Welcome to our 23rd meta report! After Redrame’s flawless run in the Top 16 qualifier, his Pirate’s Cove deck has taken the ladder by storm. And rightfully so - it’s the best deck which can also include various tech cards. Joining SY in the crowded Tier 1, MO is still the most flexible faction, with 3 powerful options in Arachas Swarm, Carapace and Viy.
With the nerfs to Halfling Safecracker and Cleaver, Lined Pockets and Tunnel Drill aren’t as popular as last season - which is great news for Deadeye Ambush. Elves are the best option for ST, as with the nerf to Masquerade Ball and the inevitable downfall of NG, Nature’s Gift has lost its most favored matchup.
Following the nice buff to Coral, Warriors and Reckless Flurry have both incorporated the Discard package, making their Round 1 quite threatening - if they manage to draw it. While everyone expected Blue Stripes to be strong due to Foltest, the Temerian ruler performs better in a Pincer Maneuver deck with Draug and Erland of Larvik.
Saber97 has prepared a quick video overview of the meta report, going through all the decks and tiers. Check it out here!
We will update the report regularly in order to provide the community with a spot-on representation of the current meta. You can join our Discord if you have any questions.
Graphics: WellMax81
Editing: Wusubi, Sebodunum
Writers: Avades, Bantonio, BeardyBog, Gravesh, KingChezz93, Lorakko, Pajabol, Qnerr, Saber97, Spybie, SpyroZA
Consultants: Andasama, Green-Knight, McP0yle, SpecimenGwent
After the nerfs to Lined Pockets, SY has taken a new form in Pirate’s Cove and quickly proved that it’s still the top dog. With the ability to spawn two Sea Jackals, you never have an issue with spenders, allowing you to fully utilize the coin generation cards without the need to include the weak bronze spenders. As a raw value deck with many power plays, such as the recently buffed Professor, Whoreson Junior and both the Bleinheim and Borsodi brothers, very few decks are able to bleed you. The deck is also quite flexible which is a big upside, as it allows you to include various tech cards and adapt to the meta. -SpyroZA
Strengths:
- The deck has a scary long round with a great capability to defend the Round 2 bleed
- Pirate’s Cove allows you to spend coins efficiently while providing some short round potential with the likes of Sigi Reuven
Weaknesses:
- As a Devotion deck, it can be vulnerable against greedier decks like Carapace if you don’t include any tech cards
Considerations:
- Philippa Eilhart, Walter Veritas, Boris, Saul de Navarette
With a good matchup spread, Arachas Swarm continues to be a strong option for MO. While having a healthy balance of swarm and pay-off cards is important, you also need to have a clear game plan. You either want to win Round 1 or pass early so you can defend the bleed. Crimson Curse is a powerful tool that can be used to defend the bleed with, but it can also apply pressure in Round 1 and secure a long Round 3, where utilizing cards like Bone Talisman and Yennefer of Vengerberg to their full potential makes you favored against most decks in the game. -Spybie
Strengths:
- If you manage your resources properly, the deck excels at playing into all three rounds
- Good matchup into the majority of meta decks, with unmatched long round potential
Weaknesses:
- Vulnerable to Geralt: Yrden and row punish (Gerd, Crushing Trap)
Considerations:
- You can try out this version with Portal and Knickers
You wake up. You jump out of the bed and sprint to your computer. You turn it on. It’s booting. It finishes booting. Frantically, you’re opening the patch notes. Your eyes go wide. Nilfgaard is in shambles and Syndicate is forced into Devotion. You hear your mother’s voice: “Do you want breakfast?” You smile. “Not today, mom.” You don’t need any food. You will eat scrubs on ladder for breakfast. It’s peanut butter Kelly time! -Gravesh
Strengths:
- Well-positioned in the meta due to Nilfgaard and heavy control decks seeing little play
- The deck packs powerful threats combined with Carapace, efficiently overloading the removal capacity of most decks
Weaknesses:
- If your opponent answers Cave Troll, Ciri: Dash and Keltullis, the deck quickly falls apart
- Even with Oneiromancy and Maxii Van Dekkar, you’re still prone to missing key cards and having very awkward hands
Considerations:
- Armory, Strays of Spalla
With an abundance of pointslam decks, the ladder is less and less teched for Viy, allowing it to creep its way back into the meta. The deck has a simple game plan - first you play Viy and then you eat Viy. Do that as many times as you can, generating insane amounts of carry-over and creating the most explosive short round finisher in the game. You can also take some unorthodox lines of play in order to manipulate the game into a favorable position, such as going down multiple cards in Round 1 to secure the ability to bleed your opponent and shorten Round 3 as much as possible. -KingChezz93
Strengths:
- Has more points than any other deck in the game if left unchecked, with an extremely strong short Round 3
