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Boros Initiative In-depth & Sideboard Guide
Three Top8 Finishes in a Row
Hey everyone!
I'm back again to talk about my favorite game format. This has all been possible thanks to a deck that, even though it's not the most common in the Legacy metagame , has given me excellent results. I've managed to get 3 top 8 finishes out of 4 challenges played and finally secured a spot in my regional championship, all thanks to RW Initiative.
You can check it out here . I'll also share some of the best interactions with one of the latest cards added to the format.
Life After the Bans
With the disappearance of White Plume Adventurer from Legacy, it seemed that the initiative decks had reached their end, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Now, these decks have evolved, incorporating more than one color, with the primary combinations being RG (like this one ) or, as we'll focus on in this article, RW. We'll explore the main versions of these decks, the cards that compose them, sideboarding strategies, and delve into some key interactions.
My Latest Version of the Deck
$1254/287.67 Tix
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [28] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Simian Spirit Guide | $1.49 | |
| 4 Archon of Emeria | $3.49 | |
| 4 Solitude | $29.99 | |
| 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker | $19.99 | |
| 4 Caves of Chaos Adventurer | $1.49 | |
| 4 Seasoned Dungeoneer | $4.99 | |
| 4 Anointed Peacekeeper | $0.59 | |
| Artifact [12] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Lotus Petal | $9.49 | |
| 4 Chrome Mox | $119.99 | |
| 4 Chalice of the Void | $57.99 | |
| Enchantment [3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Touch the Spirit Realm | $0.69 | |
| Land [17] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Plains | $0.01 | |
| 1 Mountain | $0.01 | |
| 1 Plateau | $199.99 | |
| 1 Karakas | $12.99 | |
| 4 Cavern of Souls | $44.99 | |
| 4 Ancient Tomb | $79.99 | |
| 4 City of Traitors | $499.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Blood Moon | $7.49 | |
| 2 Magus of the Moon | $10.99 | |
| 4 Faerie Macabre | $2.79 | |
| 4 Swords to Plowshares | $1.79 | |
| 2 Containment Priest | $0.49 | |
| 2 Loran of the Third Path | $4.49 | |
$287.03 Tix @cardhoarder
$7.18 / Week @cardhoarder
$1,215.26 @tcgplayer
$1,294.71 @cardkingdom
Visual View
Similar Decks
Proxies
Archetype Analysis
Magic online format
Apprentice and MWS .dec
https://mtgdecks.net/Legacy/boros-initiative-decklist-by-burrarun-1660885
Analyzing the Deck
Creatures with Initiative
These will be the main battering rams of our deck, immersing us in the Initiative mechanic.
Seasoned Dungeoneer
It will shine in matchups where our opponent has a populated board, as their ability allows us to bypass their creatures. With a toughness of 4, they'll be able to survive various threats. It's important to note that if we have two on the board, we can't target the same creature twice because the first ability will counteract the second. In our deck, we can also utilize their ability alongside Anointed Peacekeeper, Magus of the Moon, and Containment Priest.
Caves of Chaos Adventurer
The red initiative creature. It will help us finish games faster due to its extra power and create card advantage with its ability. This is especially useful against decks that don't interact much with us.
Other creatures
Solitude
This Modern Horizon 2 elemental will be our main removal tool against our opponent's creatures in Game 1. It has great value in the late game and is very powerful when combined with Fable of the Mirror Breaker.
Anointed Peacekeeper
It is a strategic card that slows down combo decks, giving us the necessary time to secure a win in the game. Its true value, however, lies in its ability to counter fair decks with common removals like Swords to Plowshares and Lightning Bolt. By increasing its casting cost to 3, we won't suffer the tempo disadvantage of having a 3-cost card removed for just 1 mana. One of the key strengths of this deck is its early-game mana generation, making Anointed Peacekeeper a powerful asset for us.
Archon of Emeria
An absolute beast against all combo decks, effectively neutralizing the power of decks that play multiple cards in a single turn. Additionally, it possesses an evasion ability that allows us to regain the initiative in numerous instances.
Artifacts and Enchantments
Touch the Spirit Realm
This enchantment will greatly assist us in both eliminating our opponent's threats and blinking our creatures to save them from removal or regain tempo. The following interactions are particularly noteworthy.
Trick #1
If we have a creature with initiative and activate its ability during our End of Turn (EOT), our creature will return during their EOT, effectively putting us two steps ahead in the turn order.
Trick #2
If there's a Containment Priest on the battlefield, after using the ability, the creature will not return.
Trick #3
If we use the ability on a Kiki-Jiki mirror, it will reset the saga back to its first chapter.
Trick #4
If we use the ability on an evoked Solitude, it will remain on the battlefield and its effect will trigger twice.
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
For this deck, it will be quite easy to resolve a Fable on Turn 1 or Turn 2, as it's a card that will help us by accelerating and fixing our mana, as well as generating a significant card advantage by copying our creatures or improving our hand due to the second chapter.
Chalice of The Void
Due to the absence of 1-cost cards and the ability to play them with a counter on the first turn, we'll be provided with ample time to outpace our opponents. It will also be crucial to identify which matchups these strategies should be employed against from the get-go.
