Welcome to our 26th meta report! Despite the hotfix earlier this month, Fruits of Ysgith continues to dominate the ladder with a Relict-based deck that still relies on Mammuna, Bloody Mistress and Caranthir. SY isn’t far behind - Lined Pockets is stronger than the other factions and can also tech against MO with cards like The Witchfinder, The Scoundrel and Graden.
ST benefited the most from the Thanedd Coup expansion, going from the gutter to the very top of Tier 2. The additions of Simlas, Orb of Insight and Elven Seer make for a great Precision Strike deck, utilizing Harald Gord to his full potential.
With the nerf to Sunset Wanderers, the heartbroken NG players had to shelve Tactical Decision and explore other avenues. After some experimentation with Enslave, it seems that Imprisonment is the better leader ability, incorporating Terranova and Fercart into a solid Midrange deck.
It’s no secret that NR and SK got the short end of the stick this season. However, if you really want to play these factions, we’ve got you covered. NR can rely on Commandos, while SK has a decent option in Rage of the Sea with Melusine and Dagur Two Blades, which is quite effective against MO.
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: Cyberz, McP0yle, SpyroZA
Consultants: Andasama, Gravesh, Pajabol, Qnerr
With the introduction of Selfeater and Bloody Mistress, Relicts now have even more threatening engines for you to worry about. On top of this, Mammuna is one of the best cards in Gwent, especially when combined with Caranthir. Fruits of Ysgith provides a powerful Round 1 presence and synergizes with Griffin, Idarran and Bloody Mistress. The deck has an easy time winning the first round with its incredible bronze cards while setting up the graveyard for Mammuna. You can then proceed to bleed your opponent, however your long Round 3 is also decent thanks to all the engines. This makes the deck extremely flexible; the only downside is the fact that it’s draw dependent, as it relies on specific combo pieces. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- Great Round 1 presence, as the deck is able to generate 30 points in just three cards
- You have strong engines and some pointslam options like Caranthir and Mammuna, which allows you to play both long and short rounds
- The deck has a multitude of threats that demand answers - Idarran, Bloody Mistress, Witch Apprentice and even cards like Selfeater and Cave Troll
Weaknesses:
- While you have Royal Decree and Maxii to help you out, the deck is draw dependent since you have to set up your graveyard and find a target for Caranthir
Considerations:
- Adda: Striga, Natural Selection
- You can try out this version with She Who Knows
After 2 years of resistance, we finally caved in - the 4.375 star rating is here. SY isn’t on the MO power level, but it’s still stronger than the other factions and thus deserving of Tier 1 status. While we’re showcasing a Bounty version with The Witchfinder and Graden, you can replace them with Sigi Reuven and Philippa Eilhart to improve your matchup against ST. Either way, the deck has an adequate amount of control tools, while Novigradian Justice allows you to either fight for Round 1 or defend the bleed. Playing this deck to its full potential requires some knowledge. Learning how to find the ideal hand composition is important, as you need to have the right balance between coin generation and spenders. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- The deck packs a myriad of control tools and also excels at turning coins into damage
- Tunnel Drill combined with a full bank and some leader charges plays for a ridiculous amount of points, often allowing you to annihilate the opposing board
Weaknesses:
- Can struggle on Blue coin if you don’t find a high tempo card like Novigradian Justice
- Defending the bleed can be difficult if you don’t have Whoreson’s Freak Show or can’t set up the pocket for Tunnel Drill
Considerations:
- Sigi Reuven, Philippa Eilhart
Dear diary, today I tried to play some NG. I was in shock when I soon realized that Masquerade Ball is power-crept. Even Reveal, the shining star of last season, can’t beat the Top 3 factions anymore. Suddenly, it came to me: if you can’t beat them, join them. I went to the deck-builder, came up with an Assimilate deck and chose Imprisonment for some control. Artaud Terranova and the nice buff to Mage Torturer helped me in my undertaking. Playing the deck, I quickly learned to use my opponent’s biggest weapons against them, as their bronzes and golds are simply better than mine. I have to admit, I had a blast doing all kinds of shenanigans with Informant, Remedy and Coup de Grace. Oh and Joachim de Wett is pretty good in this deck, as with so much thinning and specials, he was able to pull my golds if I didn’t draw them. -Cyberz
Strengths:
- The deck thins well with Blightmakers, Dead Man’s Tongue and Fercart, which makes Joachim incredibly valuable
- Can generate a lot of of value if you manage to find good targets for Artaud Terranova, Informant and Experimental Remedy
