Hello! My name is Kai, otherwise known as DeathWrongShaman420 on MTGO, and this is my RuG Lands Sideboard Guide!

This is my current iteration of RuG lands.  I top 8’d 3 challenges recently with a similar list, with a few sideboard tweaks.

The List

The Choices

So first, let’s talk about card choices and the blue splash.  The blue splash feels very strong right now, because Blue Elemental Blast is very strong and so is Flusterstorm, since spell-based combo is at an all time low and Goblins is very prevalent.  With the amount of Reanimator and Rescaminator decks, bounce removal like Otawara and Aether Spellbomb is also super strong.  Punishing Fire is also a very powerful tool in a world full of Name-Sticker Goblins, Griefs, and Elvish Reclaimers.  Also, you will notice there is no Sphere of Resistance in the 75.  I have come to feel that it is a particularly weak card on the draw and dilutes the deck’s consistency too much.  I talk more about it in this article (https://pendrellvale.com/2023/09/15/well-now-i-am-flusteredby-deathwrongshaman/ ). 

The Skeleton of the Deck

At the core of any RG/x lands shell is a skeleton, and I would be very cautious before making any tweaks to this skeleton.  I would say any RG/x lands deck should be playing the following:

4 Exploration
4 Life from the Loam
4 Crop Rotation
4 Mox Diamond
3 Punishing Fire
2 Card advantage/ value engines
At least 3 Saga targets
3 Dark Depths
3 Thespian’s Stage
4 Urza’s Saga
4 Wasteland
1 The Tabernacle of Pendrell Vale
2 Maze of Ith
1 Blast Zone
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Karakas
1 Boseiju, Who Endures
1 Forest
1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
3 Grove of the Burnwillows
At least 5 other green mana sources/fetchlands

The Meat 

So now we can talk about the actual card choices for the mainboard:

Boseiju, Who Endures #2: This card is incredible.  It is so strong right now and its floor is an untapped green source (incredible).  The fact that it pseudo-counters Leyline Binding and Animate Dead is the cherry on top – I would not run less than two.

Otawara, Soaring City #1:  Similarly to Boseiju, it is a ton of utility for very little cost.  Otwara comes with the added perk of answering all pesky creatures, anything that was reanimated or cheated into play, and it can be recurred via Life from the Loam.  Absolutely incredible card. 

Maze of Ith #3:  Legacy is very fast right now, with a lot of turn 1 Griefs and turn 2 Trolls.  Maze is a clean answer to any fair deck and has never been better.  

Sylvan Library #1 and #2:  This is my value engine.  This could be Elvish Reclaimer or Crucible of Worlds, but with the amount of stack based interaction in my sideboard, the straightforward card advantage is very strong.  Prismatic Ending is also less common.  I specifically do not like Elvish Reclaimer, because it gives an opponent’s spot removal the opportunity to be a 1 for 1, while when you force them to remove a Saga Construct is still card disadvantageous.  A note: Library might seem scary in this Orcish Bowmaster world, but remember, Bowmaster sucks against Lands and Library can be good regardless of Bowmaster, so if our opponents want to keep in Bowmasters to “deal” with Library that is beneficial.

Aether Spellbomb: Card is so good.  Bounce removal, because of reanimation being prominent, is very strong and the fact that this can be tutored off Saga makes it a game changer.  

Shadowspear:  This makes the Saga stompy strategy very strong and will just allow you to stomp straight through your opponent.  The tempo swing from this card is so high and I feel as though it is 100% worth the include.

Soul-Guide Lantern/Pithing Needle/Expedition Map:  Fundamental cards right now, providing silver bullets or a continuing value engine from Saga.  Simply put these must be in the deck.

Dark Depths/Thespian’s Stage 3/3:  I would not go down to less than 6 combo pieces, and since blood moon is very prominent, the 3 Dark Depths to play into moon effects is very important.  

Sideboard

Flusterstorm:  This is a beautiful addition. It does everything. First it is a very powerful tool in the combo matchup; with Wasteland, Saga, and Marit Lage, applying pressure, Flusterstorm stalls very well against Doomsday, any Storm variant, Reanimator, and even Show and Tell.  It is also a powerful protection tool against UWx control decks as well as an answer to Forth Eorlingas. This card is pure gas and an incredible addition.

