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Modern Boros Burn Deck & Sideboard Guide
About Boros Burn
Even though MH1 and MH2 have permanently altered the Modern landscape , several classic options have evolved and continue to hold their own among the format's tiers. One such example is Boros Burn, a deck that consistently requires recognition and has acquired some vital new additions. In this article, I will explore this updated list, examining card selections, mulligan decisions, and a sideboard guide against some of the format's leading decks.
Updated Decklist
Here is my current list.
$414/84.19 Tix
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [8] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Goblin Guide | $1.49 | |
| 4 Monastery Swiftspear | $0.69 | |
| Instant [18] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Lightning Helix | $0.35 | |
| 4 Searing Blaze | $2.29 | |
| 4 Skullcrack | $0.35 | |
| 4 Lightning Bolt | $1.29 | |
| 4 Boros Charm | $4.49 | |
| Sorcery [12] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Rift Bolt | $0.35 | |
| 4 Lava Spike | $1.79 | |
| 4 Skewer the Critics | $0.35 | |
| Enchantment [2] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Roiling Vortex | $2.79 | |
| Land [20] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sacred Foundry | $21.99 | |
| 3 Bloodstained Mire | $29.99 | |
| 2 Wooded Foothills | $32.99 | |
| 4 Inspiring Vantage | $2.79 | |
| 1 Fiery Islet | $1.99 | |
| 4 Sunbaked Canyon | $7.99 | |
| 2 Scalding Tarn | $22.99 | |
| 2 Mountain | $0.01 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Deflecting Palm | $0.69 | |
| 3 Smash to Smithereens | $0.39 | |
| 2 Chalice of the Void | $54.99 | |
| 2 Roiling Vortex | $2.79 | |
| 2 Orvar, the All-Form | $6.49 | |
| 3 Sanctifier en-Vec | $0.49 | |
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Visual View
Similar Decks
Proxies
Archetype Analysis
Magic online format
Apprentice and MWS .dec
In general, the main deck doesn't vary significantly from list to list, with only minor differences in the quantities of each card and some sideboard choices.
Card choices
Roiling Vortex
Frequently utilized in the sideboard, it eventually earned a few spots in the main deck. Highly punishing to decks that capitalize on zero-cost spells, such as Rhinos and Living End, it also affects other cards like the elementals from MH2, Force of Negation, and Shining Shoal. Moreover, for just a single mana, we can prevent the opponent from gaining life, which is crucial to our game plan. In a meta filled with cascade spells, it's an excellent card to include in the main deck.
Eidolon of the Great Revel
One notable absence I felt when first looking at the list is Eidolon of the Great Revel, a card that was once considered almost essential. It's understandable, as it doesn't do much against some decks and can end up being even more punishing for us. The Modern meta has changed a lot, becoming faster and with more answers, and in this list, we don't just want to cast a Shock for two mana.
Orvar, the All-Form
I must admit, the first time I saw this card, I was the Creativity player,, and it's quite painful to face when Archon of Cruelty hits the table. It's a card specifically designed to counter this deck, which goes against my philosophy of having versatile cards in the sideboard. However, Creativity is one of the most popular and frequently played decks in the format, and post-sideboard, opponents tend to bring heavy hate against us (Change the Equation, Turn the Earth, and even Blossoming Calm). It's a necessary evil, though I still consider the matchup to be favorable for us.
Playing the deck
The ideal starting point is to have a one-drop creature, but keep in mind that this format involves fetch lands and shock lands, so your opponent may likely start with 18-17 life. If you know what you're up against, hands with Searing Blaze/Roiling Vortex and other burn spells aren't a bad choice. Try not to keep hands with more than 2 lands, as we can't afford to flood out, but if you have Sunbaked Canyon, it might be worth keeping since you can cycle it early in the game.
Example Hand #1
Although we have Sunbaked Canyon, this hand has too many lands and doesn't put any pressure on the opponent. Easy mulligan - we can definitely do better with 6 or even 5 cards.
Example Hand #2
It's a risky hand, but if we can get the land, it becomes a dream. Missing one land drop is somewhat acceptable since we have another drop and Skewer, but missing two land drops is worse. However, this deck is a high-risk, high-reward strategy. We can't have too many lands, and since we only need one more for an ideal setup, I'd keep it.
Example Hand #3
This could be an excellent hand if we're up against a deck with creatures, or just a decent one, since having 2 Searing Blazes essentially makes it a 5-card hand. Regardless, it's a reasonably acceptable risk, and we still have Roiling Vortex for a consistent damage source. Keep.
