MTG Salvation

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Quote from Lokiii

Do you think the UR version can still handle things when DKA comes out ? What do you think will be addition for this deck ??

Hmm… I've been wondering if Faithless Looting could be workable in this deck. I'm not really sure what to cut, but it seems like it could help you dig for creatures or auras. I know there have been times where I've been in top deck mode with one but not the other.

The current lists being run are pretty tight as it is, so maybe Looting replaces Desperate Ravings in the sideboard.

Nice job, Zuko. Thanks for the link. How often do you plan to update this?

Also, there's a typo in the Header of the page. Should be tournament, no tournamet.

Quote from Nezumi_Myr

No supprise to see R/W Humans topping ^^

This also doesn't surprise me. As long as the R/W deck has a decent curve draw, it really smashes slow starts from all of the other decks in the format.

Plus, it's the cheapest tier one deck to build, so that just means the total number of people running this deck is through the roof.

Edit:
Do you plan on keeping these stats updated from week to week?

I'm down to test. I almost have a full playset of ISD, so I can pretty much build any deck in the format. I'm really interested in shoring up my sideboard plans for each matchup. I seem to fall apart once we get to games 2 and 3.

My MODO name is knilob.

Well, that's a bummer. I was hoping I could put some reminders on my calendar and maybe keep the missus updated on when I would be a lump sitting in front of the computer. I guess your idea is the best bet. Thanks.

I'm looking to build an iCal calendar that lists all of the Standard and Block Constructed Daily Events, and I was curious how often they shift around. I would hate to put this together only to have it be obsolete a week later.

Thanks for the link. That's much better than my half-assed attempt. I like the inclusion of both the Mayor and Township. Very powerful cards to further the usefulness of the splash.

I was thinking the same thing about Garruk. Almost all of the other decks are using him, so why should this deck be left out in the cold? ;-)

Here's my stab at a potential deck list using the above list as jumping off point:



So, I tried to ease back on some of the more color intensive spells in the upper ranges of the curve. I still think the mana base could be a bit iffy. Maybe a Shimmering Grotto needs to be there, but that would need testing.

I also only included three Garruks since you definitely don't want to see him without a green mana source. Hopefully three copies will allow you to draw into him after plucking one of your four cemeteries.

Thoughts? I'll probably build this maindeck to test online soon, but I don't have any Liliana's currently.

I went 2-2 this evening at FNM. This is my second time running this deck, and I felt pretty good about the deck other than one matchup I'll discuss below.

I played the following build:



Round 1 Vs. :symg::symb: Ramp – W 2-1
I won the roll and started off with a turn two Intangible Virtue followed up with a Midnight Haunting on the end of his turn three. Garruk Relentles landed on turn four and ate his Birds of Paradise before cranking out wolf tokens. My opponent eventually ramps into a Grave Titan, but I have the Oblivion Ring waiting for it. Spirit tokens pumped by Gavony Township eventually got me there.

I knew I wanted to add my Mirran Crusaders in for game two, but I wasn't sure about Fresh Meat since I didn't see a Black Sun's Zenith game one. I ended up adding the three Day of Judgements along with the Crusaders. He chose to play, and ramped into some goodness via Viridian Emissary and Solemn Simulacrum. I tried to keep pace, but he was able to swarm me with a Grave Titan making a zombie token hoard while I kept hoping to draw one of my three Day of Judgements.

Game three played out similarly to game one. I started off with turn two Intangible Virtue, a Midnight Haunting EOT three, and another Intangible Virtue on turn four. It turns out that he was running Black Sun's Zenith, so I have to reload after my spirit tokens bit the dust. Two Virtues plus more flying tokens and some Township activations still ended it fairly quick.

Round 2 Vs. :symu::symw: Humans – L 0-2
This is the only match where I felt like my deck was outclassed. I'm guessing it's because his draws both games were insanely fast. I lost 0-2, and each game saw him drop a turn three Mirran Crusader, a turn four Hero of Bladehold, and another Hero on turn five. I only have so many Oblivion Rings to go around. It also didn't help that I got stuck on three mana game one. I sided in Day of Judgement and Timely Reinforcements for game two, but I only saw one Timely before going down in flames.

