Finale of Devastation has impressed me a lot in the few games I've played. Being able to tutor and get threats back from the graveyard I think is a good thing for the deck.
I will agree with you that I don't think Dryad Arbor is needed in the deck with Finale. I never really wanted to find it on T2, and I always wanted to hold Finale for X=2 or X=3 to find another threat or utility creature.
Since this card goes in the graveyard, unlike Green Sun's Zenith, it plays well with Goyf, but because it does not go back, I never wanted to fire it off right away: only when I needed to recover a creature or get a good threat on board after a board wipe.
Sideboard could use some work. I just modified a sideboard from one of my other zoo lists.
Zulander, how has Thrash // Threat been for you? Are you playing it in place of Lightning Helix? I've tested with it a little and I don't know if it takes the place of helix or not.
I have, however, been very impressed with Gruul Spellbreaker and Rhythm of the Wild. While Rhythm might look slow, the ability to give all of our creatures off the top of the deck haste has been very relevant in the games where I have had it.
I would also like to hear other people's opinion of the cards they've tested.
I don't blame you about loving the Rhinos. I love casting back to back rhinos.
As for lavaman, I would continue including 2 in the main for my future domain lists. I was never really a fan of having a birds, but I understood why to run it. Lavaman gives incremental value that is invaluable.
I don't remember the games exactly, but I do remember casting a Tamiyo against my 5C hoomans opponent, and he spent at least a minute in the tank his next turn trying to decide whether or not it was a threat (our board states were about even). He eventually did correctly decide that it needed to be dealt with since me drawing cards and him not drawing cards could be an issue.
I've been away from Zoo for quite a while. What's the current consensus on the best build for Domain Zoo?
There aren't enough players talking about the deck to reach a consensus on the best build. For what it's worth I'll post my list. Now I ain't no big city mtg pro, just a humble fnm regular who enjoys siege rhino a bit too much. Having said that, this list has done me justice for years, requiring only slight sideboard tweaks as the meta evolved. I have been playing the same 60 since the twin era:
My list is similar to your list w7west, however mine was a slight tweak to a domain list I saw do well in a league a while back; http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=16839&d=304182&f=MO
Ended up going 4-1 at the FNM I played it at a few weeks ago, only losing to god hands from G/X Tron.
Tamiyo was interesting where everyone was afraid of it when it resolved and dedicated a lot of resources to get it off the field. Could probably just be rhinos 3-4. Lavamancer's were solid, especially when I played against humans. Sideboard was for local meta.
lugger, how are the 4 mana surrak's treating you? Ever since I saw the lists you posted, I've been wanting to test them out in a non-CoCo Naya and Zoo Knightfall list, but haven't had the time.
I think New Nissa could be worth trying out in Big Zoo lists splashing blue. Could be too slow or just doesn't do enough.
Green god also seems sweet for the CoCo variants, as we already have a lot of 4 power creatures to make him able to block and attack if we hit him. And him being able to give trample is a huge plus.
The one card from the new set I am interested in testing is Vizier of the Menagerie. While it may be slow, could be good for grindy matchups.
Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been playing Zoo ever since the Nacatl unban a year ago and ever since I read Pat Cox's article on Tribal Zoo a couple months afterwards, I've been hooked since. I took the following list that my buddy and I tuned the night before to a PPTQ yesterday at my LGS and went to the finals and split, going 4-1-1 in 6 rounds of swiss.
R1: Grixis Control
Nothing special here, just played dudes and turned them sideways and made him have all the removal, which he didn't.
In: Crackling Doom, Lingering Souls x1
Out: Lightning Helix x2
1-0 (2-0)
R2: G/R Tron
G1 is pretty much Nacatl into Hierarch into Geist into Rhino and he doesn't assemble tron. G2 is a slower hand and t4 tron into Ugin gets met with a good ol Force Spike (Note: I love me some Stubs), however I draw lands and no action and two wurmcoils and a spaghetti monster later, I scoop. G3 he mulligans to 6 however hierarch into Geist doesn't let him do much when he assembles tron, and a stony silence stops his O stone.
On the draw: In: Stubborn Denial x2, Destructive Revelry
Out: Dromoka's Command, Lightning Bolt x2
On the play: In: Stony Silence x2
Out: Lightning Helix x2
2-0 (4-1)
R3: Grixis Control
I step into the office of my buddy I play at FNM and go to events with and G1 he does not bolt the bird and his fear of T2 geist takes me the game. While we're sideboarding he told him if he had the bolt he would've done it. G2 is me flooding the board and eating his removal before landing a Geist who connects once then eats an Anger. A Rhino then hits the board and he extends the hand when it swings.
