One of the strongest decks in recent Standard has been Mono Green Aggro. It was a top contender in the format after the recent 2021 rotation, and has been evolving throughout the past couple of months. With the release of Innistrad: Crimson Vow, the deck has undergone some changes so today, we’ll break down this powerful deck.
Mono Green Deck List and Video
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The version of Mono Green Aggro that we’re looking at today is a list that won a Standard Challenge on Magic Online, and is a more creature centric version.
New Innistrad: Crimson Vow Cards
This version of the deck is utilizing a couple of new cards from Innistrad: Crimson Vow.
The first card is
Ascendant Packleader
Ascendant Packleader
This creature enters with a +1/+1 counter on it if you control a permanent with mana value 4 or greater.
Whenever you cast a spell with mana value 4 or greater, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
. It almost acts like a
Pelt Collector
Pelt Collector
Whenever another creature you control enters or dies, if that creature's power is greater than this creature's, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
As long as this creature has three or more +1/+1 counters on it, it has trample.
, growing throughout the game as we cast more spells. The other card is
Ulvenwald Oddity
Ulvenwald Oddity
Trample, haste
{5}{G}{G}: Transform this creature.
which is one of our big boss monster creatures. It fills a role similar to
Questing Beast
Questing Beast
Vigilance, deathtouch, haste
Questing Beast can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less.
Combat damage that would be dealt by creatures you control can't be prevented.
Whenever Questing Beast deals combat damage to an opponent, it deals that much damage to target planeswalker that player controls.
being a big 4/4 for 4 trample, haste creature.
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How to Play the Deck
The deck is pretty straight forward to play. We’re a creature based deck so we’re wanting to play on curve where possible.
Sculptor of Winter
Sculptor of Winter
{T}: Untap target snow land.
or
Tangled Florahedron
Tangled Florahedron
{T}: Add {G}.
lets us ramp a little from 2 to 4 very nicely, so if we can play
Esika’s Chariot
Esika’s Chariot
When Esika's Chariot enters, create two 2/2 green Cat creature tokens.
Whenever Esika's Chariot attacks, create a token that's a copy of target token you control.
Crew 4
or Ulvenwald Oddity a turn early, then we’ll definitely want to do that. Sculptor can also let us attack with a
Faceless Haven
Faceless Haven
{T}: Add {C}.
{S}{S}{S}: This land becomes a 4/3 creature with vigilance and all creature types until end of turn. It's still a land. ({S} can be paid with one mana from a snow source.)
on turn 3 as well, so against control that could be a very reasonable line of play.
We should aim to build a decently wide board, and slam
Unnatural Growth
Unnatural Growth
At the beginning of each combat, double the power and toughness of each creature you control until end of turn.
and jam in for a bunch of damage where possible.
Blizzard Brawl
Blizzard Brawl
Choose target creature you control and target creature you don't control. If you control three or more snow permanents, the creature you control gets +1/+0 and gains indestructible until end of turn. Then those creatures fight each other. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)
helps us clear the way of creatures, and you should be set. Check out the video for which cards come in from your sideboard for various match ups.
Mono Green Variations
There’s a couple versions of Mono Green. The other version that I’ve been able to find of this deck removes the two new cards as well as
Tangled Florahedron
Tangled Florahedron
{T}: Add {G}.
and a couple
Unnatural Growth
Unnatural Growth
At the beginning of each combat, double the power and toughness of each creature you control until end of turn.
in favor of a couple of old staples.
Wrenn and Seven
Wrenn and Seven
+1: Reveal the top four cards of your library. Put all land cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
0: Put any number of land cards from your hand onto the battlefield tapped.
−3: Create a green Treefolk creature token with reach and "This token's power and toughness are each equal to the number of lands you control."
−8: Return all permanent cards from your graveyard to your hand. You get an emblem with "You have no maximum hand size."
is the top end of the deck for this version, and can help deal with some of the meta decks. The token it creates gives us Reach so we can block fliers, which are prevelant in the meta right now. Additionally,
Kazandu Mammoth
Kazandu Mammoth
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, this creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
is another beater that is pretty sizeable and can pack on damage quickly. We’re also opting to play a full 4
Ranger Class
Ranger Class
(Gain the next level as a sorcery to add its ability.)
When this Class enters, create a 2/2 green Wolf creature token.
{1}{G}: Level 2
Whenever you attack, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature.
{3}{G}: Level 3
You may look at the top card of your library any time.
You may cast creature spells from the top of your library.
which can help gives us some more tokens to work with.
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Mono Green Match Ups
Mono Green has some decent match ups. The Mono White Aggro match up in theory should be good, but considering that the deck has a ton of taxing effects like
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
First strike
Noncreature spells cost {1} more to cast.
and
Reidane, God of the Worthy
Reidane, God of the Worthy
Flying, vigilance
Snow lands your opponents control enter tapped.
Noncreature spells your opponents cast with mana value 4 or greater cost {2} more to cast.
, casting some of your important non-creature spells become a hassle. But if you can get off to an early start and dodge a couple cards, you’re in business.
Against control, you have to contend with
Fading Hope
Fading Hope
Return target creature to its owner's hand. If its mana value was 3 or less, scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom.)
,
Divide by Zero
Divide by Zero
Return target spell or permanent with mana value 1 or greater to its owner's hand.
Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
and their host of removal spells. You can definitely out grow the burn spells, and pressure their life total, but you can’t stumble on your land drops whatsoever.
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What version of the deck do you like better? Also let us know if you like the video deck tech addition, and if you’d like to see more video content, like game play videos or drafts.