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?
Domri is the best when you need a time bomb to win. So against midrange grind or control. If you rather have removal, youre better off siding removal.
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?
I run 21 and end don't miss the 22nd land at all. I would often get flooded out and hated it. As for Domri I board him in as pseudo removal, but never rely on his removal which is why I run dromoka's command/lavamancer/blessed alliance/kozilek's return in the board. He's just super value town all day long against any grindy deck, and can single handedly win you games if you get to stick him on turn 2.
How does everyone feel about small zoo/bushwhacker zoo? I know Push is a pain but is that the only reason people have stopped talking about it so much?
I think the all or nothing of the deck is why it's fallen out. Go wide strategies are decent against DS variants, but you need to win the die roll for it to really matter.
Ah I understand. I love the quick game mentality so I can have a breather between rounds so this sounds like my kind of deck (doesnt hurt I already have everything for it).
Tron is an interesting MU and I'm certain after a few weeks of getting reps in against the deck that some number of blood moon is right. They just don't play fair magic that well.
4-0 with the old trusty tribal zoo tonight. Siege rhinos abused a lot of people tonight!
2-0 vs 8rack
2-0 vs bg elves
2-1 vs naya burn
2-0 vs esper tokens (we split but played it out for fun)
I'm playing again tomorrow night. I will come back and edit this post with the results. Also congrats lugger, taking down eldrazi is never fun but at least trondrazi isn't as bad as bant imo.
Update: things didn't go my way at the second event. I went 1-2 vs burn, 1-2 vs abzan coco, and then I dropped. The siege rhino well was running pretty dry
After messing with 5c Agro, Merfolk, Death's Shadow, and 5c Tribal Flames zoo I finally came home to a CoCo/Rallier version.
Holy crap it's fun. I went 3-1 (W: Bye, BW Tokens, Trondrazi, L: Eldrazi&Taxes) last night but had huge amounts of fun even with the loss against E&T.
G1 against we were at a decent stalemate (I'd resolve a threat and get some beats in, he'd remove it and vice versa) until I drew 3 lands in a row and he had 3 turns of gas in a row. Fighting through a Displacer is hard.
G2 I resolved a T2 Blood Moon. He didn't get to play Magic.
G3 was similar to G1 but longer with both of us throwing more removal - but this time he had an Aether Vial. That additional tempo let him take that game after I drew 4 lands in a row - My Kessig'd Goyf dropped him to 1, but his 3 Flickerwisps were able to take the last 7 health I had.
Cracking Seal of Fire, casting Renegade Rallier to recur it and then cracking it again to kill a TKS is the bee's knees.
I am new to Zoo and want to play it the next time (22 Land Coco Version). I have a question about the mana base. How relevant/useful are cards like Ghost Quarter and Wolfrun as 1of? Sure you can tutor them with Knight but I would prefer to play 2 Ghost Quarters or 2 Woldruns/Strongholds. How often do you tutor for Quarter to destroy anything?
The 1/1 split is correct in the 250+ matches I've played. You can get away without GQ in the main, but it's pretty important to be able to slow decks like Eldrazi Tron down. It's also great in the burn matchup and won me a couple matches by hitting their lone white source.
Don't play Naya Company without Kessig Wolf Run. It's a staple.
Ok thanks. My first try goes with Mirran Crusader in the Slot of Smiter. My Meta is full of Coco Druid and Death Shadow. Together almost 50 %. For this reason I am thinking of replacing Wolfrun with Stronghold because it is awesome with the Crusaders for less Mana. Dealing unblockable 8 dmg per swing.
You already have exalted stuff for your Crusader.
You don't need buffs. You need evasion in green MUs, tokens, affinity, etc.
Wolf Run does that without taking up an actual card slot.
Hey rideld2--- I'm normally a knightfall player (I love this deck), but I'm branching out into naya, which actually feels like it would be more natural to me in some ways- still have knight but more aggressive and more to my personality with the red instead of blue :). So you mind posting a decklist? Is it basically the deck played at GP vegas?
