Modern

Modern Grixis Control Primer – Part 2

For part 1, click here.

Welcome back! As you know full well, a deck has 75 cards and games post-board are actually more important as you are going to play more of them. You need to understand the purpose of each card in your sideboard and make sure you know when to use them.

As a reminder, here is my list:

[deck]
[Lands]
1 Blood Crypt
2 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Island
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Snow-Covered Island
1 Snow-Covered Mountain
1 Snow-Covered Swamp
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
2 Watery Grave
[/Lands]
[Spells]
2 Cryptic Command
1 Dispel
1 Dreadbore
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Kolaghan’s Command
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Mana Leak
1 Remand
4 Serum Visions
1 Spell Snare
2 Terminate
4 Thought Scour
[/Spells]
[Creatures]
1 Gurmag Angler
2 Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
[/Creatures]
[Sideboard]
1 Bitterblossom
1 Damnation
2 Dispel
1 Izzet Staticaster
3 Molten Rain
2 Vampiric Link
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Vandalblast
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Thoughtseize
[/Sideboard]
[/deck]

Instead of explaining the utility of each card, I will provide you with my specific sideboard plans. These are general guidelines and you should take into account how the opponent is playing and you could change a few things depending on if you are on the draw or on the play. [card]Mana Leak[/card], for instance, is a better card on the play, but you may keep it in on the draw for some match-ups like RG Tron.

So here are the sideboard plans.

Affinity

Out
[sbplan]
2 Mana Leak
1 Remand
1 Dispel
1 Cryptic Command
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
1 Bitterblossom
1 Damnation
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Vandalblast
[/sbplan]

Countering spells is not what you want to be doing versus the best aggro deck of the format. [card]Bitterblossom[/card] and [card]Pia and Kiran Nalaar[/card] provide you with chump blockers, while [card]Damnation[/card], [card]Anger of the Gods[/card] and [card]Vandalblast[/card] can punish them for overextending. If they draw sideboarded [card]Spell Pierce[/card], [card]Thoughtseize[/card] or [card]Rest in Peace[/card], you may struggle, but otherwise the match-up is okay as you have plenty of answers for their threats.

Jund

Out
[sbplan]
2 Mana Leak
1 Remand
2 Cryptic Command
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
1 Damnation
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Thoughtseize
[/sbplan]

The Jund player will probably bring in the land destruction and discard package ([card]Fulminator Mage[/card] and [card]Duress[/card]) so you want to side out high drops like [card]Cryptic Command[/card]. As they get to see your hand, your counterspells are not as good, especially on the draw. [card]Lightning Bolt[/card]s are there mainly for their [card]Dark Confidant[/card], but they could also kill an early [card]Scavenging Ooze[/card] or finish off a Liliana. The match-up is very grindy.

Naya Burn

Out
[sbplan]
1 Remand
2 Cryptic Command
1 Mana Leak
1 Serum Visions
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
2 Dispel
2 Vampiric Link
1 Anger of the Gods
[/sbplan]

This match-up is one of your hardest. The deck is just too fast and your mana base is literally killing you. You have no lifegain beside [card]Vampiric Link[/card], which is at least exciting to play. [card]Vampiric Link[/card] can be used on a one-drop like [card]Goblin Guide[/card], [card]Monastery Swiftspear[/card] or Wild Nacalt so you can slow them down with a one-mana spell. However, it is at its best on Eidolon of Great Revel. Then, every time they play a spell you gain life, and if you can manage to protect their Eidolon with your [card]Dispel[/card]s, and pre-emptively with your [card]Inquisition[/card], you got yourself a lifegain engine. When it happens it is beautiful, but in general, you just get crushed.

Naya Company

Out
[sbplan]
1 Remand
2 Mana Leak
1 Cryptic Command
1 Serum Visions
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
2 Vampiric Link
1 Damnation
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Bitterblossom
[/sbplan]

[card]Vampiric Link[/card] will slow them down and give you enough time to stabilize. [card]Bitterblossom[/card] provides chump blockers which is also a great way to buy time, as long as they do not have their [card]Kessig Wolf Run[/card] in play. As they do not have [card]Thoughtseize[/card] to disrupt your plan this match-up is a lot easier than other green midrange decks like Jund or Abzan. Pay attention, if they fetch basic lands, a [card]Blood Moon[/card] is on the way, so get your own basics, preferably snow-covered. In fact, [card]Blood Moon[/card] is really for their Amulet Bloom or RG Tron match; Grixis control players tend to get their basic lands early anyway versus aggro decks to preserve their life total.

RG Tron

Out
[sbplan]
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Terminate
1 Dispel
1 Spell Snare
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
3 Molten Rain
2 Thoughtseize
1 Vandalblast
1 Keranos, God of Storms
[/sbplan]

You have to try to stop them from assembling Tron, and you have [card]Molten Rain[/card]. Hard counters are golden, dealing with their expensive creatures and planeswalkers. You keep one [card]Dreadbore[/card] maindeck in case they get there, but your game plan is to play a few threats and sit on counterspells, killing them before they do anything crazy. I used to cut all the [card]Lightning Bolt[/card]s post-board, but because you can kill a Karn that was activated, I keep 2 of them in now.

UR Twin

Out
[sbplan]
3 Lightning Bolt
2 Cryptic Command
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
1 Bitterblossom
2 Dispel
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Thoughtseize
[/sbplan]

This match-up is very skill intensive and sometimes they just combo off and there is not much you can do. Discard spells are very useful here, as you know if you can tap out or not, representing counterspells. Some versions play with three [card]Dispel[/card] maindeck and 2 [card]Spell Snare[/card], and it can be difficult to stop them. Post-board they usually side out partially their combo, and become more control, wanting to land a [card]Keranos, God of Storms[/card] or a [card]Jace, Architect of Thought[/card]. [card]Dreadbore[/card] stays, because of Jace, but it is also a great card that plays around [card]Dispel[/card]. [card]Cryptic Command[/card] is bad versus dispel, and costs a lot, so it is okay to remove them.

Grixis Twin

Out
[sbplan]
3 Lightning Bolt
2 Cryptic Command
1 Gurmag Angler
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
1 Bitterblossom
2 Dispel
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Thoughtseize
[/sbplan]

This match is similar to UR Twin and their sideboard plan is often the same, they go control. They play [card]Terminate[/card], contrary to UR Twin, why I prefer to keep [card]Pia and Kiran Nalaar[/card] in and side out [card]Gurmag Angler[/card]. If they play [card]Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy[/card], you may want to keep in two other Bolts and you can take out instead, two [card]Thought Scour[/card]. It is very hard to tap out when you have no information about their hand, as they can go Exarch end of turn and [card]Splinter Twin[/card] on theirs. This match is very skill intensive but Grixis control can come up on top for sure.

Abzan

Out
[sbplan]
1 Cryptic Command
1 Remand
4 Lightning Bolt
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
1 Damnation
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Thoughtseize
1 Keranos, God of Storms
[/sbplan]

[card]Lingering Souls[/card] is not your friend, but [card]Izzet Staticaster[/card] can deal with them. Lightning bolt is pretty bad versus them, depending on their version. It can hit, sometimes, [card]Scavenging Ooze[/card], but most of their creatures are immune to it, [card]Tarmogoyf[/card], [card]Siege Rhino[/card], [card]Anafenza, the Foremost[/card], [card]Kitchen Finks[/card], Tasigur and [card]Stirring Wildwood[/card].

Merfolk

Out
[sbplan]
2 Mana Leak
1 Remand
1 Cryptic Command
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
1 Damnation
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Thoughtseize
[/sbplan]

That is another tough match-up. Traditionally, Aggro-control strategies like merfolk or fairies do very well against control decks, landing a few threats and sitting on counterspells. Expect [card]Spell Pierce[/card], [card]Remand[/card] or [card]Negate[/card] from the sideboard, and maybe even [card]Tectonic Edge[/card], even if that tech is falling out of fashion. [card]Spell Pierce[/card] can be backbreaking and Islandwalk makes it hard for you to compete. [card]Kira, Great Glass-Spinner[/card] is your worst enemy here.