Weaknesses:
- You rely on your opponent’s cards to carry you, which is an approach that can backfire
- Struggles to deal with the abundance of threats in the meta, as unlike other NG decks, you only have Imprisonment, Yennefer’s Invocation and Tourney Joust
Considerations:
- Gorthur Gvaed, Cantarella
Gord is back, and he’s thiccer than ever! This patch, ST received great bronze cards that combine together to devastating effect. At the heart of it are the Orbs of Insight, which can be pulled from the deck by Simlas to serve as carry-over. They’re best used on Elven Seer, who can create another Orb. Add to that Whisperer of Dol Blathanna, which spawns a copy of itself each time a special card is played, and you’ve got a threatening engine that can snowball. The trick is to keep an eye on Orb timers and play Whisperer to proc the 2nd chapter of Feign Death, spawning a Waylay which procs your Orbs. You can also pull the Whisperer with Oneiromancy or Necromancy to a similar effect. And with last say, Gord is the best finisher in the game. -McP0yle
Strengths:
- Huge point swing when you combine Whisperer of Dol Blathanna with Orb of Insight
- The deck has a sufficient amount of removal along with the biggest finisher in Gwent
Weaknesses:
- Vulnerable to both tall punish and row punish
- Struggles against control decks that can reliably shut down most of your key engines
Considerations:
- Aelirenn, Dunca
- You can try out this version with Alzur and Lacerates
With the additions of Bloody Mistress and Mammuna, the deck has two more Caranthir targets, which improves its consistency. What hasn’t changed, however, is the fact that your Round 1 presence isn’t as good as Fruits of Ysgith, and that’s the reason why Force of Nature is no longer the go-to choice for MO. That said, you’re still playing the red faction, so securing Round 1 shouldn’t be an issue if you set your mind to it. The raw pointslam of this deck usually makes up for its lack of removal. Instead of trying to control the board state, your aim is to control the round length and dictate the pace of the game. The threat of She Who Knows is concerning for every opponent, especially if you’re on Red coin. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- The deck can usually win Round 1, allowing you to bleed the opponent if necessary
- You have a very powerful short Round 3 with Caranthir into Mammuna or Koshchey
Weaknesses:
- Has a limited amount of removal and a linear game plan
- Can be vulnerable to control-heavy decks such as Lined Pockets and Imprisonment
Considerations:
- Caretaker, Natural Selection
Similar to the dynamic between Force of Nature and Fruits of Ysgith, it seems that while Enslave was popular in the beginning, Imprisonment has the edge due to being more flexible. That said, there are merits to playing this deck, especially if you want to have an advantage in the mirror. It’s worth noting that you have only 10 loyal units in this deck, 7 of which are golds. This makes Joachim de Wett incredibly powerful and consistent, as you’re very likely to pull your high-end cards. Artorius is guaranteed to create a Spying unit, while Artaud Terranova works well with the buffed Mage Torturer and the recently introduced Fercart and Thanedd Turncoat. Milton might seem like a weird inclusion at first, but there’s a good reason to play him. You can set him up with your Spies and he also allows you to answer Bloody Mistress with the help of your leader ability. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- Generates a lot of value by combining Assimilate cards with Informant and Remedy
- The deck is consistent with all the thinning and Tactics are decent in most matchups
Weaknesses:
- Enslave is a huge commitment, which is awkward in a meta full of multi-use leaders
- Can be a bit underwhelming on Blue coin, as it struggles with tempo and proactivity
Considerations:
- Gorthur Gvaed, Cantarella
Much like with Covid, it seems that we aren’t getting rid of Commandos any time soon. The nerf to King Foltest didn’t impact the deck as much as the prevalence of MO. When it comes to pointslam and carry-over, Fruits of Ysgith does it better. As such, Commandos aren’t nearly as popular as they used to be, but if you don’t want to play ST or NG, the good ol’ Blue Stripes are still a viable option. The meta might be different, but your game plan remains the same - find Donimir of Troy, Foltest and a way to access a Commando in Round 1 and see if your opponent is talented enough to draw their answers. If that isn’t the case, you’re winning the round for free, which allows you to bleed them and win the game 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 deck currently doesn’t have many favored matchups - you get outmuscled by MO while SY and NG have the control tools to disrupt your strategy
Considerations:
- Siege Support