- The straightforward nature of this list makes it very easy to pilot while allowing you to prey on Devotion decks or decks that don’t have any form of tall punish
Weaknesses:
- Vulnerable to tall punish
- Without any control tools, you can struggle against combo or engine-overload decks
Considerations:
- Predatory Dive, Bruxa
At first glance, Witchers might strike you as an outdated archetype with not too many favored matchups in the current meta. However, the deck still performs well and can even go toe-to-toe with Pirate’s Cove. The usual game plan is to secure Round 1 with Amphibious Assault and bronze engines while generating carry-over with Erland and Vesemir: Mentor. This allows you to put on a scary bleed in Round 2, leading into an explosive short round, where you’re able to outvalue most decks in the game thanks to the combined power of the Witcher trio and Uprising. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- Still great on Blue coin, utilizing Crystal Skull to its full potential with Griffin Witcher
- The ability to generate carry-over while winning Round 1 due to Amphibious Assault makes for a threatening bleed in Round 2
Weaknesses:
- Underwhelming in a long round, mainly due to the limited amount of control tools
- With multiple cards having the Adrenaline condition, sequencing can get awkward
Considerations:
- You can try out this version with Prince Anséis
Standing the test of time, Devotion Warriors still maintain their place in the meta. Eist Tuirseach is a potent addition, providing Blaze of Glory with an incredible finisher. While Morkvarg: Heart of Terror has lost his Warrior tag and his place in the archetype, he quickly found his way back into the deck, improving your matchup against MO decks. This deck utilizes a powerful balance between pointslam and control tools, granting you the ability to shut down your opponent’s engines and synergies. After some experimentation with the Discard package, players have returned to the version with Raiding Fleet and Blood Eagle. -SpyroZA
Strengths:
- Insane 30+ point finisher potential in Eist combined with leader and Jutta an Dimun
- Your control options are better than ever, along with strong tools to defend the bleed
Weaknesses:
- Blaze of Glory being tied to Eist makes your game plan less flexible
- Vulnerable to non-interactive strategies, can struggle in a short round without last say
Considerations:
- You can try out this version with the Discard package
With Patch 8.5, Reckless Flurry went from an unplayable leader to a decent control option. Moreover, the buff to Coral makes the discard package more appealing, providing the deck with some much-needed proactivity and points. The deck wants to win Round 1 using the power of discards and other proactive cards. If you have the last say in Round 3, your opponent will be forced to take suboptimal lines of play because you will be able to answer most of their threats. -Qnerr
Strengths:
- The discard package provides a lot of tempo and improves your overall consistency
- Having so many control options allows you to consistently beat decks like Carapace
Weaknesses:
- Struggles against Pirate’s Cove
- Losing Round 1 will often put you in awkward spot, as you really prefer acting second (having the last say) in Round 3 due to the very reactive nature of the deck
Considerations:
- Hammond, Harald Houndsnout
The nerfs to Cleaver and Safecracker have left this deck much weaker than it was last season. However, the buffs to Professor and Whoreson Junior do somewhat compensate, taking the deck down the Devotion route. Without Oneiromancy, we kick Harald Gord, allowing us to include more units. The deck plays similarly to its predecessor, but the reduction in consistency means we have to give up round control or take a long Round 3 more often than we would like. Moreover, we can’t mulligan gold cards as freely in Round 1 in order to make our hand Crime-heavy. -Bantonio
Strengths:
- The deck still has a strong Round 1 presence with Novigradian Justice
- Professor and Whoreson Junior synergize nicely with the already powerful removal package of Crownsplitters and Tunnel Drill
Weaknesses:
- Outclassed by Pirate’s Cove
- Being a Devotion deck brings consistency issues, even with Vivaldi Bank’s inclusion
Considerations:
- Moreelse, Tavern Brawl, Kurt, Eavesdrop, Bare-Knuckle Brawler
With the buff to Aen Seidhe Sabre, Radeyah became a much stronger option for Elves, allowing you to activate the first chapter of Feign Death immediately. This not only plays around Korathi Heatwave, but also gives you more options while defending the Round 2 bleed. The list is powerful on Red coin, being able to drop some of its low provision bronzes for free. With pay-off cards like Vernossiel, Isengrim Faoiltiarna and Yaevinn, the deck has a great long round and is also able to answer the crucial threats due to the inclusion of efficient control tools. -Pajabol
Strengths:
- The deck is scary on Red coin, with a strong long round and a solid amount of control
- Radeyah makes it much easier to defend the bleed while allowing you to play around Heatwave on Feign Death
