Format: Standard
Archetype: Midrange (Disruptive/Attrition)
Colors: Black
Meta Share: ~15%
Key Features:
- Relentless Disruption: Packed with hand disruption and efficient removal to answer threats at every stage
- Lifegain and Life Drain: Sheoldred, the Apocalypse drains opponents when they draw and gains you life on your draws
- Snowballing Card Advantage: Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber draws extra cards each turn while getting you life.
- High-Impact Threats: Multiple must-answer bombs that end games quickly if unchecked
In the current Standard meta, Mono-Black Midrange is one of the format's most popular and successful decks. It serves as the premier black "good stuff" strategy – a flexible midrange deck that can adapt to play offense or defense as needed.
Against aggressive decks, Mono-Black aims to survive the early onslaught with removal and lifelink, then turn the corner with superior late-game power. Versus control or combo, it applies pressure through hand disruption and resilient threats, punishing opponents with life loss and card advantage over time.
Over the last 30 days, Mono-Black Midrange has posted consistent results – including multiple 5-0 League runs and high finishes in Standard Challenges. The deck's blend of discard, removal, and inevitability makes it a strong contender in Best-of-Three play, with game plans and sideboard tools to tackle virtually any matchup.
Main Deck
Creatures (16)
- 4 Deep-Cavern Bat – Flying/lifelink 2-drop that exiles a card from opponent's hand on ETB
- 3 Archfiend of the Dross – 6/6 flying Demon for 4 mana (with a limited-time drawback)
- 2 Preacher of the Schism – 2/2 deathtouch that generates tokens or draws cards when attacking
- 2 Qarsi Revenant – 2/2 flying/deathtouch/lifelink with Renew ability from graveyard
- 3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse – 4/5 deathtouch that drains opponents when they draw cards
- 2 The Speed Demon – 4/4 flying/trample Demon with "Start your engines!" for card draw
Enchantments (6)
- 1 Momentum Breaker – Forces creature/vehicle sacrifice or discards on ETB
- 1 Nowhere to Run – Gives creature -3/-3 and removes hexproof/ward abilities
- 4 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber – Draws extra card each end step; drains opponent if you control a Demon
Sorceries and Instants (8)
- 1 Anoint with Affliction – Exiles creatures with mana value ≤3
- 3 Cut Down – Destroys creatures with combined power/toughness ≤5
- 3 Go for the Throat – Destroys non-artifact creatures
- 1 Sheoldred's Edict – Force opponent to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker
Planeswalkers (1)
- 1 Liliana of the Veil – Discard, edict, and ultimate abilities for control
Discard Suite (4)
- 2 Duress – Takes non-creature, non-land cards from opponent's hand
- 1 Gix's Command – Modal spell for multiple effects (destroying creatures, recursion)
- 1 Intimidation Tactics – Exiles creature or artifact from opponent's hand or can cycle
Lands (25)
- 2 Amonkhet Raceway – Utility land that gives creatures haste when speed is max
- 4 Soulstone Sanctuary – Land that can animate into a 3/3 vigilant creature
- 19 Swamp – Basic lands for consistent mana
Manabase Notes
Mono-Black's manabase is straightforward: pure black sources for maximum consistency. With 25 lands, the deck aims to make its fourth land drop reliably (crucial for casting Sheoldred or Archfiend on curve). The utility lands provide extra value in protracted games: Soulstone Sanctuary turns into an attacker/blocker late, which is particularly useful if the ground stalls out.
Core Strategy and Key Interactions
Mono-Black Midrange plays a classic midrange game plan: disrupt the opponent early, stick difficult-to-answer threats in the midgame, and leverage incremental advantages to pull ahead. The deck's strength lies in its ability to grind – nearly every card either trades one-for-one efficiently or generates some form of card advantage/selection, meaning as the game goes long, Mono-Black often ends up ahead on resources.
Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber // Ritual Chamber
This engine powers the deck's card advantage. At each end step, draw a card. If you control a Demon, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. Otherwise, you lose 2 life.
