I got another 3-1 last FNM with Dark Zoo. I beat a Jeskai/Fevered Visions deck, UR Thing in the Ice, and Mardu Pyromancer. Lost to Titanshift, because well I didn't realize anyone would play it so I skimmed down to only 1 Alpine Moon in the board. Assassin's Trophy, while making the mana very clunky, has been an absolute beast in the deck. Here's the list I've been running:
I would replace experiment one with hidden herbalist, and kird ape with better death touch kird ape narnam renegade.
I've thought about narnam renegade, my concern then is that you lose some of the synergy from vexing devil. Later game a top decked kird ape is still a 2/3 but a narnam renegade will be a 1/1.
Late game they're both crap, so go all in for the early game.
Okay Zoo nerds, it's been a while since I've posted because I've been waiting for Assassin's Trophy to throw in my list. It's been absolutely amazing so far. I've gone 8-3 in the last three tournaments. I took my old list and essentially and made the following changes: -2 Helix, -1 Path for +3 Assassin's Trophy. The full list is below:
EDIT: That is, assuming they use hierarch. I assumed they did because BBE is 4 cmc, but looking at what I could find some brews do and some don't. Even if it's fine not to use mana dorks though, I'd still like a more current and defined example then what I can find through google
I would not recommend playing big zoo without Hierach.
If I wanted to play Utopia Sprawl, I'd look to other sprawl decks -- which occasionally splash white for sideboard cards or Path to Exile.
Is it possible to play it without tarmogoyf instead? I assumed it would be easier to replace Heirarch, but if I can't replace either then it's likely I'll never have the budget to play zoo in general. (I wasn't talking about sprawl because I wanted to play it- I was talking about it because I believed it to be the best replacement for heirarch).
The best budget zoo is small zoo. The best budget midrange zoo is like tier 18 or something.
While I fully understand this isn't a Zoo aggro deck, as I'm accustomed to playing, but I'm trying out something even bigger than "Big Zoo" to try and fight against Control.
This has nothing to do with Zoo. Having said that I think you're missing 4x oath of nissa I've thought about Naya Superfriends before, you generally want 8 creatures that can block well (voice/finks/courser) and you always need to hit your land drops, oath/courser helped with this. It's a fun deck, I'd also suggest Nahiri/emrakul for the lulllz factor.
Been testing the deck a lot as Im getting back into MTG. Primarily played Jeskai Ascendancy and did very well with it but wanted something different. Below is my current list that I've had very good success w/ in testing...
I've been playing Queller for a while now, it's just the stone cold nuts against KCI/tempo decks, but UW just usually finds another way to remove it. It also just sucks when you walk into a room full of midrange and you're playing a 2/3 while they're playing 5/5's. I've opted to either drop blue, or go all in and play like 4-5 planeswalkers and JTMS in Zoo. I'll let you know how the experimenting goes.
Todd Stevens 5-0'd yesterday with a Naya Traverse list that's very Zoo-like.
He even went undefeated (10-0) on the league, playing against Bridgevine, Bant Spirits, Tron, Abzan Midrange and Storm.
Deck seems really nice.
My LGS has a guy who always plays Burn. I plan on dedicating 2 SB slots in my Zoo deck to Burn hate. My question is this: which is better against Burn, Lightning Helix or Dromoka’s Command? I recently saw a stream that showcased the power of the latter and I’m starting to wonder of it’s worth it.
They're both very good, but Dromoka's can save your creatures like Nacatl. It can also just erase their biggest tempo card in Searing Blaze.
I think days like that are ones where you have to accept the fact that it's modern and dumb ***** happens.
Lol sorry about that bro, that's why I always play ancient grudge in my board now, too many stupid mardu decks that play bridge. And you'll randomly see it vs burn as well.
Anywho, another night with Queller Zoo in the books with a 2-1-1(ID) in the books good for some store credit. Queller has been amazing so far. The only downside is that you do miss having the 4 power of smiter on your 3 drop so I've been toying with how to add more power to the deck. One idea is to cut Scavening Ooze (he's been at an all time low for me), and put in Savage Knuckleblade lol. The other card that came to mind was Selesnya Charm it can remove Reality Smashers, Gurmag Anglers, Ulamog, Death Shadows, and anything else big. But I'm not sure how good the card is.
Questions
1. Is it better (in most matchups) to just drop my hand? Playing around wipes, etc of course. Or wait and have a 'combo' turn where I drop multiple BTE/Herbalists and a Bushwacker
2. Considering Dampening Sphere for my board, but I feel that would hurt me too much. Is Alpine Moon/Thalia Guardian enough for Storm (apparently is a popular choice for the local meta). Amulet of Safekeeping has also been suggested as a way to 'combat' Storm/Pyromancer decks.
3. Any changes or suggestions for both main and side? Expected meta is Tron (blue and normal), Hollow One, Storm, Boggles, Ux control (assuming UW or UWR) as well as Dredge. I'm debating a 2nd Foundry and have too many sb slots.
