Gruul Zookeepers (Updated after RC Atlanta)

Pioneer blong217

SCORE: 40 | 30 COMMENTS | 3577 VIEWS | IN 8 FOLDERS

The School of Hard Knocks —Dec. 19, 2023

So I'm back from Dreamhack Atlanta and it was an experience to say the least. I learned quite a bit about the deck, my ability, playing these types of tournaments, and the format as a whole.

First things first, let's get this out of the way. I went 1-4 drop. If you lose 4 games there's no way to make day 2 so continuing to play after the fourth match loss is very much a Sisyphean task. I wanted to enjoy the rest of the tournament without having to think about how the last match loss felt very much my fault.

I'm going to talk about the games, how I felt my deck performed, and it's future in the meta. So let's begin. .
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The Matches

Round 1: Me vs Lotus Field (2-0)

Game 1: He mulliganed to 5, I mulliganed to 6. I got off to a okay start, nothing to write home about. The lotus field player durdled a bit but still got off some key blockers but having Tajic on board made it impossible for the blockers to stick around. Being able to lay down threat after threat that just hammered turn after turn made it hard for him to keep up. Fairly easy win.

Sideboard: Nothing brought in

Game 2: Both kept our 7. This was a fast game where he basically had no chance to develop any kind of board. It was over by turn 3-4. His life total went 20, 19, 16, 9, dead. .
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Round 2: Me vs Boros Convoke (0-2)

Game 1: This is my worst matchup. I kept a hand that was a 1, 2, 3 curve but he had the turn 2 loxodon nut draw. It was a lost game by turn 2.

Sideboard: brought in anger

Game 2: I mulliganed to 6 but didn't see anger. He again had the turn 2 nuts with loxodon. Clean sweep on his part. It was just a match I was destined to lose. .
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Round 3: Me vs Simic Merfolk (1-2)

Game 1: I definitely wasn't expecting merfolk. I kept an okay 7. I won't say I almost had him but it was decently close. The enchantment that creates merfolk tokens when you tap a merfolk was his saving grace. It really makes that deck a threat because of the wide board.

Sideboard: brought in sweepers and destructive revelry

Game 2: I had a low to the ground draw that dropped a crazy amount of damage really early. I went turn 1 kumano, into turn 2 kumano and Phoenix chick, into turn 3 Samut, into turn 4 Tajic and Phoenix chick. Just had no chance to actually get ahead on board and had to keep making unfavorable blocks.

Game 3: it was a nailbiter. Him having 2 of the merfolk enchantments made it all an uphill battle. I was able to remove one but by that time my fate was sealed. It was my most enjoyable round though in terms of having fun playing. . .
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Round 4: Me vs Rakdos Sac (0-2)

Game 1: I partly blame myself for this loss. One of the two games I fully blame myself for the loss. I kept an iffy 7 hoping it would turn out but it didn't. I got Mana screwed and couldn't keep the damage up with the board being presented. A rough lesson to learn.

Sideboard: Brought in Rest in Peace and Destructive Revelry

Game 2: kept a 6. My opponent didn't mulligan either games but it wasn't a snap keep on his part. I didn't get Thoughtsiezed but I possibly should have mulliganed harder for my sideboard pieces. Either way it didn't matter cause I never saw them and the deck did it's thing. This is another bad matchup because of how it plays. .
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Round 5: Me vs Boros Convoke (0-2) This one hurt

Game 1: we both mulliganed to 6 but he was still fast on his board development. I got Mana swamped and only had a Tajic. By the time I started drawing into more Non-land cards it was over.

Sideboard: Anger of the gods and Atarkas commands

Game 2: Oh boy. This is the one that hurt and made me salty at myself. It was close. He had a turn 3 set-up instead of a nut draw turn 2. I had a fast start and got some very key damage in quickly. Turn 4 I technically had enough damage to kill him but didn't see the line. It wasn't till a turn later after I died that I realized I had the line to push it to a game 3. It was entirely my fault and I'm still kicking myself for it. .
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The Deck

I still fully believe this deck has a place in the meta. It just needs more tinkering and adjusting. It can do the job but I don't think I was heading the right direction. Tajic, Samut, and Chandra are still essential pieces but now I think my creatures do really need to be lower to the ground. Hazoret wasn't good enough and the times I saw him I wanted something else.

I'm going to rework the deck a bit because I think there's a build where it can be tier 2 possibly tier 1.5. what hurt was as I looked over the tournament results and the prevalent decks, the types of decks I wanted to face there were a lot of but only saw once. Instead 3 of the 5 rounds I got paired up against my worst matchups and 1 round was a off meta deck and though you can't account for that. .
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The Meta

The results of the tournament are somewhat surprising but it tells me with combo being so prevalent in the Mets that control is over performing meaning aggro has a chance to really do some damage. But it needs to be the right type of aggro which I feel the Naya deck fulfills. I'm going to keep playing it and fully believe it will show it's capability in future tournaments if given the right attention.

There also is the problem that I was the only one playing the deck. Compare that to meta decks where hundred were being played. You were just as likely to see a Lotus Field or Amalia Combo go 0-4 drop as you were to see them say 2. My results are hardly a nail in the coffin for the deck.