Unless it's an absolute must, I rarely go for the combo but always know how to get there. This helps me adjust my plays to the situation especially the removal/obstacles available to my opponent. Also, I think I missed something in your Pod chain: How are you getting Kitchen Finks back after Podding it into a Dimir House Guard?
I think this is 100% correct way of approaching the deck. Don't try to force the combo (it's way too fragile and we don't really have too many ways of protecting it), but always know your shortest line of play for assembling it just in case you need to pull the trigger in an attempt to steal a game that has gone south. If you can assemble the combo without sacrificing too much relevant board position, then by all means go for it, but other than that it's not really worth risking a random bolt from your opponent to leave you with bunch of donothings in play.
And he isn't getting finks back after podding for DHG, he'd have to reset them first as they don't get the counter from master biomancer they podded
What you described is how it should work in theory, but in practice, it always underperforms. Your opponent will cast bolt during their own turn instead of at the end of your turn, but ultimately it doesn't matter because they're still spending their mana before their next untap step. Against Aggro, it's 2 blockers, against Combo, they can just ignore it, and against Control, it's a bad Grand Abolisher, where if they decide they want to respond to you casting a Pod, they still can. If you want the chance to get real value out of it, you need to keep it on the table, and while you do that, he's just a bear. Instead of two extra redundant Voices, you could say I have Sin Collector and Entomber Exarch, which provide actual real disruption and card advantage against both Combo and Control, rather than pseudo virtual card advantage against just Control.
I want options. We're a toolbox deck, after all. If all I played against was Control, of course I'd play more Voices in place of dead cards like Shriekmaw. Keep in mind that we have a sideboard, and my list is designed to maximize our options in game 1, and our slots are limited.
Are you sure you are playing the voice correctly (not forgetting triggers)? It completely shuts down faeries, creates all sorts of headaches to control. It can reset the pod chain for lists running Viscera Seer and it's VERY good against all kinds of aggro, usually being 2-for-1. If your meta is combo heavy, I can understand you aren't too happy about it and you would be better off running something like Eidolon of Rhetoric instead.
Unless you are in late game without Pod (and you are then royally screwed anyway), Voice makes very good topdeck. Your deck should be loaded with value 3drops. If getting a 3 drop you need AND grizzly bear that can get out of hand pretty quickly for just 4 mana is not enough for you, I'm not sure what would.
Let's face it, with current card pool in Modern, Voice is always (even when PtE'd - you get land then) card advantage, exactly what deck like Pod is built for.
I'm mainly a Jund player but have played a few tournies with this deck (only missing Hierarchs). From the Jund perspective I hate seeing more than one Voice of Resurgence in a game. With an active pod you guys can out maneuver Jund fairly well. Don't let Boston discourage you, I'm still mighty uncomfortable being across the table from a Junk Pod player.
Jund in the Pod matchup is very susceptible to its notorious weakness - drawing the wrong half of the deck at the wrong time.
The stock list is slightly unfavourable G1 against affinity/merfolk, but becomes slightly better post board.
Angel Pod is significantly worse against affinity (and possibly merfolk as well) G1, and is about even post board.
I really don't know where the notion that angel (LSV) pod is significantly worse against affinity than melira pod. I know LSV is claiming that, but both on paper and from my experience, the matchup is at least same, and post board I fell I can't ever lose.
Angel pod post board has: 2 Linvalas, lingering souls, more fliers with relevant bodies, 7 spot removal, 2 creeping corrosions(!!!).
Against Merfolk, I'll agree. Sure, we have more ways of interacting with Merfolk than melira pod, but many games have to be won by comboing off before we get overrun by bunch of unblockable 5/5s, so the faster goldfish is very relevant in the matchup.
to xxhellfirexx3: In the current meta, Scapeshift is very well positioned. It is rather difficult to hate it out, it has very powerful permission package and post sideboard pretty decent creatures both to make sure they live long enough. And being single card combo deck, even if they are behind, every draw they do has potential of stealing the game.
I actually keep Thoughtseize in against burn. Being able to discard/force their hand on skullcrack is really important.