R4: UR Twin
Again playing another buddy of mine I play with at FNM, go to events with and who helped tuned this list! G1 is very grindy with him landing twin when I'm holding a land in hand. G2 I have a better start and he lands a Blood Moon when I have a forest in play with Hierarch and Nacatl in play, however I top deck the plains and play the two goyfs in my hand and on to G3 we go. G3 is more back and forth with him resorting to exarch and snapcaster beatdowns while I'm holding twin removal. I do find creatures to block and when he is forced to twin it's met with Dromoka's Command with no counter and a couple turns later he extends the hand.
R5: Grixis Twin (ID)
Round 5 my opponent is supposed to be a local player who has attended the Pro Tour a couple times, but we ID so we can solidify our spots in Top 8 and so we can get food and eat.
4-0-1 (8-2-1)
R6: Grixis Delver
This round, after talking to people, I decide to make my opponent and I play so I can try to get the higher seed. G1 is very grindy, fair magic and a clogged up board, but double tribal flames for 5 steals me the game. G2 is much like game 1 however I remember I drew a fair amount of lands and I die to a bunch of creatures. G3 the board gets flooded with a bunch of tokens and a tasigur and zombie fish on his side to my rhino, nacatl, hierarch and goyf. He then plays a delver when I'm at 5 and he flips it to a bolt and kills me.
4-1-1 (9-4-1)
Top 8
Quarters: Burn
I knew i was playing burn and I knew I had to fight an uphill battle to win. G1 however did not start well. Had to mull to five to Rhino, Rhino, Overgrown, Forest, Geist, and on the draw I had to keep it. He bolts himself to Bolt me and I draw a land. He then plays eidolon and I'm looking a bit better. Another draw and another land, I play it and say go. He proceeds to shock himself to helix me at end step and passes turn again. I play my fourth land and play rhino. No skullcrack makes me smile. He Boros Charms me and again passes the turn. Second Rhino and my victory is pretty much secured. He draws the skullcrack he needed two turns ago and scoops. G2 is better when he mulls to 5 and I play nacatl, goyf, goyf and he can't answer it.
In: Timely Reinforcements, Kor Firewalker x2, Stubborn Denial
Out: Geist of Saint Traft x 4
Semis: RUG Delver
I've played with this deck before and I know what tricks he could have. G1 he goes t1 delver and passes. I know there's a shoal in his hand but I had to try to kill the delver anyway with a bolt and he does have it. Delver flips and swings. Main phase path is met with thought scour into stubborn denial when I didn't play my land for turn (oops). He swings with delver again and passes. I play a geist and it resolves. Another delver attack and pass, and my top decked bolt kills the delver and geist steals the game. G2 goes great until I fetch into blood moon and scoop. G3 I play around blood moon the best I can while answering his goyfs and delvers. There is a moment when I have 4 lands that can cast rhino and a fetch and I know he has the blood moon, but I test my luck and play the rhino and pass. He vapor snaps it and Blood moons and i get my basic forest and hope for the best. Top decked nacatl is my finisher and a top deck plains seals it.
Finals: Grixis Control
My buddy again from the swiss. I particulary did not want the invite to the RPTQ, so I ended up conceding to my opponent and splitting prize.
Overall, the deck felt great and variance did not show its ugly head in force like it did while I was at GP Charlotte. I've played Naya Company Zoo and while it is more consistent and redundant, it did feel less powerful and I was always craving removal when I had a company in my hand. I did not sideboard in fiery justice once, which i probably should've done against the grixis delver player, nor did I play against Abzan CoCo so I did not see how Anafenza would do in that matchup. Maindeck feels solid, Dromoka's command did work and Kolaghan's command returned a geist and a goyf so I can't complain. I would want to switch out the overgrown for a blood crypt, as I did not fetch overgrown that often, but maybe an extra green source is okay.
I've done a few test matches with Finale of Devastation with the following list (based off yours):
4x Path to Exile
1x Lightning Helix
4x Finale of Devastation
1x Rhythm of the Wild
4x Wild Nacatl
4x Noble Hierarch
1x Qasali Pridemage
2x Scavenging Ooze
3x Tarmogoyf
1x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1x Kraul Harpooner
1x Knight of Autumn
1x Tireless Tracker
1x Renegade Rallier
3x Knight of the Reliquary
1x Huntmaster of the Fells
4x Wooded Foothills
2x Arid Mesa
2x Stomping Ground
2x Sacred Foundry
1x Temple Garden
2x Forest
1x Plains
1x Horizon Canopy
1x Copperline Gorge
1x Stirring Wildwood
1x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Dryad Arbor
2x Gradigger's Cage
1x Rending Volley
1x Ancient Grudge
2x Cindervines
1x Declaration in Stone
2x Stony Silence
1x Knight of Autumn
1x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
2x Ravenous Trap
1x Hazoret the Fervent
1x Domri, Chaos Bringer
Finale of Devastation has impressed me a lot in the few games I've played. Being able to tutor and get threats back from the graveyard I think is a good thing for the deck.
