True, I would prefer infect for a very straightforward aggro deck (no poison counter removals to prolong the game), but I play online pauper and they banned Invigorate. That crippled the deck; to make it work well again will need a lot more creativity and/or new sets.
Also, the flying on some of your big hitters means you either fly straight over the opposition or dominate puny blue or white creatures, lifelinking your way to high life totals while they chump and lose creatures trying to pull some removal. This works much better on blue (less removal) than white (often lots of removal). I'm thinking White Weenie may be a slightly unfavorable matchup, actually, while Delver & MUC are slightly favorable to favorable given the low CMC threat density powering past counters if you are patient and bait them well.
It definitely needs more testing to see what the average goldfish time is and if it's worth it, but I promise that you'll have fun trying it out.
If you're looking for more balance... I hate to say it in this thread, but for a while I played a Monowhite version of the Orzhov package, protecting the pumped Edge beaters with Cho-Manno's Blessing. Resolving the instant-speed protection can be an auto-win vs. decks relying on blue or red for control, though white and black have sacrifice effects and saving the creature from targeted removal removes Edge. The white version was much more resilient, and white's removal package is nice, but certainly much slower. I missed Dark Ritual and one-drop 2/2s, so I went to the dark side!
Edit: I would add that I dropped Unmake, previously having it in the main deck then the sideboard of my Orzhov variant decks for removal plus Nightsky activation. Three mana on 17-18 land felt very expensive. A lot of the high-value targets in Pauper cost less than three, and you take a tempo hit using it on them. I like Soul Reap because it hits MBC fatties like Gurmag Angler, and in this deck, often hits for three to the dome as well.
Better new things
1) Lifelink that more than offsets suicide; this helps against aggro (and actually makes for a favorable matchup vs. burn!)
2) Some fatter creature potential (Flying/lifelinking 4/4s)
3) Some surprise plays with Beckon Apparition; you can play it at the end of their turn, pump it, then immediately swing for 3-4 damage. You can also insta-pump Nightsky Mimic.
4) A transformative sideboard (from straight aggro tempo to more aggro-control)
Worse new things
1) Less evasion (shadow is replaced by flying)
2) No main deck removal at all.
3) Much less Phyrexian flavor; it's technically Orzhov, but the mana base is the same
4) With 19 out of 27 creatures being x/1s, you are really vulnerable to cards like Electrickery, Nausea, and Cuombajj Witches
Familiar things
1) Maintains the speed (cheap cost, 1-drop 2/2s, Dark Ritual), and card draw of the original.
2) Same strategy- play, pump, & pound
On the sideboard, I am sure there is room for improvement somewhere; I may be overcompensating against NivixFiend, which is one of the few decks that can outrace us, and popular in my meta.
I threw this deck together last night, and it's been a blast so far. It's a twist on the old Mono-green ramp archetype, adding in threshold. Inspiration came from the recent addition of Satyr Wayfinder to Pauper, letting us get the 8 strong threshold enablers necessary for some consistency.
The plan is simple. Ramp into more ramp into beatdown mode, staying alive with chump blockers and lifegain until you take over the board. This is a midrange aggro deck that also performs well in the late game. The plan comes together surprisingly quickly, and the ramp seems surprisingly resilient to getting your mana dorks killed off just due to sheer numbers at each CMC level- there are 8 mana dorks at one CMC, 4 at two CMC (plus another 8 that can get more mana sources), 3 at three CMC. I haven't tested much, but it's very fun getting access to large amounts of mana even faster than Tron. Threshold can come as early as turn 2 with the right spells and ramp. Even without threshold, you can ramp out pretty quickly into your wincons.
Part of what makes this deck so fun is it is extremely unlikely you will even have mana issues, and you often can play out your entire hand once you get going.
The new card choices-
Commune with the Gods lets you dig for that fattie/threshold/lifegain creature you need or even a Wild Growth if you need more mana, all on top of being 1/2 of a threshold enabler. This is a core card.
Satyr Wayfinder is another 1/2 threshold enabler that usually fetches an extra land so you keep hitting your land drops and can dig to a fengraf or cycle land, plus a 1/1 body. I'd also consider him core since you need at least 8 threshold enablers for consistency.
