Sideboarding for Dredge

[mikekilljoy]

I have a question about how to correctly sideboard when playing Dredge. I've been doing much testing and I always seem to end up having the biggest problem boarding cards out. I don't want to give away the sideboard tech a week away from the NYSE VI event, because the problem is never what to bring in.

I guess the question is this. Is there ever a wrong time to take out actual dredge cards or Dread Returns? Keep in mind that I am main decking 2 Leyline and 2 enchantment removals in the mana version of drege.

[thecman]

Typically Dredge will board out Dread Return (usually leaving 1) and Dread Return targets (Sharuum, Iona, FKZ, etc.  if you need a fatty just Return a Troll).  If you're using Bloodghast instead of Ichorid (rather than both) you can probably cut some Thugs if you have Darkblast and/or Salvage to keep the total number of dredgers up.  Also, Fatestitcher seems like something you could cut a few copies of unless you're bringing in Force and need the blue count.

[Beralt]

Unfortunately for you in order to give advice on what to take out in sideboarding, we would be best served by seeing your specific deck list - and this is probably not a good idea with the tourney coming up.

But there are cases where removing Dredge cards is warranted, if you are playing Force of Wills in the sideboard, then dropping down the # of Golgari Thug is often the case.  While removing Dread Return might be the correct call if you are looking to avoid graveyard hate.  In the current version that I prefer - Sharuum with Altar - I side out 2 out of 3 of the Dread Returns and just go with the slower - man plan - strip their hand with Therapies and attack over and over with Bloodghasts.

**thecman beat me to some comments88

[mikekilljoy]

No, you actually have a very valid point about not having the exact deck list. I just have specific tech that I think makes the deck better, but knowing Dredge could be popular, I don't want to give anything away. Pretty much, I am trying to anticipate the meta with the Worldwake additions (namely Bojuka Bog and Lodestone Golem) by having some plan for them.

But still, the Dread Return and the Thugs is what I needed to see. I do have the Salvage main, the Darkblast board, so the Dredge count should be fine. Obviously, where Leyline is not important, they come out. Same for Nature's Claim.