Metagame Minute: Pro Quest: London, Week 3

Welcome back to Week 3 of Pro Quest: London. We're getting close to the World Championship now, so this week and next will set the scene for our combatants.

Aurora rides the Lightning all the way back to the top this week, surging past Enigma to reclaim her lead. You just can't keep a Shooting Star down! Aurora decks are speedily being refined - the core aggro gameplan is solidified, now players are putting in the yards figuring out how to patch their weaknesses and counter their rougher matchups.

Dash I/O boosts onto the scene, armed to the teeth with all her new Armory Deck toys. She's made a sizeable splash straight out of the gate, and has huge potential as players refine her for the current metagame and upcoming World Championship. She's followed closely by a pretty hefty spread of tag-alongs, with loose cannons like Boltyn, Uzuri, and Riptide all claiming wins. There's some clear decks to beat, but overall players have a wide range of options available.

Let's cover some of the main tools players are cooking with to tackle the current meta...

Batteries Not Included

Hot off the shelf, Dash I/O has quickly built a reputation as an industry disruptor, taking on the titans with cutting edge innovation. Cerebellum Processor is the key component, providing insane value, especially when it's played using Dash's hero ability to net an action point, or it's fetched off Spark of Genius for free (which offers its own card draw to boot), or in conjunction with the infamous High Octane. It doesn't take long to learn how to push all the buttons, and once you do, you have a highly aggressive deck with strong play into the current meta.

Mechanologist has an extensive array of contraptions, many of which were tossed to the back of the workbench until they found a specific problem to solve. That time has now come, and we're finally seeing that copper plating truly shine. Dissolution Sphere is an absolute gamechanger into Runeblades, offering you two whole turns of protection against Runechants (and worth noting, daggers too). Signal Jammer is another fantastic option for disrupting Runeblades and Wizards, especially when you flick it in at instant speed with Dash's ability right in the middle of your opponent's combo. Lastly, we've even got some purchase from the Bright Lights warehouse, with Tick Tock Clock providing an insane swing in the mirror match if the opponent doesn't play around it.

Nuu and Improved

Assassin used to have a bit of a rough go into Wizards and Illusionists, but Nuu has held her ground this season. The Widow equipment set from Rosetta has given her extra insulation from the recent arcane advancements, while the trusty Arcane Lantern is a mainstay in this Runeblade-soaked metagame. While Enigma is still a rather tricky matchup for Nuu, her disruption is naturally very effective into aggro/combo decks like Aurora and Dash. Skilled pilots have also proven they are more than capable of fatiguing Count Your Blessings decks. Nuu's still very much alive and kicking.

One of the key skills you need to learn as an Assassin player is how to bring the right tools for the job. Aside from a few all-stars, much of the Assassin card-pool is tailored towards beating specific strategies rather than a general field. Much like how The Weakest Link was critical for beating Zen (and still remains a very strong option this format), Erase Face has resurfaced to target decks like Aurora, Dash, Viserai, and even Florian to some degree. Warmonger's Diplomacy is an obvious staple right now, even assisting in more fringe matchups like Azalea. And we're also seeing an influx of Bloodrot Pox - namely Spreading Plague - for its important ability to punish Enigma for attempting to protect her auras.

The Maxx and the Nitro: Tokyo Drift

A more rogue-side player I'd like to highlight today is Maxx 'The Hype' Nitro. Armory Deck: Dash didn't just buff one Mechanologist - Maxx has also received many significant upgrades to the Nitro Mechanoid gameplan. The first two being Heavy Industry Surveillance and Heavy Inustry Gear Shift, which serve mostly the same purpose as Maxx's previous equipment, but with precious extra points of defense to keep him on the road. Fast and Furious also slots in beautifully as a cheap boost attack that helps build up to triple Hyper Drivers. Welcome to the FAMILY.

Maxx is subject to a little randomness from needing to play critical combo pieces in a boost deck, but Supercell has put in a megaton of work giving him both recovery and extender options. He's well-placed to take on Illusionists, but he will need to adapt to his Runeblade foes in order to stay on the map. We're seeing Maxx borrow Dash's blueprints with cards like Dissolution Sphere, but it's also worth noting some of the more niche tools popping up. One of the hazards of Nitro Mechanoid is getting fatigued, which can happen if you boost your High Octanes, see Mechanoid too late, and the opponent is sporting heavy equipment. Stasis Cell solves this by sticking around until you're ready to pop off, ensuring you squish them to a pulp. Lastly we're already teched for the Dash matchup with Spring a Leak, which I personally find to be very agreeable.

Congratulations to our third round of Pro Quest Champions! You've earned your seat at the Pro Tour gaming tables in London next year. One more week remains, one more chance to fight for those sweet Pro Tour invitations. Will Dash steamroll the competition, will Aurora stay centre stage, or will Enigma emerge from the mists once more? Find out next week!