Moldervine Cloak Dredge+pump works very well in this threshold green deck. Given the amount of ramp and the trampling Aurochs, this works better with the deck than, say, Rancor. The additional toughness is also nice; I sometimes throw this on my mana dorks to keep them alive or get an extra beater. It doesn't hurt to turn an Arbor Elf into a pseudo activated Werebear, and you can pull this from your graveyard if one gets in there from a madness enabler or the unfortunate demise of its former bearer.
Krosan Restorer A 3 CMC mana dork might seem expensive, but give it a try. This is part of the "ramp into ramp" strategy. If you have threshold (very possible), this will ramp you to the moon right after dropping it, and it synergizes very well with Wild Growth like Arbor Elf does. The 1/2 body keeps it alive against things like Electrickery, Piracy Charm, and Cuombajj Witches.
I think everything else should be pretty self-explanatory, being played before in similar roles elsewhere, but feel free to ask questions or suggest edits. This probably won't be a tier 1 deck (I have a feeling it will do poorly vs. a competent MBC or MUC player), but it is very fun to play and cheap to put together.
Nice deck and thread. I actually think of Elfball as a more established archetype. It's common and powerful enough to run into that I usually at least think about the matchup from a meta perspective.
From an opponent's perspective, the win cons can seem somewhat frail; Elfball's offense usually seems to hinge on Timberwatch Elf, to the point I'll always hold a removal spell or counter or two for it. Even if you have 10 other guys and a Wellwisher out there, lifegain from Gary/Fangren and bigger creatures and spells from control will still stabilize. Aggro opponents who run a little removal can also often get there by holding their small removal packages for the Timberwatches, and control can usually stabilize by selecting the right targets.
I don't have the deck myself, but how are your matchups/record so far? I haven't actually played against a deck that runs Blastoderm, which seems like a very good idea as a more resilient wincon than just Timberwatches themselves.
My build is off to a good start with my limited testing. I Top 8'd the PRE last night, winning over Delver, WW, and Nivix Fiend. I lost 2-1 in elimination to another WW in what I believe to be a favorable matchup. Overall, the deck is 8-5 in matches, including 2-0 against MBC.
Thanks for the comments Yavimaya. We think very similarly about the OG Orzhov's drawbacks today. You have a lot of valid concerns, and I think I can address them with my updated decklist and matchup analysis.
Being mono-mana colored, as you noted, is necessary to make the deck more consistent. I went monowhite, though; white just has such good (though narrow) SB hate cards. This makes it more effective against a more concentrated meta, and the online meta is much smaller than live, particularly post-bannings. I definitely see where you would want to go black live, though. With effectively 27 creatures (23 and 4 Beckon Apparition), the threat density here is very high, and all but eight of them fly. Also, the four Nightsky Mimics usually end up flying for a good amount of their attacks, so it's more like ~21 effective fliers. That's more than anyone but flight-specific WW or those RW flier decks, which is pretty rare online (and your fliers get bigger/better than theirs anyhow). 7 hard removal spells clears blockers (really just annoying fliers or game-ending threats like Ulamog). Just like in WW, the hawks add sustain, and Bonesplitter is an all-star since it sticks around when your guys get removed. Kor Skyfisher synergizes extremely well here; it helps you get more out of your aggro manabase or even rebuy an Orzhov spell to re-activate a Nightsky Mimic, all on top of a 2/3 flying body for 2. Additionally, the mana curve is very, very low: 3 three-CMC, 21 two-CMC (technically 23 but you will always cast Vault Skirge for one), 17 one-CMC (technically 15).
Some matchup analysis, specifically addressing your reservations:
1) Delver- this version only runs four auras, and Snap leaves you card advantage neutral unless you foolishly doubled up an aura on someone. The very low mana curve lets you play through counterspells, and getting a 4/4 out there, especially with lifelink, is very tough for Delver to deal with. They aren't exactly swimming in removal. That said, this felt like more of an even matchup; I pulled out the win in my lone match (2-1), but I never felt all that comfortable until I could get a 4/4 lifelinker out there to stick. Still, Orzhov Aggro seems to have the requirements necessary to give them a good fight: low mana curve, big threats, ability to block their evasive creatures. Add in lifelink and removal for an extra bonus, and the Standard Bearer in the SB for their removal, and you have a fiercely contested matchup.
