Identifying the best multicolored cards for your Magic: The Gathering (MTG) sideboard list comes down to understanding your deck’s weaknesses, the expected metagame in your area or online platforms such as MTGO, and the specific utility of each card choice.

Multicolored cards can be powerful tools because they often combine the strengths of their component colors, offering more complex and flexible effects. But they come at the cost of requiring a consistent mana base, so picking the right ones is crucial.

Start by analyzing your deck’s vulnerabilities. What strategies give you the most trouble? Is it control decks, fast aggro, graveyard recursion, or combo?

Multicolored sideboard cards are often most effective when they patch up specific holes. For example, Drown in the Loch is great for both removal and countering spells if you’re in blue-black and struggle against spell-heavy or creature-heavy decks. Cards like Kolaghan’s Command shine when you need flexibility in dealing with small creatures, artifacts, or hand disruption.

Next, consider what decks you expect to face in the current metagame. If you’re playing in a tournament or a known local scene, your sideboard should target the most common threats.

Multicolored cards can provide powerful answers to broad archetypes. For instance, Assassin’s Trophy in a green-black deck gives you a universal removal option against planeswalkers, lands, and anything else. Knowing the meta helps you avoid putting niche cards in your sideboard that won’t see play.

Mana consistency is another key factor. Only include multicolored cards you can reliably cast. If your deck can’t consistently produce both white and blue mana by turn 2, don’t rely on Dovin’s Veto as your counter option. This also applies to cards with double-color requirements. Make sure your mana base supports the splash. If not, you’re better off with single-colored cards or less demanding multicolor options.

Finally, choose multicolored sideboard cards that serve multiple roles. The best sideboard cards often aren’t narrow—they give you an edge in various situations. A card like Wear // Tear covers both enchantments and artifacts. Culling Ritual not only wipes out low-cost permanents but also ramps you up for a follow-up effect. In short, aim for flexibility, match relevance, and castability.

That’s how you identify the best multicolored sideboard options. Thanks for reading and until the next blog post.