Deck is difficult to pilot tbh, I don't expect it to be a very popular deck for that reason alone, there is rarely an easy win and you need to know the deck well to play it properly. In big events that can be a real problem.
I see you went for the 4 IOK 2 seize split. It is generally better, I rather have 3/3 split though because seize hits cards that are more troublesome for us.
I think kataki should definatelt be in against KCI. Its somewhat situational, but it can simply be a game winning card when opp has no KCI on the table. I can't see a reason to not have him.
I tend to keep at least 2 thoughtseizes and also bring in gaddock teeg against any deck featuring CoCo. Abzan traverse is good at disrupting and finding relevant cards for many situations, but we do not grind all that well; we just cannot beat an early resolved CoCo most of the time.
Absolutely keep the decay in. Your priority is always dealing with the DS
Im using 2 spellbombs instead of 2 surgicals, so I bring those in (and now cleric). I guess Im not a fan of surgical here. It can stop a snapcaster and remove DS, but it won't prevent opp from casting angler, and it will leave you behind in the attrition war. Still, if you are only using one spellbomb you can try one surgical.
Choke seems a lot more powerful than fulminators, as I said, I would bring it in.
The decks that run multiple fields of ruin are the ones against which you don't have to protect your life total that much. I would say fetch more duals to get around that. Im liking the 2 forests, but im not sold on it still (you can also try another dual land here, maybe a shambling vent).
GDS is always a tough matchup with very little room for error.
I sb in grave hate and keep most discards in. I find that the deck is a lot weaker if I don't have to fear the stubborn denials, hence the discards.
You can try cutting some flayers and playing a more control game, they have so much removal and their creatures are so big that flayer is kind of bad here.
Leave only 1 rhino in since draining 3 is often pretty bad (but its good to leave one to have some reach with traverse). Going with fulminator is an ok plan (not great though, they don't need that much mana). Choke seems strong.
Best card in this matchup is lingering souls, thats one of the downsides of cutting a lingering and grisly salvage, you'll lose a tad more to GDS.
Kataki is indeed narrow, but it is very devastating against certain archetypes, I prefer having him around, but please do test other cards and let us know how it goes for you.
Looks nice. I also replaced the bog with the cleric for good.
Am testing the deck with 2 forests and 2 swamp instead of 1 plains (I find it is actually better against blood moon that way since your game plan involves having a forest and a swamp and you can go from there). I never like drawing a plains since your manabase at curve 4 should be able to produce GGBBW and we already have ghost quarter. Need more testing anyway.
I like the choke (played up to 2 sb at one point) but ill stick with thrun for now since he is tutorable
Liliana the last hope is looking quite good in this meta for me. Trying one extra on the sb.
How has the surgical been working for you? Haven't had much use for it lately, nihil spellbomb is working better against most decks for me.
There is also the option of cutting an eidolon and a choke for more gaddocks, I think he really is our best card in the UW control and some other matchups.
Eidolon is better at some matchups and is useful at places where gaddock isen't though (living end for example, which is a nightmare matchup)
Golgari charm is indeed a house, best change from my GP list in my opinion.
Grisly salvage can be cut (I side it out against aggressive decks for example). Still, its a good card against midrange and control (especially if you run 4 souls), the most reliable way we have to reach delirium, and an extra way to find your relevant creatures against tron or some combos, it definitely has its merits but I can see it being cut instead of the brutality.
Casting a turn 4 rhino against burn may not seem like much, but in my experience its enough (we do have discards, removals and early blockers after all). I lose very little to burn so I'm not overly concerned with the matchup.
Rhino is enough against burn imo. Burn is not a bad matchup, just keep hands with early removal and eventual access to rhino. You usually drop pretty low but end up winning, its also hard for them to win on the draw.
Cutting CB weakens the control matchup and some others for sure, but as you said, you have to make sacrifices. 19 lands is fine, but 20 is ideal I think (considering we have ghost quarter and plains md which are bad for the manabase). It's up to you, I feel fine right now with cutting the CB, but you can cut the Anafenza or push for example. I like having 3 pushes though.
Eternal witness is pretty good with all our milling, but I dont wish to make the deck so grave reliant, that's why I dont use her.
UW control can answer Thrun, but it's still the best tutorable option I can think of for the matchup (along with gaddock) so Im not fond of cutting him. Thrun is also very good against UWx builds and doubles as a decent 4 drop against midrange.
You can probably open a slot on the sb by cutting 1 surgical/spellbomb for a midrange grindy card. 1 cleric + 2 surgical/spellbomb + md ooze/anafenza should be enough grave hate.
I would definately not go below 4 baubles, the card is just exactly what the deck needs
I endend up cutting Brutality for the 20th land, haven't missed it so far and I rather have 3 pushes in.
Anafenza has been underperforming for me actually, gonna test something else in that slot (thinking of Thalia, heretic cathar, just as a general card that I like, but maybe its not a good fit)
The point of Thrun for me has never been the grindy games, that's just an upside. He's there against control and we don't have much else against that, not fond of cutting him.
I do however wish there was an extra card for grindy matchups somewhere, Sigarda is great when it lands. Gonti is also good (I used to run him when I played BG rock to help with eldra tron matchups).
