Welcome to the second part of my Deck Guide, where I will be presenting a sideboard guide for Pioneer's Boros Burn with an analysis of the deck's behavior in each game.
If you have not read the first part, where I present the deck list, it's philosophy, pros and cons of playing with him on Pioneer and a letter-by-letter analysis, I recommend that you do read the first part of my Deck Guide before you proceed.
Sideboard Guide
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As a reference, I'll be using a generic list of the archetype, which contains the most used cards on it.
Now that we know how each card in our deck works and the reasons for playing Burn, I will explain how to sideboard in each game among the main decks of the format and some decks that are commonly seen in Pioneer Royale.
Before we go to matchups, I want to point out that one of the problems of 'sideing-in' too many cards with a deck like Burn is that the deck ends up doing a lot, except following your game plan which is to take your opponent's life to zero in the least amount of turns, so be careful not to overreact to your opponent's strategies and forget why this deck works.
Reclamation
Here I am covering both the Sultai and Temur versions. I consider that the Temur version is a tougher matchup because it is more directed to the plan of dealing with Aggros with maindeck removals and sweepers and the Sultai version is more focused on dealing with other fair decks that do not try to go as "under" as Burn does.
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Yes, I am taking out 9 cards and adding 10. I do this frequently. I am the 61-card deck guy.
Despite not being a fan of
Chained to The Rocks
in a matchup that normally has only eight creatures (4 Uro + Tokens from
Shark Typhoon
), we need to respect the opponent's Uro, because if he stays in game and attacks at least once, you’ve probably already lost the game.
The nature of this matchup is always to try to play under, and although
Light Up the Stage
offers us gas in a matchup where the game is usually extended to mid or late-game, it contributes very little to what we are trying to do.
I have my doubts whether it would be better to take
Ghitu Lavarunner
instead of
Wild Slash
since we have significantly reduced our number of Instants and Sorceries, but having a constant source of damage instead of "just" 2 of damage in a turn with potentially more coming from the Prowess Trigger seems like a safer option.
Roiling Vortex
is the card that "replaces"
Light Up the Stage
in this matchup, as it is the type of permanent that will give much more reach during the match, in addition to preventing Uro's life gain .
Light of Hope
enters because both
Shark Typhoon
and
Wilderness Reclamation
are cards that simply
cannot
stay on the game for more than one turn or will generate an absurd amount of value.
Soul-Guide Lantern
serves as yet another source of hate against Uro that also serves as Cantrip and value engine with Lurrus.
The cards you need to keep in mind in this matchup are
Fatal Push
,
Abrupt Decay
,
Aether Gust
,
Extinction Event
and
Shadows' Verdict
in the Sultai version and
Anger of the Gods
,
Aether Gust
,
Scorching Dragonfire
and
Nightpack Ambusher
in the Temur version.
Four-Color Omnath
This matchup is ... terrible. The deck generates a lot of value, the opponent untapping with
Omnath, Locus of Creation
usually means game over and he has the necessary pieces to ramp and hold the ground with mastery after the sideboard.
Burn will NEVER outvalue Omnath, so its priority is, again, playing under and setting a clock.
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In this Matchup, I choose to remove
Ghitu Lavarunner
because we need efficient responses against Omnath and
Lotus Cobra
, as well as ways to serve to remove a
Teferi, Time Raveler
if necessary. The cards that come in aim to remove the larger creatures and prevent the opponent from gaining life to the point that it becomes impossible to return to the game.
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However, the opponent's deck generates a lot of value and any of his late-game bombs (
Genesis Ultimatum
,
Part the Waterveil
,
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
) usually means game loss, 'sideing-in' more removal makes the matchup even worse.
The opponent will likely include some number of sweepers like
Radiant Flames
and point removals like
Aether Gust
or
Magma Spray
against you post-sideboard.
Mono-Green Walkers
Mono-Green Walkers is a strange match. Ideally, you should remove the first dorks in order to slow down the game and avoid being blown up early with a
Nissa, Who Shakes the World
, but at the same time you need to be aggressive and have a good enough board position. to punish the opponent for playing a Planeswalker early.
I don't consider it a favorable match.
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One card I particularly miss for this matchup is
Abrade
, but that is another story.
Eidolon of the Great Revel
does is not effective on this matchup, serving only to punish explosive hands with
Burning-Tree Emissary
, since
Chained to The Rocks
is the best removal we have for deal with the giant creatures that the deck usually does, it comes in.
Auras
Auras is a matchup where both decks try to race, but where the opponent has a small advantage due to the
Alseid of Life's Bounty
and
Hateful Eidolon
's lifelink, which if combined with [[All That Glitters] ] can easily mean game over.
