The Power of the Skull

New sets and new formats bring new ideas - sometimes, though, the sparks of the strategies of an older time still holds true until today. Many players out there will remember Necropotence and, I imagine, will give a slight involuntary grin at the thought of and the dominance it once had. But there are a whole lot of players out there who don't remember, but have heard whispered rumors around the gaming shops. Wouldn't it be nice to show them what the sheer raw power of the skull can really do? The card and the deck that fundamentally changed the way people thought about resources also changed the face of Magic forever. Let us then harken back to the days of old and command in the splendid moments once dubbed Black Summer.

You'll Like This Deck If...
You love conjuring the Power of the Skull.
You love going into a Card Advantage war.
You love your personal Demon.

You Won't Like This Deck If...
You're not a control player.
You believe Orange is the new Black.
You're a fan of Avacyn.

Deck Deconstructed
Although we are translating the deck for Commander, the key elements remain the same. The overall strategy will rely on a single attrition war - Card Advantage. Using hand disruption and other control cards, you can ruin your opponent's strategy early on. Eventually, you can bring your opponents to their knees picking apart their game plan while allowing you enough time to build up yours. When you run low on cards, you simply fill your hand back up and get back to business...which leads us to...

Grislebrand is your Necropotence on a stick. Probably, the best Commander a Mono Black Control player could ever ask for hands down. He lets you draw a new hand and gives you more than what Necropotence and Yawgmoth's Bargain couldn't. He solves your life gain problems, doesn't let you skip your draw step, and nets you the cards immediately instead of waiting for them on your end step. A 7/7 flying lifelinker Demon that just won't go away is nearly as annoying as your neighborhood smacker. What's not to love?!

Mono Black Control Format: Duel Commander Commander: Griselbrand

Artifacts [24] Basalt Monolith Charcoal Diamond Chrome Mox {Imprint} Coalition Relic Everflowing Chalice {Multikicker 2} Expedition Map Fellwar Stone Fractured Powerstone Gilded Lotus Guardian Idol Helm of Obedience Jet Medallion Lion's Eye Diamond Lotus Bloom {Suspend 3} Mind Stone Mox Diamond Mox Opal {Metalcraft} Pithing Needle Prismatic Lens Rings of Brighthearth Thran Dynamo Unstable Obelisk Wayfarer's Bauble Worn Powerstone Creatures [2] Crypt Ghast {Extort} Dimir House Guard {Transmute} Enchantments [6] Curse of Death's Hold Infernal Darkness Leyline of the Void Night of Souls' Betrayal Phyrexian Arena Underworld Connections Planeswalkers [5] Karn Liberated Liliana of the Dark Realms Liliana of the Veil Liliana Vess Sorin Markov

Instants [7] Bile Blight Dark Ritual Diabolic Edict Dismember Hero's Downfall Murderous Cut {Delve} Shred Memory {Transmute} Sorceries [18] All Is Dust Beseech the Queen Black Sun's Zenith Chainer's Edict {Flashback} Damnation Demonic Tutor Dimir Machinations {Transmute} Distress Duress Exsanguinate Hymn to Tourach Inquisition of Kozilek Mind Shatter Sinkhole Thoughtseize Toxic Deluge Unmask Yawgmoth's Will Lands [37] Bloodstainded Mire Bojuka Bog Cabal Coffers Cavern of Souls Crystal Vein Deserted Temple Marsh Flats Maze of Ith Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx {Devotion} Phyrexian Tower Polluted Delta Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth Verdant Catacombs Wasteland Swamps - 23

Annotations
Notes: 06:00 PM 00/00/2015 [ ]

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