I will agree with you that I don't think Dryad Arbor is needed in the deck with Finale. I never really wanted to find it on T2, and I always wanted to hold Finale for X=2 or X=3 to find another threat or utility creature.
Since this card goes in the graveyard, unlike Green Sun's Zenith, it plays well with Goyf, but because it does not go back, I never wanted to fire it off right away: only when I needed to recover a creature or get a good threat on board after a board wipe.
Sideboard could use some work. I just modified a sideboard from one of my other zoo lists.
I have, however, been very impressed with Gruul Spellbreaker and Rhythm of the Wild. While Rhythm might look slow, the ability to give all of our creatures off the top of the deck haste has been very relevant in the games where I have had it.
I would also like to hear other people's opinion of the cards they've tested.
4x Noble Hierarch
4x Tarmogoyf
2x Qasali Pridemage
4x Geist of Saint Traft
4x Bloodbraid Elf
4x Lightning Bolt
2x Lightning Helix
4x Tribal Flames
1x Dromoka's Command
1x Kolaghan's Command
1x Bant Charm
This is where I am going to start brewing for Tribal/Domain.
Will also want to try a split between Rhino and BBE.
As for lavaman, I would continue including 2 in the main for my future domain lists. I was never really a fan of having a birds, but I understood why to run it. Lavaman gives incremental value that is invaluable.
I don't remember the games exactly, but I do remember casting a Tamiyo against my 5C hoomans opponent, and he spent at least a minute in the tank his next turn trying to decide whether or not it was a threat (our board states were about even). He eventually did correctly decide that it needed to be dealt with since me drawing cards and him not drawing cards could be an issue.
My list is similar to your list w7west, however mine was a slight tweak to a domain list I saw do well in a league a while back; http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=16839&d=304182&f=MO
Ended up going 4-1 at the FNM I played it at a few weeks ago, only losing to god hands from G/X Tron.
4x Windswept Heath
4x Wooded Foothills
4x Arid Mesa
1x Temple Garden
1x Stomping Ground
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Steam Vents
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Godless Shrine
1x Blood Crypt
1x Forest
1x Plains
4x Wild Nacatl
4x Noble Hierarch
2x Grim Lavamancer
4x Tarmogoyf
2x Snapcaster Mage
2x Qasali Pridemage
3x Geist of Saint Traft
2x Siege Rhino
Spells (16)
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Path to Exile
2x Lightning Helix
4x Tribal Flames
2x Tamiyo, Field Researcher
2x Grafdigger's Cage
2x Stubborn Denial
1x Ancient Grudge
1x Gaddock Teeg
2x Stony Silence
1x Disdainful Stroke
2x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2x Timely Reinforcements
1x Lingering Souls
1x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Tamiyo was interesting where everyone was afraid of it when it resolved and dedicated a lot of resources to get it off the field. Could probably just be rhinos 3-4. Lavamancer's were solid, especially when I played against humans. Sideboard was for local meta.
lugger, how are the 4 mana surrak's treating you? Ever since I saw the lists you posted, I've been wanting to test them out in a non-CoCo Naya and Zoo Knightfall list, but haven't had the time.
Green god also seems sweet for the CoCo variants, as we already have a lot of 4 power creatures to make him able to block and attack if we hit him. And him being able to give trample is a huge plus.
The one card from the new set I am interested in testing is Vizier of the Menagerie. While it may be slow, could be good for grindy matchups.
Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been playing Zoo ever since the Nacatl unban a year ago and ever since I read Pat Cox's article on Tribal Zoo a couple months afterwards, I've been hooked since. I took the following list that my buddy and I tuned the night before to a PPTQ yesterday at my LGS and went to the finals and split, going 4-1-1 in 6 rounds of swiss.
4 Arid Mesa
1 Forest
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Siege Rhino
Spells (15)
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
4 Tribal Flames
2 Lightning Helix
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Kolaghan's Command
2 Anafenza, the Foremost
1 Crackling Doom
1 Destructive Revelry
1 Fiery Justice
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Lingering Souls
1 Rending Volley
2 Stony Silence
2 Stubborn Denial
1 Timely Reinforcements
Here's just a brief summary of my rounds:
R1: Grixis Control
Nothing special here, just played dudes and turned them sideways and made him have all the removal, which he didn't.
In: Crackling Doom, Lingering Souls x1
Out: Lightning Helix x2
1-0 (2-0)
R2: G/R Tron
G1 is pretty much Nacatl into Hierarch into Geist into Rhino and he doesn't assemble tron. G2 is a slower hand and t4 tron into Ugin gets met with a good ol Force Spike (Note: I love me some Stubs), however I draw lands and no action and two wurmcoils and a spaghetti monster later, I scoop. G3 he mulligans to 6 however hierarch into Geist doesn't let him do much when he assembles tron, and a stony silence stops his O stone.
