[Deck] GW/x Maverick

I'll be taking maverick to the GP in a couple weeks so figured it's worth showing my most recent list to get suggestions, comments, concerns, etc. This is basically what I used to win a GPT a couple weeks ago.

Creatures:
3x Deathrite Shaman
2x Noble Hierarch
4x Mother of Runes
1x Scryb Ranger
1x Scavenging Ooze
1x Qasali Pridemage
1x Gaddock Teeg
2x Stoneforge Mystic
3x Thalia
4x Knight of the Reliquary
1x Master of the Wild Hunt
1x Sigarda

Equip:
1x Batterskull
1x Jitte

Other:
4x Swords to Plowshares
2x Abrupt Decay
4x Green Sun's Zenith
1x Sylvan Library

Lands:
2x Savannah
3x Bayou
4x Windswept Heath
3x Misty Rainforest
4x Wasteland
2x Horizon Canopy
1x Plains
1x Forest
1x Karakas
1x Cradle
1x Dryad Arbor

Sideboard:
2x Ethersworn Canonist
4x Thoughtseize
1x Linvala
2x Zealous Persecution
1x Gaddock Teeg
1x Sylvan Safekeeper
1x Garruk Relentless
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Qasali Pridemage
1x Scavenging Ooze

So far the only changes I've been leaning towards are cutting the Bog for a Loam in the SB and switching the Master of the Wild Hunt with the SB'd Garruk. Also been considering fitting a Sword of Fire and Ice in the SB to help with random TNN decks that I may encounter. As always, any comments are welcome.

So I played this list at SCG LA:

1 Dryad Arbor
3 Deathrite Shaman
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Birds Of Paradise
4 Mother of Runes
3 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
4 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Aven Mindcensor

4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords To Plowshares
3 Punishing Fire
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull
1 Life From The Loam

2 Savannah
1 Taiga
1 Bayou
1 Plateau
1 Scrubland
1 Horizon Canopy
4 Windswept Heath
2 Verdant Catacombs
1 Arid Mesa
3 Wasteland
1 Forest
1 Plains
3 Grove Of The Burnwillows
1 Karakas

SB:
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Bojuka Bog
2 Choke
1 Crop Rotation
2 Pyroblast
2 Oblivion Ring

Round 1: Michael with Shardless BUG
Game 1: Back and forth for a while with creatures/planeswalkers, I eventually establish the grove/p fire lock on his creatures and a large knight finishes up the game.
Game 2: Very grindy game, he gets an early sideboarded ashiok which is actually pretty problematic. Eventually I get a good enough board presence to keep his creatures at bay while aven mindcensor and scryb ranger fly overhead with a jitte to lock the game up.

1 - 0

Round 2: Daniel with Affinity
Game 1: He plays a turn 1 ornithopter and a couple of cranial platings. Game ends quickly as my deathrites sit there and look dumb
Game 2: now that I know he is on affinity, I mulligan until I find a stoneforge mystic. I get a jitte, he has a slow enough start for jitte to lock up the game.
Game 3: I keep a hand with GSZ, 2 stoneforge, noble hierarch, birds of paradise, verdant catacombs, wasteland. He gets a turn 2 blood moon, but luckily my noble and birds cast my two stoneforges on turn 3 for jitte batterskull. He bricks on creatures, and scoops it up.

2 - 0

Round 3: Daniel with Dredge
Game 1: He mulls to 5, I keep a pretty standard 7. I lead with taiga deathrite shaman, he plays LED and passes. I play a few creatures while he does nothing, and scoops shortly thereafter. I put him on belcher or oops all spells, so I side in 11 of my best storm/GY hate cards and hope for the best.
Game 2: He mulls to 5 again, I keep a hand with canonist an mom backup. Of course he careful studies and turns out to be playing dredge. Next turn I rip a scavenging ooze off the top and proceed to eat ichorids and dredgers each turn until he just runs out of gas.

3 - 0

Round 4: Sherwin with RUG

Game 1: We get called into the backup feature match area, and begin playing. Game 1 he plays wooded foothills pass, like an idiot I go windswept crack and he cracks and stifles in response. I don't get many lands on board, and by the time i do 3 goyfs and a flipped delver just run me over.
Game 2: I get an early choke on board and he can't do anything. Knight crashes in for enough
Game 3: He gets a nutter butter hand of sulfur elemental, rough/tumble, submerge and bolts and delver. I lose a mom and a stoneforge to rough/tumble after protecting stoneforge with my mom the turn before, and he runs me over with insane tempo plays. He was a very skilled pilot.

