I created a version of this deck a few years ago when dredge was really big in the format. I wanted to play a deck that could stand somewhat a chance against such an explosive deck, and so I started playing with the idea of playing multiple main-board Surgical Extractions.
Even against other decks that don't have as much interaction with their graveyard, the Surgical Extractions can be very good if paired with a Young Pyromancer, getting rid of a threat, or a problem card, from your opponents deck while also creating a board state for yourself is always a good move. Another good reason to play Surgical Extraction with Young Pyromancer is that it is a "free" spell, so you can get value off of his ability as soon as he hits the board. No more playing him on turn 2, just to have him killed, or having to wait until turn 3 to play him. The Surgicals are also very good when paired with any discard spells to make sure that you get rid of whatever card is in their hand for goo for that match. They are especially good when your opponent happens to have 2 copies of that card in their hand.
So now this is an updated version of the list from years ago, and even though dredge isn't as big as it once was, there are a lot of decks that utilize their graveyard in some way. Being able to interact with the graveyard in game 1 can be game winning. Whether it be a deck using
Snapcaster Mages,
Lurrus, of the Dream-Den, or even
Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath. Getting rid of any of these cards, or their targets in the case of Snap and Lurrus, can shut off options for your opponent that they were planning on being able to use in that crucial first game.
Card Choices
Young Pyromancer gives you "free" 1/1 elementals, all you have to do is cast an instant or sorcery spell, that you will most likely be playing anyway. There are even times that that dead discard spell that you drew on turn 10 can then be turned into 1, or even 2, extra creatures!
Dark Confidant is an obvious choice for card draw in any black deck that doesn't have many, if any high CMC cards in the deck.
Death's Shadow is only a 3 of because this isn't really a death's shadow deck, but it can be very good late game if the board starts to stall out. There are also times when you are playing against a deck that puts out bigger creatures, such as a
Tarmogoyf, and Death's Shadow can be a very good blocker.
Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger is a 2 of because it is very good as another discard spell and possibly damage to your opponent, but with only 19 lands you aren't going to escape them consistently. They are still good late game, so I like 2, but you could easily cut them for something else if you want to.
Intangible Virtue is very good with both Young Pyromancer and Lingering Souls, making your tokens from them better. It can often come as a surprise because most people doesn't usually suspect a deck like this to be running it, and can power you to a victory.
Engineered Explosives is an interesting card as a one of in the main and side. I like it because its CMC is 0 when you hit it off of Dark Confidant. You can set it anywhere from 0 to 4 counters, if you get the
Mana Confluence, so you can try to work around your board state to devastate your opponents board.
Inquisition of Kozilek/
Thoughtseize are the typical discard spells for black decks in Modern. I like to play 7 if i can fit it, but 6 is the minimum to make sure you get one on turn one consistently. In this deck, even though it's running Death's Shadow, I play 4 Inquisition over Thoughtseize because I'm not necessarily trying to bring my life total down. The Death's Shadow are more for mid to late game, but if you want to play the full set of Shadow, I would replace an Inquisition with a Thoughtseize.
Collective Brutality is an all around good card. It having 3 options that are all useful in varying situations can really help this deck. There can be times as well that you use it and discard something like a lingering souls to use two modes, and either set up your next turn to cast souls and something else, or if you didn't have the white source... well now you don't need it.
Surgical Extraction we have already gone over, but it's really good with all the discard in this deck, as well as with Young Pyromancer.
Lightning Bolt is a good 3 of here, as you can get that little extra damage you need to win, or to just kill a creature.
Fatal push is a 3 of because with playing Mardu you have access to the best 1 mana kill spells in modern, so you don't need a full set. It is one the most efficient kill spells that doesn't give anything to your opponent.
Path to Exile is a 2 of with another in the side because sometimes your opponent can play a creature that you can't Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt. In those times you want a couple Paths still in the deck, even though it gives your opponent a land, which isn't great, but won't immediately win them the game while that creature could have. There is another in the side in case you face up against a deck that plays big creatures, or a deck trying to use the delve mechanic to get high cost creatures for only 1 or 2 mana.
