Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER is the most built mono-black commander, with 32,487 decks on EDHREC as of November 10, 2026. K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth (20,603) and Marrow-Gnawer (14,607) come next. The best budget pick is K’rrik at about $1.10, and Shirei, Shizo’s Caretaker costs about $0.29.
Updated November 10, 2026 · Deck counts: EDHREC, November 10, 2026 · Prices: TCGplayer market price of each card’s cheapest printing, via Scryfall, checked November 10, 2026
Black is the color of sacrifice, reanimation and paying life for power, and it has some of the strongest commanders in the game. Mono-black decks are also easy to build: one color, basic Swamps, and no worrying about fixing.
We ranked these by how many decks each commander leads on EDHREC, the biggest Commander deck database, so this is what players actually build, not just our opinion. Then we added the best budget commanders, the easiest ones for new players, and the one that’s on the Game Changers list. Every card links to its TCGplayer page.
Table of Contents
Best mono-black commanders at a glance
| # | Commander | Decks | Deck style | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER | 32,487 | Aristocrats | $27.94 |
| 2 | K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth | 20,603 | Life as mana | $1.10 |
| 3 | Marrow-Gnawer | 14,607 | Rat tribal | $31.87 |
| 4 | Tergrid, God of Fright | 13,081 | Steal discards and sacrifices | $19.99 |
| 5 | Sheoldred, the Apocalypse | 12,352 | Drain on draws | $99.64 |
| 6 | Tinybones, Bauble Burglar | 11,887 | Discard, play their cards | $1.41 |
| 7 | Braids, Arisen Nightmare | 8,510 | Sacrifice punisher | $4.34 |
| 8 | Imotekh the Stormlord | 8,206 | Artifact recursion | $7.62 |
| 9 | Shirei, Shizo’s Caretaker | 8,034 | Small-creature recursion | $0.29 |
| 10 | Ayara, First of Locthwain | 7,686 | Black devotion drain | $5.19 |
| 11 | Yawgmoth, Thran Physician | 7,340 | Sacrifice combo | $24.53 |
| 12 | Karumonix, the Rat King | 7,097 | Poison Rats | $0.84 |
Prices move fast. Follow @HelloNerdsnack on X for price drops and new chase cards.
Decks = decks led by that commander on EDHREC on November 10, 2026. Price = TCGplayer market price of the cheapest normal printing, via Scryfall (Imotekh only comes in foil).
What are the best black commanders in MTG?
These are the 12 most built mono-black commanders. Tap any card to see it on TCGplayer.
32,487 decks · $27.94
20,603 decks · $1.10
14,607 decks · $31.87
13,081 decks · $19.99
12,352 decks · $99.64
11,887 decks · $1.41
8,510 decks · $4.34
8,206 decks · $7.62
8,034 decks · $0.29
7,686 decks · $5.19
7,340 decks · $24.53
7,097 decks · $0.84
1. Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER
From the Final Fantasy set. Whenever Sephiroth enters or attacks, you can sacrifice another creature to draw a card, and whenever another creature dies, an opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1. On the fourth drain in a single turn, he transforms into Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel. It’s an aristocrats deck (sacrifice creatures for value), and it’s the most popular mono-black deck by a wide margin.
2. K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
K’rrik lets you pay 2 life instead of each black mana symbol in a cost, so your life total becomes extra mana. Cast several spells a turn, grow K’rrik with +1/+1 counters, and gain the life back with lifelink. It’s one of the most powerful black commanders, and one of the cheapest at about $1.10.
3. Marrow-Gnawer
The Rat deck. Rats have fear, and Marrow-Gnawer sacrifices a Rat to make as many 1/1 Rats as you control. It pairs with Relentless Rats and Rat Colony, which you can play as many copies of as you want. The original 2004 card costs about $31.87; the borderless reprint from Bloomburrow Commander (2024) is a bit cheaper, at about $23.88.
4. Tergrid, God of Fright
Whenever an opponent sacrifices a nontoken permanent or discards a permanent card, you take it. Build around edicts and discard and you end up controlling the table. It’s strong and often unpopular to play against, and it’s on the Game Changers list.
5. Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
You gain 2 life whenever you draw a card, and opponents lose 2 whenever they draw. It drains the whole table every turn just by existing. It’s also the priciest commander on this list at about $99.64.
6. Tinybones, Bauble Burglar
Whenever an opponent discards a card, you exile it and can play it on your turn, using any type of mana. For 4 mana it also makes each opponent discard a card. A discard deck that plays your opponents’ best cards, for about $1.41.
7. Braids, Arisen Nightmare
At your end step, sacrifice a permanent. Each opponent then sacrifices one of the same type, or loses 2 life and you draw a card. It punishes the table every turn, and it’s best with tokens and Treasures you don’t mind losing.
