[Premium Article] Meandeck Gifts

[doylehancock]

I have a couple more questions.  I have been testing this deck and usually go off turn 4-5.  What about everyone else? 

@Steve:  Thanks for answer all of our questions.  We all appreciate the help.  As you probably know I am trying to build a gifted TPS deck though I have noticed its no where near as good as meandeck gifts.  Anyways I feel meandeck gifts could use a draw 7 (twister or jar).  What do you think about this?

Has anyone tested a draw 7 card with this deck (board or main)?  I am thinking twister in the main or in board.

THanks.

[Whatever Works]

@ Doyal

I actually tried twister, but I always found gifts to just be better, and I never liked shuffling my graveyard away, because it made me feel like I was esentially "starting over", because it hurt the power of Yawg's will, and all the piles it works with...

[Smmenen]

I must say that Meandeck Gifts is everywhere, and the mirror match is extremely wild, unpredictable, and based on the draw. That being said I have had improved sucess with the addition of 2 duress in the maindeck in the place of 1 misdirection, and another slot (which I am still debating). Adding duress doesnt particularly make the deck better, but I found that being able to duress after a turn 1 scroll, or duress before casting ____ bomb has been very usful.

I was wondering what the best boarding plan vs. say Cron Stax would be... I found the matchup to be very difficult even with strong hands, and almost impossible when not on the play... I am not sure if its best to race, or just try to maintain board position till you get rebuild or R@R...

Kyle L.

To be honest, I just wrote of my matchup against Kevin's deck for a number of reasons.  First of all, it's probably near impossible.  I played Kevin's Stax at SCG Richmond specifically becuase I thought there would be more Gifts.  You can't deal with In The Eye, Choke, and all that jazz.

However, the good news is that CronStax (at least the variants Kevin has made public) is not viable becuase it has a terrible matchup against Chalice Fish.  Moreover, its really, reallly hard to play correctly.  I made so many mistakes playing in Richmond I didn't even deserve ninth place. 

In order to be viable, it takes someone to really tune it for the metagame.  I'm not sure many people can do that outside of Kevin (maybe some die hards like Bob Wu, etc) - but not many.  I wouldn't be too concerned about that matchup for those three reasons.  But you do raise a valid point. 

[Clown of Tresserhorn]

To be honest, I just wrote of my matchup against Kevin's deck for a number of reasons.  First of all, it's probably near impossible.  I played Kevin's Stax at SCG Richmond specifically becuase I thought there would be more Gifts.  You can't deal with In The Eye, Choke, and all that jazz.

However, the good news is that CronStax (at least the variants Kevin has made public) is not viable becuase it has a terrible matchup against Chalice Fish.  Moreover, its really, reallly hard to play correctly.  I made so many mistakes playing in Richmond I didn't even deserve ninth place. 

In order to be viable, it takes someone to really tune it for the metagame.  I'm not sure many people can do that outside of Kevin (maybe some die hards like Bob Wu, etc) - but not many.  I wouldn't be too concerned about that matchup for those three reasons.  But you do raise a valid point. 

Lol. The name's Bob YU. In anycase, stax is a pretty terrible matchup, and if they run welders (which is a great call right now), you almost have to kill with Tendrils, which, as peeps said is extremely hard playing against a deck running sphere of resistance/ITEOC (and not to mention 4 ways of getting strip mine).

-Bob

[Smmenen]

I know that bob, just seeing if you're paying attention.

Well, let's be honest - the win condition is yawgmoth's Will - not tendrils and not Tinker in the Stax match. 

To answer the question about draw7s: that's how I feel about it: Gifts > Draw7.   

On the other hand, you do have lots of speed with meandck gifts.  Alot depends on who goes first, imo. 

[Dozer]

Anyways I feel meandeck gifts could use a draw 7 (twister or jar).  What do you think about this?

I have dropped the third Misdirection (in fact, I run 1 Mis-D and 1 Shoal) for a maindeck Memory Jar. I love it. When the setup is right, I often Tinker for Jar instead of Colossus, it's that good. On the grounds that the goal of Meandeck Gifts is basically to out-broken everyone else, Jar fits like a custom-made glove. I dismissed Timetwister because of its negative interaction with my graveyard. It's not that bad, but can be annoying sometimes. Wheel requires Red which you won't have in high numbers during your combo turn (you'll need at least one for the Wish), and if you use it before, you need to fetch a wasteable land when otherwise you wouldn't have to.

