This time around, things are a bit different; I've had a request. I've been asked to form a deck for a specific card this time around, and this time around that card is a black mythic from Theros, that isn't a god. I am, of course, talking about Hythonia the Cruel. This card is one that I (and my significant other) have been wanting to put into a deck since we pulled one out of a Theros pack, and promptly pulled a second one later that week. Queen of the Gorgons, she has the power to wipe a field of non-gorgons, leaving her only more powerful and with any number of friends she cares to have left behind. Question is, what can we do with her?
First things first, I'd want to be able to use her effect when I need it. So i'll need a lot of mana. This deck being standard, luckily I know exactly what I want. A source of mana so rich and easy to work into a build it would be nuts to try and find something else. I am referring, of course, to Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. With enough devotion, the normally staggering 8 mana cost of Hythonia's ability becomes negligible. Sure, you lose your devotion after. And sure, it only works once. But usually, once is all you need.
So, what do we use with her? First kneejerk reaction goes towards Gorgons, of which there are pitiful few in the set, some are present the the Golgari Swarm in Ravnica but our best bet is a stab in the Theros block. The only real one we can see to actually impact in any meaningful way would be Reaper of the Wilds. The scry-on-death effect will cause a mass delve into your library after a Hythonia wipe, as well as her in-built hexproof generation to protect her from removal. I'm a big fan of her work.
Looking outside the Gorgon box, preferably down the lower end of the CMC spectrum, we have few choices to be excited about, but they are solid when we do find them. For one, we have Nighthowler. Provides two black devotion to the Nykthos buff pool, survives Hythonia's wipe (if bestowed) and either is super-buff or super-buffs whatever it's attached to after the fact. Value upon value upon value. Just what i'm looking for.
Out of pure necessity and as my favourite creature in the whole Theros block, Good old Gary is included in my list. With Thoughtseize and Underworld Connections being serious contenders in our noncreature spots, the Gray Merchant rears his ugly head to fuel another of my black monstrosities.Another honorable mention in this deck is Sylvan Caryatid. A flexible mana dork, with hexproof, which can provide an early wall against those pesky aggro decks. Only disadvantages would be that she is not Hythonia proof, and she doesnt contribute to our devotion counter.
Im fairly happy with the creature count currently, as they all contribute towards the end goal, and the deck itself looks like it's leaning towards a control shell, so I may return but creature-light control decks are widespread. So, what next?
Thoughtseize. That's what. Getting into your opponent's head (or hand, in this case) seeing what he's thinking, and then DENYING him that strategy is a valuable strategy. Oh, it's one mana? Surely there must be some other setback. 2 life? I'll survive, but anything to eliminate that Detention Sphere, or that Gray Merchant. Literally the only thing this card can't touch is their land drop, which leaves a LOT of room to ruin their game, and possibly their day.
Next on the list of considerations, Golgari Charm. Usually a sideboard card against boardwipes like Supreme Verdict, but when your main win condition can expertly eliminate half of your creatures, a fallback in order to make it a one-sided field wipe for 2 extra mana (when you're probably swimming in the stuff from Nykthos) is nothing to be sniffed at. Also provides enchantment removal for the increasing impactful presence of enchantment creatures, and a Shrivel, which won't kill your creatures regardless.
Next, onwards to our suite of Removal. Being a control deck, being overwhelmed before you reach your ultimatum is not the best of ideas. As such, I have two suggestions for this decklist in particular. Bile Blight introduced in Born of the Gods is an incredibly versatile removal spell at BB, removing the prevalent Pack Rat as well as the host of tokens produced by Mono White and Mono Blue devotion decks. For everything else, however, there is always my good friend Hero's Downfall. Indiscriminate, same cost as murder, and ices planeswalkers, which are rising through the ranks with Superfriends builds being increasingly big (even moreso with a planeswalker lineup of Jace, Kiora, Elspeth and soon to be Ajani in Bant colours) and thats why I placed the Downfall over something like Putrefy. Putrefy would be a decent sideboard card by all means, but planeswalkers > artifacts in terms of wanting to remove them.
Speaking of planeswalkers, we have a very special inclusion in this set of colours: Vraska the Unseen. The reasons for including at least one include: Doesn't die to Hythonia, includes 1 black devotion, is a repeatable Bramblecrush (and stalls out attacks on you with her +1) and is also a gorgon, so flavourwise I'm a giggling schoolgirl. This hideously resistant inclusion to the deck will make opposing decks feel even more like they're running through tar the whole time, all the while you're fuelling your ultimatum.
To end out the deck, what's a control deck without a draw engine to fuel it? For this spot, look no further than Underworld Connections. Same as Vraska, adds black devotion (two this time, as opposed to one), is resistant to Hythonia's ability, and can draw you cards at instant speed. What's not to love?
Put those all together, and you have yourself one Deck List, containing one of the first ways (that I've seen) to give Hythonia the Cruel her competitive edge. It might not be incredible, but it'll be enough to beat a few people at FNM, maybe lose a few friends while you're at it. Have Fun!
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