With so much GY-focused decks running around (DS, Dredge, Storm, LE) I think that even maindeck Tormod's Crypt would be better.
Even Pyrite Spellbomb can at least cycle when the 2-dmg isn't relevant (and can hit Etched Champion).
With so much GY-focused decks running around (DS, Dredge, Storm, LE) I think that even maindeck Tormod's Crypt would be better.
Even Pyrite Spellbomb can at least cycle when the 2-dmg isn't relevant (and can hit Etched Champion).
Seal lets you tapout against counters coco (one of Naya CoCo's worst MUs) -- something I stated earlier and cannot be overstated. It's also good vs. Affinity.
Im generally really hard to impress with zoo, and rallier plus Seal of Fire is like the only reason Id want to play rallier in zoo. 3 mana to have a 3/2 shock creature is pretty damn good impression blood braid elf. I meannnn its not, saddly. But seal enables rallier while also being fetchable by raller. Ralliers biggest weakness is a 3/2 and nothing else is terrible. Seal helps that.
Still not overly impressed by rallier. Much rather play things like rhonas if I can swing it, but this event was so affinity filled I get how shock on a stick was good.
Probably sucks but who cares, modern is just for having fun.
Speaking of fun, I took the old tribal zoo out again tonight and got to sling plenty of siege rhinos on my path to 3-0. Games were vs 8 whack (2-0), Esper control (2-0), and vizier abzan coco (2-0). Lots of turn two geists which equals lots of free wins.
In response to the rallier conversation, I think rallier is one of the higher power level cards that wotc has printed recently. I think he is on par with collected company for raw power and card advantage. He lets us have a 2 for 1 that only costs three mana instead of coco's four mana. If I was going to build a zoo deck that didn't have geist as the three drop, I would be playing 4 ralliers as the three drop and keep my curve as low to the ground as possible while maintaining busted landfall combos - basically rallier is always going to be insane if you have a steppe lynx or lotus cobra in play. Here is a rough idea of what I think a streamlined rallier zoo could looks like:
The only 2 reasons youd ever wanna play a cat zoo over anything else is 1. Getting global Pumps to make each creature stronger, which Pride actually helps with, and 2. Because everything is white, enabling brave and lack of life loss.
I realistically, the deck unlike other zoos is super good at racing burn because it doesnt hurt itself. And brave the elements is like boros charm on crack. Its the single best card in that deck. If white weenies were to be a thing, that would be the leading reason why. It says "one mana, avoid removal or if its in late game deal 12."
Upgrades to the deck in the video is kytheon, giving the deck more late game than figure used to provide, and pride sovereign, who actually fits the theme absurdly well. The tokens he makes are white, hell be huge the minute you play it, and at worst he makes more tokens, all of which get pumped by honor, saved by brave AND he can be exerted and untapped by kytheon flipped.
if you wanted to use pride, heres the best place to do it.
First time posting on this thread and i Went 4-0 at my LGS with this list. Its a home brew/mix of tiny zoo I guess. Even through testing it is incredibly consistent, I have some weird card choices but they've been working great
//Creature (26)
4 Figure of Destiny
2 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Goblin Guide
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
3 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
4 Legion Loyalist
4 Soldier of the Pantheon
4 Wild Nacatl
First card worth mentioning for spoilers so far here (that are in color anyways) Its a 5/4 for 2 mana (4 mana) But is high risk high reward for us so I think this one is worth people doing some testing into. It might end up like Scythe Tiger where lands are just too important early on. Then again, this could be a "top ender" and you only dont 2 on the next turn, so it might be totally ok to take a turn off to have a 5/4
Well probably not with fatal push so big in the meta. Gah, Zoo really needs dumb reliant creatures at 2-3 mana. Instead green gets all the draw love lately. Not complaining, but I feel like the green "hardy" creatures have been lacking. Anyways.
at its face it's still a 5/4 for 2 mana, meaning you can run this in smaller zoo builds without too much worry. One of the worst things for smaller zoo builds is having big dudes in your hands, and being stuck on mana. This alleviates that. Issue is its "over costed" due to it's ability, so the goal is making that as minimized as possible. Best way to do that is with 1. Mana dorks, 2. Low to the ground curve so on turn 3 having 1 mana is fine. 3. basically dealing 10 damage with this creature over its lifetime.
