surewhynot

I liked the flavor of having diplomatic immunity, but you're right that the other options are probably better...I'll have to figure out a way to get those in here.

This is great. I'll admit to skipping the description a few times, but I usually try to write something. This is really helpful though =]

If I recall correctly, older versions of Doomsday Storm used to run it, but have since switched over to Probe, as it's just better. I also don't think Wraith technically counts as a spell, since cycle is just an ability.

My shop allows for 20 card "sideboards" for EDH, so those suckers are in the SB. Haven't uploaded it yet because it's not 100% finished. I have like...9 of the 20 so far =/

Any suggestions towards that would be great actually! =D

+1 soley for the use of Monkey token =]

I have 8 artifacts with Metallic Mimic and Animation Module, but I also get a number of artifacts (as servos) from the Module and from Weaponcraft Enthusiast. At first glance, it looks like I don't have many artifacts, but in reality, I have plenty to make him work.

EDIT: The reason I'm okay with using Weaponcraft Enthusiast's "servo mode" for Syndicate Trafficker is because this is designed as a very in-your-face aggro deck. I'd much rather trade off the potential 2/3 for a 4/2 that can grow even more over time.

Ah...Become Immense. Got it now. I've been on the receiving end of Invigorate mixed with Mutagenic Growth in infect and it's a pretty nasty surprise when it happens. I still have to say I love the idea of a Hope EDH. It's such a different kind of colorless general, it would be a very fresh take on the idea I think. Hmmm...I'll have to think about Slaughterhorn

Affinity with FoW and Standstill? I think I threw up in my mouth a little...

The deck itself is very interesting though. I have not gotten a chance until now to see NeoFinnity on paper/in this sort of format. I have to say, and this is just a personal taste kind of thing, I don't really like that it has a name that alludes to Affinity. While it certainly is an efficient artifact aggro, it just doesn't "feel" like Affinity. Again, weird personal taste thing. Technically speaking, Mana Confluence is better than CoB. It's a small difference, for a suuuuuper small advantage, but ya never know. Also, Strix is one of my very favorite cards, so bonus points =]

I could have sworn Invigorate had a modern printing, and I'm sad to see it doesn't because that would tip the scale of this deck past where it stands now, which is already fantastic. Losing Probe definitely sucks, but in some ways I think gaining Hope is an improvement and I almost feel like it would have replaced Probe anyway...You go from checking if you can play things to putting your foot down and playing those things damn it. As I've openly said many times before, I really do not care for Modern as a format. However this...This looks fun to play.

EDIT: I feel like I'm missing something with Thought Scour, I'm very tired so please explain =]

I *really* like the use of Meren in here. Your Pod curve (Six 1s, four 2s, four 3s, two 4s, two 5s, and one 6) is gorgeous. You're right that Courser + Tracker is a nice bit of utility, especially if you pair it with Top. It let's you kind of meander through your draws to dig for what you want. Why Grave Titan as your cap though? The tokens?

They have similar art. I've made the mistake before too. Even put one into a deck where I meant to put the other.

Yeah...I'm gonna test them both out a bit more, figure out which one I want in the SB. Still finishing up the SB, as like I said, we finished this at 2am and basically said "F that" to building a sideboard until later.

I just have had terrible luck with Sol Ring lately, and have made a bit of a point to move away from it. It might be good in here, but I'm not even gonna give it a chance haha. So mad at that card >.<

Plunge is going into the SB. One of my favorite cards of all time.

Uhm, it's not any one thing really, its more that I just have only one color of mana to worry about versus two or three. That's not to say that other colors aren't good for a control or even a Stax deck...I've just found in my experience that mono black works the best for it. Mono black means less options for other colored spells, but more *room* for recursion and ways to recover, which is something black especially has in spades. You are right though, I need to wiggle in Contamination somewhere. It's a staple of MBC for a reason =/

Sol Ring and I recently have not gotten along. You'll notice a number of my EDH decks, I've left it out, or taken it out for something else. Something like the last 25 times in a row that I have gotten Sol Ring in my hand, I got REKT...So I don't use it anymore. In a lot of cases too, that extra 2 mana boost isn't as worth it as something else that fills that slot.

