Ayara: Drink Death Like Wine

[Vessiliana]

Drink Death Like Wine

DecklistCMCManaPricesChartsDraw 7

1 Ayara, First of Locthwain

# Attendants

1 Army of the Damned

1 Bitterblossom

1 Carrion

1 Dreadhorde Invasion

# Bridal Feast

1 Demonic Tutor

1 Reanimate

1 Rise of the Dark Realms

1 Vampiric Tutor

# Funeral Feast

1 Damnation

1 Feed the Swarm

1 Necropotence

1 Wound Reflection

# Lady in Waiting

1 Liliana of the Dark Realms

1 Liliana Vess

1 Liliana, Death's Majesty

1 Liliana, Dreadhorde General

1 Liliana, Heretical Healer

1 Liliana, the Last Hope

# Suitors

1 Abhorrent Overlord

1 Bloodghast

1 Callous Bloodmage

1 Chittering Witch

1 Crypt Ghast

1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder

1 Erebos, God of the Dead

1 Foulmire Knight

1 Ghoulcaller Gisa

1 Grave Titan

1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel

1 Josu Vess, Lich Knight

1 Kokusho, the Evening Star

1 Marrow-Gnawer

1 Murderous Rider

1 Nadier's Nightblade

1 Nirkana Revenant

1 Noxious Gearhulk

1 Ogre Slumlord

1 Ophiomancer

1 Piper of the Swarm

1 Syr Konrad, the Grim

1 Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose

1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

1 Zulaport Cutthroat

# The Palace

1 Palace Siege

1 Phyrexian Arena

# The Realm

1 Bojuka Bog

1 Cabal Coffers

1 Cabal Stronghold

1 High Market

1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

1 Phyrexian Tower

32 Snow-Covered Swamp

1 Volrath's Stronghold

# Treasures of the Realm

1 Black Market

1 Bolas's Citadel

1 Bontu's Monument

1 Caged Sun

1 Conjurer's Closet

1 Darksteel Plate

1 Extraplanar Lens

1 Gauntlet of Power

1 Gilded Lotus

1 Jet Medallion

1 Lightning Greaves

1 Sol Ring

1 Solemn Simulacrum

1 Thornbite Staff

1 Thousand-Year Elixir

Approximate Total Cost:

I love mono-black, and I keep trying. I thought I had found my forever mono- deck with Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, but my Superfriends deck didn't stick. I keep coming back to the lovely Ayara, who, "with mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage", serves up death at every feast.

I am still trying to find some nice polish for the deck, so any and all suggestions are welcome.

[Ardeyn]

I had been toying with Ayara after having played a Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet Deck for a while. But then Tergrid came along and I just had to build her.
Gonna suggest the obvious here: Plague of Vermin. If you have enough life to pay, you just win with Ayara. At least you get your investment back and drain your opponents.
Also, Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet would be some nice addition as it's grave hate and token production in one.
For more general advice: I think more draw would be good as you can't rely on Ayara to draw everything - at least Castle Locthwain and War Room would be nice backup.
Also: more (instant speed) removal and lowering your curve would be great: eg.
Grave Pact, Hero's Downfall et al.

Ardeyn

[ChocoDude]

I second Plague of Vermin as well as lowering your curve. I'm not sure what your meta is light, but your deck seems like it would move along pretty slowly with so many high mana value (CMC) cards. I took my deck into a lower curve aristocrats creature recursion vein and using sacrifice with drain & gain as my primary wincon. Some cards I use are:

Bloodghast, Nether Traitor, Bloodsoaked Champion, Oathsworn Vampire, Gravecrawler, Reassembling Skeleton, Mikaeus, The Unhallowed, Bastion of Remembrance, Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose, and Marauding Blightpriest

I'm still creating as many black creature tokens as I can too. I have a few of the same as you. I'm not running Chittering Witch as I unfortunately get to play 3-player once in a great while and mostly just 1 vs 1, so take that into consideration too. I also used to run Dreadhorde Invasion, but it always felt so-so and a bit slow to me. You might like Sengir Autocrat. I recently added in Blight Mound to test, but I haven't had a chance yet.

One card that's brutal for your opponents is Contamination, but it doesn't quite fit the theme. I decided to take it out as it was pretty mean. If I ever play in a higher-powered 4-player meta I may put it back in.

I like the idea of Carrion and Thornbite Staff that you're running. I may borrow those.

You really might want to add more draw to your deck. Necropotence is $$$, but if you can get a copy it's worth it. Plumb the Forbidden has been pretty good for me as well.

[Vessiliana]

Thank you both for the suggestions! Plague of Vermin and Necropotence will both go in!

Oddly, I think I have a spare Necropotence lying around, but the Plague of Vermin I will have to track down!

And I am afraid the deck has never entirely been able to cast off the ghost of Chainer, and the curve shows it. I will definitely need to trim it down...

EDIT: And this is why I shouldn't post after midnight. I'm already running Necropotence!

[ChocoDude]

You've already got some big mana producers in Crypt Ghast, Nykthos, and Cabal Coffers as well as Nirkana (but that's a tough one as it's a high CMC card already). That'll help you get to some of your higher CMC cards quicker. To access Nykthos and Coffers sooner you might consider Expedition Map. You could also look at one-time mana producers to jump start the deck: Dark Ritual, Bubbling Muck, Culling the Weak, etc. Then you wouldn't have to worry quite as much about lowering your curve.

For me, I've found it can be challenge to dial in the right balance of recursion, sacrifice, and token generation so the deck operates in a smooth aristocratic style. And of course, getting the right amount of card draw to keep your foot on the gas pedal.

Oh and having a spare Necropotence is fabulous!! Congrats!!