3 - 1

Round 5: Jason with Affinity
Game 1: Many artifacts + tezzeret win the game quickly.
Game 2: This one drags out for the longest time. I hope for a stoneforge/jitte/batterskull with all my heart, but they never come and etched champions finish me off.

3 - 2

Round 6: Alex with RUG
Game 1: He goes volcanic ponder, so I figure sneak and waste his volcanic. Next turn he goes dig with brainstorm, plays a fetch, and passes the turn. I play a fetch and crack immediately, he cracks misty and stifles my land. A few turns/wastelands later, I cannot stop his mongoose which runs me over.
Game 2: I get a choke out, proceed to win easily.
Game 3: Life from the loam + wasteland take care of his lands while I draw enough removal for his creatures.A big knight ends the game.

4 - 2

Round 7: Eric Froelich with ANT
Game 1: He duresses after basic swamp, takes a jitte given the choice of GSZ jitte and STP. I don't put him on storm and play a deathrite shaman. He plays a couple cantrips and infernal tutor for lotus petal. I GSZ for teeg the next turn. He scoops a couple turns later when batterskull hits the table.
Game 2: I get a mom + stoneforge into batterskull. He casts infernal tutor, gets a cabal ritual, casts it, but then I surgically extract his infernal tutor. He reveals a hand that had one, and hands over his library. I get all the tutors out, and he scoops it up after passing a couple of turns.

5 - 2

Round 8: Mark Lalague with RUG delver
Game 1: I continue the tradition of losing game 1 to delver despite getting grove/pfire combo. It was due to a combination of wasteland, daze and stifle backed up by tarmogoyf.
Game 2: My best friend choke resolves on turn 3. I get a couple of creatures on the board and he has no outs.
Game 3: I keep a nut hand of arbor, grove, windswept heath, life from the loam, wasteland, swords to plowshares, and punishing fire. He can't protect delver but keeps me off of two mana for a long time. he submerges my last green source, dryad arbor, for two turns in a row, but I eventually topdeck another land to cast life from the loam and go to town with wasteland while pumping my knight.

6 - 2

Round 9: Reese with RUG Delver

We decide to draw into top 32. I was 16th and not worried about not top 16ing. Gotta note that this little guy was like 11 years old and had a 10 cards sideboard. We play a couple games for fun, but choke isn't very fun for him and he decides to stop.

6 - 2 -1

All in all it was a great day. Got to see a couple others do well with maverick decks, and hang out with all of my magic buddies. The punishing fires were so good to me all day. I realized that my playstyle is very suited to grove/pfire and I was having a blast with the deck. Didn't miss sylvan library or maze of ith. Deathrite continues to be awesome and just downright win games sometimes. Got $100 for my troubles and I owe it all to Maverick. 23rd is the best I have done yet at a big tourney, and guarantee more wins to come with this greatest of decks.

Nice report!

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Originally Posted by ironclad8690

So I played this list at SCG LA:

1 Dryad Arbor
3 Deathrite Shaman
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Birds Of Paradise
4 Mother of Runes
3 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scryb Ranger
4 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Aven Mindcensor

4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Swords To Plowshares
3 Punishing Fire
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Batterskull
1 Life From The Loam

2 Savannah
1 Taiga
1 Bayou
1 Plateau
1 Scrubland
1 Horizon Canopy
4 Windswept Heath
2 Verdant Catacombs
1 Arid Mesa
3 Wasteland
1 Forest
1 Plains
3 Grove Of The Burnwillows
1 Karakas

SB:
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Bojuka Bog
2 Choke
1 Crop Rotation
2 Pyroblast
2 Oblivion Ring

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I've been debating playing Maverick at the DC GP coming up, seeing as how it is my favorite deck and I used to be very familiar with it. I recently have been liking the Black "Dark" Maverick lists running Deathrite and Discard. I see your list has both black for Deathrite (no maindeck black cards other then Deathrite if I read correctly) and sideboard cards like Surgical (which I really like now), as well as the red for Punishing Fire. How greedy do you feel the mana base was? With the 1 Birds and 3 Deathrite, you can make red easily with creatures enough. How often did you find yourself in trouble with a greedy 4 color mana base in a Wasteland defined format? I know Knight and fetches really alleviate the mana crunch, but Stifle can quickly ruin a deck like this.

In the future do you think going for a more strict 3 color selection (Naya, or Junk), would help smooth out draws and mana, as well as make the deck a little more resilient to Wasteland and Stifle? How often were you able to cast Black and Red spells in the same game on time (it helps Surgical can use 2 life in a pinch)? I know in my list I like the Bojuka Bog still, since it generates more black mana for Deathrite and cards liek Surgical and Thoughtseize.