StrichnineGaming: Needs more Linvala. She's a beating against both Pod and Twin, and neither of the decks can get rid of her easily.
So is everyone playing the spike feeder pod? cuz i like the one from pro tour born of the gods that jacob wilson played is that still a viable deck version for competative play?
I'd say any pod variant is highly competitive as shown by LSV when he decided to cut the melira combo. The main idea of burying your opponent in card advantage is always going to be there unless you decide to play vanilla creatures for some reason. If you don't want to play spike feeder, don't. There will be games where you lose because you don't have access to it the same as there will be games I lose because I don't have access to Melira (or multiple Finks). All it boils down is variance and our ability to play without the stuff that is missing from our 60.
Thing is, there is nonzero number of creature decks in the meta and Archangel is very good against them. One swing or even one life gained from ooze activation with Archangel on board is often enough to swing the game to your favor. And she presents insane clock with just couple mana birds.
Went 5-3 on PTQ yesterday with the LSV Angel pod (-burenton +metamorph). Top 8 in the tournament was: 1st UW control; 2nd LSV pod; top4 melira pod, merfolk; top8 RG tron, jund, two flavors of UWR
M1 vs monoG devotion (1-2)
G1 I had pretty mediocre draw (hand full of 4-5 drops, not enough mana), while he had pretty nutty draw (Garruk, nykthos shenanigans, ...). Still I lost mostly due to huge mistake - not fetching for white source of mana with Archangel in hand, so I was stuck on 1 white mana where the angel would've won me the game easily.
G2 He got manascrewed and I had decent draw to seal the game quickly
G3 We were durdling around for a bit and he then landed 2 prime times which was lights out quickly (didn't draw enough removal or big bodies)
M2 vs UWR twin? (2-0)
I don't remember much from this match other than I felt I was in control the whole time. I think my opponent's greedy deck was to blame. He also got pretty flooded game 2 (me too though, but discard + couple of beaters against monobricks is usually good enough.
M3 vs Burn (0-2)
Not much to say here. He had it, I didn't.
M4 vs Faeries (2-1)
G1 I got triple voice draw, which is something faeries can't ever beat
G2 He controlled my early game and then landed Mistbind Clique and with Scion of Oona equipped with batterskull my flier were on chumping duty (which didn't last long of course)
G3 was a lot more durdly again, I had answer for batterskull this time around. My opponent decided to go on Tar Pit beats slightly too late so I managed to win the race. I made grave mistake of misreading Scion here, when I though it gave shroud only to creatures so I blinked harmonic sliver which then proceeded to kill my pod. Luckily the Bitterblossom eventually help me to kill my opponent.
M5 vs Affinity (2-1)
G1 I lost to pretty good draw (early etched champion supported by plates at first and then some counters off ravager are not really beatable
G2 I kept hand with Gavony, 4 lands, Creeping Corrosion and Path to Exile. Game went as expected, opponent vomited their hand on table, I was controlling the biggest threats to make sure I didn't die. Then I swept his board and won from there. Obviously I was drawing gas for the most part, but that was to be expected with 5 lands in opener hand.
G3 Seemed to be even, opponent got me to burn range at one point, but I was keeping him off red mana and timely Corrosion off the top followed by couple of removals for the second wave (he was playing around the mass removal this time) was enough to seal the game.
M6 vs Burn (2-0)
My opponent seemed to be on the weaker side, but considering there was like 30 degrees in the room, him not being local (long drive early in the morning) and late round, he could've just been tired. I know I was completely exhausted by this time.
both games I managed to get out finks + angel shenanigans and since he didn't have any skullcrack effect, I managed to win from there. His draws were pretty subpar overall in both games though.
M7 vs the mirror (1-2)
G1 my opponent got out pod which I then managed to copy by metamorph. On board where I had spellskite, pontiff (haunted by his pontiff) and pod and he had pod and spellskite, I decided to take the risky play of getting rid of his only creature by podding spellskite for sliver. I'd then pod pontiff (had enough mana for gavony + pod activation) away for angel to blink sliver to kill off his pod. My opponent however topdecked a 3 drop which he then promptly podded for redcap, killing both of my guys. I then bricked for 3 turns which meant game. In hindsight, I should've podded away the pontiff to get Linvala and kill his pod next turn. Alas we always learn.
