Since the release of MTG Avatar, Lessons have played a pretty big role in multiple formats. Immediately appearing in both Standard and Pioneer, it’s no secret that these cards are seriously powerful. Even with this in mind, however, few people expected Lessons to break out in Modern, too, in black of all colors. That, however, is exactly what just happened in the Magic Online Modern Showcase Challenge, as a Mono Black Lessons deck didn’t drop a single match.
Maximizing Eyetwitch
The driving force behind the Modern Black Lessons deck is Eyetwitch, a simple uncommon from original Strixhaven. While the one-drop isn’t exactly a powerhouse on its own, it enables some strong synergies and provides elite flexibility. Alongside Phyrexian Tower, for instance, you can essentially Learn whenever you want, giving you immediate access to your sideboard.
As if this wasn’t useful enough, you’re also getting a healthy bit of mana to help ramp you further. Whether you’re casting Decorum’s Dissertation in a grindy game or Ruinous Waterbending against Boros Energy, having extra mana is always useful. Failing that, you can use Eyewitch to cast Flare of Malice or Bone Shards to remove any problematic threats.
Notably, while it’s rarely talked about, you can rummage rather than grab a Lesson from your sideboard when Eyewitch dies. This opens up lines to reanimate Archon of Cruelty with Persist, which is possible from as early as turn two. Even if you’re doing this later in the game, the value swing is huge, so it’s no wonder Eyewitch is so vital to this deck.
To shore up this reanimation theme, this Mono Black Lessons deck also runs Stitcher’s Supplier as self-mill that similarly synergises with Phyrexian Tower. Overlord of the Balemurk can fill a similar role if needed, before being resurrected as a potent threat. Curiously, reanimation isn’t this deck’s only use for the graveyard, as it also runs a playset of Crypt of Agadeem.
By synergizing with a graveyard full of creatures, Crypt of Agadeem can offer a massive burst of mana, allowing you to hard-cast major threats. Technically, Street Wraith and Troll of Khazad-dum are options for this, but you’ll more likely want to cycle these into the yard.
Taking Over Games in Different Ways
All in all, what makes Black Lessons such an interesting and deceptively powerful strategy is its different angles of attack. Right away, some archetypes won’t be able to contend with a quick Archon backed up by Thoughtseize. The eight-drop’s closing speed is especially useful against opposing combo decks that can otherwise go over the top of your incremental advantages.
Yet, in the event your opponent has Solitude at the ready or Surgical Extraction to break things up, you’re far from out of things. In slower matchups, Crypt of Agadeem dominates the late game, while this deck’s Lesson package ensures you won’t run out of gas. This level of versatility and inevitability made black Lessons a great choice for the Modern Showcase Challenge.
Even with the deck’s incredible run, though, Black Lessons isn’t unbeatable. Should this deck continue to gain traction, one potential way to attack it is to incorporate hardcore graveyard hate like Rest in Peace. Unlike Surgical Extraction, Rest in Peace has the upside of shutting down Crypt of Agadeem. Plus, once the enchantment is in play, sacrificing Eyetwitch won’t trigger its Learn ability, so grabbing Origin of Metalbending as an answer is off the table.
In this sense, Black Lessons doesn’t seem like a broken deck. Nonetheless, the game plan it presents is quite strong and consistent. There’s also plenty of room for innovation within the archetype, so we look forward to seeing if the deck continues to put up elite results moving forward.
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