I am still writing a tournament report from last weekend, where I finished 3-1-1 (drawing against Dragon). The loss came from a B/W deck with 4 Swords and Hymn/Duress + Sinkhole/Wasteland. That matchup was not easy, although I think that more Misdirections would have turned it around. In fact, I am finding myself wanting the SB'ed REBs to be Misdirections, as they are as helpful in the control mirror and better against the random decks I am likely to face here. REB is better in the mirror, though... but I don't see that much.

Dozer

/edit: Ok, forget the report, I don't have time for it right now. Anything important is up there, except that I didn't have Pithing Needles (didn't own any) or Eye of Nowhere in the board. That gave me massive problems against R/G with Maze of Ith. I won the first, lost the second to double Maze and Tormod's Crypt (I think) and won the third with a first turn DSC.

[gusjdt]

I've had some problems with Food Chain Goblins that actually puts goblin welders in sideboard just because of people running tinker+colossus. That usually means I have to tinker fast or lava dart the goblins with a cunning wish that I added or use the tendrils route which is not easy to do when you have goblins on the other side. Usually I cant get tinker fast enough before he gets out welders. I have trouble setting up the tendrils kill quickly before he combos out and ends the game.

Another thing, has anyone thought of Diplomatic Immunity on Platinum Angel? I think that would be a great thing to use but the problem is being able to look for it in a game. Let me know what you guys think.

[Methuselahn]

I've had some problems with Food Chain Goblins that actually puts goblin welders in sideboard just because of people running tinker+colossus. That usually means I have to tinker fast or lava dart the goblins with a cunning wish that I added or use the tendrils route which is not easy to do when you have goblins on the other side. Usually I cant get tinker fast enough before he gets out welders. I have trouble setting up the tendrils kill quickly before he combos out and ends the game.

Pithing Needle?

Another thing, has anyone thought of Diplomatic Immunity on Platinum Angel? I think that would be a great thing to use but the problem is being able to look for it in a game. Let me know what you guys think.

Attack them to negative life, Merchant Scroll for Rebuild and cast it. Or just counter it.

[Chamelet]

Anyways I feel meandeck gifts could use a draw 7 (twister or jar).  What do you think about this?

I have dropped the third Misdirection (in fact, I run 1 Mis-D and 1 Shoal) for a maindeck Memory Jar. I love it. When the setup is right, I often Tinker for Jar instead of Colossus, it's that good. On the grounds that the goal of Meandeck Gifts is basically to out-broken everyone else, Jar fits like a custom-made glove. I dismissed Timetwister because of its negative interaction with my graveyard. It's not that bad, but can be annoying sometimes. Wheel requires Red which you won't have in high numbers during your combo turn (you'll need at least one for the Wish), and if you use it before, you need to fetch a wasteable land when otherwise you wouldn't have to.

I am still writing a tournament report from last weekend, where I finished 3-1-1 (drawing against Dragon). The loss came from a B/W deck with 4 Swords and Hymn/Duress + Sinkhole/Wasteland. That matchup was not easy, although I think that more Misdirections would have turned it around. In fact, I am finding myself wanting the SB'ed REBs to be Misdirections, as they are as helpful in the control mirror and better against the random decks I am likely to face here. REB is better in the mirror, though... but I don't see that much.

Dozer

I exchanged the REB's in the sideboard for 2 Duress and 1 Rushing River. That way I can play 5 fetchs 5 duals (3 Seas, 2 Volcanic). 3 Misd maindeck, still.

[Negator]

There is something I don't understand with the deck. I don't know it very well but I don't see how the deck can deal with Extract on Darksteel Colossus (I know Extract is not played at all but I would have wanted to know if this card is a good tech against this deck). Can it kill with the Tendrils of Agony easily? The same thing with Tormod's Crypt. How can it deal with it?

Thanks for response.

