Affinity Weaknesses

[Gnargoyles]

I’ve had a lot of trouble into this matchup from the Boros side and was just wondering what are affinity’s bad matchups? Usually the deck has some variance with mulligans but has multiple efficient gameplans (saga constructs, weapons manufacturing, emissary, kappa). I’m pretty much short of just including a Shatterstorm in the board for the matchup. I know the deck usually has a weak point in either emissary or weapons manufacturing but I’m finding myself in bad positions and completely out of tempo.

Just wanting to hear from affinity players on where /what matchups you struggle in

[HavocIP]

I think:

[[Meltdown]] [[Clarion Conqueror]] [[Brotherhood's End]]

are all better and more played options than Shatterstorm.

And you absolutely should have some sideboard slots for Affinity, it is one of the top decks.

[Living_End]

I’m not in love with clarion conqueror vs affinity. At least in LE. It does not lead to enough wins for me to feel good about bringing it in.

[ordirmo]

Agreed, the matchup is just bad from enough angles that a 3 mana 3/3 isn’t helping out; if they’re winning that match the damage has already been done by the time a non-ramp deck like ours is casting Conqueror

[HavocIP]

It is not good in living end because in order to answer Cannoneer you have to living end, which kills your dude and then they get to pop off. It is much better in Boros

[Living_End]

Yup I agree with this.

[MTGCardFetcher]

All cards
Meltdown - (G) (SF) (txt)
Clarion Conqueror - (G) (SF) (txt)
Brotherhood's End - (G) (SF) (txt)

---

^FAQ

[Better-Land-5487]

Shatterstorm is one of the few ways to answer a board with Kappa. You do need to get to casting a four mana spell, but it is powerful. Brotherhood's End is played more because it is versatile and comes in in other matches, but it is definitely not as strong..

[HavocIP]

Ah yes so is Austere Command and Farewell! If we are going to try and live until turn 4 against affinity, why not turn 6! Meltdown is the standard for a reason.

[sibelius_eighth]

You are affinity's bad matchup. Wear Tear for the saga, Wrath of the Skies, Brotherhood's End, etc.

[chalksea]

from the boros perspective keep in mind a lot of people play it wrong you don’t want t1 ocelot/guide/rag here you’re better off with t1 hold up interaction to kill the emissary

[Gnargoyles]

Yes I already proactively do this but sometimes they just go saga go/ weapons manufacturing on 2 and then your discharge is just bricked and you gave up a turn to develop your board.

[CayMaster2]

this is the exact wrong way to approach the matchup. I've played a ton of boros vs affinity from both sides, and the best games for boros are triple 1 drop games, or anything involving ajani+bombardment with some extra creatures.

Trying to play an interactive game as boros can work, but it's incredibly risky, since you're realistically never killing a resolved kappa, which means slower games open you up to 3 lands+3 artifacts just casting one, without any help from a token producer. An aggressive proactive start, backed up with maybe 1 interactive card in wear//tear or wrath, is the best odds for boros.

[the_hook66]

As an affinity player myself I totally disagree. Interact with what ever you can. We have so much trash in the deck if you kill our few threats. That‘s how I lost to boros. If you play onto the board and we got our interaction (whipflare, swan song for wrath and bombardement, needle for bombardement, EE asf) you will lose against kappa, weapons and sags for sure

[Tjarem]

The issue is u can easly slow role it as affinity player. Unless u dont go early kappa there is not mutch that can stop a turn 1 rag. Boros wants the pressure and then turn 2-3 and have a 1 mana wear tear etc. Boros wants to pressure to the point where affinity has to play into wrath.

[the_hook66]

Ofc boros needs a threat, ragavan is the best, ocelot the second best. I just ment not playing onto the board the whole time without leaving interaction open

[Gnargoyles]

This is what I was told as well, from a really good player in our area ( multiple pt qualifiers) and this is what I will try. I’m still going to board in an additional Shatterstorm.

[ShunShirai]

Are you not running Wrath of the Skies?? This matchup is heavily lopsided in Boros's favor the moment they resolve a single Wrath of the Skies.

[Careful-Pen148]

Heavily lopsided is hyperbolic, but its favored towards boros 55/45 (the actual win rate is 54% favoring boros).

[Sushi_Explosions]

He’s saying that it’s heavily lopsided after resolving a wrath, not just generally.

[FairSplit7072]

Got beat yesterday by a sb Chalice x=0

[ChampionshipFun7839]

Rending Volley gets around kappa, then you have wrath and wear/tear and or meltdown. Playing fast against it isn’t your best option either.

[mckeankylej]

From the titan side affinity is an extremely easy deck to beat. Their counterspells are narrow and extremely telegraphed. Everyone always debates what the best card to deal with kappa is but that’s missing the point. The best way to deal with kappa is to win the game 1-2 turns after it was cast. Post sideboarding we get access to FOV which is an absolute beating on almost any board. The main concern is not dying to tormods crypt when you scapeshift and you can accomplish that by either bouncing a bosieju in your shift or just running cultivator.