Hey rideld2--- I'm normally a knightfall player (I love this deck), but I'm branching out into naya, which actually feels like it would be more natural to me in some ways- still have knight but more aggressive and more to my personality with the red instead of blue :). So you mind posting a decklist? Is it basically the deck played at GP vegas?
If you're porting over from Knightfall, Zulander's list is pretty good.
Hey rideld2--- I'm normally a knightfall player (I love this deck), but I'm branching out into naya, which actually feels like it would be more natural to me in some ways- still have knight but more aggressive and more to my personality with the red instead of blue :). So you mind posting a decklist? Is it basically the deck played at GP vegas?
Similar to non-druid Knightfall, Midrange Zoo builds are pretty flexible.You have a main core of cards and a bunch of flex slots for you to play around with. In the past year there have been very interesting builds of CoCo zoo placing well in big tournaments. GP vegas's rallier zoo seems pretty hot. Few months ago there was a 4C spell queller + Geist build that placed well in a GP that might tickle your fancy given that you came from Knightfall.
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.
Ok, makes sense. My last question is: What are Zoo's bad match ups right now? Would say Jeskai and UW control can be tough. But how are the big mana decks like Scapeshift and Titan Valakut? Can Zoo actually race them?
Jeskai and UW control are generally good MUs. Pretty much every threat in your deck can kill them and CoCo lets you recover after a board wipe. On top of that, Path to Exile puts you up lands, which you can leverage -- something small zoo can't really do.
Scapeshift and Titanshift, on the other hand, require some hate. I pack Blood Moon because it's good vs. an open field. Others pack Gaddock Teeg. I'm maindecking Aven Mindcensor etc.
Sometimes you can race them but it's not that often. Titanshift, especially, is very consistent as to when they get Valakut online.
In sum, it's bad and you should be prepared to either pass on packing SB cards and give up the MU or you should have a SB package that addresses the problem consistently.
Hey rideld2--- I'm normally a knightfall player (I love this deck), but I'm branching out into naya, which actually feels like it would be more natural to me in some ways- still have knight but more aggressive and more to my personality with the red instead of blue :). So you mind posting a decklist? Is it basically the deck played at GP vegas?
Yeah, I basically copied that to try it out. I did make a couple of changes that are likely playstyle differences.
The sideboard is partially just thrown together because I decided to run the deck about an hour before the event I'll do some more tweaks before next Wednesday (next time I can run it).
so I finally got around to buying Goyfs, and switched over to Zoo from Knightfall/Kiki Chord. I took this list to a 4-round event. Mainboard was the same, sideboard was -1 Kataki -1 Worship -1 Eidolon +1 Bonfire +1 Domri Rade +1 Ancient Grudge
Round 1: 2-0 vs Mono Black
Game 1, I just beat him down with a pair of Goyfs
Game 2 was a grind, but he made the mistake of Inquisitioning my Smiter, who went directly to play. Tracker was also great and drew plenty of cards
Round 2: 2-1 vs Counters Company
Game 1 I had a single Bolt for interaction, and he was able to replace the Vizier I killed and combo'd me before I could beat him down
Game 2 I Fiery Justice'd 3 creatures, then followed up with two CoCos and killed him quickly
Game 3 I played a Blood Moon when he only had 2 shocks in play. He never played another spell and I killed him with a Nacatl
Round 3: 1-2 vs RUG Shackles Control (I think?)
Game 1 I was stuck on 1 land + Hierarch for a while, but eventually I found a land plus a Smiter and Nacatl and killed him while he didn't really do much
Game 2 I got Shackles'd (had not seen it game 1 so I took out my Pridemages). It was a very close game but eventually Shackles got there
Game 3 was very grindy and he got down to 2, but after drawing a few too many lands in the late game he closed it out. Glen Elendra Archmage was pretty good against me, countering a Bolt and a Domri Rade
Round 4: 2-1 vs Affinity
Game 1 I got rekt by Plating on Etched Champion. I expected to lose game 1 to Affinity, and this one wasn't even close
Game 2 he dropped 4 0-cmc creatures turn 1, then I played EE and killed them all. A Bonfire a few turns later prompted a concession
Game 3 was super close and very grindy. I stuck some beaters while he went nuts with plating, but I was able to kill most of his creatures. A final hit from Plating on a Champion put me to 1 but he died on the backswing. This was the most interesting game, because I had the choice on turn 2 to Bonfire for 1, killing his lone Vault Skirge before he could get in a hit with the Plating in play. I opted to wait and get a juicier Bonfire the next turn. He played another Skirge, hit me for 7, then I killed them both with Bonfire. I'm not convinced waiting was right because it came down to a race in the end and a 14-point life swing is huge. However, I also ran out of removal towards the end of the game and never had an answer for the Plating itself, so maybe killing the second Skirge was worth it. I'd like to get some thoughts on that
Overall the deck felt really good. It's nice to play a deck with Bolts and Goyfs in it. The maindeck was solid (though Elspeth only showed up once and got countered), and the sideboard cards were pretty brutal in the matchups I played. I would consider cutting the Mindcensors from the board, maybe for an extra Blood Moon and something else. I do think having more resilient threats either in the main or the board would help, maybe additional Trackers or something else.
He's plays a fair game and I play Knights, which go to town on everything he does.
Round 2: Joe Bernal on BR midrange 1-2
I get a prolonged game 1. He ghost quarted me aggressively when he realized I never had anymore fetchables. I didn't bother to find Kessig since he had those in play but kill him with profitable companies and a path for his Kalitas. He shows me Gifted Aetherborn, KCommand, P&K, Lilly, and mono removal spells -- and some amount of discard but eventually he floods out and I stick a Knight and a Smiter.
Game 2 I mull to five and rip lands for the game as he does his thing.
Game 3. He gets stuck on lands as I try and deploy cards through his removal. He draws enough and eventually draws a 4th land to deploy his Kalitas (which I had been hoping to draw a path for all game) and the game goes downhill from there. I flood (again) and lose.
Drawing companies postboard is pretty crucial.
Round 3 Zach Voss on RG Through the Breach 1-2
I get game one after he stumbles and floods out after a slow primetime. He isn't able to deal with my board when he resolves it and finds valakuts and mountains. I have the path and the extra land doesn't kill my stuff.
Game 2 he turn3 through the breaches my board and I don't have enough lands to rebuild profitably so he is able to redraw into a primetime.
Game 3, he turn 3's me again and then turn 5s his primetime. I only draw two lands this game and die with 3 drops in my hand.
Turn 3 Breach is hard to beat. Maybe my keeps were loose but I don't remember their specifics.
Round 4 Grixis Shadow 1-2
I lose game 1 after flooding as he is able to deal with my initial board and then stabilize with DS.
Game 2 I have profitable companies and win as he floods.
Game 3 I keep a decent 6 and we trade spells for most of the game -- despite a turn 2 gurmag angler with denial back up. My companies are bad as he angers my board. Eventually I work him into a spot where we are both at one life. He has 3 shocks in play and a fetch. I have my kessig in play. I have a tracker and mana dork. I swing with both, expecting a Snapcaster Mage. He snaps, targets terminate that he can't play and moves to blocks. He blocks my Tracker. Now, I'm way too aggressive here, since he had made plays two turns earlier, losing a permanent and not fatal pushing my tracker, so I make the faulty assumption that he doesn't have it in hand and I kessig my hierarch -- which was stupid and I literally could not have lost if I had kessig'd my tracker.
But I didn't. So I lost.
Round 5 (x-3 is still live, so I play on) 2-0
Ur Storm
He has the turn 3 kill but rituals himself off of blue mana. Whoops.
He floods out and I stick a scooze that eats his PiF before he can resolve it a 2nd time.
We're still hanging in there.
Round 6 Jund 2-1
Ole' traditional Jund. I'm at home.
Game 1, I quickly outvalue him with Knights, Smiters, goyfs, and just good CoCos.
Game 2 I mull to six and can't draw a removal spell for his t2 Bob as he flips lands off the top. I get trounced here as I whiff on my cocos and draw mostly Cats -- he kills my scooze (my threat!) and resolves his own.
Game 3 I stick a tracker and a Knight -- with a backup knight and tracker in hand. I go to town. He is eventually able to deal with my board by trading up his board. I stick another tracker and knight. He dies to me drawing cards and doing tracker + knight things.
Round 7 Still climbing
Merfolk. 2-0
He plays two aether vials and a couple creatures. I stick a cat (which he dismembers) and a knight later. I do the ole, "you're attacking with island walk? ok, ill activate my knight, find my ghost quarter, and eat your guys with my goyf."
Game 2 he sides in a bunch of removal spells and leaves his vials in and pays the price.
Round 8 0-2
RG Omen Scapeshift.
T4 scapeshift. I keep a hand with mindcensor but don't draw the 3rd source. He nine jillions me with a prismatic omen in play.
He has T4 Breach. I did a ton of damage off my shocks and the hasty titan actually kills me here. I had a dec in stone in hand and a path but I assumed I had another turn as I expected him to be on a slower, more scapeshifty, less hasty, RG Titan list (he showed me scapeshift, search, the landfall enchanment that tutors two basics, and primatic omen in game 1). Well, I paid the price? I'm not sure. Whatever.
I drop at 4-4.
What did we learn.
I still have a ton of trouble with scapeshift.
Don't punt against DS. It's a fine MU.
Don't get cheesed by a bad BR midrange deck. Draw your collected companies.
I played in a modern side event day 2 and go 3-0 beating RG Titanshift (I drew my blood moons yay!), dredge and dredge. I had a bunch of sick plays next leveling my dredge opponents but my post has been long enough and win-a-boxes are kind of irrelevant.
My sideboard was a disaster and I hated it. Because I had so many pridemages MD, I think I could've shaved on at least Vandalblast and then probably added more tech for the grindy mirrors.
Kor Firewalker is bad but I hate loosing to burn. It's still present, much like the tremendous ammount of affinity that I just didn't play.
I'm trying to move into Big Zoo and I have a question (it may have been discussed previously but I can't find it). Why doesn't CoCo lists play some number of matter reshapers? With a Knight package of ghost quarter/wolfrun/township/canopy there are colorless sources available to hard cast, plus almost all of the cards being permanents cmc 3 or less seems like pure value town.
So is there something that I am missing, or is it just a case of "it doesn't help any troubled match ups".
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Domri is the best when you need a time bomb to win. So against midrange grind or control. If you rather have removal, youre better off siding removal.
I run 21 and end don't miss the 22nd land at all. I would often get flooded out and hated it. As for Domri I board him in as pseudo removal, but never rely on his removal which is why I run dromoka's command/lavamancer/blessed alliance/kozilek's return in the board. He's just super value town all day long against any grindy deck, and can single handedly win you games if you get to stick him on turn 2.
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Follow the link for nice cheap clothing.
Playing:
Death's Shadow Jund
Played:
Kiki Chord, Zoo variants, Goblins, Burn
2-1 TronDrazi
2-0 Turns
2-0 Bant Druid/Vizier Combo
2-0 UW Control
Felt pretty good.
Tron is an interesting MU and I'm certain after a few weeks of getting reps in against the deck that some number of blood moon is right. They just don't play fair magic that well.
2-0 vs 8rack
2-0 vs bg elves
2-1 vs naya burn
2-0 vs esper tokens (we split but played it out for fun)
I'm playing again tomorrow night. I will come back and edit this post with the results. Also congrats lugger, taking down eldrazi is never fun but at least trondrazi isn't as bad as bant imo.
Update: things didn't go my way at the second event. I went 1-2 vs burn, 1-2 vs abzan coco, and then I dropped. The siege rhino well was running pretty dry
Tribal Zoo video series
Holy crap it's fun. I went 3-1 (W: Bye, BW Tokens, Trondrazi, L: Eldrazi&Taxes) last night but had huge amounts of fun even with the loss against E&T.
G1 against we were at a decent stalemate (I'd resolve a threat and get some beats in, he'd remove it and vice versa) until I drew 3 lands in a row and he had 3 turns of gas in a row. Fighting through a Displacer is hard.
G2 I resolved a T2 Blood Moon. He didn't get to play Magic.
G3 was similar to G1 but longer with both of us throwing more removal - but this time he had an Aether Vial. That additional tempo let him take that game after I drew 4 lands in a row - My Kessig'd Goyf dropped him to 1, but his 3 Flickerwisps were able to take the last 7 health I had.
Cracking Seal of Fire, casting Renegade Rallier to recur it and then cracking it again to kill a TKS is the bee's knees.
He's nuts.
I beat Grishoalbrand, Abzan Midrange, UG Infect, & Eldrazi Tron
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The 1/1 split is correct in the 250+ matches I've played. You can get away without GQ in the main, but it's pretty important to be able to slow decks like Eldrazi Tron down. It's also great in the burn matchup and won me a couple matches by hitting their lone white source.
Don't play Naya Company without Kessig Wolf Run. It's a staple.
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You already have exalted stuff for your Crusader.
You don't need buffs. You need evasion in green MUs, tokens, affinity, etc.
Wolf Run does that without taking up an actual card slot.
If you're porting over from Knightfall, Zulander's list is pretty good.
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Voice of Resurgence
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Loxodon Smiter
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Tireless Tracker
//Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
3 Collected Company
1 Domri Rade
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
2 Arid Mesa
2 Stomping Ground
2 Temple Garden
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Forest
1 Plains
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Gaddock Teeg
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Kozilek's Return
2 Dromoka's Command
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Stony Silence
Similar to non-druid Knightfall, Midrange Zoo builds are pretty flexible.You have a main core of cards and a bunch of flex slots for you to play around with. In the past year there have been very interesting builds of CoCo zoo placing well in big tournaments. GP vegas's rallier zoo seems pretty hot. Few months ago there was a 4C spell queller + Geist build that placed well in a GP that might tickle your fancy given that you came from Knightfall.
Jeskai and UW control are generally good MUs. Pretty much every threat in your deck can kill them and CoCo lets you recover after a board wipe. On top of that, Path to Exile puts you up lands, which you can leverage -- something small zoo can't really do.
Scapeshift and Titanshift, on the other hand, require some hate. I pack Blood Moon because it's good vs. an open field. Others pack Gaddock Teeg. I'm maindecking Aven Mindcensor etc.
Sometimes you can race them but it's not that often. Titanshift, especially, is very consistent as to when they get Valakut online.
In sum, it's bad and you should be prepared to either pass on packing SB cards and give up the MU or you should have a SB package that addresses the problem consistently.
Yeah, I basically copied that to try it out. I did make a couple of changes that are likely playstyle differences.
1 Aven Mindcensor
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Qasali Pridemage
4 Renegade Rallier
4 Tarmogoyf
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
3 Voice of Resurgence
4 Wild Nacatl
Instant (10)
4 Collected Company
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
3 Seal of Fire
Land (21)
2 Arid Mesa
2 Forest
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Plains
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
2 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
60 Cards
2 Blood Moon
1 Domri Rade
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Scavenging Ooze
1 Wear // Tear
1 Dauntless Escort
1 Dromoka's Command
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
The sideboard is partially just thrown together because I decided to run the deck about an hour before the event
Round 1: 2-0 vs Mono Black
Game 1, I just beat him down with a pair of Goyfs
Game 2 was a grind, but he made the mistake of Inquisitioning my Smiter, who went directly to play. Tracker was also great and drew plenty of cards
Round 2: 2-1 vs Counters Company
Game 1 I had a single Bolt for interaction, and he was able to replace the Vizier I killed and combo'd me before I could beat him down
Game 2 I Fiery Justice'd 3 creatures, then followed up with two CoCos and killed him quickly
Game 3 I played a Blood Moon when he only had 2 shocks in play. He never played another spell and I killed him with a Nacatl
Round 3: 1-2 vs RUG Shackles Control (I think?)