Matchups & Sideboard guide
UR Murktide
The match-up could be favorable depending on how aggressive we can be, and being on the play definitely helps a lot. Ragavan is a must-kill, so make sure to save removal for him. Ledge Shredder can be troublesome, especially when facing multiple burns in a turn, and if it becomes a 2/4, it's nearly impossible to kill – in that case, it's best to just ignore it. Post sideboard, we don't have many great options, but Sanctifier en-Vec is a solid card for removing red cards from the graveyard and disrupting Delirium and Murktide Regent. The latter is another problematic card, but we do have Deflecting Palm, which forces the opponent to have a counter or risk taking damage themselves with each attack. The good news is that current decklists don't typically include life gain, so we won't need Skullcrack for this match-up.
Hammer Time
A rough matchup, they have low-cost counters to handle some burn spells, barely take any damage from their own lands, and also have a devastating clock with the help of the Hammer. Adding Surge of Salvation to the main deck only makes it worse for us. We almost always have to play with our mana open, so as not to let a Puresteel Paladin wreak havoc by allowing a creature to be equipped with the Colossus Hammer. Some creatures need to be removed, especially Giver of Runes and Stoneforge Mystic. After sideboarding, we have some cards that help, like Smash to Smithereens and Deflecting Palm, but it still doesn't make our lives much better.
Living End
It's a solid match-up in the main deck, as they will likely take damage from their lands and a resolved Roiling Vortex guarantees at least a 5-life loss for them. Whenever possible, try to play around Force of Negation by casting burn spells at the end of your opponent's turn. After sideboarding, some decks may run Leyline of Sanctity, but we don't have a great answer for that card. If they mulligan to find it, though, it could give us time to finish them off with creatures or find our hate cards. Chalice is highly effective, as is a full set of Roiling Vortex. We could also bring in Sanctifier En-Vec, but it doesn't remove any blue creatures that end up in the graveyard, so it's not as impactful.
Amulet Titan
It's a balanced match in Game 1, but if the opponent resolves an Arboreal Grazer on turn 1, it really messes with our deck's clock, even though a Dryad of the Ilysian Grove is a great blocker. Roiling Vortex punishes plays involving Summoner's Pact, but an early titan drop is pretty much GG for us. After sideboarding, we have Deflecting Palm to deal with the titan, which helps a lot and always puts a question mark in our opponents' minds when we pass with 2 open mana.
BG Yawgmoth
Another matchup that isn't the best, despite the fact that they lose a significant amount of life due to their lands and the combo. By far, the worst card is Blood Artist, as well as any potential Prosperous Innkeepers. Some obstacles also hinder the low attacks, and undying creatures return if they die. The best course of action is to ignore creatures other than Blood Artist and Innkeeper and focus on dealing damage directly. We're not well-positioned for this matchup, but overall, there's not much that can be done.
4C Creativity
As previously mentioned, the matchup is favorable in the main deck, as our opponent takes significant damage from their lands, and we can effectively manage their Indomitable Creativity by using burn spells on their tokens. However, if they manage to pull it off with a Treasure token, we're out of options. Both Vortex and Skullcrack prevent them from gaining life if they manage to get an Archon into play. After sideboarding, Orvar truly shines, and depending on whether their build includes Persist, Sanctifier en-Vec can also offer substantial support. Rift Bolt, on the other hand, is less effective due to the presence of Teferi, Time Reveler.
Generic Ragavan
Quite similar to the match against Murktide, but not having to deal with a massive dragon is beneficial for us. Roiling Vortex also performs better here since it punishes the loops of Mishra's Bauble with Underworld Breach. After sideboarding, the situation is quite comparable, but we don't need Deflecting Palm and they have Teferi, Time Reveler, making Rift Bolt significantly worse.
Temur Rhinos
In another matchup that heavily relies on being on the play/draw, Roiling Vortex proves to be highly effective, punishing Fury with evoke when they attempt to clear the board. Their clock with two Rhinos is quite formidable, but fortunately, they also take significant damage from their lands. Once again, we need to play around Force of Negation whenever possible and ignore their creatures. After sideboarding, the same hate cards we use against Living End become even more impactful.
Final words
In a format where there are numerous lands that inflict damage, Burn will always be a viable option. The deck has also learned to evolve and adapt to the meta, and even though it has some unfavorable matchups in the environment, it possesses considerable firepower, punishing unsuspecting opponents with effective cards like Roiling Vortex. It's a dangerous deck that deserves due respect.
Until next time!