Traditionally, the aggro role in Modern has been defined by linear, themed decks like Affinity, Infect, and Burn. These are decks that try to maximize a particular angle of attack and minimize opportunities for interaction. Traditional creature decks like Zoo have been forced out of the format because they couldn’t really keep up with the linear decks, and were weak to the efficient removal spells and sweepers that other decks played in order to fight back against the leaner aggro decks. At least until Oath of the Gatewatch. In recent weeks, a new take on aggro has been making its presence felt in Modern:

Bushwhacker Zoo ? Modern | blackmagix, 8th Magic Online PTQ

• Creatures (31)
• 2 Ghor-Clan Rampager
• 2 Vexing Devil
• 3 Lightning Mauler
• 4 Burning-Tree Emissary
• 4 Experiment One
• 4 Goblin Guide
• 4 Kird Ape
• 4 Reckless Bushwhacker
• 4 Wild Nacatl

• Spells (13)
• 1 Path to Exile
• 2 Mutagenic Growth
• 4 Atarka's Command
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 2 Mutagenic Growth

• Lands (18)
• 1 Forest
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Temple Garden
• 2 Stomping Ground
• 4 Arid Mesa
• 4 Windswept Heath
• 4 Wooded Foothills

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Destructive Revelry
• 2 Grafdigger's Cage
• 2 Gut Shot
• 2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
• 2 Tin Street Hooligan
• 3 Lightning Helix
• 3 Path to Exile

Buy This Deck

As far as aggro decks go, this one is very straightforward. The goal is to curve out and flood the board with one-drops, potentially with Burning-Tree Emissary helping to increase the explosiveness of your draws. There are some number of decks and draws that just won’t be able to compete with Experiment One followed up by Goblin Guide and Wild Nacatl. Others will be able to use spot removal, Snapcaster Mage, and Tarmogoyf to stabilize the ground and pick apart your offense.

Fortunately, this deck isn’t just a pile of one-drops; this deck can get a lot more explosive. Reckless Bushwhacker is a game changer in this deck. This gives you the ability to generate damage out of nowhere whenever your opponent taps out. Sweepers aren’t safe, since you can follow up with a one-drop plus a Reckless Bushwhacker to kill your opponent. You can even use them to apply enormous amounts of pressure early on in the game by casting one or more Burning-Tree Emissary followed by Reckless Bushwhacker on turn two. Lightning Mauler plays a similar role, but without the upside of giving +1/+0. It’s possible that this deck would want multiple copies of Goblin Bushwhacker, except that the double Red cost is somewhat restrictive.

The other reason this deck is exciting is because of how resilient it is to removal spells like Lightning Bolt. Atarka's Command plus three toughness creatures is a great way to turn opposing Lightning Bolts into an absolute blowout. But what happens when opponents learn to wait until you’re tapped out to cast their removal spells? That’s when Mutagenic Growth gets them in the worst possible way.

This is a deck that is certainly powerful enough to keep up with the other aggressive decks in the format, but it’s designed to prey on the efficient removal spells in the format. Anything that leans too heavily on damage-based removal spells or trying to use mana intensive answers is going to fall behind the raw efficiency and speed of this assault, which makes it a great choice against the Nahiri decks of the format.