Played UW Humans to a 9-5-1 finish at GP NY. Lost my last round to miss a pro point. My five losses were all to GW tokens or Rites combo. Went 2-2 vs GW overall and 0-3 vs Rites. I'll do a detailed write up tomorrow, but the short story is that my sideboard was awful vs Rites (only 2 Gryff's Boon in my 75).
I'll assume you know the importance of Goyf, but Goyf isn't feasible logistically, which is fine if you're acknowledging and okay with the fact that the end result of your tournament may suffer. That being said, I would cut the Bant Charms and Flinthoof Boars for a playset of KotR and 2 more Pridemages. More exalted is great with Geist/Rhino and Flinthoof Boar is a worse 2 drop than Pridemage and WAY worse than Knight as a 3 drop. I get that Boar can attack for 4 on turn 2 if you lead with Hierarch, but that's the absolute best case scneario for the card. Bant Charm is super versatile, but you'll make up for easily by adding more Pridemages (which beat down pretty hard, and are you best card vs Bogles). All of Bant charms modes are relevant, but none of them provide an effect that you'd really be excited to pay 3 mana for. I love Negates in the sideboard, but I'm wondering what the reasoning for Tunnel Ignus is.
Pretty sure I'm just going to jam the green Dig Through Time for as long as I can. Does anyone want to jam games on mtgo as the summer goes on? Just put in a buylist order to Cape Fear Games (they can pay out in Mtgotraders credit) so I finish my playset of digital Goyfs. Need to test for the RPTQ in October (You bet your tails I'm jamming Nacatls).
I'm wondering where people stand on leading with Nacatl vs Hierarch. I think it's right to lead with Nacatl more often than not. Hitting for four on turn two puts an insane amount of pressure on the opposition and really makes a follow up Knight or CoCo backbreaking. Just wondering what other people think regarding the play when you have the option since it came up in Lantern's first match.
Even if you're trying to CoCo asap for powerful sideboard cards you can still cast it early with turn 2 Hierarch.
Here's a small sideboard guide. I don't remember exactly how I sideboarded for this tournament, so if you have questions, I'll try to answer.
Kor Firewalker - Burn, UR Delver
Kitchen Finks - Burn, UR Delver, Grindy Midrange, Control, Aggro
Blood Moon - Scapeshift, Amublet Bloom, Jund, Junk, Bogles
Thalia - Control, Scapeshift, Bogles, Twin, Combo
Molten Rain - Control, Scapeshift, Amulet Bloom, Through the Breach, Maybe Twin
Fiery Justice - Aggro, Mirrror, Affinity, Elves, Fish
Domri Rade - Control, Jund/Junk, Fish, Elves, Maybe Twin,
Dromoka's Command - Bogles, Aggro, Mirror, Affinity, Elves, Courser Jund/Junk, Scapeshift, Twin, Grixis/Jeskai if I suspect Anger
Kataki, War's Rage - Affinity
Round 1: Merfolk
Game 1: We both have strong starts and he swings me down to one before I manage to gum up the board and keep his lords/board in check. I eventually win a long drawn out game.
Game 2: He's up 2 lords and a cursecatcher two my Nacatl and Goyf, but I draw Fiery Justice to shootdown his lords. He proceeds to draw Master of Waves, Tidebinder Mage, Master of Waves and I promptly get smothered to death by fish.
Game 3: I mull to 5 keeping two lands, Nacatl, Smiter, Path. He keeps a hand of Silvergill Adept, Master of the Pearl Trident, 5 islands. 4 of out his next 5 draws are islands and he gets run over. He told me after the match that me mulling made him feel good enough about the hand to keep it, fwiw.
1-0 (2-1 in games) got pretty lucky winning a game at 1 life and winning on a mull to 5, but you have to get a little lucky to win a tournament.
Round 2: Grixis Delve
Game 1: He tries to 1-for-1 me out of the game and Collected Company really shines when they're on the plan.
Game 2: The 1 for 1 plan is much better this time as I don't draw any CoCo and I eventually die to a zombie fish.
