Gwent Meta Report #25

August 2, 2021 wusubi

Welcome to our 25th meta report! Sunset Wanderers should’ve been a gimmick card to promote Gwent on WitcherCon, but it turned out to be one of the most impactful and popular cards to date.

Tactical Decision offers great synergy with Sunset Wanderers and playing NG allows you to include Ivar Evil-Eye, the best answer to the card. As such, the faction’s play rate has skyrocketed to almost 30%. You have myriad decks to try out, be it Reveal, Midrange, Cloggers or even Mill.

Despite all this, the crown still belongs to SY, as Lined Pockets is the best performing deck. NR connoisseurs can rely on Inspired Zeal and have to choose between Commandos and the version with Gerhart, Shani and Duel cards.

Finding the fourth faction is a difficult task. SK struggles to keep up with the top three and ST is non-existent. If you don’t enjoy the control approach of Reckless Flurry, you could embrace our lord and savior Koshchey.

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, Cyberz, Pajabol, Qnerr, SpecimenGwent, SpyroZA
Consultants: Andasama, Bantonio

After the buff to Reinforced Ballista, Commando decks have incorporated Siege as a tempo and control tool. Initially, a Devotion approach was popular, utilizing the extra boosts from King Foltest and Kerack Marine. The lack of consistency has proven to be the Achilles’ heel of such builds, since a combo-oriented deck can’t afford to miss the crucial pieces. As such, the archetype has returned to its Oneiromancy roots. The inclusion of Megascope makes your Blue Stripes Scout more reliable while also creating more Commandos. This allows you to sacrifice card advantage in order to bleed the opponent and force a short Round 3 where you come out on top with your massive finisher. -Wusubi

Strengths:

- Siege allows you to contest longer rounds while also improving your bleed potential

- Incredibly strong carry-over and short round potential with the Blue Stripes package

Weaknesses:

- Still reliant on drawing its combo pieces, especially on Red coin

- The limited amount of removal makes the deck vulnerable to engine-based strategies

Considerations:

- Hubert Rejk

After the nerfs to Whoreson Junior and Jackpot itself, the deck is no longer in such a dominant position. The meta is now more pointslam-oriented and realistically speaking, you can get into trouble against Tactical Decision and you’ll struggle in the mirror against Lined Pockets. That said, Jackpot is still powerful, as it allows you to avoid losing points when you’re forced to go beyond the threshold of 9 coins. You have a great Round 1 with the Bleinheim brothers, Poison and bronze engines. As always, the deck can rely on its efficient control tools and power plays like Sigi Reuven into Caesar Bilzen. -Wusubi

Strengths:

- Very efficient control tools with the leader ability always being able to set up coins for Philippa Eilhart or Whoreson’s Freak Show

- Powerful in a long round and an even better short round with cards like Sigi Reuven, Grand Inquisitor Helveed and Caesar Bilzen

Weaknesses:

- Gets outvalued by greedier decks, e.g. Reveal

- A bit vulnerable to tempo abuse against decks like Commandos or Tactical Decision

Considerations:

- Sea Jackal, Passiflora Peaches

Reveal is finally competitive after receiving multiple buffs to Imperial Golem, Yennefer: Divination and Triss Merigold. The idea is to thin down to 3 cards and then use Tactical Decision on Affan and Mage Assassin while putting Imperial Golem back into your deck as the last unit. You can then utilize the pay-off cards, with the caveat of likely developing a balding pattern in NG mirrors. As such, if you’re seeing a lot of NG, it’s advisable to play a different deck. That said, the deck has a decent presence in Round 1 thanks to Allgod, Roach and Knickers. You have an incredibly powerful short round, so don’t hesitate to commit Snowdrop and Tactical Decision on Red coin - winning on even often means winning the game. -Wusubi

Strengths:

- The deck has one of the most explosive short rounds in the game, but it can also hold its own in a long round

- While using Tactical Decision before Round 3 can be a bit awkward, it’s very powerful when bleeding the opponent or defending a bleed yourself

Weaknesses:

- Susceptible to deck manipulation, which makes the deck unreliable in the NG mirror

