December WCQ Review (6/12/2014)

With the WCQ just happening yesterday in the relatively unsolved Imprisoned Heralds meta-game, we look at the decks that floated to the top in this review of the Top 8, along with the rest of the Top 16 meta-game.

The Top 16 featured Tempys as most dominant, with 12 out of 16 decks featuring the fiery faction, and not merely as a splash in any of them. However, the Top 16 is without a doubt extremely diverse in terms of its decks, without any particular archetype taking up more than half of the field, the Imprisoned Heralds meta-game is shaping up to be an exciting and fun one indeed.

Without any further adieu, let us look at the decklists that made it shall we?

Piquadore - Epik Kool - 1st Place
Deck: Broodqueen Tracker

2 x Aetherphage

3 x Bramblewood Tracker

1 x Cercee, Hand of Varna
3 x Dysian Broodqueen
3 x Dysian Siphon
1 x Howl of Xith
3 x Lysian Shard
3 x Oros, Deepwood's Chosen
3 x Scythe of Chiron
3 x Shardbound Invoker

2 x Thundersaur

3 x Weirwood Patriarch

A decklist that strays away from the typical grow wide strategy that the archetype usually employs, forgoing cards like Lifeblood Dryad and Ferocious Roar completely and opting for a plan to make a large Oros or Thundersaur and winning or at least, doing massive damage with their Breakthrough. Many cards in the list are dedicated to that purpose, Lysian Shard, Scythe of Chiron and Dysian Siphon all facilitate this, as well as Shardbound Invoker off the back of a Bramblewood Tracker.

The one of Howl of Xith provide reach that UN decks otherwise lack, sometimes providing lethal damage that you may not have on board, given Piquadore's previous.. infatuation with Explosive Demise, Howl seems like a superior tool for reach, especially in longer matches. Cercee seems a little off in the deck, although it does get pumped by Weirwood Patriarch, there aren't really that many relevant threats that Cercee is effective against, perhaps with the exception of Wegu.

Interestingly, Piquadore has chosen to not include Soothsayer Hermit in this list, especially given that Cercee and Howl of Xith make great targets for it in this deck. Regardless, congratulations for making first place and earning yourself a spot in the championship Piquadore :)

Nalanthi - A1 - 2nd Place

Deck: Rage of Kadras (w/ Alloyin Splash)

3 x Ashurian Flamesculptor
2 x Borean Windweaver
3 x Burnout
2 x Everflame Phoenix
3 x Flame Lance
3 x Flamebreak Invoker
3 x Frostmane Dragon
2 x Lightning Spark
3 x Oratek Explosives
3 x Rage of Kadras
3 x Static Shock

One of the six Rage decks in the Top 16, the deck bears many similarities to those that were saw during the Secrets of Solis: Unveiled era, with the exception of Oratek Explosives, which seems odd as he only included Ashurian Flamesculptor as opposed to Master of Elements as well, given that you can't turn an underlevelled Explosives Free, although it is worth noting that a Static Shock does do so, since Shock is Tempys itself.

The deck does operate on a 17 spell count, which is impressively high, making your Flamebreak Invokers and Flamesculptors ever more consistent BUT can lead to awkward hands where you have no board and have Rage of Kadras and Oratek Explosives in the same hand, along with other dead spells, which can spell disaster if you're unlucky.

In the same vein, Oratek Explosives and Rage have indirect synergy with each other, as the way you play around Rage, by not blocking, is the opposite of what you have to do to play around Explosives, block. Furthermore, Mobility works very well with both of these cards, and this deck has that in spades.

Jabor - Epik Kool - Top 4

Deck: Rage of Kadras

3 x Ashurian Flamesculptor
3 x Borean Windweaver
3 x Burnout
3 x Flame Lance
3 x Flamebreak Invoker
3 x Frostmane Dragon
3 x Lightning Spark
3 x Master of Elements
3 x Rage of Kadras

3 x Static Shock

All the threes! This one is running 15 spells and 6 'Master of Elements', meaning it nigh impossible that you miss levelling at least one of them, the high spell count means that you don't whiff as much as other decks, although it does mean its thin on the creature front.

