The new Standard is always exciting. The main reason is that the early month of rotation is another period of innovating new deck archetypes and making adjustments on existing ones. We predicted Zombies to become a powerhouse in aggro and control is still in the process of defining a proper deck components. Well today, we will on focus on a classic but deserving deck for a commanding archetype. It’s the Mono Black Control.

Here is my proposed decklist:

Mono Black Control by Mark Ian Alloso
RTR Standard

Maindeck
Lands
1 Rogue’s Passage
24 Swamp

Creatures
2 Bloodline Keeper
1 Griselbrand
2 Bloodgift Demon
3 Demonic Taskmaster

Spells
2 Liliana of the Veil
2 Liliana of the Dark Realms

2 Chromatic Lantern
2 Murder
4 Sign in Blood
4 Mutilate
2 Curse of Death’s Hold
1 Barter in Blood
2 Ultimate Price
2 Cremate
1 Diabolic Revelation
2 Tragic Slip
1 Underworld Connections

The Card Choices

Demonic Taskmasters – steam down early aggression and can attack early against slow deck.

Bloodgift Demon – a flying beatstick with Phyrexian Arena? Sign me up.

Griselbrand – he’s the legendary star creature of the deck. This is more like Demons control at this rate. Lol.

Bloodline Keeper – a given token generating vampire for late game scenarios.

Liliana of the Veil & Liliana of the Dark Realms – these are the current existing Black planeswalkers so I might as well utilize them.

Ultimate Price – to replace Doom Blade/Go for the Throat.

Cremate – since Zombies will be popular, this is an auto include in the deck. Remember Nihil Spellbomb? This is the lesser version but still.

Chromatic Lantern – I’ve loved Pristine Talisman for MBC but unfortunately they’ll be rotating out. This is a pseudo replacement but I have other plans for this light post err lantern.

Underworld Connections – your fifth Sign in Blood. Can help out late game when you have an extra land to spare.

The other cards are the usual spot and mass removals and cards draws and tutor. Now for the sideboard:

The Sideboard

2 Pithing Needle
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Sever the Bloodline
4 Knight of Infamy
3 Duress
2 Appetite for Brains
1 Door to Nothingness

I imagine your look as you gaze upon Door to Nothingness. Your reaction might be, “What? Seriously?” Well yes, I am serious. The artifact is an alternate plan for midrange and other control decks. It is powered by Chromatic Lantern which lets you pay the activation cost.

The other cards are pretty basic: Pithing Needle against walkers, Tormod’s Crypt vs graveyard shenanigans, Duress and Appetite for Brains vs control, and Knight of Infamy for Azorious & Selesnya based decks and also can be used for control matchups.

Let me know what you think of the list. Leave them on the comment form below. Improvements would be really appreciated. 🙂

Thanks & until next post.