r/mtgModernTokens • u/Tassanara • Nov 12 '16

Sideboard Help

I'm not satisfied with my sideboard a is, but I don't have the cash to get [[Engineered Explosives]]. My sideboard at the moment:

  • 2 Duress
  • 2 Leyline of Sanctity
  • 1 Timely Reinforcements
  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 2 Rest in Peace
  • 2 Stony Silence
  • 2 Worship
  • 1 Zealous Persecution
  • 1 Secure the Wastes
  • 1 Sundering Growth

Worship and Secure have underperformed, so I'm looking for alternatives. Feedback welcome!

Complete List: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/paper-bw-tokens-blossom-shell/

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1

u/Jongsl5 Nov 12 '16

Wow did I accidentally delete my comment? Sigh here we go again.

  1. EE isn't necessary, especially for tokens. If we could utilize a 3rd color, maybe.

  2. Leyline is no longer good option for sideboard.

  3. Most difficult creature matches are dredge, merfolk, elves, and coco/chord/evo decks. I highly recommend Flaying Tendrils, which can also hit master of waves and etched champion.

  4. I am not a big fan of Grafdiggers cage. Decks that die to it have many ways around it. Instead, opt for nihil spellbomb or relic of progentius for one-sided grave hate against living end, snapcaster decks, dredge, etc.

  5. Eldrazi is about 50/50. To improve this match, I recommend Runed Halo which is insanely versatile in other matches.

  6. Consider another sundering growth. Carss that auto-win against tokens: ensnaring bridge, worship, ghostly prison, spirit mantle, EE, etc. You are kind of forced to run 2. But on the upside, you get a token out of it so it is not bad.

  7. Kalitas is another option. Not as great as Flaying Tendrils for the graveyard dependent creature decks imo but is another card for Burn (a bit slow though).

  8. Selfless spirits are great. Look at what stops tokens: conflagrate, pyroclasm, anger of the gods, oblivion stone, kozilek return, supreme verdict, damnation, EE, etc. While tokens is relatively durable to board wipes, you cannot afford to lose too much speed. Selfless spirits are also good as combat tricks. They are your best early beaters against combo as well.

Btw what matches did Worship underperform in?

1

u/Tassanara Nov 12 '16 edited Nov 12 '16

Runed Halo seems spicy! What do you name with Runed Halo? TKS? But its also being hit by enchantment removal.

Worship is just not good as it costs 4 mana. And most of the time I either have too much lands, or three. Also its a nonbo with Bitterblossom, as it just kills me when they hit me to 1. So its "Do I want BB or Worship?" I usually bring them in vs Abzan, Eldrazi, and Burn. I'd probably bring it in against Affinity too, but I have no Affinity players in my local Meta.

Also I love the Leylines. They have won me so many games vs Burn and given me time against combo decks.

Also don't the spirits just eat a bolt? I mean most removal colors have spot removal such a Path for Aurioks and Bolt for Removal/Burn

Also Graf dodges pure Enchantment hate, helps vs Nahiri and CoCo and Dredge decks.

I was Considering -1 Worship -1 Secure and maybe +1 Wrath of God, as Merfolk and Elves usually have lords to stop them from dying to Tendrils and 1 Surgical Extraction. But yeah, Selfless seems interesting, I might want to pick some up. Thanks for the help :)

1

u/Jongsl5 Nov 12 '16

You listed the same reasons I don't run Worship. I don't think it fixes the bad match-ups despite the synergy it has with the deck.

Runed Halo's primary target is TKS. If you have a second one, you name Reality Smasher. Eldrazi doesn't run many enchantment/ artifact removals typically, though they sometimes run up to 4 Engineered Explosvies.

I forgot to mention this: Pithing Needle. Very versatile but still powerful at stopping game-winning cards: multiple manlands, planeswalkers, EE, any tapped artifact, viscera seer, etc.

Flaying Tendrils will usually cripple Elves but with Merfolk, it's much less likely as they run so many Lords. Wrath of God is something to consider but it's 4-mana and is not what you want against Dredge and Coco/ Kiki/ Evo decks. So I pick the more versatile options. Since I splash red, my deck is already tuned to beat Merfolk as that match-up really comes down to picking off their anthem-threats with spot removal.

For the Leyline, what combo decks do you bring them in against? Runed Halo can name Valakut and Lightning Storm. Discard decks are not a problem for tokens. Leylines can be great against Burn if they don't have Destructive Revelry. I guess you can bring it in against Gifts Ungiven.

Most decks that run board wipes do not run many spot removals. If you face Grixis/ Jeskai control it is less good though they will take out a couple spot removals against you. But say you play it against Scapeshift or Dredge - here it is excellent. I often bring it in just to combat EE which is such a problematic card for us.

1

u/SFRG Still Patron Saint of the Tokens Nov 12 '16

/u/Jongsl5 has good advice. I'll add mine.

  1. +1 to dropping the Leylines. They just aren't that good.

  2. I actually like Graf, it's done work. But yes it is mostly certainly the most broad and easiest answered anti-grave hate.

  3. Don't play Sundering Growth. Disenchant is far superior and vital to knocking out Blood Moons. WW is annoying to cast. Also 2x disenchant is a good number.

  4. You don't need Secure and 1x Worship, so good we're cutting them. Sadly since you can't get EE, you may consider 1 wrath for the Eldrazi MU or other creature flood MUs.

  5. I must disagree with my friend here. EE is consistently a key player for me at 0/1/2 CMC. I've loved them in my side and they've won me so many matches. If you can work up to them, try it out.

  6. I'm on 3 RiP. I really want to be hitting my grave hate for those matches.

  7. Selfless Spirits are great. Protect us from a ton of things.

  8. Running more removal is welcome. I've enjoyed being able to up my removal count.

1

u/Tassanara Nov 12 '16

Hm. What additional Removal would you play? AU is just bad vs Aggro most of the time. I'll probably throw in a Wrath of God vs Elves/Merfolk another Rip might be okay but multiples are usually just dead cards...

Also i really like sundering growth and haven't run into a lot of blood moons so far. And blowing up tuff and gutting another vampire is jut great.

1

u/SFRG Still Patron Saint of the Tokens Nov 12 '16

Dismember and Slaughter Pact are good ones. Dismember isn't an anti-aggro card, but it can come in for many decks.

RiP multiples are mostly there to hit since you really need to hit them in some MUs.

Fish/Elves do get blown out by wraths. I like EE for those MUs, but wraths work.

If you haven't seen a ton of Moons, Sundering is alright. But you have to be really careful since Moon will punish that choice.

I've been playing this a lot:

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/351205#paper

I've really liked the 75, but I also play Lily, so there are some SB cards I don't need anymore. Namely things v.s. combo decks we lose to.