[Godot]

There is something I don't understand with the deck. I don't know it very well but I don't see how the deck can deal with Extract on Darksteel Colossus (I know Extract is not played at all but I would have wanted to know if this card is a good tech against this deck). Can it kill with the Tendrils of Agony easily? The same thing with Tormod's Crypt. How can it deal with it?

Thanks for response.

First off extract on a DSC is quite possibly the least painful thing they can do to you, IMO.  My gameplan with this deck always starts with the Tendrils kill as my primary route to victory with the DSC kill being there if I need it or the oppurtunity presents itself.  In my opinion killing with Tendrils is quite easy as the decks biggest weapons(an insane mana advantage and Will) play right into a ToA kill.  As an example, against Uw fish w/ Chalice on the board, Rebuild + stuff RFGd, and Jitte with 4 counters the deck still won easily on Turn 5 with Tendrils.

Extracting Will or Burning Wish is a hella better play if your deck has some built in way to handle Colossus via Welder, Bouncer or what have you.

Post board you can deal with Crypt via Pithing Needle.  Game 1 Tormods Crypt by itself isnt too diffiicult to play around since you can just use your Gifts to develop card/mana advantage and win through that.  Crypt becomes an issue when its backed up by a clock or a Welder to bring it back.  Against a clock you can force their hand by setting up a juicy yard with no combo pieces in it and casting Will and following that up with a Gifts.  Its not easy, and it takes some serious planning, but its def. not a horrible situation to win through.  The third situation, Welder recurring Crypt,  is definitely the hardest to play through Game 1.  Basically you wanna leverage your Gifts for card/mana advantage and collect the combo pieces manually until you can either rawdog a win off Rebuild or you can nullify Welder and get DSC into play.  Unless your hand is really gassy this is typically a losing proposition as the deck that can put you into this position(i.e. CS for the most part) wont give you the time to win out of it, although it is definitely possible.

[Chamelet]

First, I really don't see why this article is Premium. Really. Why don't you SCG guys open it up?

Anyway, the format is incredibly balanced right now. Some people think Gifts should be restricted, but it isn't dominating anything. Did anyone asked Oath to be restricted after that SCG in which it debuted with 4 Top8's?
Honestly...
Will is, as I said before, a kill condition, and I will no longer adress to that discussion (at least for now).

What I'm posting for is to explain to you people about Magic and it's formats, and how Wizards look at them. Very briefly, in Magic, a game that is in the road for more than a decade, there MUST be a legal format where you hae to play with ALL cards. It's ridiculous, completely absurd, if a company prints a game and then say you can't play with "card X" no more. Ever. Unless you want to play with friends and be stupid.
That said, welcome, this format for all is Vintage.
If you feel there's something wrong with this pay with all thing, lucky you: Wizards has just thought of you and created a simpler format, like a Vintage where we don't have to follow that rule. It's called Legacy.
So, also as I said before, why don't you guys that want Will banned complain to Wizards and ask'em to UNBAN things in Legacy? Wouldn't that be alot easier than this? Like, really, let's go ask for a format change completely. Ask'em to unban Sol Ring, which is coming up in promos. Frantic Search, Black Vise, Gush, Land Tax, Metalworker are all cards that would make a fun format.
This may sound like a stupid argument, but it is not. Magic, as a game, really needs that all of it's cards can be played somewhere. Otherwise it's stupid. I played the time Mind Twist was banned, and it was stupid. They won't make that stupid mistake again.
So let's just call it off and move on folks.

[gusjdt]

Pithing Needle?


Attack them to negative life, Merchant Scroll for Rebuild and cast it. Or just counter it.

Yea.. I kinda didnt think about needle. And about diplomatic immunity, I meant for meandeck gifts to use it.

[Smmenen]

I've had some problems with Food Chain Goblins that actually puts goblin welders in sideboard just because of people running tinker+colossus. That usually means I have to tinker fast or lava dart the goblins with a cunning wish that I added or use the tendrils route which is not easy to do when you have goblins on the other side. Usually I cant get tinker fast enough before he gets out welders. I have trouble setting up the tendrils kill quickly before he combos out and ends the game.

Another thing, has anyone thought of Diplomatic Immunity on Platinum Angel? I think that would be a great thing to use but the problem is being able to look for it in a game. Let me know what you guys think.

