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!
Welcome back for another installment of Metagame Minute! Week 3 of Pro Quest: Amsterdam is in the books and we witnessed yet another healthy dose of diversity across the map.
Kayo may be the biggest winner as far as heroes go, but the Warrior class as a whole takes first prize for most wins across a single class. Except for Olympia, who seems a little too busy at the Golden Anvil trying to figure out what he'll wear next season. Dash, Inventor Extraordinaire gains just enough points to topple Fai's record, pushing her to the tippy top of the Living Legend Leaderboard. Last week Prism, Advent of Sol was deemed the chosen one, but this week it seems she still has some soul searching to do.
The Top 8 at Battle Hardened: Valencia was colorful enough to include spoiled rich kids, pulsing boils, and a purple heart. Let's check in how last weeks results aim to shape the meta for our final week of Pro Quest: Amsterdam.
Warriors! Come Out To Play!
Straight from the jump Kassai has proven to be a hack and slash machine. With a straightforward gold payoff and consistent shenanigans up her scarf, Kassai may just be the most cutthroat Warrior to date. Since Dromai's departure, Kassai has climbed the ranks faster than any of her Warrior compadres thus far. With enough Gold to Raise an Army, Kassai remains humble enough to enjoy all of the Spoils of War. She's certainly not too high and mighty to get a little Blood on Her Hands. And when the going gets tough, Kassai has enough of a fridge to Take it on the Chin.
Kassai of the Golden Sand
Blood on Her Hands
Raise an Army
Look, we know from past and present experience that the Light talent can unlock some pretty powerful things. But up until recently, Ser Boltyn had been largely left from that discussion. Picking up more than 10 wins across the first three weeks of Pro Quest, Ser Boltyn aims to remind you to put some respect on his name. Utilizing tools like Banneret of Courage keeps his Attack Reaction engine buzzing from one turn to the next. Boltyn finds success in biding his time and when he's all charged up, he makes a call to his beloved Eirina for support from the heavens. Turns out that after all these years Lumina still goes Boomina.
Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn
Lumina Ascension
Spirit of Eirina
Arcane is Rising
These days, Viserai makes me reflect back on the timeless classic film, Forest Gump. Will they flip Nebula Blade? Reaping Blade? Scepter of Pain?! You never know whatcha gon get. When you look at the hero spread, you can see why many are finding that the speed of the game is primed for stackin' chants. What OTK Viserai lacks in on-hit effects, he makes up for in explosive power...if you give him the time. Sonata Galaxia beckons your most prized Runechant generators on a whim while Reduce to Runechant makes good on its pact to serve and protect. When the time is right, you may just find yourself staring down a Ninth Blade of the Blood Oath on the back of 51 Runechants for a decadent 60 damage turn. Not quite the box of chocolates you were hoping for!
Viserai, Rune Blood
Sonata Galaxia
Ninth Blade of the Blood Oath
Dash, Inventor Extraordinaire is another one of those heroes that has just been around the block long enough to develop a myriad of strategies. This is likely why, regardless of any metagame shakeup, Dash has remained a household name. Among a wide spread of heroes, OG Dash can carry a creative sideboard package that handles anything from fatigue to aggro, and she can do it better than most. Something we don't see everyday is the consistent use of Hanabi Blaster. Making use of the many Boost cards at her disposal, Hanabi Dash can end the chain with a massive 5 Overpower musket blast to her opponents dome...for zero resources! When all else fails, she can always slap down a trusty Maximum Velocity to seal the deal.
Dash, Inventor Extraordinaire
Hanabi Blaster
Maximum Velocity
Rising Tides
The lone Draconic representative has had a tough go thus far into Pro Quest season, but things are starting to look up for ol' Fai. In a meta where many of the top dogs would prefer not to block, Fai can unleash liquid hot fury. With so many Prisms bullying the field during the first two weeks of the season, it was only a matter of time before Katsu shared some of the illusionist feast. One minor setback with Fai is his inability to block efficiently, but why would you need to block when you can drop more than 40 damage on turn 1? Ultimately, I'm just happy to see that the big guy is starting to show positive signs after attending that Stubby Hammerers recovery group.
Fai, Rising Rebellion
Mask of the Pouncing Lynx
Art of War
Now, we featured Riptide in last weeks Metagame Minute, but that was due to his outstanding performance at various Pro Quest events. This time, Riptide was able to make it to a Top 8 finish at Battle Hardened: Valencia! With so many heroes looking to buff their attacks (looking at you Azalea, Kayo, & Dori), Riptide is happy to set a few traps for his helpless victims to fall into. Utilizing Lexi's old scraps, New Horizon keeps Riptide fully loaded with a second arsenal zone which opens up aggressive playlines with Codex of Frailty. There's arguably nothing sweeter in life than lining up your Collapsing Trap with your opponents Mandible Claw on a Blood Rush Bellow turn. Chef's kiss
Riptide, Lurker of the Deep
New Horizon
Collapsing Trap
Think you have what it takes to become the next Pro Tour champ? Well, you've gotta get through some Feisty Locals first! We'll see you next week for the final installment of the Pro Quest: Amsterdam Metagame Minute!