G2 I got pod, he didn't and even after he pontiffed my manadorks, I responded by (unanswered) Linvala, which was enough to get me the game.
G3 He had better draw. Double Linvalas, removal for my Linvala, I was relying heavily on manadorks (3 lands, 3 dorks), so that was game pretty quickly. Not sure how it was on the pod line, but I don't think either of us got pod until it wasn't relevant anymore (I couldn't get to something good - read Linvala removal) quickly enough
M8 vs (g)W hatebears (2-0)
My opponent's play was pretty loose, but mine also wasn't on its top. There weren't any really notable moments in our games other than I somehow botched miran crusader combat math (again).
All in all, I'm very happy with how the deck performed and there weren't any huge surprises, so I think it's well positioned in the upcoming season. Bit of luck, good matchups and I might just get to Hawaii...
I'm contemplating cutting the metamorph, getting back 3rd seize main and putting 2nd pontiff to sideboard (per LSV's recommendations). But Metamorph was performing really well in multiple matches for me. Being able to go finks into angel into metamorph (copying either angel or finks) against burn, copying pod or just any creature really in the mirror or copying pesky equipments (copied batterskull once which bought me a lot of time). And every time I drew it past turn 5, when I imagined it could've been thoughtseize, I was really happy that it was metamorph...
Few lessons I'm bringing from this tournament:
Fetching for correct land is super important and can (will) cost you games. Unless you need green, the correct play is to fetch Godless Shrine 90% of the time.
The burn matchup is horrible, but playable. Dedicating slots in sideboard against it is not good idea, because if you have x-0 record, you won't be encountering them past 3rd round and the later in the tournament you are, the more help from sideboard against T1 decks you need, because you get tired and your opponents are better.
I feel very favored against affinity with the LSV pod. Creeping Corrosion supported by multiple spot removal spells is just unreal.
Mirror is more about mana denial than anything else. Pontiff and Linvala is what you are looking for. Pod helps obviously, but getting that is out of your hands.
Burn is annoying, hard to win matchup. Key is not taking any damage from lands, they usually struggle dealing more than 15-18 damage. Using thoughtseize to get rid of skullcrack is also important.
Hatebears isn't terrible matchup. Good idea is to just side out chords and even some number of pods and just grind them out. They don't have chance in longer game.
Metamorph is insane. Yesterday I've destroyed affinity with T1 bird, T2 harmonic sliver, T3 Metamorph, T4 angel to blink sliver (total of 5 artifacts destroyed). My opponent scooped afterwards
I'm still running the LSV Meliraless list, but I've removed Burrenton, moved one Thoughtseize to sideboard (for 2-2 split) and added Metamorph to main.
I'm getting varying mileage from the deck. I'm getting pretty good results on MODO (multiple 2-1s in 8mans), but I've tanked FNM pretty hard (lost against Scapeshift and Burn)
I think that if I'm on the beatdown plan and I already have stuff like Biomancer in play, I'm probably already doing pretty good on the beatdown plan...
A streamer earlier today was playing 4 color pod with Master Biomancer, Phantasmal Image, and sideboard Glen Elendra Archmage, basically on top of the stock Melira Pod list with one Restoration Angel.
Yeah, I was watching him. Getting paired against 2 burn decks isn't very representative of the metagame though. I love Phantasmal Image, and will probably add it to my list (along with replacing 1 forest with breeding pool). Glen Elendra Archmage is nice tech and if I'm adding blue, I'll definitely incorporate her to sideboard. Master biomancer seems pretty redundant. Either he's win more or he's 4 mana melira.
