My main argument here is not so much about particular decks as it is that excessive engine value (which can only be stopped by excessive removal) or excess uninteractive value (which cannot be stopped at all) is harmful to the game. I don’t mean to imply that other powerful, uninteractive cards (like Sove, Tibor, Heist, Truffle, Conjurer’s Candle, Scenarios, etc.) are not just as bad.
But, if I am honest, with the exception of Tibor spam, it is the Waylay decks that bother me most. I think that’s because, when they draw well (which isn’t frequent), only very specific types of opppsing decks have a chance: decks able to remove Vanadain (especially in case of Heist), then able to win round one and bleed round two (to split elf synergy), and then enough points (after engines are destroyed by Waylays) to beat 7 deadeyes followed by a 19 point Vernossiel.
At least Sove does not destroy my engine value (although most Sove decks do that with other cards) and is vulnerable to untargeted tall removal.
Finally, since I only played unranked and selected seasonal modes, I realize that what I encounter will not be representative of ladder. I really don’t know how frequently different meta decks are encountered, how I fare against them, or even how different meta decks fare against one another. I don’t want to claim that Waylay decks are worse than Sove decks; I don’t know that. I will say that the Vanadain/Waylay/Simlas combo, with all the successive Deadeye Synergies is no fun. And while I would not point at Sove with this objection, the excessive SK removal enabled by Highland Warlords is really no better — I’ve just seen less of it.
