Best Mono Black Commanders – Top Picks for 2025
Mono-black in Commander is the color of ambition, sacrifice, and power at any cost. It’s about taking what you need – whether that’s life, cards, creatures, or even your opponents’ own resources – and turning it into a win. While it can be ruthless and unflinching, black also offers some of the most rewarding, synergistic, and flavorful decks in the format.
From oppressive control pieces to graveyard recursion engines, mono-black has tools for nearly every strategy. You can drain the table with lifegain synergies, flood the board with undead minions, combo off with sacrifice loops, or lock the game down with brutal stax effects. And while black thrives on efficiency, it’s also a color that rewards creativity – offering plenty of unique build-arounds for brewers who like to walk the darker path.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best mono-black commanders for 2025, grouped by their core mechanical strengths. This isn’t a ranked list, but a curated set of legends that showcase the variety and depth of what black can do in EDH. Whether you’re looking to dominate the table through attrition, swarm with undead hordes, or cheat massive threats into play, there’s a black commander here to match your style.
What Makes Mono Black Commanders Unique?
Mono-black decks are defined by resource conversion – trading life, creatures, and cards in one area to gain a huge advantage in another. This willingness to embrace short-term losses for long-term gains makes black one of the most flexible and dangerous colors in Commander.
Strengths:
- Exceptional targeted removal and board wipes
- Access to both card draw and tutoring
- Strong recursion from the graveyard
- Powerful lifegain and life-drain synergies
- Synergistic tribal themes, especially Zombies and Rats
Weaknesses:
- Struggles to remove enchantments directly
- Can be heavily reliant on the graveyard, vulnerable to exile effects
- Often needs life as a resource, making it risky against aggressive decks
- Limited interaction with stack-based combos compared to blue
Common Archetypes:
- Graveyard & Recursion Engines
- Lifegain / Life-Drain Strategies
- Tribal Swarm (Zombies, Rats, Vampires)
- Stax and Resource Denial
- Big Mana / Cheat-Into-Play Effects
Control & Stax / Tempo – Locking Down the Table
Mono-black excels at slowing the game to a crawl for opponents while quietly building its own advantage. These commanders tax resources, punish actions, and leverage incremental gains into overwhelming board states. Whether you prefer draining life, choking mana, or dismantling boards, black’s control legends give you the tools to dictate the pace of play.
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse – Best for Passive Life Drain & Card Advantage
Every draw becomes a dagger.
Sheoldred gains you 2 life whenever you draw a card and makes opponents lose 2 life whenever they draw. This creates a constant life swing that adds up quickly, especially with symmetrical draw effects.
She’s perfect for players who want to passively pressure the table while padding their own life total, all without ever attacking.
Braids, Arisen Nightmare – Best for Attrition-Based Control
Everybody sacrifices – but you benefit most.
At your end step, Braids lets each player sacrifice a permanent type you choose, and if they don’t, they lose 2 life and you draw a card. By timing your sacrifices to your advantage, you can drain opponents while stocking your hand.
Ideal for players who enjoy grindy matches where resources dwindle over time.
Massacre Girl, Known Killer – Best for Wither-Based Board Control
Wither makes everything smaller – permanently.
Massacre Girl gives all your creatures wither, and she draws you cards whenever an opposing creature with 0 or less toughness dies. This keeps pressure high while steadily eroding enemy boards.
A solid pick for players who want a commander that can control combat and grind value.
Massacre Girl – Best for Chain-Reaction Board Wipes
One death leads to another.
When Massacre Girl enters, she gives every other creature -1/-1 until end of turn. Whenever something dies that turn, she repeats the effect – often snowballing into a full board wipe.
She’s perfect for players who like high-impact, creature-based removal that doubles as a reset button.
Maralen of the Mornsong – Best for Tutor-Lock Strategies
Draw step? What draw step?
Maralen stops all natural card draws, forcing players instead to tutor a card each turn at the cost of 3 life. Combined with stax effects, this can be oppressive, ensuring opponents find answers too slowly to matter.
A strong choice for players who want to control the flow of the game from the top down.
Horobi, Death’s Wail – Best for Targeted Removal Combos
Touch it, and it dies.
Whenever a creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, Horobi destroys it. This turns harmless effects into instant removal and makes combat risky for opponents.
Best for players who like creative interaction and dismantling boards without relying solely on traditional kill spells.
Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire – Best for Repeatable Tutoring
Search what you need, when you need it.
With boast, Varragoth lets you tutor any card to the top of a library after attacking. This keeps your game plan consistent and lets you set up combos reliably.
Perfect for players who prefer steady, incremental advantage over big explosive turns.
Maha, Its Feathers Night – Best for Shrinking the Opposition
Even the biggest creatures can be brought low.
