[Primer/Deck] Zoo

[maharis]

The landfall plan is explosive, but I seem to lose a lot of little marginal battles. Lots of 1-2s but the wins are always hilarious and awesome. Perhaps more burn like your deck has is the right decision. I will say that people get super salty when you attack for 8 on turn 2 with crop rotation.

I would definitely consider Knight. It triggers revolt and landfall and is just randomly an 8/8 a lot of the time. With Ghor-Clan that can be a one-hit finisher.

[haganbmj]

Megadeus convinced me to play Zoo at my weekly in Florida. Made some tweaks for the local field and played this.

Stuff (27 + 16 = 43)	Lands (18)	Sideboard (15)
4 Wild Nacatl 4 Steppe Lynx 4 Narnam Renegade 2 Qasali Pridemage 1 Gaddock Teeg 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 4 Renegade Rallier 3 Ghor-Clan Rampager 2 Hooting Mandrills 3 Urza's Bauble 2 Rancor 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Chain Lightning 3 Price of Progress	4 Wooded Foothills 4 Windswept Heath 2 Arid Mesa 1 Karakas 2 Savannah 2 Taiga 1 Plateau 1 Forest 1 Mountain	2 Pithing Needle 1 Path to Exile 2 Pyroblast 1 Red Elemental Blast 2 Ethersworn Canonist 2 Containment Priest 2 Seal of Primordium 3 Faerie Macabre

Overall the list wasn't bad. Baubles were kind of a necessary evil.

R1 - L 0-2 - Infect
R2 - W 2-0 - Goblins
R3 - W 2-0 - Lands
R4 - ID - ANT
Top 8 - W 2-1 - Stax
Top 4 Split

Infect didn't feel unwinnable with 8 pre-board removal spells. Died to EOT Crop Rotation untap double Invigorate game one, mulled to 2 game two.

I'd play it again, it was a fun deck. Not absurd, but getting to cast Ghor-Clan in legacy is always good. I wish there was a non Plated Geopede way to go deeper in on landfall.

[jaruri]

Took my updated zoo list to a new casual legacy event with half the people being new to the format, and the other half having a good amount of experience, 10 people total, and I end up going 2-1, 5-2 in games.

My list looked like this:

Main:
3 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Karakas
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Taiga
2 Plateau
2 Savannah
1 Plains
1 Forest

1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
3 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Tarmogoyf
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Renegade Rallier
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4 Wild Nacatl

1 Arlinn Kord

4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Sylvan Library

4 Lightning Bolt
3 Punishing Fire
4 Swords to Plowshares

Sideboard:
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Containment Priest
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Choke
1 Garruk Relentless
2 Pithing Needle

I don't tend to write notes, but I remember the matches mostly

1st Matchup was vs GW Enchantress piloted by a new legacy player, 2-0
Game 1 was over pretty fast from a Pridemage with multiple exalted triggers and bolts to the face.
Game 2 goes on for a long time, he gets 4 enchantress draw effects on board, and starts going off. At some point he journey to nowhere's my Qasali Pridemage, and in response I use it to blow up the other journey that was holding my teeg. I go several rounds of draw-go, as he now has 3 elephant grass out, and 10+ mana. He is searching for the kill, but didn't find the card he needed until the second from last card in his deck. He then casts the Helm of Obedience, but forgot Teeg is on the field. He scoops it up, since he has no other wincons left.

2nd Matchup was vs Shardless BUG, 1-2
Game 1 again, was over pretty quick from Nacatl exalted beats and me having removal for all his creatures.
Game 2 started off well, I gain board dominance early and hold it for a few turns. I have teeg in hand and want to play around a Deluge, so I hold it. Next turn he plays Jace and a Creature, and I don't have an answer to Jace before he starts getting crazy card advantage with jace brainstorm into shardless and visions. I can't find an answer for jace, and don't have enough resources to win the game. Definitely needed to play Teeg that turn before Jace, but couldn't have known.
Game 3 got double wastelanded out of the game early on, had alot of removal but none of my lands produced red, at the end I died to 2 huge goyfs and a leovold.

