Trade Pod (Tradewind Rider Birthing Pod)

[pettdan]

I've had some more evolution and innovation of the deck. I have played a few locals with medium results, may add details since it interests at least myself. ;)


In the direction of Wirewood Symbiote I found a new sweet highly synergetic card that helps shore up the deck's natural weaknesses. Perhaps. To some extent, at the very least. Thornscape Battlemage. I'll let that sink in. Play this card, pay one extra mana to destroy Jitte, Chalice, Baleful Strix, Trinisphere, Aether Vial or whatever is bothering you. Alternatively, or additionaly, pay a mana to destroy a Deathrite, another Strix, a Mother, Delver, hit a planeswalker, whatever... With Wirewood Symbiote around you get to do this repeatedly. Bouncing Elvish Visionary seems ridiculous in comparison. Oh well.. What I especially like about it is that it a) gets rid of Deathrites, that prevent the inevitable late game engine of Meren of Clan Nel Toth (well, at least it feels like that when playing it); b) it gets rid of the ever game-ending Umezawa's Jitte; c) it's a sweet card advantage engine that does a lot vs Pile, potentially. Well, we'll see.

Another thing I tried is changing a Fauna Shaman into a Recruiter of the Guard. The idea is that you get some amount of tutoring that the opponent can't interact with, with Vials around you can play it efficiently, i.e. play the tutored card during the same turn or even flash it in (Notion Thief ftw, Clique is good too). And then you get a free 1/1 which is good vs the super attrition deck Pile, the main reason for this change. To accompany Recruiter I added a Flickerwisp, since you basically now get a 1/1 and a flying 3/1 for free while also gaining the potential for sweet tricks with tapping Fauna Shaman and vialling Flickerwisp into play to deal with anything at instant spead.

So, I played that once and it was nice. Then I realized another natural evolution. Like I mentioned a few posts ago I always, and I think most MOST players do, look for a 2-card combo to put into the deck without losing too much synergy. A card that quickly turns into a combo with Recruiter of the Guard is... Aluren. So I changed 2 Fauna Shaman into 2 Recruiter of the Guard, put in a Cavern Harpy and with cards such as Baleful Strix and Coiling Oracle you can put out 10 permanents at instant spead, including tutoring for and playing hatebears that interact with the opponent's plans. I have a kind of combo-esque win too but I'm figuring out other options. Orzhov Pontif being replayed with Cavern Harpy quickly clears the opponents board or works as a Hatred on your entire team to win the game the same turn. I added also an Academy Rector so I can tutor for Aluren when needed. The problem is having the Academy Rector go to the graveyard when needed, and getting rid of opposing Deathrites, but this is work in progress.. Adding a Minister of Pain would be nice due to the exploit.

I went 2-1-1 (LGS weekly event) in practice with an Aluren build, but gave the draw to the opponent since it was a new guy and neither of us would benefit from a draw. I did win a couple of games, at least two, due to the single Aluren, and was close to win a third but couldn't draw the fourth mana source.

Oh well, more to come.. I'll probably add a brief tournament report to this post later.

[Stinner]

Hi all, finally I'm landed here

I'm the original maker of the deck (Hadohod, Shaden and Memories know me).

First of all, excuse me now and in future for the poor level of my English.

Some considerations about the basic concepts of the deck (born originally when SotF was legal in Legacy and with an amazing win ratio), who have the roots in the structure of the old ATS:

- The low number of lands (14+1 Dryad): it’s permitted by the high number of starters (6 manadorks + 4 GSZ for Dryad + 3 Mother in the current version). The number is not casual but taken from the manabase of a monogreen aggro played by Dario Parazzoli (a very known Italian player, qualified 15-20 times for the PT) in years 1998/1999 and playtested in hundred of games (the great part against me). So, if you know it works, copy and use without another waste of time in order to search the ideal number of lands. I’ve played MOST in hundred of games and yes, this manabase work. The concept is, of course, to fix and to accelerate the mana, but also to have quickly a good number of creatures on the board in order to activate Tradewind and/or Opposition. Furthermore, in the late game it’s best have more % chances to draw a creature to do something (field, food for Fauna Shaman, pitch for FoW) instead of a land. And, yes, maybe a risk vs. a deck that put high pressure on the manabase and have a good race (Canadian, the worst matchup), but… no risks, no glory.

- Is highly recommended that every land in the deck is a forest in order to amplify mana with Quirion and/or Scryb and at the same time save our lands from Wasteland or evade from Rishadan Port (a classical trick to gain tempo and material is to cast Scryb in response to a Wasteland). I’ve seen a Tundra in some lists. This is an apparently mana fixing, but in true this choose will increase the number of times you will take a mulligan (Just the Tundra in opening hand + manadorks and no Mothers = no good for us).

- The pillars of the deck are, in every version: manadorks (of course), Fauna, Tradewind, Mother, Quirion/Scryb, FoW, Peacekeeper, Squee, and GZS. All other cards may change (included Merieke and Opposition, present in the acronym of the name of the deck: originally Merieke-Opposition-Survival-Tradewind).

- Another basic concept is: better a long term-card advantage (for example, Peacekeeper) instead a 1x1 card trade. Every card in the deck must contribute to card advantage real (as seen, Scryb in resp. to Wasteland, activation of Fauna with Squee) or virtual (Mother, Mother + Quirion/Scryb, Meddling Mage and so on). Furthermore, for the Presence of Meddling Mages it’s better for us not choose the most common cards, specially removals (no StP, no Abrupt Decay. Sometimes, if meta requires, I’ve tried Fire//Ice or Izzet Charm).

- Other: FoWs are a must. Legacy is a fast format with an huge number of powerful cards, imho is better to have a life insurance named FoW. The theoretical minimum amount of blue cards in the deck to play FoWs with good % of pitch in the first hand is 16 (I try to play ever from 18 to 20).
- Other: of course a well-balanced toolbox in the main deck in order to have an answer near to everything. Hard, and virtual impossible, but the search for the perfection is a long way... 

The list of the current version I’m playing (with short explanation of the various choices):

Main Deck

3 Mother of Runes (great card, but just 3 instead of full set because useless or near useless in the first game vs. some matchups: ANT, S&T, Eldrazi, Mud, Tron)

1 Peacekeeper (the key card vs. a great part of the decks of the field, think just ANT and High Tide don’t end the game with creatures)

4 Birds of Paradise

2 Noble Hierarch (3-3 to maybe a good balance of manadorks if we are feared for a possible call of Phyrexian Revoker. But, without the problem of Revoker, the better balancing is 4 BoP/2 NH because BoP are better mana fixers for mana offcolor RB (and we need it fast in some situations, for example when we side-in Magus of the Moon vs. Lands or colorless decks) and blockers -of course with Mother- for Delver, Marit Lage and so on)

1 Quirion Ranger

1 Scryb Ranger (1+1 of this incredible couple of similar creatures -the cost itself of they ability is an advantage!- to evade a call of Revoker and to have different casting costs. Of course Scryb is absolutely better than Quirion –flash, fliyng, protection from blue… amazing!-, but thanks to cc1 we will be able to play it in our turn 2 -assume to be starded with a manadork in turn 1- with only 1 land and after have mana to cast another cc2)

4 Fauna Shaman (engine of the deck)

1 Scavenging Ooze (control graveyard, jailer of hated Deathrite Shamans and big beater)

2 Eternal Witness (Regrowth and a tutorable creature in the same card? Yes, thanks! Ever two to have a backup. *Note for Pettdan*: I’m ever in search of space to insert Meren in the deck…  )

4 Green Sun's Zenith (one of the cards Memories have steadily sponsored across the time. I started with 2, then 3, and finally landed to a full set. Think I will never come back. This card grant flexibility -the first golden rule of this deck- and permit to save slots -for example, old versions of MOST played full set of Quirions- and, finally, grant a fast access to some silver bullets in certain matchups, for example Gaddock in turn 2 vs. Dredge to stop a fast Dredge Return)