If you find yourself with a monster infestation but don’t have enough crowns to hire Geralt, look no further than Rage of the Sea with Melusine. This deck makes use of multiple massive threats that will completely steamroll the opposition if left unanswered. Additionally, the ability to play Sigrdrifa’s Rite twice means you can use Melusine in all three rounds if necessary, allowing you to get the most out of the carry-over and make the deck far more resistant to being bled than ever before. The bronze package of Cultist cards is highly synergistic and effective, which gives you a good Round 1 presence. -SpyroZA
Strengths:
- The deck completely obliterates MO, as defending the bleed is so easy with Melusine
- Can generate a big amount of carry-over with Melusine, granting you a great finisher
Weaknesses:
- Can be draw dependent since you rely on combo pieces, which forces you into playing multiple consistency cards
- Vulnerable to control-heavy decks with efficient ways to get through Covenant of Steel and answer Melusine or Dagur Two Blades
Considerations:
- Bear Witcher Mentor
Things were looking grim for Reveal earlier this month, as MO decks were running rampant on ladder. However, in the recent Top 16 qualifier, Ch.ase came up with a decent version of the deck and even managed to qualify for Gwent Open #4. As such, the archetype started seeing more play and can actually beat SY and ST. Unfortunately, this doesn’t change the fact that you’ll have to avoid Fruits of Ysgith if you want to have a successful climb. Roach and Knickers were replaced by Madoc and Fercart since the Bomb package provides some much-needed removal against ST. The 2-power buff to Doadrick Leumaerts is terrific, as this sturdy engine allows you to fix your hand and put the pay-off cards to the bottom of your deck. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- Tactical Decision provides you with a ridiculous amount of points and synergizes with Snowdrop, Affan and Mage Assassin
- The deck has one of the most explosive short rounds in the game, but it can also hold its own in a long round due to a sufficient amount of control tools
Weaknesses:
- Can struggle with contesting Round 1 or defending the bleed, especially against MO
- Draw dependent, as you have to find Dead Man’s Tongue, Fercart, Ramon Tyrconnel and of course Snowdrop before it’s too late
Considerations:
- Dancing Star
Masquerade Ball would certainly benefit from the addition of Artaud Terranova, but it’s impossible to accommodate all of the high-end golds. If you really wanted to, you would have to sacrifice Joachim de Wett, which is a card that gives you both power and consistency. Winning Round 1 is a difficult task if you don’t draw both Blightmakers, so you’ll end up trying to defend the bleed in most of your games. In order to survive, you can either commit the Ball if you have two Aristocrats, or mulligan them and rely on other cards like Joachim and Braathens. The issue is that both approaches require you to have a very specific hand, which is a bit too ambitious given the fact that the deck has been power-crept. It seems that after having a respectable rating in 14 meta reports, the reign of Ball is over, so you might as well try one of the Midrange decks in Tier 2. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- Masquerade Ball is still one of the best cards in Gwent with good long round potential
- Blightmaker and Mage Assassin offer a nice amount of points while thinning the deck, which allows you to survive the bleed
Weaknesses:
- Can perform rather poorly on Blue coin due to the lack of both proactivity and tempo
- Very reliant on drawing Joachim and Roderick of Dun Tynne, missing either of them will be detrimental to your game plan
Considerations:
- Artaud Terranova, Mage Torturer
The meta has shifted and Fruits of Ysgith is one of the most popular leaders. Naturally, this is terrible news for Duels, as the deck is notorious for its slow approach to Round 1, which of course won’t go unpunished when faced with the scary pointslam of MO. That said, the deck is able to defend the bleed quite well, as long as you draw Siege and at least one of your Duel cards. Gerhart and Shani are good in a short round, so if you manage to avoid losing on even, the deck can still put in some work. Inspired Zeal with Seltkirk, Prince Anséis or Shani into a Ban Ard Student are great control tools, allowing you to shut down opposing threats. If you’re talented enough to draw all of the high-end cards this deck contains, it can be a solid contender for your fourth faction. However, its lack of tempo and consistency is usually the deck’s downfall. -Wusubi
Strengths:
- Powerful high-end gold cards give you a multitude of pointslam and control options
- The additions of Leticia Charbonneau and Aretuza Student make Shani even stronger
Weaknesses:
- Struggles on Blue coin against MO, vulnerable to control-heavy decks like SY and NG
- Very draw dependent; the power level varies greatly if you miss one or two gold cards
Considerations:
- War Chariot, Casting Contest
August 20 - The meta report has been officially released.
August 24 - Updated the decklist for Lined Pockets.
August 31 - Updated the decklist for Fruits of Ysgith.