Standard: Mono Green Aggro (2025) - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

With Frenzied Baloth, Mono Green Aggro became a viable and relatively inexpensive archetype in Standard, combining aggressive, low-cost creatures and the interaction of Hemosymbic Mite with pump spells to create a fast, interactive, and extremely synergistic strategy.

This list is based on the Budget version by content creator SaffronOlive, with changes made considering the needs I saw in the archetype while piloting the deck and removing cards that, personally, I felt did too little for our game plan.

Unlike the versions with Landfall, we focused entirely on the sheer power and quality of our creatures' secondary abilities, stacking them on the board to the point where the opponent's one-for-one trades are no longer enough as the next threat is always better or just as relevant.

This is also, in part, a synergy deck around Hemosymbic Mite, whose interaction with Pump spells essentially doubles their effect. We have some benefits in using these effects on it, since once tapped to attack, it can boost the power of another creature that, preferably, has Trample.

The rest of the creatures follow the pattern of a strong body for cheap with a suitable option for the current Metagame: graveyard hate with Keen-Eyed Curator, protection with Surrak, Elusive Hunter and Pawpatch Recruit, board interaction with Scrapshooter, and immediate impact with Frenzied Baloth and Axebane Ferox.

Maindeck

Hemosymbic Mite is one of the most important cards in the deck. Its tapped ability—in this list, only on attack, but it also works if the opponent for some reason chooses to use Floodpits Drowner on it—increases the power of another creature based on its power, so any pump spell is technically doubled if cast on it.

This interaction is important with cards with Trample, and especially with Aloe Alchemist, whose base body is quite decent, has evasion, and the Plot ability increases Mite's power and allows another creature to gain +4/+4 that same turn while Mite attacks with Trample—if accompanied by Surrak, Elusive Hunter or Frenzied Baloth, we have too much damage for the opponent to consider just the chump block.

Pawpatch Recruit also complements Hemosymbic Mite because, typically, we'll put +1/+1 counters on it so Mite can give +2/+2 to Recruit or its token with Trample, and if the opponent deals with Mite in the process, another creature will gain a free power boost.

Frenzied Baloth's primary function is as a 3/2 with Trample that attacks the same turn it comes into play, but the restrictions against Counterspells matter against Dimir Midrange and Azorius Control, and damage prevention may be relevant if we have a viable protection spell or fog effect throughout the season.

Keen-Eyed Curator doubles as a 3/3 for two mana that also functions as graveyard hate. Despite being rare, we can exile enough card types to turn it into a 7/7 with Trample in longer games.

Edge Rover offers a 2/2 for one mana that can block cards like Spyglass Siren and Deep-Cavern Bat or open up the attack in the early turns. It also guarantees two card types for Keen-Eyed Curator and, if it dies, can solve any mana problems we have during the game.

Surrak, Elusive Hunter has a decent body for its cost and offers a Shapers' Sanctuary, punishing targeted interactions similarly to Pawpatch Recruit, but with cards in hand instead of power increases. Additionally, it has Trample for interactions with Hemosymbic Mite.

Scrapshooter is a one-of that I originally listed as three copies, but I realized the need for more immediate-impact threats rather than a meta-call. Still, a 4/4 for that can deal with Agatha's Soul Cauldron, Caretaker's Talent, or any other unwanted artifact and enchantment deserves at least a maindeck slot.

Axebane Ferox has immediate impact and built-in protection that makes it difficult to interact with early in the game. This slot has several potential candidates, such as Sentinel of the Nameless City and even Ouroboroid, but I'm in favor of having an extra hasty threat to play after a sweeper.

Primal Might works as both an interaction and a pump. Since its cost is flexible, we can use it whenever necessary in any situation. And if we can use it on Hemosymbic Mite and still remove a blocker from the battlefield, we'll be way ahead in the game.

Overprotect works as a bit of everything: pump when we're attacking, protection when we need to avoid removal, and evasion when we want to combo with Hemosymbic Mite.

Sideboard

Some creatures complement our answers package in the Sideboard.

Scavenging Ooze is a specific graveyard hate that we can also use as a threat in games against Aggro and/or Naya Yuna, Hope of Spira and similar decks, while increasing the number of cards we have against Izzet Cauldron.

Scrapshooter deals with any artifact or enchantment for the cost of one card, while having a 4/4 with Reach on the board also helps in most of the key matchups where we want this effect.

Hunter's Talent is another removal while guaranteeing Trample every turn with the second chapter, while Hard-Hitting Question costs less to remove a creature from the board and can also destroy Planeswalkers if necessary.

Ghost Vacuum is a more focused, first-turn graveyard hate. It can be replaced with Soul-Guide Lantern if we want to keep our budget low.

Pawpatch Formation primarily deals with enchantments, and the main reason for using it is the ability to resolve an Unholy Annex token or the enchantment itself with the same card. It also resolves Mono White Tokens' enchantments while, if necessary, destroying Beza, the Bounding Spring and similar cards after Elspeth, Storm Slayer's ability gives it Flying.

Heritage Reclamation does a bit of everything we need in many games: it deals with artifacts or enchantments, exiles cards from the graveyard, and replaces itself in its owner's hand. Despite having all these qualities, we don't always want it for just one specific function, as we don't want to lose consistency in our proactive game plan.

Royal Treatment is a flexible slot and guarantees protection against spot removal in games against Control or slower Midranges.

Dimir Midrange

IN

OUT

Izzet Cauldron

IN

OUT

Exper Bounce

IN

OUT

Mono Red Aggro / Gruul Aggro

IN

OUT

Azorius Control

IN

OUT

Temur Landfall

IN

OUT

Naya Yuna

IN

OUT

That's all for today!

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

Thanks for reading!