QUARTER CARD BLACK SPEED
Black Beat Down:
Creatures:
4-Skittering Horror
4-Skittering Skirge
4-Spineless Thug
4-Whipstiched Zombies
2-Skulking Fugitive
2-Bog Wraith
Spells:
4-Dark Ritual
4-Terror
4-Paralyze
2-Corrupt
2-Vendetta
4-Parallax Dementia
Land:
16-Swamps
4-Peat Bog
This deck is similar to Red Sligh. You cast a creature and then remove any threats in your way so your creature can get through. Paralyze is an unexpected threat, since it can work on black creatures. Vendetta is a little harsh in the late game, so it can be switched out for enfeeblement or vicious hunger. The corrupts are added in to assist in taking out other black creatures or for getting in the final blow to finish off an opponent. You will only need 20 land since most of your spells cost less then 3 to cast.
Black Hand Destruction
Creatures:
4-Abyssal Specter
4-Mindstab Thrull
4-Ravenous Rats
4-Alley Grifters
2-Fog of Gnats
2-Wall of Distortion
Spells:
4-Dark Ritual
4-Peat Bog
4-Duress
4-Hymn to Tourach
2-Coercion
2-Corrupt
Land:
20-Swamp
The hand destruction is more mana intensive then the other decks. You may even want to run as high as 26 to 28 total lands by removing one creature and one spell. You are going to lose life when playing this deck. By the time the game turns around you will be in single digits. But that’s ok, that’s how it works. By round 4 or 5 your opponent should have an empty hand.
Depending on the decks you run into, you may choose to run some creature destruction. The 2 corrupts are there to bring you back from the brink and put in the finishing damage. If you have access to Rackling or The Rack, it is highly recommended you fit them in. It is also recommended that you swap out Hypnotic Specters for the Abyssal Specter.
Black Fly Boy Pump
Creatures:
4-Belbe’s Percher
4-Feral Shadow
4-Skittering Skirge
4-Misshapen fiend
2-Vampire Bats
2-Fog of Gnats
Spells:
4-Dark Ritual
4-Twisted Experiment
4-Unholy Strength
4-Terror
2-Corrupt
2-Howl from Beyond
Land:
2-Peat Bog
18-Swamp
This deck is made to evade your opponent’s creatures by flying over them.
It is an aggressive attack deck, which pumps up the creatures you have. Most of your spells are just 2 casting cost, so 20 lands should be plenty.
Now as mentioned before, most guys will have extra common cards lying around. These commons will usually be from past sets. So the deck that you can construct will be type I or extended. That’s ok though, because you are just going to be using them for fun/learning, not tourneys. Just make sure when you do decide to play another player; you let him know what format you are playing with. You should also let him know that you don’t have any power cards. This way, more people will be apt to play with you.
Black Hand Destruction Type I
Creatures:
4-Abyssal Specter
4-Mindstab Thrull
4-Order of the Ebon Hand
4-Dauthi Slayer
4-Dauthi Horror
Spells:
4-Hymn to Tourach
4-Duress
4-Dark Ritual
4-Diabolic Edict
2-Unholy Strength
1-Lotus Petal
1-Drain Life
Land:
20-Swamps
This deck is very flexible, as you will see. In this incarnation it uses hand destruction as a primary force to get rid of problems. It uses pro white creatures, which is blacks main problem. It also uses two common shadow creatures to do the main damage to your opponent. Diabolic edict gets rid of anything that hits the board.
Black Pump Type I
Creatures:
4-Erg Raiders
4-Order of the Ebon Hand
4-Dauthi Slayer
4-Dauthi Horror
4-Skittering Skirge
Spells:
4-Dark Ritual
4-Unholy Strength
4-Diabolic Edict
2-Parallax Dementia
2-Twisted Experiment
2-Howl from Beyond
1-Lotus Petal
1-Brush with Death
Lands:
20-Swamp
This deck uses two casting cost creatures to come out hard and fast. The advantage of this is that you will hardly ever get mana screwed or fall victim to land destruction. With one dark ritual, an Erg Raider and an Unholy Strength, you have a 4/4 creature round one. The lone Brush with Death is included to get around Worship and Circle Of Protection Black, since it is loss of life and not damage.
Sideboard:
When it comes to sideboarding blacks biggest problems come from White and Green. So you are going to want to put some “color hosers” in your sideboard.
If you can get a hold of the uncommons “Gloom”, “Dread of Night”, “Deathgrip” and “Perish” your sideboard will be extremely effective against both White and Green. If not you will have to look for ways around. “Protection from Black” creatures will be your biggest threat. The artifact creature “Grapeshot Catapult” fits in nicely. It is a 2/3 creature so it can stop White Knights and Whirling Dervish’s it can also tap to deal a point of damage to any flyer. Brass Man is a little tough to come by now and is an uncommon, but he is a 1/3 artifact creature that you have to pay (1) to untap during your untap step. He is only a (1) casting cost creature though and makes an excellent blocker. Yotian Soldier is also another good choice, but it is an uncommon. It’s a ¼ creature that doesn’t tap to attack. It is also usually a good choice to splash in some “LD” (Land destruction) into your sideboard. The LD can be used to wack specialty lands of your opponent such as Kor Haven, Maze of Ith or Tolarian Academy. It is best to use the uncommon LD of Strip Mine or Wasteland, but if these are not accessable you can use Choking Sands, Rain of Tears, Ice quake or Blight.
Sideboard:
4-Choking Sands
4-Grapeshot Catapult
3-Fear
4-Serrated Arrows