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
A 4/5 deathtouch that drains 2 life from opponents whenever they draw a card and gains you 2 life whenever you draw. Punishes control decks and provides incremental advantage in longer games.
Deep-Cavern Bat is your early disruption engine. When it enters, it exiles a nonland card from an opponent's hand until it leaves the battlefield. This 1/1 flying lifelinker provides both information (you see what they're holding) and disruption by removing a key piece temporarily.
Archfiend of the Dross serves as a powerful finisher. This 6/6 flying Demon for just 4 mana comes with a drawback – it enters with four oil counters, and you lose the game if it ever has none. In practice, you have about four turns to close out the game after playing it, which is usually sufficient given its massive stats.
The Speed Demon provides a second source of card advantage and serves as a Demon for Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber synergy. Whenever an opponent loses life on your turn, your speed increases (max 4). At each end step, you draw X cards and lose X life based on your speed. With Sheoldred in play, this drawback becomes a benefit as you gain more life than you lose.
Game Plan by Phase
Early Game (Turns 1–3)
The primary goal in the early turns is survival and disruption. On turn 1, you may have a Duress – against control or combo, firing it off immediately is usually correct to snag a key spell. Turn 2 is where you start to assert control: you might play a Deep-Cavern Bat to disrupt the opponent's hand and establish a lifelink blocker, or use Cut Down on their 1-drop/2-drop threat.
By turn 3, you ideally want to have answered the opponent's early threats and have something of your own on board. Turn 3 options are typically Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber or Preacher of the Schism . If you suspect you can safely stick Annex, playing it on turn 3 can be huge to start the card draw engine.
Mid Game (Turns 4–6)
This is where Mono-Black turns the corner and establishes dominance. Turn 4 is critical because that's when you can cast your heavy hitters: Sheoldred, the Apocalypse or Archfiend of the Dross . Which one to play depends on the state of the game.
Sheoldred on 4 is generally the play if you're at risk of taking more damage or if you anticipate the opponent might draw extra cards. Archfiend of the Dross on 4 is a more aggressive play – it gives you a 6/6 flyer that can potentially win in a couple of swings.
Meanwhile, if you had played Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber earlier, turns 4-6 are when it really starts generating advantage. You'll be drawing extra cards on your end step, which ideally find you more removal or additional threats.
Late Game (Turn 7+)
If the game reaches turn 7 and beyond, Mono-Black Midrange is usually favored thanks to its engines. By now, Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber may have drawn you several extra cards, and/or The Speed Demon might be drawing 3-4 cards a turn. Few decks can out-grind Mono-Black in a long game.
Around turn 7+, you might have spare mana to start animating your Soulstone Sanctuary lands into 3/3 creatures. With vigilance, these can attack and still be available to tap for mana or block. A pair of 3/3 lands joining your creature assault can speed up your clock significantly.
Matchup Analysis
Jeskai Oculus (Combo-Control) (Favorable ~55%)
Jeskai Oculus is a three-color combo-control deck built around reanimating Abhorrent Oculus . Mono-Black's combination of discard, removal, and graveyard hate makes this a favorable matchup. Your goal is to disrupt their combo and out-value them.
Key Threats to Watch For:
- Abhorrent Oculus – The combo payoff, a 5/5 flyer that manifests a 2/2 creature each turn
- Helping Hand – Their 3-mana reanimation sorcery that brings Oculus back from grave
- Counterspells – They will side in additional countermagic to protect their combo
Sideboard Plan:
Bring In:
- +2 Ghost Vacuum – Exile their Oculus from graveyard
- +2 The Stone Brain – Name Abhorrent Oculus to remove all copies
- +1 Blot Out – Force exile of their highest MV creature
Take Out:
- -2 Cut Down – Few relevant targets
- -1 Anoint with Affliction – Limited targets
- -1 Sheoldred's Edict – They often have spare tokens
- -1 Liliana of the Veil – Medium effectiveness here
Key Tip: Use discard spells early to strip their reanimation spells. If you resolve Ghost Vacuum , exile Abhorrent Oculus from their graveyard immediately. If you resolve The Stone Brain , name Abhorrent Oculus to completely shut down their main strategy.
