In the Modern format of Magic: the Gathering, few decks have the impressive reputation of Jund. This is a midrange deck with some elements of B/G The Rock, but it splashes red for some added flexibility. This deck packs efficient creatures, powerful removal spells, hand disruption, and Liliana of the Veil, arguably the best Planeswalker of all.
As Magic: The Gathering fans will know, Jund is not as streamlined as the likes of Ad Nauseam, Tron, or Bogles, though. It's more of a "goodstuff" deck, using the best cards in its colors to attack the opponent from many angles. This makes sideboard tech tricky against Jund, since this deck does not put all its eggs in one basket. Still, there are helpful cards to combat any troublesome archetype. Even if there is no "silver bullet" against Jund, here are ten good cards to side in against this format all-star.
10 Pithing Needle
Given how many man-lands and super-powerful Planeswalkers there are in Modern, most sideboards should have at least one Pithing Needle in them. After all, this artifact costs just {1}, so any deck can play it for cheap.
As for targets, try naming Raving Ravine, Scavenging Ooze, or Liliana of the Veil to shut down their activated abilities. Blue decks are urged to keep some mana up to protect their Needle, since Assassin's Trophy, Maelstrom Pulse, and Abrupt Decay can destroy it. Other decks may use hand disruption to protect the Needle.
9 Spell Snare
Whether on the play or on the draw, Spell Snare works wonderfully against many of Jund's cards, since this counterspell hits cards with a higher CMC. A player can easily counter a Tarmogoyf, Dark Confidant, or Scavenging Ooze, keeping the board clear of these vicious creatures.
While Abrupt Decay can't be countered at all, Spell Snare will work fine against Assassin's Trophy and Terminate, disrupting their removal.
8 Ensnaring Bridge
There is a good reason Jund packs so much removal: to clear the way for its efficient creatures to attack! Jund's burn suite is limited to Lightning Bolt and Huntmaster of the Fells flipping to its werewolf side, so creature attacks are a must.
As long as the Bridge isn't destroyed, this artifact can keep a Tarmogoyf or pumped-up Scavenging Ooze at bay, buying you plenty of time to find a route to victory.
7 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Most of these permanents come with the disclaimer that they're all susceptible to Jund's very flexible removal suite. Still, Thalia can slow Jund decks down, and make all their removal, hand disruption, and Liliana cost more to play and push them back a turn.
After all, a turn-two Thalia means that Liliana isn't arriving until turn four, and that can make a difference. Even if Thalia eats a removal spell, the extra payment means the Jund player won't have much more mana for other spells until their next untap step. If you play another Thalia, the pressure resumes!
6 Blood Moon
Jund players won't be happy to see this hit the battlefield, especially if they are in the draw and Blood Moon comes out before Liliana is cast. This moon forcibly converts all nonbasic lands into plain Mountains, and a Jund deck makes more use of green and black than red anyway.
Even Jund's many fetchlands are powerless against this, and their manabase will look pretty rough once Blood Moon is in play. In game three, the Jund player may fetch early for basic Forests and Swamps, so be ready for that.
5 Mirran Crusader
This Mirrodin Besieged rare is a huge headache for Jund: not only is it a 2/2 with double strike, but it has protection from both green and from black! This narrows down Jund's removal option to just Lightning Bolt, or Liliana's -2 ability (only if the Crusader is your only creature).
Don't forget that Dark Confidant, Tarmogoyf, and Scavenging Ooze can never hope to kill the Crusader in battle, since they're black or green. For 1WW, this Crusader can attack with impunity and dodge removal like a pro. Be ready if the Jund player sides in Grim Lavamancer for game three, though.
4 Fatal Push
Why not play Jund's game and pack some removal? Jund's creatures are efficient, but they're small, and Fatal Push has made a huge impact in many formats. This instant can kill off any creature with a converted mana cost of 2 or lower. If you trigger Revolt (easy with fetchlands), Fatal Push can hit 3-drops and 4-drops, too!
That encompasses all of Jund's creatures, right up to Huntmaster of the Fells. Even a beefy 6/7 Tarmogoyf isn't safe from this.
3 Chalice of the Void
This insidious artifact hails from the original Mirrodin set and has seen a few reprints since. While it works wonders against Storm, Infect, and Delver decks, it's also potent against Jund.
With one charge counter, it freezes Jund's hand disruption cards and Lightning Bolt. With two, it hits Jund's main creatures, Terminate, and Assassin's Trophy, too! Beware, though: Chalice uses conventional counter effects to stop those spells, so Abrupt Decay can force its way through.
2 Lingering Souls
Jund is most comfortable taking out enemy creatures one at a time, such as with Terminate or Liliana's -2 ability. What if you go wide, then? Jund won't be happy when you get a handful of 1/1 white Spirits on the board, and Jund's removal spells are woefully inefficient in that situation.
Better yet, those Spirits fly, so they can hit Liliana and prevent her from reaching her ult. Flashback brings back the spell for two more Spirits, but be careful that Scavenging Ooze doesn't eat the Lingering Souls in your graveyard first.
1 Kitchen Finks
Appearing in Shadowmoor and a few Masters sets, this green-white hybrid Ouphe packs a lot of power. It's a 3/2 for three, which is only mediocre. It has persist, though, so death means it comes back as a 2/1, which Jund doesn't like.
Better yet, you gain 2 life every time the Finks hits the battlefield, and that eases the pressure on your life total. As with Lingering Souls, Kitchen Finks disrupts Jund's one-for-one removal plan, making life hard for them. What good is Liliana's -2 ability when the Finks comes back for more?