Swarm Deck and Discussion

[Draconifors]

Swarm Deck and Discussion

A couple days ago I got a daily quest to win matches as Nilfgaard, so I decided to try building a deck that utilizes Slave Infantry. Turned out to be tons of fun, and capable of racking up really high point values.

So, figured I might as well share my list, and hopefully start a discussion on swarming with NG. This subforum could use some more traffic.

All of the cards listed below have been included for a reason, and proven their worth several times over. Only tested in casual and low MMR ranked (I'm rank 10 myself), though.


LEADER
Jan Calveit

GOLD
Lambert: Swordmaster
Yennefer
Geralt: Igni
Letho: Kingslayer

SILVER
Germain
Vesemir
Eskel
Lambert
Decoy
Commander's Horn

BRONZE
Sentry x3
Alba Cavalry x3
Magne Division x3
Slave Infantry x3
Ointment x3


Opening play should always be Alba Cavalry, even all three of them if they're available. If necessary, Calveit can search for one.
I usually use Letho for the horn, but Decoy is a great backup option. Even a "dead" Letho isn't necessarily the end of the game!
Igni almost always gets value in the current meta, as does Lambert. Yennefer is always used for Unicorn.
Most common Decoy targets are Magne Division, Unicorn and Slave Infantry.
Ointment should ideally be pulled with Alba Cavalry and used to resurrect Slave Infantries.

This deck can do great even on a short round, provided you've got the right cards. On a long round it will easily rack up 100+ points even if a key unit (usually an Alba Cavalry) gets hit with Igni or Scorch.

A word of warning: Lambert: Swordmaster can kill any number of unboosted Slave Infantries, so he's capable of utterly wrecking this deck. I've yet to run into him, but it's only a matter of time.


Any other NG swarmers out there?

 

[DRK3]

I've been seeing a TON of NG swarm decks. Just today, twice in a row i saw 2 players with almost exactly the same strategy:

Use those Slave Infantry to fill up the board (ointment to revive them on R3), then that new bronze 'Sentry' to buff all the Slave Infantries. Oh, and Alba Cavalries before that to buff with all the units.

They didnt even bother to use Yennefer - Unicorn, although one of them used Triss Butterfly to boost all of them and i had no control options at that moment...

Weird that all Swarm decks im seeing is NR or NG and not a single Monsters yet... I guess Monster players are busy trying the new strategies, dont want to waste time on old ones.

(EDIT) Im an idiot, didnt read your whole post, that you also use those 4 bronze units i mentioned. Well i guess they liked your deck

 

[Draconifors]

one of them used Triss Butterfly to boost all of them

That would be another valid option.

I feel Yennefer is superior to Triss in this regard. Not only does the Unicorn boost all units, but it can also be Decoyed -- and gives instant value as opposed to the value over time that Triss provides.
The only downside with Yennefer is that the opponent gets points as well; however, that has often worked in my favour by enabling a juicier Igni.

 

[DRK3]

That would be another valid option.

I feel Yennefer is superior to Triss in this regard. Not only does the Unicorn boost all units, but it can also be Decoyed -- and gives instant value as opposed to the value over time that Triss provides.
The only downside with Yennefer is that the opponent gets points as well; however, that has often worked in my favour by enabling a juicier Igni.

Yesterday i actually crafted a Monster Swarm deck - with noth Yennefer and Triss Butt, cuz why not? - and i would say Yennefer would be better, but not with this meta where swarm is very popular and there are rez chains everywhere filling up the boards with units.

Even if your Triss Butt gets killed/ locked after 1 turn, she can provide same value as Yen if you already had 8/9 low units that get the boost and the enemy's number of units is not that far behind yours.

 

[Draconifors]

swarm is very popular and there are rez chains everywhere filling up the boards with units

Good point. I've had matches where my board has only had 1 or 2 cards more than my opponent's board.
Still, more often than not she has provided massive point swings and the Decoy value from the Unicorn has been great as well.

Even if your Triss Butt gets killed/ locked after 1 turn, she can provide same value as Yen if you already had 8/9 low units that get the boost and the enemy's number of units is not that far behind yours.

This is another good point. With Slave Infantries and Magne Divisions both being 3 STR, Triss would easily gain huge value. Unless there's a wounded low STR unit on the board, like an Infantry that's been hit by weather...
Her being easy to interrupt is one reason I haven't tried Triss in the deck.


All in all, both Yennefer and Triss: Butterfly are good Gold choices for a swarm deck.
Yennefer's instant full effect and Unicorn being Decoyable make her my top choice.

 

[iamthedave]

I've gone off Yennefer in this meta. Every deck is a swarm deck at the top level. Monsters, dorfs, even NG creates tons of units. And every time it reduces Yen's value. Triss guarantees one-sided buffs, and there's no way you can end up in a situation where you'd be giving the enemy more than you receive, and you can manipulate it to get more value most of the time. She also serves as a back up if you have a hand disaster and get no sentries.

 

[Draconifors]

Well, this deck is now useless with Slave Infantries being Doomed. Was fun while it lasted.

 

[4RM3D]

Well, this deck is now useless with Slave Infantries being Doomed.

Wait, what!? Slave Infantry is doomed now? That doesn't make any sense because the card wasn't that strong to begin with.

 

[Draconifors]

That doesn't make any sense because the card wasn't that strong to begin with.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Kerset]

You can always use recruit, he will boost alba by 1 and he can be revived.

 

[Draconifors]

You can always use recruit, he will boost alba by 1 and he can be revived.

True.

However, the main issue is that you can now only have 3 (not counting Operator and possible Creates) Slave Infantries in total, whereas before you could have those three plus three copies from the graveyard. Literally twice the number with a huge effect, especially when comboed with Alba Cavalries and Sentries.

 

[Bleach25]

I play a NG Swarm deck but without ointments round 1 Alba+Slave Infantry+sentries

Round 3 Cahir on Germain +Alba + Yennefer

 

[Sunsibar]

Well, this deck is now useless with Slave Infantries being Doomed. