How to Play the Jund Mirror Match (Includes Sideboard Plans)
November 8, 2009 | Posted by Dee
A couple people have asked me for tips on how to play the Jund mirror match so I thought I would braindump everything I’ve learned from playing. I’ve only gone 4-4 in matches and 12-9 in games but I think I learned a lot from my losses.
It’s tough to get higher than a 50% win percentage in mirror matches with established decks since most of the players know the good sideboard cards. Plus, it is a mirror match after all and cascade tends to increase the luck factor.
Here’s my current list for reference sake.
| Jund Aggro-Control | |||||||||||
Creatures (15) Spells (20) | Lands (25) Sideboard (15) |
| |||||||||
From my previous post, the main deck is unchanged. I haven’t changed the main deck in a while. I think it’s pretty tight but I have seen players playing 1-2 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood over Forests. One of these players is top ten MTG pro, LSV, so this change is probably worth testing.
The sideboard has changed a lot.
Old Sideboard
2 Terminate
4 Mind Rot
3 Duress
3 Jund Charm
3 Great Sable Stag
New Sideboard
2 Terminate
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
3 Thought Hemorrhage
2 Jund Charm
4 Great Sable Stag
Changes
-3 Duress
-4 Mind Rot
-1 Jund Charm
+4 Goblin Ruinblaster
+1 Great Sable Stag
+3 Thought Hemorrhage
Duress wasn’t doing much since Jund is not really a fast aggro deck. Thought Hemorrhage is better to stop combo and some control decks.
Red Deck Wins, Boros, and Soldiers are not being played that much so I don’t need 3 Jund Charms.
I know that I evaluated the Mind Rots highly. They were great at first in the mirror match. However, the more I played, the more I realized that board presence was the key.
Therefore, I added the Goblin Ruinblasters back in. They are still not great to cascade into on turn four with Bloodbraid. But a turn four Goblin Ruinblaster is usually better than a turn three Mind Rot. Plus, Ruinblaster is a much better topdeck in the late game. And Ruinblaster can trade with Bloodbraid Elf late in the game whereas Mind Rot… not so much.
I added an extra Stag since my metagame has a lot of Jund decks and it has proven to be a great sideboard card for the mirror.
By the way, I mostly play on Magic-League.com and the metagame there is pretty balanced with different decks ranging from control, aggro, and combo.
If you have a different metagame, feel free to leave a comment about it. I can recommend sideboard changes and maybe even main deck changes if your metagame is wonky enough.
Gameplay Analysis
It’s game one. You’re on the draw. Your opponent plays a turn one Savage Lands. More than likely, you’re playing the mirror match. What should your mindset be?
Watch out for Pulse. Yesterday, I played someone who went turn two Leech, turn three Leech. I went turn three Pulse and won the game pretty easily. Unless you have no other play, don’t leave yourself open to Pulse.
Look for opportunities to Blightning their Garruk. You won’t always be able to use Blightning on their walker but if you have the choice, save it. For example, it’s turn three. Neither of you have made a play. You can play Blightning or Thrinax. I would play Thrinax.
There are exceptions though. If they mulliganed and are low on cards, then go with Blightning. Also, if you have two Blightnings in hand, it’s probably just best to play them in back to back turns.
Don’t pump Leech if they have red open. Seems obvious but I’ve seen many people lose their Leech to Bolt when they didn’t have to risk it. Of course, you can pump if you have a read on them that they don’t have Bolt.
Bloodbraid is a removal spell. Don’t run out Bloodbraid when your opponent has an empty battlefield unless you have no other play or they’re in a vulnerable position with low life. You don’t want to cascade into Pulse, Bolt, or Terminate.
I’ve talked about this before but it’s very important in the mirror match, since you want to have better Bloodbraids than your opponent.
Try to Bit Blast when they have two creatures. Same principle as the previous tip.
Bit Blast on your turn is often the best option. Why? Because then you can attack with Bloodbraid. Also, it sucks to cascade into Garruk on their turn.
However, you still want to maximize your mana. If they go Broodmate and you have five mana, use Bit Blast EOT.
Save your Bolts for Stag. Many Jund decks play Stag main. Unless you have many Stag blockers like Garruk, Bloodbraid, Thrinax tokens, and red 4/4 dragons, use your other removal and save Bolt.
One Stag blocker is not enough since the Jund deck has a lot of removal. Without a Bolt in hand, you usually need 2-3 Stag blockers to keep it from dominating.
The main ability for Garruk is to make a beast. Don’t fall into the trap of going turn four Garruk, untap two lands, and play Leech. If your opponent Pulses your Garruk, you’ve missed out on a 3/3 guy.
Sideboard Plans
One thing I’ve found with post sideboard games is that many different cards can be good. But it all depends on the cards you and your opponent draw.
A couple examples. Bolts are awesome if he has Stags. But Bolts are bad if he has Leeches.
Pulse is bad if you have the same creatures on the board. But it’s amazing if he has six Thrinax tokens and you have none.
Leech is great if he has Bolts but if he has Stags, Leech is not so hot.