Yeah, I don't think we have any major stack shenanigans. Small tricks that should be noted and might not be apparent to everyone newer to magic:
1) When Reveillark dies, he can bring you back creatures that died with him
2) When you chord for Witness, you can return the chord to your hand
3) When you target a card in graveyard with ooze and someone tries to do something else with it, you can activate ooze again, targeting the same card (the first activation will fizzle ofc)
4) You can use last counter on Wall of roots to pay pod activation mana AND sacrifice it to said activation. On MODO you need to click on pod first. In paper just call a judge to explain the thing to your opponent if they have issues with your play. The idea is that since Wall's ability is mana ability, you can activate it while activating pod (to pay for pod's activation mana corst) and state based effects that would put wall to graveyard thanks to having zero toughness aren't checked until after the whole "activating pod" sequence is done, but meanwhile you sacrifice the wall as another part of pod's activation cost.
I think this is 100% correct way of approaching the deck. Don't try to force the combo (it's way too fragile and we don't really have too many ways of protecting it), but always know your shortest line of play for assembling it just in case you need to pull the trigger in an attempt to steal a game that has gone south. If you can assemble the combo without sacrificing too much relevant board position, then by all means go for it, but other than that it's not really worth risking a random bolt from your opponent to leave you with bunch of donothings in play.
And he isn't getting finks back after podding for DHG, he'd have to reset them first as they don't get the counter from master biomancer they podded
Are you sure you are playing the voice correctly (not forgetting triggers)? It completely shuts down faeries, creates all sorts of headaches to control. It can reset the pod chain for lists running Viscera Seer and it's VERY good against all kinds of aggro, usually being 2-for-1. If your meta is combo heavy, I can understand you aren't too happy about it and you would be better off running something like Eidolon of Rhetoric instead.
Unless you are in late game without Pod (and you are then royally screwed anyway), Voice makes very good topdeck. Your deck should be loaded with value 3drops. If getting a 3 drop you need AND grizzly bear that can get out of hand pretty quickly for just 4 mana is not enough for you, I'm not sure what would.
Let's face it, with current card pool in Modern, Voice is always (even when PtE'd - you get land then) card advantage, exactly what deck like Pod is built for.
Jund in the Pod matchup is very susceptible to its notorious weakness - drawing the wrong half of the deck at the wrong time.
I really don't know where the notion that angel (LSV) pod is significantly worse against affinity than melira pod. I know LSV is claiming that, but both on paper and from my experience, the matchup is at least same, and post board I fell I can't ever lose.
Angel pod post board has: 2 Linvalas, lingering souls, more fliers with relevant bodies, 7 spot removal, 2 creeping corrosions(!!!).
Against Merfolk, I'll agree. Sure, we have more ways of interacting with Merfolk than melira pod, but many games have to be won by comboing off before we get overrun by bunch of unblockable 5/5s, so the faster goldfish is very relevant in the matchup.
to xxhellfirexx3: In the current meta, Scapeshift is very well positioned. It is rather difficult to hate it out, it has very powerful permission package and post sideboard pretty decent creatures both to make sure they live long enough. And being single card combo deck, even if they are behind, every draw they do has potential of stealing the game.
StrichnineGaming: Needs more Linvala. She's a beating against both Pod and Twin, and neither of the decks can get rid of her easily.
I'd say any pod variant is highly competitive as shown by LSV when he decided to cut the melira combo. The main idea of burying your opponent in card advantage is always going to be there unless you decide to play vanilla creatures for some reason. If you don't want to play spike feeder, don't. There will be games where you lose because you don't have access to it the same as there will be games I lose because I don't have access to Melira (or multiple Finks). All it boils down is variance and our ability to play without the stuff that is missing from our 60.
Thing is, there is nonzero number of creature decks in the meta and Archangel is very good against them. One swing or even one life gained from ooze activation with Archangel on board is often enough to swing the game to your favor. And she presents insane clock with just couple mana birds.
