2-0 vs Tron
Got to ult Domri on G1 and play a hasted-hexproofed-trampler-double-striker 7/7 Knight.
G2 played dork on 1, Thalia+Nacatl on 2, Molten Rain (couldn't borrow the Fulminators yesterday) on 3 and that was game.
2-1 vs Burn
G1 he was on the play and had double Guide. Couldn't keep up.
G2 played my dork on 1, he Bolted it and I went with Goyf. Protected it with Dromoka's when he tried to kill with Searing Blaze+Lavamancer and Goyf keeps bashing for the win.
G3 Went to 5 life always holding Dromoka's to counter one of his burn spells. Nacatl and Pridemage hitting for the win. Domri found a Thalia on the last turn to hold him back even longer.
1-2 vs Ad Nauseam
He had double Lotus on the play, I had double Qasali. Lost my 3rd land drop. I sac 1 Qasali to destroy Unlife and played Goyf (my mistake, should have held mana for the other Qasali, but as I had just destroyed Unlife, I thought the odds of him having another one was lower than the odds of him having Angel's Grace). He had the second Unlife and went of with the 2 Blooms.
G2 Domri found Qasali, Eidolon of Rethoric and Loxodon Smiter. He Pacted Eidolon and on his upkeep, Angel's Graced. Since he didn't went for the combo, I figured he didn't had it in hand and hit him down to 0 with Unlife and, after damage, sac'd the Qasali to win the game.
G3 had a slow start with Thalia on t2 followed by Lavamancer and Ooze. Got him down to 16 and tried to kill his Lotus on my turn. He used the mana to bounce Thalia and I couldn't replay it, only having 1 untapped mana. On his turn he played Serum Visions (found Ad Nauseam with it) and played Spoils for Angel's Grace. With my untapped mana I used Lavamancer to give him lesser odds, but he found it in the 8th card and still had enough Simians to play Storm.
3 really good matches and maybe I could have won the first one vs Ad Nauseam. The list felt really solid, always having lots of options. Will keep playing this list on the next weeks.
You can always add a Breeding Pool, replacing either a ghost quarter (which i wouldnt advice) or Stirring Wildwood. Before dismissing them, try them out extensively. I do think that the first two modes are great for us as it serves a tempo/aggro approach.
Just my 1st impression and initial thoughts about new Tamiyo.
I could see her being decent to good in match ups like infect, Abzan CoCo, small zoo maybe even burn. And absolutely slightly underwhelming to horrible vs grindy controlling decks like Jund, Jeskai, grixis.
4 starting loyalty is great.
Abilities are interesting.
Against other aggressive creature decks, you can -2 to stop attacks. I would say this is more helpful vs infect's unblockable creatures. Pretty sure this effect gets around spellskite in the way that it can only redirect one of the targets.
OR
you can set up blockers and +1 targeting your opponent's creatures to make them attacking difficult for them, If they attack and you block/trade with your hopefully bigger dudes, lose their creatures and draw cards, if they don't then it's good as well because playing the longer game is better for you. If they have something like Atarka's command to get around it then welp too bad. High risk high reward play.
-7 seems pretty win-more.
My issue is that she doesn't really help you recover from board wipes in control match ups, which is generally what you want your big 4 mana play to do. Elspeth can create a board, Arlinn can create a board, Gideon AOZ can create a board, Chandra draws you an extra card per turn. IMO Tamiyo is closest in power level to Chandra, eg you can +1 on their creature to draw cards but if they're beating you down with a man-land or playing draw-go and sandbagging kill spells then she doesn't do anything at all.
I'm already splashing blue for Geist of Saint Traft in my 4c Company build so I'll probably give her a try as well.
I think out of the 4cmc walkers available to use she has the highest potential upside when we're talking about best-case scenarios but likely the lousiest one to have in worst-case scenarios.