Wouldn't say Im over the moon with this one but it could be looked at.
Yeah, my expectations arent that high for it, espeically with the world being filled with pushes. But still, gotta test the little drops this deck is able to get.
It's more Goyf 5-8 in the mono green stompy builds, especially since those decks run Garruk and he just untaps lands anyways. Would be great with arbor elves and other mana dorks.
A sorcery in the yard to grow goyf but also a miss for collected company. Testing the seals of fire + Renegade Rallier stuff seems pretty promising. If I was preping for a big event I would be looking at that stuff.
Seems solid for a little zoo list like you said. Triggers E1, big dumb beat stick. I wouldn't run a full 4 I don't think, but might test a low curve list with him. Might not be better than the blitz builds though.
I like fetches in this deck and need no excuse to run 12. They also help post-board blood moons because you get more shots at basics before everyone is locked out.
Percentage wise? You're right -- probably negligible.
Temple Garden is probably where I'd end up. I don't know how some of these decks run 21 lands. I get plenty of non-functional draws with 22.
I'm debating Domri Rade in the SB over Elspeth, Knight-Errant. Which MUs do you find him to be the best? Is he good vs. counters coco?
Even Pyrite Spellbomb can at least cycle when the 2-dmg isn't relevant (and can hit Etched Champion).
Another option could be Selfless Spirit or Oath of Nissa.
Seal lets you tapout against counters coco (one of Naya CoCo's worst MUs) -- something I stated earlier and cannot be overstated. It's also good vs. Affinity.
I wouldn't MD Tormod's Crypt.
Oath of Nissa and Sefless Spirit are both reasonable options although I found myself only ever boarding in Spirit vs. Dredge.
Still not overly impressed by rallier. Much rather play things like rhonas if I can swing it, but this event was so affinity filled I get how shock on a stick was good.
Pride Soverign!?!?! The return of cat zoo is neigh!
Eh. Proably not. However, it still is pretty funny that he can make a wide swath of creatures in zoo better. Wild Nacatl, Loam Lion, Fleecemane Lion, Qasali Pridemage Brimaz and that token synergy!
4x Windswept Heath
3x Wooded Foothills
3x Arid Mesa
4x Horizon Canopy
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Stomping Ground
1x Temple Garden
1x Forest
1x Mountain
1x Plains
4x Loam Lion
4x Savannah Lions
4x Scythe Tiger
4x Steppe Lynx
4x Wild Nacatl
4x Qasali Pridemage
4x Fleecemane Lion
3x pride sovereign
2x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Path to Exile
Probably sucks but who cares, modern is just for having fun.
Speaking of fun, I took the old tribal zoo out again tonight and got to sling plenty of siege rhinos on my path to 3-0. Games were vs 8 whack (2-0), Esper control (2-0), and vizier abzan coco (2-0). Lots of turn two geists which equals lots of free wins.
Tribal Zoo video series
4x Windswept Heath
3x Wooded Foothills
3x Arid Mesa
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Stomping Ground
1x Temple Garden
1x Forest
1x Plains
2x Treetop Village
Creature (32)
4x Steppe Lynx
4x Wild Nacatl
4x Experiment One
4x Goblin Guide
4x Kird Ape
4x Loam Lion
4x Lotus Cobra
4x Renegade Rallier
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Path to Exile
Tribal Zoo video series
Maybe something like this:
4x Wild Nacatl
4x Steppe Lynx
4x Loam Lion
4x Fleecemane Lion
4x Qasali Pridemage
2x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
4x Pride Sovereign
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Path to Exile
4x Collected Company
Land (22)
4x Windswept Heath
3x Arid Mesa
3x Wooded Foothills
2x Sacred Foundry
2x Temple Garden
2x Stomping Ground
2x Plains
2x Forest
2x Gavony Township
Cobra + Rallier means that you're going to have a ton of mana with nothing to do.
4 Fleecemane Lion
4 Loam Lion
4 qasali pridemage
4 Leonin arbiter
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
3 Pride Soverign
4 Brave the elements
4 Path to Exile
4 Ghost Quarter
4 Razorverge thicket
4 Temple Garden
3 Plains
2 Forest
The only 2 reasons youd ever wanna play a cat zoo over anything else is 1. Getting global Pumps to make each creature stronger, which Pride actually helps with, and 2. Because everything is white, enabling brave and lack of life loss.
I realistically, the deck unlike other zoos is super good at racing burn because it doesnt hurt itself. And brave the elements is like boros charm on crack. Its the single best card in that deck. If white weenies were to be a thing, that would be the leading reason why. It says "one mana, avoid removal or if its in late game deal 12."
Upgrades to the deck in the video is kytheon, giving the deck more late game than figure used to provide, and pride sovereign, who actually fits the theme absurdly well. The tokens he makes are white, hell be huge the minute you play it, and at worst he makes more tokens, all of which get pumped by honor, saved by brave AND he can be exerted and untapped by kytheon flipped.
if you wanted to use pride, heres the best place to do it.
4x Noble Hierarch
1x Birds of Paradise
4x Tarmogoyf
3x Qasali Pridemage
2x Scavenging Ooze
4x Knight of the Reliquary
2x Aven Mindcensor
2x Loxodon Smiter
1x Tireless Tracker
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Path to Exile
3x Collected Company
4x Arid Mesa
4x Wooded Foothills
2x Stomping Grounds
1x Temple Garden
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Horizon Canopy
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Kessig Wolf Run
2x Forest
1x Plains
1x Grim Lavamancer
1x Ancient Grudge
2x Stony Silence
2x Declaration in Stone
1x Blessed Alliance
2x Eidolon of Rhetoric
2x Blood Moon
1x Harsh Mentor
1x Kitchen Finks
1x Mirran Crusader
1x Kor Firewalker
Preparing for Roanoke. This is where I'm starting out.
//Creature (26)
4 Figure of Destiny
2 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Goblin Guide
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
3 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
4 Legion Loyalist
4 Soldier of the Pantheon
4 Wild Nacatl
//Instant (15)
3 Atarka's Command
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
//Land (19)
4 Arid Mesa
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Inspiring Vantage
1 Plains
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
3 Windswept Heath
2 Wooded Foothills
SB: 2 Ancient Grudge
SB: 2 Blessed Alliance
SB: 4 Leyline of Sanctity
SB: 3 Path to Exile
SB: 2 Rest in Peace
SB: 2 Wear // Tear
I bet you could cut an Arid Mesa and not even notice it.
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First card worth mentioning for spoilers so far here (that are in color anyways) Its a 5/4 for 2 mana (4 mana) But is high risk high reward for us so I think this one is worth people doing some testing into. It might end up like Scythe Tiger where lands are just too important early on. Then again, this could be a "top ender" and you only dont 2 on the next turn, so it might be totally ok to take a turn off to have a 5/4
Well probably not with fatal push so big in the meta. Gah, Zoo really needs dumb reliant creatures at 2-3 mana. Instead green gets all the draw love lately. Not complaining, but I feel like the green "hardy" creatures have been lacking. Anyways.
at its face it's still a 5/4 for 2 mana, meaning you can run this in smaller zoo builds without too much worry. One of the worst things for smaller zoo builds is having big dudes in your hands, and being stuck on mana. This alleviates that. Issue is its "over costed" due to it's ability, so the goal is making that as minimized as possible. Best way to do that is with 1. Mana dorks, 2. Low to the ground curve so on turn 3 having 1 mana is fine. 3. basically dealing 10 damage with this creature over its lifetime.
Wouldn't say Im over the moon with this one but it could be looked at.
It's a sorcery for goyf?
Sort of not great except maybe Little Zoo.
Yeah, my expectations arent that high for it, espeically with the world being filled with pushes. But still, gotta test the little drops this deck is able to get.
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Buying back voice off rallier is just nuts.
Follow the link for nice cheap clothing.
Playing:
Death's Shadow Jund
Played:
Kiki Chord, Zoo variants, Goblins, Burn
I'd say "underwhelming" but potato potahto.
Bet I could run a Verdant Catacombs too!
I like fetches in this deck and need no excuse to run 12. They also help post-board blood moons because you get more shots at basics before everyone is locked out.
Percentage wise? You're right -- probably negligible.
Temple Garden is probably where I'd end up. I don't know how some of these decks run 21 lands. I get plenty of non-functional draws with 22.
I'm debating Domri Rade in the SB over Elspeth, Knight-Errant. Which MUs do you find him to be the best? Is he good vs. counters coco?