The game is many times defined by who is in the play and which are the drop 1 presented by both players. It is important to use removals to "bait" cards like
Karametra's Blessing
depending on what is on the board. The ideal is to bet on a beatdown plan, using burn spells as removal for the main threats or wait until the moment when your opponent has a quantity of life where you can win the game with direct damage.
Expect cards like
Fatal Push
and
Light of Hope
from your opponent. Sometimes,
Hushbringer
can also be used because of its lifelink ability.
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As usual in most Aggro matchups, you will be exchanging your burn spells as resources against your opponent's creatures, trying to create as many favorable exchanges as possible while developing the board with creatures. Both
Boros Charm
and
Light Up the Stage
are cards that do not contribute to a more interactive game.
Searing Blood
is a card that is much more relevant on the play as it serves to commonly punish an opponent's turn 1 play if it is not a removal and helps to put the clock in your favor.
In the draw, Burn usually takes a more "control" posture at the beginning of the game, being the removals deck and playing the game for the mid-game, where Auras can resort to
Lurrus of the Dream-Den
that , if not answered immediately it can generate too much value
The decision between
Soul-Guide Lantern
and
Roiling Vortex
depends on how much you want to respect your opponent's Lurrus or his ability to gain a lot of life very quickly. I usually respect the life gain, but I recognize that Lurrus is a big problem to deal with in other stages of the game.
Burn
Here I will cover both Mono-Red and Boros because the strategy is essentially the same.
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Game 1 is always defined by whoever has the best topdeck and resources. Like Auras, you must dedicate your damage spells as removals to your opponent's creatures and try to win based on beatdown and reach.
The most dangerous card to play in this matchup is
Eidolon of the Great Revel
, which needs to be played when there is already a significant difference between your life and the opponent's, or should be used to establish the initial pressure if the opponent does not have a permanent on the game in the first turns.
The Mono-Red version has a great triumph against Boros called
Bonecrusher Giant
, which is a difficult threat to remove with a good part of our magic while establishing a clock that we need to respect in a significant way because it hits much stronger than any of our creatures.
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Although this match is often defined by resolving a
Lurrus of the Dream-Den
, I don't like to put
Soul-Guide Lantern
because it has a very specific utility for a matchup that is all about racing.
The sideboard plan is simple: Fewer cards that do not interact with the table or are harmful in this matchup for more removal. On the draw, I remove
Zurgo Bellstriker
because it is a card that blocks very badly while is blocked very well, so it is replaced by another
Light of Hope
that allows us to catch our breath if the opponent comes with too much aggression.
Mono-Red usually uses
Chandra, Torch of Defiance
post-sideboard and my advice to deal with it in this matchup is: Unless you can kill it with an attack or a single Burn spell, it is better to dedicate your resources to continue to set a clock against your opponent since, unless you draw very badly, Chandra will not deal any more damage than you can deal to your opponent.
It's a risky move, since Planeswalker generates a lot of value, but it's one that usually works for me.
Mono-Black Aggro
This matchup is relatively favorable: Mono-Black's creatures tend to block badly or not block at all, their game plan includes Suicide Black traces and our clock is usually faster than his.
However, Mono-Black's highest curve has its most dangerous cards against us in this Matchup:
Murderous Rider
,
Rankle, Master of Pranks
and
Spawn of Mayhem
, which most of the time will be extremely disruptive to our game plan or significantly speed up the opponent's clock, killing
Mutavault
s if the opponent chooses to attack with them may be an option to delay the use of these cards.
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Like Burn,
Zurgo Bellstriker
and
Eidolon of the Great Revel
are cards that interact poorly in the race proposed in that match, so we swap them for more removal.
Soul-Guide Lantern
is the best answer we have for cards like
Dread Wanderer
and
Scrapheap Scrounger
that can be permanently problematic to deal with and offers a considerable board advantage for them.
Keep in mind that the opponent tends to side-in cards like
Kalitas, Traitor of Geth
and
Aethersphere Harvester
to gain life. It is almost mandatory for you to be able to respond to Kalitas as soon as he enters the game as it is the card that usually dominates the board, but instead of start spending resources on
Aethersphere Harvester
, I usually prefer to deal with other creatures and increase the clock instead, removing it would require virtually the same amount of life it can earn on its own.
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Lotus Combo
I didn't play much of this match to have a definitive opinion. In theory, you set the clock as quickly as possible so that your opponent doesn't have time to close the combo.
The deck plays with a lot of cards that we are unable to interact with.
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Geting the card advantage to increase the clock is your best bet.
Roiling Vortex
adds more clock to the deck while punishes the opponent for using the combo route with
Omniscience
(which, honestly, he is unlikely to do without responding to the enchantment first, usually he will choose to
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
).
Soul-Guide Lantern
comes in as a way of trying to delay
Dig Through Time
, but honestly I don't know how far it really is worth using it in this matchup.
