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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

Tier 3

Overview

This is a brand-new archetype themed around Poison, introduced in the Crimson Curse expansion and a possible aspect of the planned Nilfgaard faction rework. Popularized by Tailbot, this control deck combines the Poison mechanic with the most powerful neutral and Nilfgaard cards and warrants watching come future patches.

 

Essential Cards

  • Triss: Telekinesis is used in this list as a way to Create an extra copy of Devil's Puffball for applying Poison.
  • Rot Tosser was reworked with the latest patch. It is useful as Artorius Vigo's target for two additional Poison charges, in addition to being the principal way of applying Poison to activate our Devil's Puffball Deathblow.


Pros

Cons

  • Lack of points
  • Poison effect does nothing until a second charge is applied

 

Tech Choices

  • Roderick of Dun Tynne ⇒ Traheaern var Vdyffir

We can give up Roderick of Dun Tynne's consistency if we feel the golden cards we use does not justify giving 2 extra points to our opponent. In this case, we can consider choosing Traehaern instead. Though it lost some value after the Witcher trio nerf, it is still good for removing key cards from the opponent's deck.

0 25 23 164

  • 14
    Emhyr var Emreis
    Leader
    Emhyr var Emreis Order: Move an allied Nilfgaardian unit back to your hand, then play a card.
  • 2
    11
    Triss: Telekinesis
    Triss: Telekinesis Deploy (Ranged): Create and play a bronze special card from either player's current deck.
  • 3
    10
    Roach
    Roach Whenever you play a gold card, Summon this unit from your deck to a random allied row.
  • 3
    10
    Vivienne de Tabris
    Vivienne de Tabris Deploy: Set a unit's power to its Provision Cost.
  • 5
    9
    Serrit
    Serrit Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 3. If Auckes is in your hand, damage that unit by 5 instead.
  • 4
    9
    Gregoire de Gorgon
    Gregoire de Gorgon Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 1. Deathblow: Boost self by 6 and gain a Shield.
  • 2
    9
    Artorius Vigo
    Artorius Vigo Assimilate. Deploy: Create and play a 1-power copy of a bronze unit from your starting deck.
  • 6
    8
    Assire var Anahid
    Assire var Anahid Deploy (Melee): Shuffle a card from the opponent's graveyard into their deck. Deploy (Ranged): Shuffle a card from your graveyard into your deck.
  • 6
    8
    Letho of Gulet
    Letho of Gulet Deploy: If Auckes is in your hand, Lock an enemy unit. If Serrit is in your hand, damage an enemy unit by 3. If both are in your hand, Lock a unit and damage it by 3.
  • 5
    8
    Milton de Peyrac-Peyran
    Milton de Peyrac-Peyran Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 1. Deathblow: Damage adjacent enemy units by 2. If Palmerin is in your hand, trigger this unit's Deathblow ability even if the enemy unit survived.
  • 5
    7
    Auckes
    Auckes Deploy: Lock an enemy unit. If Serrit is in your hand, Lock all copies of that unit in the opponent's hand, deck, and on their side of the battlefield.
  • 2
    7
    Roderick of Dun Tynne
    Roderick of Dun Tynne Spying. Deploy: Look at 2 random gold cards from your deck, then play 1.
  • 6
    Devil's Puffball
    x2
    Devil's Puffball Damage a unit by 2 and give it Poison. Deathblow: Give adjacent units Poison.
  • 1
    6
    Emissary
    x2
    Emissary Spying. Deploy: Boost an allied unit by 7.
  • 3
    5
    Rot Tosser
    x2
    Rot Tosser Deploy (Ranged): Spawn and play a Cow Carcass.
  • 1
    5
    Duchess's Informant
    x2
    Duchess's Informant Spying. Deploy: Spawn and play a base copy of a non-Spying bronze enemy unit.
  • 4
    4
    Infiltrator
    x2
    Infiltrator Melee: On round end, shuffle this unit into your opponent's deck.
  • 3
    4
    Fangs of the Empire
    x2
    Fangs of the Empire Deploy: Give an enemy unit Poison.
  • 3
    4
    Nauzicaa Sergeant
    x2
    Nauzicaa Sergeant Whenever you play a unit with Deploy, boost self by 1.

Honorable Mentions