INTRODUCTION
With Naxx officially released, the Arachnid Quarters have brought out a few new cards, from
Nerubian Egg to
Maexxna herself. Some have even said that Zoolock is pretty much dead, especially with
Sludge Belcher, Unstable Ghoul, and
Nerub'ar Weblord all proving to be obstacles to the speed of Zoo. But of course, Naxx has also provide the annoyingly effective Zoo deck with new minions. Redditor debating109 was able to go from Rank 10 to Legend in just a couple of nights (2-3), thanks to some modifications and additions. Here's the decklist:
THE CARDS
1. SOULFIRE - A Zoolock staple.
2. ABUSIVE SERGEANT - This card is used to trade with bigger minions using your early drops. Additionally, you can use it to power Nerubian Egg and get it killed to get that 4/4. However, he only put a single copy because there are already enough cards to buff Nerubian Egg, aside from Sergeant himself having a weak body. There's no harm in adding a second one, though.
3. ARGENT SQUIRE - A very resilient turn one drop that can survive AoE spells. You can also use this to trade with big minions by powering her up. Again, there is only a single copy of this in exchange for two of Young Priestess, but substituting it wouldn't be a mistake, either.
4. ELVEN ARCHER - This one is of course in the deck for you to be able to get some direct damage to the opponent's face, or the his minions in case of the quite often mirror matches. There is only one copy because it has a weak body, though it combos greatly with Knife Juggler and Ironbeak Owl.
5. FLAME IMP - A staple to the Zoolock deck. An early 3/2 is always great to have.
6. VOIDWALKER - Staple defense. Also quite annoying to get rid of early.
7. YOUNG PRIESTESS - It's a great card to have as it allows your minions to survive longer, which is very annoying if you're the opponent. One minor problem is that it's situational (you always need another minion in play).
8. DIRE WOLF ALPHA - A staple in every Zoo deck.
9. HAUNTED CREEPER - Fresh from Naxxramas, this minion provides a decent body that when killed provides little pesky 1/1s that can of course be buffed too. It works fantastically with Knife Juggler and Defender of Argus (once its Deathrattle triggers).
10. IRONBEAK OWL - This is played because of the meta. With players often using Nerubian Egg and Haunted Creeper, a single copy of this card can dramatically change the battle. It neutralizes any buffed minion, and of course give you a chance to silence a taunt minion to swing for the kill. Its weak body is the reason why there is only a single copy in the deck.
11. KNIFE JUGGLER - Works great with Nerubian Egg and Haunted Creeper. Basically, it works well in Zoo.
12. NERUBIAN EGG - This is a very powerful card, but debating109 realized that there are also many people who use this card the wrong way. He argues that it is almost never a great decision to trade the buffed egg just to get the 4/4 if it's not going to kill the minion right away. Moreover, the egg should be used to intimidate the opponent and prevent him from using AoE spells. Do worry about having it silenced when you're up against Shamans and Druids.
13. HARVEST GOLEM - A great staple.
14. SHATTERED SUN CLERIC - Buffs your early drops to be able to trade with big minions.
15. VOID TERROR - This isn't a staple, but the Naxx cards have paved the way for a better look at this guy. The ideal combo with this is to have Nerubian Egg on turn two and then cast Void Terror on turn three, giving you a 4/4 and a 3/5 in just three turns. Additionally, you can use it to sacrifice your minions to make a big Void Terror if you feel like your opponent is about to cast an AoE spell. A single copy is enough.
16. DARK IRON DWARF - It has a pretty solid body that buffs your little minions, including the egg.
17. DEFENDER OF ARGUS - Aside from a bit of defense, it also works very well with Haunted Creeper's deathrattle ability.
18. DOOMGUARD - A staple and a finisher. Usually wrong to play this right away on your fifth turn.
MULLIGAN
Always mulligan for your one-drops, such as Flame Imp, Voidwalker, Argent Squire, and Young Priestess. Keep the Priestess if you already have it in your opening hand. Also, never hold on to a three-drop unless you have a great curve, say, turn one Flame Imp followed by a turn two Direwolf Alpha and then a turn three Harvest Golem.
STRATEGY
If you do not have cards that can buff Nerubian Egg, playing it on turn 2 instead of another two-drop is weak especially against another Zoolock user. If that is your only two-drop, trade it off immediately. Additionally, do not trade with minions if it won't kill them or if it won't give you the best value. Simply put, don't let your minions get killed just to activate their deathrattle ability, even if this might lead you to a loss on occasion. Since the meta is rapidly evolving with the release of Naxx, just keep in mind that you need to have a good opening hand and very aggressive early turns. Be careful of getting your board cleared. There's Shaman's Lightning Storm, Mage's Blizzard, Druid's Swipe, Warlock's Hellfire, and Rogue's Fan of Knives and Blade Flurry.
Finally, this updated Zoo deck works well against other Zoo variants, so it'd be advisable to use this on the ladder. Be careful with the surge of Ramp Druid, Aggro Shaman, and Handlock which are modified to deal with thew new Zoo, though. Enjoy!