Just SB in X Pyroclasms.  Pyroclasm is pretty good right now anyway.

[Chamelet]

I was wondering if we could use Gush in this deck. It is awesome with Will, draws cards and generates mana, and meets the "spell for free" thing, which is great for this deck. It also raises storm count for free. Oh, and is Scrollable. Oh, and it dodges wasteland.
The thing is: I can't find what to take out. For me the only plausable options are:

Misdirection: I really don't like taking a Misd out. It helps the deck go off and is really important. Also, misdirecting Ancestral Recall is GREAT!

Echoing Truth: I really see bouncing as removal in this deck. That's why I run 3 extra bouncers in the side. I think the deck would be much more vulnerable without it. I would rely on Burning Wish for Eye of Nowhere in some matches, and that stops the Tendrils kill first game. Bad thing.

A land: yeah, I really feel the manabase is solid right now. I'm running 2 Volcanic 3 Seas 5 fechs, and that feels just fine. Just an option anyway, but I think is bad.

Merchant Scroll: I love 4 Scrolls in this deck. And adding Gush would be even better with 4 Scrolls, since you could Gush for 1U at anytime you wanted (sorcery speed of course). Scroll is also great to find your loved bouncers and shines against control, becoming Recall, FoW, etc. But is one of the only good slots to fit Gush.

FoF: This is probably he one I would cut for Gush. FoF costs 4 and isn't that great in this particular deck, since you must commit almost all your mana to it. It dig deeper of course, but I think beeing able to double Gush and generate mana can help you killing a LOT. Haven't tested it yet, but want to know what you guys think.

adding it as card 61: Aff.. this doesn't sound great. You know, that probability thing. And I always get low on mana when I do this 61 thing.

putting it in the SB: This is my second option. Gush would come in mainly when Tendrils comes in too, or against control decks with Wasteland.

That's it. What do you guys think?

[Lunar]

Oh steve, I dont think ChronStax esque builds are that bad off against vial fish...especially not on the play...plenty of answers, WTF feels like the worst matchup of the fish batch and even that can be handled with proper planning and execution.

@ Chamelet

Im not hudge on gush for gifts, it feels like it would be mainly solid in the mirror, but the mana base is already somewhat fragile IMO and dropping two islands is going to be a win more condition, other wise its a lose more unless you have mad counters in your hand...it just doesnt feel right. The deck already generates all sorts of advantage (not always card advantage but definatly quality advantage) Ive seen a lot of builds though that are dropping either gift #4 or scroll #4 (both of which im not sure is proper) those versions could fit a gush in rather easily im sure.

[Chamelet]

Yeah, I really can't see this deck without 4 Gifts and 4 Scrolls. They substitute it for Gorilla Shaman, and I don't like it.
Maybe taking 1 Scroll out for a Vamp is ok. I'll try that out. But taking either of them for Gush is kinda strange. I'd rather take FoF than Gifts. Gush is awesome to dodge wastelands and to generate that extra colored mana you need the turn you go off. (like BB for Tendrils).
It is also awesome with Will, which is something you WILL cast 80% of your games. Scrolling for Gush when you have Will or even a Gifts in your hand seems strong. Like I said, I still gotta test it.
I tested taking FoF out for Gush against a Landstill deck. It was really nice, since I played it twice every game (except nº 2, where I had to pitch it to FoW). The good thing is that it doesn't commit your mana like FoF.
Oh, and it raises the storm account charmingly.

[Smmenen]

what sort of sideboards are people finding effective? 

[Dozer]

what sort of sideboards are people finding effective? 

Any board where I have 2-3 cards to board in for some matchups. My current board looks like this, but it is by no means any good:

1 Tendrils
2 Pithing Needle (should probably be three)
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pyroblast
2 Fire/Ice
2 Pyroclasm
2 Rack and Ruin
1 Meltdown (should be Rebuild when you have more Workshop than Affinity in your environment)
1 Misdirection
1 Eye of Nowhere

The problem with any sideboard is that the only true sideboard card is Needle. You don't need any of the others if you play it right. I believe the deck's effectiveness is not improved much in any matchup by the sideboard cards you bring in. Pyroclasm and Fire/Ice are pretty effective against Fish, but so is Tinker, and so are REBs, too. In that matchup, Needle shuts down anything you might want to shut down (Factories, Rootwater Thief, Wasteland) and Chalice and Meddling Mage can be played around with Truth and Rebuild, both of which are already maindecked.

