VibeBox
Contributor
The Pox Black archetype is a somewhat recent development and I think one of the most interesting and Cube specific. Our very own Matt Kranstuber is in large part responsible for innovating and subsequently popularizing this archetype through his articles and podcasts. Due to a confluence of factors Cube is perhaps the biggest spotlight Pox has ever had as a deck and certainly as a theme. In my book this ranks it among the most unique and insightful contributions Cube has made to the game as a whole, but it also presents a problem. Many players, even many cubers, have not had experience drafting around, building with, or playing with not only Pox itself, but many of the cards involved. Hopefully this primer will help illuminate how to get the most out of this archetype as either a player or Cube designer.
First it is best to talk about what a modern Pox deck is and what it does. What are its goals, and how does it achieve them? At its heart the archetype is an aggressive one. Behind all the niche enablers and intricacies it still wants turn its crew sideways and attack you to death. In the same way that a white aggro deck will gladly Armageddon and wrap things up with an Isamaru, Pox is ultimately going to attack with a Bloodghast after enacting it's own disruptive gameplan against you. What this means more than anything is that when drafting the deck the pilot must value premium creatures over almost anything. Like a mono red player snapping up Goblin Guides and Ash Zealots, the Pox player must grab a high density of Carnophages and Geralf's Messengers, lest they jump through hoops to build a neat synergistic deck only to fall short of sealing the deal.
The nature of the aforementioned disruptive package is what makes Pox such a unique archetype. The juice behind the aggro plan of this deck comes in the form of a specific subset of exploitable "symetric" cards. Together the cards on this list form a backbone of powerful effects the Pox player uses to gain an advantage by keeping the game in its early developmental phases.
The Bread and Butter
Pox
Smallpox
Death Cloud
Contamination
Smokestack
Braids, Cabal Minion
Tangle Wire
The common element of these cards is that they favor the player who can either get by with less or has a more resilient set of resources. In each case a seemingly symmetrical effect starts to look a great deal less so when one side needs only to attack with a Sarcomancy token to complete their game plan. The more of these key cards a player can get into a deck the more potent the deck should be, as it will more reliably be able to create and exploit these technically symmetrical situations. However, even with five or six of these "brass ring" cards the deck will fail miserably without a critical mass in another category, the enablers. getting ahead through the situations a Pox deck can create can be done in multiple ways, but the most valuable is through recursive elements.
Recursion
Gravecrawler
Bloodghast
Nether Traitor
Nether Spirit
Geralf's Messenger
Reassembling Skeleton
Murderous Redcap
Akuta, Born of Ash
Nether Shadow
Epochrasite
Ashen Ghoul
Butcher Ghoul
Stinkweed Imp
Undead Gladiator
Oversold Cemetery
Oath of Ghouls
Crucible of Worlds
These are the preferred conscripts in the Pox army, or in some cases the engines of recursion that can fuel an attack through the heavy losses associated with some of the premier disruption cards. Anything that enables the Pox player to sacrifice the necessary bodies and still end up with power on board is high valuable to the archetype. Bloodghast in particular is an all-star in a Pox deck. His unique ability to bring the beats in a recursive manner without a continued mana investment is right up the Pox player's alley. However these narrow beaters are not the only way to come out ahead. One class of cards can really help power through certain effects through sheer numbers.
Tokens
Bitterblossom
Marsh Flitter
Bloodline Keeper
Grave Titan
Skeletal Vampire
Pawn of Ulamog
Lingering Souls
Whether it's Lingering Souls fueling a Smokestack or Bitterblossom keeping an opponent locked under a Contagion, tokens can often be had at a price that makes them ideal to be sacrificed without losing too much value, while still presenting a reasonable threat if not dealt with in the absence of such an effect. Equipment can help legitimize the threat of these meager bodies, and are already highly desirable due to the fact that one or two small threats may often be relied upon to close out games. But equipment aren't the only cards to see a boost in value due to the particular nature of creatures Pox is prone to running. With a plethora of disposable bodies around several cards start to look much more enticing.
Value Components
Mortapod
Recurring Nightmare
Attrition
Stronghold Assassin
Goblin Bombardment
Greater Gargadon
Blasting Station
Blood Artist
Victimize
Hecatomb
Spawning Pit
Synergies are abound with this class of cards in any deck with enough of these eminently expendable creatures. Gravecrawler in particular is a standout in this department, as he can sometimes combine with things like Attrition or Goblin Bombardment to look like a virtual machine gun.
