I was pretty rushed when I made this so I could have done better, notably the sideboard. Desperate ravings was terrible to me, I wanted alchemy all day.
Funny note, I Ray of Revelation'd 2 Oblivion Rings on my Burning Vengences and kill his guy.
Has anyone tried mentor of the meek? This deck runs a very large number of triggering creatures. The only downside I see is that it might be a bit too slow/vulnerable.
Yes, In fact for 3 months i have jammed 4 of them in a deck. Last week I went 5-0 without losing a game. It is mediocre in some aggro match-ups where I board some out, I usually keep 2 in there. Its amazing when you get it going, control basically is a joke against it.
So the Idea behind this deck is that Mentor of the Meek acts as a secondary engine that draws cards off most of the creatures in this deck and being a way to continually have threats out. When you don't have Birthing Pod, you can dig for it with the Mentors. Because of this I drifted towards Moorland Haunt which has always been fantastic for me, and when I played the somewhat comparable Skaab Ruinator (note I was not playing the full complement of Mentors, but one of) I was never that impressed with it. Haunt is un-counterable where the Ruinator would usually see a Dissipate during games 2 and 3. This deck is slower, but is even more proactive and I have fought through many Day of Judgements with the Mentors digging me out (I believe the most was 5). It is nowhere near complete as Pod is a deck that can evolve every week and I haven't done too serious of testing to grind out correct numbers but this is what I would consider close to done, except for the sideboard, which needs a lot of work. This version is wrought from a control heavy meta at my local game store and it hasn't lost to it yet. I for sure need more testing to tell if this is a good way to go or not, but this list has been very good to me, with some matches going down to small decisions made early in the game. My total record since I have started playing this version is 8-0-1 (the only tie was in the finals of an FNM, where the draw was unintentional) with the following games (Match totals are in Parentheses):
4-0-0 (2-0-0) versus Solar Flare (or whatever they call it these days)
3-1-1 (1-0-1) versus Esper Control (no Unburial Rites)
2-0-0 (1-0-0) versus Wolf Run Red
2-1-0 (1-0-0) versus Tempered Steel
2-0-0 (1-0-0) versus Wolf Run Ramp (no Dungrove Elder)
4-0-0 (2-0-0) versus U/W control
Card Choices, there are only a few that stand out:
(please note that I have no card limitations, I can get/have anything for this deck, EX: Skaab Ruinator) Mentor of the Meek - The plan B, the card advantage gained with this guy is amazing and it can quickly put you back into the game, good synergy with Moorland Haunt. Comes back with Sun Titan too! Fiend Hunter (1) - Good against the creatures that get +1/+1 counters and the occasional wrath defense. Razor Hippogriff - Gets back Birthing Pods from time to time but is what keeps my Mono-Red game 1 alive. Moorland Haunt - Stops the board stalls. I tend to not get rid of artifact creatures or creatures with converted mana cost 3 or less.
Cards I'm not playing: Venser, the Sojourner - I never really liked this guy unless I was blinking Acidic Slimes every turn and there was very few situations where I wanted him. Skaab Ruinator - This goes with the idea that you shouldn't play Birthing Pod targets that you can't cast normally, while you can cast this one, the chances are usually slim and in my opinion doesn't always do enough for the heavy cost of re-use. Mayor of Avarbruck - I have played this card in Pod but I rarely liked having him out (except for one time when me and my opponent were both stuck on lands) I don't like the "only good X% of the time" but he is not something i'm just throwing out. I plan on trying him out to see how well he works in this version.
Thought I would try this sort of thing out, it looks pretty sweet irl. I'm doing it to the other 3 I have.
The dots are supposed to be like writing. I was wanting to try a blueprint out for a while and this is how he wanted 'em. Still need a few minor touch ups.
(credit to Nuvo for BP style of alts, least I think it was Nuvo)
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
4 Burning Vengence
4 Faithless Looting
4 Think Twice
4 Desperate Ravings
4 Geistflame
3 Whipflare
3 Slagstorm
4 Mana Leak
2 Dissipate
3 Evolving Wilds
2 Ghost Quarter
4 Sulfur Falls
2 Hinterland Harbor
5 Island
6 Mountain
1 Forest
2 Arc Trail
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Celestial Purge
1 Blasphemous Act
2 Shrine of Burning Rage
2 Naturalize
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Whipflare
1 Azure Mage
1 Plains
I was pretty rushed when I made this so I could have done better, notably the sideboard. Desperate ravings was terrible to me, I wanted alchemy all day.
Funny note, I Ray of Revelation'd 2 Oblivion Rings on my Burning Vengences and kill his guy.
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
Yes, In fact for 3 months i have jammed 4 of them in a deck. Last week I went 5-0 without losing a game. It is mediocre in some aggro match-ups where I board some out, I usually keep 2 in there. Its amazing when you get it going, control basically is a joke against it.
see Moorland Haunt
on a side note, i'm very close to completing my deck in foil, and i have 25 Birthing pods.
