Powerful Reasons to Play Only 1 Color in EDH

Mono colored decks might not SEEM to appealing, but they offer you a lot of power that you can't get ANYWHERE else! Come see what doors a mono colored deck could open up for you!
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[@zackkelley2940]

Fun fact about the Amonket Monuments. They're actually colorless so you can run ANY monument in ANY deck. Even if you don't get the cost reduction the other effects can be VERY nice. If you're running a creature heavy deck have a look at them.

[@yavivanov6650]

Thanks captain Obvious

[@zackkelley2940]

@@yavivanov6650 The OBVIOUS interpretation would be that it IS color specific as they each reference a specific color. Since the color words are just shorthand for 'card with the associated mana symbol' this implies that anything that says 'white' is synonymous with 'Plains mana symbol'. At the very least new players will not be aware that WOTC ruled that this is not case. Even those who have been playing a while may not be aware of this ruling. If you're already aware of this, great. But obvious to you does not mean obvious to everyone.

[@Hombre944]

Exactly why I play Oketra's Monument in my Lovisa (mono R) deck lol

[@zackkelley2940]

@@Hombre944 It makes WARRIOR tokens.. which Lovisa will turn into 3/3s.

[@Hombre944]

@@zackkelley2940 ding ding ding!

[@kamilwhaley-kalaora4839]

I think defiler of dreams works really well in a ninja deck like satoru umezawa. Since most of your unblockable/evasive creatures will have at least one blue pip in them it allowed you to bounce them back to your hand with ninjitsu and immediately play them for cheap and then draws you cards for it

[@TheBarvaz]

So happy to see mono color getting some attention, at least awareness wise. I have at least 1 deck of each mono color except for blue (didn't find a blue legend that interested me enough) and they really are my favorite decks to play AND build

[@dreadedevil4055]

Only because I'm in the process of making it myself right now, I think Minn, Wily Illusionist is so cool. Whole deck theme is drawing cards, and the pay off is free growing creatures that when they die at worst case bring in a land for free and best case get high value permanents.

[@poolvolley804]

I have a Sai Master thopterist deck and I love it, nice artifact sinergies and fun interactions

[@coolguyxoxo]

Sai is my go to.

[@Reddgameplus]

Minn can wreck shop. I have a fun illusion/shapeshifter deck. Mono blue overall is probably the most versatile color of mana to build around.

[@blaze556922]

Same here. Everyone should have one of each color and then one of each color combo if they can. Talrand is a fun mono Blue Deck and you don't have to make it all counters.

[@JustRightPinedo]

Mono white got a new toy in Lay Down arms, basically sorcery speed swords to plowshares

[@jhook6865]

I've been building monocolored a lot more lately. Gets you to play cards other than a pile of staples.

[@jamesgratz4771]

Fr

[@MikhailHudon_ZerithFarron]

I've actually had a blast making a budget colourless voltron deck featuring Traxos. It's really opened up my eyes to just how much utility all the other colours have just with colorless support. Basically every colour has access to every effect ever printed albeit for a higher CMC but it totally made me consider a handful of cards that I never even knew existed.

[@prob094]

Great video. Also, you feel so PURE when you play mono! I'm working my way through the mono colours currently : )

[@atxplex]

This is one of my favorite videos you guys have put out in a while.

[@ericsanchz]

Great vid…definitely need to try and build one of each mono colored decks

[@joelrickett9967]

You forgot to mention Nyx Lotus! Very much like Karametra’s Acolyte it is explosive in any mono-color deck!

[@KVFD1723]

Love you guys, thanks for your videos!

[@felixhultman8410]

don't know why but this was like the most pleasant episode, you folks are great

[@John-pl4fl]

Love the video :D 80% of my decks are mono green with my favorite being my Grothama deck. Always fun to gang up on him over and over again to draw my deck out and dump all my creatures out

[@morrius0757]

Mine is Goreclaw, he makes my little Timmy heart sing!

[@dovakhiinmaster2967]

I greatly enjoy Mono color decks, I'll save and use this video much! ^^

[@senyormort]

I own three commander decks and all of them are monocolour: Yeva, Herald of Nature; Thalia, Heretic Catar; and Imotekh

[@senyormort]

@NitpickingNerds look at this fake account

[@JonReid01]

I love these rapid fire videos. So many cards covered!

[@xMr.Agenda]

I love mono color decks because of the restrictions and it really challenges your deck building. Gray merchant and my Vito deck kills every time at least one person. Mono black to me best color. I know people going to say green or blue maybe but black has so much.

