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I would suggest MBT's (Mindbreak Traps) for your sideboard. Zoo has a tough time vs. combo, and I typically sideboard 3x Ethersworn Canonist and 2-3 Mindbreak Traps.
If you see a lot of tribal aggro, I agree: Kird Ape/Loam Lion is better than Lynx but really only because you can sling Pyroclasm/Volcanic Fallout and your dudes live while you take out (hopefully) 2+ gobbos/fish.
I woudn't use MBT. Stick with Ethersworn Canonist, Pyrostatic Pillar and Gaddock Teeg.
What's your reasoning behind no MBT's? Canonist, Teeg, and Pillar just do the job better? I understand they are all effectively 'threats' that also stifle opposing combo...but NONE of them can stop a turn 1 combo.
Two Mindbreak Traps don't do that reliably either. They also don't always go off on turn one. Plus Mindbreak Trap doesn't support your own gameplan at all, the other options do. I usually run 3-4 Pyrostatic Pillar and 2-3 Gaddock Teeg, depending on what build I'm playing. In faster versions I use 4 Pyrostatic Pillar and 2 Gaddock Teeg, in slower builds I usually split them 3/3.
Is Green Sun's Zenith an option in the sideboard for Teeg/Shusher?
Mindbreak Trap is unplayable because storm players run mainboard Duress and/or Orim's Chant (I'm talking about ANT and decks like it, because that's the storm deck you're most likely to face). And there is nothing that will reliable stop a turn one combo, fortunately it's so rare you don't have to expect to run across it. Green Sun's Zenith might work for Teeg, although it can be a turn to slow. And how do you want to stop combo with Shusher?
I was just opening up the conversation about Green Sun's Zenith + silver bullets, not for combo specifically. Shusher would be for the blue control matchups.
Zenith wouldn't be good in the SB, but silver bullets in the side are obv good with Zenith main.
Helloo All! This is the Zoo deck I belt for the SCG legacy open in New Jersey in a couple of weeks. I never play legacy but everyone I know that is going is playing either merfolk or goblins so I figure zoo is the best bet in a heavy tribal metagame. The only ever deck I have played in serious legacy tournaments is Goblins but I don't remember how to play it well enough. Also I play ichorid in vintage now and then but the decks seem very different.
I figure I play zoo and beat the tribal decks and hopefully have a 50/50 chance or so against Countertop and Combo with my sb hopefully.... I hope this works!
I don't know if anyone has any comments or whatever! I wanted to run stuff like Kird ape so I am not totally blown out by perish. I don't trust Steppe Lynx to not cost me games in a 8 or so round tournament. It seems like a lot of people HATE mindbreak trap but I don't want to just concede the belcher match up. Between that and pyroclasm I think I should have a shot.
4 Kird Ape
4 Wild Nacatl
3 Grim Lavamancer
2 Loam Lion
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Quasili Pridemage
3 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Sylvan Library
4 Ligthning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Path to Exile
1 Firesblast
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Arid Mesa
4 Windswept Heath
3 Taiga
2 Plateau
1 Savavnah
1 Forest
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Karakas
SB
3 Krosan Grip
1 Bojuaka Bog
1 Elspeth Knight Errant
1 Red Elemental Blast
2 Pyroclasm
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
2 Jotun Grunt
1 Gaddock Teeg
3 Mindbreak Trap
Orim's Chant has worked far better for me than Mindbreak Trap. It's worse vs belcher, but better vs everything else. Hate bears are mostly too slow, but they are still worth running; remember the rule of Zoo vs combo: One hate card in hand is useless, two is a game win.
A 1:1 split of Teeg in main and side is just fine if you're using 3 GSZ main. Which I advocate. ANT has zero outs to a g1 Teeg and he ranges from irrelevant to alright vs a bunch of other decks.
I don't see the appeal of Jotun Grunt in SB. He's slow.
One of each basic! Always one of each basic. From wasteland to price of progress, basics really tie the room together. 10 fetches is plenty, it won't hurt.
I wouldn't SB specifically vs Belcher in an 8 round tournament.
