Are elves so feeble?

[Funwill]

Are elves so feeble?

Greets!

Here, that's about two months that I'm tryin to build up an elf deck, and still, got beaten in black and blue... So, is it really my bad, or elves have indeed some disadvantage, regardin combos in particular.
Sayin that, as there are few elves oponents (with a lot of dwarves, full of combos), and they're my easiest wins. I tried to work around the marksmans, movin enemies, but without real success. Tryin at present to use their multitude, with half-elf and vrihedd vanguard, but that's not enough... Previously, the protectors/specials was their strong combo, but no more.

Then, could anyone tips me some powerful elven combos, if there are some, able to compete with the consume of the monsters, the resurections of Crach, the spotters/soldiers of nilfgaard, the clan axemen of Arald, and so on with each faction, but for the elves?

Cheers!

 

[Karfuss]

Your protector/specials is still your best combo regarding an elf deck. Spell'tael isn't quite as strong now that Ithlinne got shafted over card classifications, but it's workable.

The issue, I find, with playing Spell'tael isn't not having the value. It's getting that value out of your deck in the first place, if you're not drawing protectors, you're not drawing your win condition. Even just 1 Reconnaissance can go a long way with that. So that'd be my advice - mess around with draw bronze from deck cards till you find the sweet spot. Although those decks have recently been bastardised into Ciri: Nova decks, so you may find a highly competitive ST Nova Spell deck out there where you're using Protectors to tempo and bleed, and Ciri to finish.

Although you're absolute correct that Spell'tael, and that specific combo, is no longer as strong as it once was. If you're hellbent on climbing fast and quickly, it's time to jump on the Dorf wagon as an ST player. It's ST's only good ranking deck as it stands. Although expect ST to hit a rough patch if Ciri: Nova and Dwarves get nerfed.

 

[Funwill]

Indeed, that's exactly what I came to see, and pursued some originality, but in vain... There, is a small rub I think, with so specific, standardized factions, playin all the same builds, more or less. By the way, from where do you know the faction ranking?
Guess I'll have to choose another team, eh.

 

[Mystikast]

I also tried elves; they aren't viable right now.
There are just not enough good cards based around the elf mechanic.

 

[The-Monoblos]

The elven movement archetype lacks the tempo imo, especially when compared to let's say Impera's in NF, or the Dorf deck right now. And the bronze powercreep over the last few months has made it harder to actually kill your enemies with using a marksman. I also fail to see an archetype specific finisher.

Spell'tael takes a large portion of three full rounds to build your DBP's, and then you really have to get all three out to win R3 (R3 currently being dominated by 1 turn mega swings such as Nova (side note: I actually like Nova)). At least it has good thinning but again, early-mid tempo issues.

Mulligan - in terms of tempo, its the best 'elven' option imo (though it does fall short of dorfs), with wardancers and saboteurs you can draw Aelirenn very quickly, then dropping Vrihedds and Ithlinne for the rest of R1 can make you competitive in a long R1. Or alternatively use a wardancer to prevent a R2 dry pass. Ele'yas can be a good finisher for you but I see a lot of people using Nova instead now. I recall the deck used to have Toruviel once upon a time but I don't see her anymore. Maybe time for a comeback?

Handbuff - probably my favorite to play for fun - but lacks early tempo again. Use Dragoons & Hawker support in R1 to boost your hand, then if you have the opportunity to pass for a card advantage take it. Hold as many key cards back for rounds 2 & 3 as you can, while hoping your opponent wastes their key cards in R1 (which you sacrifice on purpose). The worry here is you will get milked pretty hard in R2 in return. Finish by playing to win R2/3 with any remaining Swordmasters/Braenn.
- As a side note, this last deck gets completely destroyed by NF, slave drivers spawning dragoons & this is where VenElite really is good

*

In short, elves lack tempo and their control often doesn't make up for that anymore w/ powercreep. Plus, with all the resurrection, your control can give your opponent a res target. However ... I do really like playing these decks because they are just so different to everything else and elves can take your opponent by surprise. For instance, I was messing around w/ Isengrim yesterday - Isengrim into Morenn is a good opener if you lose the coinflip, and can get you card advantage.

 

[iamthedave]

I love handbuff and movement strategies, but you have to stop playing them around 3.5 k if you want to win/up your rank.

 

[dragoonzen]

Consider trying a combo elf deck, and tech in ciri: nova for a round 3 finisher. I'm having a pretty good win rate for my all elf deck even against dorfs and consume and axemen, NR armor and weather eredin is a major problem I currently am having. Also, bring the best gold cards: ciri:nova, ithlinne with tremors and lorveth:meditation.

 

[Funwill]

Yep, I'm usin the deadly Ciri nova, but ithline with lightin seems more proficient, givin oportunities to eliminate selected targets, and the board isn't always crowded eh. Thxs you all for the answers!

 

[malekhit1987]

there is new good pure elf deck created by netherworld just look for it at gwentDB

 

[Rawls]

I got to rank 18 using a Shupe/Eithne deck with mostly elves (though it does run one Agitator, Pyromancer and Skirmisher).

 

[Noela]

I got to rank 18 using a Shupe/Eithne deck with mostly elves (though it does run one Agitator, Pyromancer and Skirmisher).

Care to help a squirrel sister? Stuck at 17 with my Francesca/Shupe...

