I really enjoy playing Zoo. I played a similar concept last year, and knowing that it would be viable still this year, I spent the past year refining and tweaking it. When Wild Nacatl was first revealed, I remember actually letting a girlish squeal escape my lips. “This could be the final piece,” I thought. In doing, so I cemented my deck of choice for this Extended season. This is what I played last season, to a 4-2, T-16 finish in my first-ever PTQ:
Kuan Kuan Wins
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Kird Ape
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Keldon Marauders
3 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
3 Tarmogoyf
4 Rift Bolt
4 Seal of Fire
4 Incinerate
4 Lightning Helix
4 Shard Volley
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Windswept Heath
2 Horizon Canopy
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
3 Mountain
1 Plains
Sideboard:
4 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Temporal Isolation
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Krosan Grip
It was fast, sleek, and easy to run. But it lacked the raw power of the Gaea’s Might decks of the time. I especially like that this was extremely light on mana. I sacrificed a little consistency for a little power, but more importantly, as a deck that needed a quick finish, it meant I was more likely to draw that finisher than a deck with 21 lands.
For instance, if I am playing against a similar zoo deck with 21 lands, and we both keep a 2-land opener, I have a 69.81% chance to draw a spell, while my opponent has a 64.15% chance to draw a spell. Start adding up the extra deck-thinning of the fetchlands, and you can see a difference. You run the chance that you’ll be short on mana, but it’s not nearly as bad as it seems, because everything in the deck costs 2 or less. So, with that in mind, this is what I ran this last Saturday at the Boise PTQ:
Creatures (18)
Lands (18)
Spells (24)
I know what you’re thinking, why the heck is Polluted Delta in there. We’ll get there, I promise. Let’s start the day before the event.
This was going to be an extremely busy weekend for me. I had a Physics Test at 8 a.m. Friday morning, and a History paper due by 11:55 that night (Online submission FTW) I had just finished my Empiricism and Realism Philosophy Exam, (with matching 6-Page paper! Who knew Professors could accessorize?) and on the Monday after the PTQ (two days ago, as your read this) I have a 10-page paper due for Political Philosophy. On top of all of my regularly scheduled activities, of course, such as working 40-hours a week, my internship at the University Press Office, and being a father of two children and husband to a 7-months pregnant wife.
Friday morning, I wake up early and manage to get to my physics test 15 minutes early, so I surf the net on a kiosk computer down the hall for 20 minutes. Which means, yes, I was 5 minutes late. One glaring look from my professor later, and I was seated and contemplating frictional coefficients alongside potential Faerie Sideboard cards. But, I’m pretty sure I did well on the test, at least an A-. After that, it’s back home to supervise the unloading of 2 tons of dirt in my about-to-be landscaped backyard, packing, and picking a sideboard.
Hmm, sideboard, what should we go with. Well, Relic of Progenitus seems good. Loam is going to be popular, so let’s add a Jotun Grunt in as a one of. Maybe I’ll pick up more on site if I think I need it. TEPS and Elves, let’s go with Ethersworn Canonist. Faeries and TEPS, Gaddock Teeg seems good for that match-up. Faeries and Elves, Volcanic Fallout seems to be strong against both of those match-ups. 2 Duergar Hedge-Mage for random Artifact and/or Enchantment removal, and we’re off.
I decided not to pack any hate for Robots, for two reasons. I didn’t expect a lot of them, given the local meta-game, and the few that would be there I am hoping to dodge. It’s a bit risky, but I’m willing to take the chance.
Head off to work from 12-8 at my regular job (Slinging Verizon Wireless) but of course, I don’t get out of there till 9, because we are slammed all day long. I didn’t even get my history paper finished (or started, for that matter) so I head to the computer lab on campus to write it. That took me 35 minutes, then home, get the kids in the car, and we’re ready for the three hour trip to Boise for the PTQ. We slide into town a little after 1 a.m. on the back of three Red Bulls, and I slide into bed shortly thereafter. 7:45 comes awful early, and I’m on a conference call to a sales meeting I’m skipping to be at the PTQ. After that, a shower and some breakfast before heading off to the site. Finally, some Magic!
Final numbers are 77 Players, so 7 rounds. Some quick math tells me 5-1-1 is in, with 5-2 a slim chance. Let’s do this!
Round 1, Table 29
Adam Cattoor- Elves
Game 1, I win the roll, and keep Wooded Foothills, Seal of Fire, Wild Nacatl, and Four Lightning Helix’s, because I’m dumb. I lead off with Wooded Foothills into Stomping Ground into Seal of Fire. When he plays Fetch-land, Temple Garden untapped, Nettle Sentinel, I suddenly feel a lot better about my opening play. I play Nacatl, and pass. He rolls out Birchlore Ranger and another Nettle Sentinel, and I Seal of Fire the Birchlore in response. Turn three, I draw and play Mogg Fanatic, he plays land go. I draw Wooded Foothills, sac for a Sacred Foundry tapped, and bash with my Fanatic and Nacatl. He uses Summoner’s Pact, seeks out Heritage Druid, and starts to combo, but fizzles when I kill the Druid. He goes aggro and kills me. Halfway through the second game, I realize he never paid for his Pact, but it’s too late now. Dangit!
Sideboard: -3 Might of Alara, -3 Keldon Marauders, +3 Ethersworn Canonist, +3 Volcanic Fallout.
Game 2, I keep Tribal Flames, Lightning Helix, Stomping Ground, Bloodstained Mire, Wooded Foothills and Kird Ape on a mulligan to 6. Turn 1 Stomping Ground into Kird Ape, Turn 2 Bloodstained Mire into Sacred Foundry tapped, Turn Three Wooded Foothills into Steam vents untapped, play Nacatl and Lightning Helix, and it’s over rather quickly after that.
Game 3, He leads off with Gilt-Leaf Palace into Birchlore Ranger. I play Sacred Foundry untapped, pass (keeping Path to Exile open) Turn two, he plays forest, Elvish Visionary off his two lands. I play Stomping Ground untapped, Seal of Fire, pass. In his upkeep, I Seal of Fire the Birchlore, before he can use it or protect it with a Pendelhaven. He keeps drawing mana elves, and I draw three Lightning Helix in a row to keep offing his mana elves, until finally a Kird Ape plus Tarmogoyf take him from 16-10, and a Might of Alara the following turn is lethal. Had I lost that match, I would not have been happy. He did use Summoner’s Pact again in the third game, but I made sure he paid for it this time.
1-0, 2-1
Round 2, Table 6
Brandon Nelson- Bant
Game 1, I win the roll and lead with Wooded Foothills into Stomping Ground into Kird Ape. Turn two Horizon Canopy, another Kird Ape. He leads off with Wooded Foothills into Breeding Pool, and some sort of mana creature, I believe Noble Hierarch. Turn two, Sacred Foundry takes him to 13, and he plays Rhox War Monk. I take a pain from Horizon Canopy and Path to Exile it, but he plays Tarmogoyf, then Jitte equip, swing, and I get him to two, even through all of the Jitte counters, but it’s not enough, and I die screaming.
Sideboard: -2 Mogg Fanatic, -3 Rift Bolt, +3 Volcanic Fallout, +2 Duergar Hedge-Mage
Game 2 can be summed up rather easily by the following: he sees two Jittes, I see one Hedge-Mage and we both had 2 Lightning Helixes. I lose the race badly.
1-1, 2-3
Okay, so win 4 straight and I can draw. Right then, let’s get on with it.
Round 3, Table 16
Paul Bowlin- Affinity
@^$&#!!! I have to win the round, and it’s the one match-up I really have no hate for. Firk Ding Blast! Game 1, I win the draw, and lead Wooded Foothills into Sacred Foundry into Mogg Fanatic, which should have been Kird Ape, because I had Overgrown Tomb in my bloody hand. I’m dumb, as we see yet again. He plays Great Furnace, Springleaf Drum. Turn two, I play the Tomb, into Ape + Nacatl, and bash for one. He then belches his entire hand onto the board, Arcbound Worker, another Drum, Atog, another Furnace, and Frogmite. I am dumb, and swing, hoping to race, and he goes all in on Atog, hoping I don’t have Path. I don’t and I die horribly.
Sideboard: uh, crap? -2 Keldon Marauders, +2 Duergar Hedge-Mage.
Game 2, I lead Stomping Ground into Wild Nacatl. He plays Blinkmoth Nexus into Arcbound Worker. I then play Wooded Foothills into Sacred Foundry, play Mogg Fanatic and another Nacatl after bashing with my first Nacatl. Turn two, he plays another Blinkmoth, Ravager. I respond by sac’ing the Fanatic to off the worker, then Helix the Ravager on my turn he isn’t able to get anything good after that.