I have not found any effective sideboard strategy that doesn't weaken the deck. Sideboarding is just too hard, so what I do is I take out the two extra pitch counters and put the two Needles in, and Fact or Fiction and Echoing Truth are the other two slots available for SB'ing. I don't want to change a single other card from the maindeck, since it is so tight. Maybe I'm just not good enough to see the slight variations that make the deck better after SB'ing...

I have also been thinking about Needle a lot. There is no single matchup where you can't use Needle. The only reason to board it in instead of playing it MD is the suprise it can be for your opponent. Also, you don't want your opponent to board artifact hate. But to be honest, I can see Needle maindeck in place of the two pitch counters and having three Misdirections in the board for the control matchup. Then you could use the FoF and Truth slots for boarding in 2-ofs according to the decks you face. Or am I thinking too simplistic here?

Dozer

[MaxxMatt]

I play this side.


(5)
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Pyroclasm
1 Duress ( 2 Maindeck plus Mindtwist )
1 Deep Analysis ( it could be Timetwister )
1 Chainer's Edict
(4)
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Rebuild ( 1 Maindeck plus Rushing River )
1 Rack & Ruin
(6)
1 Bosejiu, Who Shelters' All ( LoA maindeck, preferred for general porpouses )
2 Engineered Explosives
3 Peething Needle


The Sorceries are needed because of opponent's inevitabilty and because of the good interactions with Burning Wish
The Instants are the best choices available to give you more tools to deal with Control and Combo decks, that are your only possible not so goodmatchups

I chose to keep Bosejiu in my Sideboard beacuse of the presence of Opponent's ones and beacuse I can resolve crucial spells against Control and Aggro-Control decks without losing Counter-Power. It let you dodge opponent's CotVs that could stall you a bit before being able to win. If abused, searched and played against the proper deck it is lethal.

The Peething Needles are self-explaining. The can stop your opponent from playing and activating his most fearing things: Bazaars, Wastelands, Shamans, Welders, Crypts and any other playable spells with some activated abilities on it.

The E.E.s are the"glue" that can something let you stall & win against Random.decs, get rid of CotVs, destroy BloodMoons and Oaths far more easily than anyother thing. I played it since Rods were played less than before because of Vials.


The only card that I usually dislike is Chainer's Edict. The sorcery speed bouncer can be a possible substitute for him, but I not totally sure at all. If Mis-Ds would grow in number, I would swap it for the Bouncer for sure, butuntil now, the "Mis-D's Phenomenom" is not so huge here.





Maxx

[Luiggi]

I have not found any effective sideboard strategy that doesn't weaken the deck. Sideboarding is just too hard [...] Maybe I'm just not good enough to see the slight variations that make the deck better after SB'ing...

Just wanted to chime in and say that I agree 100% with Dozer's assessment. SB'ing with this deck is really hard, and I also have not been able to figure out a consistently good plan for the various matchups...

Luiggi

[Chamelet]

1 Tendrils
1 Eye of Nowhere
3 Pithing Needle
2 Duress
1 Rushing River
1 Rebuild
1 Pyroclasm
1 Boseiju
1 Eng. Explosives
1 Rack and Ruin
1 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Chainer's Edict

