MTG Mono Black Discard Deck: New Tools & Strategy

Mono Black has New Tools: Time for DISCARD

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Explore the latest mono black discard deck tech for Magic: The Gathering Standard. Discover new tools from Edge of Eternities and dominate the metagame!

It really feels like we are still taking in everything from Final Fantasy. About a month ago we had MC Vegas and the collector boosters were all the craze, along with the pro tour. In less than five weeks, we have seen a bunch of cards banned, had rotation, and had a new set release. It is an eventful MTG Summer to say the least. Right now, it is that time that we all love where a new meta will be formed. I know that I usually release deck lists before the new set comes out, but this time I wanted to wait for the set to be released and test it a bit after rotation before I advised whether or not some of this stuff was worth burning wildcards on. The first list that I have for you is the discard list. We got some new tools in Edge of Eternities and in this post-ban/rotation meta we are going to have a better opportunity to get back to basics and try out some of the good old-fashioned mono black fun. My favorite thing about this deck is that we can turn our main engine into a creature when we are ready.

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There are so many good discard spells in the format right now. We are approaching a point where control decks are going to be relevant again because aggro decks are still good. It is part of my due diligence to find out a good control/discard deck for you. This is my first attempt. We are going to use our efficient threats to trade with problematic creatures, and remove them where needed. We will use our discard spells to help ensure that the opponent runs out of gas. Once they get to that point, we will punish them for having no cards in hand. This will eventually lead to them getting too far behind to simply beat us with a top deck. We even have some options for gaining life that will help us stay in the game. Let's take a look at some of the new cards that are making a splash early.

Fun New Toys

This is the card that made me want to do a discard deck again. It is the engine that helps the deck operate properly. It kind of reminds people of Tergrid's Lantern, as it gives a similar type of effect. What is really fun about this card is that it can turn into a creature later on, and the first ability is very easy to enable. The fact that it is a 3/10 flying deathtouch creature almost makes it impossible to destroy in combat. The attack trigger is great also, and it plays well off of the first ability. If we couple this with Bandit's Talent, the opponent will be dead in 3 turns or sooner. Another benefit to this spell (it seems like almost every feature of it is beneficial) is that it is not legendary. We can have as many of these as we want on the board, and we can have up to 4 Bandit's Talents out as well. It can make things get pretty crazy.

I am going to make this simple. This card is Thoughtseize about 80% of the time without the "lose 2 life" part. In a format where we have something leave the battlefield or get destroyed every turn, it is easy to only spend one mana for this spell. Worst case scenario, we get their best card for two mana. The spell, like all others in the deck, combos really well with the other cards. There are a few ways to take advantage of the Void mechanic, and something that is very helpful to remember is that our opponent's permanents also count towards triggering the ability. This can make it even easier to use when we are playing a deck that wants to kill and remove a lot of stuff. Speaking of killing and removing stuff, let's check out the next fun removal spell in EoE!

This card is giving baby Gix's Command. In a format where that card just rotated, it's nice to have it leave behind a trail and keep the value trades going. What is nice about this one is that it is instant speed. Everyone knows that if a black player is holding up 2 or 3 mana, they at least want you to think they have a removal spell - the same goes with a blue player and a counterspell. What is nice about this is if the opponent decides not to play a creature because of open mana, we can also use it as a divination effect. We are ensuring that we always use our mana, and are always getting value from it. Since we are short on creatures in the deck, it will be helpful to get a couple of them back from the graveyard in this removal-heavy format.

Alright, so we definitely have some fun new tools. There's no disputing that. Now it is my job to compile some data for you to find out if this thing is any good. I'll be doing that in the upcoming weeks, and you will be able to keep up with how it is going via my streams and other various links. The deck did pretty well in early access and another deck that I will have coming up for you very shortly also happened to get a trophy, so stay tuned for that! I expect to make changes here and there. One of the most immediate considerations is to swap Qarsi Revenant for Preacher of the Schism simply due to its grinding ability and overall midrange goodness. The fact that it makes 1/1 creatures is also helpful for the Battlecruiser. We will see where we end up, but I know one thing, I intend to have fun doing it. I encourage you to try out discard. Even if you don't think it is for you, there may come a day where the meta just completely frustrates you and you feel like there's nothing you can do. That is when discard is calling your name the most. I hope you have fun!

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I am a Magic The Gathering competitive player, and streamer. I specialize in homebrew decks. My favorite formats are: Standard, Pioneer (Explorer on Arena), and EDH. I first started playing MTG in 2001, and have played on and off since then.

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