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All right so we covered Red, Blue, Artifacts, White, and the Lands of Kaladesh. Today we go over the Black cards of Kaladesh. Black is the color of Aetherborn on Kaladesh, so let’s see what it has to offer for us in Standard. For reference, this is my grading scale. Keep in mind we are rating them on playability in Standard!
0 Will never see play in Standard (Geyserfield Stalker)
1 Unlikely to see any play (Isolation Zone)
2 Could see fringe play, or occasional SB card (Caustic Caterpillar)
3 Commonly played. Staple in a single deck, or frequent play in several decks. (Reflector Mage)
4 Format Staple, sees play in multiple decks, one of the best cards in the format. (Sylvan Advocate)
5 Format warping. Every deck plays this, or is built with this card in mind. (Spell Queller/Collected Company)
All right, let’s get to it!
Aetherborn Marauder - 1
Flying, Lifelink, and other irrelevant text for Standard. This card could be playable if it moved counters from anything on to it. As it stands, I don’t see much hope for this Aetherborn.
Ambitious Aetherborn - 1
Too much mana for what it’s trying to do. This is a card with limited in mind.
Demon of Dark Schemes - 2
Massacre Wurm saw very little play, and that was only one sided. I could see this Demon somehow sneak its way into a Sideboard or two. Maybe even main deck in some reanimator deck if you really wanted this effect.
Dhund Operative - 2.5-3
If B/x artifact aggro is a thing this could easily slide into it. A 3/2 Deathtouch for two is a good deal. It just depends if we have a home for this human rogue.
Diabolic Tutor - 2
We’ve been spoiled with some very good tutors in the past like Dark Petition, Increasing Ambition, Rune-Scarred Demon, and Diabolic Revelation. Diabolic Tutor doesn’t always see play in Standard but it pops up in a couple decks here and there. I would expect the same thing from it this time as well.
Die Young - 2
Likely much worse than Harnessed Lightning, but maybe a non B/R deck wants energy and a subpar removal spell? If they do, Die Young is that card.
Dukhara Scavenger - 1
The only way this sees play is if you are going to reanimate it and put another threat on top of your library. Even then, why is this in your deck? Just reanimate something better than it. Definitely a Limited Card.
Eliminate the Competition - 1
We already have Voldaren Pariah and with that card you get a huge flying body. It can also only cost you 3 mana if you have a discard outlet. Stick to the Eldrazi Vampire over this one.
Embraal Bruiser - 2.5-3
Another great 2 mana Black creature that is begging to be played in a B/x aggro artifact deck. 2 mana for a 3/1 Menace is a fantastic rate. Sign me up!
Essence Extraction - 2.5
Mono-Black Lightning Helix for one more mana only to creatures is still Mono-Black Lightning Helix. This is a great way for control decks to kill creatures and cushion their life total. Can see a control deck playing a couple of these.
Fortuitous Find - 2
Great for Grindy matchups. This is Remember the Fallen and that saw fringe play.
Foundry Screecher - 2
Not as good as the other Black creatures when you control artifacts but it does have evasion. I don’t expect this one to see play but I’ve seen worse aggressive creatures sneak their way into aggro decks. Maybe if you just stick to mono Black artifact aggro?
Fretwork Colony - 2.5
Another great card for an aggressive/suicide Black deck. This on turn two can get out of control pretty quickly. It’s just an awful topdeck late in the game, luckily if you’re playing this card, you don’t want to get to the late game anyway.
Gonti, Lord of Luxury - 2.5
It’s really too bad that he competes with Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet. Even then he has a pretty sweet ability and is excellent to Emerge of off since you can still cast the card exiled by him after he leaves the battlefield. I loved Praetor's Grasp (fun fact: played that card in my US Nationals winning deck) and this is a much better Praetor's Grasp. HE EVEN HAS DEATHTOUCH!
Harsh Scrutiny - 2
Despise wasn’t that great but it was played a little. Sure this has Scry 1 attached but it’s only creatures. This is a perfect 2 card as it encompasses that whole definition.
Lawless Broker - 1
Excellent limited card. He’s only gonna stay there too most likely.
Live Fast - 2.5
Competes with Painful Truths and Succumb to Temptation. If you are deck that uses energy however, then this provides another resource in addition to two cards. Not bad at all.
Lost Legacy - 3
This is the best “Cranial Extraction” ever. It will see multi-format play. You can even combo it with Shadowborn Apostle (didn’t say “good” combo.)
Make Obsolete - 2
These types of cards sometimes see play in sideboard of aggressive decks for other aggressive decks. Control decks will stick to Flaying Tendrils.
Marionette Master - 2.5
I could see this in a deck with Cryptolith Rite. Four bodies is a lot in that deck and this drains them when any artifact goes to the graveyard. So your servos and your clues!
Maulfist Squad - 1.5
We have better things for Black aggressive decks in Standard.
Midnight Oil - 2.5
This is the new Demonic Pact. This is what you want to give to your opponents with Harmless Offering. Even without Harmless Offering this is a great sideboard card.
Mind Rot - 2
This card has been around the block a couple of times. It will continue to see play in sideboard cards here and there. This type of card is usually great against ramp strategies and decent against control strategies.
Morbid Curiosity - 2.5
Don’t want to attack into my Gonti, Lord of Luxury? Okay, that’s fine!
Night Market Lookout - 2
Spiteful Returned saw play in Standard. This isn’t two life but it’s also not 2 mana. Just scary to play this card in a world where Liliana, the Last Hope is everywhere.
Noxious Gearhulk - 3.5
Good card, really wish it had something else besides Menace. 4 toughness isn’t where you want to be either. All that being said, it will still see play. Just be careful of Archangel Avacyn since not only will that stop the killing of the creature, it will also prevent the life gain.
Ovalchase Daredevil - 2
This never has to be cast to be part of an engine. That’s pretty great for a card!
Prakhata Club Security - 1
Aetherborn have a limited life span. I want to tell this guy to go do something else with his life. “Live fast, die young Prakakakhaata guard.” -Ali
Rush of Vitality - 1
Play Unnatural Endurance over this one boys and girls!
Subtle Strike - 1
Below average removal spell or below average pump spell? Ehhh . . .
Syndicate Trafficker - 2
Another good 2-drop. A 3/1 for 2 mana with upside is pretty freaking good. This Black artifact aggro deck is building itself, no?
Thriving Rats - 1
If this was a 2/1 it would be more playable. 1/2 is just . . . No thank you.
Tidy Conclusion - 0
I’m trying to wipe the board clean at 5 mana. Not kill a single creature. AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!
Underhanded Designs - 2
A heftier Sinister Concoction without card/life loss. If a Black artifact deck does exist, this could see play in it. This card isn’t fantastic but could see play as singleton in Lantern Control since it’s a win condition and a removal spell.
Weaponcraft Enthusiast - 2
Makes artifacts for your Black artifact deck if you don’t have a better way to do so. I think Smuggler's Copter is better though if you want to do that.
Top 3 Best Black cards:
So weird to have Embraal Bruiser in the top 3. Could replace it with Gonti, Lord of Luxury but I really think Embraal Bruiser is good. It just needs an aggressive home. Maybe we’ll have a good B/R aggro deck in Standard. Time will tell.
That’s all we got for Black so that’s all we have for today. It was kinda neat to see all these synergistic Black/artifact aggro cards. Maybe we actually have some sort of deck for it. I’d like into artifacts and Red to flesh it out but it looks pretty promising. As always, thank you for reading.
I appreciate all of you,
Ali Aintrazi
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