You mention just beating tribal, but call me crazy: I think Goblins is 55-45 vs Zoo g1, 65-35 g2&3. Weirding your t1 guy to get to swing with lackey, late game they have the advantage: ringleader to never run out of gas (Zoo's main problem) and the clock is ticking on SGC into kill you at instant speed. And post side if they draw a Perish they win the game, apes or not.
Mr Safety, one or two shusher in side would be solid, I wouldn't go so far as to run them main right now, though. Maybe a 1:1 split of both shush and teeg if CB top keeps rising, who knows.
I'm not sure I'd play a version with Apes any longer since it's just too weak to CB and has no late game nor enough ways to end the game reliably.
As of now the best version of the deck is something along these lines.
You give up some explosiveness but have a FAR better mirror match and a mid to late game where you can still win, unlike the Ape-version that after turn 4 all it can offer is a 3/3 for 1.
If they manage to kill you first 1-2 dudes you're out in the cold with a version like that, since you basically scoop to Firespout.
It's not a case that you no longer see that kind of Zoo deck placing well but you just see the Big Zoo versions around: more reliable, better late game, better game against CounterTop, better game againt Landstill and you don't scoop to Firespout.
That setup can also use the Zenith a LOT better given the larger mana-base and since they're the next best thing since Survival of the Fittest, it's a HUGE pro to that list.
I don't know if Jotun Grunt is really too slow, looking at the latest ichorid lists most of them seem pretty slow, no LED/Deep Anal decks, so it isn't like they are likely to kill you turn 2, I wouldn't sweat the ichorid match up with 3 KoR and a Bojuka bog anyway.
My thinking of Jotnun grunt anyway was more to trump other decks running goyf and knight of the Reliquary like the mirror or gwb rock so the little monkeys and kitties can punch through the green wall of meat. I would imagine it would probably come in against the counterop decks running firespout too.
Second, http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/l...se_Legacy.html
according to that "Cat Sligh" has the highest win percentage fo any deck in legacy! Sadly only 4 players so it could just be a statiscal anomoly.
The big zoo decks seem to me to just be just Natural Order Progenitus Bant decks but without the Natural Orders or Force of Wills! If I am going to be running noble hiearch I sure as hell am also going to have natural order somewhere in the deck.
Completely crazy and random thought, but why DOESN'T big zoo run Natural Order? Just the awkwardness of drawing your one progenitus and not having brainstorm to shuffle it back?
I might take professor' awesomes suggestion and add another basic since I hate losing to mana screw/land destruction more than anything. Do you absolutely have to have horizon canopy? I have always hated that card, it doesn't pump your land matters dudes, and randomly deals you like 9 damage some games when you are mana screwed but it seems like every deck with KoR runs it.
I agree with basically everything you said. I run Silence instead of Chant but it accomplishes the same thing. Casting it in response to a Duress or another Chant delays ANT by at least a turn. Since ANT doesn't always go off turns 1 or 2 because of the number of cantripping, that extra turn can by you enough time to swing in at least large enough to stop an Ad Nauseam. Also GSZ turn 2 (I run Big Zoo) for Teeg game 1 is GG for ANT.Quote:
Originally Posted by Professor Awesome
Vs Goblins I would never keep a hand that only has a creature as a blocker. As you said, it's too unreliable. Goblin decks have Weirding, Stingscourger, Bolt, and Incinerator (for the little guys). As long as you resolve a giant Knight or Goyf they can't do much as long as you keep applying pressure. Elspeth helps in this regard by making tokens.
I think that Big Zoo these days is the way to go. I've won a ton of games vs Countertop simply by casting GSZ over and over again until they were swarmed by Knights and Goyfs. I've been testing Thrun in this match-up as well. He's pretty solid when Countertop locks you out and they're still finding a threat, which happens a lot. The exalted triggers as well as Elspeth make the 4/4 body a bit better.
I've never heard that rule, but it's AWESOME. Thanks for that knowledge. Makes perfect sense on the Orim's Chant argument, too. How do you feel about Canonist in the sideboard? Not fetchable with GSZ, but is it still worth any slots?Quote:
Originally Posted by Professor Awesome
Word up.Quote:
One of each basic! Always one of each basic. From wasteland to price of progress, basics really tie the room together. 10 fetches is plenty, it won't hurt.
