(Big) Zoo

[Xod]

Anybody saw this list?

4 Wild Nacatl
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Birds of Paradise
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gaddock Teeg
3 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Tireless Tracker
2 Huntmaster of the Fells

4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Swords to Plowshares

2 Ajani Vengeant

2 Arid Mesa
1 Forest
1 Karakas
1 Plains
2 Plateau
1 Savannah
2 Taiga
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Dryad Arbor

Sideboard:
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Containment Priest
2 Fiery Justice
1 Grim Lavamancer
2 Pithing Needle
2 Pyroblast
1 Ramunap Excavator
3 Surgical Extraction

Going to try it out. Maybe the punishing fire build is better, but I love Huntmaster. It's more off a Big Zoo build than a regular one. I like how it has mana accelerants + wastelands + taxing effects. Gives you a controlling role. The GSZ package gives you a toolbox package, for the mana accelerants/exhalted/pridemage/ooze/teeg/or bigger beaters like KotR/Huntmaster/Tracker.

Any thoughts about Ajani? Ordered a couple, but I think forthe dreaded matchup 'Miracles' for as far it still sees some play, is better with Elspeth. Don't know, but Ajani seems a better control element, with the tapping and draining. Elspeth just creates boardpresence or pumps creatures.

[movingtonewao]

I think Gideon outclasses elspeth at the moment. The chance to make 2/2s followed by an indestructible glorious anthem means I would play it over elspeth (and Ajani) any day

[maharis]

Where is this list from? Did it do well somewhere? I've been trying so hard to make zoo work the past few weeks and just getting my face kicked in. But I had been trying a more explosive landfall version. This seems more like Naya Midrange, which is fine, and probably worth exploring because...

I think a Narnam Renegade/Renegade Rallier package is something that should be considered. It's not like this deck is really trying all that hard to be aggressive with 6 0/1s, so the extra point of power on Nacatl is probably not worth as much as the ability to trade with Gurmag Angler. The hardest part of competing with a deck like this is keeping up with the value engines of the black decks. Rallier buying back a creature or ramping on turn 2 is pretty valuable considering the other guy has cards like Baleful Strix and Kolaghan's Command.

The hard part for this deck is the 2-drop slot. Thalia is good in some situations, bad in others. Goyf is the same way, since you're not dumping a lot of card types yourself. QPM is usually pretty good just because of Exalted. (Also, synergy with rallier!).

I have considered Keldon Marauders. It's good for going to the dome and can be recycled with Rallier as well. (I am pretty all-in on this card, as you can tell). A 3/3, if you are sufficiently ahead, is also a decent threat. The other thing to do would be to just play Nacatl anyway and have GSZ be your major turn 2 card. Either way I wouldn't play Thalia main because I don't think we support her very well. Yes we have 4 wastes but most of the stuff that kills her is 1 cmc anyway and plinking for 2 a couple times before she just eats an STP isn't so great.

Ultimately I think SFM might just be the way to go if we're not all-in on aggro. Equipment can be an important trump in this kind of deck.

Tireless Tracker overperformed for me in the landfall deck. As much as I like Knight I don't think it is as good when you're behind nowadays. I would try a configuration like this:

4 Narnam Renegade
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Renegade Rallier
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Tireless Tracker
2 Birds of Paradise
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Scavenging Ooze

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

1 Arid Mesa
1 Forest
1 Karakas
1 Plains
1 Plateau
1 Gaea's Cradle
2 Savannah
2 Taiga
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Dryad Arbor

[movingtonewao]

I agree that Narnam renegade should be playing a key role in the next iteration of zoo, as would some sort of value/recycling engine. You correctly identified that renegade rallied deserves a second look (maybe eternal witness but I like rallied more here), as does stoneforge mystic. 'Aggressive' Planeswalkers might be the way to go as well to grind out long games. Xenagos the reveler with its ability to spit out 2/2 satyrs could be easier on the manabase than Gideon, and haste on the 2/2s might end up being relevant although 3 loyalty means you are forced to +1 for a turn to avoid a lightning bolt.

[Skizz]

i would call this lists "Maverick" without Mother of Runes...