These aren't the only cards the Pox player will be able to squeeze value out of though. Due to the combination of sacrifice outlets, graveyard focus, and disposable bodies all in an aggro package many cards take on new-found strength. Our next group of cards is filled with these suddenly more enticing cards that will often fill out a Pox deck. Anything disruptive and aggressive is of interest, but new and interesting synergies are often discovered the longer Pox has to feel out it's place in a Cube.
Supporting Cast
Sinkhole
Nether Void
Dark Confidant
Dusk Urchins
Liliana of the Veil
Carrion Feeder
Mortician Beetle
Abyssal Persecutor
Ankh of Mishra
Tombstalker
Entomb
Buried Alive
Mind Twist
Hymn to Tourach
Thoughtseize
Cabal Therapy
Vampiric Tutor
Demonic Tutor
Jinxed Choker
Grafted Wargear
Chrome Mox
Mox Diamond
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Flagstones of Trokair
Rain of Tears
Rancid Earth
Choking Sands
Icequake
Grim Discovery
Stupor
Toshiro Umezawa
Krovikan Horror
Sewer Nemesis
Shadowborn Demon
Quest for the Gravelord
Ritual of the Machine
Pithing Needle
Fleshbag Marauder
Innocent Blood
Please enjoy this draft walkthrough if you'd like to see a Pox deck as it's drafted. I didn't play it the super tightest, but hopefully it conveys the general priorities of a Pox drafter.
Breaking Singleton
For those of you who may be inclined to break singleton in your Cubes, Pox can certainly benefit from this practice. While there are plenty of candidates as to what deserves additional representation, to me there are two clear standouts in the creature department. Gravecrawler and Bloodghast are in a tier of their own when it comes to top shelf bodies. Braids, Cabal Minion is perhaps another to consider, as her combination of abusable symmetry along with ability to attack can be a real boon to the archetype.
On the non-creature side, additional copies of Pox and Smallpox could certainly help boost the power of these decks. Not having attempted this myself, I can't give more specific advice than to add an additional copy of each and test. More or less may be appropriate for your environment.
[if someone with experience breaking singleton wants to rework this section it'd be much appreciated]
Sections to be completed:
Example decklists
advice for Modern cubes or breaking singleton
primer video
First it is best to talk about what a modern Pox deck is and what it does. What are its goals, and how does it achieve them? At its heart the archetype is an aggressive one. Behind all the niche enablers and intricacies it still wants turn its crew sideways and attack you to death. In the same way that a white aggro deck will gladly Armageddon and wrap things up with an Isamaru, Pox is ultimately going to attack with a Bloodghast after enacting it's own disruptive gameplan against you. What this means more than anything is that when drafting the deck the pilot must value premium creatures over almost anything. Like a mono red player snapping up Goblin Guides and Ash Zealots, the Pox player must grab a high density of Carnophages and Geralf's Messengers, lest they jump through hoops to build a neat synergistic deck only to fall short of sealing the deal.
The nature of the aforementioned disruptive package is what makes Pox such a unique archetype. The juice behind the aggro plan of this deck comes in the form of a specific subset of exploitable "symetric" cards. Together the cards on this list form a backbone of powerful effects the Pox player uses to gain an advantage by keeping the game in its early developmental phases.
The Bread and Butter
Pox
Smallpox
Death Cloud
Contamination
Smokestack
Braids, Cabal Minion
Tangle Wire
The common element of these cards is that they favor the player who can either get by with less or has a more resilient set of resources. In each case a seemingly symmetrical effect starts to look a great deal less so when one side needs only to attack with a Sarcomancy token to complete their game plan. The more of these key cards a player can get into a deck the more potent the deck should be, as it will more reliably be able to create and exploit these technically symmetrical situations. However, even with five or six of these "brass ring" cards the deck will fail miserably without a critical mass in another category, the enablers. getting ahead through the situations a Pox deck can create can be done in multiple ways, but the most valuable is through recursive elements.