Niv to Light
In my view, this is Burn's worst Matchup because Niv to Light is a pile of the best cards of the format that, by the way, interact very well with Burn.
Your only plan is to try to get around the things that your opponent does while setting the clock. If you have the option to remove a creature or damage your opponent, 90% of the time it is better to hit the opponent because the longer the game extends, the more value it will accrue.
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Eidolon of the Great Revel
has very little impact on this matchup while
Zurgo Bellstriker
and
Ghitu Lavarunner
are cards whose opponent's blockers easily deal with
Removals come in for the bigger creatures (which the deck has a lot) and
Roiling Vortex
which, in addition to giving the deck more range and preventing life gain, also serves to "counter" the
Bring to Light
of the opponent.
I don't like the idea of including
Soul-Guide Lantern
for having little interaction with the rest of the deck other than
Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
, but it may be feasible to include it in the draw by removing 2
Ghitu Lavarunner
since the opponent will normally have a blocker or removal in turn 2.
You can expect more removal from your opponent and I've seen some include
Voice of Resurgence
as a card that forces unfavorable exchanges.
Esper Control
Each Control (UW, Jeskai, Dimir, Esper) has its strengths and weaknesses against Burn. I would say Esper Control is the most problematic because it includes a card base that is naturally complicated for Burn to deal with:
Fatal Push
,
Oath of Kaya
,
Yorion, the Sky Nomad
in addition to several creatures that are great removals, blockers and ways to gain extra life like
Skyclave Apparition
,
Charming Pince
and
Elite Guardmage
and it is particularly the version I have faced least so far, but I can easily say which is a horrible matchup in which I never won a game.
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Don't really expect to win this matchup unless you get lucky. It is horrendous and gets even worse post-sideboard. Your best option is to interact with the creatures and try to win the race.
UWx Control & Jeskai Fires
Here I am covering both UW, Jeskai (Jeskai Fires) and the non-creature versions of Esper as they operate in a similar way.
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The matchup against UW and Jeskai often depends on the opponent resolving a
Gideon of the Trials
and keeping him alive because, the more the opponent allows Gideon to grow, the more difficult Burn's life becomes.
The most important cards for you in this match are
Eidolon of the Great Revel
and
Boros Charm
. Eidolon, unlike most games, should be played as soon as possible against Control decks as it significantly punishes the opponent for failing to respond and Control will hardly be able to establish a clock faster than yours (If he did , the game was probably lost before). [[Boros Charm] protects your creatures from sweepers and serves as a significant amount of damage that can be done at Instant-Speed.
Usually, it is not a good matchup unless the opponent fumbles and does not find the right cards or you are able to close the game before the opponent is able to estabilish his game. Playing your spells with the best possible timing is your best option, prioritize playing burn spells always on the opponent's end step or upkeep to force him to take damage or spend resources on his turn.
Like
Chandra, Torch of Defiance
against Mono Red, it is preferable to spend few resources to deal with the opponent's
Teferi, Time Raveler
.
Gideon of the Trials
should be answered immediately as it will make it impossible for you to win the game if you stay at the table for a long time.
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Light of Hope
has many valid targets in this matchup, depending on the deck build:
Chained to the Rocks
,
Fires of Invention
,
Seal Away
,
Cast Out
,
Detention Sphere
,
Shark Typhoon
and still collaborates with the Prowess trigger in Instant Speed.
Depending on the list, you can choose
Chained to the Rocks
instead of
Light of Hope
to deal with cards like
Lyra Dawnbringer
or
Yorion, Sky Nomad
.
There are many situations that can significantly alter the sideboard plan to include other cards like
Soul-Guide Lantern
and it depends a lot on what you see your opponent play during the matchup, which makes it very important
not to concede and do plays that force the opponent to take time interacting to get to know his deck better
.
Dimir Control
The same logic as UWx applies to Dimir Control, but the matchup is manageable due to the absence of
Gideon of the Trials
or more efficient ways to gain life.
The most important cards for you in this match are
Eidolon of the Great Revel
and
Boros Charm
. Eidolon, unlike most games, should be played as soon as possible against Control decks as it significantly punishes the opponent for failing to respond and will hardly be able to establish a clock faster than yours (If he did , the game was probably lost before). [[Boros Charm] protects your creatures from sweepers and serves as a significant amount of damage that can be done at Instant-Speed.
The card of most concern here is
Ashiok, Nightmare Muse
or
Torrential Gearhulk
and, in particular, I always prefer not to spend my resources dealing with Dimir Control threats and focus entirely on causing the most amount of damage in the least amount of turns.
