1990BW;n10864371 said:
Well I've decided to share my reveal deck here because I won't play Gwent as much as I normally do.
And the game will get an overhaul anyway.
Bronze
3x Imperial golems
3x Daerlan soldier
3x Fire scorpion
3x Mangonel
3x Alchemist
Silver
Decoy
Vanhemar
Auckes
Sweers
Albrich
Henry var Attre
Gold
Avalach
Shilard
Villentretenmerth
Vattier de Rideaux
Tactics
1 First turns
- The best way to open a match with this deck is playing a Alchemist and reveal 2 cards in your opponents hand (this will pull out 2x Golems)
- Next is Albrich (this will your last Golem), Avalach & Shilard if you don't have them try to get them with Daerlans (w/ Alchemists)
- From here it depends on which opponent you're playing
2 The most important cards to win a game with this deck are decoy + the rest of the silver cards
- If you want to mill your opponent play decoy on Albrich or Sweers
- If your opponent uses weather use decoy on Vanhemar or use frost in r3 on enemy to get a decent amount of damage when you have a lot of cards in hand
- If your your opponent plays with machines and ressurects use decoy on Auckes
- And in mirror matches (slave driver/same deck) decoy will give great value on Henry var Attre
3 To get control over the game by winning r1 is preferable but not neccessary
- Try to save all Mangonels to r3 after a while a lot of players will think you don't have them and may use removal on other units
- To gain the upper hand you can use Voorhis by pulling out Daerlans and firing Fire scorpions
- A lot of hyperthinning decks will drypass in r2 if they won r1 because they don't want to end up with broken silver and bronze cards because of the milling
4 Finisher
- The best finisher in this deck is Villentretenmerth I've tried Tibor but he's too vulnerable against scorch, mandrake etc.
- Vill' is 10 str + x amount of damage value so it's more reliable but having control over the game (especially against Ciri Nova decks) is critical due to it's 3 round timer
Strengths
- Highly effective against (hyper)thinning decks such as SC Elf swarms, SC Brouver, NG Alchemy, SK Greatswords, SK discard and NG Spies
- 1-3 mangonels against a lot of decks is possible in r3 so you can get (enormous) value out of them
- You can outplay your opponent because of giving them (a lot of) broken cards
- Your Vill' finisher often will deliver amazing value
- Players who don't understand whats coming can play broken spies
Weaknesses
- The cards in your (starting) hand, the order of playing them and choosing the decoy on your silvers are critical
- All the cards that draw more cards must be played so a unlucky mulligan can screw up your game
- Weather, if you didn't draw Vanhemar and/or decoy you have a big problem
- Imlerith Sabbath, if you don't have enough firescorpions in your hand + Var Attre when he gets resurrected it's game over because locks will most likely be counterd
- If you run into another NG mill deck you're screwed
- If your opponent has card advantage it can be a problem in the long-run
- You can't counter spies in r1/blue coin
Sorry for the late reply. Your list seems interesting. I'll try your version as well as tweak it a bit and see what I come up with. Most likely, that involves swapping Sweers for Scorch (which doubles as both Nekker tech and general purpose silver in a reveal deck) and possibly Shilard with Yen: Enchantress. However if I do those, it's not that different to what I am currently running
My issue is holding onto the mangonels until R3. One of Reveal's (many) problems is that it lacks proactive plays. If you don't have (enough) Daerlan, you can rarely get full value out of cards. And generally, using Henry means that Voorhis most often has to go on 2 of your cards and 2 of the opponent's. Then again, using the mangonels too early guarantees they'll be removed. I like them as a card, but generally, I think there are better cards to have. Their primary advantage are that they are a good proactive play, which this deck otherwise lacks.
Ok, time to follow up with the rest of the guide.
The Silvers. This will include some good neutral silvers as well as some general tech options available
- Cynthia STR 5: Reveal the Highest unit in your opponent's hand and boost self by its power
Pros
+ Gets very good value in the early game
+ Can summon a Golem without spending a reveal effect on an enemy card
+ Good proactive play
+ Decent synergy with Venendal Elites
Cons
- Scorch Bait
- Mandrake Bait
- Artefact Compression/Coral Bait
- Early game usage means that your opponent has higher chances to be able to counter it
- Late game usage very often subpar
- Impossible to tutor
Summary
Good for applying early pressure to your opponent, but really Reveal is full of ways to do that better than Cynthia. If you run her, you run the risk of drawing her late and just not being good at all. Imagine drawing into Cynthia the last round and your opponent having a Ciri: Nova in his hands. She is usually a bad silver to get, since if you want to apply early pressure, Vattier, your leader, Mangonels even Alchemists with golems can all do that better than her minus the risk.