Weaknesses:
- Huge polarization makes the deck very draw dependent
- Can struggle on Blue coin, with the risk of losing on even
Considerations:
- Ele’yas, Toruviel → The Great Oak, Vrihedd Saboteur
With no balance changes impacting Deadeye Ambush or traps in Patch 8.5, this deck remains viable. While the Radeyah Elves have more points overall, the non-interactive nature of traps makes you favored against opponents who have offensive Deploy abilities that will often go wasted. The deck has a flexible game plan dependent on the matchup and your hand quality. You can either use Feign Death to win Round 1 or play low provision bronzes and look for an early pass. The latter approach allows you to defend the bleed with traps and Eldain, preserving your Scenario for a shorter Round 3. -Avades
Strengths:
- Decent matchups into all three MO decks and compensate for the fact that you get outmuscled by SY
- Being non-interactive while staying low-to-the-ground can prove to be useful against decks with an abundance of damage cards and tall punishes
Weaknesses:
- Getting bled in Round 2 can be an issue if you’re missing some of your key gold cards
- Struggles against engine-heavy decks, especially if they have a lot of proactive options
Considerations:
- Curse of Corruption, Ciaran
Patch 8.5 was brutal for NG - the faction can no longer use Joachim and Roderick to proc Masquerade Ball. As such, the deck has to include a solid package of Fergus and Seditious Aristocrats. Along with Van Moorlehem Hunter and Usurper Emperor, you’ve got 5 Aristocrats for your Scenario. You can still rely on the combined power of Joachim, Gorthur Gvaed and Cantarella, allowing you to contest Round 1 or defend the bleed. While the deck is weaker than last patch, it has some favored matchups against Pirate’s Cove and Viy, which is perhaps a good enough reason to play it. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- Extremely strong in a long round with Fergus var Emreis and Seditious Aristocrats
- Gorthur Gvaed and Cantarella allow you to use Joachim de Wett to contest Round 1
Weaknesses:
- Difficult to pilot and inconsistent at times; defending the Round 2 bleed can be hard
- Without Slave Hunters, you struggle with proactivity and your Round 1 is a bit weaker
Considerations:
- You can try out this version with Anna Henrietta
While the big nerf to Masquerade Ball is surely a cause of celebration over in Gwent’s subreddit, it’s bad news for Nature’s Gift, as NG was the deck it used to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With Pirate’s Cove and the three MO decks reinforcing their position in the meta, you’re looking at a handful of unfavored matchups. The list wants to win Round 1 using Hamadryad and Shaping Nature while generating carry-over with Dunca. This allows you to bleed the opponent with the likes of Figgis, Pavko and Gezras, usually keeping Forest Protector and Harald Gord for the short Round 3. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- Strong Round 1 presence with Hamadryad and Shaping Nature
- You can generate a decent amount of carry-over with Dunca and Circle of Life, which makes your Round 2 bleed more threatening
Weaknesses:
- Struggles against the Tier 1 decks
- Lacks tall punish due to Devotion, can’t answer Defenders efficiently
Considerations:
- Paulie Dahlberg, Oakcritters
Commandos are finally back! After the initial hype for the deck on patch day, the list showed its weaknesses and settled at the bottom of our meta report. The carry-over potential of the archetype was greatly boosted with the addition of King Foltest, but it’s prone to getting answered and requires drawing certain cards in Round 1. The lack of engines can make contesting longer rounds difficult without Draug, while Draug itself can be awkward to set up and get value from. -Lorakko
Strengths:
- The deck has a few flexible slots, which allows you to adapt to the changing meta
- Great carry-over and short round potential, can put on a decent bleed in Round 2
Weaknesses:
- The main combo is vulnerable to control, as Foltest is the only real threat in the deck
- Losing Round 1 can lead to losing a long Round 3 or getting bled out of second set of Commandos in Round 2
- Consistency is an issue, the deck is very polarized so missing tutors or high-end golds will usually lose you the game
Considerations:
- Erland of Larvik, Queen Adalia, Donimir of Troy, Reinforcements
With the latest patch, Pincer Maneuver went from being a meme leader ability mainly used with Archgriffin to being a serious contender for the strongest NR leader. It might be the weakest in terms of raw points, but similarly to Oneiromancy, it provides access to your important cards. This particular deck has 3 packages that should usually be played in different rounds. -Saber97
Package 1: Queen Adalia, Poor Fucking Infantry and Draug. This package gives you 8 units on a row filled up with Revenants that are ready to attack. Make sure to cycle as many of them as possible, since each Revenant is worth 1 point of carry-over for Erland after you’ve used Pavetta.