3rd Matchup was vs Death and Taxes, 2-0
Game 1, I'm on the play and see I have multiple removal in hand, I play a land and pass. He plays mom go, and I p-fire the mom. I Bolt/pfire his next two plays and start deploying dudes. He gets a mirran crusader out, but I fetch the Kessig wolf run and trample over.
Game 2, My opening hand has grudge and a bolt. I bolt his turn 1 mom, and start playing a few nacatls. A few turns later, he has vials on 1 and 3, a mom and stoneforge in play with a batterskull in hand, but I'm still holding the grudge. I attack with my two nacatls, and he brings in skull, which I destroy, along with the vial on 3. My memory is pretty bad, but some turns later we get to a board state of me having a KotR, a Nacatl, and I think a Hierarch, and him having a revoker on knight, a thalia 1.0, a flickerwisp, a mirran crusader, and a jitte. I play a huntmaster and pass. He equips his crusader, and attacks with flicker and flickers his flicker, which at end step flickers my KotR until my endstep. I draw go, and on his upkeep, I shoot his revoker with huntmaster flip, find grove, and start pfiring his board. No answer to pfire and I win the round.

Also played a few games after with some other decks and got some more experience.

Loved how the deck performed. I think my main is very tight for my meta right now, but sideboard can definitely use some work. I threw it together right before the event, but I was only really able to use the grudge to good effect. Ill definitely be working on this deck some more, it seems very well suited for my rather fair meta. I feel like I might want another Taiga to fetch, maybe replacing a plateau, but I'm not sure on that yet. Arlinn Kord was great, I was able to cast her twice in the games after the event and both times she won me the game. Not sure if Garruk is better, but Arlinn seems playable at the least.

[jaruri]

Miracles is gone, time for a zoo comeback?

[Richard Cheese]

Miracles is gone, time for a zoo comeback?

As much as I would love it, you have to remember that Zoo was already hurting pretty bad before Terminus was a thing. Stoneblade had Batterskull + 8 Swords, and I wouldn't be surprised if that deck just comes back with a couple Terminus in it, since it's still by far the best sweeper available.

[CptHaddock]

As much as I would love it, you have to remember that Zoo was already hurting pretty bad before Terminus was a thing. Stoneblade had Batterskull + 8 Swords, and I wouldn't be surprised if that deck just comes back with a couple Terminus in it, since it's still by far the best sweeper available.

Traditional zoo is probably never coming back but I think that big zoo might have some merit now that miracles is gone. You're basically just a maverick deck but instead of playing a toolbox strategy you just play a bunch of removal spells.

[silly]

I'm pretty sure traditional zoo is long gone at this point. The dominance of Miracles was not what killed zoo. Zoo died when Delver of Secrets was printed.

Why play a traditional aggro deck like zoo anymore, when Delver can be just as explosive in the opening turns while also being more prepared to interact with your opponent and more reliable due to cantrips smoothing your draws?

[Claymore]

Difference between BR and UB Reanimator. BR is faster, more explosive, and better than UB - despite countermagic and card smoothing.

In aggro terms, a higher threat density in Zoo can work so that when your one creature is answered you don't just fold - as is what happened when Delver's creatures were dealt with by Terminus/Swords. Maverick shits all over Delver and I expect the same thing with Zoo.

An aggro big Zoo could do well against BUG and Leovold decks, I'd say. Don't need to target anything when you can just wall them off with Goyfs or smash through with a channeled +4/+4 Trample Knight over TNN.

[Hanni]

Why play traditional or big Zoo when hyper aggressive decks like Burn, Ru Sligh, and UR Delver are better against most of the format? What matchups would being creature heavy improve?

Let's not forget that Zoo doesn't have the tools to deal with combo decks without ruining the matchups that Zoo is supposed to be good against.