Game 1 I was stuck on 1 land + Hierarch for a while, but eventually I found a land plus a Smiter and Nacatl and killed him while he didn't really do much
Game 2 I got Shackles'd (had not seen it game 1 so I took out my Pridemages). It was a very close game but eventually Shackles got there
Game 3 was very grindy and he got down to 2, but after drawing a few too many lands in the late game he closed it out. Glen Elendra Archmage was pretty good against me, countering a Bolt and a Domri Rade
Round 4: 2-1 vs Affinity
Game 1 I got rekt by Plating on Etched Champion. I expected to lose game 1 to Affinity, and this one wasn't even close
Game 2 he dropped 4 0-cmc creatures turn 1, then I played EE and killed them all. A Bonfire a few turns later prompted a concession
Game 3 was super close and very grindy. I stuck some beaters while he went nuts with plating, but I was able to kill most of his creatures. A final hit from Plating on a Champion put me to 1 but he died on the backswing. This was the most interesting game, because I had the choice on turn 2 to Bonfire for 1, killing his lone Vault Skirge before he could get in a hit with the Plating in play. I opted to wait and get a juicier Bonfire the next turn. He played another Skirge, hit me for 7, then I killed them both with Bonfire. I'm not convinced waiting was right because it came down to a race in the end and a 14-point life swing is huge. However, I also ran out of removal towards the end of the game and never had an answer for the Plating itself, so maybe killing the second Skirge was worth it. I'd like to get some thoughts on that
Overall the deck felt really good. It's nice to play a deck with Bolts and Goyfs in it. The maindeck was solid (though Elspeth only showed up once and got countered), and the sideboard cards were pretty brutal in the matchups I played. I would consider cutting the Mindcensors from the board, maybe for an extra Blood Moon and something else. I do think having more resilient threats either in the main or the board would help, maybe additional Trackers or something else.
4x Noble Hierarch
1x Birds of Paradise
4x Tarmogoyf
2x Scavenging Ooze
3x Qasali Pridemage
4x Knight of the Reliquary
2x Loxodon Smiter
2x Aven Mindcensor
1x Tireless Tracker
4x Lighting Bolt
4x Path to Exile
3x Collected Company
4x Wooded Foothills
4x Arid Mesa
2x Stomping Grounds
1x Temple Garden
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Horizon Canopy
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Kessig Wolf Run
2x Forest
1x Plains
2x Declaration in Stone
1x Fiery Justice
3x Blood Moon
2x Kor Firewalker
2x Stony Silence
1x Vandalblast
1x Tireless Tracker
2x Eidolon of Rhetoric
1x Mirran Crusader
I played at the Open this weekend. Did poorly.
Round 1: BW Eldrazi 2-0
He's plays a fair game and I play Knights, which go to town on everything he does.
Round 2: Joe Bernal on BR midrange 1-2
I get a prolonged game 1. He ghost quarted me aggressively when he realized I never had anymore fetchables. I didn't bother to find Kessig since he had those in play but kill him with profitable companies and a path for his Kalitas. He shows me Gifted Aetherborn, KCommand, P&K, Lilly, and mono removal spells -- and some amount of discard but eventually he floods out and I stick a Knight and a Smiter.
Game 2 I mull to five and rip lands for the game as he does his thing.
Game 3. He gets stuck on lands as I try and deploy cards through his removal. He draws enough and eventually draws a 4th land to deploy his Kalitas (which I had been hoping to draw a path for all game) and the game goes downhill from there. I flood (again) and lose.
Drawing companies postboard is pretty crucial.
Round 3 Zach Voss on RG Through the Breach 1-2
I get game one after he stumbles and floods out after a slow primetime. He isn't able to deal with my board when he resolves it and finds valakuts and mountains. I have the path and the extra land doesn't kill my stuff.
Game 2 he turn3 through the breaches my board and I don't have enough lands to rebuild profitably so he is able to redraw into a primetime.
Game 3, he turn 3's me again and then turn 5s his primetime. I only draw two lands this game and die with 3 drops in my hand.
Turn 3 Breach is hard to beat. Maybe my keeps were loose but I don't remember their specifics.
Round 4 Grixis Shadow 1-2
I lose game 1 after flooding as he is able to deal with my initial board and then stabilize with DS.
Game 2 I have profitable companies and win as he floods.
Game 3 I keep a decent 6 and we trade spells for most of the game -- despite a turn 2 gurmag angler with denial back up. My companies are bad as he angers my board. Eventually I work him into a spot where we are both at one life. He has 3 shocks in play and a fetch. I have my kessig in play. I have a tracker and mana dork. I swing with both, expecting a Snapcaster Mage. He snaps, targets terminate that he can't play and moves to blocks. He blocks my Tracker. Now, I'm way too aggressive here, since he had made plays two turns earlier, losing a permanent and not fatal pushing my tracker, so I make the faulty assumption that he doesn't have it in hand and I kessig my hierarch -- which was stupid and I literally could not have lost if I had kessig'd my tracker.
But I didn't. So I lost.
Round 5 (x-3 is still live, so I play on) 2-0
Ur Storm
He has the turn 3 kill but rituals himself off of blue mana. Whoops.
He floods out and I stick a scooze that eats his PiF before he can resolve it a 2nd time.
We're still hanging in there.
Round 6 Jund 2-1
Ole' traditional Jund. I'm at home.
Game 1, I quickly outvalue him with Knights, Smiters, goyfs, and just good CoCos.
Game 2 I mull to six and can't draw a removal spell for his t2 Bob as he flips lands off the top. I get trounced here as I whiff on my cocos and draw mostly Cats -- he kills my scooze (my threat!) and resolves his own.
Game 3 I stick a tracker and a Knight -- with a backup knight and tracker in hand. I go to town. He is eventually able to deal with my board by trading up his board. I stick another tracker and knight. He dies to me drawing cards and doing tracker + knight things.
Round 7 Still climbing
Merfolk. 2-0
He plays two aether vials and a couple creatures. I stick a cat (which he dismembers) and a knight later. I do the ole, "you're attacking with island walk? ok, ill activate my knight, find my ghost quarter, and eat your guys with my goyf."
Game 2 he sides in a bunch of removal spells and leaves his vials in and pays the price.
Round 8 0-2
RG Omen Scapeshift.
T4 scapeshift. I keep a hand with mindcensor but don't draw the 3rd source. He nine jillions me with a prismatic omen in play.
He has T4 Breach. I did a ton of damage off my shocks and the hasty titan actually kills me here. I had a dec in stone in hand and a path but I assumed I had another turn as I expected him to be on a slower, more scapeshifty, less hasty, RG Titan list (he showed me scapeshift, search, the landfall enchanment that tutors two basics, and primatic omen in game 1). Well, I paid the price? I'm not sure. Whatever.
I drop at 4-4.
What did we learn.
I still have a ton of trouble with scapeshift.
Don't punt against DS. It's a fine MU.
Don't get cheesed by a bad BR midrange deck. Draw your collected companies.
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I played in a modern side event day 2 and go 3-0 beating RG Titanshift (I drew my blood moons yay!), dredge and dredge. I had a bunch of sick plays next leveling my dredge opponents but my post has been long enough and win-a-boxes are kind of irrelevant.
My sideboard was a disaster and I hated it. Because I had so many pridemages MD, I think I could've shaved on at least Vandalblast and then probably added more tech for the grindy mirrors.
Kor Firewalker is bad but I hate loosing to burn. It's still present, much like the tremendous ammount of affinity that I just didn't play.
I'm trying to move into Big Zoo and I have a question (it may have been discussed previously but I can't find it). Why doesn't CoCo lists play some number of matter reshapers? With a Knight package of ghost quarter/wolfrun/township/canopy there are colorless sources available to hard cast, plus almost all of the cards being permanents cmc 3 or less seems like pure value town.
So is there something that I am missing, or is it just a case of "it doesn't help any troubled match ups".