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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 is another relatively linear deck with a bit of a twist. The deck is highly synergistic and based around the Dwarf tag. The main mechanics utilized by these Dwarf cards involve scaling based upon the number of Dwarves already in play, meaning that the deck performs well in a long Round 3. As with most Scoia'tael decks, carryover is a theme here, using cards such as Dwarven Agitator and Ithlinne Aegli to provide value in later rounds and make bleeding this deck more difficult. The general gameplan is to play with as little commitment to Round 1 as possible while building up carryover for later rounds. Typically, this involves giving up Round 1 early without conceding card advantage. The list includes Pyrotechnicians because they share the Dwarf tag with most of the other cards in the deck. In most games, these will be our main mulligan targets because we run no artifacts. In games where we draw into them, they are usually more valuable than most 4-provision alternatives because their tag synergizes well with cards such as Doppler, Zoltan Chivay and Barclay Els.

  

Essential Cards

  • Sheldon Skaggs is the focal point of most Scoia'tael decks and this one is no exception. This card represents a massive tempo swing while also offering removal potential. In this list, the synergy with other Dwarf cards makes the package of Sheldon and Dwarven Agitators even stronger.
  • One of the problems with Filavandrel aén Fidháil decks is the lack of early tempo, which can be problematic in cases where we can lose card advantage to high-tempo openers, especially when going first. Early tempo afforded by Doppler (which is charged up by the large number of Dwarves in the list) prevents us from losing the first round on even cards in many cases. Additionally, it can be used early in Round 2 to make it more difficult for our opponent to bleed us.

 
Pros

  • Strong in long and medium length rounds
  • Carryover is a strong and abusable mechanic

Cons

  • Can be bled effectively by some meta decks, rendering the long round synergies useless
  • Lacks control and power to win Round 1, making engine decks a problematic matchup

  

Tech Choices

  • Roach ⇒ Geralt of Rivia
  • Zoltan Chivay ⇒ Ida Emean aep Sivney

Roach is a card that is useful in many of the same ways as Doppler - to help with tempo in either Round 1 or Round 2 as needed. If this is less problematic in the meta, or if the deck is used in a tournament only when going second, Geralt of Rivia can serve as an effective tech choice against tall units. Be warned that Geralt is weaker in this deck than others due to disrupting the Dwarf synergy.

Zoltan Chivay represents some of the only removal in the deck, but if engines are not prevalent it is possible to replace it with Ida Emean aep Sivney. This card is an effective tech choice against artifacts, while also offering the utility of boosting, which can re-enable our Mahakam Defenders if they are damaged.

5,100 25 25 165

  • 15
    Filavandrel aén Fidháil
    Leader
    Filavandrel aén Fidháil Order: Boost all units in your hand by 1.
  • 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.
  • 3
    10
    Cleaver
    Cleaver Deploy: Damage a unit by 1 for every card in your hand.
  • 3
    10
    Roach
    Roach Whenever you play a gold card, Summon this unit from your deck to a random allied row.
  • 5
    9
    Gabor Zigrin
    Gabor Zigrin Deploy (Melee): Gain Resilience. Deploy (Ranged): Gain Immunity. Whenever you play a Dwarf, boost self by 1.
  • 3
    9
    Sheldon Skaggs
    Sheldon Skaggs Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by this unit's power.
  • 6
    8
    Paulie Dahlberg
    Paulie Dahlberg Order: Boost the unit to the left by 2, or give the unit to the right a Shield.
  • 5
    8
    Zoltan Chivay
    Zoltan Chivay Deploy (Melee): Destroy a unit with power less than or equal to the number of allied Dwarf units.
  • 3
    8
    Dennis Cranmer
    Dennis Cranmer Deploy (Melee): Boost adjacent units by 2. Deploy (Ranged): Boost all other units on this row by 1.
  • 4
    7
    Barclay Els
    Barclay Els Deploy: Boost an allied unit by 1 for each allied Dwarf.
  • 4
    6
    Mahakam Defender
    x2
    Mahakam Defender Every allied turn, on turn end, boost self by 1 if this unit is boosted.
  • 1
    6
    Doppler
    x2
    Doppler Deploy: Choose a unit in your hand, then boost self by the total number of units in your hand which have the same primary category as that unit.
  • 3
    5
    Dwarven Mercenary
    x2
    Dwarven Mercenary Order: Damage an enemy unit by 1. Charge: 1. Gain 1 Charge whenever you play a Dwarf.
  • 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
    4
    Oxenfurt Scholar
    Oxenfurt Scholar Deploy: Give an allied unit Vitality for 2 turns.
  • 3
    4
    Pyrotechnician
    x2
    Pyrotechnician Zeal. Order: Destroy an allied artifact and damage a unit by 2. Cooldown: 2.
  • 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