Game 3, Paul mulligans to four and keeps. He plays Ornithopter, pass. I play fetch-land into Sacred Foundry into Kird Ape. I have Temple Garden in hand. Paul top-decks a Great Furnace and plays Atog the next turn. Paul has a turn that really helps him out, playing Thoughtcast for U, (his last card) drawing into another Thoughcast and a Seat of the Synod. He plays that Thoughtcast, drawing another Thoughtcast and an Ornithopter, which he uses for his Drum to cast Thoughtcast again, drawing a land and Myr Enforcer. Must be nice, I guess. He attacks with Atog, I chump with Tarmogoyf, he sacs a Drum. My next turn I am at 14 life, and have Steam Vents, Blood Crypt, Temple Garden and Sacred Foundry untapped, and Kird Ape in play at 4/5. Paul has Atog, Thopter, Myr Enforcer, Springleaf Drum, and 4 artifact lands. I swing with Kird Ape. He drops to 13. I pass. He plays a land, putting him at 8 artifacts and Atog. I cast Lightning Helix, tapping the Steam Vents and Temple Garden. He sac’s an Artifact and mentions I should have done it on my turn, as he has lethal now. I say “you have 8 artifacts. That’s 16 damage. After Helix, I have 17 life. He points out that Atog starts at 1, sacs all his artifacts before damage. I cast Path to Exile, and two turns and a Tarmogoyf later, it’s over.
2-1, 4-4
Round 4, Table 10
Peter Beckfield- Faeries
Game 1, I win the die roll (4 in a row, must be nice) and keep Bloodstained Mire, Sacred Foundry, Wooded Foothills, 2x Tribal Flames, Tarmogoyf and Might of Alara. I lead with Bloodstained Mire into Overgrown Tomb tapped. He plays River of Tears, pass. I play Sacred Foundry, Seal of Fire, pass. He plays Mutavault, suspend Visions, pass. I draw Tarfire, play Wooded Foothills into Steam Vents tapped, and play Tribal Flames. He plays Island, suspend another visions, pass. I run Tarfire out to bait a Sprite, he obliges, and I drop Tarmogoyf, pass. He plays Riptide Lab, and passes. I swing with Goyf, he doesn’t block, I play Might of Alara plus Tribal Flames. His Visions’ have 3 and 2 counters on them at the end.
Sideboard: I don’t have notes, I think I only brought in Gaddock Teeg and Fallout for 6 cards I don’t remember.
He plays Mutavault and Chrome Mox, imprinting Venser. I play Sacred Foundry into Kird Ape. He does nothing on turn 2, including not playing a land. I play Temple Garden, swing with the Ape, and drop Keldon Marauders. He plays Steam Vents, and passes. I draw, he plays Vendilion, I ask targets before revealing, and he targets himself, discarding s stifle. Luckily, I had no fetchlands this game, so it’s kind of dead. I play Blood Crypt, and drop Kird Ape and Gaddock Teeg. He does nothing worth writing down, I play Steam vents tapped, play Seal of Fire to bait out Spellstutter, he obliges again, and again I use Tribal Flames to finish it.
3-1, 6-4
Round 5, table 5
Alan Doong: TEPS
I knew Alan was playing TEPS, because I sat one seat down from his opponent two rounds in a row. He was wrecking people, I watched him win on turn two 3 separate games, and heard bad beat stories about at least two others. Gonna be fun, getcha popcorn ready.
Game 1, he wins the die roll, and plays Flooded Strand into Steam Vents into Ponder, leaving the top three. I play Wooded Foothills into Temple Garden into Wild Nacatl. Turn two, he plays a land and passes. I play Blood Crypt Tapped, swing for 3, pass. He plays land, something irrelevant, pass. I draw for the turn and just laugh. My opponent thinks I just drew the nuts, but I drew Polluted Delta (the only time all day), which allows me to go get The Steam Vents I need for Domain. See, I had left my Windswept Heath’s at home, so I filled in with horizon canopy and Polluted Delta. The only time I draw it, it gets the one land I need. The reason I’m laughing so hard is that if it had been Windswept Heath, it wouldn’t have. See, life is funny. I swing, play Keldon Marauders, go get Steam Vents tapped, then pass. He plays land, I think Ponder, pass. I swing, play Might of Alara, and he’s at 4. He says “So I have to go for it this turn?” “Yeah, probably a good idea,” I reply. He doesn’t get there, and scoops them up in the face of lethal.
Sideboard: -2 Tarfire, -4 Tarmogoyf, +3 Gaddock Teeg, +3 Ethersworn Canonist.