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- Albrich STR 10: Both players draw a card from their decks. Your opponent's card is Revealed
Pros
+ Can summon a Golem without spending a reveal effect on an enemy card
+ Deck thinning with decent value
+ Often a target for Alzur's Double Cross
+ Decent proactive play if you have played the rest of your golems
+ Can mess up the opponent's hand, especially if you combine certain milling aspects into your deck
+ Often good in a mirror
Cons
- Often draws a better card for the opponent than you
- Still low tempo for a silver, if it doesn't summon a golem
- There's always the risk it will draw you a golem if there's more than one in your deck.
Summary
While pretty good, it's not a priority unless you are aiming to mill your opponent. In general, there are better silvers than this which are way up in the priority list, just like Cynthia, even though this one is far better than her. You may consider it if you want to increase your deck's thinning, because draw effects in a reveal deck are paramount, since you are so dependent on drawing the fire scorpions and Daerlan. I guess you can say it depends on the type of Reveal deck that you play.
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- Serrit STR 6: Deal 7 damage to an enemy or set a Revealed opposing unit's power to 1
Pros
+ Limited removal
+ More viable alternative than the Venendal
Cons:
- Swings for less than the Venendal often
- Still bad without a target if you have to go first, like in the third round
- Does not remove more powerful engines
- Primary ability very often useless, as most units (like tutors of all kinds) do not rely on a high base strength to gain their value, or you might have revealed special cards.
- Mandrake's prevalence also a nuisance for this card
Summary
A really lackluster silver. Take it only if you really need the removal it offers with its second option (meaning if 6 and 7 point engines become meta again. Greatswords don't count
). Sadly almost everything is better than this. Shame too because Serrit is a really cool character.
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- Vrygheff STR 5: Play a Bronze Machine from your deck
Pros
+ Great with Mangonels
+ Good proactive play
+ Good value, even with a Fire Scorpion (15 points)
+ Never bricks in the standard reveal deck
Cons
+ Really only worth it if you play Mangonels.
Summary
Pretty much what you'd expect. Because you want to draw the fire scorpions, playing them through Vrygheff should only be a last resort. And in the reveal deck, there is no other machine you can take. You can't spare the bronze slots for say, Rot tossers. So you should take it if you play with Mangonels, but if you forego those, there are a lot better silvers to take. Even when you do play Mangonels, there might be better silvers. But all around, a pretty nice silver in the standard list
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- Vanhemar STR 4: Spawn Biting Frost, Clear Skies or Overdose
Pros
+ Decent weather tech
+ Decent value for a silver in medium and long rounds
+ Biting frost can bully opponents out of the round
Cons
- Lacks the synergy with the rest of the deck, as do most tech options
- Weather not very popular at the moment
Summary
Once again it all comes down to what you are aiming for. Taking this, especially with decoy, will allow your deck to stand a chance against things like Axemen, which can obliterate you otherwise. However, there's Scorch, and Axemen are not really popular. As with all tech options, you sacrifice deck synergy to make your deck more effective in a particular matchup. So you can't include many tech options because the reveal deck is very dependent on the synergy anyway. I find that usually, there's only 1 or 2 silver slots that you can spare for tech options and neutral cards so it's best to make them count. The 3 standard tech options you have are Sweers, Vanhemar and Auckes, and in my opinion, this is the order you should consider taking them in. Sweers is paramount if you don't use at least 2 of the Scorch/Yen: Enchantress with access to Scorch/Villentretenmerth triad, because your deck is already bad against Nekkers. But if you have that covered, then yes, Vanhemar can be an excellent addition to counter Axemen and Dagon. As for Eredin, you really don't need Vanhemar to counter him. Eredin is particularly weak right now, so in all the times I've faced him, I did not need a weather clear to destroy him.