1 Squee, Goblin Nabob (fuel for Fauna Shaman and, in desperate cases, blocker)

3 Spell Pierce (the card we want ever to see in our second turn after a manadork in first to give coverage to a Fauna. Take note that is one the best card in hand in the lucky opening land+dork, second turn GSZ Quirion, untap and do cc2 or a couple of cc 1 and thanks to Quirion+Dork we have populated the board but have again a virtual counter coverage in the opponent’s turn. Played for a long time the full set, at the moment I am testing 3+2 Negate)

2 Negate (to have more efficient coverage in the middle game, when Pierces becomes near useless)

1 Vendilion Clique (threat to play in eot and combo with Meddling)

2 Tradewind Rider (another engine of the deck together Fauna. Think is simply the strongest card ever print for board control. Flyer, good toughness, and a wonderful bouncing ability. I love it).

1 Opposition (a Silver Bullet recently back in the deck on suggestion of my friend Enrico Polledro. Absolutely great vs. Eldrazi and colorless. Take note: Trinisphere do not work when becomes tapped  ;) )

4 Force of Will (guys, this is Legacy. The great part of decks are fast & furious, to have the possibility to say “not” without mana is priceless. Side it out, with the other counters, just vs. deck that use Vials and Cavern of Souls)

1 Qasali Pridemage (in my opinion the best answer main deck to artifacts and enchantments. See before the other candidates: Reclamation Sage grant card advantage and is great in combo with Tradewind, but we need to play in our turn to answer to something, and often maybe too late. For example: Jitte. Trygon Predator is blue to pitch to FoW, has a continuous effect and is a good beater with flying, but maybe too slow. Again the same example: Jitte. Qasali stay on board and permit to wait until the last possible moment to activate his effect. Of course the best thing would be to have another response to artifact and enchantments in the main deck, but at the moment I’ve not found slot)

2 Meddling Mage (sometimes I’ve played also the full set, but this is possible only if you know perfectly the field and only if the threats of the opponent are homogeneus. For example, to face a BUG with only Decay and Deluge is completely different to face a BUG with a mix of Decay, Fatal Push, Deluge, Marsh Casualties and Golgari’s Charm. The actual choose to run 2 Meddling and 2 Negate sound more balanced)

1 Merieke Ri Berit (Terminator. Pure destruction in combo with Quirion. Take note for the best trick you may play with this amazing and absolutely underestimated creature: imagine a board with Merieke, Mother for safety, Quirion and Scryb and an opponent field of fatties. Ok, we simply activate Merieke target the first, untap in answer with Quirion or Scryb, destruction effect resolve before we have something in control, so nothing happens, tap again Merieke targeting second creature, untap again in answer with the other Quirion/Scryb, then tap for the third time Merry and take all. Have a nice day )

1 Mystic Snake (back after many time in the deck. Have a tutorable counter for middle game is ever a good think. Of course the soft lock combo is with Tradewind)

1 Murkfiend Liege (I forgot to the list another little rule of the deck: every card too mana expensive must be blue in order to pitch to FoW instead to be complete useless in hand in all the situations where we are short of mana. Great finisher, pump up our army and double the effect of Tradewind and Opposition. Finally, but not less important, grant to stay mana open in opponents turn when our manadorks become untapped. Thinking to come back in the deck also Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary.. huge. At the dear old times of SofT a standard play with SofT in play was to take in eot of opponent Anger, discard it, take Rofelloss, play in the turn, tap/untap with Quirion, take Murkfiend Liege and play, attack, end the turn, untap all mana dorks and light a cigar thinking to the Mystic Snake in the deck if the opponent try to breathe )

1 Baleful Strix (new entry. Think maybe good. Fly, blue for FoW, great blocker with Mother, alternative card advantage with Tradewind if we lost Squee for a Deathrite/Ooze and have problems to activate Fauna)

1 Phyrexian Revoker (essential. So many things to call. I’m on the way to put the second in my side)

1 Spellskite (another guy essential in some matchups, and of course really cool if we have Mother: Burn, Infect, Lands, Canadian, all black decks with the new Liliana, also useful vs. all decks with Jitte, giving us time to search an answer)

1 Dryad Arbor (another essential card. We need for the mana acceleration in early game and to valorize the full set of GSZ also in our first turn. Great blocker with Quirion and bounce before damage. Take note: of course in this situation Jitte don’t charge)

2 Windswepth Heath

2 Wooded Foothills

1 Misty Rainforest

2 Verdant Catacomb (fetch lands of every type in order to minimize the effect of a possible Surgical Extraction. Take note: Misty in 1x to help us to hide the presence of blue in the deck in the early game. In example: if we start to fetch for basic forest with a Verdant Catacomb and play BoP, it’s hard for our opponent imagine we could have a FoW in hand, this maybe decisive to face a crucial threat)

2 Savannah

2 Tropical Island

1 Taiga

1 Bayou

1 Forest (Taiga is recently back after a long time I’ve played with 2 basic Forests. As I wrote above, in some matchups maybe we must try to have fast access to red mana)


Sideboard

1 Containment Priest (S&T, Reanimator, but also D&T, Merfolks and Goblin to face the threat of Vials)

1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence (D&T, Elves, BUG, Maverick/Dark Horizon, Eldrazi, Affinity)

1 Reclamation Sage (D&T, Enchantress, Sneak &Show, Eldrazi, Tron, Affinity, MUD)

1 Obstinate Baloth (Burn, BUG, Pox, aggro decks)

1 Magus of the Moon (D&T, Maverick/Dark Horizon, Lands, Infect, Eldrazi, Tron, MUD)

1 Plaxmanta (Canadian, BUG)

4 Surgical Extraction (Reanimator, Dredge, Lands, UW and UWr Control, ANT, Show & Tell, Sneak & Show)

1 Gaddock Teeg (UW and UWr Control, ANT, Sneak & Show)

2 Meddling Mage (D&T, but just because we need a lot of cards to put in istead of all counters -the same is true for Merfolks and Goblins- , S&T, Sneak & Show, UW and UWr Control, ANT, Dredge, Eldrazi – a
critical matchup in which is aboslutely crucial to call the fucking Tough-Knot Seer ad soon as possible)

1 Orzov Pontiff (D&T, Elves, Infect, Pyromancer, all the decks with True-Name Nemesis)

1 Wilt-Leaf Liege (BUG, Pox, all aggro decks to help Murkfiend to pump up our army)

Interesting cards in my watching list: Sanctum Prelate, Leovold, Sylvan Safekeeper+Ramunap Excavator (and + Kinght of Reliquary and 1x Wasteland), Thornscape Battlemage (in order to have another answer to Deathrite. Thanks for the idea, Pettdan! )

That’s all, friends, hope you will find useful and/or interesting this version of the deck and this guide.

Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry but i've not found the way to link the name of the cards

[H]

P.S. Sorry but i've not found the way to link the name of the cards

The tag would be [cards] then the same only /cards to close the tag.

So your list would be:
3 Mother of Runes
1 Peacekeeper
4 Birds of Paradise
2 Noble Hierarch
1 Quirion Ranger
1 Scryb Ranger
4 Fauna Shaman
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Eternal Witness
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
3 Spell Pierce
2 Negate
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Tradewind Rider
1 Opposition
4 Force of Will
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Meddling Mage
1 Merieke Ri Berit
1 Mystic Snake
1 Murkfiend Liege
1 Baleful Strix
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Spellskite

1 Dryad Arbor
2 Windswepth Heath
2 Wooded Foothills
1 Misty Rainforest
2 Verdant Catacomb
2 Savannah
2 Tropical Island
1 Taiga
1 Bayou
1 Forest

Sideboard:
1 Containment Priest
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Plaxmanta
4 Surgical Extraction
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Meddling Mage
1 Orzov Pontiff
1 Wilt-Leaf Liege

Sure is an interesting list and welcome to the forum.