- Draw dependent, relies on finding Dead Man’s Tongue and Snowdrop before Round 3

Considerations:

- Korathi Heatwave

If you don’t enjoy playing Commandos and excel at drawing your golds, this version of Inspired Zeal is still a strong alternative. The deck combines the best NR has to offer, namely Shieldwall’s package of Duel cards combined with Siege and high value cards like Gerhart and Shani. Given the prevalence of Sunset Wanderers, Viraxas was replaced by Bloody Baron. Inspired Zeal with Seltkirk, Prince Anséis and Shani into a juiced-up Ban Ard Student are efficient control tools, allowing you to shut down opposing threats. If you’re talented enough to draw most of your golds, you’ll be able to outpoint the majority of meta decks. However, its lack of consistency can be the deck’s downfall. -Wusubi

Strengths:

- Strong high-end gold cards give you a multitude of pointslam and control options

- Good on either side of the coinflip, since you don’t necessarily need to win Round 1

Weaknesses:

- Vulnerable to control-heavy decks, e.g. Lined Pockets

- Very draw dependent; the power level varies a lot if you miss one or two gold cards

Considerations:

- Viraxas Prince, Coodcoodak

Cloggers has shown some promise earlier this month, but players have quickly discovered better versions of Tactical Decision. The main issue is that most meta decks can thin very well, which makes your Kolgrim less reliable. Moreover, nearly every deck can answer a Defender while also having a tall punish or two. You can still find your favored matchups against Devotion builds, most notably SY and NR. But given the sheer power of Tactical Decision, we would recommend trying out either Reveal or the Midrange version if you feel like the clogging approach isn’t impactful enough. -Wusubi

Strengths:

- Can be very abusive against decks that lack direct answers or simply don’t draw them

- You’ve got the option of using Letho: Kingslayer on Snowdrop, as the card draw from Tactical Decision and Sunset Wanderers generates a mind-boggling amount of points

Weaknesses:

- If your opponent answers the Defender and Kolgrim, the deck completely falls apart

- Most meta decks have a fair amount of thinning, which makes clogging less effective

Considerations:

- Nilfgaardian Knight

After the nerfs to Blightmaker and Imprisonment, Masquerade Ball has vanished from the ladder. However, as the meta was getting greedier with Sunset Wanderers and other tall units, one could start making an argument for playing the deck again. And after Nequ1z qualified for Gwent Open #3 using a less polarized build with Gorthur Gvaed, Cantarella and Fergus, the deck started seeing more play. The game plan is still the same - you can either try to secure Round 1 with the power of Blightmakers and Dead Man’s Tongue, or prepare to defend the bleed. -Wusubi

Strengths:

- Masquerade Ball remains one of the strongest cards in Gwent, with great matchups against decks with multiple tall units

- Blightmaker and Mage Assassin offer a solid amount of points, allowing you to win Round 1 or defend the bleed efficiently

Weaknesses:

- Very reliant on drawing Joachim and Roderick of Dun Tynne, missing either of them will be detrimental to your game plan

- Difficult to pilot and still a bit vulnerable to being bled in Round 2, especially if you get forced out of too many resources or Aristocrats

Considerations:

- Thirsty Dame

After a long hiatus, Midrange NG returns to the meta in full force. Tactical Decision fits into this deck perfectly, as it synergizes with Sunset Wanderers and provides you with a ridiculous amount of points along with Snowdrop, Affan and Mage Assassin. This allows you to include some efficient removal tools to answer the opposing engines. Ivar Evil-Eye has become an insane card due to the prevalence of Sunset Wanderers, while Maraal and the Poison package deal with other tall units. The deck is consistent and it can be threatening on Red coin. Cards like Ramon Tyrconnel, Braathens and Knickers play for a lot of tempo, which usually forces the opponent to either overcommit or accept losing on even. -Pajabol

Strengths:

- A lot of control for the opposing engines along with multiple forms of tall punish make this deck powerful against greedier strategies

- The leader ability provides you with an insane amount of points and synergizes with Snowdrop, Yennefer’s Invocation, Affan and Mage Assassin

Weaknesses:

- The deck can struggle with having enough proactivity when acting first in Round 3

