Anatomy of the deck
This is what forms the core of most Naya Zoo decks:4 Wild Nacatl
3-4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Tarmogoyf
3-4 Qasali Pridemage
2-4 Knight of the Reliquary
20 Burn/Removal
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
2-4 Price of Progress
3-4 Path to Exile
20-21 Lands
10-12 Fetchlands (Wooded Foothills/Windswept Heath/Arid Mesa)
1-2 Taiga
1-2 Savannah
1-2 Plateau
1 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Plains
Some variations of Zoo include some amounts of these:
Original Flavour
4 Kird Ape
2-4 Loam Lion
Hot and Crispy burn oriented
2-4 Steppe Lynx
2 Fireblast
Steamy long game/Mirror
1-3 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Figure of Destiny
2-4 Lightning Helix
1-2 Sylvan Library
1-2 Horizon Canopy
Interesting new innovation
3-4 Burning-Tree Shaman (anti-top, maze)
1-2 Stoneforge Mystic
1-2 Wasteland
How the deck works
Step 1) Wild Nacatl/Steppe Lynx, followed by Qasali Pridemage/Tarmogoyf.
Step 2) Beat.
Step 3) Burn.
Step 4) Profit!!!
Wild Nacatl is arguably the most important card in Zoo, followed closely by Tarmogoyf and Qasali Pridemage. Wild Nacatl is basically bolt on legs. On the 1st turn. Double-bolt if you can't kill it on your turn. For just 1 mana. The damage potential is surpassed only by Goblin Lackey + Siege-Gang Commander.
Tarmogoyf is just a stupid beater that dropped in price from $100+ to $50. Yeah, what can I say about it that hasn't been said?
Qasali Pridemage has an important role in this deck as a Disenchant on legs, with pseudo-haste in the form of Exalted. Although its power-mana ratio is below the curve when compared to other critters in the deck, it occupies a slot in the main because of the presence of Counterbalance. Zoo is especially susceptible to the counter-top lock with almost none of its cards costing more than 3. This respect for the soft-lock is further demonstrated with at least 2 Krosan Grip in the sideboard.
This is perhaps one of the usual plays that Zoo can have:
Turn 1) Fetch for Taiga, Wild Nacatl.
Turn 2) Fetch for Plateau, Qasali Pridemage, beat for 4.
Turn 3) Fetch for Taiga, Chain Lightning a blocker, Tarmogoyf. beat for 5.
Turn 4) Bolt, burn, beat and Fireblast. Shake hand.
And this series of play is quite common due to Zoo's consistency. For example, you can swap turn 1 Wild Nacatl with random Kird Ape/Loam Lion/Steppe Lynx. Turn 2 Qasali can be a critter + removal or just a Tarmogoyf. Turn 3 burn/removal and turn 4 kills are quite the norm. Even when the opponent managed to stabilize, he still have to deal with top-deck Tarmo, Knight of the Reliquary and burn. If there's a reason you want to play Zoo, it's gonna be that you wanna show off
How to beat Zoo
Zoo's strengths lies in its quality: 1 mana 2/3s and 3/3s, 2 mana 4/5s, 3 mana 6/6s. In addition, its support burn and removal spells are all very efficient with only an investment of 1 or 2 mana. It is hard to beat Zoo by packing cards of higher quality. However, its weakness lies in its 3-colour manabase with duals, and its lack of a draw engine to fuel it in the late game. Therefore, mana denial and attrition are the 2 most common ways to defeat it. One other way is to race Zoo, and it is hard to achieve unless you are playing combo, or your deck loves you.Merfolk vs Zoo
It has been said that the only way for fishes to beat zoo is to mana screw them with Stifle and Wasteland. That being said, several new Merfolk decks packing 16-lords and no Stifle report having success racing Zoo. Personal testing demonstrated that that is indeed true to the extent that Zoo doesn't draw the required removals for your lords. However, do not waste your counterspells on removals and Tarmogoyf unnecessary unless you're slated for a win soon. The main target of your Force of Will is for the Grim Lavamancer as you have almost no chance of winning if it resolves.Note that you are the aggressor here as their creatures are usually bigger than yours and they have tons of removals for your fish. Sneaking in damage with Reejerey taps and flying Coralhelms helps you get there game 1. Good sideboard cards against them include Mind Harness, Threads of Disloyalty, and Kira, Great Glass-Spinner. I am wary of the usefulness of Umezawa's Jitte as I do not seem to be able to find bodies to wield it. Stealing blockers away to join your team just fits into the racing strategy much better.
Counter-top vs Zoo
The counter-top soft lock is amazing against Zoo for obvious reasons. Moreover, your Goyf is a wall that attacks for the win after you have the lock in place. However, your Goyfs are vulnerable to Paths and trade+burn, so always be prepared for the risk of losing your wall, especially if you do not run Rhox War Monk. If you run Natural Order, a fast Progenitus just wins. In other cases, you are playing the control role and hinging on your counter-top lock for the win.If the Zoo player runs and lands a Burning-Tree Shaman, either in the main or sideboard, the matchup might be different (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?12624-%5BDTB%5D-Zoo&p=469106&viewfull=1#post469106). So be wary of it and be prepared with answers in the form of Swords or a Rhox War Monk floating on the top. Either that, or just race go aggro if possible. Floating rhinoceros also deals with Krosan Grip for the Counterbalance.