Any results to report with this list?

[pettdan]

So glad to have you here, Stinner! Its funny how I after playing this for four years finally started on a primer this weekend. Very nice to see H posting here too! Anyway, jyst wanted to say that. I'll read stuff tomorrow but it's looking juicy... Wonderful..

[Stinner]

The tag would be [cards] then the same only /cards to close the tag.

So your list would be:
3 Mother of Runes
1 Peacekeeper
4 Birds of Paradise
2 Noble Hierarch
1 Quirion Ranger
1 Scryb Ranger
4 Fauna Shaman
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Eternal Witness
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
3 Spell Pierce
2 Negate
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Tradewind Rider
1 Opposition
4 Force of Will
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Meddling Mage
1 Merieke Ri Berit
1 Mystic Snake
1 Murkfiend Liege
1 Baleful Strix
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Spellskite

1 Dryad Arbor
2 Windswepth Heath
2 Wooded Foothills
1 Misty Rainforest
2 Verdant Catacomb
2 Savannah
2 Tropical Island
1 Taiga
1 Bayou
1 Forest

Sideboard:
1 Containment Priest
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Plaxmanta
4 Surgical Extraction
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Meddling Mage
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Wilt-Leaf Liege

Sure is an interesting list and welcome to the forum.

Any results to report with this list?

Sorry, but at the moment i’m not playing in tournament, just Cockatrice (a moment long 4 years… the harsh law of having a small child ), but the win ratio of the deck is > 70%
In real, last year I’ve played the MLL (the local Legacy league in Milan, with an average number of player from 50 to 100), I’ve done 2 top 8 in 4 played tournaments (ah, the the dear old times of SofT with over 80% top 8 on played tournaments… )
I’m in the lunch break at work and have not here the stats, but can do a list of matchups (take note: considering the entire match and using this sideboard):

Good: Death & Taxes, Elves, Enchantress, Belcher, Infect, Burn, Sneak & Show, S&T, Merfolk, ANT, Reanimator, Dredge, Lands

Balanced: Maverick, UW Control, UWr control, BUG, Eldrazi, Tron, Affinity, MUD

Bad: Canadian, Dark Horizon, Pyromancer

If I’ve forgot something, please write and I will try to give feedback.

[pettdan]

So Stinner, I won't be able to write a long comment until later but it's an interesting observation that the list you post is a very old-school list, it's like almost nothing changed over the last four years. It's interesting because it's a very different approach than what I usually prefer. I should probably try that list again, it's been a while but I'm familiar with it. Anyway, my main question is if you've tried Aether Vial? I've been through discussion on that card, here and on Tipo1 (where I haven't been posting), but I still think it's interesting to hear your opinion on this. I've loved it in the deck over the last four years and have no intention of dropping it, right now at least. But it makes a big difference in how the deck is built. I think both approaches are fine though.

My last changes have been due to the Pile matchup being not so good, that common line of removal 1 + snap + removal 1 + removal 2 + Kolaghan's is rough. So I'm testing cards that are more attrition-y. Such as the Battlemage.

I'll get back to you with more thorough comments. You should for sure try Meren, I think it's a strict upgrade from Squee although still vulnerable to Deathrite (or actually, vs Karakas Meren needs to get back into play after being bounced and that is usually easier if you play a Vial version, so in your version this is a small advantage for Squee, however Meren allows reusing creatures and quickly starts flashing them into play while also being GSZ-able, etc). Also Leovold is great in the deck, even better with Vials (Vial Leovold in response to Brainstorm happens often enough).

[H]

Very nice to see H posting here too!

Ha, I'm a nobody,

Sorry, but at the moment i’m not playing in tournament, just Cockatrice (a moment long 4 years… the harsh law of having a small child ), but the win ratio of the deck is > 70%

I understand, I have 6 kids at home myself, I was just wondering.

