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, which happens to be the epic conclusion of Week 4 of Pro Quest: Amsterdam! It's a meta party and Kayo takes the cake for most wins over the course of the season, pushing him past the halfway point towards Living Legend! Thankfully he was kind enough to invite so many friends and foes to the shindig. Olympia finally showed up but he said his invite got lost in the mail and he keeps saying "Better late than never!" in a real dad joke kind of way.
Apparently the Warriors needed a vacation after securing more wins than any other class last week. Except for Boltyn who rose to the occasion to pick up the slack, gaining more wins than any other Warrior this week. Bravo put on his best showman attire and refuses to allow Victor carry the Guardian torch alone. Brutes and Guardians are leading the pack so you best be prepared for these Heavy Hitters moving forward!
Battle Hardened: Richmond painted a perfect picture of what we've come to expect for a heavily diverse metagame. All of which includes a not-so-subtle reminder to pack your Arcane Barrier. Congratulations to all who managed to secure an invitation to Pro Tour: Amsterdam!
Combo Kings
Well, it would be remiss not to highlight the king of the Savage Lands in our final deep dive of Pro Quest: Amsterdam coverage. After all, the mad lad himself racked up the most wins of any other hero this season by a long shot. Kayo, Armed and Dangerous has satiated the bloodlust of Brute players worldwide and has proven that he's more sophisticated than initially perceived. Knowing when to put up your defenses and when to string together explosive Bloodrush Bellow combo turns requires expert precision. Eh, who am I kidding...sometimes all you really need to do is Cast Bones and Swing Big for 14 go again.
Kayo, Armed and Dangerous
Bloodrush Bellow
Swing Big
No other hero embodies explosive power quite like Kano. One of the most numbers-intensive decks on the market may ask to see your math degree, but you'll find comfort in knowing that your opponent has to try to play around the algebraic formulas as well. Tactical pitch stacking and lining up a massive endgame combo is not the same as a Hail Mary Kano activation off the top, but sometimes it works all the same. When Aether Wildfire drops, your only hope is that you have enough resources to outlast the firenado. But you won't...because Kano did the math.
Kano, Dracai of Aether
Aether Wildfire
Blazing Aether
Rags to Riches
Azalea has seen her fair share of days in the dark, but these are not those days. Her ability to dominate buffed arrows with detrimental on hit effects are her bread and butter. Utilizing cards like Drill Shot to eat away at your precious fridge of armor ensures that when it matters most, you'll feel the sting. Though, when your deck is packed to the brim with a slew of 2 block buffs, Azalea finds trouble defending. The solution? Chuck your hand and harness your inner Bullander to volley back with a massive 7 power attack. What are we calling this...Ragezalea?
Azalea, Ace in the Hole
Raging Onslaught
Fyendal's Fighting Spirit
Whoever said that money can't buy happiness has never taken a trip to Goldmane Estate. He may not be the most explosive Guardian on the market and his hair isn't dethroning Bravo's luscious locks anytime soon. But Victor can play the long game and laugh his way to the bank along the way. When you're rewarded for blocking with cards that can draw you more cards, you learn to revel in the clash. And if things don't go according to plan, Victor is here to remind you that you can simply pay to win.
Victor Goldmane, High and Mighty
Trounce
Test of Strength
Guts & Glory
Bravo may be the Showstopper, but he's been having a tough time out-shining The Golden Son. While Bravo and Victor can utilize much of the same toolbox, Bravo tosses aside materialistic desires in favor of raw power. Round the Table: TCC x LSS introduced a handful of new auras that allow Bravo to go back to the basics of banking power for a later turn. Earthlore Empowerment's cost reduction and additional buff can be the deciding factor for Bravo, especially when all you need is one final dominate to close the game.
Bravo, Showstopper
Earthlore Empowerment
Crash Down
Boltyn has made quite the splash during Pro Quest: Amsterdam and shows no signs of letting his guard down in the months to come. While Boltyn doesn't necessarily rely on outlandishly large turns, he can play consistently into a wide array of the field. This fairness that Boltyn exudes can prime him to be bullied around. Thankfully Oath of Steel can keep your blades humming the go again tune when you're on the back foot. With the new Armory Deck featuring Boltyn on the horizon, this won't be the last time we hear his Beaming Bravado.
Ser Boltyn, Breaker of Dawn
Hot Streak
Oath of Steel
And that's how you wrap up four epic weeks of Pro Quest! We witnessed many unsung heroes rise to the top, while a few hot predictions turned out to be warm to the touch. With Pro Tour: Amsterdam on the horizon, I can't wait to see how these past few weeks helped to sculpt the overall meta. If you're making your way to the big show in Amsterdam, I wish you the best of luck and can't wait to cheer you on!