Welcome back to my series on metagaming against large threats in multiplayer. The focus is on using cards that cost $2 or less. In the last article, I suggested that cards such as Vampire Nighthawk, Nirkana Cutthroat, Onyx Mage, Stinkweed Imp, Seal of Doom, and Executioner's Capsule were excellent ways to ward players away and send large, single threats elsewhere like a rattlesnake. Today, I’ll finish the rattlesnake category.

The next two rattlesnakes on my list are geared toward defense. I like Will-o'-the-Wisp (Fog of Gnats is a similar card) because they are non-threatening. The Wisps are not that good if you are the table's threat, however, as people can team up to put your blocker out of order. Despite this drawback, he is good early defense. Few players want to virtually waste an attack or removal on him—unless you play with people who don't care about winning and who will seek to eliminate it just because it is hard to get rid of.

Some player might attack you with his life-gaining ’hawk, for example, but he is wasting time. This can be good, though, in the long-term metagame. People who waste time tend to lose, and we can hope those people learn to attack elsewhere to make their attacks count.

The Wisp is also very good later if you have ways to make it into a more threatening creature such as with a Loxodon Warhammer.

The next card, Wall of Souls, is better for The Threat, as it damages the opponent for attacking you. It sends early ground-based hits elsewhere. Cards that damage your opponents based on power are very good in groups with big beasties!

Wall of Souls is an important part of the deck below.

"Haters Gonna Hate (B/R) – Vintage Legal, 75 cards"

• Creatures (18)
• 4 Hanweir Watchkeep
• 4 Rage Nimbus
• 4 Wall of Souls
• 3 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
• 3 Tuktuk the Explorer

• Spells (30)
• 2 Delirium
• 3 Breath of Malfegor
• 4 Terminate
• 1 Demonic Tutor
• 4 Sizzle
• 2 Necromancy
• 3 Hissing Miasma
• 4 Everlasting Torment
• 4 Manabarbs
• 3 Rakdos Signet

• Lands (27)
• 8 Mountain
• 9 Swamp
• 2 Lantern-Lit Graveyard
• 4 Rakdos Carnarium
• 1 Shivan Gorge
• 3 Forsaken Wastes

Buy This Deck

Deck Notes

The deck is very straightforward. Get down a card that keeps your opponents from gaining life while setting up some defense. Then, start burning them out. Make sure you use the Rakdos Carnariums and Rakdos Signets whenever possible if you have Manabarbs out. Also remember that Forsaken Wastes is a world enchantment, so only one can be in play at a time. The only cards over $2 are Everlasting Torment—which can be replaced by Leyline of Punishment—and Rain of Gore—which would be hilarious against decks that abuse Soul Warden effects such as the one in my last article.

As discussed in the responses last week, I invite you to suggest perfected and streamlined sixty-card decklists in the comments below. I am curious to see what concoctions all of you create.

More Rattlesnakes

The final two rattlers are similar to Seal of Doom, and one is even more classic. The cards are Royal Assassin and Avatar of Woe, which is so good that I am listing it even though it is slightly over $2. The Assassin is fragile, but that fragility may make him less of a target if you make a habit of only using him as a method of removing threats to your person. If you kill everything you can every time you play him, he will definitely become a target. Remember, though, that a good rattlesnake doesn't stop the fighting: It sends the fighting it elsewhere.

Including the Avatar is actually quite ironic, as that card is also the type of big finisher that I am talking about. It can easily be inexpensive to cast, it has evasion, and it has a wonderful ability. At under $3, it’s a steal. I bought mine a long time ago for $7 apiece, not knowing that she would be printed five times. Note that she doesn't have a targeting restriction as a lot of black removal does used to. My final thoughts on these two is that if you create an environment that prizes interaction, these will become quite good. Imagine Mr. Green Beats mentioned above. Assume his critter is already cloaked. He needs to consider what happens if the cloak disappears mid-combat, which is quite likely if he is the threat . . . 

A quick Avatar of Woe for board-control purposes, before beating in heads, is a feature of the next deck.

"Possessed (R/B) – Vintage Legal, 75 cards"

• Creatures (26)
• 1 Krovikan Horror
• 4 Ashen Ghoul
• 4 Avatar of Woe
• 4 Mindslicer
• 4 Nether Shadow
• 4 Twisted Abomination
• 1 Myr Retriever
• 4 Squee, Goblin Nabob

• Spells (20)
• 1 Moonlight Bargain
• 4 Firestorm
• 1 Demonic Tutor
• 4 Buried Alive
• 4 Damnation
• 3 Tortured Existence
• 3 Possessed Portal

• Lands (29)
• 1 Mountain
• 15 Swamp
• 2 Tainted Peak
• 3 Badlands
• 4 Dragonskull Summit
• 4 Ebon Stronghold

Buy This Deck

Deck Notes

If you are careful with your graveyard, though, the Possessed Portal can lead to a late-game grind during which you will quickly become the only person to be able to do something. If you are building on a budget, the Damnations can become Life's Finale, and the Badlands can be replaced with various other fixing lands (though I do recommend one Badlands or Blood Crypt to search up with Twisted Abomination). I really like Firestorm in this deck, but Faithless Looting could be a replacement, as it allows you to throw creatures in the ’yard—the main reason for the Firestorm—and can draw you toward the removal you will be missing because you cut the Firestorm. Don't cut any Buried Alives; buy a play set, as they are well worth it.

Why Rattlesnakes?

I once lost to a very, very large Gus because I had an answer to the Gus owner's removal of my Wall of Tears (blue rattler!), but not to another player's. My Multani, Maro-Sorcerer had swung at him the prior turn, and he knew I had to go. They teamed up on me, and I lost because of it. They proactively went after me, damn the consequences, and won; they declared joint victory.

I have never understood the sit-and-watch-someone-get-beat-on plan—unless you have an outs such as the cards mentioned above. Then, go ahead; watch them all perish, as it helps you win. Keep in mind that since you do have an answer, you may want to push in some hits to make sure that you can take them out later (as long as it doesn't force your sucker unwilling ally to attack you). After all, someone may have an answer to your answer!

Below is a list of all of the black budget rattlesnakes suggested in this article¹ and the prior one. Thank you for taking the time to read Metagaming Multiplayer, and join me next time when I review budget black cards that help remove threats from the game.

Black Budget Rattlesnakes

• Vampire Nighthawk
• Nirkana Cutthroat
• Onyx Mage - currently Buy 1 get 3 free
• Stinkweed Imp
• Seal of Doom
• Executioner's Capsule
• Will-o'-the-Wisp (Fog of Gnats)
• Wall of Souls
• Reassembling Skeleton - currently Buy 1 get 3 free
• Royal Assassin
• Avatar of Woe

¹Attrition is also a commonly referenced rattlesnake that many may expect. It is good in decks that are not worried about dealing with black creatures and that can afford, or make use of, the sacrifice. I feel it is a little too build-around for the list.