[zulander]

As mentioned, big zoo is where it would be at. Here's my mock up list although I haven't played legacy in roughly 2 years due to hating Miracles.

Here's a quick list I put together:

Mana:
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
3 Arid Mesa
1 Karakas
1 Kessig Wolf Run
2 Wasteland
2 Taiga
2 Plateau
1 Forest
1 Mountain

Creatures:
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
2 Spirit of the Labyrinth
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Loxodon Smiter

4 Lightning Bolt
3 Chain Lightning
2 Path to Exile
1 Sylvan Library
3 Collected Company

[CptHaddock]

Why play traditional or big Zoo when hyper aggressive decks like Burn, Ru Sligh, and UR Delver are better against most of the format? What matchups would being creature heavy improve?

Let's not forget that Zoo doesn't have the tools to deal with combo decks without ruining the matchups that Zoo is supposed to be good against.

Don't all these variants have the same problem with dealing with combo decks that Zoo does? I guess UR and maybe Sligh are less contenders but if you draw the burn half your deck you just autoconcede the match?

As far as Zoo goes now that terminus is out of the format the biggest draw is that it can't be completely hated out of the format.

As mentioned, big zoo is where it would be at. Here's my mock up list although I haven't played legacy in roughly 2 years due to hating Miracles.

Here's a quick list I put together:

Mana:
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
3 Arid Mesa
1 Karakas
1 Kessig Wolf Run
2 Wasteland
2 Taiga
2 Plateau
1 Forest
1 Mountain

Creatures:
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
2 Spirit of the Labyrinth
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Loxodon Smiter

4 Lightning Bolt
3 Chain Lightning
2 Path to Exile
1 Sylvan Library
3 Collected Company

I recently played against a zoo list playing collected company and it completely caught me off guard. I'd also be interested in seeing if lists like Shawn Yu's (Lordofthepit23's) lists from 2013 hold any weight now.

[zulander]

Don't all these variants have the same problem with dealing with combo decks that Zoo does? I guess UR and maybe Sligh are less contenders but if you draw the burn half your deck you just autoconcede the match?

As far as Zoo goes now that terminus is out of the format the biggest draw is that it can't be completely hated out of the format.



I recently played against a zoo list playing collected company and it completely caught me off guard. I'd also be interested in seeing if lists like Shawn Yu's (Lordofthepit23's) lists from 2013 hold any weight now.

I've been playing Naya Company in Modern to some great success over the past few years, and feel that it could do well in Legacy as well. I think one of two versions of Zoo would be great depending on the metagame to come out of the top ban. A big zoo variant such as I posted above, or a second, faster gruul version with the following core:

4 Goblin Guide
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Eidolon of Great Revel
4 Ghor-Clan Rampager

4 lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
3 Sulfuric Vortex

This is a more straight up strategy that relies on game changers in the form of Eidolon and Vortex, while forcing a super fast and aggressive start.

[Richard Cheese]

Anyone messed with Lifecrafter's Bestiary? Triggers on cast so you get the draw even if your dude gets countered, and scry 1 every turn isn't too shabby. Possibly better in Big Zoo where you're more likely to have the extra mana.

[zulander]

Anyone messed with Lifecrafter's Bestiary? Triggers on cast so you get the draw even if your dude gets countered, and scry 1 every turn isn't too shabby. Possibly better in Big Zoo where you're more likely to have the extra mana.

I'd have to think Domri is just a bit better.

After some brainstorming I think I'll run this big zoo list at next lgs tournament:

4 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild Nacatl
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Loxodon Smiter
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Bloodbraid Elf

4 Lightning Bolt
3 Chain Lightning
2 Path to Exile

2 Domri Rade
1 Sylvan Library

4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
2 Arid Mesa
2 Wasteland
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
1 Karakas
1 Forest
1 Mountain
3 Taiga
2 Plateau


I'd have to think that BBE might be better than Company in order to hit more spells and board cards. BBE into Domri is great on turn 3 and can usually just seal the game with its value.