Definitely want to be on 3.

Blue Elemental Blast:  This is so good right now.  Blood Moon/Magus are all over the place, Forth Eorlingas is a threat, and GOBLINS GOBLINS GOBLINS. I love this card right now, and it works very well in the matchups I struggle with.  Also good against any Delver variant with red.

Definitely want to be on 2

Kozilek’s Return:  This is also very strong.  It is not good againstEDelver in my opinion, but it is very strong against Goblins, any Knight of the Reliquary/GSZ deck, Death and Taxes, Forth Eorlingas decks, Painter, and RW Initiative.  

I would be on 1-2.

Force of Vigor:  GAS.  Do not need to explain.  Good against all artifact decks, any moon deck, goblins, and Beanstalk/Leyline Decks

Must have 2, I like 3.

Surgical Extraction:  So good right now. There is a lot of Scam, Reanimator, and Lands. It also is strong against UWx control and Doomsday.

Definitely should have 2, I may go up to 3.

Endurance:  I like Endurance right now.  There is a lot of Delver, some Doomsday, Reanimator, Rescaminator, Lands, and BUG Beanstalk decks, around right now.  It’s not particularly strong the way that Surgical Extraction is, but it does have more versatility and works as a win condition which is strong.  Do not overestimate its strength against Delver.

I like having 2 right now, 3 felt like too much.

Choke:  Have not tested this yet.  There is one flex spot right now and this was recommended.  This could be any flex card, I am considering Grafdigger’s Cage, Choke, Red Elemental Blast, and Surgical number 3.

Notable Cards Left Out

Red Elemental Blast/Pyroblast:  Very weak right now.  With bounce removal, Maze of Ith, and consistent maintenance of graveyards, I am not that worried about Murktide Regent.  Blue decks are also rather weak, and Flusterstorm can operate as protection for Life from the Loam.  

I would consider 1, but 2 or 3 seems unnecessary. 

Ghost Quarter:  This seems unnecessary right now.  Legacy is fast and a lot of decks have multiple basics so truly locking out your opponent takes a lot of time.  

Sideboarding and Sideboard Guide

I will now go into my sideboarding philosophy, what cards I like to bring out and in, and a basic sideboard guide for common matchups.  Sideboarding with Lands is not an exact science and this is just my method of mapping.

Cards I bring in and when:

Flusterstorm:  Storm, RB Reanimator (Not UB ReScaminator), UWx Control Shells, Show and Tell, Oops All Spells, Cephalid Breakfast, any spell based combo matchups, Rhinos, Mississippi River,

Blue Elemental Blast:  Any Storm with red, any Moon Stompy deck, Delver, Goblins, Any Rx Initiative Decks, Jeskai Control with Blood Moon and Forth Eorlingas, Painter, Rhinos, Mississippi River.

Surgical Extraction: Reanimator, ReScaminator, Lands, Doomsday, Storm, Dredge, Cephalid Breakfast, UWx Control (if you have room), any Uro deck etc.  

 Imporant:  I do not bring Surgical Extraction in against Painter and 8-Cast and GW Depths.  I feel that it hinders our deck and there are better cards in those spots.

Kozilek’s Return: Goblins, DnT, Maverick, GWx Depths, Painter, 8 Cast, Initiative.

Important: Not a fan of this card against Delver, it dilutes the deck and is unnecessary.

Force of Vigor: Any random artifact deck, Lands, 8 Cast, Initiative, Painter, Storm, Stiflenaught, Beans Control, Goblins, Oops all Spells, Jeskai Control with a lot of basics, Breakfast if there is room, Mississippi.

Endurance: Reanimator, ReScaminator, Delver, Lands, GW Depths, Doomsday, Storm, 8-Cast, Cephalid Breakfast, Dredge, any true graveyard combo deck, Painter.