SB plan: -4 Squadron Hawk (too slow), -1 Vault Skirge (worse than the SB cards, not sure if taking something else out is even better), +3 Standard Bearer, +2 Veteran Armorer (helps a lot vs. Piracy charm and making your fliers able to out-tough their entire offense).
2) MBC- The reason I emphasized lifegain is because other aggro decks, lacking removal to keep a clear board, often just are stopped cold by Gray Merchant. This deck has a high threat density, evasive fliers, and Obsidian Acolyte to completely dominate the board state. Popping a Bonsplitter on a lifelinker lets you survive long enough to draw into more and more creatures. Beckon Apparition does a lot of work here, countering edict effects and battling decks that run Unearth. I've easily won both my matches against MBC, giving up just one game. I might go so far as to say this is a favorable matchup in my meta (remember, online has no Hymns).
SB plan: Vault Skirge is more risky the more removal the opponent has, especially with just one toughness and Cuombajj Witches, so they come out. The next four I take out are actually the Squadron Hawks. I'm unsure on this choice since since they add sustain, but I don't like messing with the Orzhov core too much, and the threat density is high enough/ the upside of Obsidian Acolyte is large enough to justify it. I should test taking out the Nip Gwyllion instead, and/or some removal. Veteran Armorer completely shuts down Cuombajj Witches, which is very nice. I've actually left the Standard Bearers in the SB in both matchups, but they could also be better than the Nip Gwyllion/removal here (needs testing).
3) Tron- I am 1-1 with them, actually. With 7 hard removal spells to answer the crusher and massive/lifelinking, flying creatures, the mid/late game is better than you think. Their only air presence is a Mulldrifter, and a lifelinker with a Bonesplitter/Edge or two outraces a Fangren Marauder. Condescend can give you trouble, and Flame Slash is rough since you have a lot of 4-toughness guys. Electrickery in the SB can also be devastating. Again, Beckon Apparition helps here; save them for Firebolt. I've also actually beaten Tron late game post-SB after he dropped a Fangren and gained back a ton of life; my life total was in the 40s (outside Rolling Thunder range) thanks to huge lifelinkers, and I dominated the board state with more/bigger/flying/lifelinking creatures and a Crimson Acolyte to protect them all.
Still, just because late game isn't dead doesn't mean they don't have the advantage. This matchup may be slightly unfavorable given all the control obstacles for you to overcome.
SB plan- This needs testing; I am probably again too hesitant to take out Orzhov cards and find myself pulling out Squadron Hawks (I need to test, but it's probably correct to take out the Mourning Thrulls or Beckon Apparition instead). Given that other burn will likely be coming in against you and Electrickery/Serrated Arrows are distinct possibilities: -4 Squadron Hawk, -2 Nip Gwyllion, -2 Vault Skirge, +2 Veteran Armorer, +3 Crimson Acolyte, +3 Standard Bearer
All in all, this deck is performing very well for me. I've had no really poor matchups so far. Lifelink & Prismatic Strands make Burn and Nivix Fiend cry many tears of sadness. Going forward, I need to tweak things like my sideboard plans. This is certainly something I'll keep looking into. More testing is needed all around, so feel free to take the deck for a spin yourself (especially on MODO!)
Old deck, but I think it's well-positioned in my current meta (MODO). With Storm and 8-post bannings, the most popular parts of the meta are MBC, Delver, Tron, and Burn.
Orzhov aggro can do well against MBC and Burn with its life gain. White also has incredible black and red hate in Crimson Acolyte and Obsidian Acolyte, and our big, fast fliers, lifegain, and targeted exile removal seem to give a mostly even matchup with Tron (possibly favorable, not enough testing). To modify vs delver, I am going to try severely cutting the mana curve so we can cast threats like aggro decks that give them trouble (think Stompy). Not sure if it'll work or not.
I'm going to give this a try in the gatherling PRE tonight, plus some major edits. I'll post my deck list and results later when I am not at work.
