[Deck] Zoo

[Dr.AgOn]

True, I like Goblin Guide, too. I even played with him for quite a time, but I really can't let my oponent draw a card each turn. With a meta full of Brainstorm, Ponder, Top etc. I really don't know if those 2 points of damage are worth it. Besides, He doesn't work well with Reckless Charge.

I don't know if I have enough one drops, but on the other hand I want to be more flexible under a Chalice at one.

[Dr.AgOn]

Sry for double post.

[Svenyboy]

at Dr. Agon:
I cant agree in one point. You said that Forest and Plains suck with Fireblast but you always fetch turn 1 Savannah. That sucks too when you have the 2 land hand and don't draw an other mountain for your blast.

[Dr.AgOn]

Hmm, are you saying I should play a list without Savannahs? Or should I cut the Fireblasts?? That's totally rediculous.
I really don't want to play my Blast on turn two, so I don't see that much of a problem. And against the only MU where I might cast a turn two Fireblast - Combo - I wouldn't fetch a Savannah on turn One. And for the record: I don't always fetch a Savannah on my First turn. The most important thing about Zoo is that you gotta think ahead a bit, in order to do the most damage possible and not to fetch the wrong lands.

[DrHealex]

Hmm, are you saying I should play a list without Savannahs? Or should I cut the Fireblasts??

I don't think you should cut the 2 fireblast, they have always felt like the right number to me.

Having more than 1 savannah just seems silly since you really never want 2 of them in play. Especially when you completely open the manabase in your deck up to nonbasic land hate such as back to basic, and blood moon, destructive flow, and others seemingly unnecessarily.

Not that it matters anyways. If you don't see ANY of that in your metagame, there is hardly a need for you to become unset in your ways. After all, we are only talking about ONE less "mountain" in your deck, and I doubt that lowers the precentages of having a turn 2 fireblast more than a couple points.

I still stand by the statement that a 1/1/1 split of basics with 1 savannah is the "optimal" mana base. That is all.

[kkoie]

I've noticed some discussion in this thread regarding possible matchup problems with Progenitus decks. I wonder if anyone here has attempted using Retribution of the Meek as a sideboard answer?

For those not in the know:

Retribution of the Meek
2w
Sorcery
(Visions)

Destroy all creatures that have a power of 4 or greater. They cannot be regenerated.

Granted this could kill our goyfs and Knights, but we could play around that and it could be useful against other decks that pack major fatties (mirror, aggro-loam, etc).

Thoughts?

[Dr.AgOn]

Well, I generally like the idea, because Progenitus really can be a difficult MU, but I'd rather board in Gaddock Teegs. Those are more efficient in other match ups, too.

[Rizso]

Thinking of having 2 Stoneforge Mystics 1 jitte and a Baskelisk Collar in my board.

2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Tormod's Crypt
3 Krosan Grip
3 Gaddock Teeg
1 Umezawa's Jitt
1 Basilisk Collar
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Sylvan Library.

[St3B]

Thinking of having 2 Stoneforge Mystics 1 jitte and a Baskelisk Collar in my board.

I had the same idea for the main deck upping the lavamancers to 4. This way you machinegun RWMs and covert the extra lives via lirbary into extra cards.

[Svenyboy]

How good is at the moment Domain Zoo with Tribal Flames and Dark Confidant against Aggro Loam and Tempo Thresh (Wasteland/Stife)? Has this deck a chance? I mean it plays only 2 taiga and the rest one of every dual...

[Rizso]

Have played the domain Zoo as well. While i love both Tribal Flames and Dark Confidant i rather stick with the 3c and use the the more 3c stable mana and sylvan library instead of Dark Confidant. But havent played the domain version to much.

[Dr.AgOn]

95% of the time your Confidants get removed before you're allowed to draw a card. On the other hand, once they're in play, they're effing good. But splashing for a playset really isn't worth it.

And regarding Tribal Flames... They mostly just do 4 dmg and are a stupid SORCERY!!
You have to play 5 different duals and won't stand a chance against wastelands.

[SteakKnife]

Thinking of having 2 Stoneforge Mystics 1 jitte and a Baskelisk Collar in my board.

2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Tormod's Crypt
3 Krosan Grip
3 Gaddock Teeg
1 Umezawa's Jitt
1 Basilisk Collar
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Sylvan Library.

Have you tested this yet? What do you expect to take out for the 4 cards?

[Rizso]

Have you tested this yet? What do you expect to take out for the 4 cards?

Still waiting for my mystics to test them out. But in teory against mirror and other red decks taking out the chain lightnings for them. Geting the collar against thoes damn rhox war monks :P

But still wating for my mystics... hopefully they will arrive tomorrow. Hopefully geting it tested out on tuesday legacy evening.

