I suppose adding in more combo pieces and moving some of other cards to the sideboard could be a solution. Perhaps moving out harmonic sliver and sin collector and maybe one of the mana dorks can be cut to make more room. I don't really see how to increase the odds of getting your combo without chord of calling though, and there's a fat chance that card will go down in price ever again.
Green's sun zenith will only work some of the time with this version of the deck, as it won't tutor for a sac outlet :/ It's not a terrible inclusion. In the worst cases, you can just get more kitchen finks.
Wall of Omens may not be that bad either. It'll block many aggro creatures and help you dig, but with rancor running rampant right now with the aggro decks, I think walls are just wasted space. You really need kitchen finks :/
I like the revised list, especially with the Finks added in now. They are so powerful in this format, and I feel that they'll really contribute to making this build much more potent. With that in mind, I have a few considerations for you.
First, I'd drop the Fauna Shaman, for a few reasons. It's a 1-of, so you wont see it often unless you Pod for it, and in my experience, tutoring for a tutor isn't the best line of play. I get that it can bypass the Pod curve, but it doesn't produce card advantage like Pod does, and she's quite vulnerable with all the removal in the format. In her place, I would play Thalia, Guardian of Thraben; she's $2 cheaper than the Shaman, she wins in combat against any X/2 or X/1, and she punishes the decks Merlia Pod has trouble with. Plus you're only playing 4 Pod as non-creature, how can you go wrong?
Second, I'd drop the Safehold Elite for a Qasali Pridemage. I know you want to reduce the dependency on white, but it's an answer to stuff like Torpor Orb that Acidic Slime and Harmonic Sliver can't hit. Plus the exalted trigger helps with the beatdown plan. And it's only $0.50 more.
Third, I realize this is budget, but I would seriously, seriously recommend shelling out the $5 for a Sigarda, Host of Herons. She only dies to sweepers and only a handful of decks run them main. I was playing Geist Midrange in a tournament recently and that card single-handedly beat me in games 1 and 3 of round 2. No answers for it in game 1, and never saw my 2-of Supreme Verdict that I boarded in. Most lists don't play her so few people ever expect to see her.
Thanks for your input! I hope I don't come across as unappreciative given my responses to most of your advice, but I think my responses are well-reasoned and justified by the time I've sunk playing with the list.
On Strangleroot Geist vs Rendclaw Trow, the troll is better in this list because I need persist fodder at 3CMC to get out Ranger of Eos and Murderous Redcap. Like I said in OP, Rendclaw Trow is my Kitchen Finks, and that's key to Melira Pod. So probably not on Geist. I do have a singleton Safehold Elite at 2CMC, but I like it more than Geist because of the potential for an infinite topdeck cycle combo with Seer/Melira and less mana-intensity.
On Gravedigger vs Entomber Exarch, good spot. My only hesitation is the double-black since I find myself hardcasting Gravedigger relatively often, so the casting cost might be more problematic than what it's worth to get the duress option. I'll try it out to see.
On Farhaven Elf vs Blade Splicer, probably not. I already tried Blade Splicer and didn't get that much extra good out of it over Trow (given that we're talking about podding into these), and on the Elf slot I really need the mana fixing sometimes. Further, it helps to avoid white mana symbols when you're not on a fetch/shock base. I know this weakens my list's ability to play beatdown or block, but it's the price paid for stabilizing the manabase.
On Safehold Elite vs Qasali Pridemage, I like having a persist option at 2CMC, and I've already had enough naturalize while testing Harmonic Sliver and Acidic Slime. It hurts my attacking, but it's better for blocking and podding.
Thanks for offering to post your list, but I'm pretty good at reading and found primers and other lists around for what effects I need, so I think if you read again the list I posted I've got most of the "mechanics [ ] useful to emulate" (for a budget list) in there.
