also worth playtesting. The problem I forsee is that there isn't enough creatures to consistently bring it back, although maybe just playing one could be beneficial. A 4/3 haste creature probably would be beneficial if I discard it early, plus Basilisk Collar and Drana, Liberator of Malakir to make it worth more.

Thanks for the suggestions man, I'll playtest both Lotleth Troll and Vengevine. They both probably won't have more than two card slots, but worth trying them out.

Question for you as well. I am debating on replacing either Dark Confidant or Altar's Reap with Asylum Visitor. Asylum Visitor has the restriction of being hellbent, but it also helps if my opponent gets hellbent as well, plus losing less life. Also the madness is a nice touch meaning I can discard it and still get the benefit. However, Dark Confidant is easily better as I will get to draw every time, albeit at more life in some cases, plus Altar's Reap does draw me two cards, but only two. I haven't had too much time to playtest between these (being that I don't exactly own the Dark Confidants or Asylum Visitors yet), but wouldn't mind an outside opinion on it.

but without any other zombies, how do you reliably cast gravecrawler from the graveyard?

Altar's Reap is an interesting card, and while its decent in response to removal, in most cases it costs 1BB or 2BB and reduces the damage you can do to an opponent. Which in a deck stained for mana with creatures that cant block, feels bad. (or just Sign in Blood/Night's Whisper)

Dark Confidant on the other hand is hitting your for 0-3 damage every turn and most of the cards your drawing dont have the impact to offset that cost. especially if you dont already own them, Asylum Visitor may be a better fit or even Grim Haruspex.

overall though, you may want to shift gears and use smallpox and inquisition to fuel Waste Not (or atleast try it over nissa in the mainboard, giving you free blockers, more mana and zombies to fuel gravecrawler reanimation)

Izu_Korasu

I've actually never had real trouble getting more than one zombie for Gravecrawler. Plus, with the extra draw power, it has increased the chance to get them. I do agree more zombies would help be more consistent.

the reason I chose Altar's Reap over the other two is the instant speed, plus just about all of my creatures can be recast. Granted the ideal would be Bloodghast so I can simply fetch to return it, but it also would help if I have a Dark Confidant and my life is low.

Grim Haruspex is too expensive for what it does. Granted it would be a hell of a lot cheaper on my budget, but I'll go with the other two over it. I have been trying to playtest between Asylum Visitor and Dark Confidant, eventually I'll pick one.

Waste Not has been one I've considered, but the problem is I feel like it could be a wasted turn. If I can't draw then it just sits on the battlefield. Definitely not enough slots for a playset, but possibly two. Something I will definitely consider.

Really enjoy the deck!

Would you mind taking a look at my version of B/W Modern Smallpox, Orzhov's Purulent Plague!?

+1 from me

Cheers!

personally I'd side Waste Not for dredge. The aren't really effected by your main plan, so forcing them to give you tokens when they Conflagrate or Cathartic Reunion will help you chump to survive and win the attrition battle.

Red_X are you suggesting I make room for Waste Not Sideboard? If so, what should I take out? I do play Relic of Progenitus which I have mixed feelings for as I don't want to blow up my graveyard if it is full of creatures, however that sacrifice may have to be made since they utilize it better than mine.

I was saying if you wanted to use Waste Not I'd side it against dredge, because they're practically the only deck that would discard you their own cards, meaning waste not isn't just a time walk for them. It could also be sided against hard control to outgrind them, but I don't know if you actually want to play it, haven't tested it. Relic could come out for it, but I doubt it's main deck playable.