Gloom Tracker

For those who enjoy a "Johnny" playstyle with lots of synergies to explore, I played against something similar on the ranked ladder and fell in love with the deck. When searching for it, I only found a couple similar builds, but nothing quite like the one I played that utilized Bottomless Pool // Locker Room with Fear of Isolation heavily. It was a ton of fun to loose against, so I set out to create my own version—and this was the result!

The deck has a gloomy vibe in both theme and playstyle, and it really kicks into overdrive once Entity Tracker stays on the board. While it can be draw-heavy and even risk decking yourself if you're not careful, it’s incredibly fun to pilot once it gets going.

The Creatures

Fear of Lost Teeth: At first glance, it doesn’t seem like much. But as an enchantment creature—a common theme among most of our cards—it contributes heavily to the deck’s draw engine (more on that later). Its death trigger, which can hit any target, adds a surprising amount of late-game versatility.

Fear of Isolation: This card allows you to return one of your permanents to your hand, making it invaluable for recasting some of your more impactful spells. It gives you lots of flexibility to handle a variety of situations.

Silent Hallcreeper: This card draws hate almost immediately—most opponents will kill it 90% of the time it hits the board. While it’s not a key piece of the deck, it provides immense value even in death by baiting removal spells and clearing the way for our more critical cards. If left alone, it can sneak in a couple of early unblockable hits or even copy one of our overlords later in the game.

Entity Tracker: This is the centerpiece of the deck. It has flash, so use it wisely—casting it on your opponent’s end step gives it the best chance to survive. Once it’s in play, nearly everything you cast will draw you a card. When paired with our next card, it can provide a massive advantage.

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse: Draw a card, gain 2 life—and punish your opponent by making them lose life for their own draws. I try not to rely on this monster in most of my builds, but its synergy is too good to ignore here. While it will have a giant target on its back, you can use that to your advantage, drawing removal away from other key cards that might sneak in for the win.

Overlord of the Balemurk: At first, I thought this card wasn’t necessary, but during testing, I saw its potential. While the self-mill can be risky long-term, it helps you recover key creatures from your graveyard to fuel the deck’s draw engine. Plus, its impending presence forces opponents to play more cautiously, which works in your favor.

Overlord of the Floodpits: A fantastic card for drawing while also acting as a nasty flying threat. It’s also a great target for Silent Hallcreeper to copy in the late game, often helping you close out matches.

The Spells

Hopeless Nightmare: This card deals chip damage and forces your opponent to discard—what’s not to love? When paired with Fear of Isolation, it can hit the battlefield over and over again, wearing opponents down. Many players will concede when they see this synergy in action.

Unable to Scream: While Final Vengeance might technically be a stronger card, I’ve found this one to be far more irritating for opponents. It fits our enchantment-heavy theme and sneaks in an unexpected way to shut down death triggers. In rare cases, it can even prevent a dreadful creature from flipping over.

Nowhere to Run: An absolutely essential card in this deck—and arguably in any mono-black deck. The -3/-3 effect pairs beautifully with flash, and its ability to bypass hexproof and ward is crucial for handling threats that would otherwise shut us down.

Sporogenic Infection: This is your big removal spell, though it isn’t always straightforward. Place it on an opponent’s creature you don’t care about (bonus points if it’s already hit by Unable to Scream) to maximize its disruption. In a pinch, you can even throw it on one of your own creatures to finish off an enemy. A particularly sneaky aspect of this card is its ability to kill creatures when they take damage—making even Fear of Lost Teeth capable of taking down much larger threats.

Bottomless Pool // Locker Room: This card has fantastic synergy with Fear of Isolation, allowing you to stall your opponent by repeatedly forcing them to replay the same creature. Late game, you can unlock the other side for even more card draw, continuing to fuel your engine.

The Gameplan

Play defensively and stall the game until you can safely drop Entity Tracker. Once it’s on the board, the deck becomes a draw engine—but be mindful of your deck count so you don’t accidentally mill yourself. Ideally, Entity Tracker will stick around long enough for you to play other threats, but always keep an extra copy in hand if possible.

For example, the deck really shines with combos like Entity Tracker + Hopeless Nightmare + Fear of Isolation. Play Hopeless Nightmare, draw a card, then use Fear of Isolation to bounce Hopeless Nightmare back to your hand, drawing another card. Replay Hopeless Nightmare and draw yet again. If Sheoldred, the Apocalypse is on the board, you’ll also gain life for each draw.

Board wipes can hurt, so try not to overextend. Hold back key cards if you suspect one is coming.

I hope you enjoy this deck as much as I do! Feel free to reach out if you’d like to see more of my builds, and don’t forget to tag me if you try this one. Happy Tracking!