BGW Fiendish Zoo

[Phantom]

I'm fairly sure I'm the only one, but I've always liked Mesmeric Fiend, so I was impressed when they printed Tidehollow Sculler. Here's the list I threw together:

// 18 Lands (no manlands or wastes...yet)

// Creatures
3 Creakwood Liege
4 Tidehollow Sculler
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Dark Confidant
4 Gaddock Teeg
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Mesmeric Fiend

// Spells
4 Oblivion Ring
3 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Thoughtseize
4 Swords to Plowshares

The strength of the deck is multi-function critters. Between the two Fiends, Thoughtseize, Oblivion Ring and Swords to plowshares, I run an impressive 20 spots that can act as creature removal, but only 4 that are dedicated to creatures only, and only 8 that can't swing with a Jitte.

Goyf is his usual auto include self and is protected well by the discard, while Teeg keeps most sweepers from resolving. Creakwood Liege I'm still testing but seems amazing, and Confidant is a great lightning rod that often lives thanks to the discard. Birds is the only spot I'm extremely suspect about. The deck does want some accel, but probably wants to accel into a 2cc spell.

Anyway, it's clearly just an early draft, but I'd love to hear some thoughts.

[Aggro_zombies]

Isn't Vindicate better than Oblivion Ring in most cases? If you build your mana base right, you should have both basic Swamps and Plains, so it shouldn't be too much harder to cast.

[Nihil Credo]

Needs more Doran. Or, I suppose, needs more Doran Rock.

[Mirrislegend]

It's not rock though. It's Zoo. As it was clearly labeled. Honestly, I like it a lot. I'm interested to hear how testing goes.

[Solpugid]

Is there some kind of decent instant-speed sacrifice outlet that can turn those fields and scullers into permanent coercions? Such an outlet would also let you sacrifice a confidant that happens to be killing you, and a gaddock teeg when you have more than one. Thoughtpicker witch and plagued rusalka seem to have at least some potential.

[Mordenkaynen]

Hm.. not viable idea may be, but those o.rings, fiends and scullers seem to be sweet with the tech of returning/blinking them in response to resolving the CIP-ability. Only viable version here among those which I remember is vial+flickerwisp. Each of these cards is not too bad, but I'm not sure if they are worse to consider.

[Pulp_Fiction]

Interesting idea but it seems like the deck makes far to many compromises to be as aggressive as a Zoo deck should be. The deck seems to have an identidy crisis as to whether it is PT Junk (Funkbrew), Rock, or Zoo. Also, any aggro deck those colors should run Doran without question. The card is phenomenal. I would also make the same argument for Watchwolf but people on this site greatly neglect that card in GWx aggro so that is all I will say about that.

This is always the mistake people make when building a Zoo deck, they try to put to many cards in the deck that do cute things rather than the right things. Zoo is all about pure aggression and speed, not disruption and creatures with CITP abilities. It seems like you would rather be playing PT Junk with O-Ring instead of Deed. The thing with the discard creatures is they just become totally dead draws later on in the game and are only marginal in the mid game.

I just don't think there is a proper deck for the fiends, there is certainly SB slots for them as they are good in certain matchups but I don't think they are MD material. If you want to play Zoo go check out the GWr Zoo threads, there are a few lists in there that are semi-decent and around 3 that are really optimal builds. I feel GWr Zoo are the optimal colors since it allows you to run 1 of each basic land to reliably play against Blood Moon and Wasteland.

[n00bas4urus_r3x]

Cabal Therapy seems like it would be pretty devastating considering how often you're going to be looking at an opponent's hand.

Have you tried Chrome Mox at all?

EDIT: After sleeping on it, couldn't you sac a Fiend/Sculler to a Cabal Therapy, then nab the returned card?

[Willoe]

EDIT: After sleeping on it, couldn't you sac a Fiend/Sculler to a Cabal Therapy, then nab the returned card?

Sure, you name the "nonland card" during resolution, and Mesmeric Fiend/Tidehollow Sculler triggers after the cost has been paid. The card will return, but mind that they can still use the card to respond.

I don't really get why you'd do this, you'd trade a 1 for 2 and thus leading yourself into board and card disadvantage by losing a dude.

[Tacosnape]

Why Oblivion Ring over Vindicate?

Why Not Doran over Doran?

[Maveric78f]

Why that crappy crackwood liege?
Why not Doran?
Why not vindicate over oblivion ring?
Why birds?
Why not cannonist?
No way to cheat mesmeric fiend and tidehollow sculler?
I would love to play meddling mage in such a deck, would love it more than gaddock actually. Cabal therapy too.

Edit, the curve is probably an issue without birds, having thoughtseize the only first turn spell. Well mother of runes, looks fine as a 1st turn spell.

[hi-val]

I wrote an article about Junk ages ago:

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/14621.html

Might be helpful for you. Spectral Lynx is pretty insane, especially with Jitte. It's great against Threshold, obviously.

The Birds kind of weird me out here. Do you often make white mana with them? They might be better as Elves of the Deep Shadow. Play one of those on turn 1, take the hurt on turn 2 while you fetch out Savannah Montana for Vindicate or something like that. It gives you an attacker, which seems key here.

Cabal Therapy is the cat's ass.

Volrath's Stronghold is too.

Mother of Runes seems really strong, good suggestion Maveric78f!