No love for Zoo?

[FTW]

Welcome back Wild Nacatl


//Creatures: 31
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Goblin Guide
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Qasali Pridemage
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Ghor-Clan Rampager

//Spells: 8
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile

//Lands: 21
Sejiri Steppe
4 Arid Mesa
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Marsh Flats
3 Sacred Foundry
3 Stomping Ground
3 Temple Garden
1 Forest
1 Plains

//Sideboard:
3 Loxodon Smiter
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Molten Rain
2 Skullcrack
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Combust
2 Destructive Revelry


EDIT: Hmm.. what if Molten Rain was Fulminator Mage? Then if you didn't immediately need to blow up a land, you could attack first... Also plays better with Thalia. Maybe it would average out to less damage though.

[Valtrix]

Destructive Revelry is probably the superior hate in the sideboard over combust (which I assume is for twin mostly) and smash to smithereens.

[wcm8]

I think Tribal Flames could be a good option, with a single Watery Grave to yield 5 damage.

[FTW]

Good point. Revelry replaces Smash.

Against Twin though, Reverly just gets countered. Is it good enough?

Combust also randomly kills Faeries and UWR's guys. Maybe that's not enough to be worth diluting the aggro.

[Davran]

Is the mana base too tight for 1-2 Horizon Canopy? They interact pretty well with KotR...although I suppose they don't really help out with Nacatl.

Stone Rain is also an option for the land destruction out of the board...but I agree than Fulminator Mage is probably best because it can also attack should that be relevant.

[[SLAYER]chaos]

Domri seems perfect for this deck. That's the build I'm going to be trying out at least. Something extremely similar to this but with 3-4 less creatures and 3-4 Domri.

[Arsenal]

Destructive Revelry is probably the superior hate in the sideboard over combust (which I assume is for twin mostly) and smash to smithereens.

I think Wear/Tear trumps all options when you're talking about Artifact/Enchantment hate. You lose the 2 damage, but you gain the value of being able to Wear/Tear their Spellskite (super common Twin sideboard card they'll undoubtedly board in versus you) + Splinter Twin, or Spellskite + Blood Moon, or even just an un-Spell Snare-able Tear for their Splinter Twin.

And +1 on Domri, I wouldn't run him less than a 4-of. Domri is literally the only card that UWR Control cares about as they can just Path/Bolt/Helix/Verdict/Snapcaster it again all your dudes pretty easily. Zoo traditionally runs out of gas fairly quickly, so Domri refueling the threats, plus his ultimate going off is just Zoo's wet dream. He needs to be in here.

[Mr. Safety]

I am saddened to see a full set of Knight (of which I approve greatly) but no silver bullets such as Ghost Quarter and Treetop Village. I immediately jumped to Knight as a key threat in New Zoo because Deathrite (it's biggest stifle) is gone.

I also feel that while Thalia is good (as a sideboard option) and Goblin Guide is fast (solid one drop) I think both are not good. Goblin Guide feeds land drops to UWR control, which will become incredibly well placed in a Deathrite-free environment. Not so great. Path to Exile feeding them lands, and Goblin Guide, seems like a recipe for disaster (fast Supreme Verdicts.)

I am going to be testing Grim Lavamancer, Lightning Helix, and a singleton Elspeth. Probably 22 lands and no Thalias in the main (sideboard, maybe.) Thalia just doesn't seem that great in Modern, honestly. It isn't a tight enough format just now to punish folks for playing her. My gauge is that Chalice of the Void isn't being used, except in one or two fringe Tezz decks. If Chalice were rampant as a threat to the format then it follows (in my pea-sized brain) that Thalia would be a great threat to the format. Paying two mana for a Bolt to kill a Thalia is pretty easy to come by, I'd rather have a more reliable source of pressure (Grim, more burn.)

[Phoenix Ignition]

I am going to be testing Grim Lavamancer, Lightning Helix, and a singleton Elspeth. Probably 22 lands and no Thalias in the main (sideboard, maybe.) Thalia just doesn't seem that great in Modern, honestly. It isn't a tight enough format just now to punish folks for playing her. My gauge is that Chalice of the Void isn't being used, except in one or two fringe Tezz decks. If Chalice were rampant as a threat to the format then it follows (in my pea-sized brain) that Thalia would be a great threat to the format. Paying two mana for a Bolt to kill a Thalia is pretty easy to come by, I'd rather have a more reliable source of pressure (Grim, more burn.)