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Originally Posted by bumgun

So far the only changes I've been leaning towards are cutting the Bog for a Loam in the SB and switching the Master of the Wild Hunt with the SB'd Garruk. Also been considering fitting a Sword of Fire and Ice in the SB to help with random TNN decks that I may encounter. As always, any comments are welcome.

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-I have considered Master before in my 75, but I don't know if he really deserves a spot. I haven't tested with him enough.

-Sigarda in the main deck seems good against Show and Tell based decks, but how often do you have it in hand against the fast Show and Tells (turn 3 ish)? It not really feasible to rush it out with a GSZ of even hard cast it, because by the time you do Emrakul should have already attacked for the game and wipe the board. I don't know how I feel about the Sigarda main... it is 1 card to beat Show and Tell main deck, and you NEED to have it in hand for it to be relevant.

-Fire and Ice is solid, and I really like having it in the 75. It is my maindeck sword of choice for now to go along with Jitte. I opt to leave Batterskull in the board. In race matches where I am fighting down a hoard of tribal things, Jitte normally does the trick for cheaper and sometimes you can even drop it and play it the same turn you find it with a late game SFM. I have found the only real way to get Batterskull down is with SFM (who either eats removal, or the Batterskull gets Durressed out), or having a large board and Cradle.

-I know older lists ran Garruk as another removal spell in a pinch. Have you brought him in as removal (if so against what decks), or have you used him as a token machine (again, which decks)? I haven't played with him yet, so I am not sure of his place in the list.

-I really like the 3/2 split on Deathrites and Nobles. In a 3 color deck I feel 5 mana dorks is just right. A 4/1 split doesn't make sense, seeing as how the Exalted is a really nice bonus and Noble works on an empty graveyard or against decks not running fetches to fuel YOUR shaman (don't shrink Knight if we don't have to).

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Originally Posted by oSeabass

I've been debating playing Maverick at the DC GP coming up, seeing as how it is my favorite deck and I used to be very familiar with it. I recently have been liking the Black "Dark" Maverick lists running Deathrite and Discard. I see your list has both black for Deathrite (no maindeck black cards other then Deathrite if I read correctly) and sideboard cards like Surgical (which I really like now), as well as the red for Punishing Fire. How greedy do you feel the mana base was? With the 1 Birds and 3 Deathrite, you can make red easily with creatures enough. How often did you find yourself in trouble with a greedy 4 color mana base in a Wasteland defined format? I know Knight and fetches really alleviate the mana crunch, but Stifle can quickly ruin a deck like this.

In the future do you think going for a more strict 3 color selection (Naya, or Junk), would help smooth out draws and mana, as well as make the deck a little more resilient to Wasteland and Stifle? How often were you able to cast Black and Red spells in the same game on time (it helps Surgical can use 2 life in a pinch)? I know in my list I like the Bojuka Bog still, since it generates more black mana for Deathrite and cards liek Surgical and Thoughtseize.

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I actually did not get mana screwed at all. In all of my recent testing, when I get beaten by tempo it isn't because I am playing too many non basics/colors, it is because they just have a hand with live cards at any given time. Even with GW straight I found myself getting blown out by stifle wasteland and daze just the same. I didn't end up using the Exile instant or sorcery mode on DRS much, only a couple times vs E. fro, but the red mana was always available if I fetched correctly in the early turns of a game. There was at least 1 case where I was able to use grove for green mana to prevent submerge and it was relevant as well. I think int he future I may switch back to hierarchs and cut black to allow for some number of cavern of souls to increase my tempo matchup game 1, though deathrite shaman is very insane and always worth stretching the manabase for. Also, I have 24 lands including arbor and they all produce mana, so that was probably a factor in not getting mana screwed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oSeabass

-I have considered Master before in my 75, but I don't know if he really deserves a spot. I haven't tested with him enough.

-Sigarda in the main deck seems good against Show and Tell based decks, but how often do you have it in hand against the fast Show and Tells (turn 3 ish)? It not really feasible to rush it out with a GSZ of even hard cast it, because by the time you do Emrakul should have already attacked for the game and wipe the board. I don't know how I feel about the Sigarda main... it is 1 card to beat Show and Tell main deck, and you NEED to have it in hand for it to be relevant.

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Agreed, Master seems really slow.

