Bauble, Thicket, and Knight open up a huge packet of draw selection without having to play slow and dubious cards like Courser of Kruphix or Domri Rade. You could, in theory, play Tireless Tracker over Vivien but I really like Vivien right now -- just as an aggressively slotted card.
Alright, thanks for the tips. It's certainly going to help me approach the matchup differently.
Another question, do you shave Lightning Bolts in games 2 and 3 or do you keep the full 4?
Well, they're not great. However, if you do get "rushed" on turn 2 or 3, they can keep you alive.
Basically, focus the game around sticking a Goyf, Scooze, or Knight and riding them out -- they'll be your route to victory. All other cards are marginal.
You can also cut a Bloodbraid Elf or two -- oddly. Their bodies are not good (trades with an attacking Bloodghast lol) so the only upside is their cascade.
Dredge is a deck you need to get multiple reps in to figure out when you need to turn the corner -- I'd chalk that up to inexperience with the matchup rather than it actually being a bad matchup. I've found the matchup to be favorable once you stabilize with a goyf or knight.
Seems good but not sure if good enough. It's going to be difficult to find the right timing for playing this out. Optimally we need to get this down before we get terminus-ed, but we also need to be presenting threats to tax their spells.
We should be looking at this card in our sideboards of Big Zoo as a one-of and replacing some of the clunkier cards we're trying to sneak underneath Cryptic Command.
Very good against Snapcaster decks.
Tarmogoyf always did need haste come to think of it.
Loads of Amulet, Tron, and odd combo decks at my shop recently, so I've shifted to DS Zoo the past few weeks -- I get to play once every two weeks or so.
0-2 Tron L
2-0 Infect W
2-0 BR Hollow One W
2-1 Amulet Titan W
2-0 Jund W
1-2 Humans L
2-1 GDS W
1-2 Infect L
0-2 Mardu L
Bit of a bummer. Tron was natty both games. Humans and Mardu involved some unfortunate mulligans -- mulls to 5 in all 4 losses. Infect involved mono heaters from my top decking opponent.
My wins were unimpressive. Beat amulet after he misblocked. Beat infect and GDS after they drew poorly. Beat Hollow One because KotR is better than their deck. Beat Jund because I took a couple good (ok, maybe medium) aggressive lines that panned out over the course of two games.
I think increasing closing speed is still important. Ghor-Clan Rampager is a fundamentally weak card. However, it interacts well with a card like KotR since, often, you don't have the extra turn to find a Kessig -- you need to kill them that turn. With as many small chumpers there are in the format (noble, glistener elf, other stray x/1s) you can also convert it for a whole lot more than 4 damage. It also plays well when you've devolved into a long game with Goyfs and Scoozes.
7 burn spells seems like a lot but, as linear as this format has gotten, I think is warranted.
I still don't have a strong SB worked out. I hate playing Gaddock Teeg and 4cmc walkers in the same deck but maybe they're necessary. It makes me wonder if History of Benalia would just be as effective against UW as Gideon, despite being obviously less powerful.
We play Voice of Resurgence so... like... we play loads of cards like that.
Here's a 75:
4x Noble Hierarch
4x Tarmogoyf
2x Scavenging Ooze
1x Qasali Pridemage
4x Knight of the Reliquary
2x Gruul Spellbreaker
4x Mishra's Bauble
4x Lightning Bolt
1x Dromoka's Command
3x Path to Exile
2x Wrenn and Six
2x Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
4x Windswepth Heath
2x Arid Mesa
2x Stomping Ground
2x Sacred Foundry
1x Temple Garden
1x Forest
1x Plains
1x Horizon Canopy
1x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Ghost Quarter
3x Tranquil Thicket
1x Declaration in Stone
1x Ghost Quarter
2x Gaddock Teeg
3x Knight of Autumn
2x Kozilek's Return
1x Shenanigans
2x Remorseful Cleric
2x Magus of the Moon
1x Dromoka's Command
Bauble, Thicket, and Knight open up a huge packet of draw selection without having to play slow and dubious cards like Courser of Kruphix or Domri Rade. You could, in theory, play Tireless Tracker over Vivien but I really like Vivien right now -- just as an aggressively slotted card.
4x Path to Exile
4x Finale of Devastation
4x Noble Hierarch
1x Birds of Paradise
4x Wild Nacatl
3x Tarmogoyf
1x Goblin Cratermaker
1x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1x Remorseful Cleric
2x Scavenging Ooze
2x Knight of the Reliquary
2x Tireless Tracker
2x Knight of Autumn
1x Magus of the Moon
1x Renegade Rallier
1x Huntmaster of the Fells
4x Wooded Foothills
3x Arid Mesa
2x Stomping Ground
1x Temple Garden
2x Sacred Foundry
1x Dryad Arbor
1x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Horizon Canopy
2x Forest
1x Plains
2x Ethersworn Canonist
1x Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1x Declaration in Stone
2x Rhythm of the Wild
2x Gaddock Teeg
1x Remorseful Cleric
2x Cindervines
2x Blood Moon
1x Kataki, War's Wage
IDK if Dryad Arbor is even good here.
Ok, so this immediately pushes us into a tool box deck -- which is fine IMO.
What are we getting?
I'm packing:
This card is also good with Tracker, FWIW.
Tracker is rarely a card you want a bunch of, but it is excellent in attrition MUs and this card lets you find it.
This card, notably, pumps Goyf.
I'll engineer a list tonight, probably.
http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/118113
The deck is interesting and I had thought of it when I saw Gruul Spellbreaker.
The mana base is much better against Burn than Naya -- sometimes you lose because of a diceroll. Burn, notably, got faster with this set.
A deck like this is bad against bigger idiots. Hollow One could very well be a problem simply because of only 2x Goyfs and other threats.
Well, they're not great. However, if you do get "rushed" on turn 2 or 3, they can keep you alive.
Basically, focus the game around sticking a Goyf, Scooze, or Knight and riding them out -- they'll be your route to victory. All other cards are marginal.
On the draw, Wild Nacatl can be questionable since it blocks Prized Amalgam very poorly.
You can also cut a Bloodbraid Elf or two -- oddly. Their bodies are not good (trades with an attacking Bloodghast lol) so the only upside is their cascade.
You should be fine in this matchup. You have Settles, Gaddock Teeg, Remorseful Cleric...
Dredge is a deck you need to get multiple reps in to figure out when you need to turn the corner -- I'd chalk that up to inexperience with the matchup rather than it actually being a bad matchup. I've found the matchup to be favorable once you stabilize with a goyf or knight.
Best time to play this out?
Turn 2, probably.
We should be looking at this card in our sideboards of Big Zoo as a one-of and replacing some of the clunkier cards we're trying to sneak underneath Cryptic Command.
Very good against Snapcaster decks.
Tarmogoyf always did need haste come to think of it.
4x Wild Nacatl
4x Death's Shadow
4x Tarmogoyf
4x Street Wraith
3x Thoughtseize
3x Lightning Bolt
4x Mutagenic Growth
1x Apostle's Blessing
4x Temur Battle Rage
1x Dismember
3x Become Immense
4x Wooded Foothills
4x Windswept Heath
4x Bloodstained Mire
1x Stomping Ground
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Godless Shrine
1x Blood Crypt
1x Forest
1x Stony Silence
1x Spellskite
1x Dismember
1x Ancient Grudge
1x Xenagos, the Reveler
1x Liliana of the Veil
1x Thoughtseize
1x Duress
2x Gut Shot
2x Remorseful Cleric
1x Collective Brutality
1x Lightning Bolt
Deck still feels very powerful.
I think it would be quite excellent in an open field where lots of players are trying to minimize interaction.
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Voice of Resurgence
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Knight of Autumn
4 Bloodbraid Elf
Land (22)
2 Forest
2 Plains
1 Horizon Canopy
3 Arid Mesa
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Temple Garden
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Lightning Helix
3 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Remorseful Cleric
1 Stony Silence
2 Tectonic Edge
3 Damping Sphere
1 Settle the Wreckage
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Deafening Clarion
Played this at Balt.
0-2 Tron L
2-0 Infect W
2-0 BR Hollow One W
2-1 Amulet Titan W
2-0 Jund W
1-2 Humans L
2-1 GDS W
1-2 Infect L
0-2 Mardu L
Bit of a bummer. Tron was natty both games. Humans and Mardu involved some unfortunate mulligans -- mulls to 5 in all 4 losses. Infect involved mono heaters from my top decking opponent.
My wins were unimpressive. Beat amulet after he misblocked. Beat infect and GDS after they drew poorly. Beat Hollow One because KotR is better than their deck. Beat Jund because I took a couple good (ok, maybe medium) aggressive lines that panned out over the course of two games.
Deck is definitely still fine. 4 Knight of Autumns is too many.
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Voice of Resurgence
2 Scavenging Ooze
3 Knight of Autumn
4 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
2 Forest
1 Plains
1 Horizon Canopy
3 Arid Mesa
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Ramunap Ruins
1 Temple Garden
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Lightning Helix
3 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Bolt
I think increasing closing speed is still important. Ghor-Clan Rampager is a fundamentally weak card. However, it interacts well with a card like KotR since, often, you don't have the extra turn to find a Kessig -- you need to kill them that turn. With as many small chumpers there are in the format (noble, glistener elf, other stray x/1s) you can also convert it for a whole lot more than 4 damage. It also plays well when you've devolved into a long game with Goyfs and Scoozes.
7 burn spells seems like a lot but, as linear as this format has gotten, I think is warranted.
White sideboard cards are still brilliant.
: /
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Voice of Resurgence
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Knight of Autumn
4 Bloodbraid Elf
Land (22)
2 Forest
2 Plains
1 Horizon Canopy
3 Arid Mesa
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Temple Garden
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Lightning Helix
3 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Gaddock Teeg
1 Remorseful Cleric
2 Kraul Harpooner
1 Stony Silence
2 Tectonic Edge
1 Hammer of Purphoros
2 Damping Sphere
2 Settle the Wreckage
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
I've been thinking a lot about Naya again.
I still don't have a strong SB worked out. I hate playing Gaddock Teeg and 4cmc walkers in the same deck but maybe they're necessary. It makes me wonder if History of Benalia would just be as effective against UW as Gideon, despite being obviously less powerful.