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I played a Birthing Pod deck at the last FNM.  My plan was too test the deck out to see if I liked it and if it is workable.  Went 2-1-1, which is not bad.  My deck needs a ton of work, I know.  Heres my list

4 x Birthing Pod
4 x Birds Of Paradise
2 x Fauna Shaman

3 x Squadron Hawk
1 x Sylvan Ranger
1 x Suture Priest
1 x Pilgrim's Eye
1 x Mirran Crusader
1 x Sylvok Replica
1 x Molten-Tail Masticore
1 x Obstinate Baloth
1 x Phyrexian Metamorph
1 x Thrun, the Last Troll
1 x Mitotic Slime
1 x Baneslayer Angel
1 x Archon of Justice
2 x Acidic Slime
1 x Wurmcoil Engine
1 x Sun Titan
1 x Sunblast Angel
1 x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
3 x Beast Within
2 x Lightning Bolt

3 x Forest
2 x Stirring Wildwood
3 x Razorverge Thicket
2 x Sunpetal Grove
2 x Plains
3 x Arid Mesa
2 x Mountain
4 x Copperline Gorge
1 x Rootbound Crag
1 x Raging Ravine
2 x Terramorphic Expanse

Side:
1 x Act of Aggression
1 x Act of Treason
2 x Naturalize
1 x Nature's Claim
4 x Pyroclasm
2 x Manic Vandal
2 x Timely Reinforcements
2 x Ratchet Bomb

I didn't have much time to put a sideboard together so it was pathetic.  But I like the way the deck worked.  Beat two splinter twin decks, one BRU on BU.  Tied B/W control, and lost to puresteel paladin.

Crusader and Thrun are out, Elesh Norn is beast, as is Sunblast Angel.  My plan with red was to put in Act of Aggression maindeck to sac to pod.  Also, it beats twin decks.  It didn't happen but we will see with more testing.

Anyone like the idea of Postmortem Lunge ?

@Dumpkinhead: I have enjoyed the occasional Act of Aggression + Birthing Pod shenanigans. I'm not sure if it's worth including in the main deck, but it's a fun interaction. Your main deck red is currently only Lightning Bolt. I don't believe that's enough reason to play red. You might consider cutting back to GW only, putting in a bit more red (Inferno Titan is sick), or trying out a different third color. I'm not a fan of Squadron Hawk here. It's not a strong card on its own and your 3-drops are not pivotal enough that you want constant 2-drops to Pod into them. Other than that I agree with the cuts you mentioned and I think the deck looks solid overall.

Jul 23, 2011 -- 9:31PM, SimpleMan wrote:

What do you guys do against valakut? I can't seem to find a strategy that works for me.

The best thing you can do is keep them off of big plays. They don't play much disruption game 1, so with a Pod you should be able to keep them from reaching 6 mana with Acidic Slimes and Metamorphs. If you play Beast Within or Dismember main, it will help by killing more lands or Overgrown Battlement. If they stick a Titan, you need to be able to kill it or win within the next turn or you don't really have a shot. Game 2/3, they will likely board in Nature's Claim against your Pods, which could make dealing with their ramp a lot harder. If you're playing black, you have the best sideboard option with Memoricide. Blue gives you access to Flashfreeze. Regardless of what you have against them, it's a hard-fought match, but not unwinnable.

Against Valakut, I've found that a couple of things are important:

1) Having a clock. In the end, their big spells just make for insane topdecks, so if you don't have some kind of a clock, you don't have much reason to drag out the game in the first place.

2) SB hate. Act of Aggression/Mark of Mutiny is obviously a good option,  but only coupled with a clock or a Pod. Memoricide is obviously king.  Manabarbs is also insane in that MU. Flashfreeze works as well.

3) Having some kind of answer to a resolved Titan. Kind of obvious, but there it is.

4) Delaying them. Getting out early and/or continous Slimes can sometimes get rid of enough Valakuts that when they play their Primeval, they have to spend a turn setting up Valakuts instead of getting a bunch of Mountains and molesting your board.

That's in order of general importance. Aside from Memoricide, none of the other options work without a clock. Other than that, though, you just look at your hand, see which way you can use it to win the game. If you have a triple GoFer hand, you might just play your clock and hope that in the end, it'll be enough. Depends on the deck and the hand and the draw and the opponent and... etc.

Im loving my razor hippogriff . I won a game today by podding into him, bringing wurmcoil to hand for 6 life. Then, bouncing him with venser in order to bring solemn to hand for another 4. 10 point life swings late game ftw lol.

Jul 24, 2011 -- 4:32PM, catowner wrote:

question:  is it acceptable to run singletons of creatures that are off color?

This is something I have questioned myself. The only time I have done this is when I ran a singleton Totem-Guide Hartebeest in my Splinter Twin version. The good thing about the Hartebeest is that it only has a single color requirement, so if it's ever in my hand I can easily cast it off a Birds or Cobra. I guess the question really becomes "What is good enough that it is worth the risk of having a dead card in your deck?" I'd be interested to know what creatures people want to try and fit in as singletons.