I played in the most recent Romancing the Stones Middle School league. I played SuZI Q and went 7-2 overall finishing in 2nd place. The deck surprised me at how strong it was. It is more explosive than it looks, and enchantments are still hard for opponents to deal with.
The Deck
I was unsure what to play for this league. I had played TaxRackOath in both LobsterCon and a PhillyOS league and knew I didn't want to keep playing it. The deck is very strong but I just wasn't having fun once I figured out some of the lines. I looked back at all the Middle School and Premodern decks I've played to see if there was something I hadn't explored yet. Two cards stood out: Standstill and Survival of the Fittest.
I feel the same about Landstill as I do with TheDeck in OldSchool. I'd love to play it sometime, but I never want to be one of "those guys", so it stays at the bottom of my "to-do" list. You'll know I'm truly out of ideas when I play those.
That left me with Survival. At first I looked to see if there were any existing Survival and Lion's Eye Diamond decks, since LED has recently been unbanned. I didn't find any but did find a Premodern list with many of the cards I imagined would be in such a list: Basking Rootwalla, Anger, Arrogant Wurm, etc. I spent some time thinking if LED would benefit the deck at all and decided it wasn't likely to make a large improvement and could end up hurting the deck. I made some updates based on what I liked and didn't like and ended up on this:
SuZI Q
Side note on deck names: I named this SuZI (Survival Zombie Infestation) Q (CCR reference) because I like decks to have names that aren't just descriptive of the cards. However, I'm not a fan of deck names that don't have much to do with the deck at all. Finding the right balance is key. There's been some discussion on Twitter about whether non-descriptive deck names are good or bad for the game. I think they are clearly good. I don't feel strongly enough to make an entire post explaining why, but I'll just say it adds to my enjoyment of the game.
The core of the deck is the following cards:
4 Basking Rootwalla
4 Wild Mongrel
4 Arrogant Wurm
4 Survival of the Fittest
4 Zombie Infestation
4 Squee, Goblin Nabob
4 Krovikan Horror
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Anger
Below are some quick thoughts about the rest:
I found in goldfishing that having Anger in your hand with Zombie Infestation leads to the most explosive starts, so I went up to four copies. I think you want at least three in the main deck. I did trim an Anger to fit in sideboard cards in almost every matchup, but I think its still right to play four. Just having more creatures in the deck is good with Survival and Krovikan Horror.
I played a second Sharpshooter as a way to help push through damage. It's very strong once you have four Anger in the deck. I think two in the main is right, but maybe you can play one and put one or two in the sideboard.
That leaves about 3-4 spots to play with. I wanted to try Entomb since it's not legal in Premodern. This is not the best Entomb deck in the format (that would probably be Worldgorger Dragon), but it could be additional copies of Squee and Horror and possibly let you play fewer Anger. It also enables playing some Cabal Therapy in the deck to search for. I found that having the extra mana to go get Anger wasn't better than having Anger in hand though. I wasn't sold on Therapy in the main either, but I do think it is the direction I would go in the future.
Saproling Cluster is just the 5th Zombie Infestation but much worse. It's nice to have Sharpshooter to break the symmetry, but I don't know if it's needed. Goblin Bombardment is very good but without a way to tutor for it maybe it isn't worth the slot. It's bad in multiples so playing more copies doesn't seem great to me.
Gamble is a card I did not consider but that was played by David Gleicher, my semi-finals opponent. I think it could be a consideration instead of Entomb. It's almost always just as good as Entomb in this deck.
The way the deck played out, I won a lot of games just on the back of Arrogant Wurm. You don't need to get the full ZI engine going with multiple Squee and Horror. Just one of those plus a Wurm was tough for most decks to deal with.
The mana base isn't perfect. I liked having Undiscovered Paradise and Darigaaz's Caldera to help fix mana while also keeping cards in hand for Mongrel and ZI. At least one of each is easy enough. I didn't play any City of Brass and I don't think I missed it that much. I won some games where I would have taken a lot of damage if the Caldera had been a City and maybe lost.
One issue I didn't consider was that playing 8 fetchlands makes Krovikan Horror a bit weaker. I had to sequence some land drops in weird orders to mitigate that. Peter Simpson, my Quarterfinals opponent on a very similar deck, played only one Bloodstained Mire and just had additional Swamps. I'm not sure I'm sold, but it is a consideration.
Not playing a Gaea's Cradle was a big mistake. The Survival draws are still strong without Wall of Roots, but an additional burst of green mana would be appreciated. Treetop Village was just fine in the games I drew it; I wouldn't want any more copies.
The deck doesn't have any one mana plays really. It's almost always correct to hold Basking Rootwalla in hand for future value from ZI or Survival. One card I didn't consider until halfway through the league was Elvish Spirit Guide. It can help power out a turn one Mongrel or ZI, and it's still a creature that can be discarded to Survival. It wouldn't be new for me to play some "value" Spirit Guides.
