Standard: Mono-Black 2 Combo - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

Despite being out of favor in Standard right now, Mono Black Midrange is a relatively popular deck among MTGArena ranked players, and a common version of the deck in Best of One matches involves running both two‑card combos available in these colors, combined with broad removal and discard to handle the Metagame's challenges.

This time, we're trying to bring the deck to Best of Three.

Maindeck

The first combo involves Unstoppable Slasher and Bloodletter of Aclazotz. The four‑mana Demon doubles any life loss from any source against the opponent, while Slasher, when it deals combat damage, makes the opponent lose half their life. Together, an unblocked attack deals lethal damage to the opponent.

Bloodletter is the weaker link, but doubling damage from any threat can ruin the opponent's blocking math, especially alongside a larger creature, and it also interacts with Unholy Annex.

Slasher, on the other hand, is resilient against interaction that doesn't exile, and it significantly amplifies the clock when paired with spot removal.

The second combo involves Starscape Cleric and Bloodthirsty Conqueror. Conqueror turns any damage dealt to the opponent into life gain for you, and Cleric makes the opponent lose one life whenever you gain life. Together, any damage dealt to the opponent sets up an infinite loop.

Cleric can be replaced by Enduring Tenacity, which is more resilient against spot removal, but the four‑mana curve is already very high, and the Flying body can help enable the combo on turn five. Conqueror is a decent threat on its own, but it doesn't generate much value.

Unholy Annex is our main card advantage source and also an alternative win condition with the 6/6 token it creates. Between Bloodletter of Aclazotz, Soulstone Sanctuary, and Firdoch Core — which also ramps — we have enough resources to benefit from it.

Duress and Deep-Cavern Bat protect the combos from interaction, either by removing cards that could generate too much value for the opponent over the course of the game.

Requiting Hex and Shoot the Sheriff work as spot removal against various threats in the current Metagame, while Strategic Betrayal is excellent against Spellementals and a few specific archetypes.

Soulstone Sanctuary guarantees a Demon for Unholy Annex among the lands and is also a complementary win condition. Realm of Koh has few drawbacks in a Mono Black list, and the tokens it creates can't be blocked by most creatures in the format, making it easier to trigger the life loss for the Starscape Cleric + Conqueror combo.

Sideboard

Archenemy's Charm does a bit of everything and could move into the maindeck in a more grindy Metagame. It answers any threat, recurs two combo pieces from the graveyard, and also holds off Aggro decks for a few turns if we use the Lifelink mode.

Intimidation Tactics answers the problems we don't want on board: Badgermole Cub, Mightform Harmonizer, and others.

The extra copies of Strategic Betrayal are essential against Spellementals but can also come in against decks where the opponent relies on the graveyard for combos or interactions, like Dimir Excruciator.

Duress adds to the maindeck discard against Prowess and Control, while Decorum Dissertation provides a consistent grind source in Midrange mirrors and in Control/Lessons matchups.

Day of Black Sun clears the board against smaller creatures and scales as the game goes longer. Essential against go‑wide Aggro (Mono Red, Azorius, Momo decks) and Prowess to answer Stormchaser's Talent tokens.

Deadly Cover-Up is more effective in grindy games but also works decently against most Aggro decks.

Qarsi Revenant comes in against more aggressive matchups to buy a few turns and grant evasion to Unstoppable Slasher, while the copy of Soul-Guide Lantern adds to the graveyard hate.

Izzet Spellementals

IN

OUT

Selesnya Landfall

IN

OUT

Izzet Prowess

IN

OUT

Four-Color Control

IN

OUT

Azorius Momo

IN

OUT

Golgari Midrange

IN

OUT

That's all for today!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!