Marsh Flats is likely suboptimal because green is the central colour in this deck and you always want the maximum ability to fetch out a basic Forest in a format where Blood Moon decks are a thing and the dual lands cost life. Still, it's certainly better than running any lands other than Marsh Flats and in that case I'd trim another land for the second Temple Garden so you can more reliably (but more painfully) open with a turn one mana dork.
I can sympathize, though. I just said that it's suboptimal but I'm currently running my Melira Pod list with 4 Marsh Flats instead of Misty Rainforest for the totally stupid reason that my set of Mistys is in another deck and I hate switching them out. Why isn't Windswept Heath legal in Modern.
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Special thanks to Hakai Studios and SushiOtter for the sig!
Legacy:UR Sneak and Show IUBG Team America IX Metalworker MUD Modern:UBR Blue Jund IWBX Eldrazi Processors IX Affinity IWRG Nacatl Burn IGR Tron IUBR Grishoalbrand
Ideally you want some of both. 4 Verdant Catacombs, 2 Misty, 2 Flats works really well in my experience.
Keep in mind with the Blood Moon argument that the 2 Misty helps diversify the basics you can fetch. With the 4 Verdant/4 Misty setup you have 8 ways to fetch a Forest and 4 ways to fetch a Swamp. With the 4/2/2 setup you have 6 ways to get a Forest, 6 ways to get a Swamp, and 2 ways to get a Plains which is slightly better basic fetching overall, plus the basic plains is just really useful.
Ideally you want some of both. 4 Verdant Catacombs, 2 Misty, 2 Flats works really well in my experience.
Keep in mind with the Blood Moon argument that the 2 Misty helps diversify the basics you can fetch. With the 4 Verdant/4 Misty setup you have 8 ways to fetch a Forest and 4 ways to fetch a Swamp. With the 4/2/2 setup you have 6 ways to get a Forest, 6 ways to get a Swamp, and 2 ways to get a Plains which is slightly better basic fetching overall, plus the basic plains is just really useful.
I find that 4/3/1 Verdant/Misty/Marsh works best, but I don't run the basic Plains. I just wanted another land that could fetch Godless Shrine if I wanted to.
During the past weeks I noticed that, when I lose a match, I generally win g1 and lose g2 and 3.
I started paying more attention to it and I realized that this is most likely because in post-sb games my opponent invariably plays a crippling piece of hate by turn 3 at the latest. My biggest strengths then become liabilities, since I can no more generate advantage through tutoring or recurring the graveyard. I have answers somewhere in the deck, of course, but when I find them it is generally too late to recover.
I tried to reduce my dependence on Pod by putting 3x Phyrexian Arena in the sb, so that when needed I can side out most, if not all, the tutors (Pod and Chord) and become a full midrange deck able to generate card advantage in the face of any piece of hate you throw at me. The added benefit of this approach is that I give my opponents a lot of dead draws (I always chuckle a little when they drop Grafdigger's Cage, cycle a Shadow of Doubt for no value or show me an Ancient Grudge rotting in their hand). This worked great vs. UWR of all kinds (I can't even remember when I last dropped a match vs. them), but didn't really provide good results vs. less durdly decks that can put me under pressure (a.k.a. assorted BGx decks and Twin, for the most part).
I believe the approach I am using is correct, because the occasions when having a Pod instead of an Arena would have improved my game have been extremely limited (because there was enough hate to make Pod/Chord bad). I am not very satisfied with Arena, though, because it doesn't do enough and, if the game goes south, it further reduces the time at my disposal to fix things. After another PTQ gone bad because of the above MUs (BGx and Twin), I am left wondering if and how I can have more game vs. them g2 and 3. I am honestly starting to wonder if the metagame is becoming too hostile to this deck, and the glaring reduction in results around the world seems to confirm my fears. If you could prove me wrong, or give suggestions, I would be more than happy.
How exactly are you sideboarding against BGx and Twin? How does your plan compare before and after you decided to add the Arena plan to the sideboard? If you are consistently losing games 2 and 3, then that typically points to over/under-sideboarding or playing the post-board games incorrectly. This deck is quite resilient to hate, so a single piece shouldn't matter that much.
