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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

Traps Scoia’tael was a strong deck in the previous meta, but it did not receive any love in this expansion, which is why it has lost its prominent spot in the metagame. The deck was hurt by the nerf to the Witcher trio more than others, but it still survives because it excels in long rounds due to the use of Crushing Traps. Traps Scoia’tael is weaker against point-slam decks because they excel at bleeding in Round 2. This archetype is stronger against midrange decks because it barely has any removal targets and can play quite a few turns without giving the midrange deck any units to hit.

 

Essential Cards

  • Iorveth's Gambit is one of the key cards in this list and our way to play around Deploy artifact removal. When we pull Pitfall Trap and another Trap with Iorveth from our deck, we protect the other Trap, as Pitfall Trap’s effect is resolved before the Deploy of the artifact removal card.
  • Crushing Trap is a 1-turn delayed Lacerate that costs 1 fewer provision. It synergizes perfectly with our own leader ability and Vrihedd Dragoon. Pitfall Trap should also be mentioned, as it can deny our opponent’s finisher if played at the correct time.


Pros

  • Crushing Trap has a high point potential.
  • Face-down Traps can potentially bamboozle opponents and cause them to misplay.


Cons

  • Lack of points in short rounds
  • Traps are low tempo plays and easily countered with artifact removal.

 

Tech Choices

  • Iorveth ⇒ Schirrú
  • Treant Boar ⇒ Ida Emean aep Sivney

While Iorveth could potentially make a lot of points from re-deploying a Trap, Schirrú could be massive if used in the correct situation, and it also has synergy with our leader.

The meta tends to reward playing a ton of engines (Engine Overload) or playing none (like Big Woodland), so we can remove the only engine unit we carry and substitute it for an undisruptable versatile card, such as Ida Emean aep Sivney, which will always get decent value.

0 25 20 164

  • 14
    Brouver Hoog
    Leader
    Brouver Hoog Order: Move a unit to the other row. If it's an enemy, damage it by 2; if it's an ally, boost it by 2. Charge: 3.
  • 13
    Iorveth's Gambit
    Iorveth's Gambit If you have 4 or more Traps in your starting deck, play 2 of them at random.
  • 5
    11
    Ithlinne Aegli
    Ithlinne Aegli Deploy: Boost a Scoia'tael unit in your hand by 4.
  • 8
    10
    Saesenthessis
    Saesenthessis Immunity. Order: Remove this unit's Immunity status for the remainder of the turn.
  • 4
    9
    Milaen
    Milaen Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 4. Deploy (Ranged): Damage 4 enemy units by 1.
  • 4
    9
    Regis: Bloodlust
    Regis: Bloodlust Deploy: Damage a unit by 4. Deathblow: Banish it.
  • 3
    9
    Iorveth
    Iorveth Deploy: Return an allied Trap to your hand, then play a Trap.
  • 8
    Mahakam Horn
    Mahakam Horn Zeal. Order: Boost adjacent units by 3. Ambush: When your opponent passes, boost adjacent units by 4.
  • 8
    Pitfall Trap
    Pitfall Trap Ambush: Destroy the next unit played by your opponent before it triggers any abilities.
  • 5
    8
    Treant Boar
    Treant Boar Order (Melee): Move Treant Boar to the other row and Heal it. Order (Ranged): Move Treant Boar to the other row and damage an enemy unit by 2. Cooldown: 1.
  • 3
    8
    Sheldon Skaggs
    Sheldon Skaggs Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by this unit's power.
  • 5
    7
    Ciaran aep Easnillen
    Ciaran aep Easnillen Deploy: Lock a unit and move it to the other row.
  • 6
    Crushing Trap
    x2
    Crushing Trap Ambush: After 2 allied turns, on turn end, damage all enemy units on the row with the most units by 2. Zeal. Order: Flip this card over and damage all units on a row by 1.
  • 3
    5
    Dol Blathanna Archer
    x2
    Dol Blathanna Archer Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 2. Deploy (Ranged): Damage 2 units by 1.
  • 3
    5
    Mahakam Volunteers
    x2
    Mahakam Volunteers Deploy: If there is a Dwarf on this row, Summon a copy of this unit from your deck to this row.
  • 4
    4
    Vrihedd Dragoon
    x2
    Vrihedd Dragoon Deploy (Melee): Move an enemy unit to their other row. Deploy (Ranged): Move an allied unit to your other row.
  • 3
    4
    Cutthroat
    x2
    Cutthroat Deploy: Give an enemy unit Bleeding for 2 turns.
  • 2
    4
    Dwarven Agitator
    x2
    Dwarven Agitator Deploy (Ranged): Boost a Dwarf in your hand by 2.
  • 1
    4
    Dwarven Skirmisher
    x2
    Dwarven Skirmisher Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 3. If it survives, boost self by 1.

Honorable Mentions