Game 2, he leads off with Polluted Delta into Island, pass. I play Bloodstained Mire into Sacred Foundry into Mogg Fanatic. I drew a Path to Exile, and quickly realized I made another dumb mistake in not sideboarding them out. My hand has Canonist, but he has double Remand when I test the waters with Keldon Marauders. He casts Mind’s Desire for 8, and the first card off the top is Another Mind’s Desire. I make it tough by flipping 5 lands on the next 7, but he casts the desire for 10, and once I see Tendrils, we move on to game 3.
Sideboard: -4 Path to Exile, +2 Tarmogoyf, +2 Tarfire
Game 3, I lead Stomping ground into Kird Ape, then Sacred Foundry into Wild Nacatl. I play Steam Vents into Might of Alara plus Tarfire turn three means he has to try to combo out too soon, and fizzles.
4-1, 8-5
Okay, win this one and we can draw into the top 8. They post standings, and I am in 8th place. Bill Stark is also X-1, and in 7th, and I hope I don’t get paired against him. He’s playing Ranger Zoo, and I’d rather not battle him just yet.
Round 6, Table 5
Pedro Rodriguez, Faeries
I know Pedro is good, having read his tournament report from Worlds Memphis. I know he’s playing Faeries from earlier scouting.
Game 1, he wins the roll, and plays Riptide Laboratory. I play Bloodstained Mire into Stomping Ground into Kird Ape. He plays Polluted Delta, but I star Beating him into Submission. He didn’t cast a whole lot his game that I noted down, and was a bit perturbed by my note taking. Meh.
Sideboarding: -4 Path to Exile, +1 Gaddock Teeg, +3 Volcanic Fallout
Game 2, he leads with Breeding Pool into Ancestral Visions. I’m pretty sure I lose if he gets to resolve that, but my hand isn’t too fast. I play Stomping Ground into Mogg Fanatic. He plays Mutavault, I play Seal of Fire. I did not get another land, and frankly, should have mulliganed. I looked at it, and I swear I thought “I’m up a game in the deciding match for top-8, I’m going to get there.” Yes, I’m an idiot. I’m also tired, and my Red Bull was wearing off. I had one in my pocket, but didn’t drink it, because, again, I’m dumb. So, we’re off to game 3
Game 3, I lead off with Wooded Foothills into Temple Garden tapped. He leads with Flooded strand into Breeding Pool into Ancestral Visions. My hand is not fast enough, and he wraps it up with quad Mutavaults on the board.
4-2, 9-7
After this round, we determine that an X-2 will not make it in, barring some crazy ridiculous pairings. Three players have 16, 3 players have 15, and 5 players have 13. The only chance is if the lowest 15 (Alex Sittner) doesn’t want to risk not making it on tiebreaks (~ 8% possible) which he won’t do. Firk Ding Blast again. I’m 14th right now, so I still have something to play for. Prizes are down to 20th, after all.
Round 7, table 7
Jed Dolbeer, Elves
I knew Jed was on Elves, because he lost to Bill Stark the previous round. I make a joke about how we should draw, so we both get screwed, but he’s a jerk in response. Whatever, dude, we’re both not happy about not making top-8. Relax, it’s a game. His ‘tude put a bit of a damper on the game, and since my heart wasn’t really in it anyway, I play poorly. Game 1, I stop his combo with strategic removal, but he is able to get there just a bit faster on aggro. Game 2, He Chords up Elvish Champion, but I’m thinking I’m okay, he’s still short of lethal and within burn range. Then he Chords again, and says he’s going for another one. I make him show me the card, just to make sure he’s not bluffing, then scoop them up.
4-3, 9-9
It’s a disappointing end to what was a promising start. Some of the guys from my side of the state that I know try to cheer me up by pointing out I lost to:
Brandon, the 1-seed in the top eight,
Pedro, who was in the Finals when I went home,
And Jed, who finished 9th, I think, but who I didn’t really battle with anyway.
I was able to make some good trades, build almost all of my Legacy deck now (need Blue Fetches, natch)
Here’s the top-8, which made me feel good about my sideboard choices. I only saw two affinity decks all day, and a lot of Loam.