Steric - Unknown - Top 4

Deck: A/T Redbots

3 x Aegis Knight
2 x Anvillon Arbiter
2 x Borean Windweaver
3 x Brightsteel Gargoyle
2 x Brightsteel Sentinel
2 x Burnout
2 x Frostmane Dragon
3 x Gauntlets of Sulgrim

2 x Glacial Crush

3 x Nexus Aeronaut

3 x Oratek Battlebrand

3 x Oratek Explosives

A personal favourite archetype of mine, a deck that takes advantage of the Robot/Armour package (Aegis Knight, Brightsteel duo) and Tempys removal and utility to out-value and out-maneuver your opponent to death., with many Mobility creatures, the deck is extremely flexible.

Gauntlets of Sulgrim is extremely relevant in this deck, giving Aeronaut armour and turn it nigh-unkillable or on a Robot that was buffed up by Brightsteel Sentinel for sweet sweet value. Not to mention Sulgrim 3 is a complete boss.

Anvillon Arbiter does help curb the plethora of Rage decks in the meta-game, and the odd Stasis Warden, its also a Robot with armour, which are two big pluses, although its at its weakest in AT as they don't have good ways to buff it up to keep it alive.

Glacial Crush is mainly hate for Wegu, and Gargoyle.

GreenLink - Battlebranded - Top 8

Deck: Stasis Warden

3 x Burnout
3 x Energy Surge
3 x Flamebreak Invoker
3 x Ghox, Metamind Paragon
2 x Glacial Crush
3 x Ironmind Acolyte
3 x Oratek Battlebrand
1 x Perilous Insight
3 x Stasis Warden
3 x Static Shock
3 x Stormspear

Well. You just had to make it into Top 16 with Stasis Warden didn't you, Link? Anywho, A pretty typical Stasis Warden if there ever was one, with the most interesting inclusion being Stormspear, which while having a sub-par level one, has good damage beyond that, and the ability to activate Stasis Warden and Flamebreak Invoker multiple times for 'free' is amazing, and with enough card draw can be fairly consistent.

However, there is one huge flaw with the deck. You know that amazing keyword 'Free'? This deck has that in spades, and Anvillon Arbiter can throw a major wench into the deck's plans, which can just cause the otherwise perfect turn to come crumbling down.

Hectares - Ghox's Socks - Top 8

Deck: Broodqueen Tracker

3 x Aetherphage
3 x Bramblewood Tracker
3 x Dysian Broodqueen
3 x Dysian Siphon
1 x Howl of Xith
3 x Lifeblood Dryad
3 x Oros, Deepwood's Chosen
3 x Shardbound Invoker

3 x Soothsayer Hermit

2 x Thundersaur

3 x Weirwood Patriarch

Again with the lack of Ferocious Roar, although it does have a more grow wide centric plan with the Lifeblood Dryads, otherwise a pretty 'typical' Broodqueen Tracker list, although the omission of Scythe of Chiron is intriguing but reasonable.

Again, Howl of Xith to provide reach, with triple Soothsayer Hermit to pull them back seems relevant if the game goes late, interesting overlap with Aetherphage, as they have the same stats, and since they are both level-gated, it might be a struggle choosing between them, although being able to adapt to each matchup could be potent.

1nc0nv13nt - KVFD - Top 8

Deck: A/T Rage

2 x Anvillon Arbiter
3 x Ashurian Flamesculptor
3 x Borean Windweaver
2 x Burnout
2 x Everflame Phoenix
3 x Flame Lance
3 x Flamebreak Invoker
3 x Frostmane Dragon
3 x Oratek Explosives

3 x Rage of Kadras

3 x Static Shock

A deck not unlike the Rage decks that we already went over, although the inclusion of Arbiter does make its do better against decks that abuse Free, of which there are a decent amount in the Top 16 alone (9/16 decks use it in some form, otherwise a pretty simple Rage list with Oratek Explosives.

