So you’re ready to sit down at a CEDH table with your favorite Fast Pod deck. You know your combos. You’ve goldfished like a beast. But then comes that big moment… the mulligan. What do you keep? What do you send back? This decision can win or lose you the game before it even starts!
Fear not! We’re diving deep into the mulligan theory for Fast Pod decks in cEDH, and we’re making it easy and fun to understand. Whether you’re on Tymna/Thrasios Hulk, Blood Pod, or any other creature-based combo grinder, this article is for you.
What is a Fast Pod Deck?
A Fast Pod deck is a creature combo deck that wants to do one thing: win fast. These decks use engines like Birthing Pod, Eldritch Evolution, or Neoform to chain up into a combo kill — often with creatures like Kiki-Jiki, Felidar Guardian, or Thassa’s Oracle.
The goal? Assemble a win condition by turn 2–4, ideally while dodging interaction or powering through it with value engines like Derevi or Tymna.
Rule #1: Know Your Identity
All mulligans start with one key idea:
What kind of Fast Pod deck am I?
- Turbo Pod – You want to combo ASAP. Think Tymna/Kraum Hulk.
- Midrange Pod – You’re fine grinding until the path clears. Think Blood Pod.
- Hybrid – You have burst potential but grind with Tymna or backup hatebears.
Knowing your style affects HOW aggressively you should mulligan. Are you racing the Turbo Ad Nauseam player? Or holding a hard-stax table together?
Rule #2: Prioritize Mana
If you don’t have mana, you’ve got nothing. Pod decks often run tight mana because you need specific color combos to execute fast chains.
Keep hands that show:
- 2+ sources of mana on turn one
- Access to green (for dorks/Evo effects)
- Turn one dork OR a fast mana piece like Lotus Petal
If your hand has no t1 play and no mana dork, mulligan. Period.
Rule #3: Look for Either Piece — Tutor or Combo
You don’t need the whole 5-piece chicken dinner in your opener. You just need a plate and utensils.
Keepable combos:
- Birthing Pod + dork
- Eldritch Evolution + 3-drop
- Recruiter of the Guard + sac outlet
- Neoform/Finale chain lines
Likewise, tutors matter. If a hand has Demonic Tutor and enough mana to cast it early — that’s golden. Same for Eladamri’s Call, Survival of the Fittest, etc. One line is all it takes.
Rule #4: Draw Engines Are NOT Combo Pieces
One trap a lot of Pod players fall into — especially those on Tymna decks — is the “value hand.”
Example:
- Tymna
- Mystic Remora
- Mana dork
- Removal spell
- Three lands
This looks okay. But where’s the threat? There’s no line to victory. If your hand doesn’t pressure the table or threaten a combo in 2 turns, you’re just a punching bag.
Drawing cards is helpful, but fast decks don’t play infinite turns. Make sure you’re not just spinning your wheels.
Rule #5: You Are Allowed to Mull to Five
People get scared. But you have to be brave!
Fast Pod decks are low-curve and redundant. A great five-card sculpted mulligan hand often beats a shaky seven.
Mull still missing:
- Relevant mana
- Combo plan
- Any line of pressure
Many cEDH experts agree: a strong five with a dork, tutor, and Pod line is better than a “okay seven” doing nothing until turn three.
Rule #6: Know the Meta
Mulligans change based on the table. If you’re across from Turbo Nos, keep interaction. If you’re against Stax, you better sneak under it or tutor out removal fast.
Don’t autopilot. Ask yourself:
- Who do I race?
- Who do I fear?
- Can I beat a Rule of Law?
That means a hand with Collector Ouphe might be right at one table and wrong at another. Adjust accordingly.
Mulligan Examples: Keep or Toss?
Let’s simulate a few Fast Pod decisions. You’re on Tymna/Kraum Hulk.
Hand 1:
- 2 lands
- Llanowar Elves
- Birthing Pod
- Grand Abolisher
- Thassa’s Oracle
- Silence
- Tymna
Result: KEEP — You’ve got mana, a dork, and Pod. This is an A+ hand.
Hand 2:
- 3 lands
- Windfall
- Dauthi Voidwalker
- Veil of Summer
- Esper Sentinel
- Kiki-Jiki
- Opposition Agent
Result: MULL — Bad curve, no win line, slow to start. Trash it.
Tech Tips to Improve Your Mull Game
- Use proxies and goldfish during prep. Practice 100 real starting hands and track win percentages.
- Keep a mental checklist for each hand:
- Do I have a line?
- Do I have mana?
- Can I stop an early win?
- Log your games. After each match, note your keeping or mull decision and whether it was correct in hindsight.
The more hands you evaluate, the more instinctive it becomes. Practice with friends, online testers, or over webcam games. cEDH is about reps!
Fast Pod and the London Mulligan
The current mulligan system in Commander — the London Mulligan — gives you godlike control. You can go to six hands deep and still sculpt a perfect combo window. Fast Pod players benefit immensely from this.
You can mull to five, toss garbage, and keep:
- Land
- Mana Dork
- Tutor
- Combo Piece
- Interaction
