Are gruul zoo decks viable in modern?
Deck Help forum
Posted on Nov. 6, 2013, 9:33 p.m. by Seten
Such as mine: ESCAPE FROM THE GRUUL ZOO
Also, any suggestions on it are extremely appreciated.
Gruul aggro can certainly steal games.
I would bring the curve more aggressive and get Experiment One in there, you've got a good chance of making it a 3/3 for 1 most of the time. Also, Lightning Bolt is the most common spell in the format for a reason. If you're in red, you want to be running it. Not only is it reach but it gives you a key bit of interaction against the creature combo decks. Additionally, If you can afford them Tarmogoyf is certainly worth it. More dual lands would be nice too, even if fetches and Stomping Ground are too pricey I would still pack some of the cheaper ones like Karplusan Forest and Fire-Lit Thicket . Getting more of the forests to also produce red would be great for the consistency.
Cut Vexing Devil , you're not a burn deck and you actually need your creatures to stick around and get under their removal. 4 of the top sounds like a lot, but it's a bad turn 1 play. Cut the Madcap Skills , there's just too much removal run in modern and getting 2 for 1ed is just the play some decks are going to need against you. You can certainly afford to be a little greedier on the mana, 18-19 lands is still within reason. Giant Growth is just kind of unexciting, trying to win a creature combat or save from a Lightning Bolt just doesn't seem proactive enough - maybe like Rift Bolt , Searing Blaze or Dismember .
Sideboard looks reasonable, but that is mostly going to depend on what your local meta is like.
November 6, 2013 9:56 p.m.
InconspicuousPotato says... #4
Domri Rade is a great card there, along with Experiment One and Tarmogoyf . Giant Growth could most likely go for Lightning Bolt . So, I would cut all of: Vexing Devil , Giant Growth , Madcap Skills , and Stormblood Berserker for 4 Tarmogoyf , 4 Lightning Bolt , 3 Domri Rade , and 4 Experiment One .
November 6, 2013 10:23 p.m.
Slycne InconspicuousPotato do either of u know if kird ape could trigger evole if you controlled that forest?
November 7, 2013 7:20 a.m.
InconspicuousPotato says... #7
Kird Ape will trigger evolve on Experiment One as long as he has great P/T than the experiment. In other words, yes, yes he can.
November 7, 2013 9:53 a.m.
InconspicuousPotato so he will enter the battlefield with the +1/+2 bonus? (If you control the forest)
November 7, 2013 2:49 p.m.
Seten Yes, as it enters the battlefield its size is already increased because it is a static ability. Something like Reverent Hunter wont though because as it enters it has a triggered ability that checks devotion, so it never satisfies the condition to trigger evolve even though it will get big enough afterwards. This should further not be confused however with other instances like Mistcutter Hydra which will enter as it size even though it's a 0/0. It all depends on the wording.
Seten says... #2
Thanks!
November 6, 2013 9:37 p.m.