To me, bouncers are just like permanent removal in this deck. You bounce when you're going to win, and you bounce whatever isn't letting you win.
That said, I really think Eng. Explosives is uselless in this deck. Against CotV I'll board Rebuild and Rack and Ruin in. And against random aggro Pyroclasm, Echoing Truth and Rushing River are all you want. I still keep it in against some boring enchantments like Planar Void, etc.
Explaining the cards:
Tendrils, Eye and Needle don't need explanation right? Needle is the card I board in 60% of the matchups. I don't feel like putting more sorceries in the SB because Burning Wish is a kill condition. If you use it for utility, you're assuming you'll do the Colossus kill, and that's not always good. The Chainer's Edict will probably leave for something more useful, just don't know what yet.
I took out the 2 REB's for 2 Duresses. They're basically the same thing, but Duress is useful against every deck and it lets me play a more consistant mana base: 3 Seas, 2 Volcanics, 5 Fetchs. Meaning I reduced the Red count in the SB.
Rushing RIver and Rebuild are removal, like I said. Rebuild is AWESOME against everything these days.
Pyroclasm against Fish and random aggro. Against Fish I almost never board this in because the lack of room. I rather board Needles in, specially against green builds.
I dont't play LoA maindeck 'cause I think it's B-A-D in this deck. I've tried both Boseiju and LoA SB and Boseiju is just better for the I win factor.
Well, Rack and Ruin is also self-explanatory. Comes in together with Rebuild, always.
BEB is against random Blood Moons or Goblins, etc. Never used it, but it's still there 'cause I'm very afraid.
I don't use Old Man of the Sea or Seasinger 'cause I think they're slow. You don't need Fish's guys when you can simply kill'em or bounce'em and win.
Thought of Meltdown too. Don't know if I just prefer another Rebuild or Rack and Ruin.
Well, that's it.
No one's answered my Gush question... how do you feel about it? (Smennen?)

[Nehptis]

I have also been thinking about Needle a lot. There is no single matchup where you can't use Needle. The only reason to board it in instead of playing it MD is the suprise it can be for your opponent. Also, you don't want your opponent to board artifact hate. But to be honest, I can see Needle maindeck in place of the two pitch counters and having three Misdirections in the board for the control matchup. Then you could use the FoF and Truth slots for boarding in 2-ofs according to the decks you face. Or am I thinking too simplistic here?

I think you are right on the money.  I just played a tourney where I main decked 3 Needles.  They were huge all day long.  I did lose to UW Fish despite the MD Needles.  However, the Fish loss was due to him drawing all his hate both games and me not seeing 1 Needle early enough in either game.  The Slaver matches were almost too easy with the Needles.

[Eddie]

The needles are superb. I've played it against wasteland most of the time.  I even stopped a Jester's Cap from becoming active. The options are almost infinite and it is never a dead card. I do question putting them maindeck though. For reference, I'm playing with the current sideboard:

1 Rebuild
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
2 Old Man of the Sea
3 Pithing Needle
2 Pyroclasm
1 Eye of Nowhere
1 Tendrils of Agony
2 Rack and Ruin
1 Extract

I added the extract for the mirror and the occasional TPS. Extracting Burning Wish / Yawgmoth's Will / Colossus is great. I'd advise everyone to test one in the side.

[Dozer]

I don't feel like putting more sorceries in the SB because Burning Wish is a kill condition. If you use it for utility, you're assuming you'll do the Colossus kill, and that's not always good.

This is a problem I also have. But you just need to recognize the situations when you have to Wish for something to stay in the game -- better not do it against someone packing Swords, though.

Prompted by the sideboards posted here, I took them, Smmenen's Origins board, and the Gifts sideboards from the T8s in Iserlohn and Eindhoven and combined the numbers. Here are all the cards that appear in the nine sideboards. The format is "name" (# of SB's the card appears in/ total # of copies played in all sideboards), listed in order of sideboards appeared in:

Tendrils of Agony (9/9 - what a surprise!)
Pyroclasm (9/15)
Rack and Ruin (9/14)
Red Elemental Blast (8/12)
Pithing Needle (7/17)
Pyroblast (7/7)
Rebuild (6/6)
Eye of Nowhere (6/6)
Blue Elemental Blast (4/4)
Boseiju (4/4)
Duress (3/6)
Old Man of the Sea (3/6)
Chainer's Edict (3/3)
Hurkyl's Recall (3/3)
Seasinger (2/4)
Engineered Explosives (2/3)
Deep Analysis (2/2)
Extract (2/2)
Coffin Purge (2/2)

Fire/Ice (1/2)
Rushing River (1/1)
Hydroblast (1/1)
Spawning Pit (1/1) -- WTF of this list (thank you, former World Champ Tom van de Logt!)
Echoing Truth (1/1)
Gorilla Shaman (1/1)
Cranial Extraction (1/1)
Meltdown (1/1)
Misdirection (1/1) -- and all 135 cards from 9 sideboards accounted for!