Sigarda also hauls weight against liliana.dec. It gives you another potential card in hand to have to survive a turn against s&t into emmy (KotR + Karakas already).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oSeabass

-Sigarda in the main deck seems good against Show and Tell based decks, but how often do you have it in hand against the fast Show and Tells (turn 3 ish)? It not really feasible to rush it out with a GSZ of even hard cast it, because by the time you do Emrakul should have already attacked for the game and wipe the board. I don't know how I feel about the Sigarda main... it is 1 card to beat Show and Tell main deck, and you NEED to have it in hand for it to be relevant.

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Am I missing something? Sigarda only stops the annihilator trigger right? You're still facing down a 15 power flyer each turn until you eventually have to chump with Sigarda? It also does nothing versus Griselbrand?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jonnnny

Am I missing something? Sigarda only stops the annihilator trigger right? You're still facing down a 15 power flyer each turn until you eventually have to chump with Sigarda? It also does nothing versus Griselbrand?

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15 life doesn't kill you, gives you another turn to find any answers you may have to emmy, even if it's just karakas it can make a difference. Running other fliers means you have other chump-blockers too (scryb ranger, bop, linvala, mindcensor, etc.). Especially as mindcensor and scryb ranger have flash and you can bait them to swing with emrakul. It's more value against liliana decks imo.

Assuming you have any other creatures to beat face, finding 1-2 chump blockers or karakas should let you live through the emmy swings and swing back for the win - barring another threat.

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Originally Posted by Luklinda

15 life doesn't kill you, gives you another turn to find any answers you may have to emmy, even if it's just karakas it can make a difference. Running other fliers means you have other chump-blockers too (scryb ranger, bop, linvala, mindcensor, etc.). Especially as mindcensor and scryb ranger have flash and you can bait them to swing with emrakul. It's more value against liliana decks imo.

Assuming you have any other creatures to beat face, finding 1-2 chump blockers or karakas should let you live through the emmy swings and swing back for the win - barring another threat.

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This makes sense, and the flying seems like it helps block Emrakul. I don't run BoP main or Linvala in the board, but I think flying could help. Also it helps sure up the Death and Taxes match to slow down the Serra Ascendant, and blocking an annoying Mindcensor (to then allow KotR to tutor again).

I see the need for Sigarda against BUG and Liliana decks, so that is clearer now. Still really trying to figure out the Show and Tell match, cus it seems bad still. I am thinking having Cavern of Souls main and then something like Fiend Hunter, or Banisher Priest in the board to help have a human uncounterable ORing effect. The problem I found with ORing, is that if Show and Tell resolves dropping Griselbrand pass, they just respond to ORing by drawing 14, and finding a counterspell or misdirection to stop the ORing from resolving. Having an uncounterable reactive answer like Fiend Hunter seems very relevant in the board. We still die to Sneak Attacks though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oSeabass

This makes sense, and the flying seems like it helps block Emrakul. I don't run BoP main or Linvala in the board, but I think flying could help. Also it helps sure up the Death and Taxes match to slow down the Serra Ascendant, and blocking an annoying Mindcensor (to then allow KotR to tutor again).

I see the need for Sigarda against BUG and Liliana decks, so that is clearer now. Still really trying to figure out the Show and Tell match, cus it seems bad still. I am thinking having Cavern of Souls main and then something like Fiend Hunter, or Banisher Priest in the board to help have a human uncounterable ORing effect. The problem I found with ORing, is that if Show and Tell resolves dropping Griselbrand pass, they just respond to ORing by drawing 14, and finding a counterspell or misdirection to stop the ORing from resolving. Having an uncounterable reactive answer like Fiend Hunter seems very relevant in the board. We still die to Sneak Attacks though.

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O. Ring via shown and tell can't be countered, but digging for one after I get.

Fiend Hunter/Banisher Priest seem extremely narrow as they're easier to remove and just like O. Ring they can draw with the trigger on the stack. Same reasoning why I hate using phyrexian revoker, too easy to remove if I really am using it to shut down an activated ability. In that case I'd rather linvala @ creatures (because she's big enough to not die to decay, burn, P. Fire), pithing needle for specific cards or null rod to hit artifacts; both of which hit all rather than named cards. Fiend Hunter/Banisher Priest may work for show and tell heavy metas though as opp. don't run as much creature removal, but if they do - they get their dude back. Too bad there isn't a color shifted stingscourger/aether adept for GW.

Linvala, Keeper of Silence says no-go for drawing cards. Granted, they still have a 7/7 lifelinking demon, but that's controllable via MOM-pro blocks/attacks and swords to plowshares.

You can always use stingscourger when playing R splash -anyway I still think any kind of those are much worst then Ashen Rider/Angel of Dispair as an effect, more over Orings have probably same impact and can be used also as normal removal vs problematic permanents (for example cursed totem).