Game 3: I end up starting fast and win with pressure backed up by CoCo.
2-0 (4-2 in games) Turns out drawing Collected Company is good vs Grixis.
Round 3: Bogles
Game 1: He mulligans and I keep a double Pridemage opening hand thinking that at least I'm swinging for 4 on turn 2. He plays a turn one hexproof guy after mulling to 5 and my eyes light up with double Pridemage in hand. Game wasn't close.
Game 2: Thalia was great here and really slowed the Bogles player down while also making him take extra damage off tapping Horizon Canopies. Game came down to one bad attack with me losing track of Kor Spiritdancer math (card is hard to keep track of, especially with Rancor and Ethereal Artmor) and I lose a game that I probably should have won.
Game 3: He rolls me with a huge hexproof creature. Not interactive, but that's why Bogles is an attractive deck.
2-1 (5-4 in games) Awful matchup, really dependent on drawing Pridemage. Will be replacing the Voice of Resurgence in my list with a 4th. Also may take out Kataki for a Destructive Revelry.
Round 4: Through the Breach Valakut
Game 1: I keep a reasonable hand and he keeps a hand that's one turn too slow of casting Through the Breach.
Game 2: Anger of the Gods and an Obstinate Baloth buy him enough time to Through the Breach in an Emrakul and kill me from 14. I make a play where I swing with my Smiter, get the exalted trigger, then use Dromoka's Command to edict away a Courser of Kruphix and fight my 5/5 into his 4/4 before blocks, which I thought we be enough.
Game 3: Once again, you have to get a little lucky to win a tournament. Here though I would say I got REALLY lucky. He tanks on the final turn of the game and winds up being so focused on my creatures that he points 12 points of damage worth of Valakut triggers at them with me at 11. I win the game on the next turn. A reminder to never scoop even if your only out is your opponent screwing up. This is especially true late in tournaments as the pressure is higher and things outside the game can affect your opponents thought process and lines of play.
3-1 (7-5 in games)
Round 5: Grixis Delve
Game 1: Goes very similar to my match in round 2 with Collected Company being the best card in my deck against him.
Game 2: I play around Anger of the Gods (leaving up Dromoka's Command, but he never seems to have it and I'm able to Path an Angler and a Tasigur trading one for one with his removal spells on my creatures. We play draw go, topdecking for a while before I draw a Knight. He shows me the Damnation he had brought in after, we makes me think that maybe I want a Boros Charm in my board.
4-1 (9-5 in games)
Round 6: Scapeshift
ID: This round I was actually paired against one of my best friends who was also in the group that I drove with. He started 4-0 and could afford to double draw.
4-1-1 (5th Seed going into Top 8)
Quarterfinals: Basically Gruul Zoo w/Nacatls
Game 1: The game starts pretty close, with him playing Nacatl, Burning-Tree Emissary, Goyf. This is all before he gets really greedy trying to win a Goyf war by forcing a Vines of Vastwood. I path his Goyf in response for a 2-for-1 and he never recovers.
Game 2: He mulls to 5 and my draw is much better than his. Awkward situation after where I, stupidly mind you, say "Good Games" and he responds with "not really". I felt bad and didn't mean to come off as a jerk. I was more relieved that I was moving on.
Semifinals: Abzan
Game 1: We trade his removal for my creature until turn 3 comes around. He Abrupt Decays my Nacatl on turn 2 then casts Lili into my board of Hierarch and 3 lands. He decides to plus Lili amd I get to pitch a Smiter and cast Collected Company hitting Nacatl and Scooze. I attack his Lili with Smiter and him for 5. He has a Maelstrom Pulse for my Smiter, but dies to the Nacatl, Ooze and a freshly drawn Knight.
Game 2: He mulls to 6 and keeps a hand of Inquisition, Tarmogoyf, Lingering Souls, Lingering Souls, Gavony Township, Overgrown Tomb. My draw is excellent and I run him over before he can find a white source.