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As the deck has plenty of removals And Ashiok's Nightmare tokens block these cards very well, I choose to remove
Ghitu Lavarunner
and
Zurgo Bellstriker
and include
Roiling Vortex
, which gives a significant range to the deck, in addition to
Soul-Guide Lantern
to delay the opponent's
Dig Through Time
, or "counter" the
Torrential Gearhulk
ability.
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The couple of cards I recommend spending the burn spells on are
Kalitas, Traitor of Geth
and
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
.
All Spells
In my view, there is not much to do here: If the opponent closes the combo, he wins. Your best option is to try to play as fast as possible and try to win in the race.
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Both
Ghitu Lavarunner
and
Zurgo Bellstriker
are easily blocked by dorks or become too slow for how this matchup develops.
Roiling Vortex
serves to prevent the opponent from gaining absurd amount of life with
Creeping Chill
, thereby "countering" their
Silversmote Ghoul
and giving you a chance to stay alive in the match, while
Soul- Guide Lantern
is your best bet to keep the combo in check and win a few
Time Walk
s.
Spirits
This matchup is balanced and depends a lot on who is in the play.
As Spirits plays a lot in Instant Speed, it is good to always try to conserve your burn spells, which here serve as removals to be used in the most opportune moments and, often, as a combat trick alongside the creatures with Prowess.
Mausoleum Wanderer
and
Spell Queller
are his worst enemies because, in addition to delaying your game plan, they set a significant clock. Game 1 is usually quite unfavorable, with game 2 and 3 becoming much easier to play against:
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Post-side, you take the position of a "control deck", responding to threats from the deck while dealing some damage with your creatures. Don't be afraid to spend a spell to keep your creature alive or to kill creatures that collaborates to take the pressure off the board by the opponent.
Eidolon of the Great Revel
is a great card to play as it is easier for you to set your clock and use your removals more efficiently than your opponent can place threats, so playing an Eidolon after removing the opponent's first creatures can be a good way out.
But on the draw,
Eidolon of the Great Revel
becomes a terrible topdeck if you are behind. Therefore, I choose to remove it on that occasion and focus on having more damage and combat tricks with
Boros Charm
.
Soulflayer
I particularly hate
Soulflayer
decks because they can turn practically won matches in a defeat very easily in a single turn. Your best option against this deck in Game 1 is to try to run to take your opponent's life to zero and hope he doesn't make a
Soulflayer
with Lifelink.
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As we apply a lot of pressure and this deck interacts very badly outside blockers, it is very common for the opponent not to expect to throw a
Nullhide Ferox
to the graveyard before making a
Soulflayer
, causing [[Chained to the Rocks] ] to be our best way out against the creature.
Since we are removing spells and I particularly find
Ghitu Lavarunner
slow and easily blockable for this matchup, I include
Roiling Vortex
to deal with
Murderous Rider
or
Soulflayer
Lifelink while setting another clock that the opponent will normally have little response to deal with.
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Soul-Guide Lantern
is our classic hate, nothing more can be said about it.
It is not an easy match, in fact it is quite annoying especially if the opponent drops any combination between
Zetalpa, Primal Dawn
,
Samut, Voice of Dissent
,
Murderous Rider
and [[Nullhide Ferox] ] in the first turns, but your best option is to count on his inconsistency and try to take your opponent’s life to zero as soon as possible.
Pioneer Royale's Finals Decklist
At last I would like to comment a little on the list I used to win the finals of the Pioneer Royale, since I made some decisions in the elaboration of it that I consider relevant to debate about.
61 cards, 4
Roiling Vortex
by maindeck, minus Eidolons,
Rest in Peace
and
Abrade
on the sideboard. The reason? That list was a huge meta call.
The good thing about independent tournaments like Pioneer Royale is that they reflect the tournament environment that we usually see in stores, with the same friendly and community atmosphere that we usually have when playing in any local Magic tournament, at least here in Brazil.
After knowing that, even without playing for three weeks (I decided to take a break from Magic during the end of the year), I was in the Top 8 of the Season and knew who were the other participants, I prepared this decklist the morning before the tournament considering what each player usually plays at Pioneer Royale events:
Bandit Keith usually plays
Spirits
and was recently playing
Burn
, as I was not sure what he was going to play, I adopted a posture that would suit both decks. (2 Abrade, 2 Searing Blood and 3 Light of Hope on the sideboard, -2 Eidolon on Maindeck)
Mutrol always plays
Soulflayer
(3 Rest in Peace on the sideboard)
Danielpena has played all recent tournaments with
Orzhov Auras
(3 Light of Hope, 2 Abrade on the sideboard)
Gnarr usually plays
Dimir Control
or
Temur Marvel
, I bet on him playing Marvel, but he was on Dimir Control (4 Roiling Vortex Main, 2 Abrade on the sideboard)
luanbraga usually plays
Mono-Green Walkers
or
Sultai Reclamation
, I preferred to try to respect both decks. He was on Sultai. (4 Roiling Vortex Main, 2 Abrade sideboard, -2 Eidolon of the Great Revel)
walter_neto almost always plays
Mono-Red
(-2 Eidolon maindeck, 3 Light of Hope and 2 Abrade sideboard)
Finally, kaosbr is always on
UW Control
(4 Roiling Vortex maindeck).