I see your choices are all well thought out, and that's excellent. I just wanna touch on the Trow thing. You mentioned that it's supposed to be a persisting 3cmc guy; in other words, finks, and that it helps you get your 4 cmc guys. After playing Melira Pod for awhile, I can definitely say that finks' primary role isn't to abuse the Pod chain from 3 to 4. It's really the 2 life that makes things relevant. When things get hairy in games and I slam down that finks, I'm not looking for a board presence swing where I eventually Pod 1 guy into 2, it's more that he's a recurring blocker and helps get me out of death range. I'd say Aven Riftwatcher is going to fill finks spot better than the Trow. It still gets your the 4 life, which is crucial in grinding out games.
It's arguable that most choices for Pod lists tend to be ones with enter the battlefield triggers. Trow, without any ETB effects, just seems incredibly subpar. If you put in Strangleroot Geists in the two spot, you get the undying trigger which can increase your number of 3 drops on the field, which pseudo-abuses the 3cmc-4cmc spot.
I'd drop the Rendclaw Traws for Strangleroot Geist. Lower on your curve, they haste, and get you your Riftwatchers through Pod. I'd drop Gravedigger for Entomber Exarch; same cmc, outright better. Drop Farhaven elf for Blade Splicer asap. Switch out safehold elite for qasali pridemage. More removal and it swings for 3.
When I get back from my stuff today, I'll post my list. It's not budget, but you can see what kinds of mechanics are useful to emulate with budget cards.
Green Sun's Zenith is banned, for the record.
UWRUWR Midrange/GeistRWU
Retired
GWBMelira PodBWG
First, I'd drop the Fauna Shaman, for a few reasons. It's a 1-of, so you wont see it often unless you Pod for it, and in my experience, tutoring for a tutor isn't the best line of play. I get that it can bypass the Pod curve, but it doesn't produce card advantage like Pod does, and she's quite vulnerable with all the removal in the format. In her place, I would play Thalia, Guardian of Thraben; she's $2 cheaper than the Shaman, she wins in combat against any X/2 or X/1, and she punishes the decks Merlia Pod has trouble with. Plus you're only playing 4 Pod as non-creature, how can you go wrong?
Second, I'd drop the Safehold Elite for a Qasali Pridemage. I know you want to reduce the dependency on white, but it's an answer to stuff like Torpor Orb that Acidic Slime and Harmonic Sliver can't hit. Plus the exalted trigger helps with the beatdown plan. And it's only $0.50 more.
Third, I realize this is budget, but I would seriously, seriously recommend shelling out the $5 for a Sigarda, Host of Herons. She only dies to sweepers and only a handful of decks run them main. I was playing Geist Midrange in a tournament recently and that card single-handedly beat me in games 1 and 3 of round 2. No answers for it in game 1, and never saw my 2-of Supreme Verdict that I boarded in. Most lists don't play her so few people ever expect to see her.
UWRUWR Midrange/GeistRWU
Retired
GWBMelira PodBWG
I see your choices are all well thought out, and that's excellent. I just wanna touch on the Trow thing. You mentioned that it's supposed to be a persisting 3cmc guy; in other words, finks, and that it helps you get your 4 cmc guys. After playing Melira Pod for awhile, I can definitely say that finks' primary role isn't to abuse the Pod chain from 3 to 4. It's really the 2 life that makes things relevant. When things get hairy in games and I slam down that finks, I'm not looking for a board presence swing where I eventually Pod 1 guy into 2, it's more that he's a recurring blocker and helps get me out of death range. I'd say Aven Riftwatcher is going to fill finks spot better than the Trow. It still gets your the 4 life, which is crucial in grinding out games.
It's arguable that most choices for Pod lists tend to be ones with enter the battlefield triggers. Trow, without any ETB effects, just seems incredibly subpar. If you put in Strangleroot Geists in the two spot, you get the undying trigger which can increase your number of 3 drops on the field, which pseudo-abuses the 3cmc-4cmc spot.
UWRUWR Midrange/GeistRWU
Retired
GWBMelira PodBWG
When I get back from my stuff today, I'll post my list. It's not budget, but you can see what kinds of mechanics are useful to emulate with budget cards.
UWRUWR Midrange/GeistRWU
Retired
GWBMelira PodBWG