Now that I think about it, Shalai, Voice of Plenty could also be good since it favourably blocks all their creatures and protects against Conflagrate to a certain extent. I'd take out a Bloodbraid Elf for her in games 2 and 3, and it wouldn't affect the mana curve.
I finished 3-0 at FNM tonight with this decklist. I am more than happy with the deck, as I feel it has game against most decks I encounter at my local game store.
During game 1, I underestimated how quickly they can flip Thing in the Ice and cast a Scavening Ooze to exile an Arclight Phoenix, holding on to a Path to Exile for next turn. I did not get a next turn, dying to two Phoenixes, an Awoken Horror and a two Lightning Bolts. I learnt the hard way that the one creature I have to manage in this matchup is Thing in the Ice.
During game 2, I kept a two-lander with relevant interaction. I cast a timely Path to Exile on a Thing in the Ice with the transform trigger on the stack, but failed to draw more lands to capitalize on getting rid of the Horror.
My opponent also noted that I should have not sideboarded out an Ooze since it's a great card in the matchup. My reasoning was that it was pretty bad in multiples, however I should have taken out a Voice of Resurgence first since he is pretty much irrelevant in the matchup.
Round 2: Selesnya Lifegain (2-0)
I was paired against a young kid who had a Selesnya-colored deck centered around lifegain. It was an easy win, but a fun game.
I don't have a definite answer, but my take is that Bloodbraid Elf allows you to play a less creature-centric deck. There's no denying both cards have an element of randomness to it, but I feel like Bloodbraid Elf will always allow Cascade into a spell.
First, you can play a few more spells that you'd normally play to ensure your Collected Company does not whiff. With the Elf, you are free to play however many creatures, spells and planeswalkers you wish, provided you include enough cards with CMC less than 4.
Second, it allows more freedom in the way you sideboard. 3 years ago, my Naya Company sideboard was pretty much full of creatures and now I feel I have more choice to include either impactful creatures or impactful spells, enchantments, artifacts or even planeswalkers.
Third, Bloodbraid Elf can close out games in grindy matchups thanks to Haste. Sure, Collected Company gives pseudo-Haste if you cast it on your opponent's turn. However, a topdecked Bloodbraid Elf can attack right away.
I've recently picked up the game again after a couple years of hiatus. I used to play Big Zoo with Collected Company about three years ago and I'm working on getting the missing pieces from the deck, like the Tarmogoyfs, a Noble Hierarch and some Arid Mesas. I am working on tweaking my listed based on this one by lugger.
I won both games fairly easily. My opponent was pretty unlucky in his mulligans since he mulliganed both games to 5 and 6 respectively while I drew answers in both games for the problematic creatures (mainly lords) while applying pressure to force unfavorable blocks on his side.
Sideboard plan:
None.
Round 2: Kiki Evolution (0-2)
I lost game 1 since I did not draw any removal to disrupt his combo. Game 2, I lost to errors on my side due to tiredness: I used the only two removal spells I drew (both being Lightning Helix) on a Noble Hierarch turn 1 and a Kitchen Finks with a -1/-1 counter while Restoration Angel's ETB ability was on the stack. I then lost a few turns later to an infinite number of hasty Restoration Angel thanks to Kiki-Jiki.
Looking back, it was correct to get rid of his Noble Hierarch but I should have held on to my second Lightning Helix to stop the combo while building a board of large creatures the likes of Knight of the Reliquary to overpower his blockers.
Sideboard plan:
None. I did not find any of my sideboard cards to be relevant here. I hesitated on Settle the Wreckage but I decided against it since the combo aspect of the deck was what most worried me. With 11 relevant spot removal spells, I think the call was a good one.
Round 3: Boros Burn (1-2)
This round saw a very close game 1 that I won preboard, as I ended the game at 1 life thanks to Scavenging Ooze eating a Goblin Guide, a Monastery Swiftspear and a few of my fallen creatures.
Game 2, I was on the draw with a few hate cards that I felt I could not sequence to my liking, but I guess that's what happens against Burn on the draw. I also played a Dromoka's Command to stop a Boros Charm and make my Wild Nacatl fight his Goblin Guide, while he played a Searing Blaze the following turn. I should have held on to the Command for the Searing effects.
I also made a mistake that in my eye set me back from the start by playing Noble Hierarch fearing that he'd kill it with a Searing effect but hoping he would not. My fears turned out true when he killed my mana dork with a Searing Blood next turn, setting me back quite a bit.
Game 3 was much closer, although I should have been more aggressive in getting a good board presence before playing hate cards. I played a Voice of Resurgence and a Damping Sphere while my opponent got rid of my Wild Nacatl. He already had an Eidolon in play that I chose not to remove with the Qasali Pridemage in hand.
Sideboard plan:
+2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
+2 Damping Sphere
+1 Dromoka's Command
-3 Path to Exile
-2 Loxodon Smiter
Even though I made a few mistakes, I'm fairly happy overall since it was my first FNM in a few years. Plus I made a few trades to help with my sideboard (I got a UMA Gaddock Teeg) and I have a few cards ordered that should arrive shortly (a Tarmogoyf, a Noble Hierarch and another Gaddock Teeg).
Changes to the deck:
I will probably remove Loxodon Smiter and try out Tireless Tracker. I discussed it with my opponent from game 2 and I think it has obvious synergies with Knight of the Reliquary that can snowball pretty fast in longer games. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.
I think I want to up the number of Knight of Autumn, but then I already have two Qasali Pridemage in the deck. I am still debating whether I prefer 2-drops or 3-drops for this kind of effect, since I feel having too many 3-drops makes the deck a bit clunky. However, the Knight's versatility can make it a good card in a lot of matchups.
Now that I think about it, Shalai, Voice of Plenty could also be good since it favourably blocks all their creatures and protects against Conflagrate to a certain extent. I'd take out a Bloodbraid Elf for her in games 2 and 3, and it wouldn't affect the mana curve.
Another question, do you shave Lightning Bolts in games 2 and 3 or do you keep the full 4?
With the last few FNMs in mind, I'm leaning towards changing the main deck to look like this list : https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-naya-zoo-65158. I've felt like 22 lands is one too few, especially since replacing Qasali Pridemage with Knight of Autumn ups my mana curve a little. Plus, I got stuck on 3 lands too many games yesterday. The addition of Ghost Quarter would also put less pressure on my sideboard so I could probably cut 1 Tectonic Edge.
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Voice of Resurgence
3 Scavenging Ooze
2 Knight of Autumn
4 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Tireless Tracker
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
1 Dromoka's Command
2 Forest
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Kessig Wolf Run
2 Plains
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Stirring Wildwood
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Remorseful Cleric
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Damping Sphere
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Stony Silence
1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1 Giden, Ally of Zendikar
1 Settle the Wreckage
2 Tectonic Edge
The cards I bring in the Dredge matchup are 2 Gaddock Teeg (to shut off Conflagrate), 2 Remorseful Cleric, 1 Dromoka's Command (mainly to blank Conflagrate but also because of its versatility) as well as 1 Settle the Wreckage. I would take out 2 Knight of Autumn, 1 Tireless Tracker and some number of Lightning Bolts. Is there any other subpar card in the matchup that I don't see?
I tried to play the control role in the postboard games and I inevitably got killed by Narcomoebas I could not block and Conflagrate. I can block non-flying creatures pretty effectively with the likes of Tarmogoyf and Knight of the Reliquary, but I'm unsure if I should apply pressure early or leave my creatures back to block.
Edit: Here is my current list for reference.
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Voice of Resurgence
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Qasali Pridemage
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Tireless Tracker
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
2 Lightning Helix
1 Dromoka's Command
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Stirring Wildwood
2 Forest
2 Plains
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Remorseful Cleric
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Damping Sphere
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Stony Silence
1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1 Giden, Ally of Zendikar
1 Settle the Wreckage
2 Tectonic Edge
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Voice of Resurgence
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Qasali Pridemage
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Tireless Tracker
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
2 Lightning Helix
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Flooded Strand
2 Forest
1 Kessig Wolf Run
2 Plains
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Stirring Wildwood
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Remorseful Cleric
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Damping Sphere
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Stony Silence
1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Settle the Wreckage
2 Tectonic Edge
I finished 3-0 at FNM tonight with this decklist. I am more than happy with the deck, as I feel it has game against most decks I encounter at my local game store.
In my 3 rounds, I was paired against those decks:
4 Wild Nacatl
2 Tarmogoyf
2 Voice of Resurgence
3 Scavenging Ooze
2 Qasali Pridemage
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Loxodon Smiter
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
2 Lightning Helix
1 Dromoka's Command
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Flooded Strand
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Stirring Wildwood
2 Forest
2 Plains
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Remorseful Cleric
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Damping Sphere
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Stony Silence
1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Settle the Wreckage
2 Tectonic Edge
Round 1: Izzet Phoenix (0-2)
During game 1, I underestimated how quickly they can flip Thing in the Ice and cast a Scavening Ooze to exile an Arclight Phoenix, holding on to a Path to Exile for next turn. I did not get a next turn, dying to two Phoenixes, an Awoken Horror and a two Lightning Bolts. I learnt the hard way that the one creature I have to manage in this matchup is Thing in the Ice.
During game 2, I kept a two-lander with relevant interaction. I cast a timely Path to Exile on a Thing in the Ice with the transform trigger on the stack, but failed to draw more lands to capitalize on getting rid of the Horror.
Sideboard plan:
+2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
+2 Damping Sphere
-1 Dromoka's Command
-2 Qasali Pridemage
-1 Scavenging Ooze
Round 2: Selesnya Lifegain (2-0)
I was paired against a young kid who had a Selesnya-colored deck centered around lifegain. It was an easy win, but a fun game.
Sideboard plan: None.
