Deck Name: Pact of Shadows

Format: Legacy
Deck Type: Control-Discard / Sacrifice
Deck Theme: Resource Denial Engine – Tergrid + Grave Pact Lock
Colors: Mono-Black (B)

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Description

“Pact of Shadows” is a mono-black Legacy control deck that thrives on resource attrition and psychological pressure. By combining discard effects, sacrifice mechanics, and brutal payoff engines like Tergrid, God of Fright and Grave Pact, it turns every lost resource into a weapon. This deck doesn’t win fast — it wins absolutely. Every spell and creature is part of a wider loop of sacrifice, theft, and inevitability.

Now enhanced with Dauthi Voidwalker, Opposition Agent, and Karn, the Great Creator, the deck gains a proactive edge against combo and graveyard strategies. Whether in 1v1 or multiplayer, your opponent’s permanents won’t stay theirs for long.

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How to Play

Early Game:
Disrupt hands with Thoughtseize, Inquisition of Kozilek, and Hymn to Tourach.
Establish board presence with Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia and Dauthi Voidwalker.
Set up discard loops with Elderfang Disciple (if included) and pressure with Collective Brutality.

Mid-Game:
Deploy Grave Pact and Liliana of the Veil to dominate the battlefield.
Begin the lockdown by resolving Painful Quandary or forcing constant sacrifices with Liliana’s Triumph.
Flash in Opposition Agent to punish tutors and fetch lands.

Late Game:
Land Tergrid, God of Fright to start stealing everything the opponent loses.
Use Sudden Edict or Liliana’s -2 to force sacrifices and shift control.
Lock out the opponent with Karn, the Great Creator fetching Grafdigger’s Cage or Pithing Needle from the sideboard.

Ideal Opening Hand:
2 Lands (1 Swamp + 1 utility land preferred)
1–2 discard spells (Thoughtseize, Inquisition)
1 early body or sacrifice synergy (Jadar, Voidwalker)
Optional: Grave Pact or Liliana if you already have interaction

Mulligan aggressively if the hand is slow or has no discard.

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How the Control Strategy Works

This is not just discard — it’s oppression through recursion. The moment you resolve Grave Pact or Painful Quandary, your opponent stops playing Magic and starts surviving. Sacrifice one creature, and you steal another. Try to cast a spell? Discard or lose life. Every permanent lost is a resource gained, especially with Tergrid on the field.

You don’t aim to win quickly. You aim to win thoroughly.

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Sideboard Strategy

Against Aggro Decks:
Plague Engineer, Witch’s Vengeance, Feed the Swarm – handles wide boards and creature floods.

Against Control Decks:
Hymn to Tourach, Pithing Needle, Karn toolbox – pressure hand and planeswalkers.

Against Combo Decks:
Opposition Agent, Surgical Extraction, Smallpox – destroy their timing and graveyard setup.

Against Graveyard Strategies:
Leyline of the Void, Dauthi Voidwalker, Grafdigger’s Cage – deny all recursion engines.

Against Tokens / Tribal:
Witch’s Vengeance, Plague Engineer – efficient and flexible.

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Skill Level and Playability

“Pact of Shadows” is ideal for players who enjoy dismantling opponents piece by piece. It rewards long-term thinking, timing, and knowing when to shift from denial to pressure.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Playstyle: Slow, crushing control with theft and attrition
Best For: 1v1 and Multiplayer Legacy pods

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Competitive Profile and Ratings

Power Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Shuts down entire board states and punishes every action.

Control vs Mechanic-Based vs Combo Ratio:
60% Control – locks down hand and board
30% Mechanic-Based – utilizes synergy loops (sacrifice, recursion)
10% Combo – has no true infinite combo, but creates soft locks

Speed: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5)
Kills slowly but steadily. Survives long enough to establish dominance.

Resilience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Redundant engines and toolbox sideboard options make it hard to break.

Best Format Fit:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Competitive-Casual Pods
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ Multiplayer
⭐⭐☆☆☆ Tournament Legacy (with further optimization)

Complexity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Requires meta reading, timing with discard/sacrifice, and patient board development.

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Play Like a Pro – 5 Tips for Mastering the Deck

Don’t rush Tergrid. She’s your game ender – only commit when you’re already ahead or the board is empty.

Voidwalker is your hidden MVP. Save it to cast their best discarded spell or as graveyard hate.

Use Karn like a scalpel. Fetch the exact sideboard piece you need and lock them out.

Grave Pact wins games. Don’t cast it too early – make sure you can protect or capitalize immediately.

Your hand is a weapon. Even if your board is weak, a fistful of discard can stall the game until you’re back in control.

Bonus: Don’t overcommit to Painful Quandary – it’s better as a closer than a stabilizer.

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Quote:

“You discard. You sacrifice. I take what remains.”

Last Update: 27 June 2025