[@grillburgerdaq5121]

My favorite thing about mono colored is that The land base isn’t a problem financially. Of course there’s expensive channel lands and whatnot but I like knowing I don’t have to worry about expensive duals or fetches. Not to mention there’s more freedom to experiment with utility lands because color fixing isn’t an issue.

[@olafthemoose9413]

[@hobez64]

Exactly. My 2 most recent decks were Temur and Mono-Green. The Temur deck has nearly $100 in the mana base between shocks, commander lands, slow lands, and other good cycles of dual lands. The Mono-Green deck's only expensive land is Nykthos and the rest of the deck feels so good because I have more of a budget to play with

[@johnshifflet]

Let's gooo! Half my decks are mono colored, I love the deckbuilding process for mono color decks, great highlights guys

[@NitpickingNerds]

It's really fun to build them, sooo many less "boring" includes while keeping the power up!

[@RazgrizAce67]

So far have built mono red, green, and blue. All a lot of fun. Constraints breed creativity and having only one color makes for fun deck building as you have to think about how to play around that color's strengths and weaknesses.

[@darthraider3691]

Commander's Plate just purchased for my Lathlis Commander Deck - THANK YOU

[@ChristopherSmithNYC]

Happy Holliday's Thanks for the great content!

[@NitpickingNerds]

Thank you so much!!! 🥰🥰🥰

[@FelipeLundgreen]

I really like Kjeldoran Outpost for monowhite token decks. You sac a plain, but make a soldier token for 2 manas every turn if you want is nice.

[@the_names_rob]

Another thing you can do in mono colored decks is play all snow lands and you can play snow synergies like dead of winter

[@cmontygman]

Ive been on a mono color deck building spree and I've been absolutely loving it currently building a mono green hydra deck, I've got a mono white angel deck and once done with the hydra deck I'll be working on a mono red Goblin deck for my Fiance

[@Rewwgh]

I've come to prefer two-colored decks over higher colour counts in my 5+ years of brewing. But mono-colored is my second favorite way of building for sure. Red especially has always been a favorite mono-color of mine. Daretti, Hazoret, Neheb for example.

[@memonk100]

I have 3 mono reds decks Heartless Hidetsugu, Lathliss Dragon Queen, and Zurzoth Chaos Rider all are super fun decks.

[@sophieirisviel4100]

yea that mention of Commander’s plate is great, my favourite deck rn is a magda voltron deck where i’ve got commander’s plate, akroma’s memorial, and darksteel forge. Since magda can cheat artifacts into play, darksteel being expensive to cast doesnt especially matter, and protects me from most boardwipes that would hurt

[@Delwift]

I run all Omnaths, but Omanth, Locus of Mana is easily my favorite of the 4. WIthout good board wipes, it's up to my decks to just out value my enemies and it does that easily! Just gotta add Defiler of Vigor, Gaea's Touch and Natural Order. Thanks for the good cards.

[@lyssasfaith]

I recently bought Hall of Gemstone, I haven't tried it yet, but I feel that it might have great potential, especially if you can shut down your opponents artifact ramp, which shouldn't be too hard in green

[@hobez64]

I'm seeing a Collector Ouphe in your future

[@peterrowley110]

I am not sure if you mean you are going to pair this with mama rock hate, but just to make sure it’s noted here. It only affects the mama spent from lands. Hall of Gemstones does not affect what mama rocks produce. At least that’s how I have read the card the last few years I have been playing. I would be happily corrected though!

[@lyssasfaith]

@@peterrowley110 Yeah, you still need to shut off artifact ramp, but that isn't so hard if you're playing green, things like Collector Ouphe, Karn, Titania's song, or just removal like Bane of Progress or Creeping Corrosion. But as Hall of Gemstone is a hate bear card, I think they naturally fit into the same decks

[@volosguidetomonsters3440]

Commander's Plate is like the best card in my mono-blue islandwalk deck

[@NinjaTerd473]

I play mono red and mono black, and enchantments are a struggle. So my solution was to combo off before they become an issue. If I win on turn 5 or 6, that Rhystic or Tithe aren't much of a problem for me. But I still really love building 3 color decks as well. I don't typically build even colored decks I guess.

[@akitoemery8651]

As a mostly mono color player this is a good video

[@egoish6762]

Tergrid is the reason i play mono black, when i get allowed. I'm forced to play some shockers like unstable obelisk to have a chance of removing stuff black can't deal with. In the coffers package you need to mention the support package, urborg, deserted temple, petrified field, thespians stage, expediton map. It also makes already playable cards like burnished art, sad robot and liliana of the dark realm very good.

