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Deck Overview- Reckless Zoo

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With 6/8 of the Modern Pro Tour Top 8 being Eldrazi- an amazing result for a deck that was less than 10% of the day one metagame- it looks like we're in beat them or join them territory. With the other two Top 8 decks being Affinity and with not much existing in the way of good hate for the deck, it looks like being faster is our best avenue to making the Gatewatch victorious. Michael Majors took a take on Zoo to an 8-2 finish that certainly got my attention.

Burning-Tree Emissary is a rather obvious juxtaposition with Reckless Bushwhacker, without which this deck just can't exist. We've seen BTE Goblin Bushwhacker decks in the past, though the single red on Reckless Bushwhacker allows us to embrace the Naya shell. It's been a long time since I've seen a Devastating Summons, but the name is certainly apt in the way that it will just kill people with Bushwhackers- a once somewhat popular Standard strategy.


Most of the rest of the maindeck is fairly stock for a Zoo deck, though the miser's Dryad Arbor is something that is just awesome. Prior to this event you wouldn't expect this card from Zoo, so even if they know about Reckless Bushwhacker a green fetchland can lead to your combat step involving an extra 2/1 haster that they weren't ready for. It also brings with it the same anti-Liliana of the Veil technology that it always has.

The sideboard has some fairly generic powerful cards, though there are a couple goodies. The Kozilek's Return definitely hurts this deck with its volume of two toughness creatures, though there are plenty of three toughness bodies to go with it and it's going to be worse for your affinity and token opponents than it will be for you. The Phyrexian Unlifes are a bit out there for a Zoo deck, but it's an awesome way to gain 10+ life against Burn.

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