As for how to make your deck effective against Axemen in general, well, should they ever become meta and not a fringe case, make sure to take Scorch, decoy AND vanhemar and you can crush them
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- Auckes STR 7: Toggle 2 units' Lock status
Pros
+ Decent Engine tech
+ There is something to lock in most matchups (Ronvid, Archespores, Nekkers/Vran Warriors and most importantly, Longships)
+ Good counter to revival
+ Good counter to Radovid
Cons
- Very low tempo. Often disastrous when going first.
- There is nothing to lock in some matchups (Brouver)
- Lacks the synergy with the rest of the deck, as do most tech options
- Radovid really unpopular.
Summary
It looks good on paper is what I've got to say about this. But the sad reality is that most things it can do, there are things that other cards can do better. Scorch is just pain better against Nekkers and Longships with the added benefit of being good all around. Unless your deck runs Spotters or high value units, it's usually just better to get something else. If it does however, you can consider this, especially with decoy. Auckes + Decoy can kill Greatswords for example. All in all it's a tech option, and pretty low on the priority list unless you've made your deck in a way that scorch won't work.
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- Scorch: Destroy all the Highest Units
Pros
+ Possibly unlimited highest value
+ Reveal units often low in strength, unless you play Spotters/Cynthia
+ Synergy with Yennefer: Enchantress
+ Keeps engines from getting out of hand (like Greatswords, Hawker Supports and Imlerith: Sabbath)
+ Useful against most top tier decks except Henselt
Cons
- Prohibits the use of spotters/Cynthia/Tibor
- Control decks usually have lower power bronzes than Alchemists, making you fall victim of your very strategy
- Lacks the synergy with your core strategy, so it is a bit like a tech option itself, even though it has a great synergy with Yen: Enchantress
Summary
This is one of the best silvers you can have in a reveal deck. Seriously. Unless you are playing spotters, this is a lifesaver in a ton of situations. Especially with Villentretenmerth or Yennefer: Enchantress, it can save you against Nekkers, Longships, Greatswords, NG Handbuff and still be useful against most other decks, or even all of them if you use it with your spy. Your only problem will be things Like Eithne Control, whose average bronzes (Half-Elf Hunter and Dol Blathanna Archer) are weaker than yours (Alchemists). Spotters, Cynthia and Tibor are all worse options than this. So in most situations it's not worth sacrificing the ability to burn your opponent's highest unit for something that's so easily countered by Scorch, aligned for scorch, or hit hard by mandrake. Finally, not using Spotters means your deck has one less weakness against Slave drivers
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- Sweers STR 9: Choose an enemy or a Revealed opposing unit and move all copies of it from your opponent's deck to their graveyard
Pros
+ Absolute Nekker killer
+ Might be useful against Henselt if timed right
+ Might be useful against Brouver, to get rid of the remaining Wardancers, Vrihedd Officers, or Vanguards
Cons
- Low tempo
- Bad against literally everything else.
- Bad when not played in the beginning or very early
- Involves high amount of guessing. Often doesn't work
- Lacks the synergy with the rest of the deck, as do most tech options
Summary
Well, this will make your deck good in the nekker matchup. Trouble is, once again, Scorch abuse can do that better than Sweers can and is more useful all around. Especially with Skellige, and things like veterans, you are just giving them revival targets. Overall, I find it better to run Scorch and Yen and just kill everything I need to kill that way. The Henselt matchup is not really made any better with Sweers sadly. I'd say when deciding on whether to take this or not, aside from Scorch inclusion, you can also decide based on how often you encounter Nekkers. This card is a lifesaver against them.
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- Hefty Helge STR 8: Deal 1 damage to all enemies except those on the opposite row. If this unit is revealed in your hand, deal 1 damage to all enemies
Pros
+ Awesome against swarms, including Brouver
+ Has solid potential in the long round
+ Revealing it is a decent proactive play, if you don't want to reveal fire scorpions but lack enough Daerlan in your hand.
Cons
- Notoriously bad in a short round
- Bad in every other matchup with meta decks
- Revealing it means you are giving your opponent a warning
- Cannot ensure you will draw it, or play it. Not tutor-able
Summary
While definitely good against Brouver, even a lifesaver, it is still very bad against Nekkers, and actually assists the Greatswords in being strengthened. Radovid Armor can also evade most damage from this, and most of the other decks simply don't put enough units on the board, or, they don't aim for a long enough round. And since you might simply not draw it, it's often not worth the inclusion.
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That's it for now. I'll do the rest of the silvers and update the OP in the next post
Thanks for reading
