A fast, hard hitting BLACK deck. Yes, BLACK. My tribute to the godfather of high power, low cost black cards: Juzum Djinn. Juzum's big brother (Grinning Demon) is the back breaker in this deck. Almost all of the creatures cost 3 or less mana to summon, and all pack a punch. To alleviate empty hand syndrome (which occurs on or about turn 5) I have plenty of draw cards...most suck life, so I had to add some drain spells as well. Play with reckless abandon, whatever creatures get tossed in the graveyard, will help fuel the Barrow Ghouls & Vultures upkeep costs. Throw a Spinal Graft on any of the creatures to turn them into a tank. Carnophage & Sangrophage are two of the nastiest looking wicked zombies in existence. What I like most about them (besides their incredibly low casting cost), is that if you don't pay their upkeep...fine, they just get tapped, unlike most upkeeps, which when unpaid force you to sacrifice them. Once tapped, you can sacrifice them to other creatures abilities...like Liege, Negator & Drinker of Sorrow (or even Skulltap)...later in the game, feel free to sacrifice LAND to these cards (Liege & Skulltap only accepts creatures though), so long as you have 3 land, you're in the clear. Unearth can bring back almost any creature that goes to the graveyard and doesn't get consumed by the Ghouls. Unearth is about the most valuable card in this deck, 1) it puts almost every creature in this deck from the graveyard directly into play, unlike most raise dead spells which put the creature into your hand; 2) at 1 black mana, it's very inexpensive; 3) if you can't use it, like when the ghouls have burned through your graveyard, you can cycle it! What's not to like? Rotting Giant - burn any non creature card in your graveyard to sustain it, if you can't, bury it, it'll help fuel your ghouls. Skittering Skirge & Horror...bring them into play (as your last summoned creature), then on your next turn attack with them, then if they're still around bury them when you bring your next creature in play, once in the graveyard, they can help fuel your ghouls. Think of your graveyard as a fuel source, like oil or coal. Whatever gets used, killed, or destroyed...becomes fuel to other cards. A highly efficient system...nothing goes to waste.
Of equal importance in this deck, DARK RITUAL. Let's see, putting ANY 3 mana cost creature into play on turn 1...yeah, that would be a good thing in a deck where almost every creature costs 3 or less. Quite simply, without this card, there would be no deck. This is black's great equalizer when it comes to it's fight with green & white whose combination of cheap creatures and massive mana production is far superior to black (and blue for that matter). Later in the game, this can shorten the wait for big guys like Liege or Grinning Demon...which in-turn, makes your opponent's life run short...and even Liege & Grinning Demon can be put in play for their 4 mana morph cost.
SIDEBOARD - Slay & Execute are useful against dominantly green & white decks; a few extra consume spirits in case they're needed; Syphon Soul for multi-player games; Tar Pit Warrior & Skulkers are back-up in case you face a deck with bigger than normal creatures...since both have strong defenses and are still cheap.
I know it's oversized...it started as a nice solid 60 card deck, but blew up once the empty hand syndrome started to cause me to lose games. There's plenty of cards which can be tabled before playing...and the sideboard is only suggestive.
This deck is my answer to weenie decks...it's just as cheap, but it's definitely NOT a weenie deck.
BUT, I admit there are flaws.
1) very few answers to flying threats, like dragons & angels...or any big blue flyer.
2) Protection from black/C.O.P Black can pretty much make this deck impotent
3) The rare deck that can build faster than this deck...for instance, I pitted this deck against my elf deck (almost every card is an elf, and it has several elf boosters which give other elf cards bonuses)...the elf deck was able to fill the field with almost a 2/1 ratio of creatures, none of whom could get through my creatures (who on average where still stronger), but whose defense was equally foiling my attack (since I had so many fewer creatures). Eventually the ratio became too great, and my black deck was overwhelmed.
4) There's the ever present red burn deck. Red direct damage is always my foil, and black has so few answers to it. So many of my creature cards (and card drawing spells) cause me to lose life...it's not uncommon for me to win with this deck, but only have 1-4 life left when I do...so against a red deck with a few 3-5 direct damage spells, can basically end me after I sacrifice the first 15 life myself. The only answer I have to this, is more vampiric spells which deal damage to my opponent (or his creatures) while giving me life.
5) White, healing-centric, defensive decks can be a problem. A lot of tough walls, in combination with healing spells or abilities, could neutralize this deck (who despite having strong strength/cost ratios, is still largely a medium-size attacker deck). There are only a few really big creatures in this deck, and until they get into play, a wall that can block 5-7 damage, basically reduces the effectiveness of my 3-4 damage generating creatures...the goal then becomes to get MORE creatures into play (they can't block all of them after all).
Opponent to avoid? A white wall/healing/angel deck...there just aren't enough ways to get around this combination with this deck. One of my favorite white decks I've built is a deck which is about 50% white/colorless walls who do nothing but delay the game until the host of higher cost angels can be summoned and basically end the game. It wins almost 75% of the time against my Juzum deck (which only wins when it can get a horde in play quickly).