Introduction

Based on a d00mwake video I saw, which itself was inspired by AspiringSpike, who was almost certainly influenced by the drink server at his local Tasty Beverages shop... Anyway, here are some of my thoughts after playing this particular version.

The Deck

Crime Payoffs:

• 4x Freestrider Lookout: THE big crime payoff card of the deck.
  • Can be surprisingly difficult to get online sometimes, but if you can trigger on both players' turn this thing feels pretty sweet.
  • Lean heavily towards picking Creature Lands, followed by Field of Ruin effects, with the trigger.
  • Sneaky Reach
• 2x Gisa, the Hellraiser: Our second big crime payoff.
  • She truly is a Grave Titan with extra steps, but being one mana cheaper and having a steep Ward cost does a lot of heavy lifting when making a case for her over more generically powerful cards like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse.
  • Only having 2x copies feels low when you're all set up, but high when you don't yet have the mana to cast her so it's just a question of just how greedy do you wanna be.
  • Amusingly, Glissa Sunslayer benefits from the +1/+1.
• 2x Bristly Bill, Spine Sower: Not a crime payoff card per se, but I'm putting him in this section as he stands so closely next to the [Freestrider Lookout]]s.
  • Billy Boy is one hell of a threat when you have a Lookout online, or Magic Gods willing, 2 Lookouts online.
  • Gives you something to do with all the excess lategame mana.
• 1x Vadmir, New Blood: You can sub in your 2Mana Threat of choice here but it doesn't especially matter since no matter your choice it's going to eat a removal spell. But eating a removal spell is the point of the slot so Vaddie's just as good as anything.
  
  • Plays surprisingly well with Bristly Bill, Spine Sower
  • Sneaky Menace + Lifelink.

The Recurring Crime Enablers:

• 3x Scrabbling Claws: Relic of Progenitus would be nicer IMO, but the Claws work well enough.
  
  • Allows for criminal behavior on opponent's turn, every turn. Bwahaha!
• 1x Chevill, Bane of Monsters: A mediocre card on his own, but synergizes quite nicely with the gameplan.
  • A bit of the lifegain and card draw that we're otherwise somewhat lacking.
  • Does sorcery speed crimes himself but we have a loooooot of ways to kill Creatures, and at instant speed too, so you can happily wait to kill the Bounty until it's the opponent's turn.
• 2x Graveyard Trespasser // Graveyard Glutton: Sees a lot of play just for the graveyard interaction, but that trigger gets turbo-charged in this deck.
  • Good on its own, good with friends.
  • Another card with a steep Ward cost.
  • Given how many Creature Lands we play, we can flip to Night fairly easily while still using our mana effectively.

The Spell Suite:

• 4x Fatal Push, 4x Thoughtseize: The Mandatory Eight Slots we must all pay tribute with in any base-Black deck.
• 4x TwoMana removal spells: It's a decently long list of options you could pick here, but I don't want to lose to a Turn 2-3 Vein Ripper or need to attack down opposing planewalkers, hence my choices. Your priorities may differ but just about any of the common choices are valid here.
• 1x Abrupt Decay: I'm so glad this is now in Explorer. It's a sweet catch-all that let's you reach out and touch permanents the rest of your deck is unable to interact with.

Rounding Things Out:

• 4x Mosswood Dreadknight: This just is the best BG Two Drop. Period.
• 2x Glissa Sunslayer: Flexible and dangerous. A nice combination to have in one card.
  • Sits back comfortably on defense.
  • Yet another threat that demands an immediate response lest she start acruing value for us, every turn

The Mana Base:

• 6x Basic Lands: 4/2 or 3/3 split but we definitely want a lot given how many Field of Ruin effects we're running.
• 5x Field of Ruin: Yeah, yeah, I'm being lazy and not splitting up the cards that have the same effect, whatever. 
  • Gives us plenty of ammo against opposing Creature Lands.
  • Can crime on either player's turn.
• 6x Creature Lands: Threats! Threats everywhere! That the BG Creature lands worth a damn happen to also commit crimes is gravy.
  • 4x Restless Cottage: A bit annoying that it always comes into play tapped, but still a chunky threat that looms.
  • 2x Hive of the Eye Tyrant: Yo, that Menace keyword is a problem~
• 1x Boseiju, Who Endures: When you absolutely need that "Oh, shoot" button.
• 4x Blooming Marsh: Really not many cards we play that need this to come in untapped beyond 3rd land drop.
• 4x Overgrown Tomb: Dual land of choice. Much wow~

Mana Base Ommissions:

• No BG Surveil land?
  • We're already playing plenty of lands that come into play tapped. The format's not slow enough for us to be messing around no matter how nice the card selection might feel.
• No Takenuma, Abandoned Mire?
  • I've never once found myself wanting the channel effect, I'd much rather have the basic land I have "slotted there" instead.
  • Given how fast the format is, when was the last time you had the time spend on the channel?