[@fdrehug7318]

War room also is at instant speed, so you can draw at the end of the player before you so you can keep counterspell mana up!

[@RubrDuky1]

Just Gary is only an 8 point life swing (you go up 6 and they go down 2). If you are combining the life loss to each opponent, then you need to add you gain over each opponent which would come out to a 24 point swing (8 points over each of 3 opponents).

[@mkwwca]

my favorite deck is a Purphoros, God of the Forge. so i feel the 'mono color deck' tech :)

[@NitpickingNerds]

He's a brutal one, nice!

[@mkwwca]

Even if it's not goblins?

[@jakehays1403]

Massacre girl, as a commander is a cheap and super fun mononlack commander. I made a budget vampire massacre girl deck where I get out small bodies just to boardwipe.

[@blackdoomduck]

Interesting video would be cards you need / should play in mono decks that you probably don't in multi colour decks. So like feed the swarm is not a great removal card normally but it's one of a few ways black can deal with enchantments so you probably run it in mono black but probably only in mono black

[@olafthemoose9413]

Don't forget my boy springjack shepherd. He had devotion before devotion was cool. Agadeem the undercrypt is a pretty good land for mono black too. Can easily add 5 mana or even more in the mid to lategame.

[@zackkelley2940]

Springjack Shepherd, Springjack Pasture, and Trading Post makes for a spectacular value package in monowhite.^^ Especially if you can flicker Springjack Shepherd.

[@Hombre944]

I think just about the only time I'd ever consider Firecat Blitz is if I have at least one of Purphoros or Torbran already on the battlefield, and preferably both. Probably need Shared Animosity, Gauntlet of Might, and Ferocity of the Wilds, with a Toralf chaser to really make it sing. Otherwise I'm much more likely to Nykthos out for a massive Crackle with Power. Strong odds I'd be running all that anyway, but trying to make Firecat work seems like a futile flex when there are so many better options

[@geraldd500]

The issue with too many utility lands is you can lock yourself out of early game if you have too many high colour spells.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

My mono-blue Talrand deck is one of my favorites 😄

[@BigDeckEnergy.]

I have a mono green stompy deck that just ramps and cast big creatures. Super easy to pilot and can hold its own at casual tables. Mono color decks are a Good idea for beginners.

[@pauldyson8098]

I'm just here to talk about how much I love my longest-lasting commander, my boy Reki. Homeboy got his own Sylvan Library art.

[@charliemarlow647]

Another great one for mono white is Endless Atlas. People worry about it getting destroyed and not being able to draw any more lands, but you can leave a few in there to come across / fetch if you need to, and the upside of making (almost) all your future draws nonlands is fantastic for mid to late game! For mono green, if you want to be mean, Hall of Gemstone is a salt-generating machine! Might even make more people want to build mono coloured decks 😂

[@Cyberium]

It's not that mono-color lacks powerful cards, it's that mana fixing has been so good that there's less and less penalty to add extra colors for versatility.

[@vegettoblack7852]

Mono color is great when you're me and play mono black :D so many tutors

[@avatarofpapermagic]

I have multiple Mono Green and White decks. Lots of fun!

[@NitpickingNerds]

Currently I have mono white and mono black! -beezy

[@avatarofpapermagic]

@@NitpickingNerds mono black is probably my next play. I've been sticking to a theme for at least one Mono-Coloured deck. Balal, Wandering Knight is my Voltron in white. Kodama of the West Tree is my go wide green mono. Still thinking of Red, Black and Blue Commanders for mono that suit a style I like. Sheoldred is tempting!

[@danielgoldberg2129]

I have mono white, black, and colorless. My mono black is the weakest because I’m sticking to the Necron theme. (No flesh and blood creatures.)

[@yanncatt]

I mostly play mono colored decks, you guys are absolutely right about the advantages that they have

[@kurttito7256]

Ugin the ineffable is amazing in colourless decks which I consider mono coloured since it is singular colour restricted. All you’re spells cost 2 less to cast and he can sort of defend himself with token generation. Puts up big numbers in my eldrazi decks

[@johnhudecek5667]

First commander deck I’ve ever built and refined to a near science is my mono green Marwyn tribal deck

[@mrnixon2287]

Rionya, the Fire Dancer is my mono red commander of choice. some nice etb effects can be abused when u copy creatures with her ability. even without casting cheap spells shes still solid and when u get 2 or more copies creatures like fanatic of mogus, teror of the peaks and dockside extortionist go off.

