This deck is the definition of masochism in the current standard format. It is the Dark Souls of Magic Decks in current standard. The idea of the deck is to suffer, then suffer, then suffer some more, then breathe that ever-so-exquisite sigh of relief when you reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Though it is a long and dark journey, you always have the promise of Ugin to press on.

Let's start with the most important point. I have reached Mythic on a reasonable timetable for two consecutive seasons with some version of this deck. It is competetive.

Next, I'll say that although ramp-to-Ugin with a barrens wincon is nothing new, this deck is different. It's more of a "survive-to-Ugin" gameplan which lets us be far more hateful along the way. In the end, isn't that what's most important when playing Mono Black Control?

The Matchups

Rogues: 

Like most decks in the current standard format, this game goes a lot better on the play than the draw. I'm not going to sugar-coat this: It's a rough matchup most of the time and if you are looking for a deck that just steamrolls rogues, grab yourself a mono-red binky until Kaldheim releases on January 28th. All that said, there is a path to victory vs. your ever uninspiring Rogue-Gamer opponents. Just make sure you rope out the moment you realize all of your suffering has been in vain.

Gruul: 

This matchup feels mostly like a 50/50 toss up and the games are almost always nailbiters. In my opinion, that is a good place for a competetive BO1 deck to be right now vs. Gruul. You obviously want to make quick and copious use of the hardest of removal whilst scrying and clinging your way to that sweetest of Ugin payoffs. DO NOT be shy about getting aggressive with your barrens early in this matchup as a good 8-10 point bop in the mid-late game can quickly turn the opponent's top-decked Questing Beasties (they always have it) into defensive plays.

Mono Red:

This matchup is interesting as Red can always go first and wreck its control opponent, yet this deck has a surprising amount of explosive life-gain plays, especially when sideboarding in another Erebos' Intervention or two. All-told, I'd say that draining the life out of an Embercleaved, Rimrocked Firebrand Charger for -9 during combat with this card is a tilt beyond comprehension for any Red Mage, or at least it would be if comprehension, itself, weren't beyond a red mage's comprehension.

Side-Note: Solemn Simulacrum is also a great speed bump in the mid-game.

Mono-White:

Hmhmhm... Hehehehehe... Hehahahahaha... Mwahahahahaha! At last, we have arrived at our primary food source. This matchup is the bread and butter to any mythic climb with the deck. You might be asking yourself: I may have all of this removal at my disposal, but which do I use? The answer is simple. Use it all. Use your removal on turn one. Then pepper them with some more on turn two. Maybe take a turn off to scry for your fourth land or second game-ending board wipe with tome. The opponent may even nut-draw you down to 1 life before you've even seen your fourth land. None of it matters. Turn four the board is gone. Turn five, they rally and empty their hand to recover. That's cute. Wipe it again. Shadows Verdict clears speaker and its angel friends and ruins any Lurrus top-decking shenanigans. If you play your cards right in this matchup (and it's honestly hard not to) you can even catch a heliod in the crossfire of a good Verdict or Event. Low on life? Cling a speaker or doggo. Your biggest obstacle in these games will be your own hubris as you should almost always have good options for the current board state that the white deck will present you with. Fear not the dark, dear white mage and let the feast begin.

Yorion:

Step 1: Mull to hand-hate.

Step 2: Crawling. Barrens.

I hope you enjoy the final build of my Mono-Black Ugin Control list for the Zendikar standard cycle. It is certainly not for everyone, but for those of us out their who gleefully partake in the suffering of life, it sure is a hell of a lot more fun than those other, maybe slightly better netdecks out there which only make you feel good about yourself on the way to victory. Where's the cosmic significance in that?