Finals: Bogles (Same guy from the Swiss)
Game 1: He keeps 7 and in turn mulligan. He asks if my hand was land light or flooded. I respond with "It was a fine hand, but no pridemage, no keep." I mull to six and keep a hand with Pridemage and Dromoka's Command. I put him in an awkward spot where he can block, but I can sac my Pridemage to blow up his Spirit Mantle to force a trade. He blocks and we trade. He winds up in a situation where he has two Kor Spiritdancer, but is dead unless he can find a lifelink enchantment. He plays 3 auras (DRAWING 6!) before playing the last which taps him out and exclaims "Well that was a little late". I untap and swing for lethal.
Game 2: We both keep one landers, him leading with a hexproof creature and me with a Hierarch. After a couple turns of both of us bricking on lands he plays his Daybreak Coronet and I Command in response, forcing him to sac his other enchantment, fizzling the Daybreak. I have a chance to edict him getting an Ethereal Armor off the table later in the match (Which I absolutely should have done), but instead die to a giant first-striking, trampling Spiritdancer.
Game 3: We both mulligan and I keep Goyf, Bolt, Nacatl, and 3 lands. I play a Nacatl and he plays a 1 drop. I draw Dromoka's Command and play a squire Goyf whilee Rancors his guy. I bolt, swing for 6 and say go. He again walks into the Dromoka's Command edict causing someone watching to whisper "can we change the oracle text on that card to epic blowout". He paths my Goyf, chumps my Nacatl and I play a Knight. He plays a Spiritdancer, enchants it with rancor, plays a fetch and passes at 7. Carefully doing math in my head I decide to swing with just the Nacatl since I can't kill him no matter what if I attack with both. He fetches Dryad Arbor and goes to chump. Before damage I float a white, activate Knight to fetch Wolf-Run and pump for lethal. Felt super good to end the tournament that way.
Final Record: 7-1-1 (15-6 in games)
As for going forward, I would cut Voice of Resurgence, the card felt really underwhelming all day and I wished it was Pridemage every time I drew it. Card's that overperformed were Fiery Justice, and Dromoka's COmmand, they were awesome just about every time I cast them. Would also cut Kataki for Destructive Revelry (comes in vs Twin/Bogles, while still being great vs Affiinty). I felt like I didn't draw many sideboard cards, which speaks to the power and consistency of the maindeck, seeing as I did well in spite of this. I boarded in Domri almost every round (only didn't versus Through the Breach and Bogles, but never drew him. He seemed really good in those matchups, but I don't actually know since I failed to draw him.
I'm super excited to be Q'd for an RPTQ and am currently considering flying out to Colorado instead of attending the RPTQ in my area (New England, so would have to drive to New York). The spring RPTQ in the Colorado area had 39 players, while the NY RPTQ had over 70. I also have two close friends who live in Colorado, so I would be staying for free. I'll definitely be playing Zoo as long as we have the "green Dig Through Time" as I like to call it!
Didn't get a chance to write a full report last night. Sorry guys, packing for a long holiday weekend away. My list was pretty close to yours Lantern. The only difference in the mainboard was a Dromoka's Command over the Birds of Paradise you played.
I'm thinking either Boros Charm or some more cards for the Twin matchup. Another interesting thing I've been considering is siding out all of my Goblin Guides for Kor Firewalkers when I bring in Volcanic Fallout. Obviously Firewalker will live through Fallout, and Goblin Guide is generally bad in the matchups where Fallout is good, unless you're rampaging, but Firewalker can't be rampaged. So what do people think? Maybe Voice of Resurgence?
Tested 3 Dromoka's Command and a Zurgo Bellstriker in one drop zoo last night in place of 2 Mutagenic Growth and 2 Atarka's Command last night. Played about 10-20 games versus Through the Breach/Scapeshift and Grixis Control. Commands were okay, but 3 was too many. Same problem as Atarka's Command in the sense that I found myself wanting to play it as a reactive spell when the rest of your deck is hyper proactive. I think I'm going to cut down to 2 Dromoka's Commands and try 2 Voice of Resurgence as extra two drops in addition to Goyf. The other option would be Eidolon. Eidolon seems like a total game changer and we'd get to call the deck Spirit Animals, which would be killer, since we missed the opportunity to name company decks "Corporate Zoo".