Mono-Red Aggro (Slightly Favorable ~55%)
Mono-Red Aggro is a fast, burn-oriented deck aiming to reduce your life to 0 quickly. This matchup is essentially a race – can you stabilize before Red burns you out? Mono-Black has efficient removal, lifelink creatures, and Sheoldred's draining to help win this race.
Key Concerns:
- Early Creatures: Remove or block quickly to preserve life
- Burn Spells: Track their potential damage to avoid surprise lethal
- Squee, Dubious Monarch and other recursive threats
Sideboard Plan:
Bring In:
- +1 Gix's Command – Sweeper + lifegain
- +1 Preacher of the Schism – Extra lifelink blocker
- +1 Withering Torment – Kill key creatures or enchantments
Take Out:
- -1 Liliana of the Veil – Too slow
- -1 Intimidation Tactics – They empty their hand quickly
- -1 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber – Life payment can be risky early
Key Tip: Preserve life total above all else. Trade early and aggressively. Once you stabilize with Sheoldred, the Apocalypse , the game turns dramatically in your favor – every draw step costs them 2 life, putting them on a rapid clock.
Azorius/Esper Control (Even ~50%)
Against traditional UW-based Control, the matchup can go either way. These decks pack lots of answers, but Mono-Black has threats like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse that are nightmares for control and Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber for card advantage.
Key Interactions:
- The Wandering Emperor – Flash planeswalker that can exile your creatures
- Farewell – 6-mana sweeper that exiles all key permanent types
- Card draw vs. Sheoldred – Each extra card they draw costs them 2 life
Sideboard Plan:
Bring In:
- +2 Duress
- +2 The Stone Brain – Name their win-con
- +1 Withering Torment – Kill enchantments
Take Out:
- -2 Cut Down – Few targets
- -1 Anoint with Affliction – Few targets
- -2 Other low-impact removal
Key Tip: Use early discard to snipe key spells like Farewell. Don't overextend into sweepers – expect them around turn 6. Once an Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber stays on board for a few turns, you'll likely out-draw them into inevitability.
5C Domain Ramp (Unfavorable ~40%)
Five-Color Domain Ramp is a challenging matchup. They use ramp spells and domain to cast haymakers like Atraxa, Grand Unifier ahead of schedule. Their late game bombs outclass your individual threats, and their ramp means they can sometimes go over the top before you've closed the game.
Key Threats:
- Atraxa, Grand Unifier – 7/7 that draws them multiple cards on ETB
- Leyline Binding – With domain, costs just 1 mana to exile any permanent
- Temporary Lockdown – Exiles all permanents with MV ≤2
Sideboard Plan:
Bring In:
- +2 The Stone Brain – Name Atraxa
- +2 Duress – Take ramp or Atraxa
- +1 Blot Out – Exile any resolved big creature
Take Out:
- -2 Sheoldred's Edict – They often have fodder
- -1 Nowhere to Run – Limited impact
- -1 Liliana of the Veil – Too slow
- -1 Low-impact removal
Key Tip: Be the aggressor – you cannot sit back too long, or they will outscale you. Use discard to hit their ramp spells early. Try to finish the game by turn 6-7 before their big spells come online. If Atraxa resolves, you likely lose to the card advantage.
Mono-Black Mirror (Even - Skill Intensive)
The mirror match is all about attrition and timing. Both decks have similar tools, and whoever better leverages their Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber and draws more meaningful threats can gain an edge. Small decisions become magnified when both players have similar tools.