8. Imotekh the Stormlord
From the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks. Whenever artifact cards leave your graveyard, you get two 2/2 Necron artifact creatures, and it pumps another artifact creature at the start of each of your combats. It’s an artifact recursion deck, and it only comes in foil.
9. Shirei, Shizo’s Caretaker
Whenever a creature with power 1 or less dies, it comes back at the next end step. Sacrifice small creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects over and over. At about $0.29, it’s the cheapest commander in the top 12.
10. Ayara, First of Locthwain
Every black creature you play drains each opponent for 1, and you can sacrifice black creatures to draw. It rewards playing as much black as possible, which mono-black does naturally.
11. Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
Pay 1 life and sacrifice a creature to put a -1/-1 counter on a creature and draw a card. With undying creatures it becomes a combo engine, and it also wipes out tokens and small creatures. It’s the most competitive commander here.
12. Karumonix, the Rat King
The poison Rat deck. Your Rats have toxic 1, so every hit gives poison counters, and Karumonix digs for more Rats when it enters. Ten poison counters wins, so it skips the 40-life problem.
What kinds of black commander decks are there?
The top 12 fall into a few groups, which helps you pick one you’ll enjoy:
- Aristocrats (sacrifice for value): Sephiroth, Braids, Ayara, Yawgmoth and Shirei.
- Rats: Marrow-Gnawer and Karumonix, plus Rat King, Verminister below.
- Life as a resource: K’rrik and Sheoldred.
- Discard and theft: Tergrid and Tinybones.
- Artifacts: Imotekh.
What are the best budget black commanders?
K’rrik, Shirei, Karumonix and Tinybones from the top 12 all cost under $2. These six are also popular and cost about a dollar or less:
$0.78
$0.33
$0.35
$0.93
$0.95
$1.03
- Massacre Girl, Known Killer ($0.78, 6,000 decks): your creatures have wither, and you draw when theirs die with less than 1 toughness
- Zul Ashur, Lich Lord ($0.33, 3,427 decks): casts Zombies from your graveyard every turn
- Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist ($0.35, 5,156 decks): reanimates a creature each turn as a vanilla Skeleton
- Rat King, Verminister ($0.93, 5,638 decks): a newer Rat commander from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set
- Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor ($0.95, 3,769 decks): draws a card whenever your creatures hit an opponent
- Syr Konrad, the Grim ($1.03, 6,339 decks): pings every opponent whenever creatures die or hit the graveyard
A cheap commander is only half the deck. Our budget Commander decks under $100 guide shows how to build the other 99 cards cheaply, and the best budget Commander staples under $5 covers the black staples.
Which black commander is best for beginners?
The easiest commanders do one simple thing well and don’t need a long combo to win. These four are popular, straightforward and fairly cheap:
$3.72
$6.95
$1.08
$10.22
- Ghoulcaller Gisa ($3.72, 7,012 decks): sacrifice a creature to make that many 2/2 Zombies. Simple and strong.
- Gisa, the Hellraiser ($6.95, 6,144 decks): Zombies and Skeletons get +1/+1 and menace, and targeting opponents makes more Zombies.
- Gonti, Night Minister ($1.08, 5,817 decks): every hit lets you steal the top card of an opponent’s library and play it.
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose ($10.22, 5,004 decks): whenever you gain life, an opponent loses that much. Pair it with lifelink.
New to Commander? Our beginner’s guide to building a Commander deck walks through all 100 cards.
Which black commanders are Game Changers?
Commander’s bracket system rates decks from 1 to 5, and the Game Changers list is a set of cards strong enough to push a deck into a higher bracket. Brackets 1 and 2 play none, and Bracket 3 allows up to three. Tergrid, God of Fright is the only commander in this guide on the list, per Scryfall’s Game Changer data on November 10, 2026. As a commander it’s always in play, so a Tergrid deck starts at Bracket 3.
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse and Yawgmoth aren’t on the list, but both are strong enough that a casual table may ask about them before the game.
What cards does every mono-black deck need?
Mono-black has great removal and card draw but almost no way to deal with artifacts and enchantments, and no color fixing to worry about. Most mono-black decks want:
- Ramp in mana rocks, because black has almost no land ramp. See the best mana rocks in Commander.
- Board wipes: black has the best ones, including Toxic Deluge and Damnation. See the best board wipes in Commander.
- Colorless answers to artifacts and enchantments, like Nevinyrral’s Disk, since black can’t easily remove them.
- Card draw that costs life, like Phyrexian Arena and Night’s Whisper. Mono-black can afford it.
Read next: The Best Commander for Every Color Combination · Best Board Wipes in Commander · Best Mill Cards in Commander
Black commanders
Sources: commander deck counts from EDHREC’s mono-black commanders page, November 10, 2026; card text, legality and Game Changer status from Scryfall; prices are TCGplayer market prices via Scryfall, checked November 10, 2026. Card images: Wizards of the Coast.
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