Another card that is interesting is Glissa, the traitor. Deathtouch + first strike completely halts attacks, and with 4 baubles and a lot of removals you'll get a draw or 2 out of her. Haven't resorted to her yet due to 2 factors; One is that our creatures matchup isen't bad as it is. The other is that the double green cost is really troublesome, that's actually the main difficulty for me.
Some other random cards to consider: Doran, the siege tower (5/5 and pumps goyf, in place of anafenza for example). Raven's crime (can be milled and will be good against control, but we do not run many lands). Phyrexian revoker (lots of uses). Knight of the reliquary (big creature with good ability, but grave reliant).
Remorseful cleric is interesting, it didn't exist a few weeks ago so never tested it, could very well take bojuka's slot (make sure you play 20 lands md then). Im also currently leaning towards 2 spellbombs and 1 surgical instead of 2 Surgical/1 spellbomb.
Im using 2 spellbombs instead of 2 surgicals, so I bring those in (and now cleric). I guess Im not a fan of surgical here. It can stop a snapcaster and remove DS, but it won't prevent opp from casting angler, and it will leave you behind in the attrition war. Still, if you are only using one spellbomb you can try one surgical.
Choke seems a lot more powerful than fulminators, as I said, I would bring it in.
The decks that run multiple fields of ruin are the ones against which you don't have to protect your life total that much. I would say fetch more duals to get around that. Im liking the 2 forests, but im not sold on it still (you can also try another dual land here, maybe a shambling vent).
I sb in grave hate and keep most discards in. I find that the deck is a lot weaker if I don't have to fear the stubborn denials, hence the discards.
You can try cutting some flayers and playing a more control game, they have so much removal and their creatures are so big that flayer is kind of bad here.
Leave only 1 rhino in since draining 3 is often pretty bad (but its good to leave one to have some reach with traverse). Going with fulminator is an ok plan (not great though, they don't need that much mana). Choke seems strong.
Best card in this matchup is lingering souls, thats one of the downsides of cutting a lingering and grisly salvage, you'll lose a tad more to GDS.
Am testing the deck with 2 forests and 2 swamp instead of 1 plains (I find it is actually better against blood moon that way since your game plan involves having a forest and a swamp and you can go from there). I never like drawing a plains since your manabase at curve 4 should be able to produce GGBBW and we already have ghost quarter. Need more testing anyway.
I like the choke (played up to 2 sb at one point) but ill stick with thrun for now since he is tutorable
Liliana the last hope is looking quite good in this meta for me. Trying one extra on the sb.
How has the surgical been working for you? Haven't had much use for it lately, nihil spellbomb is working better against most decks for me.
There is also the option of cutting an eidolon and a choke for more gaddocks, I think he really is our best card in the UW control and some other matchups.
Eidolon is better at some matchups and is useful at places where gaddock isen't though (living end for example, which is a nightmare matchup)
Golgari charm is indeed a house, best change from my GP list in my opinion.
Cheers
I cannot say much about traditional Abzan because I never played it much. I used to play BG rock and I find the traverse build far superior.
In any case, go with a deck you know well and are comfortable with, Im sure Abzan or BG can still pull results.
Casting a turn 4 rhino against burn may not seem like much, but in my experience its enough (we do have discards, removals and early blockers after all). I lose very little to burn so I'm not overly concerned with the matchup.
Cutting CB weakens the control matchup and some others for sure, but as you said, you have to make sacrifices. 19 lands is fine, but 20 is ideal I think (considering we have ghost quarter and plains md which are bad for the manabase). It's up to you, I feel fine right now with cutting the CB, but you can cut the Anafenza or push for example. I like having 3 pushes though.
Eternal witness is pretty good with all our milling, but I dont wish to make the deck so grave reliant, that's why I dont use her.
UW control can answer Thrun, but it's still the best tutorable option I can think of for the matchup (along with gaddock) so Im not fond of cutting him. Thrun is also very good against UWx builds and doubles as a decent 4 drop against midrange.
You can probably open a slot on the sb by cutting 1 surgical/spellbomb for a midrange grindy card. 1 cleric + 2 surgical/spellbomb + md ooze/anafenza should be enough grave hate.
I endend up cutting Brutality for the 20th land, haven't missed it so far and I rather have 3 pushes in.
Anafenza has been underperforming for me actually, gonna test something else in that slot (thinking of Thalia, heretic cathar, just as a general card that I like, but maybe its not a good fit)
The point of Thrun for me has never been the grindy games, that's just an upside. He's there against control and we don't have much else against that, not fond of cutting him.
I do however wish there was an extra card for grindy matchups somewhere, Sigarda is great when it lands. Gonti is also good (I used to run him when I played BG rock to help with eldra tron matchups).
Another card that is interesting is Glissa, the traitor. Deathtouch + first strike completely halts attacks, and with 4 baubles and a lot of removals you'll get a draw or 2 out of her. Haven't resorted to her yet due to 2 factors; One is that our creatures matchup isen't bad as it is. The other is that the double green cost is really troublesome, that's actually the main difficulty for me.
Some other random cards to consider: Doran, the siege tower (5/5 and pumps goyf, in place of anafenza for example). Raven's crime (can be milled and will be good against control, but we do not run many lands). Phyrexian revoker (lots of uses). Knight of the reliquary (big creature with good ability, but grave reliant).
Gonna test the cleric as well
Cheers