Welcome to another installment of Precon Recon here at Pojo.com. This week, in honor of the New Phyrexia, I figured I would tweak a Phyrexian based deck and make it as mean as we can. So I looked at the Phyrexian Poison deck and thought there was something worth building on. For the original deck list, go here: http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/547.

Phyrexian Poison

Scars of Mirrodin Intro Pack
Main Deck
60 cards

13 Forest
13 Swamp
 
1 Blackcleave Goblin
1 Contagious Nim
2 Corpse Cur
2 Cystbearer
1 Hand of the Praetors
2 Ichor Rats
3 Ichorclaw Myr
2 Necropede
3 Plague Stinger
1 Putrefax
2 Tangle Angler

2 Assassinate
2 Bladed Pinions
2 Carrion Call
2 Giant Growth
1 Heavy Arbalest
1 Relic Putrescence
1 Rise from the Grave
2 Slice in Twain
1 Strider Harness

     Now, I would like to make this one a mono-black deck, so our take away immediately removes ALL green cards. There’s eleven cards gone right from the gate. I would also go about removing the Relic Putresence, it won’t be key in giving the opponent infect as some other cards. I would also remove the Assassinates, better ways to kill creatures will be added. Another card to remove is Rise From the Grave. While it is nice to put a creature back onto the battlefield, we will utilize another spell that comes in just as handy. I also find no need for the Strider Harness in the deck we are constructing. So we have sixteen cards out. The majority of the other cards are useful, and we can use them.

     Now I will be building the revamped deck in two different ways, one vintage style, and one standard style. Just remember that in each deck you need to replace the Forests with Swamps. The vintage is easiest to explain, and requires little effort but makes one mean deck. Four Soulless Ones, four Undead Warchiefs, four Phyresis, four Go For the Throats. Simple, effective, mean.

    The Standard style deck is more fun to construct, simply because you are able to add limited amounts of things. For starters, if you can get your hands on Phyrexian Crusaders, they definitely are worth putting in here. But, if you can’t fear not, we have other options as well. For instance, adding three more Contagious Nim gives us that mid-game infect creature that will likely win us the game. Another cards that screams to go in is the Virulent Wound. Four should go in, no question. The reason is whenever a creature targeted by the Virulent Wound dies, it’s controller gains a poison counter. This could easily wipe out any one toughness creatures while poisoning the opponent. Once you throw one out, your opponent starts questioning what they should play, and that buys you time to go in for the kill. Spreading Sickness costs a little too much for a four of, but at least two means killing some creature, and then proliferating the poison counters on your opponent. Then, four Go For the throat. I cannot emphasize how great of a kill spell this cards really is. Even in standard it takes many threats out. That leaves us room for three more spells. I would probably mix it up with some combination of Contagion Clasp and Plague Myr. I would go with two Plague Myr and one Contagion Claps, but if your taste varies, switch it. I just like the mana production from the Myr, and the fact that if an opponent is open he can get another poison counter in.

    And there you have it. These decks offer a very Phyrexian way to play. Winning isn’t everything for Phyrexia, it is the only thing. And these decks do just that, they win. It is hard not to win a game when you have to work half as hard as your opponent. That is what makes poison so effective. And that is why I decided to exploit it. So get out there and poison someone. The one way to sweeten the deal even more is to listen to some Poison while doing so.

     So until next time everybody, keep safe, and keep gaming!