Goblins vs Zoo
Goblins are small, Zoo creatures are big. Goblins' Incinerator, Weirding, and Stingscourger pale in comparison to Bolts, Chain Lightnings, and Paths. In this match, you are the control player and you hope to win via attrition. Thus, the key card would have to be the Ringleader. But first, pray before you flip. On the other hand, you might be able to find an opportunity for a combo-ish kill in the form of Piledriver in the mid-late game when the Zoo player taps out and can't cast any removals. Rishadan Port and Wasteland help in this aspect, although Ports are less used in builds with black due to mana problems .Zoo doesn't really pack things in the sideboard against Goblins apart from Krosan Grip, as Goblins is a good matchup for them. Pyrokinesis might help you a little, but if you run black, Perish is the star for you as it kills e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. (almost)
Blue Lands vs Zoo
There is nothing much I can add except to reiterate the stuff already been said by others. Blue Lands is hugely favoured because its mana denial works well against Zoo. Rishadan Port, Wasteland, and Tabernacle all lock down the speed of Zoo. Moreover, Maze of Ith, Engineered Explosives, Zuran Orb, and Ensnaring Bridge helps in aggro matches. Just be ready to pay the Price of Progress.After sideboarding, it's another graveyard-based vs graveyard-hate match. So be prepared to face Tormod's Crypt and Relic of Progenitus, the 2 most common hate for non-black decks. As long as you can keep the mana locked down, Krosan Grip on important artifacts can be avoided, especially if you can get an Academy Ruins in play.
Budget Standard to Legacy
As have been said, Wild Nacatl is the creature that defines Zoo decks. However, to consistently support the cat first turn, you would have to fork out huge bucks for duals and fetches. When you look at standard, there are decks like this that use Wild Nacatl:Vengevine Naya – Kevin Ambler (6th SCG Standard Open Series Seattle, 13th June 2010)
4 Arid Mesa
2 Evolving Wilds
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Raging Ravine
1 Sejiri Steppe
2 Stirring Wildwood
2 Sunpetal Grove
1 Verdant Catacombs
5 Forest
2 Mountain
2 Plains
Threats (28)
3 Wild Nacatl
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Vengevine
3 Ranger of Eos
1 Scute Mob
1 Goblin Bushwhacker
Disruption (7)
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Behemoth Sledge
3 Cunning Sparkmage
However, this deck plays more like the Rubin Zoo deck that pack Baneslayer Angel and the combo of Grove of the Burnwillows and Punishing Fire. It’s like Jund in that it functions like a mid-range deck that focuses more on the long game. A closer relative to Zoo is this:
Boros Bushwacker – Christian Calcano (2nd Philadelphia SCG Standard Open, 11th Oct 2009)
3 Mountain
4 Plains
4 Arid Mesa
4 Marsh Flats
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Teetering Peaks
Creatures (25)
4 Elite Vanguard
2 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Goblin Guide
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Plated Geopede
3 Ranger of Eos
4 Steppe Lynx
Instants (12)
4 Burst Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
Sharing the core concept of whack and burn, Boros Bushwacker aims to finish the game as soon as possible with threats and burn that deal damage more than the mana you put in. Add some of the heavy hitters and this is what you get:
Standard to Legacy Boros Deck Wins
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Marsh Flats
2 Plateau
4 Mountain
1 Plains
Creatures (20)
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Goblin Guide
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Plated Geopede
Burn/Removal (18)
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Helix
2 Fireblast
With a lowered curve, and by cutting the color green, you get a smaller cage of animals that is more burn oriented. This is probably the only way that you can get by without forking out dough for Tarmogoyf, Taiga, Wooded Foothills, and Windswept Heath. Unless you have already spent a fortune on these cards, your proxies are put to better use for Plateau and cheaper Zendikar fetches.
And if you really do not want to spend on legacy, go ask around for these as throw-ins when you trade:
Dirt Cheap Legacy
Pauper Sligh
19 Mountain
2 Teetering Peaks
1cc (22)
4 Goblin Cohort
4 Mogg Conscripts
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Reckless Abandon/Goblin Grenade
4 Rift Bolt
2cc (12)
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Ember Hauler
4 Incinerate
3 cc (3)
3 Gathan Raiders
0cc (2)
2 Fireblast
This dirt cheap deck emulates Zoo by having 1 mana 2/2s, 2 mana 3/3s, and 3 mana 5/5s. Moreover, it packs uncounterable (apart from Stifle) burn on sticks (Mogg Fanatic, Ember Hauler) that guarantee damage once they resolve. The high density of creatures enable your budget 2/2 goblins to attack each turn if you plan your game ahead. And when the time arises, convert them to 4 or 5 damage with Reckless Abandon and Goblin Grenade. Just pray that you don’t meet Counterbalance and decks with Chalice of the Void.
More reading
The Source Zoo threadBurning-Tree Shaman in Zoo
Wasteland in Zoo
Steppe Lynx (fast) Zoo - Matt Elias, Winner of SCG Philadelphia
Variants of Zoo - Doug Linn Tweet this!
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