Infect

Out
[sbplan]
1 Remand
1 Spell Snare
2 Cryptic Command
2 Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy
1 Serum Visions
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
1 Bitterblossom
2 Dispel
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Thoughtseize
[/sbplan]

This match-up is favourable. Between your bolts and your [card]Terminate[/card]s, your discard and your counterspells, it is very hard for them to go lethal. Keep mana up, try to kill their creatures at the end of their turn if you can, and chump their guy early. You will slowly get card advantage and after 5 or 6 turns the game is yours unless you do something stupid like tapping out. Even if you do not have answers, keep mana up and they will have to respect that.

Amulet Bloom

Out
[sbplan]
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Cryptic Command
1 Dreadbore
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
3 Molten Rain
1 Vandalblast
2 Dispel
2 Thoughtseize
[/sbplan]

Your plan here is to discard one of their combo pieces, preferably the amulet, or destroy it while in play. Once you get to 2 mana, you can counter their [card]Primeval Titan[/card] or [card]Terminate[/card] it once it hits the board. [card]Dispel[/card] is for their pacts. Discard and [card]Snapcaster Mage[/card] are the best way to neuter them, so mulligan aggressively if your hand is too slow.

Rug [card]Scapeshift[/card] with/without Bring to Light

Out
[sbplan]
2 Kolaghan’s Command
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Dreadbore
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
2 Dispel
3 Molten Rain
2 Thoughtseize
[/sbplan]

[card]Scapeshift[/card] will have a tough time against you. Discard, counterspells and cheap threats give you the advantage. Their counterspells maindeck are [card]Cryptic Command[/card], [card]Remand[/card] and [card]Izzet Charm[/card], so play around them if you can. They may bring in [card]Obstinate Baloth[/card] against you, so be careful with your discard spell, especially [card]Thoughtseize[/card], and keep [card]Terminate[/card] in just in case. If you do not see the Baloths game 2, you could take out [card]Terminate[/card] for [card]Bitterblossom[/card] and Keranos. [card]Kolaghan’s Command[/card] does not do much and you could be tempted to use them so they discard their Baloth, which is not entirely pleasurable.

UWr Control

Out
[sbplan]
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Cryptic Command
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Thought Scour
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
2 Dispel
1 Bitterblossom
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Thoughtseize
3 Molten Rain
[/sbplan]

Here it depends of their version, and you may want to side in [card]Anger of the Gods[/card] if you see [card]Kitchen Finks[/card]. Your curve is lower than theirs and you get to see their hand and remove their worst threat. Here you do not mind keeping a land heavy starting hand as having more lands than the opponent is often what decides which control deck will win. Keranos and [card]Bitterblossom[/card] are really hard to deal with for them, having only [card]Detention Sphere[/card] pre-board and sometimes [card]Celestial Purge[/card] post-board. They may go for the [card]Rest in Peace[/card] plan post-board, which has a negative synergy with their own [card]Snapcaster Mage[/card], their [card]Kitchen Finks[/card] and potentially [card]Crucible of Worlds[/card]. If it is the case, you can cut a Snapcaster or two. Also, [card]Crucible of Worlds[/card] and [card]Ghost Quarter[/card] can be one of their plans, so you may want to keep your Kolagan’s Command to destroy the Crucible before you run out of basic lands.

Grixis Control mirror

Out
[sbplan]
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Cryptic Command
1 Mana Leak
1 Gurmag Angler
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
2 Dispel
1 Bitterblossom
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Thoughtseize
[/sbplan]

The mirror is tough, prepare your brain for a long battle of attrition that may leave you wondering why you picked up that deck in the first place and left the peace and quiet of your home. Why would anybody inflict that upon themselves? At the same time, the mirror match usually rewards the best player, which, in general, is a great thing if you prepare yourself properly. Time management is key here and do not hesitate to put pressure on your opponent if they are playing too slow. Landing Keranos is usually enough to win and like the last match-up make sure you have plenty of lands, keeping them on top with you [card]Serum Visions[/card].

