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"They are bred to suffer and born to die. Much like humans." -Gix, Yawgmoth praetor

Obviously it's another As nauseam / Necropotence storm deck. Low cmc to draw as much as possible and get a huge storm count fast. Mono is not the best storm colour, we have very limited options to protect our key spells, Ad Nauseam HAS to resolve. We can back up but a counter realy hurts.

This is my first storm build. I don't want to run 50+ lands or other cards only because they're for free. I try to be prepared for every problem I might have during THE turn (usualy between turn 4 and 7).

NOTE: This is a multiplayer deck, 3 opponents on the table and because I will not change my playgroup most of them know what they're facing when I play Sidisi.

During the first turns we want to ramp and set up a fast Sidisi, Undead Vizier or any other tutor to grab Ad Nauseam. If we are able to get an infinite hand size we can go for Necropotence too, but this needs a bit more set up, we will get into it later. After we've drawn until only 6-8 life are left we want to close it out. My main win condition is Aetherflux Reservoir, but you can find Exsanguinate, Tendrils of Agony and Sickening Dreams in the list as well. Each of those can end the game or support the Aetherflux Reservoir-plan at least.

Well, cause I love mono ! I love to sacrifice my stuff for value. Sac dudes, sac artifacts, sac lands, sac everything! Next point: I want to play Ad Nauseam, I realy want! I am nearly obsessed by this card, its artwork, its power... and its ability to (kind of) draw cards as hell - only by paying life. No one needs life...!

And that is the deck. Pay life, play things, sacrifice them and play them again.

Ok. Weaknesses. Unfortunately I have to admit, this deck has some:
  • our artifacts enter the battlefield tapped/ stax decks?! BAD!
  • fast aggro decks that attack us? -> less life to pay for AN/Potence = BAD!
  • someone counters our stuff, especially AN, the reservoir or our other key spells?! BAD!
  • only 2 draw spells beside Ad Nauseam and Necropotence -> stuck with a bad hand? can't get the next Sidisi to get out of this mess?! Realy BAD!

BUT

  • no other deck can offer you this tention, can you chain enough spells to everyone in only one turn? Each game is different even though we are after the same plan.
  • how many -non combo- decks can get rid of 3 opponents on turn 4?
  • go to 5 life even you don't know if you can make it? Pure thrill! (I'm shaking every time I get into my turn with such a massive hand)
  • the opponents faces! They're full of fear, helplessness and despair once you storm off, I think every black mage loves these kind of faces...

As you see, this deck is not made for everyone, but if you want to play at a level of highest tension this might be your deck! Give it a try.

Running this route requires a bit more work. At first you have to have an infinite handsize, Reliquary Tower, Thought Vessel and Spellbook can you get there. Next it is important to survive until your next turn. You can keep your life total above the total board power, play Glacial Chasm (keep the next upkeep in mind) or you can protect yourself with Darkness. If you manage this Necropotence potentially can give you more cards than Ad Nauseam.

Regardless of whether you cast Ad Nauseam or draw via Necropotence, keep yourself above 5 life! Vampiric Tutor can cost you 2 life, Withering Boon another 3.Sign in Blood costs you 2 more. Not to mention a bolt out of nowhere...

Let's assume we could resolve a Ad Nauseam or we have drawn with Necropotence and have a life total of less than 10. What do we want to do first? Be sure our opponents can't stop us anymore! Therefore I use Distress, Duress and kozileks inquisition - no more counter or artifact destruction allowed! Defense Grid is by far my favourite way to keep those nasty blue spells away from our stuff. If we have to we can clear the board with Toxic Deluge / Innocent Blood / Fatal Push / Tragic Slip to get rid of stax effects on a stick. For this kind of creatures (or if we face a Mystic Snake / Venser, Shaper Savant) we run a copy of Withering Boon as well. Sometimes, and this might never become relevant, I have to shut down graveyard shenanigans, Tormod's Crypt can get the job done.

If we have not drawn into, we tutor for Aetherflux Reservoir with Demonic Tutor, Diabolic Intent, Vampiric Tutor or even with our commander Sidisi, Undead Vizier. Vampiric Tutor is a bit clumsy cause it tutors on top of our library but we hopefully can draw into it with Sign in Blood or Night's Whisper. Keep your land drop this turn until you know you do not need Buried Ruin to get Aetherflux Reservoir back! Always keep Imp's Mischief available, you can redirect a counter or destruction spell targeting Imp's Mischief instead of our important stuff.

Once the Aetherflux Reservoir is online we play the storm game. Of course there is no specific order, "simply" try to keep the chain going and going and going. Here is a list of cards that replace themselves manawise.

without Heartless Summoning / Helm of Awakening / Jet Medallion:

with Heartless Summoning / Helm of Awakening / Jet Medallion:

I highly recommend tutoring for Skirge Familiar, generating a big amount of mana only by discarding useless lands and other stuff. Bubbling Muck, Extraplanar Lens and Cabal Coffers can be good too but you might be light on swamps.

Got stuck on a hand full of lands or stuff you can not cast? Activate Scroll Rack and get a new one!

So far, so good. And now? We've cast some spells, got mana, got life. What is next?

Krark-Clan Ironworks! Sacrifice everythinng you don't need. If you feel you might need to (you could do the math instead of feeling it) then play Tendrils of Agony. Potentially you kill someone, sometimes you only need the extra life. Done? Still not enough life? Cast Yawgmoth's Will and do it all again.

Need life for our Aetherflux Reservoir? Zuran Orb can get you there. Need mana to keep going? Rain of Filth can get you there. Lands are nothing more but resources.

Way 1: Given that Aetherflux Reservoir is still in play:

Always keep in mind there could be a Lightning Bolt out there!

Way 2: Tendrils of Agony for opponent No. one, get it back with Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed and kill the 2nd, cast it a 3rd time with Yawgmoth's Will and finish the last one. Drawback: You need a storm count of 20+ and enough mana to cast it again and again. Advantage: Pure Style, true storm!

Way 3: You've got a 40+ god-hand with AN? Sickening Dreams with Dark Sphere or Glacial Chasm is your way to go! Drawback: No plan B, if this fails you're done. Even if you are not able to kill people this way, with an Exquisite Blood in play you get life for Way 1

Way 4: You have Rings of Brighthearth and Basalt Monolith in play? Go for a big Exsanguinate. Drawback: BORING

possible cuts:
  • Expedition Map: do not know if I have the time to spend a whole turn to find Lake of the Dead
  • Extraplanar Lens: I feel like it is not worth to spend 3 life and 3 mana to generate 2-3 mana. same problem with Crypt Ghast (will not find him here anymore)
  • Innocent Blood: do not like the card, but I guess it gets his job done
  • Distress: may exchange for thoughthseize (which causes 1 life loss via AN but 2 on the stack... not sure)
  • Exsanguinate: contra: no storm, boring, and kind of goofy / pro: alternate win con, generates life for our reservoir-plan

possible adds:

neat ideas:

Finally you made it through my list, I appreciate this! There are only a few things I want to mention.

At first, not this deck neither the primer are nearly done at all. I play it since march 2017 and I'm learning and improving.

Next please keep in mind that this is and will always be mono black storm. It will never be a competative T1 deck but I like it that way. Sometimes you win in a way no one expects, sometimes you are just sitting there unable to do anything.

'Kind of a primer?!' you might ask? Yes, kind of. Storm without and ANT without at least will never be more than kind-of-a-storm-deck.

As I sad, I am new to storm! Please be indulgent to me. All your thoughts, tips and suggestions are requested and highly appreciated!

Do you like my new born pet deck? Leave a +1!

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Top Ranked
  • Achieved #33 position overall 7 years ago
Date added 7 years
Last updated 2 years
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

3 - 0 Mythic Rares

22 - 0 Rares

28 - 0 Uncommons

18 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 1.75
Tokens Thopter 1/1 C
Folders Cool
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