I am probably playing Pod (probably angel pod, but could be kiki pod) in a PTQ next week, but I played a little bit less than usually in the past few weeks, so get a few questions for those of you playing it.
- I really prefer Angel Pod to Melira Pod a lot, mostly because I feel the melira combo force me to play some mediocre cards maindeck (viciera seer, melira, ranger vs only feeder + the usually good on his own archangel of thrun) and take a few too much slots (need to play more finks, which is not a bad card itself but with angel pod I like to be able to "pre-board" vs some decks + save 3 sb slots). I could be wrong however, as the majority of players seem to prefer to run the melira combo anyway. So for those of you who do it, what are your reasons? I can get that it could be a bit faster to combo vs affinity, and that finks is good in some matchups, but I don't see it as being enough. (I like the pontiff + seer interaction however).
- How do you think is your BG and BGw matchup?
- I am unsure about running lingering souls or not in the sb. I am not sure it's on that level I want to fight BGx, and I expect it to be one of the most important deck that week-end. How do you like the card vs it? and are there other matchups where you really like it? (it is great vs affinity however)
Ah, and for the post above mine: I usually play 1 kataki + 1 fracturing gust. In that configuration, and even more with yours as lingering soul helps you reach that point, I feel the 1 mana difference is ok. The extra life + ability to kill nexus is often useful. And it can be good vs boggles obviously, even if it's not played often.
I am probably playing Pod (probably angel pod, but could be kiki pod) in a PTQ next week, but I played a little bit less than usually in the past few weeks, so get a few questions for those of you playing it.
- I really prefer Angel Pod to Melira Pod a lot, mostly because I feel the melira combo force me to play some mediocre cards maindeck (viciera seer, melira, ranger vs only feeder + the usually good on his own archangel of thrun) and take a few too much slots (need to play more finks, which is not a bad card itself but with angel pod I like to be able to "pre-board" vs some decks + save 3 sb slots). I could be wrong however, as the majority of players seem to prefer to run the melira combo anyway. So for those of you who do it, what are your reasons? I can get that it could be a bit faster to combo vs affinity, and that finks is good in some matchups, but I don't see it as being enough. (I like the pontiff + seer interaction however).
- How do you think is your BG and BGw matchup?
- I am unsure about running lingering souls or not in the sb. I am not sure it's on that level I want to fight BGx, and I expect it to be one of the most important deck that week-end. How do you like the card vs it? and are there other matchups where you really like it? (it is great vs affinity however)
1) I run the melira list because a) Viscera Seer is actually good on its own (protect against exile effects, benefit against wrath effects, lights out against Living Death), b) Yup, Melira sucks on its own, c) Ranger of Eos is decent on his own as well (hand filler against 8rack, mana dorks fuel Chord of Calling and reset Birthing Pod chain). More importantly, I find that even having the melira combo in the deck makes opposing decks play conservatively, which allows the midrange strategy to take over.
2) The jund matchup is decent - Kitchen Finks is a great answer to Tarmogoyf, and all of our removal hits it as well (Abrupt Decay, Path to Exile, etc). This lets our beaters provide enough offense to make them play defensively from the start.
3) I have taken Lingering Souls out of my SB. I was only siding it in versus 8rack and Affinity, and there are stronger SB cards for both that I can tutor for (Kataki, War's Wage against affinity, Obstinate Baloth against 8rack). I'd make sure to make room for those Thoughtseizes in the jund matchup.
How prevalent is 8Rack in hard cards? I know I pick it up when I am feeling a bit LOL or I am playing with newbies to show them some of the more "out of the box" type builds.
The local High School kids liked it, but they are super casual.
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My Modern decks: B/R/G Living End G/R/B G/R Tron R/G U/W/G/R Gargageddon R/G/W/U R/W/G Naya Burn G/W/R
What do you guys think about Trostani in the SB? I think it can help stabilize vs aggro decks and potentially win the game on its own. Never tested it, tho.
Not a fan, we don't really get populate value. Aside from that, it's hell on the mana.