Maha has flying, trample, and ward – and makes all opposing creatures have base toughness 1. This leaves them incredibly vulnerable to pings, sweepers, or even token attacks.
A flavorful pick for players who want a combat-focused control commander.
Polymorph & Cheat Effects – Bypassing Mana Costs for Maximum Impact
Mono-black is no stranger to bending the rules of casting costs. These commanders specialize in getting massive threats onto the battlefield far earlier than they should arrive — whether by reanimating from the graveyard, paying alternative costs, or ignoring mana costs entirely. If you enjoy flashy, high-impact plays and fast win conditions, these legends will let you skip straight to the good part.
K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth – Best for Life-as-Mana Combo Decks
Your life total is just another resource.
K’rrik lets you pay 2 life instead of in costs, turning every black pip into a choice between mana and life. Paired with lifelink and a +1/+1 counter trigger for casting black spells, he can fuel explosive combo turns.
Perfect for players who want blistering speed and don’t mind walking the razor’s edge.
Chainer, Dementia Master – Best for Stealing from the Grave
Your opponent’s dead creatures are your new army.
Chainer can reanimate any creature from any graveyard for and 3 life, turning them into Nightmares under your control. In the right deck, this is a steady stream of value and a way to turn the table’s losses into your gains.
A great fit for players who love graveyard interaction and flexible reanimation.
Valgavoth, Terror Eater – Best for High-Risk, High-Reward Play
Survive the price, reap the rewards.
Flying, lifelink, and ward make Valgavoth a resilient finisher, but its real power lies in exiling any card an opponent would put into their graveyard – then letting you play it. However, with a mana cost of , getting Valgavoth onto the battlefield in the first place may be a challenge.
Best for players who want a resilient centerpiece with a mix of control and big swings.
Phage the Untouchable – Best for Instant Player Kills
Touch of death, literally.
If Phage deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game outright. The risk is that if she enters the battlefield without being cast from your hand, you lose the game. Built right, she’s one of the most dramatic win conditions in Commander.
Perfect for players who enjoy risky, all-or-nothing victories.
Trazyn the Infinite – Best for Artifact Combo Engines
Your graveyard is your toolbox.
Trazyn has all activated abilities of artifact cards in your graveyard, opening up endless combo potential – from infinite mana to repeated activations of powerful effects.
A combo player’s dream who thrives in artifact-heavy builds.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed – Best for Undying Loops
Nothing stays dead for long.
Mikaeus gives all your non-Human creatures undying, letting them come back with a +1/+1 counter after dying. In the right deck, this enables infinite sacrifice loops and near-endless value.
Perfect for players who love synergy-driven combos with inevitability.
Exile & Theft / “Play Their Cards” – Winning with Your Opponents’ Resources
Mono-black doesn’t just destroy creatures – it steals them, their cards, and even their plans. These commanders excel at exiling or casting spells from opponents’ libraries, graveyards, or hands, giving you access to tools your deck normally wouldn’t have. It’s disruption and value rolled into one, and it can be incredibly demoralizing for your opponents.
Gonti, Lord of Luxury – Best for Topdeck Manipulation & Theft
Steal it, cast it, enjoy it.
When Gonti enters, you look at the top four cards of an opponent’s library, exile one face down, and can cast it later using any color of mana. The repeatable ETB effect makes him a perfect target for blink or recursion strategies.
A top pick for players who love precision disruption with long-term payoff.
Gonti, Night Minister – Best for Casting Spells You Don’t Own
Opponents’ spells are now your toolbox.
Night Minister creates Treasures when opponents cast spells they don’t own, and lets you look at the top card of a damaged opponent’s library, with the option to cast it. This keeps your mana flowing while constantly expanding your available plays.
Perfect for players who enjoy opportunistic, adaptable gameplay.
Rev, Tithe Extractor – Best for Combat-Triggered Theft & Treasures
Strike, steal, and stockpile.
Whenever you attack, Rev grants a creature deathtouch and rewards combat damage with Treasures and a peek at the top of an opponent’s library – plus the option to cast that card. It combines ramp, removal pressure, and value generation in one package.
Great for players who like aggressive disruption.
Tinybones, the Pickpocket – Best for Graveyard Theft on Damage
Every hit gets you something new.
With deathtouch and a damage trigger that lets you cast nonland permanents from an opponent’s graveyard, Tinybones turns combat into a stream of stolen resources. Mana of any type can be used, making off-color cards easy to play.
Perfect for sneaky, opportunistic decks that turn every opening into an advantage.
Tinybones, Bauble Burglar – Best for Exiling Discards
Their discards are now your cards.
