Meta Snapshot #7
Patch Overview
Published: 6 April 2019 (Game version: 2.0.0.66_562).
Changelog:
- 24 April 2019: Added Bran Control and Burst Henselt decklists.
Contributors
Consultants: Adzikov, Damorquis, Jamedi, JMJWilson23, Kochua, Kolemoen, Molegion, Santtu2x, Sergi2Vamos.
Editors: Apero, Kochua
Manager: JMJWilson23
Tier 1
Decks in this tier have favourable matchups against the majority of lower tier decks and some favourable matchups against other Tier 1 lists. Another criterion is that these decks should be able to win against lower-tier decks on blue coin most of the time.
Tier 2
Decks in this tier can beat Tier 1 decks if the player can access its full potential, or are strong decks with a clear counter; in addition, these decks should win consistently against lower tiers.
Tier 3
While decks in this tier remain good laddering options that can successfully achieve high winrates, they can struggle to achieve the same winrate when matched up against decks we place in higher tiers. They may make for strong tournament options.
Honorable Mentions
Decks here aren't strong or popular enough to be tiered, but have enough potential to be better with the adequate support cards. They may win against unsuspecting opponents and can make for interesting tournament options, but are otherwise worth just keeping an eye on.
Written by Jamedi; Consultation: Damorquis, JMJWilson23 and SwanDive
What is a Meta Snapshot?
A Meta Snapshot is a comprehensive list of the decks which are played in a CCG. The decks are ordered by criteria, accounting for their power level through a tier (used by Team Aretuza & Team Nova), star or numerical system. If you would like to discuss our current Meta Snapshot, you can join our Discord server.
Which kind of criteria are used to classify a deck into a tier?
While the list of criteria is extensive, here are the most important aspects:
- Power level is the amount of points a deck can output in comparison to others in the meta. In general, decks of higher tiers tend to have a greater number of unconditional points without depending on what rival decks do.
- Consistency is focused on the draw dependency of a deck and the amount of thinning this deck has. Better thinning means more consistency, which usually means easier access to higher-value cards. If a deck is too dependent on drawing one or two certain cards but runs no thinning, it lacks consistency.
- Counterability is the difficulty that other decks have to tech for the matchup against a certain deck and how much they need to sacrifice to improve the matchup. In Gwent, there are a lot of ways to prepare a deck for a concrete matchup and we can expect players to tech against the strongest/most popular decks of the metagame. The capability of a deck to win despite teching plays a role in its tier placement.
The data are collected by the players in several hundred matches and is then translated into the Snapshot. While the normal ladder experience can be different, tiered decks are good to climb the ladder to Pro Rank with relative ease.
What is the meaning of the different tiers?
- Tier 1: Decks in this tier are the strongest, the most difficult to counter and heavily influence how decks in other tiers adapt.
- Tier 2: Usually this tier covers decks which are still good, but due to some reason, they cannot be qualified as Tier 1. They usually have less strength than Tier 1 decks or have another factor that makes them slightly worse than top tier decks. In some particular metagames, a deck can be Tier 2 due to how easy it is to tech against it.
- Tier 3: Decks in this category are still viable for climbing the ranked ladder, but they encounter more difficulty at high fMMR. They can still be used as tournament picks (in formats in which you can ban). They may still have favorable matchups versus some Tier 1 decks, but they are usually unfavored. Decks which are inconsistent or too draw-dependent also fall into this category.
- Honorable Mentions: Here, we put decks whose strength is not enough to be tiered, but which have the potential to be much better with some support. These decks are always worth keeping an eye on. A deck which has been discovered recently and has not been played enough to be tiered can also fall into this category.
My experience differs from what you describe in the Snapshot. Does this mean that the Snapshot is not accurate?
Short answer, no. Long answer, there are a huge number of factors that can influence the development of a matchup between two players with their respective decks, which includes player skill, knowledge of the matchup and the respective decks, cards drawn and how they have played the match. Also, it is worth noting that a meta snapshot represents a picture of how the meta is in a particular moment. “Tiers” as defined above are never rigid constructs. In any given day, the meta can shift dramatically.
In general, inexperienced players tend to play worse and with more unpredictable lists. As we move up on the ladder, decklists tend to be more optimized, sometimes influenced by content creators such as popular streamers or the most recent meta snapshot. Reaching Pro Rank, we can expect to face the best possible players with the most optimized decklists.
I have a different list from the one shown in the Snapshot. Does this mean that one of the lists is incorrect?
Lists provided in our snapshots are usually stock lists, which are supposed to be a base to be modified according to the meta you are currently facing and your own playstyle. The tech section provides some card replacement options which may be more effective within a particular meta. This normally does not affect a deck’s overall consistency.
I haven’t seen this deck which appears in the Snapshot / I play this list or this archetype and it isn’t in the Snapshot.
