Sun and Moon has been my go to deck choice lately in Modern. After starting 10-2 at Milwaukee and 8-1 at Baltimore, I picked up a win in the Modern Classic at Knoxville with Sun and Moon. We have two important Modern weekends coming up, starting with the SCG Invitational and following up with Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers across the world, and I’ve been getting plenty of requests for Sun and Moon sideboard guides from players that are interested in picking up the deck, so today I’m going over everything you need to know to win with Sun and Moon.
Creatures (5)
Planeswalkers (9)
Lands (25)
Spells (21)
Let’s start with the decklist. This is the list that I used to win the Modern Classic in Knoxville, and it’s still my current list. I’ll also include a description of the matchups so that you can have some information to apply to your list when determining how to sideboard if your decklist isn’t my exact 75.
Ravenous Trap is the least impactful card in the sideboard, as it’s only brought in against Dredge, but Dredge is such a good and resilient deck that you really can’t have enough hate against them. If you don’t expect much Dredge at your RPTQ or if you want room for a specific card in the sideboard, then Ravenous Trap can go. Celestial Purge is a card I’m looking at maybe replacing it because of the uptick in Chandra, Torch of Defiance in Jund lists, but I’m still using Ravenous Trap for now. Before we get to the sideboard guide, let’s go over a few quick hits about the deck.
Quick Hits
- Chalice of the Void is the most overrated card in the deck. This doesn’t mean that it’s bad, but people tend to remember the times that it completely shuts opponents out of the game over the times when you draw three that don’t do anything. The decks that are weak to Chalice are your best matchups, though, and the earlier you can play a Chalice the better, which leads to…
- If you are on the play Game 1 and have the option between turn 1 Chalice of the Void or turn 2 Blood Moon against an unknown opponent, lead with the Chalice. Being able to stop discard spells right away is vital, and a late Blood Moon can still impact the game by shutting down creature-lands.
- The deck doesn’t mulligan well because you need to hit your land drops to play your powerful expensive spells. Unless it’s post-sideboard and you know what matchup you are playing against and what hate cards you need to see, keep most hands that have a good ratio of lands and spells.
- The two copies of Gideon Jura are the only cards in the maindeck that cost more than four mana. It’s okay to discard lands after your first four to Nahiri, the Harbinger if you don’t have a Gideon in hand. Chandra, Torch of Defiance can be used to generate mana as well. Six lands can be used to cast a planeswalker and a two-mana removal spell in the same turn, but land drops after that aren’t very useful, so holding extra lands in case you draw Nahiri is the best thing to do unless casting Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is realistic (probably not).
- Use Arid Mesa to fetch for basic Plains early if you are able too. You want to make sure you have access to two basic Plains if you draw a Blood Moon. If you have three lands and a Blood Moon in hand, fetch for the second basic Plains, as it’s easier to draw another red source after having a Blood Moon on the battlefield than finding the second Plains.
- If it’s after turn 4, that Simian Spirit Guide in your hand will probably have the most value as a 2/2, so don’t be shy about casting the creature.
Sideboarding Guide
Infect
In:
Out:
The Infect matchup is incredibly in your favor, and it’s the biggest draw to playing Sun and Moon currently. It’s probably obvious how Chalice of the Void cripples Infect, but Blood Moon is also devastating for them to play through by shutting down Inkmoth Nexus, Pendlehaven, and all of their blue sources. Having three copies of Blessed Allliance post-sideboard may seem like overkill, but they are too good in a variety of matchups not to play them. I’ve been satisfied with sideboarding out the Banishing Light for the third Wrath of God because playing around their protection spells is more important than playing around Spell Pierce, which is already way too taxed in the matchup.
Dredge
In:
Out:
Like I mentioned before, Dredge is such a good and resilient deck that I added a Ravenous Trap just for this matchup and feel more comfortable with it, even with access to the maximum amount of Anger of the Gods. Although Chalice of the Void is the more impactful card in Game 1 by being able to stop a flashbacked Faithless Looting, it gets sideboarded out over Blood Moon, which is the more impactful card post-sideboard. Blood Moon can keep Dredge from casting every card that they bring in against you from their sideboard, which protects your Rest in Peace from enchantment removal and Anger of the Gods from Collective Brutality.
Some planeswalkers get shaved for being too expensive, but Elspeth, Sun’s Champion is more effective against Dredge’s “go wide” strategy and comes in as a way to generate multiple blockers.