4 x Razorverge Thicket
2 x Marsh Flats
2 x Misty Rainforest
4 x Verdant Catacombs
2 x Overgrown Tomb
1 x Temple Garden
1 x Godless Shrine
3 x Forest
1 x Swamp
3 x Gavony Township
Creatures
4 x Birds of Paradise
2 x Noble Hierarch
2 x Wall of Roots
3 x Voice of Resurgence
1 x Kitchen Finks
1 x Spellskite
1 x Eternal Witness
1 x Reveillark
1 x Spike Feeder
1 x Murderous Redcap
1 x Shriekmaw
1 x Scavenging Ooze
1 x Archangel of Thune
1 x Restoration Angel
1 x Harmonic Sliver
1 x Orzhov Pontiff
1 x Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 x Sin Collector
4 x Birthing Pod
3 x Thoughtseize
3 x Abrupt Decay
2 x Chord of Calling
2 x Lingering Souls
1 x Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 x Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 x Aven Mindcensor
1 x Orzhov Pontiff
1 x Entomber Exarch
1 x Qasali Pridemage
1 x Thoughtseize
2 x Path to Exile
2 x Dismember
2 x Creeping Corrosion
M1 vs monoG devotion (1-2)
G1 I had pretty mediocre draw (hand full of 4-5 drops, not enough mana), while he had pretty nutty draw (Garruk, nykthos shenanigans, ...). Still I lost mostly due to huge mistake - not fetching for white source of mana with Archangel in hand, so I was stuck on 1 white mana where the angel would've won me the game easily.
G2 He got manascrewed and I had decent draw to seal the game quickly
G3 We were durdling around for a bit and he then landed 2 prime times which was lights out quickly (didn't draw enough removal or big bodies)
M2 vs UWR twin? (2-0)
I don't remember much from this match other than I felt I was in control the whole time. I think my opponent's greedy deck was to blame. He also got pretty flooded game 2 (me too though, but discard + couple of beaters against monobricks is usually good enough.
M3 vs Burn (0-2)
Not much to say here. He had it, I didn't.
M4 vs Faeries (2-1)
G1 I got triple voice draw, which is something faeries can't ever beat
G2 He controlled my early game and then landed Mistbind Clique and with Scion of Oona equipped with batterskull my flier were on chumping duty (which didn't last long of course)
G3 was a lot more durdly again, I had answer for batterskull this time around. My opponent decided to go on Tar Pit beats slightly too late so I managed to win the race. I made grave mistake of misreading Scion here, when I though it gave shroud only to creatures so I blinked harmonic sliver which then proceeded to kill my pod. Luckily the Bitterblossom eventually help me to kill my opponent.
M5 vs Affinity (2-1)
G1 I lost to pretty good draw (early etched champion supported by plates at first and then some counters off ravager are not really beatable
G2 I kept hand with Gavony, 4 lands, Creeping Corrosion and Path to Exile. Game went as expected, opponent vomited their hand on table, I was controlling the biggest threats to make sure I didn't die. Then I swept his board and won from there. Obviously I was drawing gas for the most part, but that was to be expected with 5 lands in opener hand.
G3 Seemed to be even, opponent got me to burn range at one point, but I was keeping him off red mana and timely Corrosion off the top followed by couple of removals for the second wave (he was playing around the mass removal this time) was enough to seal the game.
M6 vs Burn (2-0)
My opponent seemed to be on the weaker side, but considering there was like 30 degrees in the room, him not being local (long drive early in the morning) and late round, he could've just been tired. I know I was completely exhausted by this time.
both games I managed to get out finks + angel shenanigans and since he didn't have any skullcrack effect, I managed to win from there. His draws were pretty subpar overall in both games though.
M7 vs the mirror (1-2)
G1 my opponent got out pod which I then managed to copy by metamorph. On board where I had spellskite, pontiff (haunted by his pontiff) and pod and he had pod and spellskite, I decided to take the risky play of getting rid of his only creature by podding spellskite for sliver. I'd then pod pontiff (had enough mana for gavony + pod activation) away for angel to blink sliver to kill off his pod. My opponent however topdecked a 3 drop which he then promptly podded for redcap, killing both of my guys. I then bricked for 3 turns which meant game. In hindsight, I should've podded away the pontiff to get Linvala and kill his pod next turn. Alas we always learn.
G2 I got pod, he didn't and even after he pontiffed my manadorks, I responded by (unanswered) Linvala, which was enough to get me the game.