Monolightning - Team Armada Games - Top 8

Deck: Rage of Kadras (w/ Nekrium Splash)

3 x Ashurian Flamesculptor

3 x Borean Windweaver

3 x Burnout

3 x Flame Lance

3 x Flamebreak Invoker

3 x Frostmane Dragon

3 x Lightning Spark

3 x Nethershriek

3 x Rage of Kadras

3 x Static Shock

The fourth (out of six) Rage deck in the Top 16, this time with Nethershriek, which has potent synergies with Windweaver, although given the fact that Wegu is the only threat that demands dedicated removal, it might not be wholly effective.

Caitiri - Epik Kool - Top 16

Deck: Iztek Rage (w/ Uterra Splash)

3 x Aetherphage

3 x Ashurian Flamesculptor

3 x Borean Windweaver

3 x Burnout

3 x Flame Lance

3 x Flamebreak Invoker

3 x Frostmane Dragon

3 x Iztek, Khan of Arrachtor

3 x Rage of Kadras

3 x Static Shock

Rage! (Uninteresting) Aetherphage! (Nice tech!) Iztek! (Baller!) On a more serious note, while this is still a Rage list, the inclusion of Iztek does lower the consistency of the deck, but include powerful spells to make up for it. Furthermore, Flamesculptor actually goes up in consistency due to the high spell density. Very interesting list that I would love to see get higher in the tournament.

Lilith - Unknown - Top 16

Deck: A/T Redbots

3 x Aegis Knight

1 x Anvillon Arbiter

3 x Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 x Brightsteel Sentinel

3 x Frostmane Dragon

3 x Gauntlets of Sulgrim

2 x Glacial Crush

3 x Nexus Aeronaut

3 x Oratek Battlebrand

3 x Oratek Explosives

3 x Scorchmane Dragon

Another deck using the Robot synergy along with mobility creatures, although an interesting inclusion of Scorchmane Dragon, being able to bypass its weak level one with Battlebrand is a big plus, although in the games where you are unable to do so, they become dead cards.

Battlebrand also has amazing Allied consistency in this deck, with 19 Alloyin cards, its going to be pretty hard to miss an Allied trigger.

FallenAskari - Unknown - Top 16

Deck: Wegu Lifegain

1 x Cull the Weak

2 x Druid's Chant

3 x Dysian Broodqueen

3 x Dysian Siphon

3 x Dysian Sludge

3 x Glowstride Stag

3 x Howl of Xith

3 x Oros, Deepwood's Chosen

3 x Spiritbloom Dryad

3 x Vyric's Embrace

3 x Wegu, the Ancient

A lifegain deck making it to the Top 16 was not something I expected personally, but here it is, its win conditions are pretty similar to other lifegain decks out there, one being Wegu and Sludge Sea™, with Dysian Broodqueen providing a method to pave the way for your Oros or Wegu.

For your opponent to play around Dysian Sludge, they have to hit you in the face, but Sludges take off a lot of pressure, furthermore, Wegu can operate perfectly fine even under 100 life, giving them another problem to take care of. Rage decks can often remove Wegu/ bring you below 100 easily, so that may be why this deck didn't perform higher than Top 16.

Also, Druid's Chant in the Top 16 of a WCQ. Pay up your bets, gentlemen.

Zwaxor - A1 - Top 16

Deck: Broodqueen Tracker

3 x Aetherphage

3 x Bramblewood Tracker

2 x Chistlehearth Archer

3 x Dysian Broodqueen

1 x Echowisp

2 x Ferocious Roar

2 x Grimgaunt Devourer

1 x Howl of Xith

1 x Scythe of Chiron

2 x Shardbound Invoker

2 x Soothsayer Hermit

2 x Stygian Lotus

1 x Tangle

2 x Thundersaur

3 x Weirwood Patriarch

The third and last Broodqueen Tracker list, with many many one-ofs, many of which are situational or matchup dependant cards, such as the Mobility hate in Archer and Tangle, reach in Howl, and Echowisp to block for value. Although, while Hermit can make these cards more reliable, it does seems a bit excessive on that end. Otherwise, it does have a similar core to the other lists, although with only 2 Shardbound Invokers.