The sideboard is fine, but can be a lot better. Therapy is great and there should be 4 copies between main and side. I think Mesmeric Fiend would be good additional disruption if you wanted more. There should probably be 4 Naturalize, the Hull Breach maybe too cute. I needed instant speed in a match I played against UR Tinker in a simultaneous league with the PhillyOS (I went 4-0 in that league, further impressing myself with the power of this deck).
So many of the sideboard cards are three mana and I'd like to find cheaper options. Engineered Plague might not be needed with the Sharpshooters. Firestorm could be better than Plague. I enjoyed having two Orangutans and two Feeders when they were at their best, but many times only brought in one copy. Genesis is unplayable in this deck with this manabase. Having one Bone Shredder would be good for when Sharpshooter isn't enough.
The Games
(Video coverage linked where available)
Round One - Angelo on Sligh
Game one I have Mongrel into Arrogant Wurm with Anger. He trades Pup and Seal for the Wurm, then uses another Seal plus Incinerate to take out the dog. A timely Wasteland takes away my black source before I can cast Zombie Infestation so it's draw-go for a couple of turns. He finds a Mogg Fanatic but I finally get Bloodstained Mire for Swamp and the ZI plus two Squee and a Horror let me close the game out. Game two I have a good start with ZI and three Squee-types, but he has two Phyrexian Furnace. I can use some Fetchlands to leverage my recursion and create enough zombies to not die, but eventually I run out and he starts attacking with a Pup. I do find Survival and use it to get an Orangutan but by this point I'm low enough on life I lose to Fireblast. Game three I have a turn two Survival and all he has is Lavamancer, Furnace, and Port. I have Orangutan for the Furnace and then I search up several Rootwalla to start attacking but it's not a fast clock. He has multiple Cursed Scroll and five mana, so I need to kill him before he takes over. I search up a few Spike Feeder to give myself a life buffer and then get Arrogant Wurm plus Wild Mongrel with Anger in the yard to close the door.
1-0
Round Two - Jake on UB NetherSpirit LandStill
Game one he has maindeck Phyrexian Furnace to hamper my Squee engine and Duress, but I have two Survival in hand so I'm able to resolve one. I use it to make a bunch of madness creatures and win. Game two he has Intuition for Nether Spirit and two Coffin Purge. I draw Survival off the top when we're both empty handed and follow that with a Squee to overwhelm the Coffin Purge and win.
2-0
Round Three - Phil Collier on GW ThresholdGeddon
Game one I have turn two Zombie Infestation along with a Krovikan Horror for a bit of value. Eventually he is forced to Cataclysm. I only have one land but it's a Darigaaz's Caldera. This lets me find Squee when I draw Entomb. He rebuilds mana and plays an 8/8 Terravore, but I have too large of an army and he is too low on life. Game two I have turn two Wild Mongrel into turn three Arrogant Wurm. I resolve a Survival and he's forced again to Cataclysm, this time with a Mystic Enforcer in play. I make a mistake here and keep Mountain over Forest. I had Anger in the graveyard, but activating survival would have been a lot better. I kill his Enforcer with Wild Mongrel and five discards. He has Kor Haven to limit me to one damage a turn from Basking Rootwalla, but I do the final points as he doesn't find any more lands.
3-0
Round Four - Rajah on Burn
Both games I'm one turn too slow. Game two I could have tried for a faster clock by pitching Arrogant Wurm to Infestation turn two, but I held it hoping to draw a green source. I drew Treetop Village which didn't help my clock. It may not have been enough as he had plenty of burn to deal with zombies and wait until his double Fireblast would win.
3-1
Round Five - Kai on TaxRack TerraGeddon
Game one he has Seal of Cleansing for my first Zombie Infestation, but I have a second one. He has Propaganda to slow my attacks and Aura of Silence to remove the ZI. I have follow up Survival to start generating value but can't attack much. He has Meddling Mage for Wild Mongrel, and Engineered Plague on Goblin to stop my Sharpshooter. I cast a Krovikan Horror and a Saproling Cluster to start whittling away his life. He has Zuran Orb, Terravore, and Armageddon to win. Game two I once again have Zombie Infestation and Survival. He manages to destroy both, but not before I get two zombies and tutor up Orangutan for his Scroll Rack. He stabilizes at 4 life with two Werebear and I'm forced to cast Squee to get in extra damage and finish him off with Krovikan Horror. Game three he has no answer for my Zombie Infestation and Survival but does have Tormod's Crypt to stop my first Horror and Anger. He then gets Terravore plus Armageddon, leaving me with two zombies at 18 life and two cards in hand. He has one cards in hand and is at 14 life with a 7/7 Lhurgoyf. He attacked me to 11. I draw and attack him to 10. He draws Windswept Heath but only attacks for 7 and now I'm at 4. I draw up to four cards and I'm looking to make two zombies to trade with his 8/8 Terravore. I pass and end of turn he Enlightened Tutors for Zuran Orb, meaning his Terravore can be a 9/9. He attacked, I make two zombies but also make a Basking Rootwalla and block with just enough. He kills my board, but that means I get Horror back. I draw Forest to start using Survival again and find two Squee to start making two zombies each turn. He only has Mox Diamond for mana and doesn't find anything to stop the beats.