Jund
In:
Out:
This matchup is favorable, but not by as much as some people may believe. The addition of Chandra, Torch of Defiance to most Jund lists has improved the matchup from their side greatly, but I would still rather be on the Sun and Moon side. An early Blood Moon is the easiest way to get a free win, but even late Blood Moons are important, as Raging Ravine can be troublesome.
Leyline of Sanctity is the best card to have in your opener in post-sideboard games, and I will strongly consider mulliganing a seven-card hand without it. Not only does Leyline stop their discard spells, which are their best way to attack you, not allowing Liliana of the Veil’s ultimate ability to target you is also very important. With Leyline coming in to stop discard spells, Chalice of the Void is an easy card to sideboard out. If you want to play Celestial Purge over Ravenous Trap to fight Liliana and Chandra, I would recommend sideboarding out a Lightning Helix to put it in.
Abzan
In:
Out:
Abzan isn’t as aggressive as Jund is with the absence of Lightning Bolt, and therefore I don’t feel the need to have Leyline of Sanctity. Rest in Peace is much better here as well, as it can not only shut down Tarmogoyfs but also keep Lingering Souls from being flashed back. Blessed Alliance isn’t as reliable with 1/1 tokens in the mix, and Anger of the Gods is more useful when Rest in Peace cripples Tarmogoyf and Grim Flayer.
Bant Eldrazi
In:
Out:
Bant Eldrazi is a polarizing matchup for Sun and Moon. If you have an early Blood Moon, you usually win in a landslide, but if you don’t, then you’re an underdog to Thought-Knot Seer and friends. One thing I’ve realized about the matchup is that, if you don’t have a Blood Moon in hand, it’s best not to use hard removal like Journey to Nowhere on Noble Hierarch, as you need as much removal as possible to handle Thought-Knot Seer and Reality Smasher. Killing Noble Hierarch will only slow them down a turn, which doesn’t matter in the long run, and not having enough answers for the Eldrazi is how you lose the matchup.
This can change, however, if you do have a Blood Moon you will cast the following turn, as slowing them down from playing Thought-Knot Seer first is vital. If you know you’re playing against Bant Eldrazi and your opening hand doesn’t have a Blood Moon, you should most likely mulligan.
Affinity
In:
Out:
Like many creature decks that go wide, Affinity is a great matchup. Cranial Plating is easily the scariest card in the deck and is responsible for most of the times you will lose to the deck. Post-sideboard, having a Stony Silence and any Wrath effect is usually enough to overcome the pesky robots.
All four copies of Blood Moon stay in the deck to combat the numerous creature-lands. If possible, try saving Blessed Alliance for Etched Champion, which is another problem card. Similarly, if you have the option of playing Anger of the Gods or Wrath of God and they don’t have an Etched Champion out, use the Anger, even if it isn’t as mana-efficient. Although a Chalice of the Void set on zero on the play can be a two- or three-for-one, the cards that it shuts out aren’t the cards that beat you, and the downside of drawing a Chalice late-game means that it’s relegated to the sideboard.
Naya Burn
In:
Out:
This matchup is very similar to Infect in that Blood Moon is a secretly great card in the matchup and can combine with a Chalice of the Void set on one to essentially lock out the opponent. Don’t cast Simian Spirit Guides Game 1 unless it’s necessary because it makes Searing Blaze a live draw.
Leyline of Sanctity isn’t the perfect card in the matchup, but definitely worth the slots. Nahiri, the Harbinger can exile an untapped Eidolon of the Great Revel because it’s an enchantment as well as a creature. Post-sideboard, play around Deflecting Palm if you can, as you can take fifteen from an attacking Emrakul even if you have a Leyline of Sanctity out, so try to have a Blood Moon out or a Chalice of the Void set on two first.
Grixis Delver
In:
Out:
Grixis Delver isn’t my favorite matchup to face because they’re good at keeping you off-balance just enough if your draw stumbles. Kolaghan’s Command makes Chalice of the Void unreliable and I would rather focus on dealing with each creature they cast. A Wrath of God replaces an Anger of the Gods because of Tasigur, the Golden Fang and Gurmag Angler, which are also the main reasons why two Rest in Peace come in for this matchup.
Try to use Anger of the Gods and Lightning Helix on their small creatures to allow Blessed Alliance to deal with the delve threats. They are oftentimes able to fetch for basic lands to play around Blood Moon, which doesn’t put in as much work as expected against the three-color deck because of the lack of creature-lands, hence the shave for Leyline of Sanctity. The most common way of losing this matchup includes getting Lightning Bolted many times, which Leyline is there to stop.
