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Months later ...

Out of curiosity - How does this deck compare to a White Weenie+U deck? (Bigger creatures, Countermagic and Armageddon/Ravages/Cataclysm)
Would you say the additional speed is worth it?

Semi-Finals: Patrik Terp versus Nikolas Labahn

Patrik takes two new cards, whereas Niko who placed second at the last GP keeps his hand. The game begins with aggressive mana development on both sides in form of Llanowar Elves, Seeker of Skybreak, Heart Warden and Talisman of Dominance. Flametongue Kavu offs at first a Seeker for Niko and then a Treetop Village in Combat. Shadowmage Infiltrator is supposed to draw some cards to get the swar of elves under control all the while the Treetop Village returns to play via Regrowth at the other side of the table.
Shriekmaw removes another elf and stops the beatdown for the moment being, with Niko at 10 life. Liliana Vess seals the game by discarding Patriks last card in hand, that turns out to have in fact been three: Harmonize! Niko smashes face a bit with a Loxodon Hierarch and I explain that Liliana plays the Vampirit Tutor and pays the two life herself. Nevertheless this does not change the cause of the game because an Eternal Witness choosing Mana Drain later Patrik accepts defeat.

During game two a Wirewood Elf enchanted with Rancor and Boreal Druid lose their aggressive potential facing a large Moat that has to be tediously removed by a Viridian Zealot. Stuffy Doll and Shadowmage Infiltrator try to initiate the Counteroffence as a Lightning Helix kills Patrik’s Immaculate Magistrate. Meanwhile Patrik and Niko play at the speed of light, but Maze of Ith, Shadowmage Infiltrator and Stuffy Doll lead Patrik to concede shortly thereafter.

Nikolas wins 2-0

Das Finale: Nikolas Labahn gegen Jörn Hintze

We are rapidly approaching the final duel of the day. Will Jörn and his Zoo become the new Highlander or is it possible for Nikolas to behead him just in time?

Nikolas takes four new cards with his Spoils Mulligan, Jörn draws only three. Niko wins the die roll and accelerates via Dimir Signet and answers during the third turn Jörn’s Gaddock Teek with Karakas AND Shadowmage Infiltrator. The Sword of Fire and Ice is sitting a bit lonely in game, since Gaddock gets bounced by Karakas. Jörn announces “This is the first time something gets countered throughout the whole tournament” as his Blastoderm is defeated by a Mana Leak. Watchwolf is supposed to pull the aggro off of him now, while Shadowmage Infiltrator eats a Helix. Mystical Teachings for Hide // Seek dispose of the Sword that would have finally been able to delight a creature. Thus Flametongue Kavu targeting Watchwolf and Wall of Blossoms are able to restore control of the game, while a Lightning Angel is supposed to mop the ground with Jörn who besides Survival of the Fittest has the “lucky” Swords to Plowshares in hand for the Angel. Survival gets him his own Kavu which wastes no time burning the floral Wall. This seems to tilt the game in favour  of Jörn, but Austere Command offs Flametongue AND Survival â€" Tough luck! The next attempt at aggression consists of Wild Mongrel enchanted with Elephant Guide. Niko declares: “Now I have to make short work of this guy!” and adds after a moment of contemplation: “And this is gonna be the sweetest play possible, as well.” Liliana Vess enters the Game and does some Vampiric Tutor action, looking for Swords to Plowshares. Sacrificing Phyrexian Furnace draws him the removal that kills the dog without calling for an elephant. The following threats are destroyed without delay: The opposing Cursed Scroll by Engineered Explosives, a Ravenous Baloth by Mortify. Afterwards Niko searches for Stuffy Doll and Guilty Conscience with Liliana and ends Jörns life suddenly.

At the beginning of Game two Nikolas takes four new cards again, while Jörn keeps all but two cards of his hand. Grim Lavamancer and Survival of the Fittest are Jörns first plays, while Niko stays put for the moment being. The old fashioned Lightning Bolt burns Grim Lavamancer, but a Wasteland trashes Nikos Volcanic Island in return. Survival goes looking for Squee this time and immediately afterwords the nasty Tarmogoyf. Squee sadly remains in the graveyard during Upkeep and Tarmogoyf becomes Mana Leaks latest victim. Jackal Pup beats Niko down to 15 and Llanowar Elves join it, while Niko fumbles around with Life from the Loam and Worldly Tutor. The Tutor recommends Tarmogoyf which is now fighting for the Dark Side!

