Last week, I decided to complete our card pool’s Mono Black deck to be compatible to that of the list in the Magic: the Gathering Pioneer format. The remaining components of the Rakdos Midrange decks such as the Black manlands, and Thoughtseizes were then resleeved to the new deck and I also did some referencing from the deck builds from the recent Pioneer tourney results.

The Mono Black Midrange deck is an archetype in Magic: The Gathering that combines elements of control and aggression. The goal of the deck is to play a mix of efficient creatures and powerful removal spells to control the board and dominate the mid-game. This principle is applied not only in the Pioneer format but also for Standard which is also my deck choice.

Some key cards in a Mono-Black Midrange deck may include:

Fatal Push: An efficient one-mana removal spell that destroys creatures with converted mana cost 2 or less.

Thoughtseize: The most-efficient one-mana hand disruption spell that allows you to choose a card from an opponent’s hand and make them discard it. You would also get info on their next succedding plays and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Graveyard Tresspasser: The three-drop creature that deals with graveyard shenanigans while also be able to protect itself with Ward.

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse: Probably the best 4-drop of Black at the moment because of its static ability of punishing opponents whenever they draw a card, and gaining you life when you draw your cards.

Mono Black Midrange decks can be a strong choice in the current metagame, as they have access to powerful creatures and spells that can effectively deal with a wide range of threats. However, the specific cards and strategies used may vary based on the current metagame and personal preferences of the player.

Here below is my video discussion of the deck build and on how it went with the Friday Night Magic tournament last March 17th. 2023.