Meta Snapshot #11
Patch Overview
Update: 26 September 2019
First published: 17 September 2019 (Game version: 3.2.0.52)
Changelog:
- 26 September 2019:
- Added: Calanthe Shupe, Cleaver Crimes, Emhyr Soldiers and Greatswords
- Updated:
- Calanthe Charges: Optimized deck list and updated tech section.
- Dettlaff Vampires: Optimized deck list and updated tech section.
- Dijkstra Crimes: Optimized deck list and updated tech section.
- Foltest Commandos: Optimized deck list and updated tech section.
- Fran Waters: Updated tech section.
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
Overview
A deck that has existed in the fringes of the meta since the rework of Queen Calanthe (‘Pincer Maneuver’), this Shupe variant has gained a surge of popularity since Magpie131’s impressive performance with it during Challenger #5. The deck itself plays very much like any deck featuring Shupe's Day Off, focusing on high-value cards with a fair amount of removal utility. The main synergies are found in small package, such as the boost package composed of Nenneke, Prince Stennis, Vissegerd, Knighthood, and Tridam Infantry. One of the strengths of the deck is its flexibility and ability to play each matchup somewhat differently by taking advantage of playing two cards in one turn with Calanthe’s leader ability. The average game will usually result in a fairly long Round 3 because neither player will typically prioritize getting the last say and pushing against this deck will often result in card advantage in favor of the Shupe player. This deck runs enough removal and answers to opponent threats (such as Bloody Baron) that it can play in any round length itself.
Essential Cards
- The deck is focused around Shupe's Day Off, as the name implies. This card can be a win condition in several ways, although it is typically just a card played for good value. It can be played for 12 points 90% of the time when we choose Shupe: Knight, while offering additional utility such as artifact-removal (Shupe Knight) or AoE-damage effects (Shupe: Hunter/Mage).
- Bloody Baron packs the effect of a tech card (a Reset) with a strong point floor. This card allows us to pass into long rounds in situations where we may normally be afraid of greedy cards from the opponent, such as Glustyworp when facing Arachas Queen (‘Arachas Swarm’). The card will almost always find reasonable value, even if we only heal one of our own damaged units or Reset the opponent’s Tactical Advantage boost.
Pros
- Able to run high-value Northern Realms golds and good golds in general
- Has sufficient answers for most opponent threats, making the deck strong against engines and other greedy decks
Cons
- Forced to run mediocre bronze options, so drawing too many bronzes will often end in a loss
- Lower point ceiling than the most powerful decks of the meta and can lack proactive points in some cases
Tech Choices
- Nenneke, Reinforced Trebuchet ⇒ Korathi Heatwave, Lyrian Scytheman
- Windhalm of Attre, Reinforced Trebuchet ⇒ Coodcoodak, Lyrian Scytheman
Korathi Heatwave can be teched in as a pure removal card in some metas. Against any deck that likes to play tall, it is a safe alternative to relying on the randomness of Shupe's Day Off to destroy the unit. It also sometimes provides carryover value in a way against cards such as Sigrdrifa's Rite and Ozzrel. It has the added versatility of removing artifacts in some cases, which can be especially useful if Shupe is unable to find the 60% odds at removing an artifact.
If the meta relies heavily on statuses, Coodcoodak can be a reasonable tech choice. Cursed Knight already provides us a Purify of sorts by transforming the unit, but Coodcoodak has additional uses. First, it does not transform the unit, so it does not turn off an engine we have on board. Additionally, Coodcoodak can be used to unlock cards if Locks are common in the meta.
Written by JMJWilson23.
6,040
25
21
165
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15Queen Calanthe
Order: Play a Northern Realms faction card from your hand, then draw any card.
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13Shupe's Day Off
Doomed.
If your starting deck has no duplicates, send Shupe on an adventure.
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711Falibor
Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 3.
Deathblow: Repeat the Deploy ability and decrease the damage by 1.
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610Bloody Baron
Formation.
Order: Reset a unit.
Inspired: If it was boosted, give it Bleeding for a duration equal to the amount of boost it lost.
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410Prince Anséis
Formation.
Order: Damage an enemy unit by 4.
Inspired: Duel an enemy unit instead.
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410Regis: Bloodlust
Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 4.
Deathblow: Banish it.
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310Carlo Varese
Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 1 for each card in your hand.
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49Nenneke
Zeal.
Order (Ranged): Boost a unit by 1.
Charge: 4.
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58Vissegerd
Formation.
Deploy: Gain Charges equal to the number of boosted allied units.
Order: Damage an enemy unit by 1.
Charge: 1.
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48Prince Stennis
Deploy (Melee): Boost an allied unit by 4.
Deploy (Ranged): Boost 4 allied units by 1.
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57Margarita Laux-Antille
Zeal.
Order: Lock an enemy unit.
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27Windhalm of Attre
Shield.
Every allied turn, on turn end, boost this unit by 2 if it has a Shield.
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6Knighthood
Split 6 boost randomly between all units on an allied row.
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5Alzur's Thunder
Damage a unit by 5.
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65Cursed Knight
Deploy: Transform an allied unit that is not a Cursed Knight into a Cursed Knight without changing its power.
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55Damned Sorceress
Zeal.
Order: Remove a unit's Shield and boost self by 2.
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45Reinforced Trebuchet
Ranged: Every allied turn, on turn end, damage a random enemy on the Ranged row by 1.
Inspired: Damage a random enemy unit by 1 instead.
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4Runeword
Give an allied unit a Shield, then give it Vitality for 4 turns.
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44Aedirnian Mauler
Order (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 2.
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44Cintrian Enchantress
Deploy (Ranged): Give an allied unit Vitality for 2 turns.
Bonded: Give it Vitality for 4 turns instead.
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44Kaedweni Cavalry
Shield.
Whenever this unit loses its Shield, boost self by 2.
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44Tridam Infantry
Whenever this unit receives a boost, damage a random enemy unit by 1.
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34Ballista
Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 1.
Order: Damage an enemy unit by 2.
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34Cintrian Artificer
Formation.
Order: Give an allied unit a Shield.
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34Kaedweni Sergeant
Zeal.
Order: Boost an allied unit by 1.
Charge: 2.
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14Poor Fucking Infantry
Deploy: Boost self by 4.