I'm not sold on Thalia in all Zoo lists, but I definitely think it fits and pulls more weight than said here. Against red decks they can pay 2 and kill her, sure, but it's against the unfair decks that you so badly want her. Against UR storm (mark my words, it's coming back in full force with DRS out of the format), it requires them to get Goblin Electromancer out or go to late game (which hopefully you stop them from living until). Against Tron it can slow them down the turn or 2 you need to win (making their 1 mana artifacts cost an additional 1 is huge when they don't yet have Tron assembled). Against BGx decks it makes Abrupt Decay and Maelstrom Pulse a huge commitment, and keep in mind they're going to have shitty mana acceleration now. Blue/white board sweepers cost 5, electrolyze 4. These prices are too high to keep a stable boardstate for them, especially considering the amount they have to pay for cantrips or keep up for counterspells.

While it doesn't do much against red decks, you really want it against the other decks.

[Mr. Safety]

I was thinking that Gaddock Teeg is marginally better. I wouldn't play Thalia maindeck, sideboard is an option for sure.

[Rizso]

Kinda need stuff against snapcaster with restoration angel, bolt, dismember and path to exile. Considering modern dont have Sylvan Library to recoup from constant 2 for 1.

[Arsenal]

Domri Rade. It's everything Zoo wants.

[CaptainTwiddle]

I'm thinking a build with Experiment One and a creature suite that allows him to swing as a 3/3 on turn two with regularity (who doesn't want 8 Nacatls?). The deck would be leaning mostly on R/G/w with just a few X/B and X/U shocklands to hit domain and fuel Tribal Flames and Might of Alara. I'm not sure how good Might is without any doublestrikers in the list though, and if people are expecting a surge of aggro decks, there's bound to be spot removal a plenty floating around. Flames, on the other hand, is the real reason to go Domain, in my opinion. It also has the added bonus of being a sorcery to pump Goyf. My biggest debate with Zoo right now is whether or not I want to run Burning-Tree Emissary. The Emissary enables some busted starts, but it really confines you to a R/G shell, being a disincentive for running things like Pridemage, Lightning Helix, etc.

I'm thinking something like this:

Domain Zoo
CREATURES
4 Experiment One
1 Grim Lavamancer
4 Goblin Guide
4 Kird Ape
1 Loam Lion
2 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Wild Nacatl
SPELLS
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
3 Might of Alara
2 Path to Exile
4 Tribal Flames
LAND
1 Blood Crypt
1 Breeding Pool
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
1 Godless Shrine
4 Arid Mesa
4 Marsh Flats
4 Verdant Catacombs

Sideboard Options
Boros Charm - more burn and Wrath protection, plus you can use the doublestrike mode in conjunction w/ Might of Alara.
Destructive Revelry - Art/Encht removal + Burn
Illness in the Ranks - Anti Bitterblossom, Lingering Souls, Spectral Procession, and Pestermite/Deceiver Exarch copies.
Kataki, War's Wage - Affinity hate w/ legs
Nihil Spellbomb - Grave hate that doesn't completely neuter Goyf and you can produce the black to get the draw
Ranger of Eos - A stretch on the mana, but it helps recover from sweepers and win grindy games
Unified Will - A little old school "Counter Cat" tech. No one expects counters from the Zoo player.

On a side note, I really don't like Qasali Pridemage that much, but I kind of feel like he's a necessary evil to give some protection against Splinter Twin and help win Goyf wars.

[apple713]

=
On a side note, I really don't like Qasali Pridemage that much, but I kind of feel like he's a necessary evil to give some protection against Splinter Twin and help win Goyf wars.

you forgot birthing pod, bitterblossom, aether vial, batter skull, daybreak coronet, fist of the suns.... and I'm sure he hits something in tron.

[RE89]

I'm still playing domain zoo with Snapcaster Mage and Geist of Saint Traft, and simply added Wild Nacatl to fill the space where Deathrite Shaman used to be. Before this, I was playing RG zoo with Burning-Tree Emissary, but hated losing to decks that could goyf stall into liliana or pretty much anything. I sort of want to add Grim Lavamancer or Knight of the Reliquary, but the current removal suite and beaters have been sufficient so far. I'm pretty new to modern.

