Complete Reconsideration of my Scepter Deck. GWR FTW!!(??)

Thicket · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 119

Hello! Apologies for the semi-redundancy, as I posted a deck yesterday with a similar base strategy to the one I'm about to post , but based on the advice given to me and after further thought and card research on my own, I feel that this deck list absolutely crushes the previous one. Bye bye, Blue! lol

The idea remains combining Isochron Scepter effects with a swarm of ridiculously efficient creatures. It feels very strong to me, but as always, I'd love to hear any thoughts from more experienced players on the viability of the strategy for casual encounters. Also if someone wouldn't mind adding, is this deck Extended legal? Yes, I did look up banned and restricted lists for different formats, but they just seem to list a bunch of sets one can use, and I don't know the sets well enough to work out the rest. It should be OK, by why do so few Extended deck lists use old school dual lands? Are they no-nos? I guess I'm asking: if this deck has any strength potential, and I think it does, in which format should I be aiming to play it? Without Further Ado:

Zoo Scepter (better name pending)

Creatures (2 Cool

:
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Kird Ape
4 Watchwolf
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Woolly Thoctar
2 Loxodon Heirarch
2 Exalted Angel

Spells (14):
4 Isochron Scepter
4 Lightning Helix
4 Orim's Chant
2 Path to Exile

Land (1 Cool

:
4 Savannah
4 Taiga
4 Plateau
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Temple Garden
2 Stomping Grounds

What do you guys think? The deck I posted yesterday splashed Blue for the Scepter and for defense, but as soon as I found out about Nacatl and Thoctar, then considered how well Lightning Helix and Kird Ape fit in with the dual strategies at work, I was totally (and enthusiastically!) sold on the idea being best suited for GWR.

I tried to find some opponents so I could do some testing before a desperate plea for thoughts and commentary, but alas, when I try to get into the chat, it tells me I'm banned for whatever reason (pretty sure my ports are open if that's why <shrug>). So if anyone would care to connect directly on MWS until M-L responds to my email about it, please feel free to contact me on AIM at ItsTimeToG0 (the 0 is a zero). I'd love to test this deck out, even if it ends up getting killed.

Anyhow, thanks so much to those that bothered to give me some input yesterday. Most of it was really helpful! If I have to go download an established decklist to compete, I will, but when I played Magic back in the day, I always felt deck design was what made the game so fun.

Thanks again and let me know if you'd like to play some! Smile

-Jesse/Thicket

SniperMayer · Joined: 31 Jan 2008 Posts: 269

Burton911 · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 52

U could replace Chant with Silence, then it would be extended legal.
But as you see its much worse against Beatdown Decks

Oh and the old Duals aren't legal any more only the Rav ones.
But without the Fetchland 3 Colored Manabases will become painfull or slow.

Thicket · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 119

Holy crap you're right! LOL I honestly had no idea. I searched up Scepterzoo and the decklist is startlingly similar to mine. And Hamamoto seemed to score really well with it, no less! So I made a deck file for it that's extended legal and figure the original list could just be used for Legacy <shrug> Bummer about the dual lands. Chant sucks to lose, but the combo was pretty broken anyway.

Of the differences between mine and Hamamoto's, aside from the Chant and duals, I probably made tweaks to accommodate about half of em, and left the other half as is. I kept the Birds and the 18 lands and the 2 Exalteds, but caved and took out Watchwolves for 2 Gaddocks and 2 Jittes. I like it very much, in theory at least.

Though I do wonder, why would the established Naya/Scepter Zoo use lands like Bloodstained Mire? Black mana isn't needed at all so, unless I'm missing something, wouldn't one be better off just using a Mountain?

Anyhow, thanks for the response. Was very helpful. And I haven't gotten an email back from Magic-League and have no idea why I would be "banned" from the chat room. So if anyone would like to play some, hit me up! Smile

-Jesse/Thicket

Spyx · Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 1031

bloodstained mire finds sacred foundry and stomping ground.