Recursion
Gravecrawler
Bloodghast
Nether Traitor
Nether Spirit
Geralf's Messenger
Reassembling Skeleton
Murderous Redcap
Akuta, Born of Ash
Nether Shadow
Epochrasite
Ashen Ghoul
Butcher Ghoul
Stinkweed Imp
Undead Gladiator
Oversold Cemetery
Oath of Ghouls
Crucible of Worlds
These are the preferred conscripts in the Pox army, or in some cases the engines of recursion that can fuel an attack through the heavy losses associated with some of the premier disruption cards. Anything that enables the Pox player to sacrifice the necessary bodies and still end up with power on board is high valuable to the archetype. Bloodghast in particular is an all-star in a Pox deck. His unique ability to bring the beats in a recursive manner without a continued mana investment is right up the Pox player's alley. However these narrow beaters are not the only way to come out ahead. One class of cards can really help power through certain effects through sheer numbers.
Tokens
Bitterblossom
Marsh Flitter
Bloodline Keeper
Grave Titan
Skeletal Vampire
Pawn of Ulamog
Lingering Souls
Whether it's Lingering Souls fueling a Smokestack or Bitterblossom keeping an opponent locked under a Contagion, tokens can often be had at a price that makes them ideal to be sacrificed without losing too much value, while still presenting a reasonable threat if not dealt with in the absence of such an effect. Equipment can help legitimize the threat of these meager bodies, and are already highly desirable due to the fact that one or two small threats may often be relied upon to close out games. But equipment aren't the only cards to see a boost in value due to the particular nature of creatures Pox is prone to running. With a plethora of disposable bodies around several cards start to look much more enticing.
Value Components
Mortapod
Recurring Nightmare
Attrition
Stronghold Assassin
Goblin Bombardment
Greater Gargadon
Blasting Station
Blood Artist
Victimize
Hecatomb
Spawning Pit
Synergies are abound with this class of cards in any deck with enough of these eminently expendable creatures. Gravecrawler in particular is a standout in this department, as he can sometimes combine with things like Attrition or Goblin Bombardment to look like a virtual machine gun.
These aren't the only cards the Pox player will be able to squeeze value out of though. Due to the combination of sacrifice outlets, graveyard focus, and disposable bodies all in an aggro package many cards take on new-found strength. Our next group of cards is filled with these suddenly more enticing cards that will often fill out a Pox deck. Anything disruptive and aggressive is of interest, but new and interesting synergies are often discovered the longer Pox has to feel out it's place in a Cube.
Supporting Cast
Sinkhole
Nether Void
Dark Confidant
Dusk Urchins
Liliana of the Veil
Carrion Feeder
Mortician Beetle
Abyssal Persecutor
Ankh of Mishra
Tombstalker
Entomb
Buried Alive
Mind Twist
Hymn to Tourach
Thoughtseize
Cabal Therapy
Vampiric Tutor
Demonic Tutor
Jinxed Choker
Grafted Wargear
Chrome Mox
Mox Diamond
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Flagstones of Trokair
Rain of Tears
Rancid Earth
Choking Sands
Icequake
Grim Discovery
Stupor
Toshiro Umezawa
Krovikan Horror
Sewer Nemesis
Shadowborn Demon
Quest for the Gravelord
Ritual of the Machine
Pithing Needle
Fleshbag Marauder
Innocent Blood
Please enjoy this draft walkthrough if you'd like to see a Pox deck as it's drafted. I didn't play it the super tightest, but hopefully it conveys the general priorities of a Pox drafter.
Breaking Singleton
For those of you who may be inclined to break singleton in your Cubes, Pox can certainly benefit from this practice. While there are plenty of candidates as to what deserves additional representation, to me there are two clear standouts in the creature department. Gravecrawler and Bloodghast are in a tier of their own when it comes to top shelf bodies. Braids, Cabal Minion is perhaps another to consider, as her combination of abusable symmetry along with ability to attack can be a real boon to the archetype.
On the non-creature side, additional copies of Pox and Smallpox could certainly help boost the power of these decks. Not having attempted this myself, I can't give more specific advice than to add an additional copy of each and test. More or less may be appropriate for your environment.
[if someone with experience breaking singleton wants to rework this section it'd be much appreciated]
Sections to be completed:
Example decklists
advice for Modern cubes or breaking singleton
primer video
