Extended Necropotence deck

The Necropotence deck was a Standard deck popular in 1996. With a Dark Ritual, a first turn Necropotence was possible and the Necro's card advantage won games. It began what was known as the "Black Summer". Ultimately Necro was banned a few years later.

This is a sample deck list of the classic, mono black Necropotence deck. This deck combined the power of Necropotence with disruption and efficient creatures.  Lands 4 Strip Mine 18 Swamp

Artifacts 2 Icy Manipulator 1 Ivory Tower 2 Nevinyrral's Disk 1 Zuran Orb

Creatures 4 Black Knight 4 Hypnotic Specter 4 Order of the Ebon Hand 2 Sengir Vampire 1 Ihsan's Shade

Enchantments 4 Necropotence

Instants 4 Dark Ritual

Sorceries 3 Drain Life 4 Hymn to Tourach 2 Icequake 

The famous Necropotence Deck was a rather aggressive black-based deck using Lake of the Dead to pump out spells with big and heavily black mana requirements early and also activate the identical Pump-Knights Order of the Ebon Hand and Knight of Stromgald. The card Necropotence would give massive card advantage including drawing more swamps to feed into the Lake. Drain Life would also be powered by the Lake and both replenish life lost to Necropotence as well as deal more damage to the opponent, eventually finishing him off.

The deck also splashed white for Disenchant</c> and sideboard cards and red for Burn spells</c>.

The deck was made famous by Randy Buehler's win of Pro Tour Chicago in 1997. In 2008, Mike Flores named it the best Extended deck of all time. <d title="Lauerpotence - Randy Buehler - Pro Tour Chicago 1997"> Lands 2 Bad River 4 Badlands 3 Gemstone Mine 3 Lake of the Dead 4 Scrubland 8 Swamp

Creatures 1 Ihsan's Shade 4 Knight of Stromgald 4 Order of the Ebon Hand

Other 4 Demonic Consultation 3 Disenchant 4 Drain Life 2 Firestorm 4 Hymn to Tourach 2 Incinerate 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Necropotence

Sideboard 2 Circle of Protection: Black 1 Disenchant 1 Firestorm 3 Honorable Passage 2 Mind Warp 3 Pyroblast 3 Terror </d>

This version splashes red for Lightning Bolt</c> and the potential of a massive Fireball</c>.

<d title="Necropotence Deck"> Lands 2 City of Brass 4 Strip Mine 4 Sulfurous Springs 14 Swamp

Creatures 4 Black Knight 4 Hypnotic Specter 2 Knight of Stromgald 2 Order of the Ebon Hand

Enchantment 1 Dystopia 3 Necropotence

Instant 4 Dark Ritual 4 Lightning Bolt

Sorcery 1 Fireball 4 Hymn To Tourach 4 Icequake </d>