Gate Ruler Set 3 | 15. O Zoo Brigade’s Relentless Juggernaut

I am super excited to share this deck profile with you all today. Though it is somewhat one-dimensional, in terms of win-condition, Zoo Brigade as an archetype; both stylistically and in terms of gameplay is genuinely unbelievably enjoyable.

Before we get stuck into it, please note that this version of Zoo Brigade can indeed be played effectively with other rulers. Perhaps, the most popular alternate choice being Knight due to the slightly larger initial hand-size on top of being able to utilize Wonderverse‘s new conceal mechanic.

Naturally, each build has its strengths and weaknesses. I personally opted for Overlord in order to be able to more efficiently use Volnar‘s Draw 2 Event Astromancy, in addition to running more Draw CNTs like Skystrike arrow.

The Decklist

Overlord feels almost like a natural fit for the archetype as we are able to utilise the level cap quite efficiently without the need to sacrifice almost any essential units or events.

Our CNTs have been carefully curated and all work towards the singular purpose of substantially increasing our hand-size in preparation for our main win-condition, all while providing some utility. Of course, I am referring to the type of utility that comes in the form of offensive pressure (Sonic Voltage), defensive reactions (Embrace of Eons), unclogging our damage zone (Dark Cat Sith) of important units like Captain Liberty and primarily the aforementioned all-important; card-draw.

Main Win-Condition

The closing strategy for the deck is just this one card; “Bigwing” Owl, Bloodrage Raptor, and a substantial hand-size. While unlikely that you will be able to grind your opponent down to 0 HP if you have to start from scratch, assuming you have inflicted a substantial amount of chip damage to them with your Ruler, Sonic Voltage, and your Special Summons, this singular unit can realistically provide anywhere in the region of 5 damage and upwards, making it capable of dissipating your opponent’s remaining life-total by itself.

As if the above was not enough. It also has Breakthrough, Retaliate and Charge Shield. The former keyword is extremely relevant because it makes CNT cards like Ragdoll Cat Sith and Fell Wolverine irrelevant as blockers.

Furthermore, the latter keyword, Charge Shield, means that the minion will not die to just one round of effect damage thus requiring either an ability negate and effect damage or your opponent to commit multiple resources to stop this one card.

Lastly, it is a level 2 unit which is extremely important because it dodges all the ‘Giant Killer‘ effects attached to a multitude of CNTs, Events, and Units in set 3, making it effectively immune to another key piece of unit removal.

Card Substitutions

The list depicted utilises the level limit of Overlord exactly. Therefore, it is somewhat hard to move cards around in order to make the appropriate amount of room for potential local meta counters or personalised choices. However, you need not worry, as I have done the math for you.

Aras Guardian of the Divine Winds, as we know is another extremely relevant, almost meta-defining, card for Volnar board-centric deck. So, it only stands to reason to try and fit him in considering our final win condition does revolve around a singular minion. To do so you will have to make the following substitutions.

-2x Captain Zombie (-4 Lvls)
-2x Sergeant First Class “Rampart” Elephant (-4 Lvls)

for
+2x Aras Guardian of the Divine Winds (+6 Lvls)
+2x Corporal “The Champ” Tiger (+2 Lvls)

On a final note, while I do tend to like Dark Knight Vamel more as a shield, I am finding some success running a few A7 “Cheshire” the Cat in his stead.

Final Thoughts

As undoubtedly made clear in various portions of the article, I am a huge fan of this archetype for a variety of reasons. However, it is still necessary to accurately portray the viability of this deck and not completely overhype what is effectively a list revolving around a singular combo that can be dismantled by a number of cards in the existing metagame.

Even with the assumption that we have included Aras in order to combat the prevalence of ‘effect damage‘ against board-centric decks, like this one, Bloodrage Raptor Owl can still effectively be halted in his tracks by ability nullification. Of course, he will regain his charge-shield and retaliate after the turn has ended. However, Overlord is not well known for its defensive prowess, as a ruler, and if the kill turn you have been setting up for all game gets halted, it is possible you will not see another.

While strong and effective, the deck is definitely linear and does require a substantial hand-size to close-out the game. I would sincerely like to sing its praises and tout it as the next meta-breaker. However, realistically, it is still lacking a secondary win-condition that could fill the gap should the Bloodrage Raptor Owl onslaught be halted.

All-in-all for the minimal fiscal investment that this deck requires to be built, considering that it is comprised mostly of low and medium rarity cards, it comes with considerable teeth attached. Genuinely a fantastic option for new and budget players alike. So go ahead and inspire a little terror with Bloodrage!