Subject: [Strat] Sideboard Strategy Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 14:18:03 -0400 (EDT) From: Ken Lignelli To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com This is a updated version of my Sideboard Strategy article from The Dojo. ============================================================================= Sideboard Strategy When building a sideboard, consider several factors. o What type of tourney are you in? Singles, Teams, Multiplayer? o What are the most potent cards you would add to your deck concept if you knew what your opponent was playing (both colorwise and *conceptwise*) o What are your decks weaknesses? o What cards would your sideboard cards be replacing? Could you afford to remove cards from your main deck. o What is the Metagame environment? In detail, I'll cover each of these topics. Tourney format Most big tourneys are singles, but there are a few Team and Multiplayer tourneys out there. For single tourneys, you must design your deck and sideboard for the fast kill. For team play, the emphasis is for coordinated attacks/spells. For multiplayer the goal is ultimate defense, hold out as long as possible, slow and unpreventable death for your opponents. If you are unsure if you should add a card to your deck or sideboard, ask yourself "Does this really fit the tourney format?". If not, don't use it. Building the Sideboard Most players build sideboards to combat certain colors of cards. But since you usually have only 4 to 6 cards versus each color in the sideboard, this accomplishes little since they have a whole deck of that color and you can only sideboard a few cards. Each card has to be really effective when used. Therefore, it is better to make a sideboard to face Deck Types, not deck colors. For instance, you could make a sideboard like this: 4 AEther Flash (vs. Reanimator and Weenie decks) 4 Meekstone (vs. Big Creature decks) 4 Kjeldoran Outpost (vs. Permission decks) 3 CoP:Red (vs. Burn decks) Each time you draw one of your sideboard cards, it does not just fight one card or one color, but rather it fights their whole deck concept. Each of the cards is a Permanent and therefore stays in play until removed by your opponent. If your sideboard cards are not Permanents, then they are more limited in use. When they are lasting effects, then even one will attack their deck concept and continue to weaken it until removed. But, it is important to realize the potential for all cards. A Gloom vs. a White deck is an incredible sideboard card, even though it only attacks their color instead of their conecpt. That is because it is a permanent effect, not a oneshot spell like Tsunami. Rather than adding a Shatter, you should add either an Energy Flux or a Titanias Song. The key to successful sideboarding is that any one of the cards has to count. Having one Red Elemental Blast vs. a Big Blue Permission deck is useless. Having one Kjeldoran Outpost can win the game. What are my weaknesses? The best way to determine this is to play the deck in casual play against as many different decks as you can. Once you find out a weakness, write it down, be it land, creature or spell. After you get a list, group common things into a single category, such as Weenies, Blast, Permission, Land Destruction, Discard, Enchantments, Artifacts, Green, whatever. If you have more than 3 things that the deck is particularly vulnerable to, the deck needs re-working. Having 2-3 vulnerabilities is average. Having 1 is terrific, and I'd love to see the deck and sideboard once you win the World Championships! There ain't no such thing as having no weaknesses. Now, take 5 cards that combat each weakness (or 7-8 cards if you only have 2). What cards do you replace? Most decks have at least a few emergency cards or bonus cards (like Sylvan Library, a few disenchants, a tranquility, etc.) It is important when making your sideboard that you already know which cards you'll be switching for which. Never pull out cards that are integral to your deck concept, like Pestilence in a Pestilence deck or a Stone Rain in a Land Destruction deck. It may seem that you could get away with one less of your core cards for the sideboard replacement, but any weakening of your core concept will negate the sideboard bonus. I would also suggest playtesting the deck with the sideboard cards in the deck. Metagame Considerations The Metagame can be defined as the 'game about the game.' What decks are popular for the environment you are in? Knowing what decks you are likely to face gives you an advantage in building a sideboard. Are White weenie decks all the rage? Be sure to have Dystopia or Gloom or Anarchy in your sideboard. Big Blue is in this week? Pack those City of Solitudes, Hall of Gemstones, or even Winter Orbs. The return of Necro? Load up on direct damage and anti-weenie spells. Sligh-mania? CoP:Red and Earthquake makes a good defense. Also remember what your weaknesses are and try and combine that with your metagame considerations to design the best sideboard you can. Ken Lignelli .\\agic The Gathering Judge KenL@snet.net