I'll assume you know the importance of Goyf, but Goyf isn't feasible logistically, which is fine if you're acknowledging and okay with the fact that the end result of your tournament may suffer. That being said, I would cut the Bant Charms and Flinthoof Boars for a playset of KotR and 2 more Pridemages. More exalted is great with Geist/Rhino and Flinthoof Boar is a worse 2 drop than Pridemage and WAY worse than Knight as a 3 drop. I get that Boar can attack for 4 on turn 2 if you lead with Hierarch, but that's the absolute best case scneario for the card. Bant Charm is super versatile, but you'll make up for easily by adding more Pridemages (which beat down pretty hard, and are you best card vs Bogles). All of Bant charms modes are relevant, but none of them provide an effect that you'd really be excited to pay 3 mana for. I love Negates in the sideboard, but I'm wondering what the reasoning for Tunnel Ignus is.
http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=87645
Alas, little zoo.
Delver was your best matchup.
Bring back Treasure Cruise.
Even if you're trying to CoCo asap for powerful sideboard cards you can still cast it early with turn 2 Hierarch.
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Tarmogoyf
1 Voice of Resurgence
3 Qasali Pridemage
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Loxodon Smiter
4 Knight of the Reliquary
Spells: 11
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
3 Collected Compnay
1 Dromoka's Command
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
4 Arid Mesa
2 Stomping Ground
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Temple Garden
1 Forest
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Kessig Wolf-Run
1 Horizon Canopy
3 Kor Firewalker
2 Kitchen Finks
2 Blood Moon
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Molten Rain
1 Fiery Justice
1 Domri Rade
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Kataki War's Rage
Here's a small sideboard guide. I don't remember exactly how I sideboarded for this tournament, so if you have questions, I'll try to answer.
Kor Firewalker - Burn, UR Delver
Kitchen Finks - Burn, UR Delver, Grindy Midrange, Control, Aggro
Blood Moon - Scapeshift, Amublet Bloom, Jund, Junk, Bogles
Thalia - Control, Scapeshift, Bogles, Twin, Combo
Molten Rain - Control, Scapeshift, Amulet Bloom, Through the Breach, Maybe Twin
Fiery Justice - Aggro, Mirrror, Affinity, Elves, Fish
Domri Rade - Control, Jund/Junk, Fish, Elves, Maybe Twin,
Dromoka's Command - Bogles, Aggro, Mirror, Affinity, Elves, Courser Jund/Junk, Scapeshift, Twin, Grixis/Jeskai if I suspect Anger
Kataki, War's Rage - Affinity
Round 1: Merfolk
Game 1: We both have strong starts and he swings me down to one before I manage to gum up the board and keep his lords/board in check. I eventually win a long drawn out game.
Game 2: He's up 2 lords and a cursecatcher two my Nacatl and Goyf, but I draw Fiery Justice to shootdown his lords. He proceeds to draw Master of Waves, Tidebinder Mage, Master of Waves and I promptly get smothered to death by fish.
Game 3: I mull to 5 keeping two lands, Nacatl, Smiter, Path. He keeps a hand of Silvergill Adept, Master of the Pearl Trident, 5 islands. 4 of out his next 5 draws are islands and he gets run over. He told me after the match that me mulling made him feel good enough about the hand to keep it, fwiw.
1-0 (2-1 in games) got pretty lucky winning a game at 1 life and winning on a mull to 5, but you have to get a little lucky to win a tournament.
Round 2: Grixis Delve
Game 1: He tries to 1-for-1 me out of the game and Collected Company really shines when they're on the plan.
Game 2: The 1 for 1 plan is much better this time as I don't draw any CoCo and I eventually die to a zombie fish.
Game 3: I end up starting fast and win with pressure backed up by CoCo.
2-0 (4-2 in games) Turns out drawing Collected Company is good vs Grixis.
