Secret Tech: Black | Underplayed and Undervalued Black Cards in Commander

It's another installment of our Secret Tech series! We are discussing underrated, undervalued, and underplayed black cards for commander/edh!
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We bring you another episode of secret tech, this time for blue cards! These cards are underrated, underplayed, and might just go into some of your personal commander decks. We want to know which secret tech cards you like to play!

[@ExKiwi-yw8er]

"Your deck is now 99 cards" Wow! that's crazy.

[@NitpickingNerds]

I guess we should have said 98 😂

[@obadijahparks]

I still can't hardly pick, and narrow it down to 99. I try.

[@thrash208]

@@NitpickingNerds lol plus initial draw 91

[@matthewmendiola457]

I'm particularly fond on Necrologia. Only in 1600 decks, it's a one shot necropotence for 5 mana. But unlike necro, you get to discard afterwards. So I almost never feel bad at going for like 12 or so in decks that want to mess with there graveyard. It's also a BUDGET BOMB at only $0.59.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Kind of does an impression of Ad Nauseum, seems good with lots of instants in your deck. What is happening in the 7th edition artwork?

[@22freedom33]

All of these fit so nicely in a Syr Konrad edh, thanks!

[@kristennorth3268]

Witch of the Moors is going into my Vito deck as soon as Jumpstart is actually available.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Right? I guess it's hidden because no one can get any!

[@nickhughes8179]

I'd venture a few cards. -Strands of Night. It requires resources, but its reanimate on a stick -Soul Channeling. This is great for protecting a commander from at least 2/3 of board wipes and Terminate based point kill. If your commander has a payoff for paying life like Vilis Broker of Blood, this card becomes ridiculous. -Blood Pet and Basal Thrull. Black mana dorks you sacrifice. Criminally underrated, especially Blood Pet. If you play Meren, or Sacrifice Matters, then you play Blood Pet. -Sengir Autocrat. Great for token builds, Aristocrat decks, providing chump blockers and sacrifice fuel. 4 creatures at 4cmc is a great deal. -Blood Speaker. Recurable, and has an etb Demon Tutor. Excellent for Shadowborn Apostle decks and Demon tribal.

[@GellyVelly]

I always thought Infernal Darkness was CRAZY underrated for mono black EDH decks. A lot of times it could basically be like an Armageddon that hits everyone but you. Even if you can just keep it going for two turns that could be enough to win the game if you're basically taking three turns in a row while they goldfish.

[@troylambert1601]

Joe Cherries secret is the he secretly loves Halimar Depths.

[@NitpickingNerds]

HE HATES IT DONT LET HIM SEE THIS

[@Deebofreebo]

Witch of the Moors is an excellent add-in in Chevill. Pop it on the board with Hooded Blightfang and you’re in synergy city.

[@jankpilediver3863]

I love this secret tech series!

[@NitpickingNerds]

I love your username 😂❤

[@jankpilediver3863]

@@NitpickingNerds But only to an amount I feel compfortable with I guess :D

[@josvaniwaarden718]

The boys are back in town! Love it as always ❤️

[@NitpickingNerds]

We never LEFT the town!

[@meatforge]

I finally remembered to use the affiliate link! I keep meaning to! Thanks for the tech!

[@tiptapdrats8454]

If you play Witch of the Moors in a deck with Oloro, Ageless Acetic as the commander, it becomes something that happens *every* turn you have Witch of the Moors in play

[@NitpickingNerds]

Yeah that seems like some *synergy*

[@tiptapdrats8454]

I really appreciate the heart and reply, but now I kinda feel like a dunce cause I realized on the second watch through that you guys actually mentioned Oloro in the video (was multitasking dueing original watch through). I only realized it cause I have a Commander deck with Oloro, and realized that Witch of the Moors would be a shoe-in-

[@CaptTelnet]

