What is a sideboard?
Asked by anduril2695 12 years ago
I am relatively new to MTG, and I don't quite understand what a sideboard deck is.
A little more information to nabrown2's answer:
In limited formats like draft and sealed your sideboard is all the cards you did not use as your deck plus any number of basic lands you want.
In any event where you don't need to submit a decklist (a list of cards you are playing in your deck) you don't have to change your deck back to its original composition between matches so you can tune your deck after game one and just leave the changes in your deck if it works better than your original deck.
May 21, 2013 2:25 a.m.
Absinthman says... #3
Even more information: Sideboard usually contains situational cards or cards that excell against particular type of decks, but are weak or have no relevant effect on majority of decks in current meta (types of decks currently played in tournaments). For example, Skullcrack is a sideboard card because against decks which do not gain life, this is just worse than Searing Spear . On the other hand, it is important for a red mage to prevent his or her opponent from gaining a huge amount of life via Sphinx's Revelation . The red mage would keep Skullcrack in his sideboard until he sees the Revelation on the other side. Another example would be Rest in Peace . It shuts down reanimation, flashback an scavange decks, but does nothing against decks that do not utilize their graveyards.
nabrown2 says... Accepted answer #1
A sideboard is exactly 15 (or 0) cards that are considered part of your "deck". In a best of 3 (or more) match with an opponent, after game 1 you may substitute any card in your sideboard with any card in your main deck. There is no limit to the number of cards you can swich out, as long as when you are done sideboarding you have 15 cards in your sideboard again before playing the next game. In game 1 of every match you must de-sideboard back to your original registered deck.
Also, if any card refers to "a card you own outside the game" the only cards you have access to are cards from your sideboard.
May 21, 2013 12:46 a.m.