Cards I bring out and when:

These decisions are not objectively correct, and some of them may seem odd, but I have tested them all extensively and this is how I have found I like to make cuts

Utility Lands:  I will cut utility lands like Blast Zone, Tabernacle, Karakas, Bojuka Bog, etc. if they do not seem applicable in the matchup.  I have 34 lands and I will usually go down to 31-32 post board, but can go as low as 30 in the spell-based combo matchups like Storm and Doomsday.

Life from the Loam:  I will cut this very very rarely, only in matchups where it seems weak and even then I usually only cut 1.  These matchups like Show and Tell, Reanimator, Initiative, etc, and even then I usually don’t go down by more than 1.

Exploration: I just do not ever cut this card ever.

Mox Diamond:  Card so good. I cut it against Jeskai Control and that is about it.  Legacy is fast and the acceleration is very very strong.

Crop Rotation:  I am in a similar boat to Exploration and Mox Diamond.  Some people like to cut this against Delver and blue decks, but the strength of lands like Urza’s Saga and Thespian’s Stage makes the risk of it getting countered feel worth it.  Simply I have tried cutting it and I never like to. Shaving maybe 1 against Chalice of the Void decks on the draw maybe could be correct but I typically do not cut them ever.

Punishing Fire:  I bring this out in the obvious matchups it’s bad in such as Doomsday, Storm, Lands, UWx Control, Beanstalk Control. Notably, I like to keep them all against Initiative, Goblins, Delver, any Elvish Reclaimer deck, Painter, and Breakfast, as well as any random creature deck. If I suspect a Magus of the Moon I often try to leave 1 or 2 in, if not all 3.  I sometimes trim 1 against 8-Cast.

Sylvan Library: Good against spellbased combo, UWx Control, Lands, GW Depths, any grindy matchups. Its ok but not great against Delver.  Too slow against Initiative and Goblins.  Generally they can be trimmed for very strong hate cards such as Force of Vigor, Surgical Extraction, and Flusterstorm, that can win the game on their own.  Do not worry too much about Bowmaster, you should have PFires in the deck against any Bowmaster deck and Bowmaster is bad against Lands, so if your opponent keeps it in, it is also beneficial for us.

Saga Targets: 

Expedition Map:  I do not cut this basically ever, it is so good.

Soul-Guide Lantern: Strong against any graveyard deck, such as Delver, Lands, Depths, Painter.

Pithing Needle: It is pretty apparent when to cut this, I do cut it against Delver and Rescaminator.  Good against Goblins!

Aether Spellbomb:  Good against Reanimator, Rescaminator, Delver, Lands, 8-Cast, Initiative, Show and Tell, DnT, most creature decks. I do cut this against Goblins.

Shadowspear:  Card is so good.  Very good against any creature deck, Delver, ReScaminatior, Initiative, 8-Cast, Storm, Goblins, etc.  It allows us to race with constructs very well.

Dark Depths: I cut 1 of these against Lands/GW Depths and against Swords to Plowshares decks (Not RW initiative). That is about it, I would not cut this more frequently than that.  

Urza’s Saga:  Do not cut ever.  Not against Moon decks.  Do not cut ever. 

Green Sources:  Trim at most 1, either Grove of the Burnwillows, Boseiju, or Yavimaya, depending on what you need.  Boseiju is amazing right now and should be kept in a lot, it is so good against Rescaminator.  Yavimaya should come out against Lands and GW Depths

Maze of Ith:  Asides from the the obvious matchups I usually trim 1 against RB Reanimator and Goblins.  Can be very good against the Triumph of Saint Katherine’s control decks.

Actual Sideboarding Guide

Rescaminator

In – 2x Surgical, 2x Endurance

Out – 1x Tabernacle, 1x Needle, 1x Karakas, 1x Sylvan Library

4c Beanstalk

In – 2x Force of Vigor, 3x Flusterstorm, 2x Surgical Extraction, 1x Choke

Out – 1x Blast Zone, 1x Tabernacle, 3x Pfire, 1x Pithing Needle, 1x Karakas, 1x Dark Depths

Grixis Delver

In – 2x Endurance, 2x Hydroblast, Choke

Out – 1x Needle, 1x Karakas, 1x Boseiju, 2x Sylvan library

Temur Delver

In – 2x Endurance, 2x Hydroblast, 1x Choke

Out – 1x Needle, 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth, 1x Karakas, 2x Sylvan Library

