G.R.U.ul aggro

[ReAnimator]

So I was brainstorming extended for no real good reason and i was thinking how insane Curiosity would be with Rumbling Slum ZoZu and Burning Tree Shaman in Gruul.
It made me want to try it in a relevant format since ext is over 6 months away. Now obviously Slum is too slow and irrelevant for t1 but BTS and zozu have at least some potential for fun in T1.

So this is obviously going to be an aggro control style deck that is base UR with some green. sort of like fish but with a little more reach (incidental damage) and fatter men, as well as a slightly more shaky mana base.

So i don't have a tested list or anything just an idea, I'll put up other things I've considered in the different mana slots as well.
I'm curious as to what you all think about this concept and whether or not BTS is good enough or not.
I really don't have a lot of time to test at all right now in my life and i don't have apprentice either so if someone wants to run with this idea that's awesome.

So here is the rough list off the top of my head with other options to follow, obviously testing would bear out what needs to be a four of ect:

G.R.U.ul

3 Kird ape
3 Grim lava mancers
3 Gorilla Shaman
3 Burning tree shaman
2 Zo Zu
3 Ninja of the deep hours
3 Quirion dryad

4 curiosity
4 Force of will
3 Daze
1 Ancestral
1 Time walk
3 Echoing Truth
2 Fire Ice

4 Fetch lands
4 taiga
3 volcanic
1 tropical
1 mountain
1 island
2 wasteland
1 Strip
3 moxes
1 lotus
1 chrome mox

SB
4 REB
2 Shattering spree
2 Artifact mutation
3 Crypt
2 root maze / null rod
2 Fire / Ice

This probably doesn't need that many animals in it and it probably doesn't need 5 three drops. Maybe it doesn't need green at all.

In the one drop slot the only other options are Granger guildmage, fanatic and vandal, but those are all probably inferior.
Is kird ape really any good?

In the two drop slot, i really don't know if you even need a 2 drop, Hearth Kami is probably your other option, or maybe mongrel. i guess ninja is really your real 2 drop.

how much disruption do you need? null rod, root maze, chalice? or are counters enough. Can this afford the full set of wastes? and if so does chalice or loam have a place?

Is better burn necessary? like Price of progress or lightning bolt?

I like the draw engine of curiosity and ninja, a lot better than brainstorms and standstills.  Curiosity is especially strong with cards that don't have to attack.

Is Echoing truth and Ice, the best catch all removal we can put in here?

Let me know what you think. I think curiosity needs a home right now.

-Andrew

[SonataOfTheCathedral]

I would ramp up the more solid and cheaper dudes to 4 copies. I'm sure most of your ideas came out of the pro tour results from yesterday. If you look carefully at all the Zoo and the r/g/u lists they really don't carry anything that is reactive except maybe otherworldly journey. The one thing you fear is DSC and Oath Of Druids and cards that come into play off a Workshop. Artifact Mutation takes care of most of those cards and 3 copies of Echoing Truth is great vs Oath.

Think about dropping the Dryads. I feel a little "meh" on them. And also Zo-Zu is double red thats a very bleh drawback.

[Evenpence]

Giant Trap Door Spider is a good answer to Oath.

Heh.

[ReAnimator]

Giant Trap Door Spider is a good answer to Oath.

Heh.

1RG T: Remove from the game Giant Trap Door Spider and target creature WITHOUT flying that’s attacking you.

yeah i'll get right on that, heh

I would ramp up the more solid and cheaper dudes to 4 copies. I'm sure most of your ideas came out of the pro tour results from yesterday. If you look carefully at all the Zoo and the r/g/u lists they really don't carry anything that is reactive except maybe otherworldly journey. The one thing you fear is DSC and Oath Of Druids and cards that come into play off a Workshop. Artifact Mutation takes care of most of those cards and 3 copies of Echoing Truth is great vs Oath.

Think about dropping the Dryads. I feel a little "meh" on them. And also Zo-Zu is double red thats a very bleh drawback.

Yeah the dryads do have a meh feeling they proly aren't right.
I thought about this before the PT mostly just cause of how ridiculous Curiosity could be with a BTS.
I don't think its even fair to compare the formats or the decks because the objectives and the tools used to achieve them are totally different.
This is really just a more beefy fish deck with a slightly different draw engine and disruption package.

[Rapalaman1]

I fail to see how this is going to be better than Threshold already is. The only advantage I can see is the red for Lavamancers and Shamans, but red is a trick Threshold can do to.

It would seem to me like you would also need something other than Daze, Force, and Wasteland to interact with your opponent. Chalice, Null Rod, and Pithing Needle all seem to be the disruptive aggro cards of choice (for the maindeck that is).

And also, Root Maze is nuts against every deck in the format right now 

[Khahan]

What about [card]tin-street hooligans[/card]?

Its oxidize on a stick. A 2/1 stick for 2. Not bad at all.  I would put them in over the dryads.

[SonataOfTheCathedral]

U/R/G Threshold is probably a deck that can accomplish everything you want to do but better. You might want to try the WEE DRAGONAUTS in there too. Cunning Wish for a Berserk is bringing lethal half way there. Just some random thoughts.

[AmbivalentDuck]

Other than Flame-Vault, Bazaar, and Psychatog, is anything even affected by BTS?  A 3/4 for 3 is nothing new in this format...

I see Gifts, Stax, and Storm combo pretty much ignoring your only reason for running this manabase...

[ReAnimator]

Other than Flame-Vault, Bazaar, and Psychatog, is anything even affected by BTS?  A 3/4 for 3 is nothing new in this format...

I see Gifts, Stax, and Storm combo pretty much ignoring your only reason for running this manabase...

I was thinking more along the lines of Fetchlands, Wastelands and welders being widespread activated abilities, the ones you mentioned are just added bonuses.

U/R/G Threshold is probably a deck that can accomplish everything you want to do but better. You might want to try the WEE DRAGONAUTS in there too. Cunning Wish for a Berserk is bringing lethal half way there. Just some random thoughts.

I had no idea URG thresh was even a viable archetype in t1, i knew of it in legacy but i have never even heard of it in t1, can you link to a list from a tournament or something i'm intrigued.
The Dragonauts are interesting, but as with threashold you have to build a deck around them, and they aren't always good in the late game after an attrition war. They don't really do anything by themselves. I think they are a really cool creature and i like that draggronought list but i don't think they belong in here.