As we all know from the recent results at Starcity Games Standard Open tournament, Black Green Devotion is the next big thing on the Black-based builds of control decks. Three of that archetype made into the top 8 but was cut short by two Burn decks and a Jund Monsters build. Nevertheless, it’s the deck’s consistency that matters and with that in mind, I will come up with a list that will fit on my local metagame.

Here is Alex Bertoncini’s list for reference.

Maindeck
11 Swamp
4 Temple of Malady
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Mutavault
2 Golgari Guildgate

4 Desecration Demon
4 Pack Rat
4 Lifebane Zombie
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel

4 Thoughtseize
4 Hero’s Downfall
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Devour Flesh
1 Bile Blight
4 Underworld Connections
1 Vraska the Unseen

Sideboard
1 Devour Flesh
1 Bile Blight
2 Pharika’s Cure
2 Golgari Charm
1 Doom Blade
2 Dark Betrayal
2 Erebos, God of the Dead
4 Duress

While the list looks balanced, there are certain things that I think are needed to be changed:

A cut on the Lifebane Zombies – that means two on the main deck and two on the sideboard. I would bring in Nightveil Specters on the slot as it is more favored against the mirror and Blue White based control decks.

Devour Flesh looks ineffective – against most creature decks and RG Monsters decks, this edict effect is just a blank draw. Maybe I’ll substitute it to a Doom Blade or Ultimate Price.

Golgari Charm in the main deck – this is also my option card if I will take out Devour Flesh. This is still so far the best Charm in the current metagame. The ability to destroy random enchantments and Nyxborn critters as well as killing Elspeth’s soldier tokens and also can regenerate your guys from Supreme Verdict is just too good to pass.

With these notes, here is my planned deck list if ever I’d pilot it on tomorrow’s FNM or on Saturday’s Standard tournament:

Black Green Devotion by Mark Ian Alloso
Standard

Maindeck
11 Swamp
4 Temple of Malady
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Mutavault
2 Golgari Guildgate

4 Desecration Demon
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
3 Nightveil Specter
2 Lifebane Zombie
4 Pack Rat

4 Thoughtseize
4 Hero’s Downfall
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Doom Blade
1 Golgari Charm
4 Underworld Connections
1 Ultimate Price

Sideboard
2 Dark Betrayal
1 Doom Blade
4 Duress
2 Erebos, God of the Dead
1 Golgari Charm
2 Lifebane Zombie
2 Pharika’s Cure
1 Vraska the Unseen

At the moment, our card pool lacks Temple of Malady but I have purchased a playset earlier today and hopefully it will arrive tomorrow before the FNM. I would really love to test this deck for the local meta and see if the changes work. I will update you guys very soon.