- Some of your cards can have a hard time finding their value against decks that either don’t go tall or don’t play many engines

Considerations:

- Korathi Heatwave

If you ever find yourself missing the 60+ points of Viy in a short round, then Koshchey might be the deck for you. With one of the strongest medium to short rounds in Gwent and the ability to pressure opponents quite aggressively in Round 1, this deck remains fairly solid even without Sunset Wanderers. The raw pointslam can often make up for the lack of removal. Instead of controlling the board state, the deck tries to control the round length and to dictate the pace of the game. The ever-looming threat of She Who Knows is concerning for every opponent, especially if you’re on Red coin. -SpyroZA

Strengths:

- You have an incredibly strong medium to short Round 3 with Caranthir and Koshchey

- The deck can win Round 1 cheaply, usually forcing the opponent to either overcommit or give up round control, allowing you to bleed them

Weaknesses:

- Has a very limited amount of control and a linear game plan, vulnerable to SY decks

- Inconsistency is an issue, as you need to have Koshchey in your hand before Round 3

Considerations:

- Sunset Wanderers, Caretaker

After taking a little dive in the version with Portal and Madoc, Reckless Flurry has gone back to the Discard package to keep up with the power of other decks. The game plan remains the same - you’re still a Red coin abuse deck at heart. It’s crucial to find Coral and Birna early on, so you can apply pressure. The addition of Bride of the Sea and Mardroeme gives the deck more juice. You have an adequate amount of control, but you’ll find yourself struggling in a long round against the majority of meta decks. As such, winning Round 1 and bleeding is a necessity in most matchups. -Cyberz

Strengths:

- The Discard package allows you to be very aggressive and threaten to win on even

- With an abundance of control tools, you’re able to shut down the opposing engines

Weaknesses:

- Consistency can prove to be a serious problem if you don’t draw the Discard package

- As you have to bleed most decks, Blue coin can prove problematic if your opponent keeps threatening with their reach, forcing you to use some good cards

Considerations:

- You can try out this version with Hjalmar an Craite

Mill gained an important tool, with Teleportation being able to do Kingslayer’s job. Sunset Wanderers is rampant on the ladder and as a result, many meta decks have ditched Oneiromancy in favor of more thinning. Cloggers, Hyperthin and Lined Pockets are key examples of decks which can struggle against Mill. Despite its reputation, it’s easy to overlook the amount of points this deck has. Tactical Decision can put out an insane amount of tempo when combined with Snowdrop, Affan and Mage Assassins. This deck is the hero Gwent deserves, but not the one it needs right now. It’s the deck everyone loves to hate. If you like the idea of clowning around and potentially beating some of the top dogs with a funny meme deck, give it a shot. -Specimen

Strengths:

- The deck can gain card advantage through milling your opponent’s deck, therefore forcing them to try and 2-0 you

- Tactical Decision with Snowdrop, Affan and Mage Assassins gives the deck exactly what it needs - a good amount of proactive points

Weaknesses:

- Some matchups which are nearly impossibe to win, e.g. Commandos and Koshchey

- Slow plays like Kingslayer and Teleportation can make it very difficult to win Round 1

Considerations:

- War Council, Imperial Diplomacy

Nature’s Gift was given a powerful new weapon with the introduction of Sorceress of Dol Blathanna. She allows you to answer taller targets or shut down two engines in one turn. With her and Avallac’h, you’re also playing more units that create specials, increasing your Harald Gord value. The general strategy is to pray for Blue coin, so that Dunca sticks to the board. From there, you can usually secure round control with high value bronzes and special cards. You can then bleed your opponent to force as short of a Round 3 as possible without losing last say, which allows you to drop a juicy Gord finisher. -Avades

Strengths:

- Fairly consistent with multiple tutor options and a powerful 15+ point finisher in Gord

- Strong Round 1 presence - especially on Blue coin with sufficient answers for engines

Weaknesses:

- Lacks the power to truly challenge most meta decks, struggles without the last say

- Relies on its key engines surviving (Dunca, Hamadryad, Sorceress of Dol Blathanna)

Considerations:

- Dryad Enchantress