4-1
Round Six - Daisuke on UR Control
Game one I mulligan to five. He starts with two islands and no plays. I go for turn two Zombie Infestation as a long shot and he has Counterspell. Next few turns I have no plays as he cycles an Accumulated Knowledge, casts Fact or Fiction, and Prophetic Bolts me. I finally get to four mana to go for two Survival in the same turn. He has Cunning Wish for Annul for the first one and Force of Will for the second one. Knowing he still has a Counterspell in hand and facing a Factory, Conclave, and Ghitu Encampment (!), I concoded. Game two I start with turn one Cabal Therapy on Force of Will, taking one out of his hand. I'm planning on turn two Wild Mongrel, but I draw Zombie Infestation and win fairly easily from there. Game three I once again have turn one Therapy hitting a Force of Will, but revealing a Counterspell. He doesn't have UU and plays Ice on my upkeep turn two to buy time. Turn three I use Rootwalla to flashback therapy for the Counterspell, but he has a Mana Leak. I have two Survival however and resolve one the following turn. I'm low-ish on life thanks to a Llanowar Wastes and I take a turn off to Therapy his Rolling Earthquake, but eventually enough madness Arrogant Wurms win while I'm at a comfortable 7 life.
5-1
I'm 3rd seed after the end of Swiss.
Quarterfinals - Peter Simpson on Survival/Zombie Infestation
Game one I keep a land heavy hand. I have turn two Survival, he has Naturalize. I don't have a follow up play, but he doesn't have any black mana. Eventually I draw a Zombie Infestation, but I wait until I have five mana in play so I can immediately madness an Arrogant Wurm if he has another Naturalize. He finds his own ZI, but I draw more Squee and Horrors and can win the battle. He eventually finds another Naturalize but I then find Goblin Sharpshooter and can finish him off with it. Game two I keep one land hand with both Survival and Infestation. He has turn one Duress for the Survival. I draw the black land I need for turn two Infestation. He has turn two Survival and turn three ZI. I get him down to 6 life before he overwhelms me. Game three he mulligans to five cards. My hand is slow and I hold off of turn two Survival to at least get one activation. Sure enough, my turn three Survival is Naturalized, so I search up a Wild Mongrel. He has his own Mongrel, but I have Anger and Arrogant Wurm and I'm winning the race. His hand is full of mostly dead discard and enchantment removal cards, while I have a Rootwalla and Krovikan Horror to keep up the pressure and win before he finds anything relevant.
6-1
Semifinals - David Gleicher on RG Stormbind Survival (David wrote a great post about his experience in the match here)
I really like his deck. Orcish Settlers is one of my favorite cards. Game one goes very long. We both have Survival but he's stuck on mana. He has three Squee and keeps searching up Birds and Wall of Roots. I have two Wild Mongrel with several Squee/Horror. I finally draw Zombie Infestation and make some zombies, but he has Firestorm and Stormbind to stabilize. I keep making some zombies and search up some more Wild Mongrel. Finally, he activates his Walls on my turn which let me play Sharpshooter with Anger in the yard to take out all of his Birds and Walls and leave him without enough mana to stay in the game. Game two I have turn two Survival turn three Zombie Infestation. I search up a Squee and a Horror to start making zombies. I draw an Anger which lets me turn four discard it for Sharpshooter to stop his Elvish Lyrist. He still only has two lands plus Wall of Roots. He does Firestorm the Sharpshooter, but I have the second one in hand to take out more Birds. I keep drawing mana which lets me cast Krovikan Horror. He's forced to use Stormbind on Sharpshooter in response, but all he has left is four lands and a Wall against my ZI and Survival with three Horror and two Squee. He concedes as he's too far behind.
7-1
Finals - Rob Connolly on PonzaSligh
Game one I have turn two Wild Mongrel. He throws a Bolt at it, but I have Horror plus Squee. He throws an Incinerate the following turn after I pitched both for extra damage, but I have another copy of each and the game is over shortly. Game two I keep five green cards two Bloodstained Mire. I draw Foothills for turn and play it, but should have played a Mire. He has turn two Ankh, which I fetch in response to avoid damage. This opens up my Forest to a Stone Rain after I Naturalize the Ankh. I still manage to draw another green source for a Mongrel, but he has another Stone Rain. He has Vortex and is able to barely win the race with a Factory and chump blockers. Game three I keep Survival Rootwalla Rootwalla Squee Horror Swamp Llanowar Wastes. I have turn two Survival but he has two Vise and Wasteland for my green and I never draw another land and die.
7-2
The Ending
Another second place finish. On one hand, I'm happy to make it that far with a deck I didn't know much about before the event started. On the other hand, I'm disappointed to lose in what should be a good matchup. I knew what the plan was and I failed to execute. I could make excuses to help me feel better, but instead I'll just reread the worst play I've ever made and know this wasn't nearly that bad. Congrats to Robert for winning and having a sweet innovative deck.
Props:
Robert for winning and doing stream hosting duties simultaneously
Robert for winning and doing stream hosting duties simultaneously
Romancing the Stones for continuing to put on these great events
One match per week structure
Slops:
Me for playing poorly in the Finals
