Gray Merchant of Asphodel, fondly known as “Gary” to most, is coming back in Theros Beyond Death, so it seemed appropriate to feature a Pioneer deck that utilizes his power. Of course, he was already legal in Pioneer, but that’s no reason not to show your devotion to him. Let’s look at the list.
Gameplan: This is a classic midrange strategy, and can adapt to what the opponent is doing as a result. This deck uses Thoughtseize, Fatal Push, and Murderous Rider to deal with opposing threats, and a collection of 2-4 cost creatures to pressure them (with a Vampire sub-theme thanks to Sorin).
Key Cards:
- Thoughtseize – This is the best black card in the format, and essential at making sure you can interact with any deck.
- Fatal Push / Murderous Rider – They have stuff. You want to kill that stuff.
- Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord – Sorin plays very nicely with all the Vampires in the deck, and helps this deck clock the opponent very quickly.
Tips and Tricks
- Mutavault is a Vampire, so get that Sorin value. Likewise, you can sacrifice it to Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet.
- A big enough Champion of Dusk will deal enough damage to you that Knight of the Ebon Legion will trigger end of turn.
This deck is really sweet, and is a bigger take on the mono-black aggro decks that are floating around. Historically (or in this case, Pioneerically), being a little bit bigger than your opponent is where you want to be. Take it a spin and find out for yourself!
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