Therefore, my sideboard plan is to have a main deck with a lot of different cards.
Also, keep in mind your curve. I see people boarding out all their Leeches or Broodmates. This seems suboptimal. You still want to have a post sideboard main deck with a good curve.
If he doesn’t draw his Ruinblasters and/or you have a mana flood, you’ll wish you had some six drops. If he goes turn two Leech, turn three Leech and Bolt your Stag, you’ll wish you had some Leeches still in the deck.
Sideboard Plan for the Mirror
+4 Stag
+4 Ruinblaster
-1 Broodmate Dragon
-1 Leech
-1 Bolt
-2 Terminate
-2 Pulse
-1 Bit Blast
I bring in a full set of Stags and Ruinblasters because those are the best cards in the mirror along with Bloodbraid, Thrinax, and Blightning.
Terminate is easily the worst removal spell so I cut all the copies. It can’t kill multiple Thrinax tokens like Pulse. It doesn’t have cascade like Bit Blast and it can’t target Stag like Bolt.
| Post Sideboard Main Deck for the Mirror Match | |||||||||||
Creatures (21)
Spells (14) | Lands (25) |
| |||||||||
Sideboard Games Analysis
Obviously, keep in mind the principles from game one. But here are some other things to consider in games two and three.
Check to see if you can be immune to Ruinblaster. It’s a long shot but if you can play just basic lands in your first few land drops, you’ll keep Ruinblaster from destroying a land. Obviously, don’t go overboard with this. You still want to be able to cast your spells.
Watch your mana carefully. Ruinblasters and Stags stretch your mana base with 2RR and 1GG. Do your best to lay down your lands carefully to accommodate 1GG on turn three and 2RR on turn four.
Remember that you can pay the kicker cost of Ruinblaster if you cascade into it. You don’t want to play Bloodbraid or Bit Blast and cascade into Ruinblaster with a Forest untapped when you could’ve had Rootbound Crag untapped instead.
Also, don’t make this play. My opponent had two cards in hand and four lands. It was his main phase and he hadn’t played his land for the turn. He played Bloodbraid and cascaded into Ruinblaster. He showed me his card, a Mountain. Doh.
8 Responses to “How to Play the Jund Mirror Match (Includes Sideboard Plans)”
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Hi,
I’m just a kid, but I’ve been playing for some years now, but through all that, no one once mentioned to me the specifics of the end of turn step. Can you explain it with detail, and your opponent can’t respond to spells you played at EOT right? I’m really confused.
During EOT both you and your opponent can play instants. Your opponent can respond to your instants with his own instants.
[...] just played five matches against Nissa Monument with my Jund deck and it feels like Nissa has the advantage. I would say 55/45 or 60/40 in Nissa’s [...]
Hello, thanks for the Article. Most of your choices are quite covincing. What I’ve learned from playing the mirror is:
1. Better Cascade wins the game.
2. Double Blightning wins the game.
3. The first Broodmate Dragon ends the game.
Due to point 1 and 3 I have my doubts, that siding out Dragon and Blast is the correct action. Maybe we could side out 1 Thrinax and another Bolt?
Looking forward to your reply.
Cheers,
Shizzow
Lemme add a fourth
4. The first Ruinblaster usually wins the game.
The reason I side out Dragon and Blast is because most Jund decks are bringing in 4 Ruinblasters so I might be hard to hit 5 and 6 mana.
I could see cutting a Bolt instead of Dragon. But I wouldn’t cut Thrinax. Thrinax is one of the best cards in the mirror imo. Not only does it provide card advantage but its tokens can trade with Stag and they’re good at protecting Garruk.
Also, in my experience, when two Jund decks battle, you often won’t see more than one creature on each side since Jund has a lot of removal. So, Bit Blast can have some dead cascades.
For example, you’re both in topdeck mode but they have the only creature on the board, a Leech. You topdeck Bit Blast but cascade into Terminate, Pulse, or Bolt.
Also, Bit Blast can’t kill Stag and most decks will have four Stags post sb.
Another thing that came to my mind: Have you ever considered cutting Garruk entirely (or moving him to the SB)? This grants space for MD Stags or more removal. ‘Cause I noticed that a lot of games I lose is because of running out of removals and get crushed by a spoiler (e.g. Lolslayer Angel and Vampire Nocturnus) And I think that Garruk is one of the weaker slots in the deck. Any thoughts about that?
Cheers,
Shizzow
I’m thinking of testing Master of the Wild Hunt in Garruk’s spot since some pros played Master in Worlds instead of Garruk.
Master seems pretty good since it’s a creature that can also provide removal if not dealt with right away.
What I have learned is good is adding in two rampant growths in the side….a turn two rampant is amazing in the mirror. getting the basic helps you be less vulnerable to ruinblasters, you can pull your off the a turn before them, and if they end up ruinblastering you, the rampant growth makes up for the losses….and a turn 5 broodmate is just sick. I also drop a pulse and a garruck for 2 rangers main….they help fix mana, thin your deck for the late game when everyone is in topdecking mode,and he is a solid body.