I was more talking about BG and BGw actually, which I expect to be a bit different because there isn't anger of the gods. Also, lingering soul can be good against us probably.
thanks for the answer however.
- Hope to avoid it, it's really not much played.
- Hope they miss on trap, it happen often.
- Combo faster, they don't have so many ways to stop you.
- Hand disruption helps.
Anyone have some general tips for the Twin matchup? Been playing in a new meta lately and it's popular. It was never something I had much experience against before.
Anyone have some general tips for the Twin matchup? Been playing in a new meta lately and it's popular. It was never something I had much experience against before.
So here is the new revamped 75. Has anyone thought about running a 6 drop this way the chain just doesnt end at revillark or shreikmaw md or sb?
thoughts were: Primeval Titan, Grave Titan,Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
So here is the new revamped 75. Has anyone thought about running a 6 drop this way the chain just doesnt end at revillark or shreikmaw md or sb?
thoughts were: Primeval Titan, Grave Titan,Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
Shriekmaw and Reveillark are evasive and generate card advantage; being able to Pod into them is usually enough to tip a game to your side, a six-drop isn't really necessary. If you want something MB that will absolutely shut the door on games, though, Sun Titan is basically impossible for most fair decks to beat and is sick value if you've climbed the Pod chain to get to it. I run Realm Razer SB to shore up the Tron matchup a little and to bring in against slower decks where I can expect to at least have a Pod resolve, and it stops grindy decks from being to grind so well.
Something Ive noticed is chord of calling isnt that good of a card...I mean its only good for the combo or small things and late game is when it shines sometimes I just dont get the fast enough mana to use it?. Like when I need it for kitaki they just galvanic blast it anyways plus its too slow for affinity and against control its bad cuz they got counters its almost always boarded out so why not just cut it completely? heres my list what do yas think?
Something Ive noticed is chord of calling isnt that good of a card...I mean its only good for the combo or small things and late game is when it shines sometimes I just dont get the fast enough mana to use it?. Like when I need it for kitaki they just galvanic blast it anyways plus its too slow for affinity and against control its bad cuz they got counters its almost always boarded out so why not just cut it completely?
--snip--
Chord of Calling is an amazing card in this deck, but you're right - there are certain matchups it gets boarded out because it's either too slow or will never land. In the matchups where it will stay in, it's amazing because it can tutor for any creature, at instant speed, in a deck full of "silver bullet" type cards. It allows your game 1 to be flexible: are you facing tarmo-twin? Chord for your Spellskite. Etc. Also, against a stalled board, it can let you end-of-turn chord into your final combo piece, which is also very important. It's not great in every matchup, but it's great in a lot of them.
I've been playing Living End for nearly three years as my daily driver. Your best game against them is Viscera Seer, Voice of Resurgence and Kitchen Finks.
Anywho, what are people's thoughts on Marsh Flats in lieu of Misty Rainforest since they are rather pricey? Does running Godless Shrine, Overgrown Tomb and Temple Garden make it stable enough as a fetch?
My Modern decks:
B/R/G Living End G/R/B
G/R Tron R/G
U/W/G/R Gargageddon R/G/W/U
R/W/G Naya Burn G/W/R
I can sympathize, though. I just said that it's suboptimal but I'm currently running my Melira Pod list with 4 Marsh Flats instead of Misty Rainforest for the totally stupid reason that my set of Mistys is in another deck and I hate switching them out. Why isn't Windswept Heath legal in Modern.
Special thanks to Hakai Studios and SushiOtter for the sig!
Legacy: UR Sneak and Show I UBG Team America I X Metalworker MUD
Modern: UBR Blue Jund I WBX Eldrazi Processors I X Affinity I WRG Nacatl Burn I GR Tron I UBR Grishoalbrand
Good enough for me.
My Modern decks:
B/R/G Living End G/R/B
G/R Tron R/G
U/W/G/R Gargageddon R/G/W/U
R/W/G Naya Burn G/W/R
Ideally you want some of both. 4 Verdant Catacombs, 2 Misty, 2 Flats works really well in my experience.