I wouldn't run them in the main. I AM running GSZ x3 in the maindeck, allowing for the silver bullet package (sideboard 1 Teeg, 1 Shusher)Quote:
Mr Safety, one or two shusher in side would be solid, I wouldn't go so far as to run them main right now, though. Maybe a 1:1 split of both shush and teeg if CB top keeps rising, who knows.
That's exactly why you don't run NO-Pro, without Top nor Brainstorm, drawing your lone Progenitus means you have 3 dead cards in the rest of the deck and one in hand.Quote:
Originally Posted by beebles
You run Hierarch mainly to have a tempo boost against decks like CounterTop and Landstill, so that you can cast your big spells with little to no worries of Daze and Pierce. Also, turn 2 active Pridemage is some good against most decks and a turn 2 Reliquary is often GG against Merfolk and awesome against Gobbos, not to mention a turn 3 Elpeth/Ajani V.
Those stats are, as you said, for only 4 decks and for a grand total of 28 games.
From the look of it, 8 matches won by 2-1, a loss by 2-0 and a 1-1 draw, in total, so they all might have dropped off the tourneys after 3 rounds at best.
Or 8 win and 5 loss by 2-0 and a 1-1 draw.
Granted, those version are slightly better against Gobbo and Merfolk, but since CounterBalance and Landstill are on the rise, I'd like to play a deck that has a chance to win against those MUs aswell, unlike Cat Sligh.
Horizon Canopy as a 1of is fine, but you can easily avoid playing it because it hardly ever matters to fetch it with Reliquary to cantrip.
Natural order isn't TOTALLY dead if you draw the progenitus, it can turn noble hiearchs into goyfs or KoRs.... I suppose if you wanted to get really crazy you could run another target like Thrun or something.
I don't know of ANY zoo player that would fetch it for a cantrip. It would be better to simply put Knight into the red zone. Bullets with Knight are usually Bojuka Bog, Karakas, Wasteland (in big zoo), and fetchlands to feed Steppe Lynx.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiaozy
Horizon Canopy has always been just a simple way to draw an extra card for a turn when your land count is sufficient. It has great synergy with Sylvan Library, allowing you to essentially pay 2 mana rather than 4 life for an extra card.
Natural Order is win more. Elspeth wins the game all the same, and can bring back games when you're behind.
I played the following in a small tournament:
//Lands
3 Plateau
2 Taiga
1 Savannah
1 Plains
1 Mountain
1 Forest
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Arid Mesa
2 Windswept Heath
2 Wasteland
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Karakas
//Creatures
3 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild Nacatl
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Knight of the Reliquary
//Instants
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
//Sorceries
2 Green Sun's Zenith
//Enchantments
2 Sylvan Library
//Planeswalkers
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
//Sideboard
3 Ethersworn Cannonist
3 Gaddock Teeg
3 Krosan Grip
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pyroblast
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Relic of Progenitus
I went 3-0-1, beating Countertop, Sneak Attack and a weird mono-black deck featuring Dark Depths and Vampire Hexmage as well as an assortment of other vampires. The loss was to another Countertop deck. In the top 4 I won against a Threshold variant and lost in the finals against the very same Countertop deck.
I'm quite satisfied with the list. The two losses against Countertop very close affairs, and I made some bad play mistakes. I definitely think Big Zoo has much better chances in this match-up than traditional Zoo. Firespout is still annoying, but less so than with the latter. On the other hand, it is weaker against combo, but the sideboard is there to fix this problem. I've never bothered with Mindbreak Trap since it seems easier for Storm players to annul (Duress, Orim's Chant/ Silence). Green Sun's Zenith also fetches Gaddock Teeg. Green Sun's Zenith in general is quite powerful. I don't know about running a full playset though; I haven't tried that yet. Lightning Helix is additional removal.
One thing I'd like to change is to add one more Horizon Canopy, but I don't know what to remove for it.
Regarding Goblins, I'm a bit worried about this match-up as well. Goblin Ringleader is definitely the biggest problem. He ensures there are always more goblins on the way. Mogg War Marshal is a nuisance and Siege-Gang Commander allows them to finish you off quickly when low on life-points. One possibility would be to play something like Pyroblasm in the sideboard. Does anyone have experience with this?