While true that the Bog is sorcery speed, if your meta warrants graveyard SB spots, it can be worth replacing a Swamp or Barren Moor with a one-of maindeck. You lose a little speed with CITP and a little damage to Tendrils/Corrupt, though, so it's a very meta-dependent call. The beauty of Relic is how you can perpetually keep someone's graveyard clear, especially if drawn early.
I would be wary of Beckon with your build while running Cuombajj, since they're pretty bad in combination with each other.
Cremate certainly is certainly a generally good choice (you can ALWAYS use CA, and it hits everything), but depending on your matchups and meta, one of these may be better tools.
Bojuka is nice because it doesn't take up a spell slot, Relic hits the entire graveyard, and Beckon/Vile are instant speed + a creature, which should be better than drawing a random card (surprise blocker, or more aggro)
Oubliette can be playable, especially if in your local live meta people have undying/persist guys a la WW, or recursion like Haunted Fengraf in Tron. It can also take a Rancor out for good if the green player has no enchantment hate, though Stompy isn't really a problem.
The extra two devotion help overcome its cost/sorcery speed.... but it is still 3 mana for sorcery-speed removal that goes away if they have enchantment removal.
Delver-Fiend, Izzet Blitz, Eye Candy etc. are all the same deck.
BorosKitty and RW Wellspring, Mono-green Aggro and Stompy, the list goes on and on.
On that note, I think Domain Zoo will definitely stick around, but that doesn't mean "Eminent Domain" or a different descriptor like "Midrange Domain" can't catch on.
I'm a fan! I can't seem to think of anything not horribly cheesy, like "The Domain-ator" or "Total Domain-ation". I feel like those names have to be read out by either an action movie trailer narrator, or Arnold.
For the same reason, Sprout also works if you want to double up your protection against edict effects or play Pauper Standard. The charm is obviously way more flexible, though.
My favorite card, for purely sentimental reasons, is Dakkon Blackblade. The flavor text, the art, and the card itself were my favorite thing to see growing up and playing casual magic, in the innocent days when the local kids and I stuffed all the breakers we could into a deck and "mana-fixed" our decks by ensuring every third-card was a land. Lol.
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/magic-online-general/pauper/developing/556314-domain-zoo
You do more often get explosive starts using Dark Ritual- you keep most of the normal way (lots of cheap 2/2s and/or pump) and you add in Edge of the Divinity with Nip Gwyllion or Nightsky Mimic, and situationally Beckon Apparition. This makes for many more possible, explosive hand combos.
Also, the flying on some of your big hitters means you either fly straight over the opposition or dominate puny blue or white creatures, lifelinking your way to high life totals while they chump and lose creatures trying to pull some removal. This works much better on blue (less removal) than white (often lots of removal). I'm thinking White Weenie may be a slightly unfavorable matchup, actually, while Delver & MUC are slightly favorable to favorable given the low CMC threat density powering past counters if you are patient and bait them well.
It definitely needs more testing to see what the average goldfish time is and if it's worth it, but I promise that you'll have fun trying it out.
If you're looking for more balance... I hate to say it in this thread, but for a while I played a Monowhite version of the Orzhov package, protecting the pumped Edge beaters with Cho-Manno's Blessing. Resolving the instant-speed protection can be an auto-win vs. decks relying on blue or red for control, though white and black have sacrifice effects and saving the creature from targeted removal removes Edge. The white version was much more resilient, and white's removal package is nice, but certainly much slower. I missed Dark Ritual and one-drop 2/2s, so I went to the dark side!
Edit: I would add that I dropped Unmake, previously having it in the main deck then the sideboard of my Orzhov variant decks for removal plus Nightsky activation. Three mana on 17-18 land felt very expensive. A lot of the high-value targets in Pauper cost less than three, and you take a tempo hit using it on them. I like Soul Reap because it hits MBC fatties like Gurmag Angler, and in this deck, often hits for three to the dome as well.
Better new things
1) Lifelink that more than offsets suicide; this helps against aggro (and actually makes for a favorable matchup vs. burn!)
2) Some fatter creature potential (Flying/lifelinking 4/4s)
3) Some surprise plays with Beckon Apparition; you can play it at the end of their turn, pump it, then immediately swing for 3-4 damage. You can also insta-pump Nightsky Mimic.