Round 3: Dimir Mill (2-0)
I was paired against a new player playing his own version of Mill. It played thins like Fraying Sanity, Glimpse the Unthinkable, Mind Sculpt, Visions of Beyond, Hedron Crab and more. Funny thing is I boarded in Gaddock Teeg expecting Archive Trap while my opponent did not even play the deck, thinking few people search their library in Modern.
Sideboard plan:
+2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
+1 Dromoka's Command
+2 Gaddock Teeg
-3 Path to Exile
-2 Voice of Resurgence
The next iteration of the deck will look like this.
4 Wild Nacatl
3 Tarmogoyf
2 Voice of Resurgence
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Qasali Pridemage
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Tireless Tracker
1 Loxodon Smiter
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
2 Lightning Helix
1 Dromoka's Command
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Flooded Strand
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Stirring Wildwood
2 Forest
2 Plains
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Remorseful Cleric
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Damping Sphere
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Stony Silence
1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Settle the Wreckage
2 Tectonic Edge
First, you can play a few more spells that you'd normally play to ensure your Collected Company does not whiff. With the Elf, you are free to play however many creatures, spells and planeswalkers you wish, provided you include enough cards with CMC less than 4.
Second, it allows more freedom in the way you sideboard. 3 years ago, my Naya Company sideboard was pretty much full of creatures and now I feel I have more choice to include either impactful creatures or impactful spells, enchantments, artifacts or even planeswalkers.
Third, Bloodbraid Elf can close out games in grindy matchups thanks to Haste. Sure, Collected Company gives pseudo-Haste if you cast it on your opponent's turn. However, a topdecked Bloodbraid Elf can attack right away.
My current list goes like this. I took it to FNM to a 1-2 finish with the last round being a close defeat.
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Wild Nacatl
2 Tarmogoyf
2 Voice of Resurgence
3 Scavenging Ooze
2 Qasali Pridemage
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Loxodon Smiter
1 Knight of Autumn
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
2 Lightning Helix
1 Dromoka's Command
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Flooded Strand
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Stirring Wildwood
2 Forest
2 Plains
2 Remorseful Cleric
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Damping Sphere
1 Dromoka's Command
2 Stony Silence
1 Choke
1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Settle the Wreckage
2 Tectonic Edge
Round 1: Golgari Elves (2-0)
I won both games fairly easily. My opponent was pretty unlucky in his mulligans since he mulliganed both games to 5 and 6 respectively while I drew answers in both games for the problematic creatures (mainly lords) while applying pressure to force unfavorable blocks on his side.
Sideboard plan:
None.
Round 2: Kiki Evolution (0-2)
I lost game 1 since I did not draw any removal to disrupt his combo. Game 2, I lost to errors on my side due to tiredness: I used the only two removal spells I drew (both being Lightning Helix) on a Noble Hierarch turn 1 and a Kitchen Finks with a -1/-1 counter while Restoration Angel's ETB ability was on the stack. I then lost a few turns later to an infinite number of hasty Restoration Angel thanks to Kiki-Jiki.
Looking back, it was correct to get rid of his Noble Hierarch but I should have held on to my second Lightning Helix to stop the combo while building a board of large creatures the likes of Knight of the Reliquary to overpower his blockers.
One thing to note, Exalted triggers when attacking with Wild Nacatl thanks to Noble Hierarch and Qasali Pridemage made his Wall of Omens a bad blocker so that's nice.
Sideboard plan:
None. I did not find any of my sideboard cards to be relevant here. I hesitated on Settle the Wreckage but I decided against it since the combo aspect of the deck was what most worried me. With 11 relevant spot removal spells, I think the call was a good one.
Round 3: Boros Burn (1-2)
This round saw a very close game 1 that I won preboard, as I ended the game at 1 life thanks to Scavenging Ooze eating a Goblin Guide, a Monastery Swiftspear and a few of my fallen creatures.
Game 2, I was on the draw with a few hate cards that I felt I could not sequence to my liking, but I guess that's what happens against Burn on the draw. I also played a Dromoka's Command to stop a Boros Charm and make my Wild Nacatl fight his Goblin Guide, while he played a Searing Blaze the following turn. I should have held on to the Command for the Searing effects.
I also made a mistake that in my eye set me back from the start by playing Noble Hierarch fearing that he'd kill it with a Searing effect but hoping he would not. My fears turned out true when he killed my mana dork with a Searing Blood next turn, setting me back quite a bit.
Game 3 was much closer, although I should have been more aggressive in getting a good board presence before playing hate cards. I played a Voice of Resurgence and a Damping Sphere while my opponent got rid of my Wild Nacatl. He already had an Eidolon in play that I chose not to remove with the Qasali Pridemage in hand.
Sideboard plan:
+2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
+2 Damping Sphere
+1 Dromoka's Command
-3 Path to Exile
-2 Loxodon Smiter
Even though I made a few mistakes, I'm fairly happy overall since it was my first FNM in a few years. Plus I made a few trades to help with my sideboard (I got a UMA Gaddock Teeg) and I have a few cards ordered that should arrive shortly (a Tarmogoyf, a Noble Hierarch and another Gaddock Teeg).
Changes to the deck: