MTG Salvation

Quote from BloodyRabbit_01 »

@SCP7

I'll make a generic sideboard guide, trying to cover the most popular archetypes in Modern. So, if you have some particular match-up you're unsure about, ask for it.

I highly suggest to implement also this in the primer, because it isn't the first time we argue about sideboard strategies.


Vs "the Mirror" (Jund/Abzan Shadow, Grixis/Orzhov/Sultai Shadow):

You want to have as little dead card as possible, because it will turn into a topdeck war. Inquisition are the first cut, because having six discard spells is a beating when preparing for a grindfest. I also dislike S.Denial, because "ferocious" isn't easy to obtain when playing against a deck full of removals/diruption, though some players prefer to keep them in. Liliana, the Last Hope, more Kolaghan's Command and Fulminator Mage are all good cards to bring in (F.Mage isn't the best, but sometimes the opponent keep a low-mana hand and it's forced to discard your F.Mage instead of, say, a Snapcaster. Then, it's also good to cut him off white splash, if he plays it).

Vs Big-Mana Strategies (Tron, RG Valakut, Eldrazi-Tron, Bring to Light):

Except for Eldrazi-Tron, you want to keep the removal suite at its lowest. Bolt and Push aren't the best, while keeping Terminate in is always a wise choice, granting that they will have some amount of targets (expecially Valakut-based, like Obstinate Baloth or Coursier of Kruphix). You want all the disruption you can get from the side, like additional Stubborn Denials, Fulminator Mages, Ceremonious Rejection (Tron & Eldrazi), Collective Brutality (BTLight, depending on what you have also against RG Valakut). Surgical Extraction is also fine, but it's the last choice, so if you don't have enough cards to cut from your maindeck keep them in the sideboard. Rise/Fall isn't a card I like, but in the combo match-up it's surely very good.


Vs Linear Combo decks (UR Storm, Ad Nauseam, Cheerios, Infect, Taking Turns):

Now, things become more interesting. They're, IMHO, our best match-up by far. But the gameplan vastly differ depending on whom we're paired against: Storm, Cheerios and Infect actually are what we WANT to face. Because they suffer both our disruption suite (discard + counters) and our removals ('cause they depends on threats or enablers to win the game). Shave as little as possible post-side, without diluiting our original gameplan (against Storm, grave hate + Denial is what you want, and C.Brutality is also good to replace Terminate because of the double purpose of killing a threat + discard a high-value spell). Against Cheerios you don't want Surgicals. Against Infect you can maximize on discards + extraction effects and removals (Collective Brutality is, again, very good here). Stubborn Denial isn't at it's best, because you'll probably shave on delve threats. Ad Nauseam & Turns, on the other side, don't have any relevant creature threats... preside. Post, they'll probably bring in some Grave Titan/Dromoka (AdNauseam) and Thing in the Ice (Turns). So, again, keep in Terminate against the first, and your Fatal Pushes against the second (because they hit both animated lands & TITI with less mana investment). Bring in counters, discard and Surgicals. Cut Bolts and Push/Terminate (depending on the mu).


Vs CoCo strategies (Abzan Vizier, Bant Knightfall, Kiki-Chord, Saheeli-Evolution):

They're a bunch of creatures + some high relevant spells (Company, Chord, sometimes Nahiri or Saheeli). Your plan is being the Tempo deck: deploy a threat and kill every threatening "must-answer" creature. If you're on the play, it's correct to Bolt/Push a dork. If you're on the draw, keep them for the two-three drops. Stubborn Denial, Thoughtseize & removals are all extremely good. What you want, post side, is Collective Brutality (best card ever against them: kill a threat + strip their Company), more impactful/grindy cards (Lily TLH, another beast against them, and more S.Denials) and sweepers (Anger of the Gods or Flaying Tendrils). Some players also bring in Surgical, while I do think they're not good enough (post sb it becomes a grindfest). I'd cut the Wraiths, because the game will go long, plus the Inquisitions (six discards are too many in a grindfest, again). Also, you can easily shave one Thought Scour for the same reasoning.


Vs Burn:

Cut as many self-damaging cards as you can. Seize & Wraith are very bad, here (expecially the second, keep a pair of Seize if you can't cut them all). Bring in Collective Brutality (nuff said), more counters & cheap removals. You'll always have to play wisely against Burn, trying to take little damage from your lands (Shadow will become active faster than you think, so don't worry). Remember that, if the opponent tries to Searing Blaze a Shadow while doing dmg to you, Shadow will actually survives.


Vs Affinity:

Similarly to Burn, you want as many removals as you can in spite of self-damaging cards. Counters are bad here, though, while sweepers, additional Kommand and Lily TLH shine. Ceremonious Rejection is an obvious inclusion, and Fulminator is actually not bad because of their manlands. Cut discards and Wraiths (you can keep Kozilek in, because Etched Champion is one of their best bet against us, so it is Blood Moon. Strip those cards from their hand and profit, nothing else.


Vs Graveyard Strategies (Dredge, Living End):

They're very different decks, but both requires a similar preparation. You live and die by Stubborn Denial, essentially, because hitting their enabler (Dredge) or their cascading LE (Living End) is crucial. Discards aren't the best, though against the second they can be very useful post-side, when you also bring in Surgicals and they have some amount of Ricochet Trap. Bolt & Push aren't really the best (while you can keep the Terminates to get rid of their most dangerous threat when you intend to race the opponent), and Surgical, grave hate, more counters are pretty much what you want. Sweepers are also very good against Dredge, and Staticaster is decent to ping their Narcoameba and Bloodghasts. Collective Brutality is fine to do some damage if you don't really have anything else to bring in. Remember that S.Wraith is actually a very good card against Living End, so try to hide them if possible, cycling the card only when a LE resolves.


Vs Hard Control (Esper, Jeskai, UW. Grixis and Mardu in a less prominent way):

They're your worst mu. A pletora of removals, mass removals, discards, counters, card advantage. You have to race them, if possible, while trying to not overestending into a sweeper. Planeswalkers are really hard to deal with. More counters, disruption, F.Mage (to fight C.Colonnade) and Surgical effect are all good against them. Shave on removals and situational cards, and don't forget to bring in Lily TLH (which is, by far, your best bet to actually win the long game against their CA).



Phew. I've certainly missed something, so I'll repeat: feel free to ask.