An Extensive Guide on How to Side Deck Successfully

Posted on Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Side Decking is a skill that should be used by almost every competitive player once they realize that the game can be played on a competitive level. Side decking is designed to be a tool that a player has in their arsenal to improve upon a certain match-up no matter what that match-up may be. When a player dives into his or her side-deck he wants to change things into his or her favor. There are currently a number of ways to do this but all of them attempt to achieve the same goal of disrupting an opponents strategy or counter Strategy. For today’s article I am going to touch on what I believe are the basics.

Every time you side deck you are attempting to make the match-up better. For starters, you have to know what kinds of cards are good against the predicted metagame. For this to work successfully you have to make a deeper read than just knowing what types of decks are standard in the format.

For example lets dissect and analyze the metagame calls and side-decking skills I utilized last format for the 2009 National Championship LCQ’s. First I present you with a decklist.

Lightsworn

3 Lumina Lightsworn Summoner
3 Wulf, Lightsworn Beast
1 Garoth Lightsworn Warrior
1 Lyla Lightsworn Sorceress
3 Necro Guardna
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
2 Judgement Dragon
1 Jain Lightsworn Paladin
1 Ryko Lightsworn Hunter
2 Celestia Lightsworn Angel
2 Arkus Lightsworn Druid
3 Honest
1 Herald of Creation
1 Gorz Emissary of Darkness

3 Charge of the Light Brigade
3 Solar Recharge
2 Monster Reincarnation
1 Heavy Storm
1 Monster Reborn

1 Crush Card Virus
1 Beckoning Light
3 Royal Decree

As you can see it is pretty much a standard Decree variant of Lightsworn. Decreesworn was not as popular as a standard Lightsworn variant that sided Decrees. The main reason being that the metagame did not call for it. My friend made an amazing metagame call at the LCQ event by suggesting that people would be playing G-beasts as a safe bet, Blackwings would probably be second most played, then Lightsworn, and then some weird anti-meta decks at the time. Most of these decks have a bad match-up against Decree Sworn (save for the actual Lightsworn variants) so the Decree’s were mained.

For the LCQ event my friends metagame call was spot on when I faced 2 Gladiator Beast Decks, 1 Anti Meta Deck, and 1 Lightsworn Deck. The metagame game call is more vital and important to the side deck than the main deck though. Main deck metagame calls can be a big gamble and is not always needed as the deck can still handle its own even if the call was right. What ends up happening if the metagame is wrong is that it can leave you with less than optimal card choices, or in the worst case scenario dead cards.

With that said, the second skill to remember in side decking is knowing what to side out versus what match up. The goal that you are trying to accomplish with this is have more optimal card choices in a match-up where this was not entirely possible before. The most important thing to remember here is optimize your card choices and effects while still maintaining a degree of synergy.

This is why I’m not a fan of cards like D.D. Crow and Mirror of Oaths. The cards to me feel too situational for what they provide, since they give little to no use outside of a very linear scenario, and they do singular things rather than affect the match-up directly. In side decking I like to think of these cards as Micros, since they effect the game state once, and are very singular in use and purpose. The cards I like to think are better are the Macros, or cards that I feel like effect the match up continuously, do multiple things for the match-up. Cards like these are Dimensional Fissure and Light Imprisoning Mirror, because they do something directly to the opponent and apply continuous pressure to the game state.

Now lets take a look at what my side deck actually looked like for the LCQ.

Side Deck:
3 Threatening Roar
1 Lyla Lightsworn Sorceress
1 Lightning Vortex
1 Brain Control
1 Ryko Lightsworn Hunter
2 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer
1 Giant Trunade
1 Beckoning Light
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Ehren Lightsworn Monk
2 Dust Tornado

The side deck continued with the metagame call, focusing on how most decks will be siding into Oppression or Dimensional Fissure. This format of course is different, but the main idea of most side decks you’ll come across and build is to side into Macro effects that continuously affect the match-up. Examples being Royal Oppression, Skill Drain, Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, and Light Imprisoning Mirror.

As you can see with the side deck in my example, the Macro effects for the expected meta are already mained, so the idea with this side deck was to include the original main deck choice of 3 Threatening Roars. This is mainly for the special occasion of when I actually had to play Cat Synchro in the LCQ, the other card choices in the side deck are cards that can increase my optimal card effects for when the 3 Decrees are not as effective, or do things to stop my opponents Macro effects. None the less, contrary to the example most side decks have their macro effects side decked rather than in the main deck,, unless of course that deck is an anti-meta variant.

Another aspect of side decking is using card choices that affect multiple match-ups. It is in this aspect that D.D. Crow would be greater than Mirror of Oaths, because the crow can be used against multiple deck types. The best effects in the side deck to look for are macro effects that have an effect on multiple match-ups. The great example of this would be Royal Oppression and Skill Drain , these cards have a lot of uses in various match-ups, making them incredible in the role that they play in side-decking. My personal view on it is:

Macro Effects (Multiple Match-ups)>Macro Effects (singular Match-ups) > Micro Effects (Multiple Match-ups)> Micro Effects (singular Match-ups)

Now that you have gotten what kinds of cards are best to put into your side deck, now we have to talk about actually doing it. First thing first, you should map out what your overall plan is for sidedecking. Having the list is great, but the most ideal thing when building a decklist is to also map out what you side in and out against expected matches in the metagame. Going back to the Lightsworn example, here is what I sided in and out for a Cat Synchro match-up last format

VS. Cat Synchro

-3 Decree
-2 Monster Reincarnation
-1 Ryko Lightsworn Hunter
+3 Threatening Roar
+1 Beckoning Light
+1 Lightning Vortex
+1 Ehren Lightsworn Monk

When making a decklist you should be mapping out what to side in and out as I’ve done here. Doing this lets you know immediately what to take out and put in without having to spend time during a match trying to figure out what to put in, and also helps prevent making costly decisions in between matches. It also helps build confidence in knowing your match and being prepared. Although a player should remember to leave room for variation when side decking, but having a general idea makes it a whole lot easier.

Expecting variance to the plan is important. After all coming up against a rogue deck could put a wrench in your side decking plans. When this happens it is important to recognize what cards in your side deck will help you maximize you strategy against the deck type you come across. This is sadly just one of those skills that you learn from practice, but a helpful tip is to recognize what the goal of the other deck is, and possibly recognize decks more commonly seen in the meta with same goal or strategy, and then side deck similarly to how you would against the meta deck.

The final aspect after having the deck put together, the side deck decided, and the general plan mapped out is playtesting the side deck. What this requires is setting up a gauntlet and playtesting games 2 and games 3. The difference between the two is crucial, because in each of them it changes who is going first. The reason this is important is because some cards are better in the opening rather than mid or late game. Cards like Thunder King (against Blackwings) and Dimensional Fissure (against Lightsworn) are examples of these cards because opening with them can mean a detrimental disruption to the opponent’s goal.

So what the side deck comes down to is a strategy and skill that is as important to the main deck. I feel like some players don’t recognize all of the skills needed for good deductive side decking. Like I have said, this is essentially just the basics.

~E.P.B.