The Survival gets removed by Hide before it can cause further damage, but Jörn fetches a Flametongue Kavu with its last activation. Goyf surprisingly blocks Jackal Pup which makes it possible to kill it with Flametongue Kavu. This makes God really angry. In response Squee is not forgotten in the graveyard for a change and is instead enchanted with Elephant Guide. Mystical Teachings for Swords to Plowshares end this disruptive behaviour of the resilient goblin for good. Jörn is low on gas and Niko plays Gifts Ungiven on Volrath’s Stronghold, Eternal Witness, Guilty Conscience and Stuffy Doll. Jörn has neither answers nor can he deal the last 14 points of damage spontaneously. Thus Nikolas Labahn is the new Highlander which earns him enthusiastic praise by Simon who had lost during the Semi-Finals.


There you go - if you find any mistakes go ahead and tell me, maybe I'll correct them

Well, seeing as the Grand Prix results pretty much prove the viability of Zoo, I somehow - all of a sudden - don't see the point of putting more work in this deck, as it is gonna be an established archetype no matter what.
(At least I will be able to compare my current list to Jörn Hintze's.)
Oh well, back to the drawing board 

Heya,

haven't forgotten you, am not dead, just kinda had work and studying interfere with my free time/motivation for putting more thought in this. Anyways, thanks for all the replies, but to the specifics.

First and foremost: Price of Progress - Yeah.. thanks for pointing at the 1000 pound gorilla sitting right next to me blaring Wagner through its headphones or something similar like this. Let me just move on and never speak of this again.
Furthermore thanks for reassuring me on my stance towards moxen.

Lands (33)
(snip)

Vazdru, is there a specific reason for you not to run painlands? It just makes me wonder, when you find space for something like Llanowar Reborn which - no offence - seems less than ideal to me, but are somehow lacking Battlefield Forge and the rest of the bunch.

Creatures (38)
(snip)
Spells (29)
(snip)

Your approach seems slightly more based on Survival and a little more like a control deck, with cards like Eternal Witness and Flametongue Kavu. Is this just your way of having a better midrange to lategame or am I missing a larger point (again)?
In either case your decklist gave me some good inspirations and made me remember cards I might have missed otherwise, thanks!

And finally - thank you Mythrandir for your reply, I did not want to neglect you, it's just that your input was mostly covered by Vazdru's decklist.

The topic says it all, but let me further elaborate:

Zoo (as in WRG Aggro) seems to be an interesting endeavor, as far as general power level of the possible cards is concerned. What makes me wonder is whether or not the deck can be consistent enough to compete.
If I were to build something like it, I probably would start with a backbone consisting of the following cards:

0cc
Land Grant

1cc
AEther Vial, Berserk, Birds of Paradise, Chain Lightning, Granger Guildmage, Grim Lavamancer, Isamaru, Jackal Pup, Jungle Lion, Kird Ape, Lightning Bolt, Mogg Fanatic, Mother of Runes, Rancor, Savannah Lions, Scorched Rusalka, Skyshroud Elite, Swords to Plowshares, Tarfire, Tithe

2cc
Blade of the Sixth Pride, Dryad Sophisticate, Gaddock Teeg, Goblin Legionnaire, Incinerate, Jötun Grunt, Kami of Ancient Law, Kataki, Lightning Helix, Magma Jet, Price of Progress, Survival of the Fittest, Tarmogoyf, Tin Street Hooligan, Watchwolf, Wild Mongrel, Winter Orb

3cc
Burning-Tree Shaman, Call of the Herd, Magus of the Moon, Stonecloaker, Sword of Fire and Ice, Troll Ascetic

4cc
Armageddon, Giant Solifuge, Ravages of War

5+cc
Exalted Angel, Genesis

Taking into account that this is already about half a deck and I probably want to play at least 33+ lands, even though the deck's mana curve is rather low, testing has to show, what might be good enough to fill the remaining slots.
But the question remains: Is this even a reliable and solid approach towards an aggro deck? In comparison to the "Firesgeddon" deck from the front page the zoo deck has greatly reduced mana cost (and doesn't have to run moxen and similar stuff which quite frankly I started to dislike due to their randomness), but suffers from smaller creatures and as such a - wild guessing at this time - worse matchup against aggro. As such some space could be filled with Loxodon Hierarch and his ilk (maybe even Brion Stoutarm who at least looks rather solid).

Apart from general viability I have some more general questions:
a) Is my assessment of the Moxen correct? Am I correct in excluding them from such a deck due to inherent card disadvantage and randomness?
b) Should all white decks run Enlightened Tutor? I am inclined towards running it, alongside Seal of Cleansing/Primordium and Seal of Fire, to be able to grab random utility and of course the allmighty Survival of the Fittest.
c) Jötun Grunt - Yay or nay? I find it curious that he is so often excluded from the White Weenie decks that seem to be popping up all over the metagame. Is he to inconsistent?

In any case thanks for anyone who replies and hopefully is able to answer my questions.