Guys please opinions on japanese cards. Lost a 3/3 creature against Japan celestial colonade. This guy played all creatures and spells in english cards, but some cards in his manabase was japanese. I dont registrated this really ( my brain say its all fine and all english to me lets attack his empty board)...and i am sure it is a Kind of legal cheating. It is not ok, but i know legal. I Hate such people. I never forget colonade normally, but with this Tricks it can happen one time in 3 years and such people take advantage of this
If I am a customer spending premium amount of dollars, I expect a premium service. Jund falls into the category of a premium deck costing more dollars than a majority of the rest of the format. I'm not getting the desired performance ratio per dollars spent out of the Jund deck because WOTC decided to make the format more diverse.
Right. Thats what I meant by it isnt up zoo's color pie. At 4 mana, it can "refill the hand" aka, give us more gas. In a bigger zoo, this isnt a huge issue but it does like card draw... but it also likes a 4 mana win the game threat. Elspeth can flat out win the game on her own with an empty board, and Arlinn and Ajani V can do the same.
The deck that wants gas the most, is one that gets more hell bent, or is controlling a lot of veritables, ala jund or tempo. Zoo isnt any of those. Collected company "draws and Plays" 2 cards for us, so in a lot of ways its better.
Its -2 is nice, but hardly game winning for us, an aggressive deck. Both these fit more of Bant deck (which, I'm referring to historically, what a next level bant deck looked like, not the color combo) which was a tempo deck that was able to grind resources in the midrange. This deck doesnt really exist in modern... Maybe Knightfall to an extent, but she fits the bill there, drawing things off their evasive creatures (think Clique) tapping down threats that can trade up (Clique has 1 toughness, not fun with lingering souls tokens) and then draw cards (tempoing them) and playing those cards (probably grinding more value... think clique lol)
I know everyone wants to be fancy with Zoo... but we're not a fancy deck, and thats actually our strength. Its very hard to hate out a plan A: I'll kill you with creatures, plan b: I'll still kill you with my creatures deck. This is one of the reasons I dont think Evolution will be all that great for us. It might be pretty good as a silver bullet finder, but Its going to slot in as a combo enabler better in a deck like melira company.
I think testing Tamiyo is a waste of time... At least for me, since I've tested things in zoo for years. I'm about 90% sure it will end up "It was nice to have, but untimely I wished I just played goyf." win more kinda results. Evolution is worth testing, strictly due to raw power, but I have a feeling, it will end up fitting like a shoe a size too small as well.
So I'm now almost done with pondering and making changes for tomorrow's LGS qualifier but still there are a few issues that I need to resolve and clear doubts.
Our last month's qualifier had the following meta (top 10 in appearance):
6 Kiki Chord
4 Merfolk
3 Jund
2 RG Tron
2 Junk
2 Abzan Company
2 Bring to Light Scapeshift
2 Naya Zoo
2 Naya Burn
2 Affinity
I expect to see more Jund and Bant Eldrazi tomorrow.
What do you guys think? I'm used to playing Small Zoo which is much more explosive so I'm relatively new to Big Zoo and the way the deck is supposed to be played. I choose for Big Zoo for this qualifier to be more resilient to the current meta that is being played in our LGS.
The Smiter in the sideboard can go. Preferably for another piece of artifact hate eg, fracturing gust/stony silence/kataki. I also think ancient grudge is better than destructive revelry.
I would prefer to keep 1 finks in the main, taking one out for either another ooze or voice. Pridemage doesn't do enough to warrant a 3rd in the main.
Guys please opinions on japanese cards. Lost a 3/3 creature against Japan celestial colonade. This guy played all creatures and spells in english cards, but some cards in his manabase was japanese. I dont registrated this really ( my brain say its all fine and all english to me lets attack his empty board)...and i am sure it is a Kind of legal cheating. It is not ok, but i know legal. I Hate such people. I never forget colonade normally, but with this Tricks it can happen one time in 3 years and such people take advantage of this
If I am a customer spending premium amount of dollars, I expect a premium service. Jund falls into the category of a premium deck costing more dollars than a majority of the rest of the format. I'm not getting the desired performance ratio per dollars spent out of the Jund deck because WOTC decided to make the format more diverse.