On the draw: In: Stubborn Denial x2, Destructive Revelry
Out: Dromoka's Command, Lightning Bolt x2
On the play: In: Stony Silence x2
Out: Lightning Helix x2
2-0 (4-1)
R3: Grixis Control
I step into the office of my buddy I play at FNM and go to events with and G1 he does not bolt the bird and his fear of T2 geist takes me the game. While we're sideboarding he told him if he had the bolt he would've done it. G2 is me flooding the board and eating his removal before landing a Geist who connects once then eats an Anger. A Rhino then hits the board and he extends the hand when it swings.
In: Stubborn Denial x2, Crackling Doom, Lingering Souls x2
Out: Lightning Helix x2, Lightning Bolt x 2, Kolaghan's Command (not sure if thats correct)
3-0 (6-1)
R4: UR Twin
Again playing another buddy of mine I play with at FNM, go to events with and who helped tuned this list! G1 is very grindy with him landing twin when I'm holding a land in hand. G2 I have a better start and he lands a Blood Moon when I have a forest in play with Hierarch and Nacatl in play, however I top deck the plains and play the two goyfs in my hand and on to G3 we go. G3 is more back and forth with him resorting to exarch and snapcaster beatdowns while I'm holding twin removal. I do find creatures to block and when he is forced to twin it's met with Dromoka's Command with no counter and a couple turns later he extends the hand.
In: Rending Volley, Destructive Revelry, Stubborn Denial x2
Out: Lightning Bolt x2, Lightning Helix x2
4-0 (8-2)
R5: Grixis Twin (ID)
Round 5 my opponent is supposed to be a local player who has attended the Pro Tour a couple times, but we ID so we can solidify our spots in Top 8 and so we can get food and eat.
4-0-1 (8-2-1)
R6: Grixis Delver
This round, after talking to people, I decide to make my opponent and I play so I can try to get the higher seed. G1 is very grindy, fair magic and a clogged up board, but double tribal flames for 5 steals me the game. G2 is much like game 1 however I remember I drew a fair amount of lands and I die to a bunch of creatures. G3 the board gets flooded with a bunch of tokens and a tasigur and zombie fish on his side to my rhino, nacatl, hierarch and goyf. He then plays a delver when I'm at 5 and he flips it to a bolt and kills me.
4-1-1 (9-4-1)
Top 8
Quarters: Burn
I knew i was playing burn and I knew I had to fight an uphill battle to win. G1 however did not start well. Had to mull to five to Rhino, Rhino, Overgrown, Forest, Geist, and on the draw I had to keep it. He bolts himself to Bolt me and I draw a land. He then plays eidolon and I'm looking a bit better. Another draw and another land, I play it and say go. He proceeds to shock himself to helix me at end step and passes turn again. I play my fourth land and play rhino. No skullcrack makes me smile. He Boros Charms me and again passes the turn. Second Rhino and my victory is pretty much secured. He draws the skullcrack he needed two turns ago and scoops. G2 is better when he mulls to 5 and I play nacatl, goyf, goyf and he can't answer it.
In: Timely Reinforcements, Kor Firewalker x2, Stubborn Denial
Out: Geist of Saint Traft x 4
Semis: RUG Delver
I've played with this deck before and I know what tricks he could have. G1 he goes t1 delver and passes. I know there's a shoal in his hand but I had to try to kill the delver anyway with a bolt and he does have it. Delver flips and swings. Main phase path is met with thought scour into stubborn denial when I didn't play my land for turn (oops). He swings with delver again and passes. I play a geist and it resolves. Another delver attack and pass, and my top decked bolt kills the delver and geist steals the game. G2 goes great until I fetch into blood moon and scoop. G3 I play around blood moon the best I can while answering his goyfs and delvers. There is a moment when I have 4 lands that can cast rhino and a fetch and I know he has the blood moon, but I test my luck and play the rhino and pass. He vapor snaps it and Blood moons and i get my basic forest and hope for the best. Top decked nacatl is my finisher and a top deck plains seals it.
Finals: Grixis Control
My buddy again from the swiss. I particulary did not want the invite to the RPTQ, so I ended up conceding to my opponent and splitting prize.
Overall, the deck felt great and variance did not show its ugly head in force like it did while I was at GP Charlotte. I've played Naya Company Zoo and while it is more consistent and redundant, it did feel less powerful and I was always craving removal when I had a company in my hand. I did not sideboard in fiery justice once, which i probably should've done against the grixis delver player, nor did I play against Abzan CoCo so I did not see how Anafenza would do in that matchup. Maindeck feels solid, Dromoka's command did work and Kolaghan's command returned a geist and a goyf so I can't complain. I would want to switch out the overgrown for a blood crypt, as I did not fetch overgrown that often, but maybe an extra green source is okay.
Oh, and so much for a brief summary