Dies to Removal

Black Strikes Back

Winning the event was an Orzhov-tinged Black Aggro deck in the hands of Brasi

Just when everyone thought monoblack might be gone for good, here it is
rearing its head again! This is certainly no Black Devotion deck, but rather an aggressive, rush creature deck that takes the best of Theros block and adds some great cards from Khans of Tarkir. It actually splashes into white for Sorin, Solemn Visitor, which adds a very powerful element to this otherwise classic black aggro deck, serving as part anthem, part token producer, and part lifegain engine.

The core of this deck is the one-drop creatures, most importantly the new Bloodsoaked Champion, which provides a repeatable source of card advantage and constant action for this aggressive deck. Those familiar with Gravecrawler will have some sense of what Bloodsoaked Champion can do. Though this one is less powerful at its best, it does not require such extreme synergy, rather working with any other creature, like the other one-drops. Tormented Hero can potentially generate value with the various bestow creatures this deck plays, including the final one-drop, Gnarled Scarhide.

The creatures go on up the
curve to include Pain Seer as a source of card advantage that will snowball an early lead. On offense, Spiteful Return functions as a pseudo-Watchwolf that has additional value with Bestow for when it would otherwise be stopped by blockers. In his Top 8 interview, Brasi said he would cut a Tormented Hero for the fourth Spiteful Return.

Herald of Torment tops the curve as a bestow creature for the lategame while doubling as a highly aggressive and evasive three-drop creature. Mogis's Marauder effectively has haste, and it doubles as a way to provide evasion to a team and push through a lot of extra damage.

Supporting this cast of aggressive creatures is a disruption package, which includes the versatile Hero's Downfall and three Thoughtseize. A singleton of the legendary Hall of Triumph comes at little cost but works very well with the aggressive starts this deck is designed to produce.

This deck is efficient and aggressive, and the package of bestow creatures provides a powerful element that
helps to alleviate some of the problems facing aggressive decks in the lategame. Sorin, Solemn Visitor is an excellent element that is best utilized in a hyper-aggressive deck like this, and compared to the Monoblack Aggro decks of block or last Standard season it provides this deck with a very useful tool.

I am particularly excited by this sideboard, which includes three copies of Empty the Pits as a way to Rebuild an army and simply Devastate opponents reliant on one-for-one targeted removal. This card is one of my picks for biggest sleeper in the set. It's a powerful flagship card to build a graveyard deck around, but it seems even better as a value card out of an aggressive deck like this.

Opponents that survive the early aggressive rush the Black deck presents will do so by using loads of creature removal, eventually outlasting the creatures and winning with sheer attrition. Empty the Pits is excellent for counteracting attrition strategies whether it generates a few tokens to help maintain
pressure in the midgame or simply Devastates the opponent in the endgame. As an instant, it can be played at the end of the opponent's turn to kill them even as they hold sorcery-speed spot removal or board sweepers. As a card that counteracts the strategies that may defeat this deck, it seems perfectly fit for this sideboard. It's a plan worth noting and trying in other aggressive decks, but the BBBB mana cost is restrictive; it's a sure-thing in this deck where nearly every land produces Black mana.