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Meta Snapshot #9

Patch Overview

Updated: 27 July 2019

First published: 15 July 2019 (Game version: 3.0.3)

 

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

The deck is highly synergistic and based around the Dwarf tag. The main mechanics utilized by these Dwarves 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 game plan 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. If you would like to read a more detailed writeup of this deck, please check out shinmiri2's deck guide here.

 

Essential Cards

  • Novigradian Justice is a flexible, high-provision card that can get us two Dwarf engines in one turn, or it can also be played for value on Cleaver's Muscle. Justice is our main Francesca Findabair target and is great in both a long and a short round.
  • 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.

 
Pros

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

Cons

  • Lacks control and power to win Round 1
  • Can be bled by some meta decks, making the long-round synergies weaker

 

Tech Choices

  • Carlo Varese, Paulie Dahlberg ⇒ The Great Oak, Mahakam Guard
  • Paulie Dahlberg ⇒ Ida Emean aep Sivney

For a detailed explanation of tech choices, please check out shinmiri2’s deck guide here.

Written by shinmiri2

 

Video Guide

  

4,980 25 23 163

  • 13
    Francesca Findabair
    Leader
    Francesca Findabair Order: Play a special card from your graveyard.
  • 11
    Novigradian Justice
    Novigradian Justice Play a bronze unit from your deck. If it was a Dwarf, Spawn a copy of it and Summon it to the same row.
  • 5
    11
    Ithlinne Aegli
    Ithlinne Aegli Deploy: Boost a Scoia'tael unit in your hand by 4.
  • 3
    10
    Carlo Varese
    Carlo Varese Deploy: Damage a unit by 1 for every card in your hand.
  • 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.
  • 7
    Lacerate
    Lacerate Damage all units on a row by 2.
  • 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.
  • 5
    5
    Cleaver's Muscle
    x2
    Cleaver's Muscle Shield.
  • 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.
  • 2
    5
    Mahakam Guard
    Mahakam Guard Deploy: Boost self by the number of allied Dwarf units on this row.
  • 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

Struggles against

Honorable Mentions