Control Decks:

(Applies to: Miracles, Stoneblade, UR Landstill, Shardless BUG/BUG Control, etc.)

Force Of WillFlusterstormCounterbalance
These decks are typically a little slower than the average blue Tempo decks of the format. Because of this, they try to slow the game down. Cards like Chrome Mox are inherently a faster card since its card disadvantage at the cost of the mana it provides – meaning over a longer game that its less valuable. I believe that its perfectly acceptable to sideboard out Chrome Mox in these match-ups if we have better cards to bring in. For example: Against Miracles I would take out up to three Chrome Mox for the copies of Abrupt Decay. Where it becomes tricky is decks such as Stoneblade/Esperblade.

Sideboard out Empty the Warrens against Miracles (I personally keep it in versus Blade variants). We do this to limit our chances of being blown out by Terminus, Batterskull, Engineered Explosives, Pernicious Deed, Golgari Charm, Maelstrom Pulse, etc. The problem with sideboarding out Empty the Warrens is now our deck lacks a main deck win condition. I would bring in Tendrils of Agony in these types of match-ups. Boarding in a non-Empty the Warrens win condition is a must, otherwise you leave yourself the opportunity to lose games to corner cases like being shut out of the game by Meddling Mage.

For match-ups with Meddling Mage I bring in Abrupt Decay, Grapeshot or Tendrils of Agony. These help off set the effectiveness of Meddling Mage forcing us into awkward situations where we’re forced into casting Empty the Warrens.

Thoughtseize is a relatively new addition for the Miracles match-up. Discarding Vendilion Clique, Snapcaster Mage, Counterbalance or Sensei’s Divining Top before they can hit the table. The extra discard really helps against them building any board presence. If we can slow the game down without a Counterbalance on the table, the game is definitely in our favor. With TES moving up to four copies of Abrupt Decay, our discard is able to not be stretched thin between so many “must answer” cards.

Siding out copies of Ponder is fairly typical from TES. They’re sort of expendable and at worst become Burning Wish targets. Sideboarding for these match-ups can be difficult as there are so many cards we would like to bring in, but the entire deck feels useful in some way.

Miracles:
+4 Abrupt Decay
+2 Thoughtseize
+1 Bayou
+0/+1 Tendrils of Agony
-3 Chrome Mox
-2 Ponder
-1 Lotus Petal
-1 Swamp
-0/-1 Empty the Warrens

Stoneblade:
+3 Abrupt Decay
+1 Bayou -2 Ponder
-2 Chrome Mox

UR Landstill:
None

Shardless BUG/BUG Control:
+1 Bayou
+1 Tendrils of Agony
-1 Chrome Mox
-1 Empty the Warrens



Tempo Decks:

(Applies to: Team America, RUG Tempo/Canadian Threshold, UWr Delver, UR Delver, Merfolk, etc.)

StifleWastelandDelver Of Secrets
In a lot of ways the Tempo match-ups are the exact opposite from the control match-ups. We absolutely want to keep a few Chrome Mox because they’re focused on mana denial with a quick clock which means a lower life total for Ad Nauseam. Revealing a Chrome Mox off of Ad Nauseam is practically one of the best things you can do in those situations.

Empty the Warrens is also an all-star in these match-ups as most of these decks can’t deal with it at all. However, don’t forget to play around Stifle and Flusterstorm.

Lastly, Merfolk is an exception to the rule for tempo decks. Abrupt Decay is brought in to fight off the trend of Merfolk siding in (sometimes even main deck) Chalice of the Void. I take out a few copies of Chrome Mox to help negate the effectiveness of Chalice of the Void. Empty the Warrens isn’t recommended as Merfolk can kill you through it due to Islandwalk, it’s a real risky play if the number isn’t over 14 on turn one. Merfolk is great at putting tons of blockers into play. Some lists even play Echoing Truth as an answer to the Goblin tokens.

Stoneblade:
+3 Abrupt Decay
+1 Bayou -2 Ponder
-2 Chrome Mox

Grixis Delver:
+1 Bayou
-1 Chrome Mox

Sultai Delver:
+1 Bayou
-1 Chrome Mox

Temur Delver:
+1 Bayou
-1 Chrome Mox

UR Delver:
+1 Bayou
-1 Chrome Mox

Merfolk:
+4 Abrupt Decay
+1 Bayou -2 Ponder
-2 Chrome Mox
-1 Empty the Warrens



Aggressive Creature Decks:

(Applies to: Zoo, Goblins, Burn, etc.)

Goblin GuideEidolon Of The Great RevelLightning Bolt
While we’re on fast paced decks, we have aggressive creature decks. Unlike the Tempo decks, Duress isn’t exactly stellar against them.

I would substitute Duress and Gitaxian Probe in these match-ups! I hardly ever side out Gitaxian Probe, but against Burn I believe it’s acceptable. Bring in Bayou and Void Snare over Duress most of the time.