Whenever an opponent discards a card, Bauble Burglar exiles it with a stash counter, letting you play it later with any color of mana. It’s a slow-burn theft engine that turns discard strategies into win conditions.
Ideal for players who love hand disruption backed by long-term value.
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor – Best for Combat-Based Card Draw & Theft
Hit them, draw cards – or something better.
Gix lets any player who deals combat damage to an opponent pay 1 life to draw a card, but his activated ability lets you exile and cast spells from opponents’ libraries. This makes him a powerful political and card-advantage engine.
Great for players who like politics mixed with theft.
Gollum, Obsessed Stalker – Best for Lifegain-Punish Aggro
Small, sneaky, and deadly over time.
With skulk, Gollum can slip past bigger blockers to land consistent hits. At your end step, each opponent you’ve damaged with him loses life equal to the life you’ve gained that turn, turning lifegain into a direct win condition. Combine with lifelink creatures, drain effects, and incidental life gain to keep the pressure on every turn.
Best for players who enjoy evasive threats that turn healing into a weapon.
Zombies & Tribal Lords – Commanding the Undead
Mono-black has some of the best tribal leaders around, from swarms of rats to endless zombie hordes. They pile on synergy, turning small creatures into real threats with buffs, token makers, and other tribal payoffs. If you love a deck that snowballs in power the longer the game goes, these are the leaders to rally behind.
Marrow-Gnawer – Best for Rat Tribal Swarms
Fear the swarm.
Marrow-Gnawer gives all Rats fear and can sacrifice a Rat to create X 1/1 black Rat tokens, where X is the number of Rats you control. This ability snowballs incredibly fast in a dedicated Rat build, and the fear keyword makes your army hard to block.
A flavorful and aggressive pick for players who love going wide with relentless tribal pressure.
Imotekh the Stormlord – Best for Artifact Graveyard Loops
Turning scrap into soldiers.
Imotekh creates two 2/2 Necron Warriors whenever one or more artifact cards leave your graveyard, making him a natural fit for artifact recursion, exile, or reanimation loops. On top of that, he buffs another artifact creature each combat with +2/+2 and menace, adding pressure while your army grows.
Best for players who love filling the graveyard with artifacts, then weaponising every piece for board presence and combat dominance.
Karumonix, the Rat King – Best for Toxic Rat Strategies
Rats that kill in more ways than one.
Karumonix gives all Rats toxic 1 and digs for more Rats when he enters the battlefield. This turns your swarm into a dual-threat army – one that can win through poison counters as easily as combat damage.
A must-play for Rat tribal fans who like to close games quickly.
Gisa, the Hellraiser – Best for Skeleton & Zombie Aggression
Raise the dead – and make them menace.
Gisa gives Skeletons and Zombies +1/+1 and menace, and creates two tapped 2/2 Zombie Rogues whenever you commit a crime. This makes her great in decks with theft, discard, or targeted removal.
Best for players who want an undead army that’s both hard-hitting and hard to block.
Ghoulcaller Gisa – Best for Turning Big Creatures into Hordes
One sacrifice, many undead.
For just and a tap, Ghoulcaller Gisa can sacrifice a creature to create X 2/2 Zombie tokens, where X is that creature’s power. This turns big beaters or temporary creatures into a massive zombie board.
A favorite for players who love big plays that immediately change the board state.
Zul Ashur, Lich Lord – Best for Zombie Reanimation Loops
Once they join, they never leave.
With ward and a tap ability that reanimates Zombie cards from your graveyard, Zul Ashur keeps your undead legion growing all game long. Her resilience makes her an excellent long-term tribal commander.
Perfect for grindy games where attrition wins the day.
Mortarion, Daemon Primarch – Best for End-Step Token Bursts
All at once, and all with menace.
At your end step, Mortarion can create X 2/2 black Astartes Warrior tokens with menace, limited by the amount of life you lost that turn. It’s a flexible way to capitalise on your own life loss, converting it into a wide board presence.
A flavorful choice for players who like their armies sudden and intimidating.
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon – Best for Infect-Based Aggro
One hit can be halfway to victory.
Skithiryx has infect, giving it the ability to kill players with just 10 damage. It can also gain haste or regenerate, making it a resilient and deadly finisher in both tribal and infect-focused builds.
A lethal pick for players who like the quickest possible kills.
Graveyard & Recursion Engines – Turning the Dead into Resources
Mono-black has some of the strongest graveyard synergies in Commander, using the discard pile as a second hand. These commanders excel at bringing creatures back, profiting from death triggers, and recycling resources to grind out long-term wins.
Shirei, Shizo’s Caretaker – Best for Recurring Small Creatures
Little creatures, endless value.
