Just Another Meta Monday
Welcome back to Meta Monday. With the season about half over, it's a good idea to take stock of what decks people are playing so we can either get infinite or grind up the ladder. So let's get to it!
Pillar One - Midrange
I could write the entire article about the four main decks that exist in this midrange category. While that technically would be correct with the way that the meta game unfolds with each different midrange deck getting its own pillar, there still are options out there that are not included, so I am sticking with one pillar for now.
Wiccan First Steps
Wiccan Midrange, also known as Galactus First Steps, has become one of the preferred midrange decks in the game. Most of the cards in this deck offer solid value and synergize well with one another, allowing it to handle a wide range of matchups effectively. The key point of interaction in this deck is the Mercury Cannonball duo, which enables the player to win at least one lane whenever they choose. This card combination can be particularly frustrating for opponents, as it puts substantial pressure on them and is difficult to counter. Speaking of pressure, the deck's success can largely be attributed to its ability to apply pressure from turn one. It also offers substantial flexibility and utility through cards like Merlin, Iron Patriot, and Red Guardian. The support from Galactus and the Mercury Cannonball duo serves as the icing on the cake.
Mill
This deck is affectionately known as "Mill." Although it does have the potential to mill the opponent, that's not its primary focus. Instead of trying to gain more energy and overwhelm our opponent by playing a larger number of cards in the later turns, this deck aims to minimize our opponent's available resources while playing cheap ones ourselves. We accomplish this by using cheap and reliable threats such as Demon, Cheap Death, and Fenris while getting rid of their resources with Galdiator and Cable. Additionally, this deck features Meercery Cannonball as a late-game lane sweeper, which enhances its ability to counter any challenges it faces.
Vhand
Vhand 2
Victoria Hand decks have been around for a while, and they have gained significant popularity over the last two seasons. While these decks only make up about 5% of the current metagame, this is still the highest percentage for any single deck type in the meta game. Although they lack the same level of interaction found in previous midrange decks, they compensate for this with their impressive power output, especially when they can use Frigga to obtain a copy of Victoria Hand. The combination of Moon Girl and Quinjet, along with cheap threats from Mirage, Iron Patriot, and The Hood, creates a potent strategy for unleashing significant power in the later turns of the game.
Pillar Two - EOT (End of Turn)
EOT
EOT 2
Although the recent OTA slightly affected its performance, the end-of-turn deck is still doing well in the current game state. This deck has been discussed extensively before, so I won't go into too much detail. Stay tuned for my OTA predictions article on Wednesday, as I believe Juggernaunt might be a nerf candidate. Although this deck received a specific counter card in the last OTA, it hasn't made as significant an impact as many had hoped. Initially, players were concerned for a few days, but they quickly returned to using the deck and continued to succeed with it.
Pillar Three - Clog/Annihilus
Clog has consistently remained around 1-2% of the meta game, but there are occasional spikes in its usage, and this season is one of those times. It's unclear why this is happening, especially since many decks are using Merlin, which serves as a slight counter to clog. However, the main reason for this increase is the prevalence of Wiccan and other midrange decks, which flood the board with cards. Flooding the board creates favorable conditions for the clog to operate effectively. Regardless, clog, in various forms, both with and without an Annihulus package, has become quite popular this season.
Clog 1
Clog 2
Clog 3
I personally prefer the latest version of the deck that includes Laufey and Werewolf by Night. This version aligns more with my play style because it offers greater flexibility compared to the other decks, which tend to rely on a purely clog-type strategy. While the main concept behind clog has not changed, we have moved away from the traditional Titania and Goblin clog approach to a more dynamic and forgiving strategy. This new approach is particularly beneficial if you don't draw your clog cards early or in the desired order.
Pillar 4 - Cerebro
Cerebro has gained quite a bit of popularity in the last few weeks and is one of the better-performing decks, the higher up you go post-infinite. This rise is mainly due to the lack of interaction that the majority of decks have to combat Cerebro. Outside of the occasional Red Guardian or Alioth, there isn't a lot more that decks can do against a Cerebro deck.
C2
The most common version currently in play is Cerebro 2, with various substitutions based on your deck preferences. When using this deck, it's important to remember that the maximum power allowed in a single lane is 32. Each card can reach a potential power of 8 when fully upgraded with both Cerebro and Mystique. Even a single buff can increase each card's power to at least 5. Playing with Cerebro essentially revolves around having the right cards and knowing how to respond. You can anticipate which cards your opponent is likely to play, but if you lack any form of counterplay, you must ensure that your numbers are strong enough. If you don't have the required power, it may be wiser to concede early rather than continue playing without an advantage.
C5
Not as popular but still hanging around is Cerebro 5. Cerebro 5 has the added benefit of being able to run The Ancient One, which can allow for some crazy amounts of power by making every card in a lane a Cerebro. The Fallen One also works well in this deck if you get Cerebro down early since the buff applies before his On Reveal. Regardless, C5 is an option some are choosing to employ even if it performs worse than the other options.
C3
Cerebro 3 also works, but isn't as popular or as consistent. The number of cards that have 3 power that produce a lot of impacts has started to dwindle as of late, and even though Bast is still a card that can help here, he isn't really a consistent option.
Other Decks and Meta Health
Negative and Discard are performing well because they stick to their strategies without worrying much about other decks interacting with them. Scream and Ajax are also in a similar position, focusing on a "go tall" strategy across two lanes while ignoring the broader game state. Overall, the majority of the meta is quite diverse. No single deck dominates, with the most popular deck reaching only about 6% popularity, and this percentage decreases further with broader data parameters.
Aside from the annoying combination of Mercury and Cannonball, nothing in the current meta stands out significantly in terms of performance, which contributes to a healthy game environment. However, there hasn't been any new content introduced recently, aside from Black Knight making a brief return last week, which can make the game feel a bit stagnant. What are your thoughts on the current state of the game?
Giveaway!
Let us know down below your thoughts on the Meta with your favorite and least favorite card this season for a chance to earn a code for PAX Borders! To be eligible for the giveaway, you have to provide your discord username. A winner will be selected on Friday, August 29th!