Mono Black - boréal
IDEAS AND DIFFERENCES?
The main weakness of Monoblack is the numerous land destruction cards. If you don't have your second swamp on turn 2, you are screwed, because the pump knights, Hymn to Tourach, or Sinkhole, cost 2 black. Underworld Dreams, which is really good against control deck cost 3 black. Since you also want to play with 4 Strip Mine and 4 Mishra's Factory, you don't have a lot of swamp left. This is why I started playing 4 Initiate of the Ebon Hand and I never looked back. The Initiate turn all my colorless manasource into black mana and you can use it to chip some damage or chump block. With all these colorless mana turned into black, I figured out that Drain Life become very good, so this is why I run between 2 and 4, most often 3. There is a lot of disruption in that deck with the Hymn to Tourach, the Sinkhole and the Strip Mine. If you figure out which land to target, or you hit the right cards with the Hymn, your opponent will be screwed. ​
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It lean more on the disruption side than the aggro with creatures. It's almost a land destruction deck. I got some funny face from my opponent anytime I cast the Initiate of the Ebon Hand.
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MEMORIES OF PLAYING IT?
I finished in the top 8 at the Chaos Con in 2019. In one of the match, my opponent had destroyed my hand and all my lands, and all I had left was a Sol Ring and 1 Initiate of the Ebon Hand that was previously casted on turn 1. I got lucky with my top deck in the next 5 turn, because with the Sol Ring and the Initiate, I started to Hymn his hand and Sinkhole his Factory. Then I got an Order of the Ebon Hand that started to hit for 4 every turn. It was glorious. Hail Tourach.
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MATCHUPS?
It's really good against The Deck and Lion-Dib-Bolt. The Protection from White creatures make their Swords to Plowshares useless and block the Savannah Lion. I definitly win often against Atog deck and white weenie.
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It struggle a lot against Workshop deck that cast huge artifact quickly. ​There is a guy in our group that play Monogreen deck with Whirling Dervish and he always beat me, even when I get 4 Aeolipile.
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SIDEBOARD SUGGESTIONS?
Nevinyrral's Disk and Underworld Dreams against control and artifact deck
Gloom for White Weenie
Pack all the Terror you can get against creatures deck.​
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source: Jason Keays - Ottawa Capital Chaos​​​​
picture: @oldschoolmtg
Jason Keays's list
CREATURES
3 Black Knight
4 Hypnotic Specter
4 Initiates of the Ebon Hand
4 Order of the Ebon Hand
2 Sengir Vampire
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SPELLS
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Dark Ritual
4 Drain Life
4 Hymn to Tourach
1 Mind Twist
1 Mox Jet
3 Paralyze
3 Sinkhole
1 Sol Ring
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LANDS
2 Mishra's Factory
4 Strip Mine
14 Swamp
1 Urborg