Round 3 Vs. Dungrove Ramp – W 2-0
I won the roll, and started with a turn two Shrine of Loyal Legions. This is followed up by a Midnight Haunting on the end of his turn three. He eventually gets out a Dungrove Elder and a couple of Primeval Titans. I landed a Hero of Bladehold on turns four and five (it feels better when I do it), and then I cracked my Shrine with six counters on his turn and chump blocked with one of the tokens. At this point in the game, my board is two spirit tokens, two Heroes, and five myr tokens. I swung into his board of an untapped Primeval Titan and Dungrove Elder for 41 total damage.

I sideboard in Mirran Crusaders and Day of Judgements. I had to mulligan to five on the draw, but I ended up keeping a hand with Forest, Sunpetal Grove, Plains, Mirran Crusader and Oblivion Ring. I dropped the Crusader turn three, and I top decked his twin on turn five. Big beastly Dungrove Elders are no match for Pro Green double strikers.

Round 4 Vs. :symu::symb: Tezzeret Control – L 0-2
I won the roll, and get the "awesome against control" start of turn two Shrine of Loyal Legions. I played Midnight Haunting in response to him playing something I can't remember on turn three. He ended up countering my Intangible Virtue on the next turn, and he even wiped my spirits with a Black Sun's Zenith. I landed Elspeth after the Zenith. Unfortunately, I proceeded to punt the game to him at this point.

My Shrine was getting very large (10+), and I knew I should crack it soon. Unfortunately, he played a Tezzeret on his turn, and used his "+1" ability to search up one of his three maindecked Ratchet Bombs. I played way too conservatively once the bomb hit the board. Looking back on it, I should've forced him to use it considering I had Elspeth out. I would've been able to rebuild my army with the nice lady's help. Instead of that logical line of play, I just durdled around and gave the game away.

I ended up losing to an Inkmoth Nexus equipped with a Batterskull. I had spirits ready to block, but a nice Black Sun's Zenith off the top of the deck sealed game one for him.

I decided to side in Mirran Crusaders, Thruns, Fresh Meat, and Naturalize for game two. I kept a questionable hand with a Razorverge Thicket, two Gavony Townships, Intangible Virtue, Midnight Haunting, Oblivion Ring, and Fresh Meat. I proceeded to not draw any land for the next five or six turns. I died because Tezzeret made a couple of 5/5 artifact creatures to beat me down. I didn't draw another source of colored mana till it was way too late. Bummer.

Overall Record: 2-2 (4-5)

I still really enjoyed playing this deck. I need to work on my overall skill level to avoid mistakes and poor decisions like I had in game one of round four. I never saw a Day of Judgement in any of my sideboarded games. It would've been handy in all three rounds, so I may move some to the main deck. I'm not very impressed with Doomed Traveler, and I'd really like to keep Garruk alive once he's flipped. I feel like I'm missing out on the Mortarpod shenanigans.

I went 2-3 at FNM tonight. This was my first real run with the deck, so I know I made some play mistakes along the way. Here's my decklist:



Round 1 Vs. Solar Flare (Win 2–0, 1-0 Overall)
I got a quick jump out of the gates quick on game one with a turn one Champion of the Parish followed by the Mayor of Avabruck, I noticed he didn't have a second white mana source for Day of Judgement on Turn 4, so I kept the peddle down. Lead the Stampede also resolved to add three dudes to my hand.

He mulled to 5 in game two, and he didn't draw a second land until after I already had established a Champion of the Parish, Mayor of Avabruck and a Hamlet Captain on the board. He scooped, and I felt bad.

Round 2 Vs. UG Infect (Win 2-0, 2-0 Overall)
He starts out game one with an Ichorclaw Myr, and I drop a Champion of the Parish followed by his good friend the Mayor of Avabruck. A couple of Accorder Paladins and a Hamlet Captain tagged along later, and I squeaked out exactly lethal after taking 8 poison.

Game two starts similarly for him with a Plague Myr leading into an Ichorclaw Myr. I'm able to get out a couple of Doomed Travelers and a couple of Mayor of Avabrucks. Evertually I start cranking up the Gavony Township engine, and my board presence overwhelms him while I'm at 9 poison. I think I hit Lead the Stampede again for three this game.

Round 3 Vs. Wolf Run Ramp (Lose 1-2, 2-1 Overall)
I pretty much stole this victory in game one thanks to Act of Agression and Spare from Evil. He was very shocked by the AoA being in my mainboard. I used it on his Wurmcoil Engine to knock him down to 4. He attacked back to go back up to 10, and used Devil's Play to kill my Accorder Paladin to keep me from winning next turn. I thought this was the end, but then I realized I could use Spare from Evil to protect my dudes while blocking his Wurmcoil's next attack. Stopping the Wurm's Lifelink from triggering kept him from running away with the game. Then a top decked Spare from Evil locked it up.