Grixis Control
In:
Out:
Cryptic Command is probably the best spell in Modern against Sun and Moon, mostly with the ability to bounce permanents, so a deck that runs four is not fun to play against. That being said, the matchup can be won if you have a plan. Blood Moon is much more important here than against Grixis Delver because it’s important to keep them from being able to cast Cryptic Command if possible. Rest in Peace is also vital to stop their potent Snapcaster Mage; Tasigur, the Golden Fang; and Kolaghan’s Command engine.
Another way they can pull ahead is with Ancestral Vision, which is where Chalice of the Void comes in. I like to wait until their Ancestral Vision is about to come off suspend, cast a threat they must counter like a planeswalker, and then follow it up with casting the Chalice of the Void I was holding for zero, which safely counters their Ancestral Vision. They may have a bounce spell or a Kolaghan’s Command to break this up, but I’ve had the most success with waiting to play the Chalice and surprising them with it.
G/X Tron
In:
Out:
Tron is also a poor matchup for Sun and Moon, but thankfully Infect and Dredge have been holding it back. We have three solid hate cards against Tron: Stony Silence, Blood Moon, and Chalice of the Void, in order of importance.
To have a reliable way to win the matchup, you need to have Stony Silence out to stop Oblivion Stone (flavor win) and Blood Moon to stop their lands. Tall order, but thankfully one hate piece can be enough in games where they stumble. Needle Spires can team up with Gideon to create a quick clock if you don’t have a Blood Moon out. Chalice of the Void is important protection from Nature’s Claim for your enchantments.
G/R Valakut variants
In:
Out:
This matchup is all about Blood Moon and Leyline of Sanctity. If you have one of those two on the battlefield, you will win; if you don’t you will lose. This is why Chalice of the Void is a useful card post-sideboard, as it can protect your enchantments. Now, what number to set Chalice of the Void on is tricky, though, and usually the correct number is zero to counter Summoner’s Pact, which is used to find Reclamation Sage, popular in the versions with either Chalice of the Void maindeck or with an abundance of Summoner’s Pacts.
However, if you see that they have Lightning Bolts in the maindeck, then it’s likely they have Nature’s Claim in the sideboard, so a Chalice on one would be best. With all things being equal, if you don’t know their list, I would recommend putting the first Chalice on zero, followed by one, followed by three if you are lucky enough to be able to. From their side, Obstinate Baloth usually comes in as a secondary threat to Primeval Titan, and since Anger of the Gods and Lightning Helix don’t kill either threat, they get completely sideboarded out. Feel free to keep in Anger of the Gods over Blessed Alliance if you see Pia and Kiran Nalaar.
Merfolk
In:
Out:
Chalice of the Void is not very useful against decks with Aether Vial, especially Merfolk. Speaking of Aether Vial, it’s quietly the best card against Sun and Moon because it allows the fish to pop up at instant speed and get around the various sweepers for a turn. Two Stony Silence come in from the sideboard with the sole purpose of making Merfolk cast their creatures like everybody else.
I like keeping in two Blood Moons as well against the mono-colored deck because shutting off all Mutavaults for one card is a fair trade, especially when our instant-speed removal may be taxed. Blood Moon is also a wonderful play late-game against Spreading Seas to turn your “Island” back into Mountains, allowing Elspeth, Sun’s Champion’s soldier tokens to defend you. This only works if the Merfolk player targets your nonbasic lands with Spreading Seas, which thankfully they usually do (and shouldn’t). Blessed Alliance is awkward against Master of Waves, so use it early and save Journey to Nowhere for the Master.
Death’s Shadow Aggro
In:
Out:
Death’s Shadow is another very favorable matchup for Sun and Moon; the better Chalice of the Void is against an opponent, the better your matchup. Blood Moon is also a wonderful threat here because Death’s Shadow skimps on basic lands, and resolving one usually means that Temur Battle Rage is about the only card you have to worry about for the rest of the game. Use any and all means to get rid of their creatures and let Chalice of the Void and Blood Moon lock them out.
U/R Battle Rage
In:
Out:
There’s no reason to have Blood Moon in your deck against U/R Battle Rage, so it’s an auto-cut, but thankfully it gets replaced by useful removal spells. In this matchup you want to use all of your two-mana removal spells as soon as you can and save your Chalice of the Void for two because most of their impactful spells cost two. Don’t wait for Thing in the Ice to transform before you go after it; get it and Kiln Fiend off the table as soon as possible.
If you think you’re safe to take one hit from them and play a planeswalker instead of killing them, odds are you aren’t safe and the game will be over. Kiln Fiend and Thing in the Ice are extremely dangerous. Treat them with respect.