If you count Seasinger as an Old Man replacement and add their scores (I think this is legitimate, they never turn up together), the Old Singer goes up to 5/10 (2 copies), just below Eye of Nowhere. The statistical consensus sideboard after that is:

1 Tendrils of Agony
2 Pyroclasm
2 Rack and Ruin
2 REB
2 Pithing Needle
1 Pyroblast
1 Rebuild
1 Eye of Nowhere
2 Old Man/Seasinger
1 Blue Elemental Blast or 1 Boseiju (tie)

Put a third Pithing Needle in slot #15 and you have Steve's exact Origins sideboard, which comes closest to this small statistical sample. (Good job!) I think the stats turn out a pretty solid board here, allowing a little maneuvering space for stunts like Extract (which I like as an idea). Also, this gives a pretty good idea that the majority does not want black cards in their boards, a sentiment I very much agree to. Black cards are hard to support, and you don't want to force yourself to fetch for a Sea when you already have a Volcanic on the table that paid for the Wish. The number of potential Wish targets is also very low, with only Eye of Nowhere and Pyroclasm beyond the obvious Tendrils. This indicates that Wish is more of a win condition and less of a support card -- which also has already been hinted at.

This board is a good starting point for sideboarding strategies, I think. Although all maindecks are different, this board nevertheless accomodates all needs... What do you think?

Dozer

[b-tings]

I understand the distaste for Black cards in the sideboard, but, for those of you playing two pyroclasm, have you tried 1 Pyroclasm 1 Massacre? How has this effected the U/W fish matchup (i.e. has the increased speed outweighed the need for two different duals on the table)?

[Luiggi]

In a topic in the Tournament Forum Smmenen was saying that he was going to try swapping the Echoing Truth for a Cunning Wish. This seems to make SBing decisions easier, since you would leave some copies in the board of whatever instants you might be boarding in, to be grabbed with the Wish... Other thoughts on his proposed change?

Luiggi

[Dralock]

In a topic in the Tournament Forum Smmenen was saying that he was going to try swapping the Echoing Truth for a Cunning Wish. This seems to make SBing decisions easier, since you would leave some copies in the board of whatever instants you might be boarding in, to be grabbed with the Wish... Other thoughts on his proposed change?

Luiggi

I have used wish and its just slow. Being that you have superior blue tutors, what on earth would you need wish for? Echoing truth goes from being UU2 to UU3, rebuild goes from UU3 to UU4. And if they have spheres on the table, it goes up even farther than that.

Sideboards are meta decisions, run what you want to wish for with burning wish, and then hate whatever it is that you are going to be up againsed. I don't think the difference in running pyroclasm vs engineered explosives in the side is worth debating if you are going to be going up againsed a field of Big-O and reanimator. So what difference does it make if you do not have a specific meta in mind?

*EDIT* "chalices" changed out for "spheres", and will make much more sense now.

[Chamelet]

Loved the Extract idea. Swaping one Chainer's Edict for one Extract!
Maybe I'll even put one Seasinger and another Extract in the board replacing the Duresses. Don't know yet.
What do you feel about 2 REB x 2 Duress in SB? (remembering that I've exchanged them so I can play a mana base with 5 fetchs)

[Smmenen]

I think that Extract is pretty weak.  The best card to extract is Will but they can just Burning Wish that back. 

I was actually thinking of adding in two Cunning Wishes - but that is based entirely on theory and not playtesting. 

I think it is important to keep this deck in flux as the metagame shifts to deal with it.  Right now I hear alot of bluster and talk about people being able to really handle this, but I haven't heard anyone saying that they have found a totally wretched matchup.  The flawed assumption I think is thought that this deck is static and can't change either in its maindck configuration or in how it is played.  I have been consistently amazed at how differnent approaches to this deck are.  I think the fact that so many cards in this deck are tutors suggests that it suits my playstyle.  If your personal playstyle is different, then it should be changed to reflect that if only because you will suffer for it if you don't.