4) A transformative sideboard (from straight aggro tempo to more aggro-control)
Worse new things
1) Less evasion (shadow is replaced by flying)
2) No main deck removal at all.
3) Much less Phyrexian flavor; it's technically Orzhov, but the mana base is the same
4) With 19 out of 27 creatures being x/1s, you are really vulnerable to cards like Electrickery, Nausea, and Cuombajj Witches
Familiar things
1) Maintains the speed (cheap cost, 1-drop 2/2s, Dark Ritual), and card draw of the original.
2) Same strategy- play, pump, & pound
Pump
4 Bonesplitter
4 Edge of the Divinity
Creatures (and creature spell)
4 Vampire Lacerator
4 Carnophage
4 Vault Skirge
4 Nightsky Mimic
4 Nip Gwyllion
4 Mourning Thrull
3 Beckon Apparition
4 Sign in blood
4 Dark Ritual
3 Apostle's Blessing
4 Geth's Verdict
4 Victim of Night
4 Soul Reap
On the sideboard, I am sure there is room for improvement somewhere; I may be overcompensating against NivixFiend, which is one of the few decks that can outrace us, and popular in my meta.
4 Commune with the Gods
4 Satyr Wayfinder
3 Moldervine Cloak
Mana dorks
4 Arbor Elf
4 Wild Growth
4 Werebear
3 Krosan Restorer
4 Nessian Asp
4 Aurochs Herd
4 Nylea's Disciple
Land
18 Forest
2 Haunted Fengraf
2 Tranquil Thicket
The plan is simple. Ramp into more ramp into beatdown mode, staying alive with chump blockers and lifegain until you take over the board. This is a midrange aggro deck that also performs well in the late game. The plan comes together surprisingly quickly, and the ramp seems surprisingly resilient to getting your mana dorks killed off just due to sheer numbers at each CMC level- there are 8 mana dorks at one CMC, 4 at two CMC (plus another 8 that can get more mana sources), 3 at three CMC. I haven't tested much, but it's very fun getting access to large amounts of mana even faster than Tron. Threshold can come as early as turn 2 with the right spells and ramp. Even without threshold, you can ramp out pretty quickly into your wincons.
Part of what makes this deck so fun is it is extremely unlikely you will even have mana issues, and you often can play out your entire hand once you get going.
The new card choices-
Commune with the Gods lets you dig for that fattie/threshold/lifegain creature you need or even a Wild Growth if you need more mana, all on top of being 1/2 of a threshold enabler. This is a core card.
Satyr Wayfinder is another 1/2 threshold enabler that usually fetches an extra land so you keep hitting your land drops and can dig to a fengraf or cycle land, plus a 1/1 body. I'd also consider him core since you need at least 8 threshold enablers for consistency.
Moldervine Cloak Dredge+pump works very well in this threshold green deck. Given the amount of ramp and the trampling Aurochs, this works better with the deck than, say, Rancor. The additional toughness is also nice; I sometimes throw this on my mana dorks to keep them alive or get an extra beater. It doesn't hurt to turn an Arbor Elf into a pseudo activated Werebear, and you can pull this from your graveyard if one gets in there from a madness enabler or the unfortunate demise of its former bearer.
Krosan Restorer A 3 CMC mana dork might seem expensive, but give it a try. This is part of the "ramp into ramp" strategy. If you have threshold (very possible), this will ramp you to the moon right after dropping it, and it synergizes very well with Wild Growth like Arbor Elf does. The 1/2 body keeps it alive against things like Electrickery, Piracy Charm, and Cuombajj Witches.
I think everything else should be pretty self-explanatory, being played before in similar roles elsewhere, but feel free to ask questions or suggest edits. This probably won't be a tier 1 deck (I have a feeling it will do poorly vs. a competent MBC or MUC player), but it is very fun to play and cheap to put together.
From an opponent's perspective, the win cons can seem somewhat frail; Elfball's offense usually seems to hinge on Timberwatch Elf, to the point I'll always hold a removal spell or counter or two for it. Even if you have 10 other guys and a Wellwisher out there, lifegain from Gary/Fangren and bigger creatures and spells from control will still stabilize. Aggro opponents who run a little removal can also often get there by holding their small removal packages for the Timberwatches, and control can usually stabilize by selecting the right targets.