Here’s the Top-8 Lists:
Brandon Nelson- Bant
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Rhox War Monk
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Wild Nacatl
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Bant Charm
4 Lightning Helix
2 Path to Exile
3 Umezawa’s Jitte
2 Engineered Explosives
4 Breeding Pool
4 Flooded Strand
3 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Temple Garden
1 Stomping Ground
1 Flooded Grove
1 Island
1 Forest
1 Plains
2 Treetop Village
1 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
Sideboard:
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Loxodon Hierarch
1 Trickbind
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Path to Exile
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Krosan Grip
2 Rule of Law
4 Kitchen Finks
2 Loxodon Hierarch
1 Worm Harvest
4 Life from the Loam
4 Astral Slide
3 Seismic Assault
2 Wrath of God
4 Path to Exile
3 Spark Spray
1 Lightning Helix
4 Edge of Autumn
3 Wooded Foothills
2 Windswept Heath
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Temple Garden
1 Stomping Ground
3 Forgotten Cave
3 Secluded Steppe
4 Tranquil Thicket
1 Flagstones of Trokair
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Forest
2 Plains
2 Mountain
Sideboard
3 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Ancient Grudge
3 Cranial Extraction
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Wrath of God
3 Slice and Dice
2 Duergar Hedge-Mage
Bill Stark– Ranger Zoo
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Kird Ape
2 Mogg Fanatic
1 Burrenton Forger Tender
1 Figure of Destiny
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Woolly Thoctar
4 Ranger of Eos
4 Lightning Helix
4 Incinerate
4 Path to Exile
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Windswept Heath
4 Stomping Ground
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Temple Garden
2 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
Sideboard
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
4 Kataki, War’s Wage
2 Volcanic Fallout
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Sulfuric Vortex
Noah Shepardson- Ranger Zoo
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Kird Ape
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Woolly Thoctar
4 Ranger of Eos
2 Mogg Fanatic
1 Burrenton Forger-Tender
1 Figure of Destiny
4 Lightning Helix
4 Incinerate
4 Path to Exile
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Windswept Heath
3 Stomping Ground
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Temple Garden
2 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
Sideboard
3 Ancient Grudge
3 Duergar Hedge-Mage
4 Volcanic Fallout
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Sulfuric Vortex
Alex Sittner– Bant
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Rhox War Monk
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Wild Nacatl
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Bant Charm
4 Lightning Helix
2 Path to Exile
3 Umezawa’s Jitte
2 Engineered Explosives
4 Breeding Pool
4 Flooded Strand
4 Windswept Heath
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Temple Garden
1 Stomping Ground
1 Flooded Grove
1 Island
1 Forest
1 Plains
2 Treetop Village
1 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
Sideboard:
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Loxodon Hierarch
1 Trickbind
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Path to Exile
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Krosan Grip
2 Rule of Law
Matt Hague- Faeries
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Vendilion Clique
3 Sower of Temptation
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Spell Snare
4 Mana Leak
3 Cryptic Command
4 Ancestral Visions
3 Umezawa’s Jitte
2 Vedalken Shackles
3 Engineered Explosives
4 Polluted Delta
4 Mutavault
4 Flooded Strand
1 Steam Vents
1 Breeding Pool
3 Riptide Laboratory
8 Island
Sideboard
3 Relic of Progenitus
4 Stifle
1 Future Sight
2 Threads of Disloyalty
2 Firespout
3 Ancient Grudge
Pedro Rodriguez- Faeries
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Vendilion Clique
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Spell Snare
4 Mana Leak
2 Cryptic Command
4 Ancestral Visions
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
2 Vedalken Shackles
3 Engineered Explosives
4 Polluted Delta
4 Mutavault
4 Flooded Strand
1 Steam Vents
2 Breeding Pool
3 Riptide Laboratory
5 Island
1 Academy Ruins
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
1 Minamo, School at Water’s Edge
Sideboard
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Future Sight
2 Ancient Grudge
Stan Bessey- Astral Slide
I only have 57 cards of this list, sad panda.
The top-8…
Quarterfinals:
Max McCall (Slide) beat Brandon Nelson (Bant)
Bill Stark (Ranger Zoo) beat Noah Shepardson (Ranger Zoo)
Pedro Rodriguez (Faeries) beat Matt Hague (Faeries)
Stan Bessey (Slide) beat Alex Sittner (Bant)
Semifinals
Max McCall (Slide) beat Bill Stark (Ranger Zoo).
Pedro Rodriguez (Faeries) beat Stan Bessey (Slide)
Finals:
Max McCall (Slide)
Pedro Rodriguez (Faeries)
I have no idea who won, I left after the semifinals to go to bed. I have tried calling the store three times to find out, but to no avail. Be sure to check out The Starkington Post for Bill’s report.
Well, that’s all for this week.
This is Jeff Phillips, reminding you: Don’t make the Loser Choice.