Lingering Souls is only a 3 of because I couldn't really fit a fourth to be honest, and a little because playing too many high costed spells makes Dark Confidant slightly worse. If you have mostly 1 and 2 CMC cards, then throughout the game, you can draw more cards before needing to get rid of him.
Village Rites is a very interesting card, as it's another black card that lets you draw, which is rare. It is very good with Kroxa's sac trigger on the stack to draw a couple cards, sacrificing a token, just to get another with Young Pyromancer is great, sacrificing a creature in response to a kill spell to get some value, or even late game when your life is getting low and you need to get rid of your Dark Confidant.
The mana base is a set of each of the black fast lands because you need turn 1 black for discard spells, and with so few lands playing 8 in total you won't be screwed by having three or more lands in play that often. A set of
Marsh Flats, so that you can fetch out any of the 3 shocks, or fetch either of your basics. A single
Silent Clearing, just in case you get flooded a bit, or need to draw. A single
Mana Confluence to help color fix, or to get the fourth counter with Engineered Explosives. I only run 19 lands because this deck has a very low curve, with only a few cards more than 2 mana, as well as the new mulligan rule lets you play so few.
Lurrus, of the Dream-Den is our companion, and it is perfect late game when you are stalling out. When they hit the board, you can play any of your creatures from your graveyard, your Engineered Explosives if you need to kill something, or even an Intangible Virtue if it's been destroyed.
Duress is in the side as a way to have even more discard spells against control or combo decks. Though you can easily only play 1 in the side because this deck already mainboards 7. You can also just replace another discard in the main for a duress in game 2 or 3 if it's going to hit what you want to anyway.
Abrade in the side as a way to kill a creature or destroy an artifact. Alternatively you can play a
Kolaghan's Command here. I chose Abrade just because it costs 1 less, and I only play 19 lands in this deck.
Dreadbore is such a great way to deal with annoying planeswalkers. I have it in the side mainly for this use, but also certain decks you just want another kill spell, and a push or bolt doesn't cut it.
Boros Charm is in the side mainly for the indestructible mode against board destruction spells or even something like
Maelstrom Pulse against your tokens. It can also be good for a surprise win with a big Death's Shadow giving it double strike.
Damping Sphere is in the side for, of course, tron decks and storm decks. It can also be okay against prowess decks, so that they only cast 1 maybe 2 spells each turn.
Nihil Spellbomb is a great way to get rid of your opponents graveyard in one shot.
Ashiok, Dream-Render is great as well here, but I picked Spellbomb because you can get it back with Lurrus, and keep him as your companion when you side them in.
Wear // Tear is another way to deal with artifacts, but can also deal with annoying enchantments. You could replace the Abrade with another of these if you want.
Decklist
Creatures (13)
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Dark Confidant
3 Death's Shadow
2 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
Enchantments (2)
2 Intangible Virtue
Artifacts (1)
1 Engineered Explosives
Instants/Sorceries (25)
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
2 Collective Brutality
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Fatal Push
2 Path to Exile
3 Lingering Souls
2 Village Rites
Land (19)
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
4 Concealed Courtyard
4 Marsh Flats
1 Blood Crypt
1 Godless Shrine
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Silent Clearing
1 Mana Confluence
Sideboard(15)
1 Lurrus, of the dream den (Companion)
2 Duress
1 Abrade
1 Dreadbore
1 Path to Exile
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Boros Charm
3 Damping Sphere
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Wear // Tear
Overall this deck is fun to play, with having a lot of options to interact with your opponent constantly. It has a good match up against other mid-range decks, especially those without access to Maelstrom Pulse or other board wipes. Even decks that sideboard Plague Engineer, you have a chance to get a bunch of tokens with Intangible Virtue in the list. Against aggro decks you can still do well with all the cheap and efficient kill spells, and even the discard with surgical to get rid of their more important threats. Against control decks you can have a rough time unless you can discard and Surgical their more powerful spells against you. Against Tron decks I have had the hardest time because Inquisition, Bolt, and Push really don't do much against them, but you can still hit more important cards with Path and Thoughtseize. Really in the Tron match up, you just need to try to win fast, a long drawn out game against that deck will end in a loss a majority of the time.
Decklist created by, and article written by Clayton Burt
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