Mono Black Control: Erebos, God of the Dead
Commander / EDH* Control Goodstuff Mono-Black Multiplayer Necropotence Suicide Black
Sorcery (17)
- 1x Beseech the Queen
- 1x Black Sun's Zenith
- 1x Bubbling Muck
- 1x Damnation
- 1x Dead of Winter
- 1x Decree of Pain
- 1x Demonic Tutor
- 1x Exsanguinate
- 1x Mutilate
- 1x Read the Bones
- 1x Reanimate
- 1x Repay in Kind
- 1x Syphon Mind
- 1x Temporal Extortion
- 1x Thoughtseize
- 1x Torment of Hailfire
- 1x Toxic Deluge
Enchantment (9)
Creature (12)
- 1x Burnished Hart
-
1x
Crypt Ghast
- 1x Crypt Rats
- 1x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
- 1x Kokusho, the Evening Star
-
1x
Massacre Wurm
- 1x Myojin of Night's Reach
- 1x Nirkana Revenant
- 1x Phyrexian Obliterator
- 1x Sidisi, Undead Vizier
- 1x Solemn Simulacrum
- 1x Thrashing Wumpus
Land (38)
- 1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
- 1x Cabal Coffers
- 1x Deserted Temple
- 1x Myriad Landscape
- 1x Reliquary Tower
- 30x Swamp
- 1x Thespian's Stage
- 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
- 1x Vesuva
Instant (8)
Commander (1)
Artifact (12)
- 1x Basilisk Collar
- 1x Bolas's Citadel
- 1x Doubling Cube
-
1x
Expedition Map
- 1x Ivory Tower
- 1x Nevinyrral's Disk
- 1x Sensei's Divining Top
- 1x Sol Ring
- 1x Thought Vessel
- 1x Venser's Journal
- 1x Wayfarer's Bauble
- 1x Whip of Erebos
Planeswalker (3)
Maybeboard
Sorcery (14)
- 1x Ashes to Ashes
- 1x Bitter Ordeal
- 1x Dark Petition
- 1x Diabolic Tutor
- 1x Duress
- 1x In Garruk's Wake
- 1x Killing Wave
- 1x Mastermind's Acquisition
- 1x Mind Sludge
- 1x Mind Twist
- 1x Sadistic Sacrament
- 1x Temporal Extortion
- 1x Victimize
- 1x Yawgmoth's Will
Land (6)
Artifact (9)
- 1x Alhammarret's Archive
- 1x Argentum Armor
- 1x Caged Sun
- 1x Extraplanar Lens
- 1x Gauntlet of Power
- 1x Jet Medallion
- 1x Meekstone
- 1x Mirage Mirror
- 1x Thran Dynamo
Creature (8)
- 1x Harvester of Souls
- 1x Magus of the Coffers
- 1x Noxious Gearhulk
- 1x Reiver Demon
- 1x Rune-Scarred Demon
- 1x Sheoldred, Whispering One
- 1x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
- 1x Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Planeswalker (1)
Instant (9)
- 1x Dark Ritual
- 1x Darkness
- 1x Dismember
- 1x Doom Blade
- 1x Price of Fame
- 1x Silence the Believers
- 1x Suffer the Past
- 1x Tendrils of Corruption
- 1x Withering Boon
Enchantment (8)
This deck focuses on a cycle of synergistic mono black ramp and converting that mana into card draw. The card draw fuels additional ramp, the development of more efficient card draw tools, a supply of creature removal until ultimately finding tutors/win conditions to close out the game.
Pros:
Excessive mana/ramp through swamp doubling effects, strong creature control, discard control, flexible tutors and a constantly available source of draw (at the expense of life).
Cons:
The ramp can be slower than traditional ramp and is tied to a few key cards being kept on the board so easier for opponents to turn it offline, little to no control over non-creature permanents and its very tempting to diminish your own life total too low and burn out while digging for cards.
Card Draw:
The central pillar of the deck is its commander Erebos, God of the Dead who is very difficult for opponents to remove and gives you the ability spend 2 mana and 2 life to draw a card at instant speed. As long as your life total can support it you should be dumping excess mana into this each turn.
The draw off Erebos can find additional card draw card effects that are more efficient, they should be prioritized over spending mana on Erebos's ability. Such as Necropotence which is a hyper efficient but will draw you immediate hate from the table. Phyrexian Arean and Ob Nixilis Reignited are steady draw engines, while Read the Bones and Syphon Mind allow one time efficient card draws with the respective bonus effects of scry and discard. Sensei's Divining Top is a great way to have control over what you are drawing with Erebos.