G3 He had better draw. Double Linvalas, removal for my Linvala, I was relying heavily on manadorks (3 lands, 3 dorks), so that was game pretty quickly. Not sure how it was on the pod line, but I don't think either of us got pod until it wasn't relevant anymore (I couldn't get to something good - read Linvala removal) quickly enough
M8 vs (g)W hatebears (2-0)
My opponent's play was pretty loose, but mine also wasn't on its top. There weren't any really notable moments in our games other than I somehow botched miran crusader combat math (again).
All in all, I'm very happy with how the deck performed and there weren't any huge surprises, so I think it's well positioned in the upcoming season. Bit of luck, good matchups and I might just get to Hawaii...
I'm contemplating cutting the metamorph, getting back 3rd seize main and putting 2nd pontiff to sideboard (per LSV's recommendations). But Metamorph was performing really well in multiple matches for me. Being able to go finks into angel into metamorph (copying either angel or finks) against burn, copying pod or just any creature really in the mirror or copying pesky equipments (copied batterskull once which bought me a lot of time). And every time I drew it past turn 5, when I imagined it could've been thoughtseize, I was really happy that it was metamorph...
Few lessons I'm bringing from this tournament:
Fetching for correct land is super important and can (will) cost you games. Unless you need green, the correct play is to fetch Godless Shrine 90% of the time.
The burn matchup is horrible, but playable. Dedicating slots in sideboard against it is not good idea, because if you have x-0 record, you won't be encountering them past 3rd round and the later in the tournament you are, the more help from sideboard against T1 decks you need, because you get tired and your opponents are better.
I feel very favored against affinity with the LSV pod. Creeping Corrosion supported by multiple spot removal spells is just unreal.
Mirror is more about mana denial than anything else. Pontiff and Linvala is what you are looking for. Pod helps obviously, but getting that is out of your hands.
Lingering souls are insane.
Every matchup is winnable.
What do you guys think about this list:
3 Misty Rainforest
1 Marsh Flats
2 Gavony Township
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Breeding Pool
4 Razorverge Thicket
2 Forest
1 Temple Garden
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Swamp
1 Godless Shrine
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Noble Hierarch
1 Spellskite
3 Voice of Resurgence
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Wall of Roots
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Sin Collector
1 Eternal Witness
1 Spike Feeder
1 Harmonic Sliver
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Restoration Angel
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Reveillark
1 Archangel of Thune
1 Shriekmaw
2 Chord of Calling
4 Birthing Pod
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Thoughtseize
1 Entomber Exarch
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Lingering Souls
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
2 Dismember
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
2 Creeping Corrosion
I'm still running the LSV Meliraless list, but I've removed Burrenton, moved one Thoughtseize to sideboard (for 2-2 split) and added Metamorph to main.
I'm getting varying mileage from the deck. I'm getting pretty good results on MODO (multiple 2-1s in 8mans), but I've tanked FNM pretty hard (lost against Scapeshift and Burn)
Yeah, I was watching him. Getting paired against 2 burn decks isn't very representative of the metagame though. I love Phantasmal Image, and will probably add it to my list (along with replacing 1 forest with breeding pool). Glen Elendra Archmage is nice tech and if I'm adding blue, I'll definitely incorporate her to sideboard. Master biomancer seems pretty redundant. Either he's win more or he's 4 mana melira.
1) When Reveillark dies, he can bring you back creatures that died with him
2) When you chord for Witness, you can return the chord to your hand
3) When you target a card in graveyard with ooze and someone tries to do something else with it, you can activate ooze again, targeting the same card (the first activation will fizzle ofc)
4) You can use last counter on Wall of roots to pay pod activation mana AND sacrifice it to said activation. On MODO you need to click on pod first. In paper just call a judge to explain the thing to your opponent if they have issues with your play. The idea is that since Wall's ability is mana ability, you can activate it while activating pod (to pay for pod's activation mana corst) and state based effects that would put wall to graveyard thanks to having zero toughness aren't checked until after the whole "activating pod" sequence is done, but meanwhile you sacrifice the wall as another part of pod's activation cost.