Nice list. I have a few secret cards I'd like to spread the good word on. "Ashes to Ashes" exiles 2 creatures for 3, at sorcery speed. "Cover of darkness" is a hugely undervalued tribal enchantment in black. I don't know why more zombie decks don't run it. "Dauthi Embrace" is an enchantment that effectively gives unblockable to any creature for 2 black at instant speed. Besides the obvious upside, it can lead to some really interesting shenanigans by giving shadow to your opponents creatures. The last one is fairly well known but it isn't run much. "Contamination" can easily lock your opponents out entirely. You can do contamination + re-assembling skeleton on turn 3, shutting off decks without colored mana rocks or other mono black/artifact decks. It also extra shits on lands that produce more than 1 mana like cradle/nykthos, which I find hilarious. I think what alot of people don't realize is that the sac trigger is a may, meaning you can just play this with no plan to keep it around and effectively maim your opponents turns for 3 mana, then sac it at no additional cost. Oh and “soldevi adnate”, severely underplayed imo.

[@samconsumespie1012]

oloro + witch of the moors + street wraith seems so cool, makes me want to build oloro

[@NitpickingNerds]

Sam Consumes Pie Oloro is lame build the new angel

[@nicholasjensen1077]

For the record, attacking with burnished Hart is good in a grixis marchesa deck for the dethrone trigger, but I don’t think I’ve attacked with it otherwise, and I always sac it before damage.

[@NitpickingNerds]

That is sooooo spicy!

[@jasoniorio4528]

Withering Boon for sure. They NEVER see that one coming...

[@morgoth2425]

my chainer dementia master loves casting awaken the erstwhile, discarding massacre wurm and then wiping face

[@Farfetchd.]

spice

[@voxkine9385]

I think my first commander deck was Niv Mizzet reborn (5colour) and I used Awaken the Erstwhile and people just hated me as I drew a full hand right after...

[@NitpickingNerds]

VP Perf that’s super solid

[@the_names_rob]

Ill have to switch out one of these cards for lighting greaves in my Sidisi deck

[@edwardphillips7066]

Final parting is one of the best tutors. It's entomb, and a demonic tutor in one for 3 generic black black

[@jayjayhooksch1]

Meh. I don't even like this effect at 4 mana in my meren deck (Jarad's orders).

[@xsenit]

i gotta throw in, hecatomb. one of my favorite black cards along with koskun falls

[@ffoxymoron]

Yes!! the best color finally got the *secret tech* video!!

[@NitpickingNerds]

With more on the way for weeks to come!

[@joshcotter6079]

I do like secret techs, also sorry I didn't have any really useful tech cards, only one that came up came too late. Gate to Phyrexia.

[@NitpickingNerds]

No worries. That card is super weird lol

[@comradelarry2558]

I played in Yawgmoth. Good card.

[@pauldyson8098]

I played Gate in my LGS's Yarglefest last year. I was desperately hoping to draw it (or a tutor) to use against an opponent's Sword of FaF. Turns out pro-black is good against a table of black decks.

[@qwormuli77]

Well, the price trend of a 100€ _might_ have something to do with it...

[@EJsGameplay]

2:25 So how do you feel about Lilliana's Contract as at the least a card draw spell? Or does it costing 5 make it only viable in Enchantments matters or if you have a way to blink/flicker it?

[@sirmegallot3276]

Tymaret is such sick art... damn. Reminds me of the Sons of the Harpy from GoT.

[@Just-a-Canuck]

I use witch of the Moores in my Sheoldred deck

[@obadijahparks]

I have been waiting for black!

[@NitpickingNerds]

I hear a lot of people have actually

[@micahhonig1575]

I love cling to dust in my Nymris, Oona’s trickster

[@scottganiere523]

Withered wretch and tormod the devistator

[@Farfetchd.]

Nightcreep, BB, Instant, Until end of turn, all creatures become black and all lands become Swamps. Essentially, skip a (non black) player's turn for 2 black. 48 decks..

[@jordankirby7632]

Oversold cemetery was a ubiquitous card back in the day, black/green staple. Surprised it fell out of favour despite being on the Mtg Sali list.

[@Vyse86]

Wow awesome cards. I'll see if I can get a cheaper copy of Oversold Cemetery for my Kamiz deck. Thanks!

[@tomfisher6422]

I liked Oversold Cemetery from when I saw it in Onslaught.

[@MrDanwcurry]

I'm deffinitly putting Mind Slash and Ritual of the machine into my Korvold, Fae-Cursed King sacrifice deck. Thanks for the (secret tech) tip. I've been looking for ways to stop the fast combo player in our meta.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Depending on the combo you might just want some more interaction or possibly a tax effect

[@MrDanwcurry]

@@NitpickingNerds I play a bit of instant speed removal. Ass Trophy, Beast Within and Krosan Grip with plenty of cards to make him sac creatures. I think it will be fun to discard the combo cards he needs to finish us quick and stealing his Thrasios is just too good. Especially in black.

[@Torsav]

I'm late to the party, but Im brewing Yawgmoth. So, thanks for these Yawgmoth ideas. Also from your Thran deck tech.

[@gisone6403]

U guys are awesome. Please make more videos about black cards.

[@NitpickingNerds]

I could see revisiting this series or create a new one in the future

[@HexproofAnarchist]

Yeah dudes, I have Minions Murmurs in my Teysa Karlov deck and it is amazing card draw!

[@Chimpey]

Forgot Vampire Nighthawk 10/10 3 drop for flying, lifelink, and deathtouch

[@NitpickingNerds]

Definitely not we hate that card outside of trade binder decks 😂

[@wakefieldwade4019]

I just got the Witch for my Vito deck. I have been looking at it and thinking about what it would do. Thanks for pushing me Hope it plays good.

[@NitpickingNerds]

That's pretty funny, the person who commented right before you wants the same card for the same deck! Hope it works great for you :)

[@BornFromEmbers]

Always like to see cheap cards bc I based my budget off of precons so when I go to make a deck I try to get the total around $40. I’ll have to pick a murmurs up for my Edgar Markov deck and I already have an Oloro so maybe I’ll make a deck around him too.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Awesome! Weirdly a lot of these cards happened to work together

[@nobodyfromnowwhere7510]

You should do the guilds / triomes when you finish mono-colors.

[@NitpickingNerds]

We had plans for multicolor and colorless episodes, not sure if we would split it into quite that many videos though

[@CQCnotBLT]

@@NitpickingNerds you should do a utility lands episode as well. Lots of good cards people don't know about like Joe's favorite Halimar Depths

[@randomguy6232]

Witch of the moors is a beast in Krav n Regna, but personally my suggestions are do or die, which forces your opponent to blow up half their creatures for only 2 mana, and Abhorrent Overlord, which makes harpies equal to your devotion to black, making it a great aristocrat token generator. Plus it's good to see people recognizing the power of oversold cemetery, frankly next to reanimtate/sheoldred I put it in most of my black decks

[@NitpickingNerds]

I have heard some talk about Do or Die, we have a few copies of that card from old edh decks, I can't remember it being very impressive but I might test it out in the future!

[@randomguy6232]

@@NitpickingNerds it's definitely not always game winner or ever the most effective removal, but it can seriously do some damage for such a low cmc so I tend to run it when I play mono black as a fun side card no one sees coming

[@forloveofthepage2361]

Awaken the Erstwhile and Elish Norn. Savage.

[@mylesschulist4272]

My own personal secret tech card for black is Night Dealings. Rare from Champions of Kamigawa.

[@NitpickingNerds]

What's the best way to get counters on it?

[@PhoenicopterusR]

@@NitpickingNerds Judith or Syr Konrad are the two that immediately come to mind. Konrad would be up to 3 counters per trigger, and Judith decks would have access to plenty of damage doublers.

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

Heartless Summoning is great in my Ur Dragon deck since most dragons are 5cmc they cost 2cmc (Ur minuses 1cmc+ Heartless Summoning) for a measly -1/-1, it seems to really even out quite well with Dragons P/T. Secret tech thoughts: Dreadhorde Invasion as cheap as Breeding Pit...Extinction Event...Koskun Falls because Esper needs Propaganda in all three colours LOL (Oh my it is 10.99$ USD now, last time I checked they were 2$ USD) :P

[@NitpickingNerds]

Yeah summoning looks great when you have giant fatties, you don't care about the P/T as much as the awesome ability and it lets you get it out way sooner

[@HardAnswers]

With vilis out street wraith is free ancestral recall

[@corrosivecabal]

My Mikaeus deck liked this video.

[@meerschweinchen12345]

Anyone heard of Vulturous Aven? This black Mulldrifter is doing serious work in my Meren deck. Mulldrifter is great and Vulturous Aven can be just as good. And it's basically zero cents too! It's in under 400 decks on EDHREC by the way :O

[@NitpickingNerds]

Hmm that's an interesting comparison, we aren't too huge on Mulldrifter here but if you are blinking and recurring it can be pretty sweet! I like that tech, we might use it in a future budget video

[@njmaloney25]

Me: oversold cemetery is sweet My wallet: $27 dollars, am I a joke to you?

[@Npocommander]

Glissa the traitor heartless summoning and perilous myr, good buy all the little creatures

[@NitpickingNerds]

I think that was used with Havengul Lich in an old standard deck too!

[@dannydaniel3717]

Though picker Witch is another amazing card and can be activated at instant speed

[@craigeriley8164]

Have you guys checked out Rag Dealer for repeated graveyard hate. Pay three, tap and exile three from a graveyard, and only cost one mana to cast

[@NitpickingNerds]

I don't think you need Rag Dealer, Tymaret and Withered Wretch have better rates for graveyard hate on them :)

[@slifer867]

shred memory- 1 and a black-instant- exile 4 cards from a graveyard, transmute 1 and 2 black

[@NitpickingNerds]

Also can be a decent card. Favorite things to tutor for with it?

[@certaingloom3797]

Got a potential secret Black tech that is 1% in decks and costs less than $1. Moonlight Bargain a 3BB Instant. "Look at the top five cards of your library. For each card, put that card into your graveyard unless you pay 2 life. Then put the rest into your hand." It's Black's better version of Fact or Fiction.

[@danielowens609]

I love this series

[@Kaisingsens]

I'm a blue mage from the bottom of my heart. Besides Karador literally all of my 7 EDH Decks have blue in them.Ritual of the Maschine will go in my Karador list mostly as a camouflaged blue card :D btw: tombstone stairwell could have been featured on this list :D

[@NitpickingNerds]

Karador players unite!!! Stairwell is really really bizarre, it might be good with a ton of sac outlets in your deck

[@Kaisingsens]

@@NitpickingNerds it's an awesome finisher in karador/meren or other GY centric, creature heavy aristocrats decks.i highly recommend giving it a try. plus it has the " I've never seen this card" effect on many players :D /edit: you don't need a sac outlet, cause they sac themselves :D have an aristocrat and you're good. with sac outlet you "just" get the tempo advantage of not having to wait eot.

[@brucon88]

What reanimate spells do you prefer to use in your skullbriar deck? I'd love to switch the ramp spells out for reanimate on him since he is so cheap.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Not a ton of direct reanimation, Journey to Eternity and Necromantic Selection were my favorites though :D

[@keiharris332]

budget tech... SECRET BOMB!

[@djbisson9819]

I play minion murmurs in my Jirana Kudro deck often draw 5 or more with it.

[@NitpickingNerds]

We love us some Jirina Kudro

[@attackkataka6599]

Do roaring primadox for green

[@golgariguy]

I'm not sure I agree about Tymaret being stronger than withered wretch.. Being able to pay 1 colorless instead of 1B is kind of a big deal, especially if you're not in mono B (I know you get to exile 1 less card, but still, keeping 1 open mana is much easier than keeping 2 open). You convinced me about Awaken the Erstwhile by the way. That card seema brutal, I want to try it out and see whether I can lose all my friends :)

[@NitpickingNerds]

golgariguy who needs friends when you have Ws

[@mazzaj89]

Great videos guys ;)

[@NitpickingNerds]

Thanks Pablo, appreciate the comment!

[@rickyrichards1294]

heartless summoning slaps in my morph deck

[@NitpickingNerds]

Ooo baby, 1 mana morphs!?

[@shamtactics4712]

Wow... didn’t think about street wraith for Anje. Hmmm 🤔😈

[@NitpickingNerds]

Call up your next opponents and tell them GG

[@agustinprosello4687]

Maybe you could have chad do the tidbits at the end Maybe then people will stay to hear them

[@NitpickingNerds]

We deserve that

[@rthayes00]

Finally the best color of magic

[@NitpickingNerds]

Hmmm debatable but it's close

[@shamtactics4712]

Crook of condemnation is a decent repeatable GV hate in artifacts.