Storm

Out
[sbplan]
2 Kolaghan’s Command
2 Terminate
1 Dreadbore
3 Lightning Bolt
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
2 Dispel
2 Thoughtseize
1 Bitterblossom
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Damnation
[/sbplan]

Not a popular archetype, but here is a plan nonetheless. Tons of your cards are useless, but you have enough flexibility in your board to cover for it. Empty the Warren could be their sideboard plan as tokens are hard to deal with for you, which is why you pre-emptively bring in [card]Izzet Staticaster[/card], [card]Anger of the Gods[/card] and [card]Damnation[/card]. Discard is deadly for them, so mulligan into one if your hand is too slow.

Living End

Out
[sbplan]
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Dreadbore
1 Dispel
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
2 Thoughtseize
1 Damnation
1 Bitterblossom
[/sbplan]

[card]Fulminator Mage[/card] can be very annoying, but beside that you can discard their cascade spells or counter their [card]Living End[/card] so it is really hard for them to go off. Remember that the deck can play [card]Living End[/card] instant speed, so be careful if you are thinking of tapping out at the end of their turn without knowing the content of their hand or without holding a [card]Damnation[/card]. You tend to fill your graveyard really quickly so you may get some creatures back too, as well as some [card]Snapcaster Mage[/card] flashback triggers.

Ad Nauseum

Out
[sbplan]
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Terminate
1 Dreadbore
1 Kolaghan’s Command
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
2 Dispel
3 Molten Rain
2 Thoughtseize
1 Vandalblast
[/sbplan]

Another fringe deck, but just in case, here is the plan. They try to combo off casting Ad Nauseum with [card]Angel’s Grace[/card] or [card]Phyrexian Unlife[/card] in play. First game you have a lot of useless cards, so if you know that your opponent is playing this deck, mulligan accordingly and make sure you have an [card]Inquisition[/card], a counter or some card draw to get to them. Post-board things get easier as you have less dead cards, but if they land a [card]Leyline of Sanctity[/card] you will have a tough time. [card]Boseiju, Who Shelters All[/card] will come in also, so land destruction can be useful as their deck will be slower. Your [card]Dispel[/card]s are for their Ad Nauseum or their [card]Pact of Negation[/card], as [card]Angel’s Grace[/card] in not counterable. [card]Vandalblast[/card] comes in for their [card]Pentad Prism[/card] and their [card]Lotus Bloom[/card], if they do not combo off that turn.

Bogles

Out
[sbplan]
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Kolaghan’s Command
[/sbplan]
In
[sbplan]
1 Anger of the God
2 Thoughtseize
1 Damnation
1 Bitterblossom
1 Keranos, God of Storms
[/sbplan]

At last, Bogles, the aura deck, where a small beast, [card]Slippery Bogle[/card], can become a massive 12/10 Trample, first strike, lifelink and reach. If they play [card]Kor Spiritdancer[/card], you have [card]Terminate[/card] to kill them. Otherwise, if they are on [card]Silhana Ledgewalker[/card] version, cut the [card]Terminate[/card]s and [card]Dreadbore[/card] instead of [card]Kolaghan’s Command[/card] and [card]Pia and Kiran Nalaar[/card]. [card]Keranos, God of Storms[/card] is too slow, but at least is not a dead card. This match-up is tough, but with a bit of luck you could get there.

Here you have it, this very brief sideboard guide. Quite a few other cards could have made it, but did not. I will not go in detail as to the reasons why as I feel I wrote enough already, but keep in mind that these cards could be included in your sideboard depending on your expected metagame. However, before including tons of cards that seem useful, make sure you have a clear sideboard plan for each match, so you do not end up with a sacrilegious untuned sideboard where the number of cards you want to take out and the ones you want to side in does not match.

Other options for the sideboard: [card]Engineered Explosives[/card], [card]Darkblast[/card], [card]Disfigure[/card], [card]Rending Volley[/card], [card]Spellskite[/card], [card]Fulminator Mage[/card], Slay, [card]Olivia Voldaren[/card], [card]Languish[/card], [card]Blood Moon[/card], [card]Surgical Extraction[/card], [card]Nihil Spellbomb[/card], [card]Pyroclasm[/card], [card]Rakdos Charm[/card], [card]Leyline of the Void[/card], [card]Glen Elendra Archmage[/card], [card]Grim Lavamancer[/card].

Good luck on the modern scene and do not forget, take control and dispel your enemies hope, terminating their efforts and have them experience the bitter taste of defeat.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments