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Meta Snapshot #8

Patch Overview

Updated: 14 June 2019 (Game version: 2.2.0.24)
First published: 13 May 2019 (Game version: 2.1.0.57)

  • 14 June 2019:
  • 07 June 2019:
    • Updated the following lists to reflect the recent balance patch:
      Arachas Queen Consume, Artifact Arachas, Brouver Midrange, Calveit Swarm, Crach Control, Dana Harmony, Eithné Deathblow, Emhyr Midrange, Henselt Draug, Svalblod Selfwound.
    • Temporarily removed the following lists, as we have yet to adjust them to the recent balance patch:
      Ardal Tactics, Arnjolf Control, Big Woodland, Brouver Traps, Deathwish, Dwarves, Humans Northern Realms, Shupe Nilfgaard, Shupe Northern Realms.
    • Tier adjustments:
  • 24 May 2019:
    • Added an FAQ
    • Added Artifact Arachas and Brouver Midrange
    • Updated Crach Control deck list
    • Tier adjustments:
      • Big Woodland Tier 2 ⇒ Tier 3
      • Shupe Nilfgaard Tier 2 ⇒ Tier 3
      • Ardal Tactics Tier 3 ⇒ HM
      • Shupe Northern Realms Tier 3 ⇒ HM
      • Dwarves Tier 3 ⇒ Tier 2
      • Crach Control Tier 3 ⇒ Tier 2
  • 19 May 2019:
    • Added links to PlayGwent.com for easy deck importing.
  • 17 May 2019:
    • Added Ardal Tactics, Arnjolf Control, Dana Harmony, Deathwish and Humans Northern Realms
    • Added new matchup section for Tier 1 and Tier 2 decks
       

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 deck was discovered relatively late after the release of the Crimson Curse expansion and it has received some changes in its 4-provision bronzes after the latest patch, with Dryad Fledgling and Dryad Grovekeeper now representing the best value. The basic gameplan is centered on thinning with Brokilon Sentinels and Mahakam Volunteers while building carryover for final rounds in the form of handbuffing. In later rounds, the combination of long-round engines, such as Milva, with powerful finishers, like Sheldon Skaggs and The Great Oak, makes this deck one of the strongest in the game, and the one which shines most within its faction.

 

Essential Cards

  • Sheldon Skaggs is the main receptor for our handbuff cards, whose strength is built up to use it as a Round 3 finisher. Nerfed this patch in provisions, it's still part of the core in the most successful Scoia'tael builds.
  • Gabor Zigrin's main objective is to punish Round 2 dry-passes by our rivals, while being a decent engine by itself in this soft Dwarf list. Gabor is mainly used as carryover in Round 2, though there are cases in which it can be used as an Immune engine in Round 3.


Pros

  • Decent in long rounds, due to Milva and The Great Oak
  • Sheldon Skaggs is one of the best finishers in the game

Cons

 

Tech Choices

  • Hen Gaidth Sword ⇒ Gregoire de Gorgon
  • Ida Emean aep Sivney ⇒ Paulie Dahlberg

Basically, the first tech choice depends on two factors: the amount of tall removal in the metagame plus the smart use of our leader pings. If we feel that we are not getting good targets for our Sword due to the meta we are playing, it is advisable to cut it and take the plain value of Gregoire.

In an Arachas Queen meta, it is advisable to run Ida Emean aep Sivney. However, its plain value is less than what Paulie Dahlberg can provide. Additionally, Paulie is an extra Dwarf to trigger Gabor Zigrin's ability.

6,090 25 24 168

  • 18
    Eithné
    Leader
    Eithné Order: Damage a unit by 1. Charge: 4.
  • 8
    13
    The Great Oak
    The Great Oak Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by the number of cards to the left of Great Oak, then boost self by the number of cards to the right of Great Oak.
  • 5
    11
    Ithlinne Aegli
    Ithlinne Aegli Deploy: Boost a Scoia'tael unit in your hand by 4.
  • 6
    10
    Barnabas Beckenbauer
    Barnabas Beckenbauer Deploy: Boost an allied Elf, Dwarf, and Dryad unit by 2.
  • 9
    Hen Gaidth Sword
    Hen Gaidth Sword Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 2. Deathblow: Spawn and play a base copy of it.
  • 5
    9
    Cyprian Wiley
    Cyprian Wiley Deploy: Banish a unit with 3 or less power.
  • 5
    9
    Gabor Zigrin
    Gabor Zigrin Deploy (Melee): Gain Resilience. Deploy (Ranged): Gain Immunity. Whenever you play a Dwarf, boost self by 1.
  • 4
    9
    Milaen
    Milaen Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 4. Deploy (Ranged): Damage 4 enemy units by 1.
  • 3
    9
    Sheldon Skaggs
    Sheldon Skaggs Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by this unit's power.
  • 5
    8
    Morenn
    Morenn Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 2. Deploy (Ranged): Lock a unit.
  • 4
    8
    Ida Emean aep Sivney
    Ida Emean aep Sivney Deploy (Melee): Destroy an artifact. Deploy (Ranged): Boost a unit by 3.
  • 3
    8
    Sirssa
    Sirssa Harmony. Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 2. Deathblow: Boost a unit in your hand by 2.
  • 3
    7
    Milva
    Milva Immunity. Boost self by 1 whenever you play a Scoia'tael unit.
  • 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.
  • 3
    5
    Vrihedd Officer
    x2
    Vrihedd Officer Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 2. Deploy (Ranged): Boost an allied unit by 2.
  • 2
    5
    Brokilon Sentinel
    x2
    Brokilon Sentinel Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 2. Deathblow: Summon a copy of this unit from your deck to this row.
  • 4
    4
    Dryad Fledgling
    x2
    Dryad Fledgling Harmony.
  • 4
    4
    Dryad Grovekeeper
    Dryad Grovekeeper Deploy: Give an allied unit Vitality with a duration equal to the number of other allied Dryad units.
  • 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.

Matchups

Favorable against
Struggles against

Honorable Mentions