Mono-Black Control Standard

A control-oriented black deck that uses efficient removal and hand disruption to survive the early game, then overwhelms with board wipes and resilient threats.

• Deep-Cavern Bat exiles a key nonland card from opponent's hand, disrupting their curve while providing a flying attacker. Combined with Bitter Triumph, you can remove threats while also getting value from the Bat's death trigger.
• Unstoppable Slasher pressures life totals and is difficult to block. With Nowhere to Run and Long Goodbye, you can remove blockers and push damage.
• Deadly Cover-Up acts as a board wipe that exiles multiple threats, and its plot ability allows you to cast it from exile later for additional value.
• Sign in Blood and Read the Bones provide card draw to keep your hand full, while Tithing Blade can exile creatures each turn, generating incremental advantage.

Keep hands with 2–3 lands and a mix of early removal (Bitter Triumph, Nowhere to Run) and hand disruption (Duress, Deep-Cavern Bat). Avoid hands with only expensive spells (4+ mana) or no interaction. Mulligan if you have too many lands or no two-drop.

• Early: Use Duress to disrupt opponent's hand. Play Deep-Cavern Bat to exile key spells. Remove early threats with Bitter Triumph, Nowhere to Run, or Anoint with Affliction.
• Mid: Deploy Unstoppable Slasher to apply pressure. Use Deadly Cover-Up to wipe the board when behind. Draw cards with Sign in Blood or Read the Bones to maintain card advantage.
• Late: Play Rottenmouth Viper to drain life or use Tithing Blade to exile creatures. Use Long Goodbye to handle large threats. Gradually overwhelm the opponent with value.

Vulnerable to fast aggro if you don't draw early removal. Relies on creature removal and hand disruption, so opponents with graveyard recursion or artifact/enchantment strategies can be challenging. Lacking efficient planeswalker removal.