[@djjmandos]

I need minions' murmurs in Edgar Markov.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Seems like a good home for it!

[@drorian]

"oloro... you can't not have gained life that turn" yeah... unless you played him and somebody kenrith-transformed or stole him :P but yeah, witch of the moors is really good in oloro, too bad my oloro doesn't have enough creatures to abuse it.

[@tyroflame2764]

Nezumi Graverobber over Tymeret ???

[@shamtactics4712]

Cling to dust is exile a creature from a GY gain one life.

[@shamtactics4712]

In a Krrik son of Yawmoth deck (sorry forgot the spelling)

[@shamtactics4712]

Heartless Summoning makes my demons that are typically 6/6s for 6 mana in my demon tribal deck into 5/5s for 4 mana. Seems good to me.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Gotta love the reduction when you care about the text more than the power and toughness!

[@billybrock8744]

I like this channel

[@NitpickingNerds]

Aw, we like you too

[@necromancyfan4425]

Hah I already knew the second one Edit: oh fourth and fith too

[@yumyumeatemup]

Ah yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Secret tech baby!

[@NitpickingNerds]

These are really fun to make!

[@derHexenhammer]

Life gain, for me, is not something your deck should specialize in... But having a little life gain synergy never hurt..

[@ryuwrath]

At only 73 decks on edhrec I have to call Dystopia one of the most underrated black cards in the format. It's absolutely crippling to be on the other end of it.

[@pauldyson8098]

I think Witch would see more play if people could actually find Jumpstart packs. :( I got my Kozi Ritual of the Machine-d recently, so I don't want to talk about that card.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Confirmed card is amazing! Sorry about your Kozi

[@monktribal951]

Secret tech!! 🤫🤫

[@NitpickingNerds]

Don't tell anyone! This is meant to be kept private

[@morgl9478]

No one is running witch of the moors because no one has any jumpstart yet

[@PlayerThe90]

I am just for the "Secret tech" & "Budget bomb".

[@NitpickingNerds]

Dison Franco Don’t watch unplayable cards because you might get offended 😅

[@PlayerThe90]

@@NitpickingNerds I have watched! No offense taken. Actually I am all in with "toasting" comments. Cheers my Nitpickers.

[@haldir1991]

Horobi, death's wail ! "Flying Whenever a creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, destroy that creature." I played against this amazing creature and it was EPIC. So I went to Edhrec to see how many people play the card ... In 336 decks 0% of 207345 decks As commander : 199 decks (0.050%) Rank #432 What ?!Please do something

[@AustinWestbro]

Minions murmurs is graveborn muse, but worse

[@jaredcarrier9015]

Wotc needs to print more jumpstart... It's ridiculous on eBay right now.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Yeah we haven't been keeping tabs on it but know it's kinda crazy :(

[@afriendofafriend5766]

Nobody expects necroimpotence

[@HypogeanSupremacy]

I think you missed out on another great black card that can be greatly political and is something I put in more decks not as good as the first card you showed but still really underrated and unused. Fatal Lore

[@suntitan4419]

Nice

[@NitpickingNerds]

Nice indeed

[@muhammadmuhaimin6180]

I play ambitions cost in all my decks. I feel sad

[@NitpickingNerds]

Don't be sad we don't hate you 😂❤

[@Alex-kc7tp]

Holy shit he went an entire video without saying hes gay its a fucking miracle

[@sammyf1567]

first

[@NitpickingNerds]

Thanks Sammy

[@dino-wer-kuh3498]

hail sammy! may texas be with you

[@NitpickingNerds]

Oh geez are we still doing that?

[@dino-wer-kuh3498]

@@NitpickingNerds we never stopped, heretic!

[@NitpickingNerds]

Don't call me out I am a devout Texan!

[@m1xxx3r]

We have "Budget Bombs" and "Secret Tech", now we need "Budget Tech" and "Secret Bomb" so we could see the universe collapse