My current build of mono black pox. With extensive testing and a willingness to change, this deck can get beyond tier 5. To that end, here are a few cards and updates over the last few years that may give an edge to the deck:
2021
Kaldheim
Tergrid, God of Fright
- if kept on the board, every permanent sacrifice or discard is a card you get to keep, turning our potentially weak spells into bit tempo swings. However, 5 CMC is tough, especially for a creature which dies to smallpox. The flip side of the card has synergy with our strategy and complements liliana, waker of the dead and court of ambition style strategies.
2020
Commander Legends
Court of Ambition
- A four mana enchantment that both disrupts (discard) and wins the game (through life loss). While the four mana may be difficult to hit, the permanent, ongoing disruption that leans into significant life loss is right in line without game plan. The monarch ability is interesting because it may benefit us at one point, but may inadvertently benefit the opponent under the other. Only testing will tell how well this slots into our win con suite. Importantly, it cannot be abrupt decay's or removed by Oko.
Opposition Agent
- An instant speed creature which lets you grab whatever your opponent was searching their library for. As legacy has many search the library functions this will be a "gotcha" card in many instances, though in some matches would have limited utility. Can be cast 1st turn off a Dark Ritual.
Zendikar Rising
Feed the Swarm
- Targeted enchantment or creature removal at the cost of life, which may be more valuable if hitting certain enchantments is important out of the sideboard for your build.
Bloodchief's Thirst
- One mana creature removal which turns into targeted four mana creature or planeswalker removal. This is beneficial because it has value at both early and late game, and gives further meaning to dark rituals beyond the first few turns. It's a decent answer to Oko.
Core 2021
Liliana, Waker of the Dead
- Another playable Liliana planeswalker. She is 4 CMC which is high, but is at least out of Abrupt Decay territory. She may be somewhat of a build around, but has excellent pox synergy for several reasons: Her +1 provides disruption (all players discard a card) and provides a clock of not (they lose 3 life if no cards in hand). Thus, she both helps put opponents into topdeck mode, and then provides a wincon afterward. In this regard, she has synergy when on the board alongside Liliana of the Veil. Her -3 provides targeted removal (nice in a pinch) and her ultimate can end the game, if there are sufficient creature cards in graveyards.
Eliminate
- Instant speed targeted removal for any creature OR planeswalker 3 cmc and under. While this fails to hit some notable planeswalkers (Karn, great creator and Jace), this does hit most relevant planeswalkers. This card was badly needed in Pox and should be played in some significant quantity.
Necromentia
- A better Lost Legacy, as it can hit artifacts. However, the art is so terrible it makes the card unplayable.
Theros Beyond Death
Erebos's Intervention
- Another modal spell that hits graveyards or creatures and gains life. Instant speed graveyard removal is great, and the ability to kill small creatures means it isn't a dead card the rest of the time.
Cling to Dust
- Instant speed graveyard removal that can be a sort of draw engine or lifegain engine thanks to the escape mechanic. It utilizes the graveyard heavily, and doesn't seem to play well with delve creatures. This card also gives more meaning to late game top decked dark rituals.
Pharika's Libation
- Instant speed edict for either enchantments or creatures (you choose). While this is one CBC over Mire in Misery, it is instant speed and, more importantly, let's you choose which one. Another answer for enchantments which was much needed in black.
2019
Throne of Eldraine:
Castle Locthwain
- Joins the ranks of lands which allow us to draw a card. Unlike all the rest, though, this produces black mana. This also gives more relevance to late game dark rituals.
Murderous Rider
- Planeswalker and creature removal that can come back as a lifegaining creature. This takes care of a problem permanent for us (planeswalkers) and provides a wincon, at the disadvantage of requiring much mana.
Commander 2019:
Mire in Misery
- Conditional enchantment removal in mono-black. The fact that the opponent can sacrifice a creature instead may not always be a downgrade, as that means it can double as creature removal.
Modern Horizons:
Rotting Regisaur
- a 7/6 for 3 mana that requires us to discard one card per upkeep. This is not a big deal if we have no cards in hand, or have redundant cards in hand, which pox often does. It can also come down turn one off a Ritual.
Dead of Winter
- if you can swing 15+ Snow-Covered Swamps, this is a super three mana sweeper. Better yet, because it's -X/-X, any large creature such as
Tombstalker
or
Rotting Regisaur
will likely survive, breaking the symmetry of the spell.
Plague Engineer
- One sided engineered plague on a stick. The added deathtouch ability means it's frequently at 2-for-1. A solid addition to our multifacted creature removal. It's another win condition that helps advance pox's game plan.
Arcum's Astrolabe
- Obviously a current staple in legacy, it is worth pondering whether Acrum's Astrolabe may help pox both have consistency and reach BB mana costs with colorless lands easier, provided a snow lands build is used.
War of the Sparks: A great set for Pox!