The Snapshot tries to be as accurate and complete as possible. We release an initial snapshot as soon as the meta has settled after a game patch and make as many updates as possible afterwards. If a deck is not included, it will most likely be added in one of the next updates, as we try to prioritize the most popular and relevant decks. Despite that, we have to skip some decks which are unpopular or are very similar to existing ones. If you would like to be informed about our updates, feel free to check our website regularly or follow Team Aretuza or Team Nova on Twitter or Discord.
Are you just including the most popular decks/FOTM lists? Do you keep the best lists for yourselves?
No. While it is true that part of our work is to try and create a representation of the meta that is as accurate as possible and this, of course, includes the popularity of decks, popularity has no impact on how decks are tiered. We do not keep the best lists for ourselves. We are creating meta snapshots to share our collective knowledge of this game and provide players of all levels with a more enjoyable Gwent experience.
Do you have more questions? Join the discussion on Discord!
Tier 1
Overview
An ever present archetype since the inception of Gwent’s Homecoming, Big Monsters represents linearity at its finest. The game plan is relatively straightforward in principle: Play cards with minimal conditions and solid stats one after the other. In practice, there is more nuance, but this general idea remains. Most decks cannot keep pace with the short round power potential of such finisher cards as Ozzrel and the Crones trio (Brewess, Weavess, Whispess) in conjunction with the 8 points that come from Woodland Spirit's leader power. For this reason, and the fact that the deck can be relatively weak to cards that gain value over time, it is often advisable to push the second round to shorten the last round and heighten the advantage gained from powerful finishers and the leader ability.
Essential Cards
- One of the most efficient ways to “cheat” the provision system and play cards with value over their provision cost is by recycling powerful cards in multiple rounds. Ozzrel allows us to do this by Consuming a large unit from the graveyard, such as Old Speartip or Count Caldwell, for a huge tempo swing.
- The Crones trio (Brewess, Weavess, Whispess) is one of the staples of all Monsters archetypes and this deck is no exception. They each represent a powerful play in the round they are used (Brewess can even Consume a Foglet in Round 1 for decent tempo and also thinning utility) while also providing a form of carryover value into later rounds by making each subsequent Crone more powerful. Additionally, Whispess represents one of the few ways for Monsters decks to achieve targeted damage and remove engines.
Pros
- High power ceiling with minimal conditionality for most cards
- Can outperform essentially every deck in a short Round 3
Cons
- Very few control tools to deal with engine-heavy decks
- Can be weak to tall removal tools like Geralt of Rivia
Tech Choices
- Protofleder ⇒ Geralt of Rivia
- Imlerith's Wrath ⇒ Dorregaray of Vole
Protofleder is a high power level card which even has some utility with removing small engines such as Lyrian Arbalest and Nauzicaa Sergeant. This ability has some redundancy with Gimpy Gerwin and to an extent Cyclops so its usefulness is limited. If the meta contains many high-power units, it may be wise to sacrifice some points by switching Protofleder for Geralt of Rivia in order to trade up on any tall unit the opponent may play.
Imlerith's Wrath is a multi-purpose tech choice: It is highly valuable in mirror matches where both players tend to utilize high-power units and also provides some spot removal for opponent engines. If the meta does not contain tall units, Dorregaray of Vole is a more immediate response to “must answer” engine threats.
0
25
24
166
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16Woodland Spirit
Order: Boost a unit in your hand by 8.
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1215Old Speartip
No ability.
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910Old Speartip: Asleep
No ability.
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410Protofleder
Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 3.
Dominance: Drain an enemy unit by 3 instead.
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69Katakan
Thrive.
Deploy: Spawn an Ekimmara and Summon it to this row.
Deathwish: Repeat the Deploy ability.
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19Ozzrel
Deploy (Melee): Consume a unit from your opponent's graveyard.
Deploy (Ranged): Consume a unit from your graveyard.
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8Imlerith's Wrath
Damage an enemy unit by the power of your highest allied unit.
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108Count Caldwell
Every allied turn, on turn end, move to the row with the highest unit on the battlefield.
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58Brewess
Deploy: Consume 1 allied unit(s).
Increase the number of targets by 1 whenever you play Whispess or Weavess.
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58Weavess
Deploy: Boost an allied unit by 2.
Increase this boost by 2 whenever you play Whispess or Brewess.
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58Whispess
Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 2.
Increase this damage by 2 whenever you play Brewess or Weavess.
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38Gimpy Gerwin
Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy and all copies of it by 3.
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56Cyclops
Deploy: Destroy an adjacent allied unit and damage an enemy unit by its power.
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46Wild Hunt Riderx2
Deploy, Dominance: Summon a copy of this unit from your deck to this row.
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45Alpha Werewolf
Immunity. Thrive.
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35Wyvernx2
Thrive.
Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 2.
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44Nekker Warriorx2
Thrive.
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44Werewolfx2
Immunity.
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34Fogletx2
Deathwish: Summon a copy of this unit from your deck to a random allied row.
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34Plumardx2
Deploy: Give an enemy unit Bleeding for 2 turns.
Bonded: Give it Bleeding for 4 turns instead.