Goblins

In – 2x Kozilek’s Return, 2x Hydroblast, 3x Force of Vigor

Out – 1x Bojuka Bog, 1x Karakas, 1x Maze of Ith, 1x Soul-Guide Lantern, 2x Sylvan Library, 1x Aether Spellbomb

Lands

In – 2x Surgical, 3x Force of Vigor, 2x Endurance

Out – 3x Pfire, 1x Dark Depths, 1x Tabernacle, 1x Maze of Ith, 1x Shadowspear

8-Cast

In – 3x Force of Vigor, 2x Kozilek’s Return

Out – 1x Maze of Ith, 1x Punishing Fire, 1x Grove of the Burnwillows, 1x Blast Zone, 1x Sylvan Library

Painter

In – 2x Kozielk’s Return, 3x Force of Vigor, 2x Endurance

Out – 1x Karakas, 1x Aether Spellbomb, 1x Maze of Ith, 2x Sylvan Library, 1x Punishing Fire, 1x Grove of the Burnwillows

Mono Red Prison

In – 2x Hydroblast, 3x Force of Vigor, 2x Kozilek’s Return

Out – 1x Tabernacle, 1x Karakas, 1x Bojuka Bog, 1x Soul-Guide Lantern, 2x Sylvan Library, 1x Life From the Loam

Doomsday

In – 2x Endurance, 3x Flusterstorm, 2x Surgical Extraction, 1x Choke

Out -1x Tabernacle, 1x Soul-Guide Lantern, 1x Shadowspear 3x Pfire, 2x Maze of Ith

RW Initiative

In – 2x Hydroblast, 3x Force of Vigor, 2x Kozilek’s Return

Out – 1x Bojuka Bog, 1x Soul-Guide Lantern, 1x Karakas, 1x Blast Zone, 2x Sylvan Library, 1x Life from the Loam

Rhinos

In – 2x Hydroblast, 3x Flusterstorm, 1x Choke

Out – 1x Bojuka Bog, 1x Soul-Guide Lantern, 1x Pithing Needle, 1x Karakas, 1x Boseiju, 

1x Punishing Fire

GW Depths

In: 2x Kozilek’s Return, 2x Endurance

Out: 2x Dark Depths, 1x Yavimaya, 1x Aether Spellbomb

Storm

In: 3x Flusterstorm, 3x Force of Vigor, 2x Surgical Extraction, 2x Hydroblast1, Choke

Out – 3x Pfire, 1x Shadowspear, 1x Pithing Needle, 1x Aether Spellbomb, 3x Maze of Ith, 

1x Karakas, 1x Soul-Guide Lantern

Jeskai Control

In: 3x Flusterstorm, 2x Hydroblast, 2x Surgical Extraction, 1x Choke

Out: 1x Pfire, 1x Soul-Guide Lantern, 1x Shadowspear, 1x Tabernacle, 1x Mox Diamond, 

1x Dark Depths, 2x Maze of Ith

Sneak and Show

In: 3x Flusterstorm, 3x Force of Vigor, 2x Hydroblast, 1x Choke

Out: 1x Tabernacle, 1x Bojuka Bog, 1x Soul-Guide Lantern, 1x Shadowspear, 2x Life From the Loam, 1x Blast Zone, 1x Maze of Ith, 1x PFire

Death & Taxes

In: 2x Kozilek’s Return, 3x Force of Vigor

Out: 1x Bojuka Bog, 1x Soul-guide Lantern, 2x Dark Depths, 1x Mox Diamond

Cephalid Breakfast

In: 2x Surgical Extraction, 3x Flusterstorm, 2x Kozilek’s Return

Out: 1x Karakas, 1x Tabernacle, 2x Life From the Loam, 1x Aether Spellbomb, 1x Shadowspear, 1x Maze of Ith

And that is all folks!  Sideboarding with Lands is complicated and not an exact science, and these mappings change every matchup.  If you have any sideboarding questions, decklist questions, or Lands questions, feel free to message me!

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