Round 3: Bogles
Game 1: He mulligans and I keep a double Pridemage opening hand thinking that at least I'm swinging for 4 on turn 2. He plays a turn one hexproof guy after mulling to 5 and my eyes light up with double Pridemage in hand. Game wasn't close.
Game 2: Thalia was great here and really slowed the Bogles player down while also making him take extra damage off tapping Horizon Canopies. Game came down to one bad attack with me losing track of Kor Spiritdancer math (card is hard to keep track of, especially with Rancor and Ethereal Artmor) and I lose a game that I probably should have won.
Game 3: He rolls me with a huge hexproof creature. Not interactive, but that's why Bogles is an attractive deck.
2-1 (5-4 in games) Awful matchup, really dependent on drawing Pridemage. Will be replacing the Voice of Resurgence in my list with a 4th. Also may take out Kataki for a Destructive Revelry.
Round 4: Through the Breach Valakut
Game 1: I keep a reasonable hand and he keeps a hand that's one turn too slow of casting Through the Breach.
Game 2: Anger of the Gods and an Obstinate Baloth buy him enough time to Through the Breach in an Emrakul and kill me from 14. I make a play where I swing with my Smiter, get the exalted trigger, then use Dromoka's Command to edict away a Courser of Kruphix and fight my 5/5 into his 4/4 before blocks, which I thought we be enough.
Game 3: Once again, you have to get a little lucky to win a tournament. Here though I would say I got REALLY lucky. He tanks on the final turn of the game and winds up being so focused on my creatures that he points 12 points of damage worth of Valakut triggers at them with me at 11. I win the game on the next turn. A reminder to never scoop even if your only out is your opponent screwing up. This is especially true late in tournaments as the pressure is higher and things outside the game can affect your opponents thought process and lines of play.
3-1 (7-5 in games)
Round 5: Grixis Delve
Game 1: Goes very similar to my match in round 2 with Collected Company being the best card in my deck against him.
Game 2: I play around Anger of the Gods (leaving up Dromoka's Command, but he never seems to have it and I'm able to Path an Angler and a Tasigur trading one for one with his removal spells on my creatures. We play draw go, topdecking for a while before I draw a Knight. He shows me the Damnation he had brought in after, we makes me think that maybe I want a Boros Charm in my board.
4-1 (9-5 in games)
Round 6: Scapeshift
ID: This round I was actually paired against one of my best friends who was also in the group that I drove with. He started 4-0 and could afford to double draw.
4-1-1 (5th Seed going into Top 8)
Quarterfinals: Basically Gruul Zoo w/Nacatls
Game 1: The game starts pretty close, with him playing Nacatl, Burning-Tree Emissary, Goyf. This is all before he gets really greedy trying to win a Goyf war by forcing a Vines of Vastwood. I path his Goyf in response for a 2-for-1 and he never recovers.
Game 2: He mulls to 5 and my draw is much better than his. Awkward situation after where I, stupidly mind you, say "Good Games" and he responds with "not really". I felt bad and didn't mean to come off as a jerk. I was more relieved that I was moving on.
Semifinals: Abzan
Game 1: We trade his removal for my creature until turn 3 comes around. He Abrupt Decays my Nacatl on turn 2 then casts Lili into my board of Hierarch and 3 lands. He decides to plus Lili amd I get to pitch a Smiter and cast Collected Company hitting Nacatl and Scooze. I attack his Lili with Smiter and him for 5. He has a Maelstrom Pulse for my Smiter, but dies to the Nacatl, Ooze and a freshly drawn Knight.
Game 2: He mulls to 6 and keeps a hand of Inquisition, Tarmogoyf, Lingering Souls, Lingering Souls, Gavony Township, Overgrown Tomb. My draw is excellent and I run him over before he can find a white source.