 

[Rawls]

https://www.gwentdb.com/decks/41539-shupes-gwenty-cards

Although I switched Aglais to G:Igni, first light to Mahakam Ale and Expired Ale to Ida Emean while getting up to 18.

 

[Noela]

Thanks, Francesca is getting lazy, I'll try Eithné.

 

[xDivinity]

I have made a topic with a controlly movement deck and its my go to deck.I cant link because im from my cellphone,but feel free to have a look at it,you may like it.

 

[DeniedPancake79]

Well they are weaker then NG or Skellige if you choose elven only deck. I love elven Scoiatael deck and will continue to play with it however I do realize that I will be losing more then with dwarves.. I hope in the next patch cards will get more balanced. Especially NG. I left Gwent game for almost 7 months as I found balancing being the biggest problem. They did improve it a bit but still need to do more... FE my last play I played against NG spying with Imperia Brigades. They are strength 5 and can do damage of over 10 each if played correctly so their value is extreme... Plus you have buffing cards in the same decks... So you have to work extra hard... Also with the Scoiatael deck it is important who start first and who wins the first round...

 

[NomanPeopled]

I'd wait for the rebalance patch to see what's what, it's just around the corner. If CDPR find anything worth nerfing it's likely ro be Dwarves.

There was one weird day-long meta shift this season where I encountered a surprising amount of mulligan decks, so I tried one myself. Dropped me to around 3.9k but not any lower.
The idea was to win a long round one or two pumping up a bunch of Elves by swarming and then mulliganing pump dudes. The consistency was actually quite fantastic. The trouble was that I'd frequently get stranded with feeble stuff r3 as almost everything relied on quantity above quality.
Then, after a day, all of the Elf mulligan decks were gone. Very weird.

I'm sure to revisit the deck though; it was fun and I certainly didn't get the most out of it in terms of strategy/playstyle - my main deck this season had an entirely different dynamic.
In particular, if a r3 combo emerges somehow (new cards, rebalanced cards, meta shift, whatever), mulligan can thin and even draw into it very reliably while putting up respectable points, not least thanks to Scout.
Hm. Actually, it might be reliable at retrieving a strengthened unit returned with Milva, with Shields serving as finishers. Probably too brittle but what the hell, sounds fun

Move.dec, sadly, has indeed been drive-by nerfed by power creep. The best thing it has going for it right now is that nobody goes out of their way to play weather clears, but even then it's pretty weak for a long round deck. Particularly since the reason nobody's playing clears is that weather got overtaken by power creep as well.
Same thing with Spelltael (used to play a lot of that last season). 17 point Protectors simply aren't as far above the power curve as they used to be - and we lost Quen to boot ... I'm curious to see if and when it's gonna be reintroduced. Handbuff also misses it and I'm sure NR would like to try it with the cards from last patch.

 

[SoSaHer]

They do feel a bit feeble don`t they?

I had my share of fun with mulligan elves between the 3.5-4k spot. Stuff like countering a cery nova with a much more bigger elyas always made me smile when i pulled it off.

 

[DeniedPancake79]

Perhaps to increase boosting ability of dragoons to 2 as the other factions can damage units by 2. Lets say Impera Enforcers will damage every time by 2 and they are strength 6, so if NG has 5 spying cards it will damage it by 10. Comparing to Elven Archer strength 7 can only damage units by 4 only once you put the card on the board they it lies dormant on the board... The one card which is sad it the Elven Protector. Boosting by 1 is very little with the strength only 2. Impera brigade is strength 6 and boosting 2 . And that's just NG. It seems someone in development tea really LLOOOOOOVES Nilfgaard

 

[soph912]

The Elven Archer is so badly designed: If there is nothing to hit you have to hit your own units.
The Skirmisher OTOH does not have to hit own units and has 12 points.

 

[Roi_Barbichette]

I wouldn't say elves are feeble. But their decks are "high risk/ high rewards" decks and may require some skills (sorry if it sounds a bit pretentious ).
I played a swarm elf / mulligan deck this season, with Francesca, and reached rank 20 (painfully) just before the end of the season.
Such a deck heavily relies on Vrihedd vanguards and Saskia, who allow you to make powerful swings. In a long Round 3, with a decent hand, you have a lot of chance to win.
But as Normanpeopled stated, conversly, you are at risk in a short round 3.

Still, this deck has lots of advantages :

- Its potential is not well known by your opponent ;
- If you want to win round 1, you can do it pretty easily with Saskia, vanguards and Aelirenn ;
- It does not rely on powerful units, and therefore, does not fear scorch (except if you include Eleyas in it, but it's not my case) ;
- It is really effective in long round 3 ;
- It allows you to play Saskia, one of the most beautiful cards .

It also has serious drawbacks, and I don't know if I would have been able to reach rank 21 with this deck, this season.
My worst nightmare was Ithlinne with double trevors. Fortunately, trevors will be nerfed.

The good news is that, according to the PTR test, the elves archetypes should not be nerfed next season (it would have been a heresy) ; the only exception being the elven scout, who should become a 1 STR unit.

I also tried the 2 other main elves archetypes (move and handbuff) but I didn't find them very successful.
However, with the future Iorveth meditation nerf, (limiting its power to force units to duel on the same row), move decks may still have one card to play. In my opinon; I:M will be viable only in this type of deck.