I think the best planeswalker for the deck is Domri Rade.
I had some runs with Arlinn and she can be clunky sometimes.
Domri gives you gas (or a scry, if you miss and have a fetchland in play) at the same time that he is a virtual removal spell. And he is a must-answer as each turn unanswered is more value gained and the threat of his ultimate is a great pressure.
Utility is one thing, but command offers two modular effects for 2 mana. With mana efficiency being the name of the game in older formats, I dont think that you need "scale up" cards.
I know but if we are being honest, more often than not (about 80% of the time) it just works as a removal and is sometimes conditional. This is a non conditional removal, more useful against decks like bogles, infect and jund. The 4 life mode (which is admittedly the weakest mode) is useful against burn. And the untapping is just a great combat trick. I'd say that even if we are using one of the modes is better than the two modes we can get 80% of the time from dromoka's. Is my reasoning wrong or not considering something? I am open for discussion :).
I think it could be used as like a two of for combat tricks with Knight of the Reliquary to attack, untap, sac a land and pump maybe?
I'm dabbling in small zoo w/ Reckless Bushwhacker. I took it to an FNM last night to a 3-1 finish for 3rd. Beat Green Devotion on the back of Ghor-Clan Rampager, Jeskai Nahiri Control easily and Esper Control easily. Then lost to GR Tron.
I beat the Tron player game 1 on T4. Game 2 I got him down to 3 life and then he board wipes and destroys my lands. Game 3 I got him down to 5 before he stabilized in the same way.
I'm new to small zoo and don't see much advice on the Tron match-up online. Does anyone have any insights? I feel like small zoo should be fairly favored. Do you switch to a tempo game post-board?
I'm planning to sleeve up Bushwhacker Zoo for WMCQ next week. I would like to ask your thoughts on having Mark of Asylum in my sideboard. I think it might be useful for matchups with boardwipes (tron / skred red? ) and decks with burn spells as removals (burn, jeskai nahiri) what are your thoughts about this card?
I personally would not consider cutting any of our 4 paths and 4 bolts. Especially if there are a lot of aggressive decks in your meta. If there's a lot of jeskai I could see it being good to have another walker instead of a piece of removal that's dead most of the time. 4 paths are still highly relevant against jund and grixis.
Guys please opinions on japanese cards. Lost a 3/3 creature against Japan celestial colonade. This guy played all creatures and spells in english cards, but some cards in his manabase was japanese. I dont registrated this really ( my brain say its all fine and all english to me lets attack his empty board)...and i am sure it is a Kind of legal cheating. It is not ok, but i know legal. I Hate such people. I never forget colonade normally, but with this Tricks it can happen one time in 3 years and such people take advantage of this
If I am a customer spending premium amount of dollars, I expect a premium service. Jund falls into the category of a premium deck costing more dollars than a majority of the rest of the format. I'm not getting the desired performance ratio per dollars spent out of the Jund deck because WOTC decided to make the format more diverse.
I would play elspeth over gideon. I haven't played with big zoo for a while, at least until the new thalia comes out, so I'm not sure if 4 paths is right. I was playing 3 when I started play bushwacker zoo a lot more.
4 Windswept Heath
3 Arid Mesa
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Stomping Ground
2 Temple Garden
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Kessig Wolf Run
2 Forest
1 Plains
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Qasali Pridemage
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Loxodon Smiter
Stuff (13)
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
3 Domri Rade
2 Dromoka's Command
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Kitchen Finks
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Hushwing Gryff
1 Eidolon of Rethoric
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Volcanic Fallout
2 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Choke
The deck felt great.
2-0 vs Tron
Got to ult Domri on G1 and play a hasted-hexproofed-trampler-double-striker 7/7 Knight.
G2 played dork on 1, Thalia+Nacatl on 2, Molten Rain (couldn't borrow the Fulminators yesterday) on 3 and that was game.
2-1 vs Burn
G1 he was on the play and had double Guide. Couldn't keep up.
G2 played my dork on 1, he Bolted it and I went with Goyf. Protected it with Dromoka's when he tried to kill with Searing Blaze+Lavamancer and Goyf keeps bashing for the win.
G3 Went to 5 life always holding Dromoka's to counter one of his burn spells. Nacatl and Pridemage hitting for the win. Domri found a Thalia on the last turn to hold him back even longer.
1-2 vs Ad Nauseam
He had double Lotus on the play, I had double Qasali. Lost my 3rd land drop. I sac 1 Qasali to destroy Unlife and played Goyf (my mistake, should have held mana for the other Qasali, but as I had just destroyed Unlife, I thought the odds of him having another one was lower than the odds of him having Angel's Grace). He had the second Unlife and went of with the 2 Blooms.
G2 Domri found Qasali, Eidolon of Rethoric and Loxodon Smiter. He Pacted Eidolon and on his upkeep, Angel's Graced. Since he didn't went for the combo, I figured he didn't had it in hand and hit him down to 0 with Unlife and, after damage, sac'd the Qasali to win the game.
G3 had a slow start with Thalia on t2 followed by Lavamancer and Ooze. Got him down to 16 and tried to kill his Lotus on my turn. He used the mana to bounce Thalia and I couldn't replay it, only having 1 untapped mana. On his turn he played Serum Visions (found Ad Nauseam with it) and played Spoils for Angel's Grace. With my untapped mana I used Lavamancer to give him lesser odds, but he found it in the 8th card and still had enough Simians to play Storm.
3 really good matches and maybe I could have won the first one vs Ad Nauseam. The list felt really solid, always having lots of options. Will keep playing this list on the next weeks.
WGUBR 5c Humans
GWR Naya Zoo
Legacy:
GW GW Maverick
R Goblins
I could see her being decent to good in match ups like infect, Abzan CoCo, small zoo maybe even burn. And absolutely slightly underwhelming to horrible vs grindy controlling decks like Jund, Jeskai, grixis.
4 starting loyalty is great.
Abilities are interesting.
Against other aggressive creature decks, you can -2 to stop attacks. I would say this is more helpful vs infect's unblockable creatures. Pretty sure this effect gets around spellskite in the way that it can only redirect one of the targets.
OR
you can set up blockers and +1 targeting your opponent's creatures to make them attacking difficult for them, If they attack and you block/trade with your hopefully bigger dudes, lose their creatures and draw cards, if they don't then it's good as well because playing the longer game is better for you. If they have something like Atarka's command to get around it then welp too bad. High risk high reward play.
-7 seems pretty win-more.
My issue is that she doesn't really help you recover from board wipes in control match ups, which is generally what you want your big 4 mana play to do. Elspeth can create a board, Arlinn can create a board, Gideon AOZ can create a board, Chandra draws you an extra card per turn. IMO Tamiyo is closest in power level to Chandra, eg you can +1 on their creature to draw cards but if they're beating you down with a man-land or playing draw-go and sandbagging kill spells then she doesn't do anything at all.
I'm already splashing blue for Geist of Saint Traft in my 4c Company build so I'll probably give her a try as well.
I think out of the 4cmc walkers available to use she has the highest potential upside when we're talking about best-case scenarios but likely the lousiest one to have in worst-case scenarios.
It's on colours, more aggro-oriented and fits more our plan.
WGUBR 5c Humans
GWR Naya Zoo
Legacy:
GW GW Maverick
R Goblins
The deck that wants gas the most, is one that gets more hell bent, or is controlling a lot of veritables, ala jund or tempo. Zoo isnt any of those. Collected company "draws and Plays" 2 cards for us, so in a lot of ways its better.
