[Deck] Nic Fit (GBx Explorer Zenith Control)

Based on all the fast replies (thanks again!) I came up with the following list that I will be testing when I my card orders have arrived. I really liked the Mimeoplasm as suggestion, so I'm going to test him instead of Sigarda. Had seen the card before but back then it was not interesting enough and now I had forgotten about it.

Mainboard:
4 Veteran Explorer
3 Deathrite Shaman
3 Baleful Strix
1 Eternal Witness
1 Kitchen Finks
1 True-Name Nemesis
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Thragtusk
1 the Mimeoplasm
1 Consecrated Sphinx

3 Pernicious Deed
2 Abrupt Decay

2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Liliana of the Veil

4 Brainstorm
4 Cabal Therapy

3 Birthing Pod
1 Green Sun's Zenith

21 Lands

Sideboard:
4 Force of Will
2 Swan Song
1 Negate
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Thoughtseize
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Engineered Plague
1 Golgari Charm
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Abrupt Decay

I also made sure to have some envelop, shriekmaw and acidic slime so I can shift around a bit with some card choices. Regarding True-Name Nemesis, I like the card so far. While it has no direct EtB effect, it is a rather diverse card. First of all, I wouldn't directly look it up with Pod, but it is just a very solid 3-drop on its own. Since I do not play Grave Titan (I prefer the Sphinx) the 3 damage actually matters for my deck. However, if you do Pod it, it is the most solid ground blocker and can pretty much function as a lightning bolt in your next turn, before continuing the Pod chain. While it might not kill creatures upon EtB, it can deal some damage to players/planeswalkers before podding it away. Since it pretty much cannot be killed, you are assured to be able to pod again. Finally, the card is blue and thus pitches to FoW. If I compare this list to wood elves, which would grant me another basic, I prefer the True-Name. I hope to have all the cards next Thursday so I can start playing this list!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by UseLess

Based on all the fast replies (thanks again!) I came up with the following list that I will be testing when I my card orders have arrived. I really liked the Mimeoplasm as suggestion, so I'm going to test him instead of Sigarda. Had seen the card before but back then it was not interesting enough and now I had forgotten about it.

Mainboard:
4 Veteran Explorer
3 Deathrite Shaman
3 Baleful Strix
1 Eternal Witness
1 Kitchen Finks
1 True-Name Nemesis
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Thragtusk
1 the Mimeoplasm
1 Consecrated Sphinx

3 Pernicious Deed
2 Abrupt Decay

2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Liliana of the Veil

4 Brainstorm
4 Cabal Therapy

3 Birthing Pod
1 Green Sun's Zenith

21 Lands

Sideboard:
4 Force of Will
2 Swan Song
1 Negate
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Thoughtseize
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Engineered Plague
1 Golgari Charm
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Abrupt Decay

I also made sure to have some envelop, shriekmaw and acidic slime so I can shift around a bit with some card choices. Regarding True-Name Nemesis, I like the card so far. While it has no direct EtB effect, it is a rather diverse card. First of all, I wouldn't directly look it up with Pod, but it is just a very solid 3-drop on its own. Since I do not play Grave Titan (I prefer the Sphinx) the 3 damage actually matters for my deck. However, if you do Pod it, it is the most solid ground blocker and can pretty much function as a lightning bolt in your next turn, before continuing the Pod chain. While it might not kill creatures upon EtB, it can deal some damage to players/planeswalkers before podding it away. Since it pretty much cannot be killed, you are assured to be able to pod again. Finally, the card is blue and thus pitches to FoW. If I compare this list to wood elves, which would grant me another basic, I prefer the True-Name. I hope to have all the cards next Thursday so I can start playing this list!

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I'd strongly encourage playing a Scavenging Ooze in the maindeck. Just playing one will dramatically increase your game 1 percentage against stuff like dredge and reanimator. It's also just a great card to draw and play later in the game, or be able to pod into when you want something huge and only have a 1 drop. It also hoses punishing fire and can take a RUG player off threshold. It's just great overall.

So I was thinking of playing Nic Fit again after abandoning it for a couple of years... Seems like there are quiet a lot of variations to choose between. Blue has also 'infested' this archetype :tongue: (and with some impressive results I might add :smile:) I don't own any expensive Blue cards (never have, maybe some day), and was thinking about Junk Pod. Do you guys have any advice? I saw some nice lists down the line, but really could use a crash-course to get up-to-speed.

Thank you in advance.

I'm currently running punishing fit but want to try out BUG-Pod. This may be something of a noob question, but do some of you with more experience with this version have any guidelines on when you do/don't use the phyrexian mana mode on the pod (both for casting and activation)? I assume it's almost entirely situational, but I can imagine myself getting greedy (either for mana or life) and overdoing it one way or the other.
Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by benofzongo

I'm currently running punishing fit but want to try out BUG-Pod. This may be something of a noob question, but do some of you with more experience with this version have any guidelines on when you do/don't use the phyrexian mana mode on the pod (both for casting and activation)? I assume it's almost entirely situational, but I can imagine myself getting greedy (either for mana or life) and overdoing it one way or the other.
Thanks.

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I find myself using phyrexian mana most of the time when it comes to playing and activating pod. In general, legacy is a format of big swings, so paying a few life points to get pod going earlier, or leave up mana to do something else (brainstorm, cabal therapy, activate deathrite, activate glen elendra, just to name a few possibilities) is usually worth it. There are of course situations where it's better to use mana, but you'll probably be able to figure those out pretty easily. In general, if you run up against a deck where paying extra life on pod is really bad, then the pod itself is probably not at its best either.

Hi people! Have you seen the legacy kikipod deck by Drew Levin in scg? I haven't seen it because i'm not a premium user, but if you are take a look, (and pass the list here :p)http://www.starcitygames.com/article...In-Legacy.html

Thinking of sleeving up the deck for a change of pace, but I've got 3 questions:

1) How essential to the [BUG] deck is the 4 Strix?

As far as I can tell their purpose is to
- Come down early to block / eat removal (TRADE)
- Draw a card through the Pod chain (Value)
- Pitch to FOW post board (U count)

It seems to me like its something that could be trimmed down to 3 copies, or even cut completely, for a couple more green creatures + GSZ.

Admittedly, I haven't started testing the deck extensively yet, so I don't have the play experience to lend any insight; just trying to figure out if the card is sort of a default that people are just running or if its really a sleeper MVP that no one's really talking about.

2) @ 3-Drops: Why not 2 Finks instead of the Wood Elves? Finks is insane vs Delver variants, and like you said has huge value in the Pod chains as he replaces himself.

3) How good is Phantasmal Image really? Is it just a flex thing or is there some purpose he serves? Copying Titans or even Finks seems sweet but since the legend rule change I don't see it doing all that much outside of just being more value. I guess that's the point?

Thanks in advance! Grats on your success with the deck Svknoe

1) You are correct about the purpose of Baleful Strix. The deck often needs to slow the game down a bit, and Strix is phenomenal at blocking. It is also makes the Griselbrand match up a lot better. I think that it is an important card in the deck. I want it in most match ups. I don't like them that much against Deathblade and Storm, but that may be about it.

2) I have thought about the second Finks, but I have not tried it yet. My main concern is losing the flexibility that different creatures offer. I will be looking to try it. So far i have tried Wood Elves and Fleshbag Maurauder and I have been pleased with neither.

3) Phantasmal Image main purpose is flexibility. I generally don't run it out as soon as possible, but it rather fixes a lot a problems. There are a few situations that I have noted it being especially useful. Versus Miracles and combo it locks up the game completely as a second Glen Elendra Archmage. It copies Griselbrand, which often wins me the game. In a tight race, for instance versus Tombstalker or a couple of TNN, copying Finks and persisting into a Thragtusk generally gains enough life to win.

Thank you! Both me and GtF have been very successful with the same list.

I would say Baleful Strix is indeed a sleeper MVP. It's so inconspicuously good that it doesn't get talked about much. It smooths out draws, keeps you from dying to a fast aggro start, functions geat with pod (and recurring nightmare). There are no green creatures I can think of (or any color for that matter) that can do what it does. Coiling Oracle seems like it's similar, but the fact that it trades with nothing while strix trades with everything makes it pretty different. I think cutting one might be ok, but I definitely wouldn't cut all of them.

For the 3 drop problem, I finally get around to trying out Deceiver Exarch. Running an MD Viridian Shaman is another option I did for a while and it was ok, though I could see it being awkward sometimes with strix and pod.

Thanks for the [quick] responses. I reckon I'm just going to put together the latest list you guys have and start testing it out and see how I feel. I can see Exarch being good; getting to Pod twice is no joke. Strix > Exarch > Thrun/Archmage... Spicy. It can also untap a land if you need, don't forget that. Is it strictly better than Pestermite here? 4 toughness is relevant.

I like your point about Image being a second Archmage; giving it persist is sweet, Finks/Thragtusk double feature is crazy haha.

I can also see having Exarch out, podding away a 1 drop, into Image (on Exarch) straight into a 4 drop. Cue maniacal laughter...

EDIT - having played Modern Melira Pod, would it be crazy to suggest trying out Chord of Calling? We generate so much mana w/ Explorer that it seems pretty castable, although GSZ does allow us to ramp more effectively in the early turns. Pretty sure the two would be competing for slots. Upside to Chord being we can get any colour creature instant speed.

Exarch seems a little weak to me, since its not a good card without Pod. I have never tried it though, so I may be wrong.

Chord of Calling seems a little but crazy. If you have enough creatures to cast it for something like x=4 or 5, I think that you have probably won the game already.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Svknoe

Exarch seems a little weak to me, since its not a good card without Pod. I have never tried it though, so I may be wrong.

Chord of Calling seems a little but crazy. If you have enough creatures to cast it for something like x=4 or 5, I think that you have probably won the game already.

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Situationally it's an OK card vs Emrakul & Griselbrand in the sense that you can tap it down. It's much better with pod, but pretty good by itself.

Pestermite trades with Delver in a pinch, while we have enough ground walls.

Hello everyone,

I'm a modern player looking to get into legacy and Nic Fit (pronounced nice or nick?) was recommended to me as I'm primarily a Melira pod player: I have a few of the staples and enjoy the toolbox one-of aspect of the deck. I have always wanted to play with GSZ.

Legacy seems to have 100 archetypes with 100 iterations of each and the meta looks to be very broad and putting all of the possibilities in your mind when building your first deck seems a completely overwhelming task. I've got several questions but to start with:

1) BUG seems to be the go-to deck. Can a junk pod list get by? I don't expect to try for any GP top 8 but would like to be able to have a chance at local tournaments and hold my own in for-fun games. It seems that nic fit is a deck that should be very tunable to your meta.
2) I'm willing to buy in and get the expensive staples but I stick to a strict monthly budget. Would it make more sense to go for things like bayou first or go ahead and start grabbing things like Stoneforge + package, therapy, rector + package first and just use shocks in the meantime? Seeing the spikes in modern and some legacy cards I don't want to miss the boat on anything that's obvious to the community but I don't see due to being new to the format.
3) Everyone seems so in-the-know on these forums that a lot of base legacy and base meta info is taken for granted. I've read that the legacy meta is sort of cyclical where decks rise and fall in popularity and success depending on meta and preparedness. If this is accurate, where is nic fit on this spectrum? Can you even compare "nic fit" as an archetype to other decks that may not have so many variations?

What I meant to say in my last post is that I was going to try Exarch, not that I'd tried it already. It doesn't seem good enough to me but I figure I should give it a shot.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rackhamm

Hello everyone,

I'm a modern player looking to get into legacy and Nic Fit (pronounced nice or nick?) was recommended to me as I'm primarily a Melira pod player: I have a few of the staples and enjoy the toolbox one-of aspect of the deck. I have always wanted to play with GSZ.

Legacy seems to have 100 archetypes with 100 iterations of each and the meta looks to be very broad and putting all of the possibilities in your mind when building your first deck seems a completely overwhelming task. I've got several questions but to start with:

1) BUG seems to be the go-to deck. Can a junk pod list get by? I don't expect to try for any GP top 8 but would like to be able to have a chance at local tournaments and hold my own in for-fun games. It seems that nic fit is a deck that should be very tunable to your meta.
2) I'm willing to buy in and get the expensive staples but I stick to a strict monthly budget. Would it make more sense to go for things like bayou first or go ahead and start grabbing things like Stoneforge + package, therapy, rector + package first and just use shocks in the meantime? Seeing the spikes in modern and some legacy cards I don't want to miss the boat on anything that's obvious to the community but I don't see due to being new to the format.
3) Everyone seems so in-the-know on these forums that a lot of base legacy and base meta info is taken for granted. I've read that the legacy meta is sort of cyclical where decks rise and fall in popularity and success depending on meta and preparedness. If this is accurate, where is nic fit on this spectrum? Can you even compare "nic fit" as an archetype to other decks that may not have so many variations?

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1) I think Junk pod is definitely fine. Some people on the thread have advocated for it, and also for various jund flavors of nic fit, with punishing fire, burning wish for scapeshift, or just general good value cards. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I haven't tried the other versions in depth because I've been very happy with the BUG pod version, so I haven't really had a good reason to switch, but that doesn't mean other versions aren't good too.
2) Yeah I would say get the spells first and the lands last, since you can still play some games with shocklands, but if you don't have cabal therapy, for instance, the deck really won't function as it's supposed to.
3) I feel like the cycle in the legacy metagame is more due to the fact that a lot of people have one legacy deck and the scg circuit, for instance, travels around the country. So when it gets to an area where people have a lot of combo decks, it's a "combo" metagame. But the metagame is really determined by geography. In last week's Seattle open, a bunch of people played Aluren. Is that because Aluren is a great metagame choice? Maybe, or maybe it's because a bunch of people in Seattle have an Aluren deck they like to play. That's my impression of the cyclical legacy metagame.
That said, Nic Fit in general tends to beat up on fair decks like delver and stoneforge type brews and lose to fast combo decks. The idea is with veteran explorer, you're just playing threats that are bigger than what a traditional fair deck is set up to deal with. Big threats don't matter to combo decks though. The exception is you generally have a good game against graveyard-based combo because of deathrites and GSZ + Scavenging Ooze (assuming you play those cards which...you should) and anything trying to blood moon you because of all your basics. That's the general metagame position of Nic Fit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rackhamm

I'm a modern player looking to get into legacy and Nic Fit (pronounced nice or nick?) was recommended to me as I'm primarily a Melira pod player: I have a few of the staples and enjoy the toolbox one-of aspect of the deck. I have always wanted to play with GSZ.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5nbZMnEX-M

The Untouchables - Nic Fit (1981)

Nic as in Nicotine. Not entirely sure how it gets its name, but, I'm one for good names.

Been following this thread for about 2 years now and want to share my current list. It's not very playtested and the only Legacy tournament i've played this year was the Legacy Side event @GP Gothenburg. I Went 3-1-1 loosing to ANT and drawing to Rock, randomly stomped 2 Esper decks and U/B Tezz. Anyway here is the list.

4 Veteran Explorer
4 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Sigarda, host of herons
1 Thragtusk
1 Eternal Witness
1 Scavenging Ooze

2 Liliana of the Veil
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Pernicious Deed

4 Green sun's Zenith
4 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Lingering Souls
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte

4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
4 Bayou
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
2 Forest
2 Plains
2 Swamp
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Phyrexian Tower

Also i've been trying out a Red version of the deck wich stomps all TNN decks and actually has a fair shot preboard vs Reanimator/SNT decks. Here's that list aswell.

4 Veteran Explorer
1 Sylvan Ranger
1 Scavenging ooze
2 Eternal Witness
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Thragtusk
1 Broodmate Dragon

4 Cabal Therapy
1 Thoughtseize
1 Slaughter Games
1 Rakdos's Return

4 Innocent Blood
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Pernicious Deed
1 Ensnaring Bridge

4 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Green sun's Zenith

4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wooded foothills
4 Bayou
1 Badlands
1 taiga
2 forest
2 swamp
1 mountain
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Volrath's stronghold
1 Kessig Wolf Run

Innocent blood has really impressed me. It gets rid of Marit Large, it kills vet, it wrecks TNN, it can be really effective vs reanimator. And sometimes u even get to kill an Emrakul with it. HUGE Card.

I agree that Innocent Blood is a very solid card. Also I cant ever say no to a deck running Broodmate Dragon. I havent played the deck in awhile, but I always found Huntmaster to be quite underwhelming... How has it fared for you? I know in the Scape variants it is great to buy time, but in mid range versions of the deck it never felt amazing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Megadeus

I agree that Innocent Blood is a very solid card. Also I cant ever say no to a deck running Broodmate Dragon. I havent played the deck in awhile, but I always found Huntmaster to be quite underwhelming... How has it fared for you? I know in the Scape variants it is great to buy time, but in mid range versions of the deck it never felt amazing.

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It's a very situational card, he can be very mediocre in some states of the game vs different matchups, he have won me a couple of games almost by himself though vs BUG wich has no real good answers to him. I Believe it's an autoinclude in all red lists of the deck as a one-off but as a one-off only.

After reviewing the last few dozen pages of this thread Junk lists seem to be all over the place. I put together a quick list as a starting point for Junk Pod. For this particular list I would just need to get the equipments and dual lands.

Is SFM + package a solid choice in a junk pod list? Rector Fit looks pretty good too and some people have experimented with PW lists as well. All in all these various "packages" look pretty fun and interesting.

Other things like Voice, Redcaps, Pontiff are have been discussed here but not extensively. Mostly they are carry overs from modern pod. Was thinking voice is a good GSZ target and Pod fodder. Redcaps to hit things like delver or finish off after a chump block. Pontiff as my mainboard way to kill TNN as most people say they are everywhere. Marsh Flats over ONS fetches just because I have them.

I think probably will devote a good portion of the SB to things like thoughtseize, liliana/deed, and hate cards depending on local meta.

23 Creatures
4 Veteran Explorer
3 Deathrite Shaman

3 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Voice of Resurgence
1 Gaddock Teeg

1 Eternal Witness
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Orzhov Pontiff

1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Restoration Angel
1 Murderous Redcaps

1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Thragtusk
1 Acidic Slime
1 Shriekmaw


10 Spells
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Green Sun's Zenith
2 Abrupt Decay


5 Other Permanents
3 Birthing Pod
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa's Jitte


21 Lands

4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Marsh Flats
2 Bayou
1 Scrubland
1 Savannah
3 Forest
2 Swamp
2 Plains
1 Phyrexian Tower
1 Volrath's Stronghold