Cube Masters Series | Building The Cube | Black

[wv]

  Philosophy of Black

  

Black is a difficult colour to build for cube, as it can go in various directions. It can either go heavy into aggro with cheap 'suicide' creatures, or go midrange/control with removal and amazing finishers.

 

In this cube, aggro gets the majority of its support from white, red and green, so I didn't want to further support it with black. Black takes the role of midrange/control, offering the best removal in the cube, incredible hand disruption spells, powerful reanimation effects and some excellent finishers for control decks.

 

Strengths

Removal

Disruption

Reanimation

 

Weaknesses

Low number of creatures

Expensive creatures

'Damage Self' effects

UPDATED 22 FEBRUARY

Black (47)

0CC

Slaughter Pact

Snuff out

1CC

Thoughtseize

Duress

Inquisition of Kozilek

Vampiric Tutor

Innocent Blood

2CC

Demonic Tutor

Hymn to Tourach

Bitterblossom

Animate Dead

Chainer's Edict

Diabolic Edict

Go For The Throat

Doomblade

Dark Confidant

Nezumi Graverobber

Nezumi Shortfang

3CC

Phyrexian Arena

Recurring Nightmare

Corpse Dance

Stupor

Sudden Death

Vampire Nighthawk

Bone Shredder

Hypnotic Spectre

Bane of the Living

4CC

Damnation

Consuming Vapors

Barter In Blood

Abyssal Persecutor

Graveborn Muse

Skinrender

5CC

Decree of Pain

Beacon of Unrest

Liliana Ves

Puppeteer Clique

Shriekmaw

Ob Nixilis, the Fallen

6CC+

Betrayal of Flesh

Yawgmoth's Bargain

Inkeyes, Servant of Oni

Kokusho, the Evening Star

Grave Titan

CCx

Profane Command

Mindtwist

Black Sun's Zenith

[Simon O'Keeffe]

You have a lot of reanimate affects here in black, but little support for it from other colours. Blue has a total of 4 loot/discard effects (not counting Forbid), and there are no monsters in any colour that are standout reanimation targets.

 

For reanimator to work you need to have creatures that are unfair to bring out on turn 3/4. With a little acceleration all the big guys I've seen so far are castable by any deck running that colour, so there is little incentive to go reanimator over control. 

 

I'll hold off on recommending any actual changes until I've seen all the colours though.

[wv]

While I agree that 'reanimator' as an archetype is not fully supported in this Cube, I don't agree that the reanimation spells are not good without the archetype existing.

 

The reanimate spells are amazing on their own - even without discard effects! Being able to bring back your best creature after your opponent has spent resources destroying it is still a brutal play in a limited format.

 

Most of the reanimate spells can target your opponent's graveyard as well, increasing the value of your removal spells and sweepers.

 

I think a 360 card cube is just too tight to include 'real' reanimate enablers (like Careful Study, Putrid Imp and Co) because outside of a pure 'Reanimator' deck, they just aren't good enough cards to justify their slots in a 360 cube.

 

I feel that the reanimation spells are powerful enough on their own to be included in black - I'd be interested to know what others think about this?

 

sokeeffe said:

You have a lot of reanimate affects here in black, but little support for it from other colours. Blue has a total of 4 loot/discard effects (not counting Forbid), and there are no monsters in any colour that are standout reanimation targets.

 

For reanimator to work you need to have creatures that are unfair to bring out on turn 3/4. With a little acceleration all the big guys I've seen so far are castable by any deck running that colour, so there is little incentive to go reanimator over control. 

 

I'll hold off on recommending any actual changes until I've seen all the colours though.

[Paul Hodgson]

I agree with Warren here, this is more of a "limited" format than a larger cube, and powerful reanimation has always stood out in sealed, especially with bomby critters. On individual cards, I'd question Exhume as this is quite a narrow Reanimator card as that strategy seeks to break the symmetry. Also, not sold on Shortfang, maybe go for Ghost Lit Stalker in that slot and replace Exhume with Nezumi Graverobber?

[Glenn Goldsworthy]

I am not convinced by playing reanimator cards without top quality targets, they just aren't good enough on there own, being able to potentially get your threats out of the bin isn't quite the sauce, the reason reanimator is good is that you bust out the big dawg earlier than your opponent can deal with, if there isn't enough for a theme I would only have recurring nightmare and maybe nezumi graverobber but thats it

[Glenn Goldsworthy]

sorry forgot no phyrexian areana or dark confidant?

[Glenn Goldsworthy]

demonic tutor, sorry can only think of awesome cards that aren't on the list

[wv]

They're there, as is Demonic Tutor - is it broken for you?

Glenn Goldsworthy said:

sorry forgot no phyrexian areana or dark confidant?

[Paul Hodgson]

Both bob and arena are there Glenn... :)

[Glenn Goldsworthy]

sorry stupid internet issues

[Thea Steele]

I agree that Nezumi Graverobber should be in there, even at the expense of Shortfang if it has to be. It's just such a good early beater and instant speed reanimation is really strong.

 

Speaking of reanimation, I think it's reasonable to run reanimation spells even for "fair" creatures, as long as you have plenty of CITP effects to reuse. But things like Exhume probably get too symmetrical in that case- I think that could probably go. Also, Corpse Dance is among the best- I'd run it before Beacon of Unrest (especially) and also before Necromancy.

 

I like Nether Void a lot, but I'm not sure about the logic of running it while not supporting aggro in black. Do you see that as being a support card for aggro in other colors?

 

I could see finding room for Nekrataal - can't have too many of those guys - and also Puppeteer Clique. The Clique is fantastic in a cube (as yours looks to be) with a lot of utility creatures. You can do some really unfair things with this card. Oh, and Bone Shredder too- another really interesting card to reuse.

 

Grave Titan should definitely be in- I think it's second only to Kokusho, and even that is close.

[wv]

Good feedback for black from all - thanks!

 

Not sure why people are so anti-shortfang though - he's completely bonkers in a format where every card in your hand is insane. I think people underestimate the power of discard in Cube. I think I'll keep him in for now unless someone can show me a really good reason not to.

 

Here are my proposed changes:

 

IN

Nezumi Graverobber

Corpse Dance

Bone Shredder

Puppeteer Clique

Grave Titan

 

OUT

Reanimate

Exhume

Tombstalker

Necromancy

Nether Void

 

 

[Charlie Grover]

Your black is all over the place. You are not supporting aggro, yet are running things like Oona's prowler. I get that its a discard effect, but you can have enough reanimator support already. I agree with most of the things Thea said; corpse dance is a beating and very underrated. Beacon is too slow. I do like exhume though,a busing cheap symetrical effects is fun and skill testing. Clique is absolutely bonkers and i tried testing gruesome encore because that effect turned out to be so good (although the encore didnt do enough and is getting cut soon). 

Grave titan is the best finisher in black. Kokoshu always gets RFG'd for me. 

 

Ink eyes is a house, and I run it over Ob NIxilis and dont really regret it. Is Massacre wurm good enough? Dont own one so havent ever tried it.

 

I really like the other black 2 mana flip card whose name eludes me right now, either over oona's prowler or diabolical edict, which are somewhat underwhelming. Its ability to disrupt reanimator/beat for 4 on turn 3/be powerful lategame is surprisingly useful.