4 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Kird Ape
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Snapcaster Mage

4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Path to Exile
4 Tribal Flames
2 Boros Charm

4 Arid Mesa
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Stomping Ground
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Steam Vents
1 Breeding Pool
1 Temple Garden
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Blood Crypt
1 Forest
1 Mountain

[Mr. Safety]

you forgot birthing pod, bitterblossom, aether vial, batter skull, daybreak coronet, fist of the suns.... and I'm sure he hits something in tron.

And everything in affinity save champion and citadel. ..

[Mr. Safety]

Not sure how many folks have been testing Ghor-Clan Rampager, but that guy is the nutter butters. I'm still torn on Loam Lion vs. Steppe Lynx. Lynx is absurdly explosive and hits for 8 with a turn 2 fetch into GCR. That's the kind of aggressive game plan this deck really needs. Loam Lion, however, can hit for 2 EVERY TURN and dodges Volcanic Fallout (when you board it in against faeries.) I think Lynx will end up being my go-to beater (along with 10 fetches.)

My list so far:

4x Wild Nacatl
4x Steppe Lynx
2x Grim Lavamancer
4x Tarmogoyf
4x Qasali Pridemage
4x Ghor-Clan Rampager
4x Knight of the Reliquary

4x Lightning Bolt
4x Lightning Helix
4x Path to Exile
1x Rancor

4x Arid Mesa
2x Scalding Tarn
2x Misty Rainforest
2x Verdant Catacombs
2x Stomping Ground
2x Temple Garden
2x Sacred Foundry
1x Mountain
1x Plains
1x Forest
1x Treetop Village
1x Ghost Quarter

Sideboard
2x Kataki, War's Wage (affinity)
2x Pithing Needle (Pod, Tron, Affinity, Twin)
3x Tormod's Crypt (I expect an up-tick of graveyard decks)
1x Bojuka Bog (added grave hate, toolbox option for Knights)
2x Burning-Tree Shaman (Twin)
2x Vexing Shusher (UWR control, Faeries)
2x Scavenging Ooze (Pod, zoo mirror)
1x Oblivion Ring (flex spot...)


This is where I'm at. I kind of think Experiment One should be in the Knight slots, which would allow me to drop to 20 lands comfortably. Not sure if Vexing Devil becomes an option to trigger evolve at that point...it seems good anyways. With 10 fetchlands it seems pretty easy to work in Tribal Flames and a Watery Grave. Deck takes a lot of damage from fetchlands but it rips opponen'ts eyebrows off faster than they can stabilize (which is kind of the point, amiright?)

Curious where other folks are at. What seems to be working?

[Mr. Safety]

My list has evolved quite a bit, taking this to a GPT for Minneapolis:

4x Wild Nacatl
4x Loam Lion
2x Kird Ape
2x Grim Lavamancer
4x Tarmogoyf
4x Ghor-Clan Rampager

4x Lightning Bolt
4x Lightning Helix
4x Boros Charm
3x Rift Bolt
2x Pillar of Flame
3x Path to Exile

9x fetch
6x dual
3x basic
1x horizon canopy
1x treetop village

Sideboard
2x tormod's crypt
2x grafdigger's cage
2x destructive revelry
1x back to nature
2x kataki, war's wage
2x ethersworn canonist
2x choke
1x path to exile
1x flex spot, will be either pyroclasm or gruul charm leaning towards charm


I welcome any insight or suggestions. It has played well, very aggressive with a fast finish with the burn.

[nodahero]

Your list doesn't seem odd... What is your expected metagame?

[Mr. Safety]

Pod
Uwr control
Affinity
Burn
Bogles
Merfolk
B/g rock

And to a lesser extent

Junk
B/w tokens
Pox/rack
Jund
Homebrews

I think the worst matchup is probably tokens and/or soul sisters. My metagame is really light on storm/ad nauseam/fast combo. I like sligh zoo for that metagame, but I might just play ad nauseam myself. I think zoo is more consistent, and the interactive potential will be better against random home brewed jank.