Mono-Black strategies are quite famous in Premodern. Between the classic Mono Black Midrange and the Zombies lists with occasional results in the Leagues, a new version is emerging more frequently in the Metagame: Mono Black Aggro.
Using creatures with Shadow, powerful low-cost threats, and even a potential "combo-kill" with Hatred, this new archetype has been winning more trophies in Magic Online Leagues and could become a strong contender for the Challenges.
The Decklist
As the name suggests, Mono Black Aggro has a more proactive stance than the Midrange versions, forgoing two-for-one effects and some synergies in favor of more explosive early turns.
An important highlight of this version is the use of creatures with Shadow, which can't be blocked by creatures without that ability. The Shadow package also enables another important line to win games—using Hatred and a higher life total than your opponent to make these creatures deal lethal damage in a single attack.
Maindeck
All the explosive plays in the deck start with Dark Ritual. Ideally, you might even include Nantuko Shade to take advantage of the extra mana with an amplified clock, but Dark Ritual also enables a turn-three win given a sequence of one-drop into Shadow creature on the first two turns.
To ensure life advantage and pressure, we use Carnophage and Sarcomancy as two-power one-drops. Despite the initial life loss, the clock they provide pays off and makes our "combo-kill" easier.
The Shadow creatures are essential both to ensure we maintain a damage flow in the face of blockers and for the interaction with Hatred. In games against Goblins or archetypes that can easily establish a faster clock, they are the easiest side-out.
Black Knight has a body that's solid both for attacking and blocking. Protection from Swords to Plowshares also makes it an excellent target for Hatred against Azorius Control.
Hypnotic Specter provides evasion—also important with Hatred—and disruption in a single slot. A first-turn Dark Ritual into Specter puts your opponent in a very unfavorable position if they don't have an immediate answer.
We should treat Hatred like a Temur Battle Rage in this list, but we must use it wisely in games where it opens up opportunities for interaction, or even the risk of losing the game due to a specific sequence of spells.
Bad Moon universally amplifies our clock. If your Metagame is heavily saturated with Red Aggro, swapping the combo for more copies of the enchantment makes us more reliable at establishing pressure—in this case, swapping Dauthi Slayer for Nantuko Shade or even Erg Raiders is an option.
To protect our threats and clear the path for the combo, Duress and Cabal Therapy act as hand disruption.
Diabolic Edict deals with threats unconditionally, but loses potential in go wide matchups. It can be replaced by any other board interaction, like Smother, or even by more copies of Cabal Therapy.
Lake of the Dead lets you accelerate into Hatred or provide more explosive turns with multiple threats and/or interactions. We run few Swamps and only 20 lands, so one copy is enough.
The colorless land slot depends on your intention. The most common lists use Wasteland for mana disruption. However, most of the well-known Premodern strategies today are monocolored, or can play around pinpoint mana disruption. Additionally, we are a more aggressive deck and have a strategy that relies heavily on pressuring the opponent every turn—Mishra's Factory works with that strategy, even at the cost of the ability to gain "extra turns" against the opponent.
Sideboard
Withered Wretch serves as both a threat and recurring graveyard hate. It can come in against any archetype with graveyard interactions or even in the Aggro mirror as another body that can attack and block.
For games with fewer damage-based removal spells, Phyrexian Negator is a respectable threat on its own and another way to get past blockers when executing the combo with Hatred.
Dystopia is the only answer in black to deal with enchantments. Essential for answering Elephant Grass and other lock pieces.
Gloom makes it difficult for your opponent to cast Swords to Plowshares and Wrath of God, especially if cast on turn two via Dark Ritual.
Smother complements spot removal in matchups against Aggro, or when we need to answer specific low-cost threats.
Engineered Plague remains a staple against Elves, Goblins, and even Humans against Azorius Aggro/Jeskai Tempo. Recently, Rebels lists have been putting up results in Leagues, giving another matchup where the enchantment holds greater relevance.
Sideboard Guide
Mono Blue Stiflenought
IN
OUT
Sligh
IN
OUT
Elves
IN
OUT
Goblins
IN
OUT
Azorius Landstill
IN
OUT
Selesnya Madness
IN
OUT
Psychatog
IN
OUT
Reanimator
IN
OUT
The Rock
IN
OUT
Enchantress
IN
OUT
Wrapping Up
That's all for today!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
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