Glissa, the Traitor should be taken out for Gravecrawler if you're going to run Mortarpod.

Alternatively, Glissa, the Traitor should be taken out for Gravecrawler because you're only running one artifact.

She's deathtouch and first strike and the synergy she has with this and the Mortarpod works great. I like the idea of Gravecrawler in here. I'll add that.

I'm thinking, swap Mortarpod out for Blazing Torch if you're running Glissa. But yea, I don't see her doing much in here apart from fitting the color scheme.

I agree that Gravecrawler would be a nice idea, with him being a recurring threat. Perhaps you could even find space for a Falkenrath Noble or two to soft-swing the life totals a bit.

I'd also swap out Virulent Wound as you're not playing infect and there's better removal in black atm, even Tragic Slip would do a lot more. (or Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, etc...)

Mortarpod is in here because it's "this creature deals 1 damage and if that creature has deathtouch then it's leathal so I have it here for the removal. Virulent Wound is used to give my Geralf's Messenger another kick at the can. i.e. the -1 counter fizzles the +1 counter giving it undying again.

in that case, I'd suggest Fume Spitter instead of Virulent Wound. He can chump, or you can sac him for the same effect, but he actually does something when he hits the board.Or perhaps Grim Affliction if you want the instant speed, to prolif your other undead creatures with +1 counters?

And I understand the whole Mortarpod / Deadly Allure thing, but you've got a 3-card combo there that you're hoping for, and it's eating away 8 removal cards. Why go through all this effort to destroy something with Mortarpod when you can just run Doom Blade? (or Beast Within, etc)

I like the idea of Fume Spitter because it's a chump blocker and doesn't have the poison side affect but it is nice to have the instant speed removal if needed so I'm torn. The trick is to use Virulent Wound at sorcery speed because at instant spead (say when blocking etc...) it doesn't work as the -1 and +1 counters don't fizzle each other out until after the stack resolves and by then, it's too late.

So the whole Mortarpod/deathtouch thing is because it's repeatable as apposed to a one time Doom Blade which isn't. Plus I'm a Johnny. :)

Just play tested this a couple of rounds and went 3-0. Virulent Wound was very good.

hmm Hex Parasite is better.