I got a bit of slow start in game two, and he was able to ramp out perfectly and finish me off with three Inkmoth Nexus with Kessig Wolf Run backup.

Game three was a grind, and unfortunately that doesn't favor this deck. We went to time, and I died on Turn 5 of extra time to two Primeval Titans and a beast token from Garruk, Primal Hunter.

Round 4 Vs. G/W Humans (Loss 1–2, 2–2 Overall)
Ahh… everyone loves a mirror match, right? He wins the roll, and proceeds to go Avacyn's Pilgrim, Mirran Crusader, Hero of Bladehold, Angelic Overseer. I proceed to scoop.

Game two sees me on the play, and I out rush him this time. It wasn't nearly has powerful as his game one plays, but I did hit Lead the Stampede for 4 this game.

He gets to go first game three, and that's really all you have to say. I made it interesting this time, but you really want to be the beatdown in this mathcup. He did that very well, and I tried eek out any kind of small advantage while he had two Mayor of Avabrucks and a Champion of the Parish with 4 counters. I also realized this game that Angelic Destiny has been hiding in my deck the entire evening.

Round 5 Vs. Grixis Control (Loss 1-2, 2-3 Overall)
I lose the dice roll again, and I probably shouldn't have kept my opening hand. He has lots of removal, and my dudes aren't long for the world this game. He gets out two Chandra's Phoenix, and proceeds to equip one of them with the Sword of War and Peace. That locks up game one for him.

I get a blistering start game two, and he misplays his land to keep him from dropping a Slagstorm on turn three. This turns out to be advantageous, since my Mirran Crusader was able to get an extra attack in before being burned alive by slag.

I pretty much mana flooded in game three. I think I ended up with around eight or nine lands on the board this game. He was also a bit land heavy, and I think he played almost all of his burn/removal spells before finding a Wurmcoil Engine late in the game to put the game away.

Summary:
All in all, I really enjoyed playing this deck. I could use some more playtesting, and I'm interested to try out some of the other tech mentioned in these threads. One thing I know for sure, Lead the Stampede was boss for me this evening. I never pulled less than three creatures with that card.

After my experience, and seeing most of these results, I'm now convinced Birthing Pod isn't viable in this meta. I'll still keep an eye on further developments, but I doubt I'll play it in any real competitive events.

I don't know what made Top 8 in Tennessee, but Wolf Run was rampant. ;-)

@Frox: I like the Naya list. You do know it's 61 cards, right? I wasn't sure if that was intentional or not.

Damn, I'm an idiot. I didn't refresh the page before posting. You're explanation as to why you run 61 is good. I tended to do this back when I played in the Invasion block.

Quote from HandwrittenHero

"Heartless Pod"Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
4 Viridian Emissary 3 Perilous Myr 3 Phyrexian Rager 2 Glissa, the Traitor 1 Sylvok Replica 1 Phyrexian Metamorph 1 Solemn Simulacrum 1 Entomber Exarch 1 Skinrender 1 Peace Strider 3 Acidic Slime	1 Wurmcoil Engine 1 Massacre Wurm 1 Reaper from the Abyss 1 Sheoldred, Whispering One 4 Despise 3 Heartless Summoning 4 Birthing Pod 4 Woodland Cemetery 9 Swamp 9 Forest 2 Buried Ruin	Sideboard 3 Beast Within 2 Ratchet Bomb 2 Go for the Throat 2 Mimic Vat 2 Spellskite 2 Sylvok Replica 1 Thrun 1 Skinrender

Hmm… this looks pretty damn good. Do you think it's worthwhile to add some type of graveyard hate in the SB for Solar Flare or other deck's running Snapcasters? I'm going to try to test this out a bit tonight online as I'm still not 100% sure what I want to run at States.

Hey everyone. I'm a first time poster, longtime lurker in this thread. I recently started playing again back when M12 was released, and all of the Birthing Pod decks I read about really intrigued me. I've tested a Bant version of the deck, but I just wasn't seeing the results I liked. I'm thinking Junk (G/B/* at least) is the way to go to combat the crazy aggro decks most people will be running this early in the meta.

That being said here's my tweak on the "Guns and Junk" deck DXI-Edge posted earlier:



I've tried to balance the Sideboard, but that could probably use some help. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.