Against Burn specifically, we have to bring in Abrupt Decay. Their only relevant card against us is Eidolon of the Great Revel, we might as well not let it destroy us. It’s important to try and combo off before Eidolon of the Great Revel becomes relevant, think of it as similar to the Thalia, Guardian of Thraben match-ups. This is the reason we keep Empty the Warrens in the deck! Void Snare can come in with lists that also play Grapeshot as there’s an answer in the sideboard as a back-up plan against the red menace.

Zoo:
+1 Bayou
+1 Void Snare
-2 Duress

Goblins:
+1 Bayou
+1 Thoughtseize
+1 Void Snare
-2 Duress
-1 Empty the Warrens

Burn:
+4 Abrupt Decay
+1 Void Snare
+1 Bayou
-4 Gitaxian Probe
-2 Duress



Midrange Creature Decks:

(Applies to: Maverick, Junk, B/x Discard, Death & Taxes, Jund, Nicfit, etc.)

Thalia Guardian Of ThrabenGaddock TeegEthersworn Canonist
There are two different ways we sideboard for midrange decks, those with Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or Gaddock Teeg and then those without.

The match-ups against Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or Gaddock Teeg are very similar to the aggressive creature match-ups, except these decks are generally a little slower. This is a match-up where we swap in answers for permanent based problems, side in Abrupt Decay and then either Grapeshot or Void Snare. I would leave one of the last two as a Burning Wish target. I prefer Grapeshot as it’s a win condition in case Surgical Extraction ends up targeting Burning Wish (Less relevant in these match-ups as Empty the Warrens is usually enough, but for the times it’s not there’s a back-up plan). There’s also the added benefit of being able to destroy their board if you naturally draw it.

The reason you don’t take out Empty the Warrens against Death & Taxes or Maverick is that sometimes you just need to attempt to combo on turn one. By keeping Empty the Warrens in the deck, the odds of this are increased dramatically. They’ll likely try to stabilize with a Batterskull – this would be a scenario where the synergy with Cabal Therapy would shine.

The other way to sideboard is more for the Jund and Nic-fit decks. We’re simply looking to add consistency, there isn’t anything to fight off in these match-ups generally. Meaning, we’re not. These decks typically don’t bring in permanent based hate and attempt to fight us with discard, let ours disrupt theirs.

You could sideboard out Empty the Warrens in this match-up, these decks tend to pack Maelstrom Pulse, Toxic Deluge and Golgari Charm. If you do bring in Tendrils of Agony.

Maverick:
+4 Abrupt Decay
+1 Grapeshot
+1 Bayou
-4 Ponder
-2 Duress

Death & Taxes:
+4 Abrupt Decay
+1 Grapeshot
+1 Bayou
-4 Ponder
-2 Duress

Junk:
+2 Thoughtseize
+1 Grapeshot
-2 Duress
-1 Ponder

Jund:
None

NicFit:
None



Small Creature Combo Decks:

(Applies to: Elves, Painter Servant, Infect, etc.)

Ruric Thar The UnbowedThorn Of AmethystPainters Servant
Unlike any of the arch-types listed prior to this one, this category is very unique and doesn’t really follow any rules.

For Elves, I treat the match-up as I do the aggressive creature decks. Its fairly easy to see why we wouldn’t want Duress or Empty the Warrens. This is a match-up where Thoughtseize is a huge upgrade in the discard package – being able to hit Deathrite Shaman, Natural Order or even Thorn of Amethyst. From there you can side either Grapeshot or Void Snare, I prefer Grapeshot as it’s a win condition in case Surgical Extraction ends up targeting Burning Wish. There’s also the added benefit of being able to destroy their board if you naturally draw it.

For Painter’s Servant combo I recommend one of two options, the first is to not sideboard. Use Duress and Cabal Therapy to slow down their combo while stopping them from playing their hate spells in Trinisphere and Blood Moon. The other option would be to side in Abrupt Decay over Ponder. Either option is fine, it really depends on the individual deck list. Empty the Warrens is really risky in this match-up because they can win right after you cast it if you don’t have a Cabal Therapy, but its also super important to attempt to win before Trinisphere or Blood Moon hit the table. Blue cards are often a liability due to the high amount of Pyroblast effects.

For this reason, I’m unsure if you should bring in Hurkyl’s Recall to fight off their permanent based hate. I couldn’t blame anyone for doing it, I just don’t know if it’s the right call.

Lastly, I would treat Infect as a traditional combo deck. Bring in Thoughtseize over Empty the Warrens, as it’s a liability. Infect can kill you through it due to either Flying or Trample, due to this I recommend against Goblin tokens.

Elves:
+2 Thoughtseize
+1 Grapeshot
-2 Duress
-1 Empty the Warrens

Painter Servant:
+4 Abrupt Decay
+1 Bayou
-4 Ponder
-1 Empty the Warrens

Infect:
+1 Thoughtseize
-1 Empty the Warrens



Big Creature/Show and Tell Combo Decks:

(Applies to: OmniShow, Sneak & Show, Reanimator, etc.)

