Welcome to Metagame Minute, where we tuck into the latest tournament results and discuss tasty trends, saucy highlights, and spicy decklists - all wrapped up in a bite-sized read!
Ashes to ashes… Dust to dust. A moment of silence for our fallen empress. Everyone’s got two cents to add about Dromai reaching Living Legend. The Uzuri players are already three celebratory beers deep, the Fai players are wondering what all the fuss is about, the Prism players are rubbing their evil little hands together, and Mara Faris is just quietly sobbing in the corner. Whether you loved Dromai or despised her, she was undeniably an extremely important figurehead in the meta. While her departure opens the gates for some of our more overlooked friends, Classic Constructed has just lost a major moderator, leading our ravenous rabble of heroes down an uncertain path.
It’s been another diverse weekend across the board, with Brutes, Warriors, and Guardians continuing to put up strong results. Illusionists, Ninjas, and Rangers have also upped their game in order to compete, and we’re even seeing the promising sign of a little Runeblade resurgence on the horizon. While we could be on the precipice of some breakout stars emerging from the sidelines, one thing is certain - skilled gameplay and strong deck building rules above all.
Let’s dive into the results from Week 1 of Pro Quest: Amsterdam, Battle Hardened: Atlanta, and Battle Hardened: Bydgoszcz, and what the future of our metagame is looking like…
Next in Line
Don’t take those poppers out of your sideboard just yet! With pesky Aether Ashwings out of the way, two high-performing heroes we’re expecting to see rise to the top are Prism and Azalea. Prism has already been making waves, torturing control decks with a blinding array of spectra auras, and racing aggro decks with back-to-back heralds. Her vast toolkit also contains the deadly Arc Light Sentinel loop, using the Angel of Rebirth to recur the turn-ending aura over and over. While this loop can be countered or disrupted, it’s a genuine threat that may see many decks start to pack Time Skippers or copies of Timesnap Potion. I wouldn’t be surprised if many ex-Dromai players jump from the red ship to the yellow ship, and for aggressive decks like Fai and Rhinar to rise up as a result.
Prism, Awakener of Sol
Arc Light Sentinel
Avalon, Archangel of Rebirth
Finally those arrows can be slung at their intended target instead of the neverending wheelhouse of lizardry. Azalea isn’t out of the woods just yet, while Dromai may be gone she still has to contend with Prism. But dealing with one Illusionist is better than two, right? Murkmire Grapnel is a solid answer to a boardstate carried by ward, so it’s highly likely Azalea players will pack a few copies in their quiver for Week 2. We’ve also seen Azalea decks trimming down on blues, incorporating more impactful yellow cards such as Amplifying Arrow, which has great synergy with Rain Razors and the several pumps at her disposal.
Azalea, Ace in the Hole
Murkmire Grapnel
Amplifying Arrow
Gold Rush
Even though you hate his smug, punchable face, there’s no denying Victor Goldmane is the most popular Guardian on the block right now. When we’re in a grindy midrange format, drawing six to nine extra cards over the course of the game can make a huge difference to whether your opponent can land the killing blow or not. I’m a big fan of the recent addition of Out Muscle alongside Anothos as extra (and heavier) copies of Zealous Belting. In the past it was too easy to defend this card and remove go again, but Might tokens are proving once again to unlock the hidden strengths of many previously overlooked cards.
Victor Goldmane, High and Mighty
Out Muscle
Might
The awesome Lumberjack Dorinthea deck that our dedicated Warrior mains cooked up has been doing the rounds after it was piloted to a Pro Tour Finalist finish by Max Klein. While Kassai offers a leaner playstyle, Dorinthea has the ability to churn out value like a golden-haired conveyor belt. Dawnblade decks are definitely still viable, we saw one make Top 8 at Battle Hardened: Bydgoszcz, but I expect the hatchet build is built to last the season. The question is, will her Heavy Hitting makeover be enough to keep up with Prism, or will she fold to the Light Illusionist once more?
Dorinthea Ironsong
Hatchet of Body
Hatchet of Mind
Heavy Metal
Some very interesting names landing on the board this week, and two that stuck out like big purple thumbs were Vynnset and Viserai. The Iron Maiden could be the iron bullet Prism players are praying to avoid this season, time will tell. But Viserai? We can’t not talk about the Viserai deck that won a Pro Quest this week. Not only was this madman on three copies of red Sloggism, he was even packing a cheeky Pummel! For those who are new to the game, Sloggism into Arknight Ascendancy is an old school tactic from Viserai’s early days. It may have helped Purple Man stage a small comeback, but what we want to know is, will he stick?
Viserai, Rune Blood
Sloggism
Pummel
People will tell you that Maxx Nitro is copium. That’s exactly what someone who is about to eat six attacks off a Mechanoid would say. We’re covering Maxx this week because he actually managed to land on the board twice. Maxx tends to perform quite well into Valiant Dynamo decks, happy to block out and set up his game-winning combo. As long as you don’t have too many awkward boosts, there’s often not a lot a midrange deck can do to prevent your gameplan. Ninjas are always going to be an uphill battle, which is why I like seeing the nine copies of T-Bone to steamroll their equipment and level the playing field. Another hot pick in the mix is Firewall, serving as a value defender that doesn’t stop your boosts when it’s time to rev those engines.
Maxx 'The Hype' Nitro
T-Bone
Firewall
The game has changed. Will Prism fill those shiny red shoes, or will it finally be Teklovossen’s day in the sun? Stay tuned as we check out more trends, highlights, and decklists next week in Metagame Minute!