To elucidate on Chant, I'd recommend Ziv go to chants over silence if it isn't a money thing. A very common sb for me is -1 teeg +1 chant vs aggro. I stole a few games with a kicked chant on their upkeep. I'm not sold on canonist because she isn't green and actually stops you from making some fast plays you otherwise could have. I can't think of many advantages canonist has aside from dodging perish (not played by combo), letting you cast GSZ over her head, and not being named teeg so they can sit next to each other. I'd go up to 4 chants side before I added a mise, untutorable canonist.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Safety
The only times I ever tap knight is to get a canopy and pop it with the floating mana. Granted, the only times I ever tap her instead of attack is when you're clogged up with dudes on both sides vs aggro and you block+tap hoping to draw that path/burn.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Safety
@beebles non-LED ichorid is relatively "slow", but tireless tribe is such a nuisance that it doesn't even matter. I'd rather play against the faster combo style ichorid because at least they tried too hard and you could blow them out with a narco trigger on the stack bolt to kird ape t2. Now they just sit behind 1/5 walls for 1 and 'slow roll' you with 6 zombie tokens and chump blocks. Exile their GY? ok, eot discard troll, troll, bridge to stinkweed and make sure to sneer at the zoo guy and comment on bojuka/tormod's being nice tech. (my playtesting vs ichorid hasn't been sunshine and rainbows sorry if that's apparent :P).
For reference here's my current list:
23 Land
4 Horizon Canopy
4 Arid Mesa
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Windswept Heath
3 Plateau
2 Taiga
1 Savannah
1 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
20 Creatures
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Grim Lavamancer
1 Kird Ape
17 Spells
4 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Chain Lightning
2 Sylvan Library
2 Fireblast
2 Umezawa's Jitte
15 Sideboard
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Orim's Chant
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Pyroclasm
2 Krosan Grip
1 Kataki, War's Mage
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
The only suspect cards are the number of Sylvan Libraries and the Umezawa's Jitte main deck. I'm not sure whether to run the 4th Grim Lavamancer or not. I hate drawing that card in multiples. Any ideas?
So I'm definitely cutting Grim Lavamancer. I never want to see him, and he sucks on turn one. I rape Merfolk/Goblins enough already. I'm replacing the 3x Lavamancer with 3x Mother of Runes. Whenever I come up against this card with Zoo, I lose every game. I've seen the "light" and realized how freaking insane the card is. It does what the deck need, which is push through damage when the game is in a stall. Plus, it can be used to save random creatures from removal, and get past Jitte(Which also beats Zoo). +1 to Mother of Runes.
I've been pretty happy when I tried Mother of Runes in normal Zoo like six months ago. I know some other players (BreathWeapon?) recommended it too, but it's such an unconventional choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loxodon Baileyarch
Let me know how it works for you.
Edit: It's always great for stalling out the ground when you're behind, but it's even better for protecting your fatties/making them unblockable. Plus since it's a less aggressive card, I think it's a better fit in those more midrange builds that run more fatties to begin with (i.e. 4 Goyf and 4 Knights at the minimum).
I've found that Goblin players (especially Rb players) will board out Lackey and Piledriver in games 2 and 3. They hope to win by manascrewing the Zoo player, making it to the late game where they can benefit from card advantage on the back of Goblin Ringleader, Goblin Matron, Siege-Gang Commander, Gempalm Incinerator, Mogg War Marshal, and Perish. I guess their logic is that Zoo has too much removal for Lackey and Piledriver to connect, so that can be to your advantage even when you don't actually have removal for the turn 1 Lackey.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ziveeman
Grim Lavamancer is also run in the fast builds, so the point is that if there is no other turn 1 play besides Nacatl or Steppe Lynx, it's better to have some lasting effect on the board via Mom's protection ability rather than a conflicting strategy between Goyf/KotR and lavamancers. It's like Merfolk running Standstill. Great card, usually win-moar, therefore it can be replaced to aid in mulitple and specific problem areas. I'm going to try it out for myself, I like the ideaQuote:
Originally Posted by lordofthepit
Lavamancer is amazing, I wouldn't ever play less than 2. 23 land is A LOT. You're not even running KotR, you curve out at 2. If you're looking to cut cards I would start with a land or two. If you're looking to add cards I'd start with the 4th Chain Lightning. Loam Lion's better than Kird Ape unless you expect to see more Deathmark than BEB/Hydroblast. You also have more turn 1 white sources than red without fetching.Quote:
Originally Posted by RaNDoMxGeSTuReS
Not playing Knight of the Reliquary at all is a mistake in my opinion.
Gaddock Teeg in the sideboard is overall more useful than Ethersworn Canonist.
If I were running Kird Ape, I'd want to play against the guy who BEB's a Kird Ape. All day long. Same with Deathmark and Loam Lion. That's just theory that's never put into practiceQuote:
Originally Posted by Doomsday
There's a hair more Deathmark then BEB/Hydroblast in my meta. Also I own a singleton Arabian Nights Kird Ape. I love him :smile:Quote:
Originally Posted by Doomsday
How's this sound:
-3 Horizon Canopy
-1 Umezawa's Jitte
+1 Treetop Village
+2 Knight of the Reliquary
+1 Chain Lightning
This puts the list at:
21 Land
4 Arid Mesa
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Windswept Heath
3 Plateau
2 Taiga
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Treetop Village
1 Savannah
1 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
22 Creatures
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Grim Lavamancer
2 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Kird Ape
17 Spells
4 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
2 Sylvan Library
2 Fireblast
1 Umezawa's Jitte
15 Sideboard
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Orim's Chant
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Pyroclasm
2 Krosan Grip
1 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
And yes the sideboard is meta related. And what's everyones current view on Treetop Village? A lot of people I know say he sucks in Zoo, but I really like having him. I've seen him used in Morbid's lists and some of Alix Hatfield's lists.
Obviously he's good against board wipes, Humility and under Standstill. What do you folks think?
I've never tried Treetop Village, how has it been working for you? I play almost this exact list. Mine is -1 Plateau, -1 Treetop Village, -1 Jitte, -1 Lavamancer, -1 Kird Ape; +1 Wooded Foothills, +1 Windswept Heath, +2 Price of Progress, +1 Loam Lion. I like the Chants way better than Traps in your sideboard. Has Canonist been better than Teeg for you in the board? I'd almost like a single maindeck Teeg and GSZs. 8 Nacatls, 8 Pridemages and 8 Goyfs is pretty good I hear, just not sure what can be cut.Quote:
Originally Posted by RaNDoMxGeSTuReS
EDIT: And not sure what you mean jandax. They just do some simple math and odds, and decide whether the resolved Ape will deal them more damage than a Bolt or Blast (he doesn't have Price of Progress, just Ape, Bolt Chain Lightning and Fireblast for red).
Treetop Village is insane.
Windswept Heath is the most important fetchland, so you should be playing four of that.
I suppose it depends on your meta, but I dislike Umezawa's Jitte, especially in the maindeck. It's okay against the tribal decks, but pretty lackluster against everything else.
I think you want one more Knight of the Reliquary.
I don't know about Treetop Village and Standstill. Sure you can fetch it with Knight of the Reliquary under Standstill, but why would someone play Standstill in the first place when you have Knight of the Reliquary out? Assuming on the other hand that you have no creatures in play, the probability of drawing the single Treetop Village is very small. Fetching it preemptively doesn't seem good either, because you usually want to be attacking. I'm not saying the card is bad and I'll test it myself, but playing one copy won't help much against Standstill.
In combo match-ups, Ethersworn Canonist gets hit by artifact hate ran in some sideboards, for example in ANT, as well.That might or might not be relevant.
@ Orim's Chant: This card has been amazing for me against combo. My meta has Tendrils Combo, Sneak Attack and Show and Tell decks. It work wonders. I prefer this over Gaddock Teeg, it's just a preference.
@ Ethersworn Canonist: I use this as combo hate pieces 4-5. My meta is also infested with Elves (combo and aggro versions.) This helps me catch up because sometimes they can just play more 1/1's than we can 3/3's.
@ Umezawa's Jitte: Tribal decks. My meta is full of them. It helps shore the match in my favor. Affinity is also huge in my meta. Answers Etched Champion.
@ Treetop Village: This card has been sick whenever I play it. It beats face and tramples for 3. The only time I'm happy to see it is when I have a god hand and wished it were a forest.