Finals: Bogles (Same guy from the Swiss)
Game 1: He keeps 7 and in turn mulligan. He asks if my hand was land light or flooded. I respond with "It was a fine hand, but no pridemage, no keep." I mull to six and keep a hand with Pridemage and Dromoka's Command. I put him in an awkward spot where he can block, but I can sac my Pridemage to blow up his Spirit Mantle to force a trade. He blocks and we trade. He winds up in a situation where he has two Kor Spiritdancer, but is dead unless he can find a lifelink enchantment. He plays 3 auras (DRAWING 6!) before playing the last which taps him out and exclaims "Well that was a little late". I untap and swing for lethal.
Game 2: We both keep one landers, him leading with a hexproof creature and me with a Hierarch. After a couple turns of both of us bricking on lands he plays his Daybreak Coronet and I Command in response, forcing him to sac his other enchantment, fizzling the Daybreak. I have a chance to edict him getting an Ethereal Armor off the table later in the match (Which I absolutely should have done), but instead die to a giant first-striking, trampling Spiritdancer.
Game 3: We both mulligan and I keep Goyf, Bolt, Nacatl, and 3 lands. I play a Nacatl and he plays a 1 drop. I draw Dromoka's Command and play a squire Goyf whilee Rancors his guy. I bolt, swing for 6 and say go. He again walks into the Dromoka's Command edict causing someone watching to whisper "can we change the oracle text on that card to epic blowout". He paths my Goyf, chumps my Nacatl and I play a Knight. He plays a Spiritdancer, enchants it with rancor, plays a fetch and passes at 7. Carefully doing math in my head I decide to swing with just the Nacatl since I can't kill him no matter what if I attack with both. He fetches Dryad Arbor and goes to chump. Before damage I float a white, activate Knight to fetch Wolf-Run and pump for lethal. Felt super good to end the tournament that way.
Final Record: 7-1-1 (15-6 in games)
As for going forward, I would cut Voice of Resurgence, the card felt really underwhelming all day and I wished it was Pridemage every time I drew it. Card's that overperformed were Fiery Justice, and Dromoka's COmmand, they were awesome just about every time I cast them. Would also cut Kataki for Destructive Revelry (comes in vs Twin/Bogles, while still being great vs Affiinty). I felt like I didn't draw many sideboard cards, which speaks to the power and consistency of the maindeck, seeing as I did well in spite of this. I boarded in Domri almost every round (only didn't versus Through the Breach and Bogles, but never drew him. He seemed really good in those matchups, but I don't actually know since I failed to draw him.
I'm super excited to be Q'd for an RPTQ and am currently considering flying out to Colorado instead of attending the RPTQ in my area (New England, so would have to drive to New York). The spring RPTQ in the Colorado area had 39 players, while the NY RPTQ had over 70. I also have two close friends who live in Colorado, so I would be staying for free. I'll definitely be playing Zoo as long as we have the "green Dig Through Time" as I like to call it!
Thanks for reading and good luck!
EDIT: Formatting
Quick Recap:
Merfolk: 2-1 (1-0)
Grixis: 2-1 (2-0)
Bogles 1-2 (2-1)
Through the Breach 2-1 (3-1)
Grixis 2-0 (4-1)
Scapeshift ID (4-1-1)
Top 8
Gruul Zoo 2-0
Top 4
Junk 2-0
Finals
Bogles 2-1
Q'd for a MODERN RPTQ (Unfortunately on Halloween, 3 and a half hours away) But definitely going to unleash the Nacatls!
4 Goblin Guide
4 Kird Ape
4 Loam Lion
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Ghor-Clan Rampager
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Helix
1 Dromoka's Command
4 Arid Mesa
3 Windswept Heath
2 Stomping Ground
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Temple Garden
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Forest
4 Kor Firewalker
3 Molten Rain
3 Volcanic Fallout
2 Destructive Revelry
I'm thinking either Boros Charm or some more cards for the Twin matchup. Another interesting thing I've been considering is siding out all of my Goblin Guides for Kor Firewalkers when I bring in Volcanic Fallout. Obviously Firewalker will live through Fallout, and Goblin Guide is generally bad in the matchups where Fallout is good, unless you're rampaging, but Firewalker can't be rampaged. So what do people think? Maybe Voice of Resurgence?