Keep in mind with the Blood Moon argument that the 2 Misty helps diversify the basics you can fetch. With the 4 Verdant/4 Misty setup you have 8 ways to fetch a Forest and 4 ways to fetch a Swamp. With the 4/2/2 setup you have 6 ways to get a Forest, 6 ways to get a Swamp, and 2 ways to get a Plains which is slightly better basic fetching overall, plus the basic plains is just really useful.
I find that 4/3/1 Verdant/Misty/Marsh works best, but I don't run the basic Plains. I just wanted another land that could fetch Godless Shrine if I wanted to.
How exactly are you sideboarding against BGx and Twin? How does your plan compare before and after you decided to add the Arena plan to the sideboard? If you are consistently losing games 2 and 3, then that typically points to over/under-sideboarding or playing the post-board games incorrectly. This deck is quite resilient to hate, so a single piece shouldn't matter that much.
Legacy: UB(R/G) Storm UB(R/G)
Vintage: UBG Gush Storm UBG
What do we think of Creeping Corrosion vs Kataki? I'm also playing Lingering Souls, FWIW. Assume an affinity-heavy meta.
Personally I have experience with Kataki and like that I can tutor for him. OTOH, Corrosion is a blow out.
- I really prefer Angel Pod to Melira Pod a lot, mostly because I feel the melira combo force me to play some mediocre cards maindeck (viciera seer, melira, ranger vs only feeder + the usually good on his own archangel of thrun) and take a few too much slots (need to play more finks, which is not a bad card itself but with angel pod I like to be able to "pre-board" vs some decks + save 3 sb slots). I could be wrong however, as the majority of players seem to prefer to run the melira combo anyway. So for those of you who do it, what are your reasons? I can get that it could be a bit faster to combo vs affinity, and that finks is good in some matchups, but I don't see it as being enough. (I like the pontiff + seer interaction however).
- How do you think is your BG and BGw matchup?
- I am unsure about running lingering souls or not in the sb. I am not sure it's on that level I want to fight BGx, and I expect it to be one of the most important deck that week-end. How do you like the card vs it? and are there other matchups where you really like it? (it is great vs affinity however)
1) I run the melira list because a) Viscera Seer is actually good on its own (protect against exile effects, benefit against wrath effects, lights out against Living Death), b) Yup, Melira sucks on its own, c) Ranger of Eos is decent on his own as well (hand filler against 8rack, mana dorks fuel Chord of Calling and reset Birthing Pod chain). More importantly, I find that even having the melira combo in the deck makes opposing decks play conservatively, which allows the midrange strategy to take over.
2) The jund matchup is decent - Kitchen Finks is a great answer to Tarmogoyf, and all of our removal hits it as well (Abrupt Decay, Path to Exile, etc). This lets our beaters provide enough offense to make them play defensively from the start.
3) I have taken Lingering Souls out of my SB. I was only siding it in versus 8rack and Affinity, and there are stronger SB cards for both that I can tutor for (Kataki, War's Wage against affinity, Obstinate Baloth against 8rack). I'd make sure to make room for those Thoughtseizes in the jund matchup.
Currently Playing:
Multiplayer EDH Lists (click italics for a link to the thread!)
[Primer] Lord of Tresserhorn - Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do[Primer] Roon of the Hidden Realm - Rhino Blink
5 Color Tribal Guide (Slivers, Atogs, Allies, Spirits)
Also Playing (most decklists can be found on my profile)
MarathGeistKamahlGrenzoBolasThassaGitrog
PiratesZurVial Smasher&ThrasiosYennettJhoira(cEDH)Strix(Pauper)
Legacy: Maverick
Modern:
Melira PodRIP 1/19/15GWHatebearsThe local High School kids liked it, but they are super casual.
My Modern decks:
B/R/G Living End G/R/B
G/R Tron R/G
U/W/G/R Gargageddon R/G/W/U
R/W/G Naya Burn G/W/R
Not a fan, we don't really get populate value. Aside from that, it's hell on the mana.
thanks for the answer however.
My Modern decks:
B/R/G Living End G/R/B
G/R Tron R/G
U/W/G/R Gargageddon R/G/W/U
R/W/G Naya Burn G/W/R
- Hope they miss on trap, it happen often.
