The (Second) Best Deck in Standard!

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Last week we saw the most impactful cards in Standard, which is the format of the moment. This week we’ll analyze the deck I’m playing and enjoying the most — Mono Green!

 

MONO GREEN – DECKLIST

 

 

The list I play is classic, solid and compact. Let’s start by looking at the creatures. Werewolf Pack Leader is most important. As I’ve mentioned in other articles, its ability to keep you from running out of resources is what makes the deck so strong along with it being a 3/3 for only two mana that becomes a 5/3 trample if needed. 

 

                   

 

Sculptor of Winter is another important card that allows you to go faster. Making Esika’s Chariot on turn three is incredibly strong, although in rare cases it has a nice synergy with Old-Growth Troll when it becomes a land enchantment as it allows you to add four mana that can always come in handy. 

 

                   

 

You always find Kazandu Mammoth in any green creature deck. Its ability to be both a land and a creature capable of putting a lot of pressure on the board is fundamental. It’s a card you always want to see. 

 

 

Old-Growth Troll is strong against control, but as a three-mana 4/4 that comes back as a token when it dies, it’s strong against any deck.

 

 

Now we move on to spells. Blizzard Brawl is a strong removal in this deck because the deck’s creatures are almost always bigger than the opponent’s and they’re indestructible since your mana base is all snow. 

 

 

Snakeskin Veil is your only defense against your opponent’s removal. Needless to say that against Izzet (generally, any control is strong) protecting a Chariot can make the difference between victory and defeat.

 

 

We conclude with Inscription of Abundance, which made its debut in Standard not too long ago, whereas it didn’t have a space before. I found it useful when I played it, and its versatility makes it interesting. It can be a removal, an answer to the removal of Izzet, a combat trick, or a card to gain lives against aggro. In short, it’s everything you need.

 

 

We come to the novelty of this deck — Wrenn and Seven! It’s a strong planeswalker that was dominant in the games I played. Putting a x/x token with reach is a big obstacle for many decks. For example, UR either doesn’t play or only plays few copies of Fading Hope. If you can wait until your token is 7/7, UR players won’t have many ways to remove it, as Burning Hands only deals six damage. This is a great plan for the late game. Don’t underestimate the +1 that takes lands from the first four cards. You will use the other two abilities rarely.

 

 

Now let’s move on to Standard’s best card (along with Arlund’s Epiphany) — Esika’s Chariot! This card is incredible, and it’s not a coincidence that it was also played in a control deck like the old Sultai. It’s able to make the board by itself and is useful for a restart after mass removal. It has found a strong synergy in Wrenn and Seven and copies the token put by the planeswalker, which will be unmanageable for most decks.

 

                   

 

We close the main deck analysis with the deck’s two enchantments. If Unnatural Growth is random, and 1x in the deck makes you win if drawn at the right time, then a special mention should be made for Ranger Class. It’s a strong card, a 2/2 turn two that helps you have a good curve. The second level makes your creatures bigger, which is great in a mirror and in a game against Izzet where its removals become uglier. The third level is the most useful against all controls, as playing creatures from the top gives you an important advantage.

 

MONO GREEN – SIDEBOARD GUIDE

 

 

                                     

                   

 

                                     

                  

 

This is a good match-up where you put a lot of pressure on the board and your opponent can hardly manage with spot removals. Cards like Wrenn or Chariot give solidity to the late game, despite their high costs.

 

Post-side you put some solutions to your opponent’s dragons and two more Veils that can always be useful.

 

 

                                       

                                     

                  

 

                                     

                                       

                  

 

Having control over the board in mirrors is key. Cards like Werewolf Pack Leader and Wrenn and Seven make the difference in terms of impact in the game.

 

Post-side there are a lot of cards for the mirror. Since there are so many, you remove cards like Ranger Class and Veil that don’t make it in this match-up, and you put blocks like Tajuru Blightblade that go well in synergy with all the fights. Outland Liberator is obviously very useful against Chariot.

 

 

                                       

                  

 

                                       

                   

 

This is an even match-up where you hardly keep their strong starts, but in most cases the board goes in your favor. You have to be good at managing the fliers with fight spells, otherwise everything becomes a problem.

 

Post-side cards like Wrenn that are too slow are removed in favor of more fights and things that protect the deck’s creatures from the cards’ removal. Liberators help here against Maul, which could be tricky to handle.

 

Overall, I recommend this deck to all lovers of the archetype, as it has a combination of solidity and fast starts that are rarely found in an aggro deck.

 

While waiting for the meta to evolve, this is the best deck in the format after, but not too far behind, Izzet.

 

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