Lands and Ramp Spells
Sol Ring Lands
Both Ancient Tomb and City of Traitors are cards that provide great explosiveness in the early turns. I would prioritize having Ancient Tomb in our opening hands since life is an important resource in the game.
Mana Artifacts and Simian Spirit Guide
With this set of cards, we'll achieve mana acceleration while sacrificing card advantage. We must be very cautious when using them against Force of Will and Daze decks. The Simian Spirit Guide will serve us both as a surprise vs Daze and as a playable creature.
Sideboard Cards
My sideboard card selection has been as follows:
- 1 Blood Moon
- 2 Magus of the Moon
- 4 Faerie Macabre
- 4 Swords to Plowshares
- 2 Containment Priest
- 2 Loran of the Third Path
In our ever-evolving metagame, we might encounter numerous creature-based decks that warrant the inclusion of Fury in our deck construction. On the other hand, if artifact-based decks prove to be an issue, we could consider adding cards such as Null Rod or Kataki, War's Wage. Moreover, if we're struggling against decks utilizing Painter's Servant, it might be beneficial to include a copy of Gaea's Blessing in our sideboard. It's essential to adapt our approach and sideboarding strategy for different matchups in order to maintain a competitive edge. You can learn more about it in this article.
Matchups Analysis & Sideboard Guide
Reanimator
Key cards we will face
Our plan
In this matchup, our disruptive creatures and Chalice of the Void will be our primary weapons. We must be aware that our opponents may play Serenity to deal with our Chalice of the Void, as well as Show and Tell to bypass the graveyard.
The proposed sideboard strategy I suggest is as follows:
I believe it is advisable to reduce the number of creatures with initiative for two reasons: 1) These creatures have minimal impact on your strategy, and 2) They can be discarded and potentially used against us with spells like Reanimate or Animate Dead.
Izzet Delver
Key cards we will face
Our plan
The complexity of this matchup lies in our opponents' ability to sneak in an evasive creature during the early turns, which can wrest control of the game from us. While Chalice of the Void is fantastic in Game 1 (G1), in Game 2 (G2) our opponents will likely bring in cards like Abrade or Meltdown to counter them, reducing their effectiveness. Additionally, these cards can compete with our Swords to Plowshares, so in my opinion, it may be best to forego using them in this matchup.
8-CAST
Key cards we will face
Our plan
In this matchup, the cards that will truly shine are Archon of Emeria and Chalice of the Void, played at 0 to nullify a significant portion of their deck. The card that will cause us the most trouble is Urza's Saga, as it generates large creatures that will be equipped with Shadowspear. We must keep in mind that if they play a saga on turn 1 or turn 2, we can respond with an Anointed Peacekeeper, as the ability to generate constructs is an activated ability, increasing its cost by 2 extra mana.
Mystic Forge Combo
Key cards we will face
Our plan
This deck has gained a lot of popularity in the format in recent weeks, with its primary combo consisting of assembling the cards Basalt Monolith, Mystic Forge, and Mesmeric Orb.
With these three pieces, you can deck out Echo of Eons and play zero-cost artifacts from the top to refill your hand with a massive amount of mana, typically finishing games with Karn, the Great Creator. We will approach this deck similarly to 8-Cast, with Archon of Emeria being even more crucial.
Mono Red Prison
Key cards we will face
Our plan
A relatively favorable matchup, as our deck navigates well through our opponent's Blood Moon and Trinispheres. Their most powerful card against us would be a Fury combined with one of their Goblins.
Cephalid Breakfast
Key cards we will face
Our plan
The core strategy of their combo revolves around repeatedly targeting Cephalid Illusionist to mill their entire library and then casting Thassa's Oracle via Dread Return. In response, our anti-combo creature package will effectively disrupt their game plan. I usually side out Chalice of the Void since they'll likely bring in Prismatic Ending as a countermeasure.
It's important to note that they have alternative win conditions in the form of Urza's Saga and Stoneforge Mystic fetching Kaldra Compleat.
Uro Decks
Key cards we will face
Our plan
Considering the potential this deck has when playing Prismatic Ending as a foundation, the best alteration I believe is to incorporate the 3 Moon effects we have to target their mana base. We will rely on having a strong opening, as their cards can become quite powerful over time.
Lands
Key cards we will face
Our plan
This is a favorable matchup, as our opponent won't be able to prevent us from playing our key cards. It will be quite challenging for them to disrupt our strategy, and we have numerous answers to their primary threat, which would be the Marit Lage token.
Painter
Key cards we will face
Our plan
In this matchup, we need to adopt an aggressive strategy as our opponent's most dangerous card is Urza's Saga, while we have multiple answers to their Painter's Servant.
Final Words
I highly encourage you to test out this deck in your MTGO leagues or local tournaments, as not only is it incredibly powerful, but it also finishes games in record time – making it highly recommended for long tournaments. You'll have no trouble achieving great results with this deck, and I invite you to read my previous articles on Legacy published on this website.
Best of luck with your mulligans!