I am curious though at the necessity of Black in your list. While I understand that Merieke Ri Berit and Strix are good, I can't help but wonder if dropping Black all together could help with consistency and not being as reliant on Birds living to be able to cast things.

[Stinner]

So Stinner, I won't be able to write a long comment until later but it's an interesting observation that the list you post is a very old-school list, it's like almost nothing changed over the last four years. It's interesting because it's a very different approach than what I usually prefer. I should probably try that list again, it's been a while but I'm familiar with it. Anyway, my main question is if you've tried Aether Vial? I've been through discussion on that card, here and on Tipo1 (where I haven't been posting), but I still think it's interesting to hear your opinion on this. I've loved it in the deck over the last four years and have no intention of dropping it, right now at least. But it makes a big difference in how the deck is built. I think both approaches are fine though.

My last changes have been due to the Pile matchup being not so good, that common line of removal 1 + snap + removal 1 + removal 2 + Kolaghan's is rough. So I'm testing cards that are more attrition-y. Such as the Battlemage.

I'll get back to you with more thorough comments. You should for sure try Meren, I think it's a strict upgrade from Squee although still vulnerable to Deathrite (or actually, vs Karakas Meren needs to get back into play after being bounced and that is usually easier if you play a Vial version, so in your version this is a small advantage for Squee, however Meren allows reusing creatures and quickly starts flashing them into play while also being GSZ-able, etc). Also Leovold is great in the deck, even better with Vials (Vial Leovold in response to Brainstorm happens often enough).

Hi.

Yes, sometimes I’ve also tried to use the Vials in the deck and when all work are great and change completely the approach to the game, giving to us the possibility to play in reactive way instead of proactive and to stay mana open for counters. I really like them.
But there is also a dark side: Vial is great if you have in the starter hand (but also playing the full set the possibility to see in the first hand is about 40%), and 4 slots in this deck are a deck building challenge because we need to find what to exclude, keeping in mind the deck work with a certain number of lands (14+Dryad), creatures (never less than 30, in order to have fuel for Fauna and populate the board for Tradewind and/or Opposition) and blue count for FoWs (18-20).
For this, I’ve ever found hard to get a well-balanced deck with Vials in Legacy.
Probably a version replacing the blue part of deck with black, switching the control plan from counters to discard maybe work better with Vials.
Take note that I’ve no preclusion for this card (as wrote above, I really like them), and I use successfully the Vials in the Modern version of the deck (the Modern Most run a full set of BoP, NH and Vials and has often good starts, less problems of mana and has a better win ratio of Legacy version… before the last unban list. Must go back to test it, now).
Two of the coolest tricks (of course the number is more high, using a creature toolbox) from Modern Most and involving Vials:
- Vial at 3 + Eternal Witness + Familiar’s Ruse (soft lock of neverending counter )
- Vial at 4 + Fauna to search Glen Elendra Archmage or Mystic Snake: an uncounterable counter hidden in the deck and refractory to discard effects of the opponent… not bad

[Stinner]

Ha, I'm a nobody,



I understand, I have 6 kids at home myself, I was just wondering.

I am curious though at the necessity of Black in your list. While I understand that Merieke Ri Berit and Strix are good, I can't help but wonder if dropping Black all together could help with consistency and not being as reliant on Birds living to be able to cast things.

Yes, have in the deck a Bayou just for 2 cards may appear disproportionate, but every time I've tried to cutt off the Bayou I've immediatly play a game in which I need it immediatly.
We must not forget also the side, with Orzhov Pontiff.
Typical matchup in which we need black mana from other sources: vs. D&T may often happen BoP was called from a Revoker (with the coverage of a Mother), of course in this situation the presence of Bayou in the deck becomes crucial to cast Pontiff and unlock the situation.
The same line of reasoning is true for Taiga/Magus of the Moon: there are matchups (Lands, Eldrazi, Tron, Mud) where we need red mana and as soon as possible.