When I finished making the list, I was sure I wanted
Rest in Peace
on the sideboard and
Roiling Vortex
on the maindeck. As
Zurgo Bellstriker
is a flex slot, he was the first card to come out and I am a player who commonly uses 61 cards, getting 2
Roiling Vortex
to the maindeck.
Since there was a considerable probability that I would face decks that were naturally aggressive or a red-deck mirror and as I was already adding constant loss of life with Vortex, I chose to remove two
Eidolon of the Great Revel
to make room for the other Vortex , which honestly may not have been the wisest option and I should have kept a 3-3 split.
Also, if it weren't for the likelihood of facing a
Soulflayer
deck and my constant respect for the "free-win" aspect of the archetype, I would have reduced the number of
Rest in Peace
to two and added more
Abrade
, since it is a card that collaborates a lot for matchups against Aggro, especially against Spirits, and is a good sideboard to have against decks like Mono-Green Walkers and occasional decks that appear on Pioneer Royale as Ensoul and Marvel.
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My decision to include
Rest in Peace
instead of
Soul-Guide Lantern
comes only from the fact that the spell is more efficient at handling the things I wanted to deal with without giving my opponent room to do any play that could significantly hinder me since we cannot respond directly to Delve or Escape.
I don't know if I would use exactly that list in a more open tournament where the probability of you catching Burn or other aggro decks is higher, but I definitely found the reach provided in games by
Roiling Vortex
very interesting and I intend to change this build a little more later, but first I prefer to wait and see what Kaldheim has to offer us and how the new set will affect Pioneer.
Conclusion
That was my Deck Guide for Pioneer's Boros Burn, which I hope will be useful as a way to introduce the deck and its general strategy to anyone who plays or intends to play with the deck at some point.
If you have any questions about a specific matchup, feel free to leave it in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
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: Yes, I am taking out 9 cards and adding 10. I do this frequently. I am the 61-card deck guy. Despite not being a fan ofChained to The Rocks
in a matchup that normally has only eight creatures (4 Uro + Tokens fromShark Typhoon
), we need to respect the opponent's Uro, because if he stays in game and attacks at least once, you’ve probably already lost the game. The nature of this matchup is always to try to play under, and althoughLight Up the Stage
offers us gas in a matchup where the game is usually extended to mid or late-game, it contributes very little to what we are trying to do. I have my doubts whether it would be better to takeGhitu Lavarunner
instead ofWild Slash
since we have significantly reduced our number of Instants and Sorceries, but having a constant source of damage instead of "just" 2 of damage in a turn with potentially more coming from the Prowess Trigger seems like a safer option.Roiling Vortex
is the card that "replaces"Light Up the Stage
in this matchup, as it is the type of permanent that will give much more reach during the match, in addition to preventing Uro's life gain .Light of Hope
enters because bothShark Typhoon
andWilderness Reclamation
are cards that simplycannot
stay on the game for more than one turn or will generate an absurd amount of value.Soul-Guide Lantern
serves as yet another source of hate against Uro that also serves as Cantrip and value engine with Lurrus. The cards you need to keep in mind in this matchup areFatal Push
,Abrupt Decay
,Aether Gust
,Extinction Event
andShadows' Verdict
in the Sultai version andAnger of the Gods
,Aether Gust
,Scorching Dragonfire
andNightpack Ambusher
in the Temur version.Omnath, Locus of Creation
usually means game over and he has the necessary pieces to ramp and hold the ground with mastery after the sideboard. Burn will NEVER outvalue Omnath, so its priority is, again, playing under and setting a clock.OUT
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: In this Matchup, I choose to removeGhitu Lavarunner
because we need efficient responses against Omnath andLotus Cobra
, as well as ways to serve to remove aTeferi, Time Raveler
if necessary. The cards that come in aim to remove the larger creatures and prevent the opponent from gaining life to the point that it becomes impossible to return to the game.Ad
Genesis Ultimatum
,Part the Waterveil
,Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
) usually means game loss, 'sideing-in' more removal makes the matchup even worse. The opponent will likely include some number of sweepers likeRadiant Flames
and point removals likeAether Gust
orMagma Spray
against you post-sideboard.Nissa, Who Shakes the World
, but at the same time you need to be aggressive and have a good enough board position. to punish the opponent for playing a Planeswalker early. I don't consider it a favorable match.OUT:
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: One card I particularly miss for this matchup isAbrade
, but that is another story.Eidolon of the Great Revel
does is not effective on this matchup, serving only to punish explosive hands withBurning-Tree Emissary