I don't have the deck myself, but how are your matchups/record so far? I haven't actually played against a deck that runs Blastoderm, which seems like a very good idea as a more resilient wincon than just Timberwatches themselves.
Thanks for the comments Yavimaya. We think very similarly about the OG Orzhov's drawbacks today. You have a lot of valid concerns, and I think I can address them with my updated decklist and matchup analysis.
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Mourning Thrull
4 Nightsky Mimic
4 Nip Gwyllion
4 Squadron Hawk
2 Vault Skirge
1 Veteran Armorer
4 Beckon Apparition
4 Edge of the Divinity
4 Journey to Nowhere
3 Bonesplitter
3 Unmake
Land-19
18 Plains
1 Secluded Steppe
4 Obsidian Acolyte
3 Standard Bearer
3 Prismatic Strands
3 Crimson Acolyte
2 Veteran Armorer
Being mono-mana colored, as you noted, is necessary to make the deck more consistent. I went monowhite, though; white just has such good (though narrow) SB hate cards. This makes it more effective against a more concentrated meta, and the online meta is much smaller than live, particularly post-bannings. I definitely see where you would want to go black live, though. With effectively 27 creatures (23 and 4 Beckon Apparition), the threat density here is very high, and all but eight of them fly. Also, the four Nightsky Mimics usually end up flying for a good amount of their attacks, so it's more like ~21 effective fliers. That's more than anyone but flight-specific WW or those RW flier decks, which is pretty rare online (and your fliers get bigger/better than theirs anyhow). 7 hard removal spells clears blockers (really just annoying fliers or game-ending threats like Ulamog). Just like in WW, the hawks add sustain, and Bonesplitter is an all-star since it sticks around when your guys get removed. Kor Skyfisher synergizes extremely well here; it helps you get more out of your aggro manabase or even rebuy an Orzhov spell to re-activate a Nightsky Mimic, all on top of a 2/3 flying body for 2. Additionally, the mana curve is very, very low: 3 three-CMC, 21 two-CMC (technically 23 but you will always cast Vault Skirge for one), 17 one-CMC (technically 15).
Some matchup analysis, specifically addressing your reservations:
1) Delver- this version only runs four auras, and Snap leaves you card advantage neutral unless you foolishly doubled up an aura on someone. The very low mana curve lets you play through counterspells, and getting a 4/4 out there, especially with lifelink, is very tough for Delver to deal with. They aren't exactly swimming in removal. That said, this felt like more of an even matchup; I pulled out the win in my lone match (2-1), but I never felt all that comfortable until I could get a 4/4 lifelinker out there to stick. Still, Orzhov Aggro seems to have the requirements necessary to give them a good fight: low mana curve, big threats, ability to block their evasive creatures. Add in lifelink and removal for an extra bonus, and the Standard Bearer in the SB for their removal, and you have a fiercely contested matchup.
SB plan: -4 Squadron Hawk (too slow), -1 Vault Skirge (worse than the SB cards, not sure if taking something else out is even better), +3 Standard Bearer, +2 Veteran Armorer (helps a lot vs. Piracy charm and making your fliers able to out-tough their entire offense).
2) MBC- The reason I emphasized lifegain is because other aggro decks, lacking removal to keep a clear board, often just are stopped cold by Gray Merchant. This deck has a high threat density, evasive fliers, and Obsidian Acolyte to completely dominate the board state. Popping a Bonsplitter on a lifelinker lets you survive long enough to draw into more and more creatures. Beckon Apparition does a lot of work here, countering edict effects and battling decks that run Unearth. I've easily won both my matches against MBC, giving up just one game. I might go so far as to say this is a favorable matchup in my meta (remember, online has no Hymns).
SB plan: Vault Skirge is more risky the more removal the opponent has, especially with just one toughness and Cuombajj Witches, so they come out. The next four I take out are actually the Squadron Hawks. I'm unsure on this choice since since they add sustain, but I don't like messing with the Orzhov core too much, and the threat density is high enough/ the upside of Obsidian Acolyte is large enough to justify it. I should test taking out the Nip Gwyllion instead, and/or some removal. Veteran Armorer completely shuts down Cuombajj Witches, which is very nice. I've actually left the Standard Bearers in the SB in both matchups, but they could also be better than the Nip Gwyllion/removal here (needs testing).
-2 Vault Skirge, -4 Squadron Hawk, +4 Obsidian Acolyte, +2 Veteran Armorer
3) Tron- I am 1-1 with them, actually. With 7 hard removal spells to answer the crusher and massive/lifelinking, flying creatures, the mid/late game is better than you think. Their only air presence is a Mulldrifter, and a lifelinker with a Bonesplitter/Edge or two outraces a Fangren Marauder. Condescend can give you trouble, and Flame Slash is rough since you have a lot of 4-toughness guys. Electrickery in the SB can also be devastating. Again, Beckon Apparition helps here; save them for Firebolt. I've also actually beaten Tron late game post-SB after he dropped a Fangren and gained back a ton of life; my life total was in the 40s (outside Rolling Thunder range) thanks to huge lifelinkers, and I dominated the board state with more/bigger/flying/lifelinking creatures and a Crimson Acolyte to protect them all.
Still, just because late game isn't dead doesn't mean they don't have the advantage. This matchup may be slightly unfavorable given all the control obstacles for you to overcome.
SB plan- This needs testing; I am probably again too hesitant to take out Orzhov cards and find myself pulling out Squadron Hawks (I need to test, but it's probably correct to take out the Mourning Thrulls or Beckon Apparition instead). Given that other burn will likely be coming in against you and Electrickery/Serrated Arrows are distinct possibilities: -4 Squadron Hawk, -2 Nip Gwyllion, -2 Vault Skirge, +2 Veteran Armorer, +3 Crimson Acolyte, +3 Standard Bearer
All in all, this deck is performing very well for me. I've had no really poor matchups so far. Lifelink & Prismatic Strands make Burn and Nivix Fiend cry many tears of sadness. Going forward, I need to tweak things like my sideboard plans. This is certainly something I'll keep looking into. More testing is needed all around, so feel free to take the deck for a spin yourself (especially on MODO!)
Orzhov aggro can do well against MBC and Burn with its life gain. White also has incredible black and red hate in Crimson Acolyte and Obsidian Acolyte, and our big, fast fliers, lifegain, and targeted exile removal seem to give a mostly even matchup with Tron (possibly favorable, not enough testing). To modify vs delver, I am going to try severely cutting the mana curve so we can cast threats like aggro decks that give them trouble (think Stompy). Not sure if it'll work or not.
I'm going to give this a try in the gatherling PRE tonight, plus some major edits. I'll post my deck list and results later when I am not at work.
I would be wary of Beckon with your build while running Cuombajj, since they're pretty bad in combination with each other.
Cremate certainly is certainly a generally good choice (you can ALWAYS use CA, and it hits everything), but depending on your matchups and meta, one of these may be better tools.
Bojuka is nice because it doesn't take up a spell slot, Relic hits the entire graveyard, and Beckon/Vile are instant speed + a creature, which should be better than drawing a random card (surprise blocker, or more aggro)
The extra two devotion help overcome its cost/sorcery speed.... but it is still 3 mana for sorcery-speed removal that goes away if they have enchantment removal.
Delver-Fiend, Izzet Blitz, Eye Candy etc. are all the same deck.
BorosKitty and RW Wellspring, Mono-green Aggro and Stompy, the list goes on and on.
On that note, I think Domain Zoo will definitely stick around, but that doesn't mean "Eminent Domain" or a different descriptor like "Midrange Domain" can't catch on.
Domainnathan
Domainp01
Domainnathanp01
etc. etc.
Descriptive and it would have the innovator's personal stamp on it.
I'm a fan! I can't seem to think of anything not horribly cheesy, like "The Domain-ator" or "Total Domain-ation". I feel like those names have to be read out by either an action movie trailer narrator, or Arnold.
When I get another free night, I'm going to put this deck together, too. Newly successful brews are awesome.
For the same reason, Sprout also works if you want to double up your protection against edict effects or play Pauper Standard. The charm is obviously way more flexible, though.