Subject:      Strategy: IA/AL Constructed, Monoblack Deck
From:         schach@chemie.fu-berlin.de (Frank Schacherer)
Date:         1996/10/14

Hi everybody!

I am writing here because Daniel Brickwell is ill and cannot write
a Strategy article himself, so he asked me to post my monoblack
Ice Age / Alliances Constructed test deck for him.

Even so the deck worked nicely in testing, it needed someone winning a
qualifier in Florida with monoblack to make Daniel consider it as a
serious contender. I also would like to  point out that there is a
Qualifier Report by someone who won with a B/r Necro/LD/Wisp deck on
this group.

The main advantage of black currently is that it isn't usually expected.
Everybody builds their decks to handle Rade, Browse and Garglehaups.

The basic idea was that black has 8 Spiders, too, in the 2/3 Zombies,
albeit with weaker special abilitis. Black has Contagion for creature
defense and Dystopia vs. Circles, so you can get most of Rades funktionality
with a monocolour deck, which is advantagous. Most importantly, black has
Withering Wisps, wich is bloody murder on Insects, Gargoyles, Blinkings and
Outposts, especially with Zombies in play.

The main weaknesses in the mono-black form are White Orders and Icys,
as the deck lacks artifact defense.

There is no finalized deck-list, as the deck kept changing during playtest,
but what follows is as good as any. I'll try to explain each card-choice.

Black Widow (..it's a Black Spider Deck, really)

8 Zombies       Fast offense at a solid price, non 'clasmable, take 2 hits
                from Stormbind, can block Spiders.

4 Pumpknights   Even faster on offense, one of the games best critters on
                an absolute scale. Good vs. U/w Controldecks (StP),
                Blinkings, can't be blocked by Dude Tokens, Gargoyle,
                Blinky, can dish out massive damage, can block-kill Spiders.
                Forces opponent to keep his red creature defense.

4 Abyssmals     Ersatz-Hypnos.

2 Fiends        Great Blocker vs. Spiders, esp. in combination with Wisps,
                but not good vs. U control (you really don't want it grasped).
                Could be swapped for Foul Familiars etc. vs control.

                18 Critters makes for an ok horde.

4 Contagion     Win creature battles at instant speed. Can be used to ditch
                useless spells.

4 Icequake      Absolutely essential! In an environment with 3 'Glaciers
                and 2 Dude Ranches minimum in every second deck I'd rather
                have more. Also won me many a game by disrupting the
                opponents early mana developement, so he cannot 'haups or
                whatever. Because of the special Lands, these are still
                useful if you draw them later on.

3 Wisps         A key card, for all the reasons cited obove. Nothing like
                locking down that Gargoyle while pounding him with a Zombie.
                Also nice to wipe out a bunch of nosy elves or as game
                finisher.

1 Dystopia      Kills Insects, Spiders, Stormbind, Knights. Ditch it to
                Contagion if nothing else. Not too good vs. Outpost and
                Blinking, though.

                12 Control. Now for the experimental part...

1 Mind Warp     Could be 2 maybe. Without geddon around and with Glaciers,
                you often have a lot of mana later on. The Warp is a must
                counter. One also could use Soul Burn maybe.

1 Necro         Good vs. Counterdecks, but without more LD not really that
                strong in this deck for the lack of life-gainers.
                i(Especially with all that red-green burn around)

1 Ashnods Cylix This is a really good way to use your surplus mana later on.
                Basically you're drawing good stuff every turn. It's
                Browse light. One might use a Elkin instead.

1 Zuran Orb     Spoiler. Works good with Necro, Wisps, late land.

                4 Misceallaneaous Card/Quality advantage

4 Dark Ritual   The speed is essential. Can be fed to the 'warp later on.

1 Thawing'      I'm not sure about this one. After all this is a deck
                that's built to overrun the opponent fast. But it is
                still very stong and helps to thin out useless land,
                should you not manage to do so.

22 SC Swamp     -

                61 Cards.

Sideboard could contain more Dystopia, Foul Familiars, Fiends, Infernal
Darkness, Banishing, Counterknights and Icys for starters.

In my opinion the deck could be made stronger by the inclusion of red for
Incinerates, 1-2 Stonerain and maybe a 'Burst. Shatters in the Sideboard.
--
Frank                     schach@chemie.fu-berlin.de
"Amnesia - it's a no-brainer."