[ironclad8690]

Darth Vader voice: I find your lack of Thalia disturbing....

Seriously though, I think if you want your zoo deck to be competitive, you have to have some form of maindeck combo hate.

Zenith for Teeg, Thalia, DRS, Knight-> Karakas are all fairly easy to include (DRS maybe not so much).

Here is what I might run:

4 Deathrite Shaman
3 Noble Hierarch
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Dryad Arbor
23

4 Lightning Bolt
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Batterskull
15

2 Taiga
2 Savannah
1 Plateau
1 Bayou
1 Forest
1 Plains
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
3 Wasteland
1 Karakas
1 Horizon Canopy
1 GW manland, can't remember name.

Sideboard:
2 Pyroblast
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Containment Priest
2 Choke
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Electrickery

[zulander]

The land you're looking for is Stirring Wildwood.

You're right, I'm actually deciding between Thalia or Spirit of the Labyrinth. I do feel that your list is more of a Naya Maverick list though.

[Richard Cheese]

I'd have to think Domri is just a bit better.

One big upside of Domri is that he basically doubles as removal. Still, Bestiary has the potential to draw multiple cards in a turn, and helps smooth out your draws every turn regardless of what you do. I don't really have Zoo put together at the moment, I'd be interested to see some testing with a list like yours just swapping one for the other. It's still a 3-mana card that doesn't have any immediate impact, so it may just be too slow/not aggressive enough for this deck. Library performs a pretty similar function for cheaper as well.

[Seraphix]

Played Zoo for the first time since the banning last night. List:

Creatures (21)
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Wild Nacatl
3 Qasali Pridemage
2 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Noncreature Spells (17)
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Punishing Fire
1 Sylvan Library
1 Chandra, Pyromaster

Land (22)
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Taiga
2 Savannah
2 Plateau
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Karakas
3 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Wasteland
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits

SB: 1 Reclamation Sage
SB: 3 Surgical Extraction
SB: 1 Ethersworn Canonist
SB: 1 Pithing Needle
SB: 2 Pyroblast
SB: 1 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 1 Enlightened Tutor
SB: 1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
SB: 2 Blood Moon
SB: 1 Null Rod
SB: 1 Garruk Relentless


Matches were:
Eldrazi (W 2-0)
Elves (W 2-0)
Grixis Control (D 1-1)
UB Midrange/Control (W 2-1)

Skarrg, the Rage pits was MVP all night and is probably better than Wolf Run right now since the point of toughness lets you attack through TNN more profitably.

[bigwerdz]

I'm working on building Naya zoo with knights and wonder how it's combo match ups feel. Zoo was essentially out of the format before I started playing legacy. Are we just trying to race or should we be boarding in a ton of cards? Thanks for any insight.

[Kanti]

Played Zoo for the first time since the banning last night. List:

Creatures (21)
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Wild Nacatl
3 Qasali Pridemage
2 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
4 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Noncreature Spells (17)
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Punishing Fire
1 Sylvan Library
1 Chandra, Pyromaster

Land (22)
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Taiga
2 Savannah
2 Plateau
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Karakas
3 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Wasteland
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits

SB: 1 Reclamation Sage
SB: 3 Surgical Extraction
SB: 1 Ethersworn Canonist
SB: 1 Pithing Needle
SB: 2 Pyroblast
SB: 1 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 1 Enlightened Tutor
SB: 1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
SB: 2 Blood Moon
SB: 1 Null Rod
SB: 1 Garruk Relentless


Matches were:
Eldrazi (W 2-0)
Elves (W 2-0)
Grixis Control (D 1-1)
UB Midrange/Control (W 2-1)

Skarrg, the Rage pits was MVP all night and is probably better than Wolf Run right now since the point of toughness lets you attack through TNN more profitably.

Jamming DRS into that thing over the Hierach seems like a stronger plan. At the very least some 3/1 split so you can GSZ->DRS if you need it.