Ramp:
Cabal Coffers is the kingpin of the deck and first priority to get out, using Erebos to find it or a tutor that you use to grab it such as Expedition Map , Beseech the Queen , Demonic Tutor , Vampiric Tutor or Sidisi, Undead Vizier .
Cards that synergize with Cabal Coffers : Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth , Deserted Temple , Vesuva and Thespian's Stage .
Other ramp that is focused on the number of swamps Crypt Ghast , Nirkana Revenant , and Bubbling Muck .
Finally, Doubling Cube , Black Market , Burnished Hart , Sol Ring , Solemn Simulacrum , Thought Vessel , Myriad Landscape and Wayfarer's Bauble .
Win Conditions:
Once you have ramped and player's life totals are low through natural attrition you want to cast a giant Torment of Hailfire or Exsanguinate to win the game, spending your mana with Erebos to find them or a tutor for them. If possible you can help protect the cast with Boseiju, Who Shelters All . Imp's Mischief can counter a counterspell. If you cannot protect the cast then you should first try to direct your card discard at any blue control players to force out a counterspell with Thoughtseize or Myojin of Night's Reach .
Crypt Rats and Thrashing Wumpus are backup closers, though they are preferred to be used to gain life (read further below) to help stay in the game long enough as they only hit for one damage per mana spent.
Sorin Markov is a way to quickly take out a player if you can combo it with 10 damage at the same time.
Removal:
Being mono black the deck removes creatures extremely easily, even if they are hexproof or indestructible. There is a large toolbox of board wipes and spot removal, use them first defensively to stop anyone who might be attacking you directly as this deck has few blockers otherwise you should be killing opponents commander's and other important creatures to slow their development.
Board Wipes:
Black Sun's Zenith , Mutilate , Toxic Deluge & Dead of Winter all deal with indestructible and regenerate.
Decree of Pain helps refill your hand late game or can be cycled to deal with tokens.
Nevinyrral's Disk good at slowing down the game and doesn't destroy Erebos. One of the few ways to deal with artifacts/enchantments.
Damnation well costed, deals with regenerate, doesn't destroy Erebos even if hes online.
Massacre Wurm counters token decks, doesn't hit your creatures and is extremely powerful if it can be played with Sudden Spoiling .
Spot Removal:
The below are instant speed which is important so you can keep mana up to use them at the last second, if not needed can use the mana to draw off Erebos before your turn.
Font of Agonies great synergy with Erebos and value through repeated uses.
Hero's Downfall flexible in that it hits both creatures and planeswalkers.
Go for the Throat one of only two removal that has a clause on what it can target, but very cheap.
Murder hits any creature.
Defile cheap and can kill indestructible and get around regenerate.
Curtains' Call destroys two of any creature usually for only 3 mana.
Finally, Karn Liberated the only spot removal in the deck for non creature permanents.
Life Gain:
You are going to be spending a lot life on Erebos's ability and need to regain some of it to keep yourself in the game. Though when your lifetotal does get low, its a great time to play Repay in Kind .
Exsanguinate even if you cannot cast it for enough to kill the table it can keep you in the game for another turn or two.
Basilisk Collar or Whip of Erebos + Crypt Rats or Thrashing Wumpus can gain you an incredible amount of life and/or finish off player(s). Probably will have to tutor for at least one of the pieces though.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel and Kokusho, the Evening Star great ETBs that can be reoccurred with Whip of Erebos , Necromancy , Reanimate or Animate Dead .
Bloodchief Ascension usually a pipe dream that won't get there, but great if it doesn't get removed in the mean time cheap way to get one devotion for Erebos.
Venser's Journal steady life gain plus added befit of the no maximum hand size.
Ivory Tower you are going to be spending a lot of life to draw cards, this card helps you gain it back.
Defense:
If Erebos, God of the Dead gets online he is a great blocker being indestructible and having 7 toughness. Phyrexian Obliterator is a good deterrent who will stop non-flyers from attacking you, he also single handily brings Erebos, God of the Dead devoution online. No Mercy is another way to encourage opponents to attack someone else instead. Finally, Sudden Spoiling can trigger a fog like effect, or make it easier for one of your -X/-X boardwipes.
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| Date added | 8 years |
| Last updated | 5 years |
| Legality | This deck is Commander / EDH legal. |
| Rarity (main - side) | 12 - 0 Mythic Rares 38 - 0 Rares 13 - 0 Uncommons 7 - 0 Commons |
| Cards | 100 |
| Avg. CMC | 3.47 |
| Tokens | Emblem Ob Nixilis Reignited |
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