Lantern Control
In:
Out:
Lantern Control has been picking up steam recently, something I’m all for. Although Sun and Moon can lose Game 1, the post-sideboard games are incredibly in your favor. This is a matchup where the amount of cards you have won’t matter too much, so feel free to mulligan aggressively. Leyline of Sanctity is the best card to see in your opener, as their main form of interaction is through discard spells. Starting the game with a Leyline on the battlefield also means that they can’t mill you faster than they mill themselves, which means they have to rely on Academy Ruins to make sure their library lasts longer than yours. Rest in Peace and Blood Moon shut down this plan quite nicely.
After Leyline of Sanctity, the next most important card is Stony Silence for obvious reasons, and an early Chalice of the Void set on one will keep them being able to cast Pithing Needle to slow down your planeswalkers. Their only interaction to all of this is Abrupt Decay, which is completely overworked in the matchup. Blood Moon and Stony Silence can also combine to shut off their ability to even cast their spells, which allows Simian Spirit Guides to come down and deal the twenty damage needed to end the game.
In:
Out:
This matchup is all about attacking their manabase to slow them down. Blood Moon and Stony Silence are vital in cutting off their ability to produce colored mana, and Chalice of the Void is best set on zero to counter Lotus Blooms. Leyline of Sanctity isn’t the best in the matchup and you can’t rely on it by any means, but it’s usually higher-impact than the battlefield sweepers.
Abzan Company
In:
Out:
Be wary of an end-step Collected Company, so even if you think you have the game locked down, you should probably use Gideon’s plus ability if you don’t have a good answer to multiple Kitchen Finks coming in at your end step.
Also, if the Abzan Company opponent successfully combos and gains infinite life, don’t concede, because you can still win with a little effort thanks to Emrakul, the Aeons Torn’s “annihilator 6” triggered ability. The easiest way to do this is to use your sweepers to clear the battlefield and then wait until Nahiri, the Harbinger is at ten loyalty to ultimate her so that, when you annihilate your opponent’s lands, you will still have a Nahiri that can discard Emrakul the next turn and ultimate again a few turns later. This allows you to keep annihilating your opponent’s battlefield until you deck them, and after the first time their battlefield is clear, you should have enough removal to never let them rebuild. Rest in Peace is very important post-sideboard to shut off their different combos, and with it on the battlefield, the rest of their creatures are easy enough to deal with.
Sun and Moon is in a wonderful spot in the current Modern metagame with good matchups against the two top decks, Infect and Dredge, while having plenty of other good matchups across the board. Another huge plus is that the deck is relatively easy to pilot, so if you’re looking for a powerful deck that can carry you at the SCG Invitational or your RPTQ, then try out Sun and Moon!
Comments from Last Week
I’m finishing my article for this week by highlighting some comments from my last article, “It All Comes Down to the #SCGINVI,” where I discussed my preparation for Knoxville as well as what the win in the Modern Classic meant for me. If you would like to be featured in next week’s Comments from Last Week section, then leave a question or comment below and be sure to come back next week to see if you made the cut!
Congrats! I remember Ajani Vengeant being labeled as a bad Magic card, and you were also pretty high on Gideon Jura, but that’s the card you choose to cut for Ajani. What’s the reason for the sudden change? How did the Gemstone Caverns work out for you? Having access to four Blessed Alliance seems right with the popularity of Infect and Journey to Nowhere seems like a downgrade, thoughts?
– Steffen J. S. Christiansen
I have labeled Ajani Vengeant as being a poor Magic card in the past, and although I’m not excited to have it in the deck, I view it as a necessary one-of for now. It has won multiple games for me now by being able to keep a land tapped down against big mana strategies and has proven its slot. I love Gideon Jura but came to realize I don’t really need three copies, and there were too many times I had one or multiples stuck in hand without having five lands on the battlefield.
Gemstone Caverns is an absolute all-star, and my pick for the most underrated land in Modern. I really wish I was playing a copy before because it makes playing on the draw so much better. One copy is the perfect number for the deck, as a second gets too awkward with the colored mana requirements.
Journey to Nowhere is a reliable removal spell that I’ve always been happy to have. Blessed Alliance is perfect against Infect, but that matchup is already amazing and a fourth copy isn’t necessary at all. Being able to remove a Dark Confidant before your opponent draws extra cards or a Thought Knot-Seer from a group of Eldrazi or a Master of Waves are just a few examples that come to mind that really make Journey to Nowhere a useful cog in the deck.