[@gilvermorgen2090]

i have build a mono green control deck with (Azusa, Lost but Seeking) its super fun too play against multi color decks ( some funn cards like storm cauldron , primal order , hall of gemstone) mono green fun

[@Tr0cheus]

I build a mono-white Adeline deck. God, people get annoyed by the amount of tokens you make each turn xD

[@FelipeLundgreen]

I have Adeline and now Myrel. Monowhite token decks are really nice.

[@FelipeLundgreen]

@@ginov.7039 Can you share the decklist?

[@keltarking]

Crypt Ghast? I was under the impression it couldn't be in a monoblack commander deck because of its ability's colors?

[@Jakep54903]

This is what I thought too!

[@tashannoc]

You are right Edit: no, I am wrong!! Explainer text is excluded from color identity. Just learned this.

[@keltarking]

@@tashannoc Haha, that's also what I was explained afterward. Looks like I'm adding it to my Sheoldred deck after all. :D

[@derekgunnels4856]

Extort is treated like a keyword (it's hybrid cost is in the explanation text, not the ability cost). Extort can fit in any deck, even if it was on a red card. It's too bad that hybrid mana doesn't follow the same rule. It really should.

[@vegettoblack7852]

Commanders plate has saved my ass so many times in my mono black necron traveler deck

[@micahlaremore8224]

Cool video

[@doktarr]

One you didn't mention for red is Ruination. In some ways it's similar in effect to Blood Moon - when you're running all basics you barely notice, yet it can completely ruin your opponents. Land destruction can get rule 0'ed but if it doesn't, it's really strong.

[@Tommino-ez8ww]

rule 0 does not exist

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

LOL I rule zero people who rule zero MLD, part of Red's identity is to destroy lands :P

[@domotoro3552]

theres a diff between nonbasic land destruction and basic tho

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

@@domotoro3552 I ain't picky :P LOL

[@blaze556922]

Destroying lands or changing people's lands is a No-No outside of CeDH.

[@JonReid01]

That neon logo light is fresh AF famalam 🙄shhheeeeeesh😎

[@NewOldEBM]

Kinda sad you guys didn't mention mogis' marauders for black, I think that card is super underrated, ESPECIALLY if you're building to a rise of the dark realms play. It turns it into an actual instant win instead of a "wait till i untap"/blood artist says hi card. It's an allstar in my nethroi deck

[@ExKiwi-yw8er]

Is Gaea's touch ever gonna see a reprint? Not that I don't love whatever is happening in that art, I just think a facelift would do her some good.

[@NitpickingNerds]

It's pretty ugly 😂

[@hermodnitter3902]

Nah, you gotta embrace the old look. It's totally awesome! And the left-shifted misprint is even cooler ;)

[@catit6599]

Probably not considering how weird the oracle text is it would have to be like in a masters set or something

[@Fausto_4841]

people laugh at the emerald medallion in my elf deck, and then they die.

[@andrewsutherland1909]

My playgroup is combat focused so I keep my colors to 2 or less. I've tried 3 and it feels like it becomes more combo reliant and harder to build a combat focused deck.

[@ladyivygaming2838]

Thanks. Gonna put commanders plate in my Celestine

[@NitpickingNerds]

Should be super good there!

[@scottricks1676]

mono red is a tuff one...they need the love white has gotten over the past few years.

[@tacoedits3302]

Moxfield timestamp guess is 16:54 will check back in when I get to the part

[@justinjones671]

For mono white I would say karooe lands help to keep you "behind" on lands. Also lotus field is great.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Yeah that seems pretty decent actually!

[@olafthemoose9413]

Scorched Ruin is my favourite. The Lotus lands work very well with brought back too.

[@CS-fe5yg]

castle ardenvale is great in token decks you could be making a bunch of 4/4 angels for only 4 mana

[@Hombre944]

What kind of power level are you designing for? I play a fair amount of mono Red, and very frequently it's goblins (and I have a dozen different goblin decks, just depending on what the particular goal is). As much as I like Valakut, it's the same category as Fiery Emancipation... Trap card. Lulls you into a fall sense of Big Burn. With no real land acceleration, Valakut is late game energy, and I'm already well on my win con that I couldn't care less about chucking bolts. But I do like seeing others' perspectives

[@selendile030]

Been dying to buy a retro frame Urza, Lord High Artificer for a while now……can’t bring myself to make the purchase.