Its -2 is nice, but hardly game winning for us, an aggressive deck. Both these fit more of Bant deck (which, I'm referring to historically, what a next level bant deck looked like, not the color combo) which was a tempo deck that was able to grind resources in the midrange. This deck doesnt really exist in modern... Maybe Knightfall to an extent, but she fits the bill there, drawing things off their evasive creatures (think Clique) tapping down threats that can trade up (Clique has 1 toughness, not fun with lingering souls tokens) and then draw cards (tempoing them) and playing those cards (probably grinding more value... think clique lol)
I know everyone wants to be fancy with Zoo... but we're not a fancy deck, and thats actually our strength. Its very hard to hate out a plan A: I'll kill you with creatures, plan b: I'll still kill you with my creatures deck. This is one of the reasons I dont think Evolution will be all that great for us. It might be pretty good as a silver bullet finder, but Its going to slot in as a combo enabler better in a deck like melira company.
I think testing Tamiyo is a waste of time... At least for me, since I've tested things in zoo for years. I'm about 90% sure it will end up "It was nice to have, but untimely I wished I just played goyf." win more kinda results. Evolution is worth testing, strictly due to raw power, but I have a feeling, it will end up fitting like a shoe a size too small as well.
EDH: Xenagos, God of Revels.
Our last month's qualifier had the following meta (top 10 in appearance):
6 Kiki Chord
4 Merfolk
3 Jund
2 RG Tron
2 Junk
2 Abzan Company
2 Bring to Light Scapeshift
2 Naya Zoo
2 Naya Burn
2 Affinity
I expect to see more Jund and Bant Eldrazi tomorrow.
This is my current list thusfar:
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Voice of Resurgence
2 Kitchen Finks
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Loxodon Smiter
Instants (10)
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
2 Collected Company
2 Arlinn Kord
Lands (21)
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Stirring Wildwood
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
2 Temple Garden
2 Arid Mesa
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Plains
1 Forest
1 Mountain
3 Molten Rain
2 Kitchen Finks
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Roast (Rhino/TKS/Smasher/Khalitas)
2 Dromoka's Command
1 Destructive Revelry
1 Loxodon Smiter
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Vryn Wingmare (miss a 2nd Thalia)
I'm wondering if I should:
What do you guys think? I'm used to playing Small Zoo which is much more explosive so I'm relatively new to Big Zoo and the way the deck is supposed to be played. I choose for Big Zoo for this qualifier to be more resilient to the current meta that is being played in our LGS.
Thanks in advance!
I would prefer to keep 1 finks in the main, taking one out for either another ooze or voice. Pridemage doesn't do enough to warrant a 3rd in the main.
I had some runs with Arlinn and she can be clunky sometimes.
Domri gives you gas (or a scry, if you miss and have a fetchland in play) at the same time that he is a virtual removal spell. And he is a must-answer as each turn unanswered is more value gained and the threat of his ultimate is a great pressure.
WGUBR 5c Humans
GWR Naya Zoo
Legacy:
GW GW Maverick
R Goblins
I think it could be used as like a two of for combat tricks with Knight of the Reliquary to attack, untap, sac a land and pump maybe?
I beat the Tron player game 1 on T4. Game 2 I got him down to 3 life and then he board wipes and destroys my lands. Game 3 I got him down to 5 before he stabilized in the same way.
I'm new to small zoo and don't see much advice on the Tron match-up online. Does anyone have any insights? I feel like small zoo should be fairly favored. Do you switch to a tempo game post-board?
UBRGrixis Kiki Control
BGUSultai Shadow
GWRBushwhacker Zoo
EDH:
BGU Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
UBR Marchesa, the Black Rose
GWU Roon of the Hidden Realm
At least that's how it felt to me.
WGUBR 5c Humans
GWR Naya Zoo
Legacy:
GW GW Maverick
R Goblins