Nether Void is in here. I'm even running a WinterVoid setup, and slapped Desolation on top for extra nastiness.

I have and can afford Tabernacle...I'm just running this through some test runs before making it a permanent inclusion (should have put it in the sideboard or something). The thing with Tabernacle is you really want to know if your deck can handle it. That's an effect that could honestly kick MY ass just as badly as someone else, so I need to be sure. As for the other lands, we honestly rushed with the lands, it was like 2am when we finished this thing =P Bog, Wasteland, and all that will be added soon I think.

Coffin Queen I think is a good SB option. It's a faster Primordial, but loses out on getting copied or blinked (In fact I wouldn't want it blinked) so it would work great for certain match ups.

Yeah we considered the Autocrat, but like you said, couldn't really fit him. Endrek puts in a ton of work in a similar style though, so we were ok with not having both. I've found its sometimes easier to fit 60 cards into a regular deck than the 99 in an EDH.

Mono Black Control (MBC) is a control style that counts on its own efficiency, so while other colors might add more options, they would actually make it harder for me to recover from these self-inflicted wounds. The whole idea of Stax, Pox, Stox, etc. is that I hurt you more than I hurt myself...This allows the use of some of the most brutal cards ever printed. Sometimes you will see what is called "Elmer's Pox" or "Glue Stax" or "Elmer's Stax", etc. and that's Stax with a splash of white. White has a number of spells that actually compliment Stax control styles quite well.

TL;DR -- This is mono black because its color's efficiency allows me to push the envelope for a classic Stax style control.

I know! =[ We were trying so hard to squeeze in Contamination...Still might wiggle it in somewhere, otherwise it's a sacrifice that needs to be made =/

My good friend Arty (Quasimofo) and I have collaborated on a mono-black Stax EDH. I think it came out great, but I'd like to ask you all to take a look at it, give your two cents...all that =]

http://www.mtgvault.com/surewhynot/decks/smokestack-lightning/

Forgot to mention, I understand this is also a themed deck, but I think I might still have some stuff to suggest =]

I've always had a love for Taps. On the surface, it's a very simple concept, tap your opponent's stuff and they won't be able to fight back. However, it's often a far more complicated deck with much more depth than at first sight. It's also worth noting that, of all forms of control decks I have ever played, Taps always seems to bring out the most rage...People just don't like having their stuff tapped.

I have a Taps deck of my own that I'll have to look at to find a few things I might be able to suggest for this one. Mine is U/W, but I can at least suggest the good blue cards that are in there, which there is quite a number of =]

I'll definitely take a look at it, but I think mine might be mono-red or Red/Green. A part of me wants to try to make it a duel tribe deck, with Shaman being the other tribe. As a side note, Shaman is an awesome tribe, and there's a surprising amount of variability in pure Shaman tribals.

See...I didn't even play enough of Khan's block to remember Dragonlord's Servant. I think I need to go and make myself a dragon tribal deck for my shop's Tribal format =]

It's looking much better. I think I would take away one of each, Broodmother, Ventmaw, and Thunderbreak for the speed of having three Dragonspeaker Shaman in there. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The very first thing I noticed is that it's a deck with 65 cards. For standard size decks (as in, not EDH, for example) 60 is the most efficient. I know it's not easy to squeeze 5 cards out of the deck...Trust me, I've had many a deck where I had to make tough cuts. If you can, I think try to cut it down to 60, or at least 61. I think the first place to start is with your big fat mana intensive dragons. You don't really need as many as you have to smash someone's face in. If you ask me, the first one I would take out is the Scourge of Valkas, as you already have the effect in a much less expensive form.

Finally, there's a card called Dragonspeaker Shaman that costs three mana (I think) and lowers the cost of dragon spells. With the proper ramp (mana dorks), you could cast him as early as turn two. Just my two cents. Looks like a fun table-top though. Would certainly be scary in multiplayer if it got up to full steam.