Quote Originally Posted by shonenkakumei View Post
Hi Whitefaces,

Congrats on your nice finishes and thanks for pioneering this sweet deck.

I was wondering if you had a sideboard guide that you used? I was wondering, for instance, about the Grim Lavamancers. Also, thoughts on/plans for playing against Chalice decks?
Hey, thanks!

This probably isn't the answer you're looking for but so far I've been siding differently vs the same decks a lot of the time based on what they've seen game one. There are general play patterns, but for example if I'm playing vs a deck like Grixis Control which I know will be playing Surgicals I'd sometimes trim a Dark Ritual and Buried Alive. It's still great in the matchup, but because we know they have a good answer to it we're only looking to execute the plan after seeing their hand first and paving the way for it to work, so the game will be slower and we have time to find the combo pieces while sculpting. But if they lost to a Young Pyromancer in game one and didn't see the combo I'll be keeping all of it in. They might know the decklist at this point, but you need to consider things like this.

The other thing is the sideboard is still very much a work in progress, so it's changing a lot.

But on your questions, Grim Lavamancer is for things like Death and Taxes, Delver or any other creature decks. I wasn't very impressed with it though, it did very little in the challenge, even vs Elves playing it turn one on the play it felt too slow. I think Lightning Bolts would be better in this slot. Dnt especially though you need some removal for.

Vs Chalice decks I'll bring in every answer to it, so Abrade and Echoing Truth, Spell Pierces vs Moon Stompy too. Cut some or all Cabal Therapy and Preordain/s can be trimmed.

I've been playing an Esper version of this deck the past week and I think it's actually even better than the Grixis one. The gist of it is Mentors > Young Pyromancer, better sideboard cards and some more fast mana with Lotus Petals. Mentor is absolutely broken in the deck, still tweaking on the list and sb but the core is

4 Monastery Mentor
2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
4 Arclight Phoenix

4 Ponder
4 Brainstorm
4 Preordain
4 Thoughtseize
4 Cabal Therapy
2 Daze
4 Dark Ritual
4 Buried Alive
4 Lotus Petal

2 Underground Sea
2 Tundra
1 Scrubland
1 Volcanic Island
4 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
1 Island
1 Swamp

Jaces have been so-so, might get cut soon but worth trying more.