If we're being personal here, I'd rather have another KotR. THe mana requirement is around the same. You still have to untap with them.Quote:
Originally Posted by RaNDoMxGeSTuReS
Yet your own pro's about the card are valid, but if it is coming down to one card what of the following?:
It is the 21st land. Either it could be a spell or another land, but it'd be the first card to go if this list were to change
Does having a man land, and one card in 60, worth having less threats in a conventional form like another KotR?
If it were one of, couldn't it be simply a powerful spell worthy of a miser slot?
Or is the generic off chance that it could matter warrant an inclusion?
Depending on who shows up to the biweekly Legacy tournaments the slot changes to Karakas. If the Dredge or Sneak Attack decks don't show, it's usually a Treetop Village.Quote:
Originally Posted by jandax
It's interesting that you keep it a land instead of adding or even using a spell.
Lucky you.
2 Horizon Canopy/ 1x canopy+ 1 karakas
3 Arid Mesa
3 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
3 Plateau
2 Taiga
1 Savannah
1 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
22
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Kird ape/ loam lion
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Grim Lavamancer
1 gaddock teeg
2 KOTR
3 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning helix
2 Sylvan Library
3 green sun's zenith (quite a nice card but still testing it, ikd if I should go with it?)
2 price of progress
Any comments are welcome, ty
I don't post here very often but I have tournament report for SCG DC. I piloted Zenith Zoo to 7th place, with a 7 - 0 -2 swiss record.
Creatures//
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Knight of the Reliquary
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Terravore
Enchantments//
3 Sylvan Library
Instants//
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Lightning Bolt
Sorceries//
4 Green Sun's Zenith
Lands//
4 Wasteland
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Horizon Canopy
3 Taiga
2 Savannah
1 Plateau
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
1 Mountain
SB//
2 Path to Exile
2 Krosan Grip
2 Choke
2 Enlightened Tutor
2 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Qasali Pridemage
My brother came up with the list and we play tested the night before and made a few last minute changes.
We took out a 4th Knight for the miser Terravore. With GSZ (Green Sun's Zenith), we see Knight about every game so there was no real need for the 8th. The reason we chose Terravore was for decks like Goblins and Merfolk where the only thing that will win you the game is a 12/12 trampler to break the standstill. It's amazing with GSZ for the late-game tutor win.
In the sideboard, we thought it was necessary for the 5th tutorable hate card. Initially it was a one of Absolute Law that would allow us to bash in with unblockable Knights and Goyfs but we decided it was unnecessary, we switched to Ghostly Prison which turned out to do absolutely nothing in my Goblins mu. After the tournament we've decided to cut the last goblin hate card for a Karakas. S&T mu is almost unwinnable and a Karakas out of the board makes the mu about even if not in your favor.
You may be wondering why we MD StP over PtE. We play Wasteland and PtE is counteracts that strategy. The life gain isn't important because you're not looking to burn them out but to beat them down with huge Knights.
Great aspects of the deck:
-GSZ allows you to play only 2 Pridemage. Pridemage is a great card in many mu's and the exalted is amazing, but he is a terrible blocker and this deck has better things to do turn 2 than drop a Pridemage and swing. And if you really need to nuke an enchantment you can tutor for one via Sun. This aspect makes the Counterbalance mu extremely favorable. GSZ gets around Counterbance which allows you to sneak Pridemages through.
-The early acceleration lets you use Wasteland effectively. Turn one Nacatl, turn two Hierarch, Wasteland, nuke a land, swing for 3 is a very powerful play that I pulled off multiple times in the tournament. It's especially strong vs the Dark Horizons decks. The turn one play of GSZ into Dryad Arbor is very powerful as well. Its a one mana Rampant Growth, and if it's wasted or bolted turn one, it doesn't affect you at all because the deck doesn't NEED the acceleration but if it gets it, it can get out of hand real quick. The reason why I think this deck is better than other Big Zoo Lists is because GSZ is an amazing early game(GSZ for Arbor, Nacatl), mid game(Get Goyf, Pridemage), and late game card(Terravore RAWR!). It replaces Elspeth as the lategame bomb while also not being dead before the 4th-5th turn. Elspeth also needs Hierarchs to survive because 4 mana is simply too much in Legacy.