, sinceChained to The Rocks
is the best removal we have for deal with the giant creatures that the deck usually does, it comes in.Alseid of Life's Bounty
andHateful Eidolon
's lifelink, which if combined with [[All That Glitters] ] can easily mean game over. The game is many times defined by who is in the play and which are the drop 1 presented by both players. It is important to use removals to "bait" cards likeKarametra's Blessing
depending on what is on the board. The ideal is to bet on a beatdown plan, using burn spells as removal for the main threats or wait until the moment when your opponent has a quantity of life where you can win the game with direct damage. Expect cards likeFatal Push
andLight of Hope
from your opponent. Sometimes,Hushbringer
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: As usual in most Aggro matchups, you will be exchanging your burn spells as resources against your opponent's creatures, trying to create as many favorable exchanges as possible while developing the board with creatures. BothBoros Charm
andLight Up the Stage
are cards that do not contribute to a more interactive game.Searing Blood
is a card that is much more relevant on the play as it serves to commonly punish an opponent's turn 1 play if it is not a removal and helps to put the clock in your favor. In the draw, Burn usually takes a more "control" posture at the beginning of the game, being the removals deck and playing the game for the mid-game, where Auras can resort toLurrus of the Dream-Den
that , if not answered immediately it can generate too much value The decision betweenSoul-Guide Lantern
andRoiling Vortex
depends on how much you want to respect your opponent's Lurrus or his ability to gain a lot of life very quickly. I usually respect the life gain, but I recognize that Lurrus is a big problem to deal with in other stages of the game.Ad
Eidolon of the Great Revel
, which needs to be played when there is already a significant difference between your life and the opponent's, or should be used to establish the initial pressure if the opponent does not have a permanent on the game in the first turns. The Mono-Red version has a great triumph against Boros calledBonecrusher Giant
, which is a difficult threat to remove with a good part of our magic while establishing a clock that we need to respect in a significant way because it hits much stronger than any of our creatures.ON PLAY
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Although this match is often defined by resolving aLurrus of the Dream-Den
, I don't like to putSoul-Guide Lantern
because it has a very specific utility for a matchup that is all about racing. The sideboard plan is simple: Fewer cards that do not interact with the table or are harmful in this matchup for more removal. On the draw, I removeZurgo Bellstriker
because it is a card that blocks very badly while is blocked very well, so it is replaced by anotherLight of Hope
that allows us to catch our breath if the opponent comes with too much aggression. Mono-Red usually usesChandra, Torch of Defiance
post-sideboard and my advice to deal with it in this matchup is: Unless you can kill it with an attack or a single Burn spell, it is better to dedicate your resources to continue to set a clock against your opponent since, unless you draw very badly, Chandra will not deal any more damage than you can deal to your opponent. It's a risky move, since Planeswalker generates a lot of value, but it's one that usually works for me.Murderous Rider
,Rankle, Master of Pranks
andSpawn of Mayhem
, which most of the time will be extremely disruptive to our game plan or significantly speed up the opponent's clock, killingMutavault
s if the opponent chooses to attack with them may be an option to delay the use of these cards.OUT
:IN
: Like Burn,Zurgo Bellstriker
andEidolon of the Great Revel
are cards that interact poorly in the race proposed in that match, so we swap them for more removal.Soul-Guide Lantern
is the best answer we have for cards likeDread Wanderer
andScrapheap Scrounger
that can be permanently problematic to deal with and offers a considerable board advantage for them. Keep in mind that the opponent tends to side-in cards likeKalitas, Traitor of Geth
andAethersphere Harvester
to gain life. It is almost mandatory for you to be able to respond to Kalitas as soon as he enters the game as it is the card that usually dominates the board, but instead of start spending resources onAethersphere Harvester
, I usually prefer to deal with other creatures and increase the clock instead, removing it would require virtually the same amount of life it can earn on its own.Ad
OUT
:IN
: Geting the card advantage to increase the clock is your best bet.Roiling Vortex
adds more clock to the deck while punishes the opponent for using the combo route withOmniscience
(which, honestly, he is unlikely to do without responding to the enchantment first, usually he will choose toUgin, the Spirit Dragon
).Soul-Guide Lantern
comes in as a way of trying to delayDig Through Time
, but honestly I don't know how far it really is worth using it in this matchup.ON PLAY
OUT
:IN
:ON DRAW
OUT
:IN
:Eidolon of the Great Revel
has very little impact on this matchup whileZurgo Bellstriker
andGhitu Lavarunner
are cards whose opponent's blockers easily deal with Removals come in for the bigger creatures (which the deck has a lot) andRoiling Vortex
which, in addition to giving the deck more range and preventing life gain, also serves to "counter" theBring to Light
of the opponent. I don't like the idea of includingSoul-Guide Lantern
for having little interaction with the rest of the deck other thanUro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
, but it may be feasible to include it in the draw by removing 2Ghitu Lavarunner
since the opponent will normally have a blocker or removal in turn 2. You can expect more removal from your opponent and I've seen some includeVoice of Resurgence
as a card that forces unfavorable exchanges.Fatal Push
,Oath of Kaya
,Yorion, the Sky Nomad
in addition to several creatures that are great removals, blockers and ways to gain extra life likeSkyclave Apparition
,Charming Pince
andElite Guardmage
and it is particularly the version I have faced least so far, but I can easily say which is a horrible matchup in which I never won a game.OUT
:IN
: Don't really expect to win this matchup unless you get lucky. It is horrendous and gets even worse post-sideboard. Your best option is to interact with the creatures and try to win the race.Ad
Gideon of the Trials
and keeping him alive because, the more the opponent allows Gideon to grow, the more difficult Burn's life becomes. The most important cards for you in this match areEidolon of the Great Revel
andBoros Charm
. Eidolon, unlike most games, should be played as soon as possible against Control decks as it significantly punishes the opponent for failing to respond and Control will hardly be able to establish a clock faster than yours (If he did , the game was probably lost before). [[Boros Charm] protects your creatures from sweepers and serves as a significant amount of damage that can be done at Instant-Speed. Usually, it is not a good matchup unless the opponent fumbles and does not find the right cards or you are able to close the game before the opponent is able to estabilish his game. Playing your spells with the best possible timing is your best option, prioritize playing burn spells always on the opponent's end step or upkeep to force him to take damage or spend resources on his turn. LikeChandra, Torch of Defiance
against Mono Red, it is preferable to spend few resources to deal with the opponent'sTeferi, Time Raveler
.Gideon of the Trials
should be answered immediately as it will make it impossible for you to win the game if you stay at the table for a long time.OUT
:IN
:Light of Hope
has many valid targets in this matchup, depending on the deck build:Chained to the Rocks
,Fires of Invention
,Seal Away
,Cast Out
,Detention Sphere
,Shark Typhoon
and still collaborates with the Prowess trigger in Instant Speed. Depending on the list, you can chooseChained to the Rocks
instead ofLight of Hope
to deal with cards likeLyra Dawnbringer
orYorion, Sky Nomad
. There are many situations that can significantly alter the sideboard plan to include other cards likeSoul-Guide Lantern
and it depends a lot on what you see your opponent play during the matchup, which makes it very importantnot to concede and do plays that force the opponent to take time interacting to get to know his deck better
.Gideon of the Trials
or more efficient ways to gain life. The most important cards for you in this match areEidolon of the Great Revel
andBoros Charm
. Eidolon, unlike most games, should be played as soon as possible against Control decks as it significantly punishes the opponent for failing to respond and will hardly be able to establish a clock faster than yours (If he did , the game was probably lost before). [[Boros Charm] protects your creatures from sweepers and serves as a significant amount of damage that can be done at Instant-Speed. The card of most concern here isAshiok, Nightmare Muse
orTorrential Gearhulk
and, in particular, I always prefer not to spend my resources dealing with Dimir Control threats and focus entirely on causing the most amount of damage in the least amount of turns.OUT
:IN
: As the deck has plenty of removals And Ashiok's Nightmare tokens block these cards very well, I choose to removeGhitu Lavarunner
andZurgo Bellstriker
and includeRoiling Vortex
, which gives a significant range to the deck, in addition toSoul-Guide Lantern
to delay the opponent'sDig Through Time
, or "counter" theTorrential Gearhulk
ability.Ad
Kalitas, Traitor of Geth
andJace, Vryn's Prodigy
.OUT
:IN
: BothGhitu Lavarunner
andZurgo Bellstriker
are easily blocked by dorks or become too slow for how this matchup develops.Roiling Vortex
serves to prevent the opponent from gaining absurd amount of life withCreeping Chill
, thereby "countering" theirSilversmote Ghoul
and giving you a chance to stay alive in the match, whileSoul- Guide Lantern
is your best bet to keep the combo in check and win a fewTime Walk
s.Mausoleum Wanderer
andSpell Queller
are his worst enemies because, in addition to delaying your game plan, they set a significant clock. Game 1 is usually quite unfavorable, with game 2 and 3 becoming much easier to play against:ON PLAY
OUT
:IN
:ON DRAW
OUT
:IN
