KD Games: Ixalan - Black Cards

Having now played at prerelease weekend, I have had a chance to use some of the great new cards from the MTG set Ixalan. This means that I have begun to get a feel for the cards that I really like and will most likely use in the coming weeks and months.

Last week I looked at white and blue, so today it is the turn of black.

Anointed Deacon

Bishop of the Bloodstained

Blight Keeper

Bloodcrazed Paladin

Initially I dismissed vampires as I was so desperate to plan pirates. This card however I really like. Creatures with flash are always nice as it means you can leave casting the creature til the last possible moment. It has the potential to be a good sized creature for a very low casting cost. I also like the idea of casting this off the back of a Yahenni's Expertise.

Boneyard Parley

Contract Killing

Costly Plunder

Dark Nourishment

Deadeye Tormentor

Deadeye Tracker

I am looking at building a pirate deck and this feels like a contender for the one drop. Its ability to explore is very usefully and also will enable the creature to get bigger. With a Shadowed Caraval on turn two there is the potential for two things getting bigger. The problem is potentially the amount of cards in the graveyard and against some decks there may be a limited amount of opportunity. My current attempts to build a standard mill deck now that startled awake has rotated out may lead me towards a pirate based strategy and I have been looking at this with Navigator's Ruin.

Deathless Ancient

Desperate Castaways

Dire Fleet Hoarder

Dire Fleet Interloper

Dire Fleet Ravager

Menace and Deathtouch on a 4/4 body seems very good. Each player losing a third of there life is also a very interesting prospect and feels ideal for a red/black very aggressive deck. My problem is that there are other 5 drops that I would prefer to play. It feels like something that I may come back to but currently is not going to make it to my pirate deck.

Duress

Fathom Fleet Captain

This seems very strong. It should be in a position to attack very quickly and start to build a pirate army. It obviously works well with other Raid cards.

Fathom Fleet Cutthroat

Grim Captain’s Call

Heartless Pillage

Kitesail Freebooter

This card I saw used a great deal and anything that can remove a card from a players hand is always good. The issue here is protecting the freebooter. It is a flyer and feels like it wants to attack, but will it just get removed very quickly to get the card that was lost back?

Lurking Chupacabra

March of the Drowned

Mark of the Vampire

Queen’s Agent

Queen’s Bay Soldier

Raiders’ Wake

Revel in Riches

Alternative win! I always love the idea of an alternative win especially it is going to be difficult to set up. I like this card and really want to make it work. If I get some then this feels like it is going to be my silly deck for this season.

Ruin Raider

Card advantage is great. I am just not sure if this is survivable. Its another one of those cards that I think I may return to. I really need to look at the other cards in the set. There is a lot of lifelink so maybe.

Ruthless Knave

Sanctum Seeker

This I love and at 4 mana seems very strong. Life drain plus attacking damage most likely on creatures that have lifelink anyway, what is not to like?

Seekers’ Squire

Skittering Heartstopper

Skulduggery

Skymarch Bloodletter

Spreading Rot

Sword-Point Diplomacy

I saw this card played a few times and in all occasions it gave 2 or three cards. It seems like a win/win and at 3 mana seems to have a lot of potential.