Shirei returns any creature with power 1 or less to the battlefield at your end step if it died that turn. In the right deck, this means looping utility creatures every turn for constant value.
Perfect for players who enjoy elaborate sacrifice engines.
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician – Best for Sacrifice & Card Draw Loops
Sacrifice for cards, spread -1/-1 counters.
Yawgmoth lets you pay 1 life and sacrifice a creature to draw a card and put a -1/-1 counter on up to one target creature. His proliferate ability also scales your counter-based strategies.
Ideal for players who want control, card advantage, and combo potential all in one.
Ayara, First of Locthwain – Best for Life-Drain Creature Loops
Every entrance hurts your opponents.
Whenever Ayara or another black creature joins your side, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1. She can also sacrifice creatures to draw cards, letting her chip away at the table while keeping your hand full.
A staple for players who enjoy steady life-drain strategies with plenty of card advantage.
Syr Konrad, the Grim – Best for Death-Triggered Damage
Every death is a weapon.
Syr Konrad deals damage whenever creatures die, get milled, or leave your graveyard. His activated mill ability fuels himself, making him a win condition just by playing the game.
Perfect for attrition-focused decks that want to punish the whole table passively.
Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose – Best for Lifegain-to-Damage Combos
Turn healing into killing.
Whenever you gain life, Vito makes an opponent lose that much life. His activated ability gives all your creatures lifelink for the turn, enabling massive life swings and instant kills.
Great for combo players and lifegain strategists alike.
Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm – Best for Rat Tribal Recursion
Your fallen rats never stay gone.
At your end step, Ashcoat can return up to two Rats from your graveyard to your hand, or buff all your Rats when he attacks or blocked. This keeps your swarm replenished all game long.
A strong tribal pick for resilient aggro.
Toshiro Umezawa – Best for Instant-Speed Graveyard Control
Your graveyard becomes a spell library.
Whenever an opposing creature dies, Toshiro lets you cast an instant from your graveyard until end of turn. This turns removal-heavy decks into constant value engines.
Perfect for players who want reactive, control-oriented play with recursion.
Ashnod, Flesh Mechanist – Best for Artifact Token & Graveyard Value
Sacrifice for mana, build for power.
Ashnod creates Powerstone tokens when she attacks, and can exile creature cards from your graveyard to make 3/3 artifact zombie tokens. She blends sacrifice synergy with artifact payoffs in a uniquely black way.
Great for players who enjoy cross-theme synergy.
Taborax, Hope’s Demise – Best for Cleric Tribal & Death Payoffs
Grows as your creatures die.
Taborax gains +1/+1 counters whenever another nontoken creature you control dies – and lifelink if he has five or more counters. In Cleric tribal, he can also draw cards on those deaths.
Perfect for players who want an aggressive, scaling threat tied to a death engine.
Szarekh, the Silent King – Best for Artifact Creature Value
Attack to fill your hand.
Whenever Szarekh attacks, you mill three cards, then put an artifact creature or Vehicle from those cards into your hand. In artifact-heavy builds, this is a steady stream of resources.
A great pick for players who like combat triggers that directly restock their board.
Other Mono Black Commander Options – Unique and Offbeat Builds
Not every mono-black commander falls neatly into the big archetypes. These legends bring unusual mechanics, niche synergies, or flavorful designs that can spark creative deck ideas. If you like catching opponents off guard, these are worth a second look.
Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder – Best for Thrull Token Production
Breeding an army, one cast at a time.
Whenever you cast a creature, Endrek Sahr creates Thrulls equal to its mana value. At seven or more Thrulls, you must sacrifice Endrek – but until then, the token generation is absurdly efficient.
Perfect for decks that want an endless supply of sacrifice fodder.
Acererak the Archlich – Best for Dungeon-Crawling Loops
Venture deeper every time.
When Acererak enters without completing Tomb of Annihilation, it returns to your hand and ventures into the dungeon instead. Built for infinite loops or steady dungeon progression, he’s a quirky but rewarding choice.
Ideal for players who enjoy unique win conditions.
Conclusion – Why Mono Black Commands Respect in Commander
Mono-black is one of the most versatile and dangerous colors in EDH. It can control the board, drain life totals, swarm with tribal synergies, or combo off with graveyard loops – often it does more than one of these in the same deck. Its commanders range from oppressive stax pieces to resilient value engines, giving you tools to adapt to nearly any meta.
While black’s reliance on the graveyard and its willingness to spend life as a resource can be risky, the payoff is immense. Whether you want to grind the table down over many turns or end the game with a decisive combo, the best mono-black commanders in 2025 offer endless ways to win – and plenty of flavor while doing it.
So pick your legend, shuffle up, and embrace the darkness. In mono-black, power always has a price… and it’s usually worth paying.
