WB Pox

[Han]

Hi, what I like about HL is deckbuilding and experimenting with new decks and themes. I have build WB pox-style deck with a lot of mana-denial, removal and so. After several games, I have realized, that the deck isn't only funny one, but could be quite strong as well. Here is my list and I would be glad to hear about some proposed changes and additions. I want to keep in deck some cute cards I like to play with like Trading Post, Ensnaring Bridge, Null Brooch or Masticore.

Pox Theme
Smallpox
Pox
Sinkhole
Tangle Wire
Braids, Cabal Minion
Smokestack
Lodestone Golem
Armageddon
Death Cloud
Crucible of Worlds
Contamination
Bloodghast
Bitterblossom

Acceleration/mana
Mox Diamond
Chrome Mox
Dark Ritual
Mindstone
Guardian Idol
Everflowing Chalice
Orzhov Signet
Charcoal Diamond
Phyrexian Totem
Coalition Relic
Pristine Talisman
Darksteel Ingot
Solemn Simulacrum

Draw/Tutor
Sensei's Divining Top
Sign in Blood
Night's Whisper
Demonic Tutor
Stoneforge Mystic
Beseech the Queen
Dimir Machinations
Dimir Houseguard
Phyrexian Arena
Liliana Vess
Bottled Cloister

Removal
Innocent Blood
Contagion
Ratched Bomb
Shriekmaw
Profane Command
Go for the Throat
Liliana of the Veil
Infest
Vindicate
Flashbag Marauders
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Masticore
Damnation
Cursed Scroll

Protection
Nihil Spellbomb
Leyline of the Void
Null Brooch
Raven's Crime
Hymn to Tourach
Gerrard's Verdict
Ensharing Bridge

Other "Creatures"
Vampire Hexmage
Lingering Souls
Gerralf's Messanger
Vampire Nighthawk
Lashwrite
Batterskull
Grave Titan
Tombstalker

Lands
Scrubland
Godless Shrine
Urborg, Tomgb of Yawgmoth
Cabal Coffers
Wasteland
Burried Ruin
Undiscovered Paradise
Volrath's Stronghold
Mishra's Factory
Mutavault
Cabal Pit
7 fetchlands
Plains
Bojuka Bog
15 Swamp

Thanks

Han

[carte_blanche]

Some ideas...

Using Contamination one might think about Reassembling Skeleton. It's a neverdying blocker if need be and always available when in comes to carrying Equipment. Moreover it's useful to pay the upkeep cost for Contamination.

More 2 for one trades: Wrench Mind and Stupor... emptying the opponent's hand in the early game (more likely of options / pressure than mana sources but still...).

It's a chunky card, but maybe Wurmcoil Engine is another good finisher? Even if you are forced to play Mass Removal it leaves you with two creatures on the field. Moreover, it's lifegain for you. I'm not sure whether you really need that but since you're playing a control build it might be useful against aggressive decks.

What's about Flagstones of Troikar? You can deny one land sacrifice of one of your Pox cards or start with a land in play after you played Armageddon.

Even though it would not be the overwhelming "kill everything"-cad: Yawgmoth's Will is a kind of "Regrowth"-effect you're able to play. You need just one land and a removal spell in your graveyard to draw some value out of the Will. On the other hand it's a mid- to lategame card because such moves require 4+ mana. I'm not sure whether it gives you the edge to win games or if it's just winmore.


Cheers!

[Tabris]

What about some standard tech.

Trading Post, Ichor Wellspring and Mycosinth Wellspring.
Maybe some Abyss and Elspeth Tirel.

[Ball.Lightning]

I certainly miss both Sorin PWs, Wurmcoil engine and good discard ie. Inquisition of Kozilek + Duress.

I would cut cards, that are not great agains agro like geddon, Tangle Wire(this deck will always be behind). I would try to make place for more white cards like Aven Mindcensor or Ghostly Prison.

Other cards that comes to my mind (not necessarily autoincludes): Magus of the Tabernacle, Faint's Feathers, Suppresion Field, Oblivion Ring, Expedition Map

[Han]

Thanks for responses!

I have tested this deck a little and I have to aggree with several points you have.

I wasn't that impressed by Tangle Wire. It is true that against aggro it isn't good and against control I have many other tools. Generally deck should improve it's matchup against aggro (althought it is not that bad). With all the LD stuff (like Geddon, Pox or Braids) I have some hard times to hit 6 mana and play Grave Titan. That is the problem Tombstalker don't have. So I will cut Titan and also old Sorin is too expansive. Cards I really was impressed with are Ensnaring Bridge, Leyline of Void (yeah!) and Contagion.

About the discard: I know that Duress or IoK is great (2 life for Thougtseize are quite a lot for this deck) and I am considering them. But now i rather want to have discard that means card adventage, that's the reason I prefer Hymn, Verdict and Crime (about crime I am not that sure..)

Changes:

- Solemn Simulacrum (i would rather have stone like coldsteel hearth than a land, it fits more into deck)
- Tangle Wire
- Grave Titan
- Raven's Crime
- Cabal Coffer's (they are not that great either)

+ Coldsteel Hearth
+ Necrotic Sliver/Oblivion Ring/Faith't Fetters (here I am not really sure, each card has it's pros and cons, what do you think)
+ Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
+ Duress/Iok/Wrench Mind (again, what would you prefer for this kind of deck?)
+ Maze of Ith (oops)

I would like to test Ghostly Prison and The Abyss. On paper I think they should be good, but what to take out? Also I am considering Silent Arbiter and Consuming Vapors/Barter in Blood/Mutilate (opinions?).

Thanks!

[coldcrow]

I constructed a similar one lately:

Lands(34):
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Marsh Flats
1 Polluted Delta
1 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
2 Island
1 Academy Ruins
1 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Swamp
1 Mishra's Workshop
1 Phyrexia's Core
1 Wasteland
1 Dust Bowl
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Flooded Strand
1 Arid Mesa
1 Windswept Heath
1 Tundra
1 Scrubland
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Godless Shrine
1 Plains
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Vault of Whispers
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Tolaria West

Mana stones:
1 Mind Stone
1 Mox Opal
1 Mox Diamond
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Coalition Relic
1 Dimir Signet
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Azorius Signet
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Chrome Mox

Creatures:
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Trinket Mage
1 Baleful Strix
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Braids, Cabal Minion

Artifacts:
1 Ichor Wellspring
1 Mycosynth Wellspring
1 Spine of Ish Sah
1 Trading Post
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Smokestack
1 Expedition Map
1 Tangle Wire
1 Thopter Foundry
1 Sword of the Meek
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Pithing Needle
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Crumbling Sanctuary

Planeswalkers:
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Elspeth Tirel

Rest:
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Innocent Blood
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Death Cloud
1 Smallpox
1 Duress
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Thoughtseize
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Shred Memory
1 Brainstorm
1 Timely Reinforcements
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Transmute Artifact
1 Bitterblossom
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Mana Drain
1 Vindicate
1 The Abyss
1 Mind Shatter
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Fabricate
1 Sinkhole
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Gerrard's Verdict
1 Armageddon

More controllish and the goal is to grind the opponent out of the game. Ancient Tomb and City of Traitors might have to be íncluded, but I wanted more basics instead. Other toolbox lands like tabernacle and maze would be good too.