SCG Premier IQ... Sideboard Help!!!!! Please help me!!!!!
Deck Help forum
Posted on July 22, 2014, 1:59 p.m. by TheGamer
So, my deck...
Better Bant in a Better Meta (2nd place FNM!) Playtest
Standard*
SCORE: 6 | 25 COMMENTS | 1385 VIEWS... is having some sideboard issues. Im taking this to 3 IQ's in 3 days, one of them being a Premier IQ. I feel the Mainboard is pretty solid (though if there are any suggestions on the mainboard I would be MORE than happy to hear them) but the main problem is sideboard.
Looking at MTG Top 8, I saw that Mono Black Devotion is the biggest threat, then there is Mono Blue Devotion, and then U/W Control. I feel like my sideboard is built pretty well against those decks. But after going to Monday Night Standard, I realized that preparing so heavily for the three biggest decks out there, I had no sideboard cards to bring in against the other decks out there like Boros Burn and Jund Monsters.
So after my huge speech, rant, what every you want to call it, here's what I need: Some powerful sideboard cards I can bring in against multiple decks. Since everything I say is confusing, what I mean by that is one card I can bring in against two archetypes. Like Gainsay for example. I can board it in against Mono Blue and Control. Also, please look at my already built sideboard so you know what I already run.
Thanks in advance everyone who took the time to help me out. Thanks all and happy deckbuilding!
Thanks very much for the comment thispersonisagenius:
I ran Courser of Kruphix as a 4 of, and then everyone said it should be a 3 of creature in the deck, so I took one out.
The M15 walkers are still in testing, and so far I like them. New jace never once gave me good card and good card, its always been bad card and bad card or bad card and good card. The non land bounce has also been proving to be powerful. Against big ramp decks, bouncing things have been almost like giving me an extra turn, since the opponent played the same thing next turn. New Ajani allows me to ult either Kiora or Elspeth the turn after the walkers enter thanks to Ajani's -2. Nissa is the only walker that is under performing in the list. I usually never untap the full 4 forests, but the land animate is proving to be powerful.
As for Ajani, Caller of the Pride , I don't run it. If you mean Ajani, Mentor of Heroes i'll tell you why I run it. The card advantage is SICK! I mean, go into the top 4 cards and pull out any walker you want seems pretty great to me.
Syncopate I have never thought of, and will consider it.
Mistcutter Hydra I like. Better than Skylasher ? Probably...
Gainsay I already run one, but may add more.
AEtherling I took out because it just adds to my long list of win cons.
I keep forgetting to add Banishing Light into the deck. I was told the split should be 3 Detention Sphere and 2 Banishing Light , do you agree? Constellations im not expecting to see at all, but I run Deicide for the enchantments.
Thanks again for the comment!
July 22, 2014 3:30 p.m.
Gorgosaurusrex says... #4
Nylea's Disciple seems a little out of place to me. When do you need that lifegain? Wouldn't recurring life gain such as Bow of Nylea be more useful?
July 22, 2014 6:16 p.m.
Thanks for the comment Gorgosaurusrex!
the life gain comes in against Aggro and Mono Black devotion. Against MBD, I would certainly rather have the Bow of Nylea rather than the disciple, but the Disciple being a 3/3 body is really huge.
July 22, 2014 6:41 p.m.
Gorgosaurusrex says... #6
The bow can also shoot down Chandra's Phoenix , Judge's Familiar , and Cloudfin Raptor . It can also bring back a powerful 1-of that you were forced to discard due to Thoughtseize .
I've been using the bow in the sideboard of my Bant control deck and have been loving it!
July 22, 2014 7 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #7
My mistake, I read Mentor of Heroes as Caller of the Pride instead. In that case, keep him in, he's great.
I do think the Bow of Nylea is worth it as a one-of, but I'm not sure what to cut. You need to draw the line somewhere however, and if you think a card isn't worth it don't play it. Fifteen individual cards in your sideboard is great if they are actually good, and if it's better than playing only seven different cards.
July 22, 2014 7:04 p.m.