cacafuego- Unknown - Top 16
Deck: Rage of Kadras (w/ Nekrium Splash) 

3 x Ashurian Flamesculptor
3 x Borean Windweaver
3 x Burnout

3 x Flame Lance

3 x Flamebreak Invoker

3 x Frostmane Dragon

3 x Lightning Spark

1 x Master of Elements

2 x Nethershriek

3 x Rage of Kadras

3 x Static Shock

Similar to the Monolightning list, with slightly adjusted numbers. Single Master of Elements for the extra free spell creature thing.

JockeD - Unknown - Top 16
Deck: A/T Redbots

3 x Aegis Knight
2 x Anvillon Arbiter
3 x Borean Windweaver

3 x Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 x Brightsteel Sentinel

2 x Frostmane Dragon

1 x Frostshatter Strike

3 x Gauntlets of Sulgrim

1 x Glacial Crush

3 x Nexus Aeronaut

3 x Oratek Battlebrand

3 x Oratek Explosives

A list very similar to Steric's. Has minor differences with only one Glacial Crush and a single Frostshatter Strike.

tetrarain - Fifth Faction - Top 16

Deck: A/T Level/Mobility

1 x Anvillon Arbiter

3 x Borean Windweaver

2 x Cindersmoke Wyvern

2 x Everflame Phoenix

3 x Frostmane Dragon

2 x Gauntlets of Sulgrim

1 x Glacial Crush

1 x Iron Maiden

3 x Killion, Infinity Warden

3 x Nexus Aeronaut

3 x Oratek Battlebrand

3 x Oratek Explosives

1 x Rage of Kadras

2 x Scorchmane Dragon

The deck looks like a marriage between A/T Level and several mobility creatures, forgoing the traditional Ghox/Gnome/Invoker package for a more potent early game.

Killion does go up in value as Nexus Aeronaut can pump up its otherwise pitiful attack so that it trades with most relevant on-level threats. Needless to say, the deck has a stellar late-game with both Scorchmane Dragon and Iron Maiden being the late game bombs.

Zecrus - Epik Kool - Top 16

Deck: N/T Mystic

3 x Borean Windweaver

3 x Burnout

3 x Ebonskull Knight

3 x Everflame Mystic

1 x Flame Lance

3 x Frostmane Dragon

3 x Nethershriek

2 x Rage of Kadras

1 x Staff of Vaerus

3 x Tarsus Deathweaver

3 x Varna's Pact

2 x Xithian Direhound

Perhaps the most interesting deck in the Top 16, featuring several cards that haven't seen constructed play in a while, notably Tarsus Deathweaver and Varna's Pact. What's brilliant about Pact alongside Everflame Mystic is that with most spells, you want to cast it pre-combat (Rage of Kadras for example), but Pact does get around it a little.

Ebonskull Knight with Windweaver have an nice indirect with each other, as your opponent may ignore the Knight in order of it to eventually kill itself, but with a flying 8/8, you may be able to kill several creatures before the Knight dies its eventual death, which just screams value.

Overall, definitely a deck I'll be playing around with, and perhaps one with still unexplored potential, even if it didn't get to the upper half of Top 16.

Closing Thoughts/ Trivia

• All faction combinations, with the exception of UA and AN, were represented in the Top 16.
• The metagame has opened up a significant deal since the previous set, which is of course wonderful news.
• Frostmane Dragon was the most played card in the Top 16, at 31 overall copies.
• There were notable unexpected cards that made it into the Top 16, being Wegu, Stasis Warden and Iztek.
• Epik Kool has the highest concentration of Top16ers, occupying 4 (25%) slots.
• And of course, I hope you enjoyed this extremely long article ;3