Hallo Tobi, I would like to play in Hanau. Could you please inform me about your next tournament? Or do run a website where I can check informations? Thank you

Of course Stax is a more powerful deck. But without the money for Workshops, Mox etc. I tried to play a budget deck like Suicide Black that works in someways like Stax.

Of course Smokestacks has some advantage over Braids. Therefore I will think about playing Smokestacks over Braids. At the moment I play Braids because she is fast and she can beat, too. Volraths Stronghold is no Welder but you can get it back with Crucible of Worlds and it gets Braids back. Its a real problem that you cannot set Braids at two... Therefore graveyard hate, Nevs Disk might be needed... but its a problem even so.

Braids (like Smokestacks as well) works together with other cards like Crucible of Worlds or The Rack. Braids and The Rack are no hard lock and not really a soft lock but they work together pretty well, because Braids wants you to play cards and The Rack wants you to keep cards in your hand.

Braids (or Smokestacks) is four times in this deck, because she keeps the advantage that Hymn of Tourach, Strip/Waste, Duress, Hypnotic Specter, Ensnaring Bridge are giving you. For example if there would not be Smokestacks in Stax your opponent would be able to get into the play wants he has enough lands and moxes to ignore your spheres or Tangel Wires. Same is true for Suicide Black. Hymn of Tourach or Sinkhole used to be great disruption (not as good any more) but after some turns your opponent will get anyway. Therefore it was important to kill fast with Negators, Hyppies or Shades. Braids (or Smokestacks) will keep your opponents lands at a minimum what means that he cannot play all spells in his hand and so your hand disruption still has targets. Furthermore your cardadvantage by Hymns, Hyppies becomes more powerful if you force your opponent to sacrifice cards. This idea is common in chess, where the player with a stronger board position is more willing to sacrifice figures with equal value.

Well, Yawgmoths Will is in my deck. This card is important for my "combo kill" with dark rituals, Hymns and Racks.

However, I think I will try Smokestacks!

I play a similar deck, too. Of course Stax is a big problem for this deck. So Braids has to be leave the maindeck against Stax. I do not have a great sideboard option against Stax yet. I think about a red splash for Heretic or Gorilla Shamans but I cannot afford Duals and Fetch at the moment and there are no proxie events here.

The idea is to have a suicide black disruption but unlike Sui you do not use your disruption for a fast win with Negators etc. You try to get control over the board with Braids and/or Crucible and keep on disrupting your oponent like Stax might do. Ensaring Bridge is big help against most Creature based decks and saves your life points hopefully just long enough to win. You can win with Creature beat down, a Braids and/or Crucible lock, multiple Racks and Stabwisker or with Yawgmoth`s Will for Rituals plus multiple Hymn to Tourach and Racks.

The List

4x Braids
4x Hypnotic Specter
4x Nezumi Shortfang

4x Ensnaring Bridge
3x Crucible of Worlds
4x The Rack

1x Yawgmoth`s Will
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Vampiric Tutor

4x Hymn to Tourach
4x Duress
4x Dark Ritual

1x Volrath Stronghold
1x Strip Mine
4x Wasteland
16x Swamp

Sideboard:

4x Diabolic Edict
4x Withered Wretch
3x Nevs Disk
2x Cranial Extraction
2x Pithing Needle