Liliana's Triumph
- Essentially an upgrade to
Diabolic Edict
because it doesn't target, and, when we control a Liliana planeswalker, which we frequently do, it can cause the opponent to discard a card on their draw step. Pox thrives on 2-for-1's, so this is a great addition.
The Elderspell
- Planeswalkers are a huge problem for pox. Though it can take out multiple walkers, this will likely only take out 1 opposing walker. If we have a Liliana out, it will help us ultimate faster. Probably best as a sideboard card secondary to its limited scope. A corner application is using it on our own walker in order to pump the other; for example, killing a LOTV in order to add counters to a LTLH which may be able to ultimate that turn and thereby end the game faster.
Ashiok, Dream Render
- It fits the bill for resource denial in two ways. First, it shuts off fetches and tutors, the latter of which are currently very common in Legacy. Second, it is a repeatable graveyard wipe, an effect which has application against a lot of different decks. It's obviously a great tool against reanimator and dredge, but also against anything running value cards such as
Snapcaster Mage
,
Arclight Phoenix
, or
Gurmag Angler
. This should probably be in the sideboard, but it's worth considering at least one mainboard for the primary purpose of shutting off fetches. In regard to the latter point, it's noteworthy that having an
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
out will allow the opponent to tap fetches for mana, so having an Ashiok in play may affect the decision to play an Urborg or not.
Blast Zone
- A
Ratchet Bomb
-type effect on a land. More ways to deal with problematic permanents are always welcome.
Karn, the Great Creator
- One sided null rod and tutor. This is more of a build around card, particularly at 4 CMC and requiring sideboard spots, but is evidently powerful.
2018
July 2nd Banned and Restricted:
Deathrite Shaman
and
Gitaxian Probe
are banned in Legacy. This will obviously cause a major shift in the metagame. If RUG Delver becomes more popular, this is very good for Pox. If Reanimator becomes more popular, then perhaps a maindeck
Bojuka Bog
will be merited.
Dominaria:
Karn, Scion of Urza
- A new source of card selection with no color requirement that also doubles as a win-con. It serves a different role than a tutor by providing a consistent increase in card selection (+1 card per turn).
Damping Sphere
- Potentially good sideboard tech against Storm, Elves, and decks that run sol lands. Of note, it requires a storm count of 4 to be superior to
Sphere of Resistance
(0+1+2+3 vs 1+1+1+1)
Rivals of Ixalan:
Mastermind's Acquisition
- A new potential tutor which has the obvious downside of costing one more than most commonly used tutors, but with the obvious upside of being able to use your sideboard in game 1. Can potentially use to tutor for silver bullets, encouraging heterogeneity in both maindeck and sideboard, a move which top 8 decks have been making anyway. The inclusion also encourages a few 0 CMC cards in the sideboard (ie.,
Tormod's Crypt
or
Surgical Extraction
, so that they may be cast same-turn as the tutor if you do not have abundant mana.
2017
Aether Revolt
Fatal Push
- Contending for the same spot as
Innocent Blood
. Comparing to IB, it is better versus
Young Pyromancer
or any deck that consistently puts out multiple creatures. However, there are many larger creatures it cannot kill, or times when targeting is undesirable.
Hour of Devastation
Bontu's Last Reckoning
- Can supplement
Toxic Deluge
as sweeper #2. The life loss is avoided at the cost of losing mana next turn (unless the spell is countered), which may not be a big deal in some circumstances. Also, some larger creatures which cannot be realistically destroyed with
Toxic Deluge
can be destroyed with
Bontu's Last Reckoning
.
2016
Eldritch Moon
Liliana, the Last Hope
- Can now concurrently supplement
Liliana of the Veil
to reliably take out 1-2 creatures per turn. Additionally, it can recur
Tombstalker
or other non-recurring creatures and provides a slow win condition.
Collective Brutality
- Killing a T1
Deathrite Shaman
or hitting a
Young Pyromancer
is key.
Collective Brutality
can take out both, but also serve as discard. Obvious synergy with a graveyard strategy. The card has particular application against burn, with each mode being relevant. It's nice having a 2CMC spell that doesn't cost double black.
Geier Reach Sanitarium
- Ever since
Sensei's Divining Top
was banned, Pox has wanted for card selection. I have attempted to solve this with including one tutor, and now this land. The obvious downside is allowing your opponent card selection if you are not hellbent, but the upside versus
Sea Gate Wreckage
is not requiring three mana (and one dedicated colorless) to activate. In general, this also pairs well with graveyard effects. If combined with
Chains of Mephistopheles
, it can make your opponent discard the only card they drew during their upkeep at instant speed.
Shadows over Innistrad
To the Slaughter
- Can hit
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
and other planeswalkers. Delirium is not difficult to achieve, so it can potentially 2 for 1 opponents, particularly in the mid to late game. Also useful for an instant edict effect for Marit Lage.
2014
Khans of Tarkir
Necropolis Fiend
- Serves as both repeated creature removal and win condition. Importantly, it is a win condition that hits for more than 2 per turn. This obviously competes with
Tombstalker
's spot and costs one more mana.