GriselbrandShow And TellLeyline Of Sanctity
We treat all three three decks in the archetype as the same deck, sideboard in Thoughtseize over a copy of Chrome Mox and Empty the Warrens. It’s best to be discard dense in these types of match-ups to throw off their hands.

The weakness of these types of decks is their hands often are clunky with uncastable combo pieces, it’s best to expose that by taking away their relevant spells.

The Show and Tell decks will sometimes sideboard into Leyline of Sanctity, this affects our game plan in one of two ways. We’re required to answer it unless we cast Empty the Warrens, the problem with that is they could easily kill us on their turn – it’s sort of a catch 22. We also have Void Snare in our sideboard as a Burning Wish target to cast post-Ad Nauseam to answer Leyline of Sanctity.

Omnishow:
+2 Thoughtseize
-1 Chrome Mox
-1 Empty the Warrens

Sneak & Show:
+2 Thoughtseize
-1 Chrome Mox
-1 Empty the Warrens

Reanimator:
+2 Thoughtseize
-1 Chrome Mox
-1 Empty the Warrens



Combo Decks:

(Applies to: Storm, Dredge, High Tide, etc.)

Cabal TherapySurgical ExtractionFlusterstorm
For the Dark Ritual combo storm mirror, the sideboarding instructions couldn’t be much easier. Empty the Warrens forces you to go all in and is too slow, sideboard it out for pretty much anything. The card sided in is typically Thoughtseize.

Something to keep in the back of your mind is that some ANT lists are running Surgical Extraction. If you see Surgical Extraction in game two and there’s a third game, you may want to side in Tendrils of Agony.

I would side out the third Chrome Mox for the other Thoughtseize rather than leaving it as a Burning Wish target. The density of discard spells will out weigh the value of keeping one discard spell in the sideboard, allowing your Burning Wishes to be used on game-breaking plays. The storm mirror comes down to stopping the opponent from winning quickly, the additional discard spell here and Chrome Mox isn’t spectacular when your hand is being shredded by opposing discard spells.

As for Dredge, we treat it similarly to Dark Ritual based combo – sideboard out Empty the Warrens for Thoughtseize.

Chrome Mox is better here since being faster is more critical and they lack discard (aside from flashback Cabal Therapy).

As for High Tide, it might as well be Show and Tell or Dark Ritual based combo – sideboard out Empty the Warrens and Chrome Mox for the pair ofThoughtseize.

Storm:
+2 Thoughtseize
-1 Chrome Mox
-1 Empty the Warrens

Dredge:
+1 Thoughtseize
-1 Empty the Warrens

High Tide:
+2 Thoughtseize
-1 Chrome Mox
-1 Empty the Warrens



Prison Decks:

(Applies to: MUD/Stax/EldraziChalice Aggro/Lands, etc.)

WastelandChaliceoftheVoidTrinisphere
Sideboarding for the Chalice of the Void match-ups isn’t easy. We want to take out all copies of Ponder – I know this sounds ridiculous. Ponder is a “set up” card in a match where we need to be fast as possible. In these types of match-ups, I would rather be threat dense and mulligan slightly more often than spend time looking for specific cards. Ponder also has the issue of being one mana. Chalice of the Void is typically set at one against us. Take these out for Abrupt Decay and Hurkyl’s Recall.

The reason we don’t sideboard out Empty the Warrens is that we need to be able to combo out as quickly as possible. We can become locked out of the game before we know it, dropping Goblins on the table is the cheapest way we can combo out. There’s also the fact that these Chalice of the Void/Trinisphere decks don’t have answers to Empty the Warrens.

Keep in mind that Hurkyl’s Recall is important since it can hit Lodestone Golem where Abrupt Decay does not.

I don’t care for Cabal Therapy when the opponent’s hate is so varied. It’s much better when we know what they have. For this reason, I prefer to keep in Duress or Thoughtseize over it.

For the decks with Tabernacle of Pendrell Vale, sideboard out Empty the Warrens. Since Lands based decks don’t play any creatures, Duress and Thoughtseize is a strict upgrade in comparison to Cabal Therapy as it always has the potential to hit and its critical to hit whatever they have in their hand since their artifacts (Chalice of the Void and Trinisphere) will often win them the game.

Ponder is a fine card against Lands since they’re slower than the other decks of these styles, providing time to look for hate or even set up a turn two kill.

Eldrazi/Chalice Aggro:
+4 Abrupt Decay
+2 Hurkyl’s Recall
+2 Thoughtseize
+1 Bayou
-4 Cabal Therapy
-2 Ponder
-2 Duress
-1 Chrome Mox

MUD/Stax:
+4 Abrupt Decay
+2 Hurkyl’s Recall
+2 Thoughtseize
+1 Bayou
-4 Ponder
-4 Cabal Therapy

Lands:
+4 Abrupt Decay
+2 Hurkyl’s Recall
+1 Bayou
-4 Cabal Therapy
-2 Duress
-1 Empty the Warrens