Zoo

“Zoos are such fun!” they told me. “It’s a blast!” they yelled. I just wish I’d heard them whisper “oderm” at the end. Getting its name from the numerous animals at its command, the Zoo archetype has been around for a very long time. At some point, WotC had printed enough cheap beaters/pump spells that weren’t just in White, and the RGx aggro deck was born! In fact, I remember having the best deck at my school (a UW control deck), and getting smashed by my friend’s RG weenie deck he’d read about. Nature is to be respected my friends!

The main focus of the deck is speed. You want to get out as many cheap and efficient threats as you can to beat your opponent down. In that sense, Zoo’s best T1-drops are Kird Ape and Skyshroud Elite - creatures that say 1/1 but are actually 2/3. Combine either with a Rancor, and you have a 4/4 trampler hitting the opponent by turn two! The deck also contains Werebear and Nimble Mongoose, both of which are cheap creatures that get bigger as you accumulate more cards in your graveyard.

Another thing Zoo likes to do is Armageddon the opponent out of the game. Once they establish a large number of efficient threats, a Zoo player can then clear the board of land. This leaves the Zookeeper with a fast clock and protection from most mass removal. Armageddon can also help the player reach Threshold, thus growing their bears and geese to finish the opponent off.

If you scrolled down to the deck first, then you may have noticed the lack of Swords to Plowshares in either of the boards. I didn’t add them to the deck because Zoo does NOT want the opponent gaining life. The long game is not your friend, and that’s exactly what Swords can create. The deck does contain a lot of burn-type removal however, which can help clear the way for attackers or finish the opponent off. Zoo is a super fun deck that has a lot of different weapons in its arsenal - how you want to build it is up to you. Happy brewing!

 

Zoo

Land:

4 Plateau

4 Taiga

4 Savannah

4 Wooded Foothills

4 Windswept Heath

Total: 20

Creatures:

4 Kird Ape

1 Blastoderm

4 Nimble Mongoose

4 Savannah Lions

4 Werebear

4 Skyshroud Elite

Total: 21

Spells:

4 Lightning Bolt

3 Armageddon

4 Chain Lightning

4 Rancor

4 Shock

Total: 19

Sideboard:

2 Disenchant

4 Red Elemental Blast

4 Giant Growth

1 Pyroclasm

4 Tormod’s Crypt