Gorgosaurusrex and thispersonisagenius: you two bring up great points! I'll try to fit in the bow. But what do I take out from the side? I really don't know if I want to take out the disciples, for they're already so great in my sideboard. Any suggestions?
Also, I feel im going to take out the Skylasher for Mistcutter Hydra , for I feel the hydra is better.
July 22, 2014 7:19 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #9
I'm also going to go out on a limb and say Plummet is pretty bad in Constructed. I know Mono-Blue has a lot of flyers, but a Skylasher or Mistcutter Hydra is better than that.
Prog-nog is another card that I'm doubtful of as Constructed material, as (like you said) the deck has plenty of win-cons already.
Siding in more spot removal should be better than Hushwing Gryff against Gary.
Finally, I think that a deck that sideboards in Scavenging Ooze should do two of the following: plays many creatures, kills many creatures or has them in the maindeck. Your deck doesn't really do any of those particularly powerfully, so I think that would be a cut to make. It doesn't really fit well into a deck that wants to Banishing Light creatures rather than Hero's Downfall them.
Those should open up 5-7 sideboard slots to fit more of the better cards or other versatile options. Those are just my thoughts, I'm sure you could be playing more all-around powerful and better-fitting cards.
July 22, 2014 7:41 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #10
Another thing I'm noticing is that your deck is trying to do everything: ultimate planeswalkers, be aggressive, have a strong lategame. It's better to know exactly what you want to do and what role you want to play in a given game and have each card work towards that in some way.
July 22, 2014 7:43 p.m.
Hushwing Gryff is one of the most powerful cards I have against MBD and MUD. they play Master of Waves or Gray Merchant of Asphodel , I play Hushwing Gryff , they get a 2/1 pro red or a 2/4 for 5, which is waaaay more underwhelming.
Plummet is very good in standard actually. It hits so many craetures; Desecration Demon , Nightveil Specter , large Cloudfin Raptor s, Stormbreath Dragon , Chandra's Phoenix , etc. Its definitely worth a slot. I have even considered running 2.
Prog sphinx and scooze I have to agree with you on. It isn't the best in a deck like this.
July 22, 2014 7:52 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #12
You could also try bringing in more Supreme Verdict s to deal with the board states that make Master of Waves and Gary so bonkers. Removing their creatures makes those cards much worse. Also, stopping those cards in particular is a very narrow use of a sideboard slot, and having Hushwing Gryff in play doesn't win you the game like Mistcutter Hydra or Wrathing four creatures will.
Also, if you're in the market for a Plummet effect, Arbor Colossus seems like a better option to me. Yes, it costs more, but it is also a creature and forces your opponent has to play around the Plummet and giant creature that is staring them down.
July 22, 2014 8:19 p.m.
Like the idea of Arbor Colossus thispersonisagenius, actually, its exactly what I needed! Thanks so much for that suggestion.
Also, the gryff is something annoying for them. The opponent fully commits to win that turn with a huge gary, and then ends up getting shut down but a little 2/1 flyer. And if they want to kill it? They wasted a removal spell on a little 2/1 flyer.
GlistenerAgent says... #2
I'm not very much into Standard, and don't particularly understand the more subtle shifts and such, but here's my two cents.
Courser of Kruphix should be a four-of, easily. It's sick card advantage and does a really good job blocking Pack Rat s and other aggro stuff as well as being great against burn.
The three M15 walkers and Ajani, Caller of the Pride are probably not worth it in the deck. It seems to be more of a midrange-control build, and you probably want more Elspeths, Kioras and good Jaces to build card advantage.
Finally, Syncopate seems like a good card to have access to somewhere in the 75.
Ok, now the sideboard. Mistcutter Hydra seems like a good card to board in against mono-blue and control alongside Gainsay , and AEtherling could play a similar role against control. With AEtherling , you're sort of turning the tables on your opponent with an unkillable finisher in a deck that is supposed to be full of killable finishers.
It seems wrong that you have no Banishing Light in your 75. It's one of the best removal spells in the format, and deals with almost anything you want it to. Unravel the Aether is another possibility that can deal with Constellations if you are expecting to see it.
July 22, 2014 3:02 p.m.