Post-side, you take the position of a "control deck", responding to threats from the deck while dealing some damage with your creatures. Don't be afraid to spend a spell to keep your creature alive or to kill creatures that collaborates to take the pressure off the board by the opponent.Eidolon of the Great Revel
is a great card to play as it is easier for you to set your clock and use your removals more efficiently than your opponent can place threats, so playing an Eidolon after removing the opponent's first creatures can be a good way out. But on the draw,Eidolon of the Great Revel
becomes a terrible topdeck if you are behind. Therefore, I choose to remove it on that occasion and focus on having more damage and combat tricks withBoros Charm
.Soulflayer
decks because they can turn practically won matches in a defeat very easily in a single turn. Your best option against this deck in Game 1 is to try to run to take your opponent's life to zero and hope he doesn't make aSoulflayer
with Lifelink.OUT
:IN
: As we apply a lot of pressure and this deck interacts very badly outside blockers, it is very common for the opponent not to expect to throw aNullhide Ferox
to the graveyard before making aSoulflayer
, causing [[Chained to the Rocks] ] to be our best way out against the creature. Since we are removing spells and I particularly findGhitu Lavarunner
slow and easily blockable for this matchup, I includeRoiling Vortex
to deal withMurderous Rider
orSoulflayer
Lifelink while setting another clock that the opponent will normally have little response to deal with.Ad
Soul-Guide Lantern
is our classic hate, nothing more can be said about it. It is not an easy match, in fact it is quite annoying especially if the opponent drops any combination betweenZetalpa, Primal Dawn
,Samut, Voice of Dissent
,Murderous Rider
and [[Nullhide Ferox] ] in the first turns, but your best option is to count on his inconsistency and try to take your opponent’s life to zero as soon as possible.Roiling Vortex
by maindeck, minus Eidolons,Rest in Peace
andAbrade
on the sideboard. The reason? That list was a huge meta call. The good thing about independent tournaments like Pioneer Royale is that they reflect the tournament environment that we usually see in stores, with the same friendly and community atmosphere that we usually have when playing in any local Magic tournament, at least here in Brazil. After knowing that, even without playing for three weeks (I decided to take a break from Magic during the end of the year), I was in the Top 8 of the Season and knew who were the other participants, I prepared this decklist the morning before the tournament considering what each player usually plays at Pioneer Royale events: Bandit Keith usually playsSpirits
and was recently playingBurn
, as I was not sure what he was going to play, I adopted a posture that would suit both decks. (2 Abrade, 2 Searing Blood and 3 Light of Hope on the sideboard, -2 Eidolon on Maindeck) Mutrol always playsSoulflayer
(3 Rest in Peace on the sideboard) Danielpena has played all recent tournaments withOrzhov Auras
(3 Light of Hope, 2 Abrade on the sideboard) Gnarr usually playsDimir Control
orTemur Marvel
, I bet on him playing Marvel, but he was on Dimir Control (4 Roiling Vortex Main, 2 Abrade on the sideboard) luanbraga usually playsMono-Green Walkers
orSultai Reclamation
, I preferred to try to respect both decks. He was on Sultai. (4 Roiling Vortex Main, 2 Abrade sideboard, -2 Eidolon of the Great Revel) walter_neto almost always playsMono-Red
(-2 Eidolon maindeck, 3 Light of Hope and 2 Abrade sideboard) Finally, kaosbr is always onUW Control
(4 Roiling Vortex maindeck). When I finished making the list, I was sure I wantedRest in Peace
on the sideboard andRoiling Vortex
on the maindeck. AsZurgo Bellstriker
is a flex slot, he was the first card to come out and I am a player who commonly uses 61 cards, getting 2Roiling Vortex
to the maindeck. Since there was a considerable probability that I would face decks that were naturally aggressive or a red-deck mirror and as I was already adding constant loss of life with Vortex, I chose to remove twoEidolon of the Great Revel
to make room for the other Vortex , which honestly may not have been the wisest option and I should have kept a 3-3 split. Also, if it weren't for the likelihood of facing aSoulflayer
deck and my constant respect for the "free-win" aspect of the archetype, I would have reduced the number ofRest in Peace
to two and added moreAbrade
, since it is a card that collaborates a lot for matchups against Aggro, especially against Spirits, and is a good sideboard to have against decks like Mono-Green Walkers and occasional decks that appear on Pioneer Royale as Ensoul and Marvel.Ad
Rest in Peace
instead ofSoul-Guide Lantern
comes only from the fact that the spell is more efficient at handling the things I wanted to deal with without giving my opponent room to do any play that could significantly hinder me since we cannot respond directly to Delve or Escape. I don't know if I would use exactly that list in a more open tournament where the probability of you catching Burn or other aggro decks is higher, but I definitely found the reach provided in games byRoiling Vortex
very interesting and I intend to change this build a little more later, but first I prefer to wait and see what Kaldheim has to offer us and how the new set will affect Pioneer.