Skill in Magic

Recently I've started playing magic with some of my friends at school, and they aren't tournament level players, so my FNM decks completely annihilate them.  To make the fight a bit more fair, I built a deck using only one block (three sets) and even though the blowouts arn't as big and I have to make sure I play more precise than I usually do with them, I am still pulling wins.

The deck is mono black control with Theros block cards, here is the list.

4 Pharika's Chosen                             19 Swamps
2 Thoughtseize                                     4 Temple of  Deceit
4 Spiteful Returned
3 Pain Seer
3 Bile Blight
2 Brain Maggot
4 Read the Bones
3 Hero's Downfall
2 Agent of the Fates
1 Divination
4 Disciple of Phoenix
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Rescue from the Underworld\

This deck is a bit customized to fit the meta I personally am in, like the Pharika's Chosen and the Read the bones.  You should use less of those cards, here I just need more ways to deal with the fatties and just outlast the threats.  This deck uses cards like Thoughtseize and Brain Maggot to deal with everything kill spells can't.  The Disciples are more disruption, more devotion, and more blockers.  There is mini-synergy with the Agent of the Fates and Spiteful Returned where each opponent has to sacrifice a creature.  Rescue is just a fifth Gray Merchant and can save a creature from combat tricks. This deck is good because you can be winning by 1-for-1 all there threats and win later in the game, and you never really gain a lot of board control, since 14 creatures are 1-power, 6 have 2-power and a whopping 2 3-power creatures; your win condition is a big Gray Merchant after poking away all game.

I didn't put up a sideboard because I never feel the need to board, however I do have a couple of Pharika's Cures and dark betrayals.

If you have friends learning to play magic, have fun teaching them by using alternate strategies and fun deck-building constrictions on yourself to keep it fun; works like a charm for me.