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Originally Posted by Luklinda

15 life doesn't kill you, gives you another turn to find any answers you may have to emmy, even if it's just karakas it can make a difference. Running other fliers means you have other chump-blockers too (scryb ranger, bop, linvala, mindcensor, etc.). Especially as mindcensor and scryb ranger have flash and you can bait them to swing with emrakul. It's more value against liliana decks imo.

Assuming you have any other creatures to beat face, finding 1-2 chump blockers or karakas should let you live through the emmy swings and swing back for the win - barring another threat.

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Not only Karakas and chumps, but you have time to dig or fetch for a Maze of Ith (rendering Emrakul just a scary blocker), or a Yavimaya Hollow, preventing Emmy from attacking altogether.

Anyone ventured to try out a one or two-of TRADEWIND RIDER as a surprise nostalgia creature? looks really well positioned these days considering it can't die to decay, it doesnt die to one bolt, and it can block and put a softlock on an opponent by returning the one land per turn (or two if you have a scryb out), or by returning the permanent they tapped out to that turn. Its shenanigans fit right into the other tricks Maverick does.


That and it was my deck some years back before quitting and coming back to the game. was my favorite creature since then hehe.

So how do we beat true name?

Out aggro it? Maverick can often times present board states where it'll be disadvantageous for them to swing in with their 3/1 dude and they can't always count on it as defense when a lethal KotR is swinging w/ Mom protection.

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Originally Posted by blackdiamonds

So how do we beat true name?

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If you are running a black splash you can try Golgari Charm. That worked for me last night against TNN. You have to be cautious not to run out creatures like Mom or Hierarch, but if you are running the black splash you might be using more DRS, which will survive the Golgari Charm turn.

Charm is also very useful in the board for a lot of other matchups; Elves, Goblins, Enchantments that are bugging you, etc.

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Originally Posted by blackdiamonds

So how do we beat true name?

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I played vs Esper Deathblade with TNN yesterday and it wasn't a problem g2 and g3. I sided in a 1-of engineering plague with enlightened tutors and named Rogue (shardless agent is also a Rogue, although esper doesn't run it of course). Like others said, you can also race it pretty easily. Problem comes when they manage to throw a batterskull on the TNN so it does attacking and blocking duty with 14 point life swings.

As for golgari charm, I think zealous persecution is more useful since it doesn't kill your creatures and can sometimes blow out a Toxic Deluge if they didn't pay enough life. Enchantment removal should be sufficiently covered by abrupt decay and qasali pridemage in dark maverick and regeneration doesn't seem to be too relevant when there aren't that many wraths in the format.

As for merfolk running TNN with lord anthems... I have no idea.

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Originally Posted by buloid

Not only Karakas and chumps, but you have time to dig or fetch for a Maze of Ith (rendering Emrakul just a scary blocker), or a Yavimaya Hollow, preventing Emmy from attacking altogether.

Anyone ventured to try out a one or two-of TRADEWIND RIDER as a surprise nostalgia creature? looks really well positioned these days considering it can't die to decay, it doesnt die to one bolt, and it can block and put a softlock on an opponent by returning the one land per turn (or two if you have a scryb out), or by returning the permanent they tapped out to that turn. Its shenanigans fit right into the other tricks Maverick does.


That and it was my deck some years back before quitting and coming back to the game. was my favorite creature since then hehe.

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I always see this guy on TCDecks, and he seems to do pretty well with this random deck. Honestly it feels a bit more like survival than maverick:

http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...1&iddeck=69412

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Originally Posted by ironclad8690

I always see this guy on TCDecks, and he seems to do pretty well with this random deck. Honestly it feels a bit more like survival than maverick:

http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...1&iddeck=69412

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15 lands, no basics, no wasteland and FoW :eek:

Tradwind Rider just seems..... bad? 4 mana. blue dude that needs two untapped creatures to do anything... I'd rather have Linvala any day of the week, especially Tuesday. Unless your meta is flooded with reanimator and show and tell decks; in which case gilded drake is pretty much always a better card.

Birthing pod looks like it would be an auto-include in a toolbox.dec build, honestly shocked to see it missing.

I can understand your astonishment - this is Most! A very wierd deck, it seems to make no sense on paper. I think it's played only in Italy and only by very few people, if not just by its creator, since it's extremely difficult to pilot. Anyway, in the hands of a good pilot it's very strong, as you can see by its results on TCDecks.

Here's a link to the Italian thread of Most on Tipo1:

http://www.tipo1.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=27255