W/B sideboard in Standard..
Deck Help forum
Posted on July 9, 2013, 5:49 a.m. by Metroid_Hybrid
I have an Orzhov Exalted deck that I'm pretty close to being comfortable with taking to FNM.. (Exalted../Flying../Double Strike../Lifelink..) However I am sure that my sideboard leaves much to be desired.. I own a pair of Pithing Needle , and I'm currently in the process of acquiring a set of Nevermore .. But as far as graveyard hate is concerned, should I acquire a couple more Grafdigger's Cage (I have one..), or should I just go for 2-3x Rest in Peace ?
Did I leave anything out?
Also some of the more aggravating decks I came across before tend to be different forms of the "American control" style if that makes any difference.. :)
Sideboarding is a fine art in MTG; a well constructed sideboard and the right choices for different match ups usually (beyond consistent and low misplay percentages) usually separates the good players from the great players. That said; I'm happy to shed some light on what goes into sideboarding properly. With any given deck, there are certain match-ups that you are naturally favored, certain match-ups that you are at a disadvantage, and the mirror match up. The latter two are generally what is sideboarded against. Usually, good sideboard construction revolves around focusing 4-6 cards against two - three decks that you have a disadvantageous match up against and the remainder is for the mirror (there will be some obvious overlap and this rule is not ironclad of course, nor is anything I say here). (Outside of my opponent shuffling his entire sideboard into his deck and then taking out 15 cards at the beginning of match two) Generally, when I see a person side board more than 6 or 7 cards, it's usually a sign to me that they were not prepared to deal with my deck or that their sideboard is poorly constructed.
With that said, the biggest jump from sideboarding in answers to sideboarding in the CORRECT answers is the assumption on whether you will be on the play or the draw. Most decent sideboards operate on the idea that in a best of three match you will be on the draw rather than the play when you sideboard - since you want to hedge your expected outcomes on the worst of possible situations. This puts a threshold on the answers you will have to choose from. For example: Nevermore is a fantastic card and a good side board card against a number of decks assuming you have the white to support it in your deck and you're finding that the threats you're trying to answer are generally speaking 5 CMC or higher in a deck with no counters (very much like Slaughter Games is correctly costed at four); something like Thragtusk in a Jund or Naya Midrange matchup -- since you will be able to cast it before their ability to cast their threats. But looking more carefully, Nevermore is not very versatile - it stifles your turn three play in a situation where if you were on the draw you are already playing from behind and doesn't answer things like Supreme Verdict as they will be more likely to play it before you play Nevermore or even on the same clock, they are still one land ahead.
Depending on which cards and type of American control you having a problem with faster plays or more consistent answers are desirable on the side. For example, if you're losing the majority of the matches to a combination of wrath effects and late game creatures or planeswalkers; Appetite for Brains is much stronger for a deck with counters. Additionally, if you're not likely to stop those Supreme Verdict s or top deck Terminus s, then you want to play around your extort mechanics more; ie. cards like Blind Obedience - its low curve makes it difficult to justify a counter spell and it dodges verdicts while gaining you tempo while you re-establish your board. A couple of Pithing Needle s should round out the late game AEtherling or Jace, Memory Adept . For strict graveyard hate, I would recommend the Rest in Peace as it stops their Think Twice from recurring, while Grafdigger's Cage is more for the reanimator match up; but ultimately hard to get to stick if your control matchup runs counters at all. That all said, I honestly wouldn't try and win by hating their graveyard; Rest in Peace really doesn't gain you much tempo if any at all nor does it advance your board and really doesn't answer some of the more aggressive American control decks that do run Boros Reckoner and Aurelia, the Warleader in their creature suite along with Restoration Angel , Snapcaster Mage , and Augur of Bolas .
Looking at your main board; here is what I envision a sideboard game two would look like for me.
-4 Tragic Slip -1 Duress -2 High Priest of Penance
+3 Blind Obedience
+2 Appetite for Brains
+2 Pithing Needle
It doesn't cover all your bases but certainly will increase the your win percentage, and generally speaking, if there are dead cards (or too high a frequency) on main board that's usually a sign to look at other main board options.
Debatably, I didn't comment on your main board at all, but I'll leave that to you. The most important part about side boarding is the experience with the meta (local or tournament) and the match ups - so the more you play, the better you'll fine tune your main and side!
Cheers and good luck!
July 9, 2013 9:28 a.m.
PS. Additionally, you can go an alternative route with Thalia, Guardian of Thraben , but that might squeeze into your main board strategy and inevitably change the flavor and purpose of the deck.
Metroid_Hybrid says... #2
I'm still a bit a a newbie when it comes to sideboarding.. I seem to spend so much time tweaking my mainboard, that I find it difficult to really even consider my sidebar.. :P
July 9, 2013 5:52 a.m.