Topic: [Standard][Opinions] Bant Zoo

I wanted to take the Bant Auras/Hexproof list that I had been playing pre-M14 and evolve it into a more consistent, resilient deck that wasn't completely "all-in" on a single dude. My local metagame has a lot of newish players, budget players, and about 20% competitive players - but some of them will just build a deck and then play the same 75 throughout its legality, not changing anything. It's really a mixed bag; I could face UB mill, RG aggro, Aristocrats Act 1, and BUG control in one night - or I could have to play against Golgari mill/scavenge, UWR control, and two mono red decks.

Any suggestions would be welcome. I am aware that I am being greedy - quite greedy - with the manabase, especially considering all of the WW and some GG in my casting costs. My main goal is to have as many untapped turn 1 green sources as possible, while still having WW available on turn 2 with a dork or 3 without.

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/bant-zooaggro-1/

Last edited by ABottleGnome (2013-07-26 18:00:33)

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Re: [Standard][Opinions] Bant Zoo

I think the dorks should all be arbor elves for now.  IMO, you shold also fill out the rest of your mana base and drop the basics.   Bant's an aggro deck really not a midrange deck, I think you can lose resto angel, ooze, silverblade paladin, advent, and silverheart.  I liked fiend slayer paladin in the match-ups I've seen it used in, and I think you want a few more of the enchants. 

I might try this list.

Creature (22)

    4x Arbor Elf
    3x Fiendslayer Paladin
    4x Geist of Saint Traft
    4x Loxodon Smiter
    4x Voice of Resurgence
    3x Witchstalker

Instants (2)

    2x Simic Charm

Land (22)

    4x Breeding Pool
    2x Cavern of Souls
    4x Glacial Fortress
    4x Hallowed Fountain
    1x Hinterland Harbor
    3x Sunpetal Grove
    4x Temple Garden

Enchantment (14)

    4x Rancor
    3x Unflinching Courage
    3x Ethereal Armor
    4x Spectral Flight

Sideboard (15)

    2x Brave the Elements
    1x Detention Sphere
    2x Negate
    2x Plummet
    1x Ray of Revelation
    1x Rootborn Defenses
    2x Selesnya Charm
    2x Syncopate
    2x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

Last edited by elpablo (2013-07-26 18:21:47)

Re: [Standard][Opinions] Bant Zoo

Not sure if you picked up that I increased the creature count and removed almost all of the auras for a good reason - threat density. I played hexproof with the standard 16 auras for a while; and when it worked it was insane - but there were way too many draws without the right mix of spells/critters. Also, the double green on Witchstalker is pretty bad for turn 3, whereas on turn 5 it's not that big of a deal. The restoration angels and advents are anti-removal/sweeper, and are actually quite necessary in my metagame. Also, you want to reduce the mana dork count by two, change them to guys that can't make mana when played off of a cavern/check land, and cut a land? And I thought I was being greedy. wink

Tradelist: http://deckbox.org/sets/413627
Wishlist: http://deckbox.org/sets/413628

Re: [Standard][Opinions] Bant Zoo

Well, then here's my question.  If you're not playing auras and your trying to go more mid range why not change the format of the deck all together?  Get away from the bant aggro plan, get some thragtusks/angel of thune and go midrange with it.   As it is your deck is a weird hybrid that doesn't do either plan well, imo.  Or go UWg control, which is good in a diverse meta.  It's not bant pants if it doesn't play auras and your just missing out on all the fantastic midrange interactions that bant has to offer right now.

I saw this decklist on SPikes the other day. You could tweak it to include the angel package. Granted this is more of a control shell with G as X.
http://mtgdeckbuilder.net/Decks/ViewDeck/744026

Relevant thread.
http://www.reddit.com/r/spikes/comments … k_rspikes/

1   Alchemist's Refuge
4   Breeding Pool
2   Cavern of Souls
4   Glacial Fortress
4   Hallowed Fountain
4   Hinterland Harbor
3   Sunpetal Grove
3   Temple Garden

25   Lands

   
Creatures:
2   Aetherling
1   Loxodon Smiter
1   Progenitor Mimic
1   Rhox Faithmender
1   Scavenging Ooze
2   Snapcaster Mage
4   Thragtusk

12   Creatures    
Other Spells:
4   Azorius Charm
2   Detention Sphere
2   Dissipate
4   Farseek
2   Jace, Architect of Thought
1   Plasm Capture
1   Selesnya Charm
3   Sphinx's Revelation
4   Supreme Verdict


Sideboard:
3   Acidic Slime
1   Dispel
1   Jace, Memory Adept
1   Negate
1   Progenitor Mimic
1   Ray of Revelation
2   Rest in Peace
1   Scavenging Ooze
2   Selesnya Charm
2   Terminus

15   Sideboard Cards

Last edited by elpablo (2013-07-26 19:40:40)

Re: [Standard][Opinions] Bant Zoo

Those decks don't do what I want, though - which is to stick a ton of power by turn 4, with more consistency than the auras plan, more resilience to removal than naya, and the ability to have trample to go over spirit tokens. I don't want to play a game that goes past turn 6-7, but if I get there, I don't want to be stuck with nothing but 3/3s. I only have 6 cards in the deck that cost more than 3 mana, and there are 6 1 drops, 6 2 drops, and everything else is a 3 drop. The silverhearts have a massive board impact the turn they land, while thragtusks felt late to the party. I've tested with every possible 2-5 drop in the format and this is where I landed. I had even built it with main deck thalias in place of the oozes, but the 1 toughness was just ugly.

Last edited by ABottleGnome (2013-07-26 20:10:36)

Tradelist: http://deckbox.org/sets/413627
Wishlist: http://deckbox.org/sets/413628

Re: [Standard][Opinions] Bant Zoo

Trying to provide a sounding board here.  If the deck works in your meta then maybe stick with it.

it just sounds to me that based on what you have been saying a midrange is where you want to be.  Big-Naya is pretty decent.  Removal can get any deck nothing is truly resilient to it.  naya- has access to ghor-clan and a few other cards that can just be a huge blow out. Wolf-run bant is a thing too.  Kessig can help some of those dudes go over the top.  I'd also like to point out that voice and thragtusk are pretty resilient to removal with the right cards to back them up.  If they remove a silverheart you don't get any value from it.

I still feel that your missing out on the advantage of hexproof if you're not suiting them up, and you're not controlling the board like an american hexproof/esper hexproof would.  It seems to me this isn't the type of dudes you want to be running.

Re: [Standard][Opinions] Bant Zoo

I tried it out at fnm tonight. I wound up 3-1, with a round 1 loss to gw humans where I only drew voices and dorks in both games. The next here rounds were a bit better, 2-1 vs ur storm with pyromancer and burn at the stake, and 2-0 against a weird gw life gain deck and 2-0 vs bug control. I think I want the silverhearts to be sublime archangels, and I am going to try moorland haunt, as well.

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Wishlist: http://deckbox.org/sets/413628

Re: [Standard][Opinions] Bant Zoo

grats, better than my FNM, 2-3. Too many people playing jund everyone is ready for it.  sad