4. Bolt seems to be my most common board out. Is that 'normal'?
1: It depends on the matchup and your understanding of them. Pre-board, Jeskai only usually runs 1-2 supreme verdict, so I tend to be much more aggressive, post board they usually have around 3. Knowing that can help you be more aggressive against Jeskai. Against UW for example though, they usually have 3, so you have to just put them in a spot where they need verdict or they lose to your 3 creatures on the board. I would be careful to not overextend. Pressuring them to tap out and verdict you on 4 is great because then you can dump your hand for a hasty turn 5 kill.
2: I would not play damping sphere in small zoo, and I'm even replacing at least one copy in big zoo. I think Thalia/Teeg are your best options. I haven't played with Amulet so I'm not sure. Seems good against burn too.
3: I personally prefer Boros Charm as a 4 of somewhere, it's just too good at extra reach or protecting your team.
4: Bolt is great in the main but I can see why you'd take it out in numerous matchups. It's not a protection spell like AC/BC, and you don't usually need to bolt a creature. What matchups do you board it out and think that it may be wrong to do so in?
Alpine Moon/Damping Sphere/Blood Moon, all of these help the dreaded Tron Matchup. Which one to pick is totally up to how you decide to tackle the Titanshift and storm matchup. I personally see no reason to ever go back to blood moon in our deck because I don't feel the need to board in a bad topdeck to get free wins against random decks, so that leaves Alpine Moon and Damping Shpere for me. I personally see a lot more storm than I do titanshift so I play Sphere, and because it also hits other random combo decks like KCI. Now, if infect continues to see a rise then it may be correct to also play alpine moon to shut off inkmoth nexus, but for now I've settled on punting the titanshift matchup and only really having a fast clock + dromoka's command + random Gaddock Teeg interaction against the deck.
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Bloodbraid Elf
3 Scavenging Ooze
3 Voice of Resurgence
2 Tireless Tracker
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Assassin's Trophy
2 Path to Exile
2 Domri Rade
4 Windswept Heath
3 Verdant Catacombs
2 Stomping Ground
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Temple Garden
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Archangel Avacyn
1 Remorseful Cleric
3 Gaddock Teeg
1 Kozilek's Return
2 Dromoka's Command
2 Collective Brutality
2 Stony Silence
1 Alpine Moon
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Surgical Extraction
Late game they're both crap, so go all in for the early game.
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Voice of Resurgence
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Tireless Tracker
2 Scavenging Ooze
3 Assassin's Trophy
2 Path to Exile
2 Domri Rade
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
3 Verdant Catacombs
2 Stomping Ground
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Godless Shrine
1 Temple Garden
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Kessig Wolf Run
The best budget zoo is small zoo. The best budget midrange zoo is like tier 18 or something.
This has nothing to do with Zoo. Having said that I think you're missing 4x oath of nissa I've thought about Naya Superfriends before, you generally want 8 creatures that can block well (voice/finks/courser) and you always need to hit your land drops, oath/courser helped with this. It's a fun deck, I'd also suggest Nahiri/emrakul for the lulllz factor.
No precognition field?
It's suuuuper random lol. Here's the twitch video link:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/298174587?t=02h27m55s
They're both very good, but Dromoka's can save your creatures like Nacatl. It can also just erase their biggest tempo card in Searing Blaze.
Lol sorry about that bro, that's why I always play ancient grudge in my board now, too many stupid mardu decks that play bridge. And you'll randomly see it vs burn as well.
Anywho, another night with Queller Zoo in the books with a 2-1-1(ID) in the books good for some store credit. Queller has been amazing so far. The only downside is that you do miss having the 4 power of smiter on your 3 drop so I've been toying with how to add more power to the deck. One idea is to cut Scavening Ooze (he's been at an all time low for me), and put in Savage Knuckleblade lol. The other card that came to mind was Selesnya Charm it can remove Reality Smashers, Gurmag Anglers, Ulamog, Death Shadows, and anything else big. But I'm not sure how good the card is.
1: It depends on the matchup and your understanding of them. Pre-board, Jeskai only usually runs 1-2 supreme verdict, so I tend to be much more aggressive, post board they usually have around 3. Knowing that can help you be more aggressive against Jeskai. Against UW for example though, they usually have 3, so you have to just put them in a spot where they need verdict or they lose to your 3 creatures on the board. I would be careful to not overextend. Pressuring them to tap out and verdict you on 4 is great because then you can dump your hand for a hasty turn 5 kill.
2: I would not play damping sphere in small zoo, and I'm even replacing at least one copy in big zoo. I think Thalia/Teeg are your best options. I haven't played with Amulet so I'm not sure. Seems good against burn too.
3: I personally prefer Boros Charm as a 4 of somewhere, it's just too good at extra reach or protecting your team.
4: Bolt is great in the main but I can see why you'd take it out in numerous matchups. It's not a protection spell like AC/BC, and you don't usually need to bolt a creature. What matchups do you board it out and think that it may be wrong to do so in?
Sounds good to me
Haha yeah decks like this pop up all the time, it's tough mana wise but it can just be busted if your draw steps line up well.