[@dylgamesh2848]

Sorry I was not typing about cabal coffers, it was phyrexian obliterator

[@AbyssArray]

I know I'm super greedy with my mana base, even in mono colour decks lol. I remember one time hitting turn 6 with mono green, only having 2 lands that tapped for green (was playing Gargos, Vicious Watcher - 3GGG). Pretty sure I was like.. something like 15 utility lands or so, I just happened to draw into a lot of them lol

[@NitpickingNerds]

15 is extremely high lol 😂

[@kl3r1k3r-7]

I love my krenko...I love my talrand and I am working on getting every color as a mono deck =]

[@Just-a-Canuck]

i like Invoke Despair in my sheoldred and Imotekh mono black decks

[@vollied4865]

This whole video just further validated my desire to play pure necron 🤣

[@Blitzfire]

This is why I play Godo. consistancy from 1-color. it's nice. :)

[@Dynoboot]

How about Heraldic Banner in mono color decks?

[@riverswater5688]

I agree about the signers, BUT I feel emerald medallion is simply a waste of a slot in mono green; they’re already super rampy

[@memonk100]

A great card in Mono Green is Vernal Bloom.

[@MrZOMBIEKILLCAM]

Will Disclaimer Guy ever return to his throne?

[@overbet36]

I'm gonna guess the Moxfield ad will be at 8:34

[@SWAT6809]

Red has so much draw if you count the impulse draw spells, I don't think you need endless atlas. Id much rather have a ton of utility-lands

[@lilwigese1]

Hey do you guys have another channel where you play commander?

[@matthewbell4897]

One day I will get the moxfield ad correct, blind guess at 14:45

[@TarraskyPiano]

Non Shock/fetch lands makes my wallet extremely happy, big reason to play mono color

[@wenyili4937]

played mono white light paws- emperor's voice against animar with protection from white :(

[@loxeggcheese]

It’s so funny mogis was printed at uncommon and fine.. Gary is common and been relevant in most formats at somepoint haha

[@energetek661]

No amber🥺. Love monocolored tho. My oketra deck beats up a lot of other decks at out store.

[@NitpickingNerds]

we miss amber too!

[@TauanAzevedo]

I love my Torbran Burn

[@Mecal00]

I love mono-color decks

[@Rayan01012]

It is like you guys can read my mind. O just got home from playing some fnm. I played my mono green selvala deck and I was missing some card draw. I was thinking there should be more upside to playing mono color besides nykthos. Also is some has more option for green card draw please let me know

[@PSroka]

I love the 6 mana titania but my mono green deck doesn't really use mill

[@morrius0757]

But you don't have to mill with her, any time a card says "you may", you don't have to do it. You can have her just be a creature that makes 5/3s every land drop. I bought her to put into my Goreclaw deck.

[@morrius0757]

100% play Commander's Plate in mono-green, if you can afford it, put it in. If you can't and your playgroup is okay with it, proxy it and then put it in. lol

[@ianmay2378]

Can you run Crypt Ghast in Mono Black because of the Orzhov hybrid mana?

[@dreadgray78]

Extort hybrid mana is in explainer text, so yes! Explainer text doesn't count toward color identity.

[@tashannoc]

​@@dreadgray78 really?!? Wow.

[@rontrezbeaugard8212]

Mono black sheoldred go brrrrrrr

[@dirtyfrench2926]

Lol I have 6 decks that run white but they're all 3+ colors. I recently took the pile of white cards (all my decks share cards) and took out about 15 cards that were too specific (i.e. arena rector). I added lands, and won 3 games in a row.

[@dirtyfrench2926]

Oh, I ran Prowl as my commander in game 1, then switched to Jazal because the pumps were really strong game 1. As far as sharing cards, I build 1 deck, then build a 2nd taking needed cards from 1st deck. I then build a 3rd taking from 1st & 2nd decks. I can switch really fast between 3 all day knowing all the cards you need are in 3 piles.

[@yaniclaflamme6368]

hey nerds. maybe a great subject for an episode the card that got the most reprint i always thought it bird of paradise got reprint up to 10 edition and later

[@HinduGangsta]

mono green is 5 color and i love it

[@morrius0757]

Playing mono G is a big brain move. lol

[@erikohman2294]

Most of my decks lean heavy in to one colour, to get some of these cards to work. Still the gruul deck cant play monoforest ramp, so true mono is still the real deal. My actual monoblue deck plays 9 lands with aibilities that arent mana aibilities, not counting etb drawbacks or mdfcs.