The allure of black mana in Magic: The Gathering is undeniable. Representing ambition, power, and the acceptance of any means to achieve victory, black cards have consistently offered some of the most potent and game-warping effects in the game's history. From devastating discard spells to creatures that rise from the graveyard, black's mechanics often revolve around sacrificing resources for immediate gain, a philosophy that can lead to explosive wins. Understanding the best black card requires examining not just their raw power, but also their versatility, impact on various formats, and enduring legacy. This dive into the darkest corners of Magic will reveal cards that have defined eras, warped metagames, and solidified black's reputation as a force to be reckoned with. The following cards represent some of the pinnacle achievements of black mana, illustrating its capacity for both brutal aggression and calculated control.
Griselbrand
Griselbrand is a card that embodies the essence of black mana: power at a price. This legendary demon angel boasts impressive stats – 7/7 with flying and lifelink – but also demands a significant mana investment. However, the real draw of Griselbrand lies in its activated ability: paying 7 life to draw seven cards. This is an incredibly powerful ability that allows players to refill their hand and potentially find game-winning answers or threats. Griselbrand's impact on formats like Vintage and Legacy has been immense, often being reanimated early in the game to quickly gain a massive advantage. Its ability to draw a massive amount of cards makes combo decks that rely on finding a specific card much more consistent. The high life cost is often irrelevant, as the lifelink ability can quickly offset the life loss, making it a resilient and dominating threat.
Demonic Tutor
Demonic Tutor is the quintessential black tutor spell, representing the inherent power of black mana to obtain exactly what you need, regardless of the cost. For a single black mana, you can search your library for any card and put it into your hand. This unparalleled flexibility makes it a staple in nearly every black deck that can afford to run it. Its impact extends across formats, from Commander to Vintage, where it acts as a crucial component in combo strategies and control decks alike. The ability to find answers to specific threats, set up game-winning plays, or simply grab the perfect land drop makes Demonic Tutor one of the most efficient and powerful cards ever printed. Its cost reflects its power, often commanding a high price on the secondary market, highlighting its enduring value to Magic players seeking to optimize their decks.
Thoughtseize
Thoughtseize is a premier discard spell that allows players to disrupt their opponent's plans before they even have a chance to execute them. For the low cost of one black mana and two life, you can look at your opponent's hand and choose a nonland card to discard. This proactive disruption is incredibly valuable in formats like Modern and Legacy, where games are often decided by the early turns. Thoughtseize provides crucial information about your opponent's strategy and allows you to remove key threats or combo pieces before they can be played. The life loss is often a worthwhile trade for the advantage gained, making it a staple in aggressive and control decks alike. Its ability to shape the course of the game from the very beginning solidifies its place as one of the best black magic cards ever printed.
Dark Confidant
Dark Confidant, affectionately known as "Bob" by many players, is a deceptively powerful card advantage engine. This 2/1 creature for two mana allows you to draw an extra card at the beginning of your upkeep, but at the cost of losing life equal to that card's mana value. In decks with a low mana curve, Dark Confidant can provide a consistent stream of card advantage, allowing you to outpace your opponent in resources. Its impact has been felt across multiple formats, particularly in Modern and Legacy, where efficient spells and aggressive strategies thrive. While the life loss can be a drawback, the card advantage it provides often outweighs the risk, making it a staple in many black magic cards based strategies seeking to grind out opponents.
Yawgmoth's Will
Yawgmoth's Will is a card that can generate explosive turns and completely overwhelm opponents. For the cost of two black mana and a generic mana, this sorcery allows you to play cards from your graveyard this turn. If a card would be put into your graveyard this turn, exile it instead. This ability provides incredible recursion and allows you to reuse powerful spells and creatures, often leading to game-winning combinations. Yawgmoth's Will is banned or restricted in multiple formats due to its overwhelming power, highlighting its potential for abuse. Its ability to turn the graveyard into a second hand makes it a devastating weapon in the right deck, cementing its place as one of the most iconic and feared black cards in Magic's history.
Grave Titan
Grave Titan is a powerful creature that generates a consistent stream of value. This 6/6 creature for six mana creates two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens whenever it enters the battlefield or attacks. This ability provides immediate board presence and can quickly overwhelm opponents. Grave Titan has been a staple in various formats, particularly in Commander and midrange decks, where its ability to generate tokens and pressure opponents is highly valued. Its resilience and ability to create value even after being removed make it a persistent threat that opponents must answer. The Zombie tokens also synergize well with other cards that benefit from having a large number of creatures on the battlefield. This makes Grave Titan an excellent card for both offensive and defensive strategies, solidifying its reputation as a powerful and versatile black magic card.
Phyrexian Obliterator
Phyrexian Obliterator is a creature that punishes opponents for even attempting to interact with it. This 5/5 creature for four black mana has trample and a unique ability: whenever it becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, that player sacrifices permanents equal to its power. This deterrent effect makes it incredibly difficult to remove or block, as opponents risk losing valuable resources in the process. Phyrexian Obliterator is particularly effective against decks that rely on targeted removal or combat tricks. Its presence on the battlefield forces opponents to reconsider their strategies and often leads to unfavorable trades. The combination of its high power, trample, and punishing ability makes it a formidable threat that can quickly close out games. Playing the black color is often associated with such a card.
Liliana of the Veil
Liliana of the Veil is a powerful planeswalker that controls the board and disrupts the opponent's hand. Her +1 ability forces each player to discard a card, providing hand disruption and card advantage in the late game. Her -2 ability forces a player to sacrifice a creature, providing removal and board control. Her ultimate ability separates permanents into two piles and an opponent chooses a pile to sacrifice, essentially wiping half their board. Liliana's versatility makes her a staple in Modern and Legacy decks, controlling the board and disrupting the opponent's strategy. The discarding effect provides a significant advantage, especially against decks that rely on specific cards or combos. The sacrifice ability is excellent removal, particularly against creatures with protection or hexproof. The Planeswalker is a great representation of black card control.
Reanimate
Reanimate is a powerful reanimation spell that allows you to bring back a creature from any graveyard to the battlefield under your control. The cost of one black mana and some life makes this an incredibly efficient way to cheat powerful creatures into play early in the game. Reanimate has been a staple in various formats, enabling strategies that involve discarding or milling powerful creatures into the graveyard and then quickly reanimating them for a significant advantage. The versatility of being able to target any graveyard allows you to reanimate your own creatures or steal your opponent's best threats. The life loss is often a small price to pay for the tempo advantage gained by reanimating a powerful creature, making it a crucial component of many competitive black magic strategies.
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