Decks requiring most skill

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Hi all,

I did quit Gwent when siege row was removed (and other changes) but now I came back now and I am enjoying it again, and quite a lot. A huge concern of mine with this game compared to others was always the fact of having to actually pay attention to what your opponent is doing, and having to interact with his field in order to win games. I hate when a card game turns into copied decks that play on their own, regardless of what´s happening on the other side of the board.

So, I wonder, what factions and/or builds/decks would you say require most skill, decission making and paying attention to your opponent now in the current meta? I am asking not just because they are the ones I like to play, but also because lack of these kind of decks is what kills a game.

Thanks all,

- Elia
 
Im afraid it is the wrong time for you to come back. Those „copied decks that play on their own“ and that kill the game are absolutely dominating since CDPR releases totally broken cards every few months and then „balances“ this by releasing cards even more broken than the last ones.

Decks using those cards don‘t care much about what the opponent does and just play their optimum sequence slamming ridiculous amounts of points and hoping that at the end they slammed more than opponent side. Oh of course there is a Skellige raid deck thats not pure pointslam but still just brainless „play two highland warriors, play them again from graveyard and then target every unit played by opponent with a raid“.

In my opinion none of these decks need very much thinking or skill - sadly.

If you want to play a Deck that is able to compete with this you either play like this on your own or play something with many control tools - which allows you to react on opponents play. All factions have such tools and there are many neutral ones. But since Nilfgaard also has many locks and other ways to interact with opponents deck it seems the best choice for the game style you describe.
 
Im afraid it is the wrong time for you to come back. Those „copied decks that play on their own“ and that kill the game are absolutely dominating since CDPR releases totally broken cards every few months and then „balances“ this by releasing cards even more broken than the last ones.

Decks using those cards don‘t care much about what the opponent does and just play their optimum sequence slamming ridiculous amounts of points and hoping that at the end they slammed more than opponent side. Oh of course there is a Skellige raid deck thats not pure pointslam but still just brainless „play two highland warriors, play them again from graveyard and then target every unit played by opponent with a raid“.

In my opinion none of these decks need very much thinking or skill - sadly.
I don't think this is quite accurate. It is true that there are about 20 cards that are so OP that if your opponent is playing them and you aren't, no amount of skill will matter. But when both players use (and draw these cards), card sequencing (tactics) can make a significant difference. Managing tempo, reach, and long term planning (strategy) also often determines these matches. Unfortunately, you are strongly pigeonholed into a very few viable deck choices.
If you want to play a Deck that is able to compete with this you either play like this on your own or play something with many control tools - which allows you to react on opponents play. All factions have such tools and there are many neutral ones. But since Nilfgaard also has many locks and other ways to interact with opponents deck it seems the best choice for the game style you describe.
I do agree here. Nilfgaard usually has the greatest number of tactical options to address opponent actions.

But there are other plausible choices as well. I don't know if it is fully competitive, but SK self-wound with Sigvald, Knut, and Cerys: Fearless often calls for careful planning and interesting tactics.

Although pointslam is often considered "braindead", it is actually very important to be strategically attuned. And managing limited (and sometimes awkward) control requires creativity. Most monster archetypes are strategically fun.

I generally hate playing ST because it is so based upon certain cards, but I have actually found Harmony to be fun. It is not very reactive to an opponent, but must be very reactive to draws -- so it does require thinking as well.

Finally, SY's coin mechanism -- especially if you rely upon bounty or crimes for coin generation -- tends to be quite interactive.
 
If you want to avoid things that demand little to nothing from the player, then you should first and foremost directly cross monsters off your list. The principle is so simple that it hurts. Death Wish could perhaps be seen as an exception, because here at least you still need the brains it takes to peel a banana.

Otherwise, Nilfgaard should be mentioned here. There is a reason why the absolute majority chooses this faction. Copying a deck from the internet and being happy about winning streaks until you meet players who play exactly the same, only better. Or you have the bad luck and on your way to the higher ranks you meet decks that deliberately counter the madness called Nilfgaard. These are the exception rather than the rule. Nilfgaard had frustrated me to the point of doing it to myself at every point since I started playing. Unless you play completely brain-dead and stubbornly follow the copied deck's strategy, it practically plays itself. Extremely over-the-top, toxic and dominating that in far less time I have not only overtaken my preferred deck on my main account in rank, but also forced the opponent to give up or press alt+f4 with all regularity. Yes, it is indeed that simple, because absolutely broken. Before that I had never touched Nilfgaard and I was even missing one or two cards to perfection because I had started it with a new account. That's also why I cancel Nilfgaard immediately at any point, whenever I get matched against it. If you want something to change, you have to start with yourself and not support the crap by exploiting it mercilessly.
 
Thanks all for the answers. I understand that "having to pay attention and take into account your opponent´s play" will always include interact with his play, but no necesarily the other way around. I am currenty playing ST and Monsters, but barely touched other factions yet. I had avoided coin mechanics of SY, but could give it a shot indeed
 
Monsters are a good choice to start the game. They are, as already mentioned, easy to play. Especially with Frost and Bleed, many are overwhelmed at the beginning because it is very aggressive and annoying. In the context of "easy to play", however, it fortunately does not always necessarily mean that it is also exaggerated.

ST is my personal favourite because it contains many interesting mechanics across the board and wonderful combinations can be created. Actually, it's just the thing for thinkers. To play at the top, however, the possibilities are severely limited, because you have to have certain cards in your deck if you want to have any chance at all against the broken meta. Nevertheless, I play almost nothing else but ST, now and then NR until I get annoyed by how easy the decks are to counter. If you enjoy creating your own tactics, ST is really the perfect choice.
 
Syndicate requires the most skill, in my opinion. Coin management only could be a challenge (you can spend to attack, boost, hoard, spam but at some point you need to earn them and have an option to spend). But in this meta, you may wanna begin with something less convoluted.

Nilfgaard has a lot of options and can adapt to what the opponent is playing. Lock, copy, steal, mill & clog,...

The current meta doesn't give a lot of space to try things. Pointslam, crazy control, broken cards lead to everyone playing the same things, and also the same counters.
 
Thanks all for the answers. I understand that "having to pay attention and take into account your opponent´s play" will always include interact with his play, but no necesarily the other way around. I am currenty playing ST and Monsters, but barely touched other factions yet. I had avoided coin mechanics of SY, but could give it a shot indeed
For ST, movement and Precision Strike decks such as Schirru require the most skill. Don't expect the high skill level requirement to translate into consistent wins, though, even when you know you played a match well.
 
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