“Grixis Affinity is a tempo-combo deck that leverages free or cheap artifacts — particularly artifact lands and cyclers like Ichor Wellspring — to rapidly reduce the cost of Myr Enforcer and Refurbished Familiar to zero mana, flooding the board with large threats ahead of curve. Thoughtcast and Reckoner's Bargain provide card velocity to chain resources together, while Galvanic Blast serves as both removal and a finisher, easily achieving metalcraft for four damage. The deck wins by overwhelming opponents with cheap, efficient threats backed by strong card draw and burn before fair decks can establish their gameplan.”
Missing sideboard cards? The full 15-card sideboard runs about $56.65.
Buy sideboard on ManapoolThis is a pure race: Mono Red Madness wants to burn you out before your artifact threats close the game. Pyroblast stays in the sideboard, since the only blue card they run is Sneaky Snacker. Hydroblast is live against nearly everything they play: it counters their red burn and cantrips, and it destroys red permanents like Voldaren Epicure, Kessig Flamebreather and Guttersnipe. Cast into the Fire deals only 1 damage to each of up to two targets, so it picks off 1-toughness creatures like Voldaren Epicure and Sneaky Snacker, even both in one cast. It does not kill Guttersnipe (toughness 2) or Kessig Flamebreather (toughness 3). Toxin Analysis's deathtouch and lifelink grant is too slow and doesn't stop burn to the face, so it comes out for more interaction. Keep Galvanic Blast and Cast Down to answer Guttersnipe and Kessig Flamebreather before they snowball damage, and prioritize curving out over grinding.
Dimir Control leans on sorcery-speed card draw (Preordain, Lorien Revealed) and removal (Snuff Out, Cast Down), so Envelop can counter their key sorceries while costing only {U}. Extract a Confession forces a sacrifice, which is useful against their small ninja/rogue bodies like Ninja of the Deep Hours or Faerie Seer when they're low on board. Toxin Analysis and Fanatical Offering are too slow against a deck full of cheap removal and counterspells. Keep your artifact threats coming fast since their removal suite (Snuff Out, Cast Down, Agony Warp) is built for single creatures, not a flood of bodies.
This mirror-adjacent matchup against white-blue Affinity comes down to who floods the board first and answers key artifacts. Envelop counters their Thoughtcast, denying card advantage, while Extract a Confession can strip their best creature (likely a Kor Skyfisher or Glint Hawk) when evidence is scarce early. Toxin Analysis and Fanatical Offering are too reactive against a deck that's also racing with cheap affinity threats. Keep Cast Down and Galvanic Blast as your primary removal for their Baleful Strix and Kor Skyfisher, and race efficiently since Dispatch can exile your best threat if you overextend into it.