Key Considerations:
- Sheoldred, the Apocalypse standoffs - remove theirs immediately
- Card advantage engines - whoever gets more value from Annex usually wins
- Graveyard resources - using Ghost Vacuum to deny recursion
Sideboard Plan:
Bring In:
- +2 Ghost Vacuum – Dominate graveyard resources
- +1 Soul-Guide Lantern – Stop Command recursion
- +1 Withering Torment – Destroy opposing Annex
Take Out:
- -2 Duress – Weaker in topdeck wars
- -1 Intimidation Tactics – Less impactful
- -1 Flex slot based on opponent's build
Key Tip: Play for attrition. Remove their Sheoldred, the Apocalypse immediately - don't let it survive even one draw step. Try to be the first to activate Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber with a Demon in play. Mirror is grindy – value each resource and aim to come out one card ahead in each exchange.
Sideboard Guide
Graveyard Hate
-
2
Ghost Vacuum
Repeatable graveyard exile that eventually creates Spirit tokens. Essential for mirror matches and reanimator strategies.
-
1
Soul-Guide Lantern
One-shot graveyard exile that can target a specific card or wipe an entire graveyard. Can sacrifice for card draw.
Targeted Disruption
-
2
Duress
Cheap hand disruption for non-creature spells. Bring against control, combo, or decks with critical non-creature spells.
-
1
The Stone Brain
Exile all copies of a chosen card from opponent's hand, graveyard, and library. Game-ending against combo pieces.
-
1
Blot Out
Forces opponent to exile their highest mana value creature or planeswalker. Great against big threats.
Flexible Removal
-
1
Withering Torment
Versatile removal for creatures or enchantments at the cost of 2 life. Valuable against problematic enchantments.
-
2
The Filigree Sylex
Universal sweeper that can clear tokens instantly (no counters needed) or target specific mana values.
-
1
Preacher of the Schism
(extra copy)
Additional threat for grindy matchups. Generates tokens and card advantage in longer games.
Tips for Success
Mulligan Smart and Plan Your Sequence
Your opening hand should have a clear plan. Look for a mix of lands (2-3), early interaction (removal or discard), and at least one payoff card. A hand with all high-cost threats or all removal but no threats should be mulliganed. Plan your first 3-4 turns, especially your mana usage.
Use the Graveyard as a Resource
Your graveyard is essentially an extension of your hand. Gix's Command can retrieve creatures from it, and Qarsi Revenant 's Renew ability turns dead creatures into buffs for live ones. Be mindful of opposing graveyard hate, though, and don't over-rely on graveyard resources if the opponent has shown exile effects.
Balance Pressure vs. Caution
Know when to switch roles between aggressor and control. Against aggro, you'll start defensively but can pivot to offense once you stabilize with Sheoldred, the Apocalypse . Against control, you might need to apply constant pressure. Always assess: "Am I ahead or behind right now? Do I win by pushing damage, or by prolonging the game?"
Exploit Card Synergies
Look for powerful combinations: Sheoldred, the Apocalypse + The Speed Demon turns life loss from extra draws into life gain. Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber benefits greatly from having any Demon in play, turning the life drain against your opponent instead of you. Gix's Command 's modes can be mixed for maximum effect.
Know Your Meta and Adjust
Mono-Black Midrange is strong partly because it's adaptable. Use sideboard slots to address the specific meta you expect to face. If you see more aggro, add lifegain and sweepers. For control-heavy metas, maximize discard and resilient threats. Stay flexible and be willing to tune your 75 based on trends.
Conclusion
Mono-Black Midrange has established itself as one of Standard's premier strategies, offering a perfect blend of disruption, removal, and inevitability. Its flexible gameplan allows it to adapt to virtually any matchup, while key engines like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse and Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber provide devastating advantages when left unchecked.
With roughly 15% meta share and consistent tournament results, Mono-Black Midrange is a top contender that rewards skillful play. The deck offers both straightforward lines for newer pilots and complex decision trees for veterans to master.
If you're looking for a strategy that's both powerful and adaptable, capable of grinding out advantages while also presenting fast clocks when needed, Mono-Black Midrange is an excellent choice. With practice, you'll learn to leverage every resource – cards in hand, life totals, and the graveyard – to dominate your opponents.
Data sourced from MTG-Standard.com and MTGDecks.net. Last updated based on meta and deck statistics from the last 30 days.