MTG Villain Crushes 160-Player Event by Making Gray Merchant Copies

Generally, when Pioneer players think of the Devotion mechanic, they envision the Mono-Green Devotion deck that plagued the format for years. In an interesting twist, a unique Mono-Black Devotion deck actually finished 20th in the 160-player Magic Online Pioneer Super Qualifier.

By combining the power of a Marvel Villain and a Theros Zombie, this deck can one-shot an opponent out of nowhere!

Baron Helmut Zemo, Win Condition

The main engine behind this Mono-Black Devotion deck is Baron Helmut Zemo, a three-drop with a gnarly Boast ability that can end games on the spot. To activate the ability, though, you need to go out of your way to fuel the graveyard.

Stitcher’s SupplierStitcher’s SupplierWhen this creature enters or dies, mill three cards. (Put the top three cards of your library into your graveyard.) and Dark Matter ManipulatorDark Matter ManipulatorWhen this creature enters, mill three cards.
This creature gets +2/+0 for every seven cards in your graveyard. do this, dumping tons of cards into the bin on entry. You can even use Overlord of the BalemurkOverlord of the BalemurkImpending 5—{1}{B} (If you cast this spell for its impending cost, it enters with five time counters and isn't a creature until the last is removed. At the beginning of your end step, remove a time counter from it.)
Whenever this permanent enters or attacks, mill four cards, then you may return a non-Avatar creature card or a planeswalker card from your graveyard to your hand., filling the grave, finding core cards, and turning into a creature later on.

Between these Mill engines and Zemo’s repetitive Connive trigger, it takes less time to get 15 black pips in the ‘yard than you might expect. Heavy black cards like Invoke DespairInvoke DespairTarget opponent sacrifices a creature of their choice. If they can't, they lose 2 life and you draw a card. Then repeat this process for an enchantment and a planeswalker. and Agadeem’s AwakeningAgadeem’s AwakeningReturn from your graveyard to the battlefield any number of target creature cards that each have a different mana value X or less. only make the task easier.

Then, a simple attack will get you three free copies of your most impactful spells, and Overlord and Invoke Despair certainly count. Still, the real prize is Gray Merchant of AsphodelGray Merchant of AsphodelWhen this creature enters, each opponent loses X life, where X is your devotion to black. You gain life equal to the life lost this way. (Each {B} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to black.), whose trigger provides a massive life swing, especially in multiples.

To help improve the chances that Gray Merchant is lethal, this deck incorporates a playset of BloodghastBloodghastThis creature can't block.
This creature has haste as long as an opponent has 10 or less life.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you may return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield.. As long as you can play a land during your big turn, you’ll get to recur every copy you’ve Milled over for a massive Devotion boost.

Of course, with all these high-pip Black cards, Nykthos, Shrine to NyxNykthos, Shrine to Nyx{T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}: Choose a color. Add an amount of mana of that color equal to your devotion to that color. (Your devotion to a color is the number of mana symbols of that color in the mana costs of permanents you control.) is a natural inclusion. The excess mana can be funneled into Harnessing The Soul StoneThe Soul StoneIndestructible
{T}: Add {B}.
{6}{B}, {T}, Exile a creature you control: Harness The Soul Stone. (Once harnessed, its ∞ ability is active.)
∞ — At the beginning of your upkeep, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. or Exhausting Liliana the RepentantLiliana the RepentantWhenever another creature or planeswalker you control enters, mill two cards.
Exhaust — {5}{B}: Return target creature or planeswalker card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Put a +1/+1 counter on Liliana. Activate only as a sorcery. (Activate each exhaust ability only once.).

These tools, along with Ral Zarek, Guest LecturerRal Zarek, Guest Lecturer+1: Surveil 2.
−1: Any number of target players each discard a card.
−2: Return target creature card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
−7: Flip five coins. Target opponent skips their next X turns, where X is the number of coins that came up heads., also do a great job reanimating Zemo late in the game. This means that even if you never draw Zemo naturally, you have plenty of ways to eventually set up the Boast activation.

With Thoughtseize stripping your opponent’s interaction, you have a pretty good chance of pulling this off. Removal spells like Fatal PushFatal PushDestroy target creature if it has mana value 2 or less.
Revolt — Destroy that creature if it has mana value 4 or less instead if a permanent left the battlefield under your control this turn. and Bitter TriumphBitter TriumphAs an additional cost to cast this spell, discard a card or pay 3 life.
Destroy target creature or planeswalker. then buy you time against creatures, ensuring you don’t get run over.

Strong Performance Despite Glaring Weakness

Despite likely not being on anyone’s radar, this deck finished with a 6-2 record. This is a very impressive performance for Magic Online user ShatteredKingdom, and speaks to the deck’s ability to fight through multiple top tier archetypes.

Izzet Prowess, arguably the strongest strategy in Pioneer, can struggle to keep Zemo in check. It immediately outsizes Burst LightningBurst LightningKicker {4} (You may pay an additional {4} as you cast this spell.)
Burst Lightning deals 2 damage to any target. If this spell was kicked, it deals 4 damage instead. most of the time, and after casting just two spells, it outclasses Reckless RageReckless RageReckless Rage deals 4 damage to target creature you don't control and 2 damage to target creature you control. and Iroh’s DemonstrationIroh’s DemonstrationChoose one —
• Iroh's Demonstration deals 1 damage to each creature your opponents control.
• Iroh's Demonstration deals 4 damage to target creature.. This Villain and Overlord dominate the late game as a result, so you just need to keep Prowess’s early creatures in check, and you’re in good shape.

This deck also lines up well against slower decks like Golgari Midrange, where you have time to set up your Mill engine. Bloodghast being essentially unkillable is a huge boon in the matchup, and even Overlord dodges Abrupt DecayAbrupt DecayThis spell can't be countered.
Destroy target nonland permanent with mana value 3 or less. and Fatal Push.

Even against combo decks like Indomitable CreativityIndomitable CreativityDestroy X target artifacts and/or creatures. For each permanent destroyed this way, its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until an artifact or creature card is revealed and exiles that card. Those players put the exiled cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle., you have access to eight discard spells post-board to keep the opponent off-balance. While you admittedly don’t provide the fastest clock, Manipulator and Zemo still grow quickly.

Of course, every deck has a weakness, however, and this one’s is graveyard hate. Without the threat of Zemo’s trigger, Bloodghast’s recursion, or Manipulator’s ability to grow, this deck is forced to win through mediocre beats.

While your discard spells can often snag copies of Rest in PeaceRest in PeaceWhen this enchantment enters, exile all graveyards.
If a card or token would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead. before they hit the board, beating Leyline of the Void is a struggle. Outside of Invoke Despair, you have no way to remove the problematic enchantment.

Ultimately, this weakness likely prevents Mono-Black Devotion from emerging as one of the best decks, at least for now. Still, it’s cool when off-the-wall archetypes put up great results out of nowhere, and it’s safe to say no one prepared for this deck.

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