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
On further inspection the background needs a ton of work
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
Heh, I do alts with him at my LGS, supersteve524 on here i believe
@tomcat_mu: sweet lotus, I've been wanting to do that sort of thing for a while now
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
some matches are a real grind and can run you out of your high drops, that would be my idea
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
4 Birds of Paradise
2 Phantasmal Image
3 Viridian Emissary
1 Blade Splicer
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Stonehorn Dignitary
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Razor Hippogriff
1 Archon of Justice
2 Acidic Slime
1 Sun Titan
1 Frost Titan
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
4 Birthing Pod
4 Mentor of the Meek
4 Seachrome Coast
4 Razorverge Thicket
3 Hinterland Harbor
2 Moorland Haunt
2 Plains
2 Island
7 Forest
2 Naturalize
1 Blade Splicer
1 Fiend Hunter
2 Viridian Corrupter
1 Sylvok Replica
1 Master Thief
1 Tree of Redemption
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Peace Strider
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
1 Archon of Justice
1 Hollowhenge Scavenger
1 Frost Titan
So the Idea behind this deck is that Mentor of the Meek acts as a secondary engine that draws cards off most of the creatures in this deck and being a way to continually have threats out. When you don't have Birthing Pod, you can dig for it with the Mentors. Because of this I drifted towards Moorland Haunt which has always been fantastic for me, and when I played the somewhat comparable Skaab Ruinator (note I was not playing the full complement of Mentors, but one of) I was never that impressed with it. Haunt is un-counterable where the Ruinator would usually see a Dissipate during games 2 and 3. This deck is slower, but is even more proactive and I have fought through many Day of Judgements with the Mentors digging me out (I believe the most was 5). It is nowhere near complete as Pod is a deck that can evolve every week and I haven't done too serious of testing to grind out correct numbers but this is what I would consider close to done, except for the sideboard, which needs a lot of work. This version is wrought from a control heavy meta at my local game store and it hasn't lost to it yet. I for sure need more testing to tell if this is a good way to go or not, but this list has been very good to me, with some matches going down to small decisions made early in the game. My total record since I have started playing this version is 8-0-1 (the only tie was in the finals of an FNM, where the draw was unintentional) with the following games (Match totals are in Parentheses):
4-0-0 (2-0-0) versus Solar Flare (or whatever they call it these days)
3-1-1 (1-0-1) versus Esper Control (no Unburial Rites)
2-0-0 (1-0-0) versus Wolf Run Red
2-1-0 (1-0-0) versus Tempered Steel
2-0-0 (1-0-0) versus Wolf Run Ramp (no Dungrove Elder)
4-0-0 (2-0-0) versus U/W control
Card Choices, there are only a few that stand out:
(please note that I have no card limitations, I can get/have anything for this deck, EX: Skaab Ruinator)
Mentor of the Meek - The plan B, the card advantage gained with this guy is amazing and it can quickly put you back into the game, good synergy with Moorland Haunt. Comes back with Sun Titan too!
Fiend Hunter (1) - Good against the creatures that get +1/+1 counters and the occasional wrath defense.
Razor Hippogriff - Gets back Birthing Pods from time to time but is what keeps my Mono-Red game 1 alive.
Moorland Haunt - Stops the board stalls. I tend to not get rid of artifact creatures or creatures with converted mana cost 3 or less.
Cards I'm not playing:
Venser, the Sojourner - I never really liked this guy unless I was blinking Acidic Slimes every turn and there was very few situations where I wanted him.
Skaab Ruinator - This goes with the idea that you shouldn't play Birthing Pod targets that you can't cast normally, while you can cast this one, the chances are usually slim and in my opinion doesn't always do enough for the heavy cost of re-use.
Mayor of Avarbruck - I have played this card in Pod but I rarely liked having him out (except for one time when me and my opponent were both stuck on lands) I don't like the "only good X% of the time" but he is not something i'm just throwing out. I plan on trying him out to see how well he works in this version.
For future testing of my deck I will probably make the following changes:
- Switching the main-deck Fiend hunter with a side-boarded Blade Splicer
- Taking out a Viridian Emissary for a Mayor of Avarbruck
- Add a real (not Phyrexian Metamorph) 4 drop, considering I only have 3
- Main a Sylvok Replica
Sideboard Plans:
Control: + 1 Thrun, the Last Troll or +1 Molten-Tail Masticore, + 1 Archon of Justice, +1 Frost Titan. -1 Viridian Emissary, -1 Fiend Hunter, -1 Stonehorn Dignitary.
Aggro: +1 Blade Splicer, +1 Fiend Hunter, +1 Tree of Redemption, +1 Piece Strider, +1 Hollowhenge Scavenger. -2 Mentor of the Meek, -2 Solemn Simulacrum, -1 Acidic Slime
(The artifact/enchantment hate comes in depending on the deck I am facing, I usually only bring in hate for hate cards in game 3.)
When playing Pod I like to have lines of play that can be used for most situations (needing Birthing Pod of course):
Control Decks (g1): Blade Splicer - Solemn Simulacrum - Acidic Slime/Archon of Justice (depending on whether or not they have a Gideon) - Frost Titan. Game 2 and 3 are relatively the same but later in the game I like grabbing Molten-Tail Masticore
Aggro Decks (g1): Fiend Hunter/Blade Splicer - Solemn Simulacrum - Razor Hippogriff - Wurmcoil Engine. In games 2 and 3 after board the line is Fiend Hunter/Blade Splicer - Tree of Redemption/Peace Strider - Hollowhenge Scavenger/Razor Hippogriff - Wurmcoil Engine. I usually like keeping the Tree around however.
These are not I have to do these but they are the things I typically do.
Hope you enjoy my deck!
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
Thought I would try this sort of thing out, it looks pretty sweet irl. I'm doing it to the other 3 I have.
The dots are supposed to be like writing. I was wanting to try a blueprint out for a while and this is how he wanted 'em. Still need a few minor touch ups.
(credit to Nuvo for BP style of alts, least I think it was Nuvo)
Needs a few things as well.
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
5-0 pre-release (yesterday) win 18
5-0 release today (today) win 12
flawless match record is nice.
woot, cracked 49 packs of inn.
not bad for 40$ from me (some guy wanted cards i had so i got payed in on one)
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr:
Level 1 Judge
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Borrowing :symg::symr::symb::symu::symw:
Commander:
:symr::symu::symg: Cascade :symg::symu::symr: