Topic: [Casual] Green/White/Blue/Red Birthing Pod Looking For New Ideas

Hi guys! For the past two years I have been working on a casual Birthing Pod deck. Throughout the past two years, I've tried many different strategies and creatures, which has been a lot of fun, but for the past couple months, my deck has been fairly stagnant. I'm looking for new creatures and ideas to try out, and I'm hoping you guys can help me out.

    Here's the current decklist: http://deckbox.org/sets/469330

    My goal is to have a deck that stands a chance against most other casual decks I encounter by having a creature or two that I can tutor for to handle most situations. Currently the deck struggles a little bit against control and faster aggro decks.

Restrictions:

1. This is a casual deck, meant to be played for fun. I'm not looking for infinite combos. I am aware that they exist, but many people find that they are not fun to play against, so I choose to keep them out of the deck. This also means that the deck isn't restricted to Modern or standard cards, so anything goes.

2. Budget: There aren't any budget restrictions.

More Info:

I like the way that the deck currently plays out which is (ideally):

T1: Land, Birds of Paradise

T2: Birthing Pod/Domri Rade

T3: Start playing creatures and using Birthing Pod/Domri Rade to answer the opponents threats and gain card advantage

Late Game: Use Sun Titan, Reveillark, Eternal Witness and Phantasmal Image for creature recurrence.

Strategies and Creatures I have tried: Infinite Creatures(Squadron Hawk, Daru Cavelier, and Screeching Seahawk with Trinket Mage and Elixer of Immortality), Equipment(Stoneforge Mystic, Trinket Mage, With Equipment and Trinkets), Frost Titan, Dungeon Geist, Squadron Hawks, Archon  of Justice, Phyrexian Metamorph, Trinket Mage with Trinkets, Stonecloaker, Stonehorn Dignitary, Boneyard Wurm, Vensor, Innistrad Garruk, and Molten Tail Masticore, just to name a few.

Strategies and Creatures I would like to try out and would like to hear feedback and opinions on: 5 Color Pod, Mystic Snake, Glen Elendra Archmage, Mulldrifter, Thragtusk, Duplicant, Chord of Calling, Green Sun's Zenith, Angel of Serenity, Thassa, God of the Sea, Loaming Shaman, Court Hussar, Imperial Recruiter, Vendilion Clique, and Spellskite.

    Thank you for your input and ideas! Also, I have been messing with this deck for a couple years, if you have any questions for me on the strategies or creatures I have tried or just want to discuss Birthing Pod decks, leave a comment!

Re: [Casual] Green/White/Blue/Red Birthing Pod Looking For New Ideas

Birthing Pod has definitely captured my imagination. I've never laid hands on the actual card though. sad

Is it best to activate the pod as early as possible to chain up through? Have you ever tried to combine it with a graveyard strategy like Splinterfright?

What are your favorite cards to play with it over the years? Any unexpected successes? How does your playgroup respond to it?

Haves   Wants

Re: [Casual] Green/White/Blue/Red Birthing Pod Looking For New Ideas

I was lucky, I picked up my Birthing Pods before Jace was banned in standard, so I got them for about a dollar each in trades.

    I find that it's generally best to activate the Birthing Pod as soon as possible after playing it. Since casting Birthing Pod takes a lot of mana or life, you want to see an investment in your return. The more interesting discussion probably lies in when to cast Birthing Pod. Usually turn 2 with Birds of Paradise is ideal, but after that I cast it whenever I can sneak it in or when I need it. Since the deck is a toolbox deck, most games I find myself trying to find a turn to play Birthing Pod so I can get the most valuable creatures out as soon as possible.

    I have tried graveyard strategies before, and I found the best option so far is recursion. Sun Titan, Reveillark and Eternal Witness provide me with that. I have tried Boneyard Wurm before and was unimpressed, since I often get a few creatures out with Birthing Pod and then just bring them back over and over with recursion. My graveyard is often surprisingly small. I think Splinterfright would be counter productive if you were to mill a card you want to tutor up with Birthing Pod.

    I don't really have a favorite card in the deck. I've tried to make the deck so that it stands a chance against most other casual decks, so when I find a creature with Birthing Pod it's because that creature is the best for the situation, not because it's my favorite card. I do think Domri Rade is a lot of fun. That might be my favorite in terms of having fun.

    The cards that have provided the most unexpected successes are the ones without enter the battlefield triggers or death triggers, notably Strangleroot Geist, Birds of Paradise and Thrun. The realization that there may be better options than ETB effects is part of what led me to post here.

    I've played with many different people over the past couple years, and the response varies. Some groups think it's just another deck, while some newer players think it's too good. My biggest problem is that I play it too much sometimes and people get bored of it.

I'm curious, what would you do with Birthing Pod if you got your hands on a playset?

Re: [Casual] Green/White/Blue/Red Birthing Pod Looking For New Ideas

If I had [[Birthing Pod]]s...

Simic Undying, Evolve? I think. Young Wolf, Strangleroot Geist, Cloudfin Raptor...

I think that's where I would start. Throw in an Acidic Slime, Phyrexian Metamorph, Zealous Conscripts, Phyrexian Obliterator, Wurmcoil Engine...

I realize that that's completely scattered and inconsistent, but it's probably where I would start and just play with it to see where it's strong.

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=393031... <Is an interesting read from a pod standpoint, obviously aiming toward competitive and you play it casually.

I feel like there should be a way to tutor the pod... But I can't think of a way to reliably get it out.

Haves   Wants

Re: [Casual] Green/White/Blue/Red Birthing Pod Looking For New Ideas

Personally I'd run Phyrexian Metamorph instead of Phantasmal Image, or perhaps one of each.

And just out of curiosity, how often do you get Domri's ultimate off?

Last edited by cartel1982 (2013-10-20 13:57:05)

Looking to trade fetchlands and Revised duals for older EDH power cards.