- Combo faster, they don't have so many ways to stop you.
- Hand disruption helps.
I bring in the Sin Collector and Entomber Exarch + Thoughtseize(s).
Disrupt their hand and then beat them at the fair game.
My Modern decks:
B/R/G Living End G/R/B
G/R Tron R/G
U/W/G/R Gargageddon R/G/W/U
R/W/G Naya Burn G/W/R
thoughts were: Primeval Titan, Grave Titan,Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
Opinions?
4 Razorverge Thicket
1 Temple Garden
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Godless Shrine
3 Forest
1 Swamp
3 Gavony Township
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Marsh Flats
Creatures
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Noble Hierarch
1 Viscera Seer
1 Wall of Roots
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Melira, Sylvok Outcast
3 Voice of Resurgence
4 Kitchen Finks
1 Eternal Witness
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Ranger of Eos
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Shriekmaw
1 Spellskite
1 Reveillark
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Restoration Angel
1 Sin Collector
4 Birthing Pod
3 Chord of Calling
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Dismember
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Entomber Exarch
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Kataki War's Wage
3 Thoughtsieze
1 Flex spot
Decks:
Standard:
Nope
Modern:
Mono-Green Nykthos
Gifts Tron
Melira Pod
Legacy:
Maverick (retired)
Shriekmaw and Reveillark are evasive and generate card advantage; being able to Pod into them is usually enough to tip a game to your side, a six-drop isn't really necessary. If you want something MB that will absolutely shut the door on games, though, Sun Titan is basically impossible for most fair decks to beat and is sick value if you've climbed the Pod chain to get to it. I run Realm Razer SB to shore up the Tron matchup a little and to bring in against slower decks where I can expect to at least have a Pod resolve, and it stops grindy decks from being to grind so well.
Erebos B | Ghost Council WB | Grimgrin UB | Jhoira UR
Jor Kadeen RW | Melek UR | Mimeoplasm GUB | Rasputin WU
Savra BG | Sisay GW | Teneb BGW | Thada Adel U | Wort BR
I draft and play EDH. If a Standard player can't understand who a card is for, it's probably for me.
I also write things about good films.
4 verdant
4 misty
3 gavony
3 forest
3 razor verge
2 over grown tomb
1 godless shrine
1 swamp
1 temple garden
1 woodland cemetary
28 CREATURES
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Kitchen Finks
3 noble hierarch
3 voice of ressurgence
1 wall of roots
2 Murderous Redcap
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Shriekmaw
1 Spellskite
1 Viscera Seer
1 Reveillark
1 Ranger of Eos
1 Eternal Witness
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Melira, Sylvok Outcast
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 restoration angel
3 abrupt decay
4 Birthing Pod
SIDEBOARD
4 lingering souls
1 reclamation sage
1 eidolon of rhetoric
1 entomber exarch
1 scooze
1 sin collector
2 dismember
4 thought sieze
decks playing:
none
Chord of Calling is an amazing card in this deck, but you're right - there are certain matchups it gets boarded out because it's either too slow or will never land. In the matchups where it will stay in, it's amazing because it can tutor for any creature, at instant speed, in a deck full of "silver bullet" type cards. It allows your game 1 to be flexible: are you facing tarmo-twin? Chord for your Spellskite. Etc. Also, against a stalled board, it can let you end-of-turn chord into your final combo piece, which is also very important. It's not great in every matchup, but it's great in a lot of them.
Currently Playing:
Multiplayer EDH Lists (click italics for a link to the thread!)
[Primer] Lord of Tresserhorn - Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do[Primer] Roon of the Hidden Realm - Rhino Blink
5 Color Tribal Guide (Slivers, Atogs, Allies, Spirits)
Also Playing (most decklists can be found on my profile)
MarathGeistKamahlGrenzoBolasThassaGitrog
PiratesZurVial Smasher&ThrasiosYennettJhoira(cEDH)Strix(Pauper)
Legacy: Maverick
Modern:
Melira PodRIP 1/19/15GWHatebears