Package 2: Donimir, King Foltest, any bronze unit. This combination provides 1 point of engine value each turn and 2 points of carry-over for Erland. You can also use Foltest on Dun Banners, which is a 5-points-per-turn combo, sometimes allowing you to use Pavetta on Dun Banners as well.
Package 3: Use Pavetta on Revenants or Dun Banners, then play an immune Erland.
Make sure to play Erland when his Adrenaline condition is fulfilled, so that the opponent cannot interact with him. If you’re up against Devotion decks, you can potentially 2-0 the opponent, but if you suspect cards like Igni, Yrden or Curse of Corruption, then you’re better off saving him for Round 3 if you have the last say.
Strengths:
- Scary engine value from Foltest with a huge 30+ immune finisher in Erland of Larvik
- Reliable Draug setup with Pincer Maneuver, Queen Adalia and Poor Fucking Infantry
Weaknesses:
- Row punish on your Draug row (Gerd, Crushing Trap)
- Predictable game plan, very susceptible to cards that can punish an immune Erland
Considerations:
- Voymir, Margarita Laux-Antille
The latest patch brought a significant nerf to Masquerade Ball, which has led NG into a weird spot. While some players are still experimenting with the old Ball deck, others have found solace in Cloggers. Despite being Adrenaline 1, Kolgrim still proves to be a huge threat and can win a round on his own if unanswered. Hefty Helge can secure Round 1 very easily, provided you have enough Tactics. Ciri: Nova makes your Round 2 bleed more threatening and also punishes your opponent for discarding cards on Red coin in order to avoid getting clogged. As always, this deck aims to frustrate the opponent who misses their golds and tutors in Round 1, which makes the clogging aspect of the deck quite punishing. -BeardyBog
Strengths:
- Great Round 1 presence with Roach and Knickers, which allows for Red coin abuse
- Decent control with Helge and leader, Ciri: Nova almost always goes through since opponents usually need to save their answers for Ffion and Kolgrim
Weaknesses:
- Vulnerable to tall punish, can struggle with proactivity
- A strong starting hand for the opponent already greatly disrupts your overall strategy
- Some popular decks thin a fair bit (Pirate’s Cove, Discard Warriors) which weakens the clogging aspect as well as Kolgrim
Considerations:
- Berengar, Imperial Diplomacy
May 21 - The meta report has been officially released.
May 23 - Updated the decklists for Radeyah Elves, Lined Pockets and Reckless Flurry.
May 26 - Updated the decklist for ViyJAM. Changed the rating for Trap Elves (4 to 3.75 stars).
May 29 - Updated the decklist for Witchers and changed the rating from 3.75 to 4 stars.
June 1 - Updated the decklist for Warriors. Changed the rating for Lined Pockets (4 to 3.75 stars).
June 4 - Changed the rating for Radeyah Elves (from 4 to 3.75 stars). Nature’s Gift and Pincer Draug were moved to Tier 3.
June 7 - Minor changes to decklists and considerations for several decks.