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
Tier 2
Overview
Meve Engine Overload has become a classic since the Thronebreaker Leaders Update when Queen Meve was added to the game. It focuses on playing a never-ending stream of engines and our opponent can never remove all of them before running out of answers. Therefore, our engines typically stay on the board a lot more than usually and their value stacks up over time. The boost from Meve’s leader ability is the best way to protect our engines, as it can take them out of removal range. This strong deck wants to play on blue coin (going first) because winning Round 1 gives us control for the rest of the game and enables us to go for a long Round 3 where our engines can flourish.
Essential Cards
There is no one card that this deck relies on. Unless Ves's Zeal is still available, the other non-Order finishers are Tridam Infantry and Prince Anséis. Ves and Anséis are our only immediate removal, while the rest of our damage is provided by our Orders. Ves’s Zeal is also key to getting immediate value from cards such as Seltkirk of Gulet or Ocvist. Outside of that, our most potent engines are Vysogota of Corvo, Anna Strenger and Botchling. King of Beggars has become a nice addition to the traditional list, as it boosts our lowest units and, thus, enables them to stick to the board more reliably.
Pros
- Really strong in long rounds
- Engines makes an absurd number of points if unanswered
Cons
- Weak in short rounds
- Vulnerable to bleeding
Tech Choices
- Windhalm of Attre ⇒ Vincent Meis
- Avallac'h ⇒ Vissegerd
Windhalm of Attre is a great engine based on Shields, which we keep running with Cintrian Artificers but which also plays into tall removal. If we find ourselves in a lot of Big Monsters matchups, we can tech Vincent Meis. It is a great answer to our opponent’s giants and also helps align targets for Kaedweni Revenants (if we use them in our list).
Depending on the amount of removal and Resets in the meta, Avallac'h can be replaced with Vissegerd as an additional finisher. It has synergy with King of Beggars, which distributes boosts between several units.
0
25
24
166
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16Queen Meve
Order: Boost an allied unit by 1.
Cooldown: 2.
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410Prince Anséis
Formation.
Order: Damage an enemy unit by 4. If Prince Anséis is boosted, Duel an enemy instead.
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310Roach
Whenever you play a gold card, Summon this unit from your deck to a random allied row.
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69Nenneke
Order (Ranged): Boost a unit by 1.
Charge: 3.
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59Ocvist
Order: Damage all enemy units by 1.
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59Seltkirk of Gulet
Order (Melee): Duel an enemy unit.
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58Avallac'h
Order (Ranged): Give an allied unit Immunity.
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58Botchling
Every allied turn, on turn end, damage the highest enemy unit by 1.
Order: Transform into Lubberkin.
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48King of Beggars
Every allied turn, on turn end, boost the lowest unit in your hand by 1.
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38Ves
Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 4.
Order: Give an allied unit Zeal.
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38Vysogota of Corvo
Zeal.
Order (Ranged): Boost a unit by 1.
Charge: 1.
Gain 1 Charge whenever either player plays a card.
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47Anna Strenger
Every allied turn, on turn end, boost adjacent units by 1 if Anna Strenger is boosted.
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27Windhalm of Attre
Shield.
Every allied turn, on turn end, boost this unit by 2 if it has a Shield.
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7Lacerate
Damage all units on a row by 2.
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46Blue Stripes Commandox2
Order: Summon all copies of this unit from your deck to this row.
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45Reinforced Trebuchetx2
Ranged: Every allied turn, on turn end, damage a random enemy unit on the ranged row by 1.
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35Cintrian Artificerx2
Formation.
Order: Give an allied unit a Shield.
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35Kaedweni Sergeantx2
Zeal.
Order: Boost an allied unit by 1.
Charge: 2.
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34Cintrian Enchantressx2
Deploy (Ranged): Give an allied unit Vitality for 2 turns.
Bonded: Give it Vitality for 4 turns instead.
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34Tridam Infantryx2
Whenever this unit receives a boost, damage a random enemy unit by 1.