-Exalted! Played 6 creatures with exalted makes it so much easier to bash in with Goyfs and Knights. Against Dark Horizons, other Zoo decks, and Team America, having bigger versions of their creatures wins the game.
Here's a brief tourney report, sorry but it's not very detailed.
R1 Tom playing Bertoncini's mono blue merfolk list
Both games consist of clasic Zoo shenanigans, I burn and swords relevant dudes. GSZ gives me an unnaceptable amount of Goyfs in play which simply annihilate Merfolks unpumped fish. G1 he plays a Sower on a goyf, fortunately I ripped the StP so no worries. G2 He plays a Back to Basics on me, I luckily had both basics in play.
2-0
2-0
R2 Dom playing Mono Black Rack
Three awesome games of magic. He played Hypnotic Specters, Mishra's Factory, Nantuko Shade, and THE RACK. You may scoff but two racks in play does 6 a turn to me. I didn't see a rack G1 so after he crushed me G2 brought in the Jitte's which allowed me to stay above water. It was similar to playing against burn.
2-1
4-1
R3 Nick Patnode playing BR Goblins
First off, this guy is amazing at magic. I beat him G1 with a Terravore which he so wasn't ready for. G2 I land an active turn 3 Jitte, the game lasts about 30 minutes and he wins through it. G3 We go to time and I beat him on Turn 3 or 4(of time, not literally turn 3) with Terravore. This deck punishes goblins, Terravore is that good, and can be reliably tutored for with GSZ.
2-1
6-2
R4 Ray playing Dark Horizons
Zenith Zoo rofl stomps Dark Horizons. Your dudes are bigger, and the surprise Wastelands can punish their manabase. GSZ and Library just create too much CA for them to handle, especially when you kill Bobs instantly. Lavamancer sines in this MU. G1 I waste him to death, G2 my Knights get there.
2-0
8-2
R5 Shaun playing Dark Horizons
G1 I lose because I am forced to mull to 5, he Hymns me second turn... G2 and G3 I kill his early Bobs, hold the StP's and boarded in PtE's for his big guys, and eventually overwhelm him with Knights and Goyfs.
2-1
10-3
R6 Gerry Thompson playing WGB Combo Elves
G1 he combos out, I didn't have the removal so I lost. G2 I surprise him with an EoT Enlightened Tutor for the Jitte, which I play and equip/swing the next turn. G3 I have a great hand. I play some guys, waste his Bayous/Savannah, and I Path and Swords his relevant elves. After I won he told me this was the first match he lost in 15 rounds (he won the Standard 5k the day before).
2-1
12-4
R7 Feature match with Dan Signorini playing Team America
G1 I am able to keep him at bay with Wastelands and my Goyfs were bigger than his Stalkers with the help of Noble Hierarchs. I GSZ'd for Hierarchs so I could punch through with Goyfs. G2 I get Team America'd in the face as he Snuff Out'd and Darkblasted all of my threats while Hymning. G3 I keep a greedy hand of Fetch, Hierarch, Nacatl, Path, Swords, Pridemage, Goyf. I go first turn Hierarch, he ponders, I rip the fetch, play a Nacatl, he misses two land drops. he almost comes back but a timely Knight eventually gets there.
2-1
14-5
I draw in to Top 8
Top8 Ari Lax playing UB Storm, my worst possible matchup
Its painful to describe, he Stormed me, nothing special.
So I got 7th place with what I feel is an amazing deck that very effectively abuses GSZ. Test it and play with it!
Congrats on your finish Guevera, sadly I got 10th for the second time with the deck. I watched a few of your matches (big guy in blue hoody) I was very impressed and inspired with changes to the list which has caused me to do some changes to mine. If your in Edison i'll formally introduce myself rather then stalk your matches.
Grats on your finishes you two. Between you guys and Mary my confidence has been restored in my choice of Zoo if I decide to go to SCG: LA. The singleton Terravore seems like a pretty good target for GSZ actually...I'm gonna playtest that.
Is the Enlightened Tutor package worth it in the SB? Perhaps having that with Pyrostatic Pillar would improve the Storm matchup (along with GSZ for Teeg), and maybe a singleton O-Ring for the S&T matchup as well.