[lordofthepit]

I'm not a big fan of most of the one drops (besides Nacatl and Lavamancer) or two drops (besides Goyf and Pridemage). Would it be ridiculous to maindeck some Vexing Shushers to the local Friday night game? I don't play there a whole lot, but every competitive deck I recall facing ran FOWs (mostly Countertop and Landstill).

[beastman]

I'm not a big fan of most of the one drops (besides Nacatl and Lavamancer) or two drops (besides Goyf and Pridemage). Would it be ridiculous to maindeck some Vexing Shushers to the local Friday night game? I don't play there a whole lot, but every competitive deck I recall facing ran FOWs (mostly Countertop and Landstill).

It really depends on your meta game. If there is a lot of counter-top and other blue decks, then MD shusher isn't too bad. It also helps against chalice decks.

God, I really want to see someone play nether void against shusher.....

[memnarch]

95% of the time your Confidants get removed before you're allowed to draw a card. On the other hand, once they're in play, they're effing good. But splashing for a playset really isn't worth it.

And regarding Tribal Flames... They mostly just do 4 dmg and are a stupid SORCERY!!
You have to play 5 different duals and won't stand a chance against wastelands.

I agree with this. I tested with confident and I found him to get removed to often. Really the way to play is to just have a high threat density. Yes chalice exists but your more likely to draw creatures first if the threat density is high enough. Its more about having Mana available to drop your threats quickly. It just really isn't worth splashing black even though it does give you Engineered Plague in the side. The deck is about getting to 3 colors safely and that's hard enough stretching it to 4 didn't work for me. You want a deck to have one straightforward attack plan. Not make it harder on yourself by color-screw.

Also on the Loam Lion VS Steppe Lynx I'm really not sold on Lynx being better. I'm not sure where I would fit them in addition to Kird ape because of how great Lavamancer and figure are. But an early 2/3 is great against a variety of decks any way you cut it. If you are playing basics you have a good chance he will stay 2/3 and not die from Lavamancer or smaller burn like magma jet like Lynx will die.

[Rizso]

Anyone else notice the Wing shards Luis Quintana´s undefeated-day1 zoo deck sideboard, GP Madrid? Nice tech against progenitus but also Empyrial Archangel and Sphinx of the Steel Wind if reanimator gets more popularity.

[Sims]

Anyone else notice the Wing shards Luis Quintana´s undefeated-day1 zoo deck sideboard, GP Madrid? Nice tech against progenitus tbh.

Wing shards is just a woefully underplayed removal spell in this format, period. I'm actually kind of surprised, especially with the low creature count most decks are running and Prog moving on up in the world, that people hadn't thought of it sooner. Even if they're swinging with 3 and you bolt a dude and shards the other 2 away. Card is mad good. I haven't tried it in Zoo though, to be honest, but I can't see (aside from mana issues, which i don't usually have trouble with) why it wouldn't be usable.

[Mohr]

For those interested, I went undefeated and split the Top 4 of a 40+ man tournament over the weekend with the following build:

4 Steppe Lynx
4 Wild Nactal
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Quasali Pridemage
2 Tin-Street Hooligan
2 Jotun Grunt
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
4 Rift Bolt
2 Fireblast
2 Path to Exile
4 Arid Mesa
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
3 Taiga
3 Plateau
1 Savannah
1 Mountain
1 Plains

SB
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Pyrostatic Pillar
1 Path to Exile
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 Vexing Shusher
2 Pithing Needle
2 Gaddock Teeg

I posted because the build is somewhat different than many of those reflected in this forum. I'm not saying it is anywhere near perfect, but simply different. My meta has a large amount of Aggro Loam, Bant, and Merfolk so I play Tin-Street Hooligan in the main. The deck was solid, and the Pillars out of the board were a great surprise factor. They are too slow against most combo decks, but were very good against mid-range decks.

If I were to play again tomorrow, I may try a different direction by cutting 4 Rift Bolts, 3 Chain Lightnings, and 1 Jotun Grunt for 4 Goblin Guides, 2 Path to Exiles, and 2 Reckless Abandon. The Reckless Abandon give you a nice out when your Guides and Lynx become underpowered in the mid-game, while providing you with an unexpected 4 damage, or an out against War Monk.

One thing I noticed is that Goyf can be somewhat underwhelming. Obviously, if you play Jitte and Library main deck this is less of an issue. But, depending on the amount of combo, I would consider adding 1 of Tarfire and/or Seal of Fire. I understand this becomes much worse if all Merfolk builds start running 4 Goyfs as those from the 5k.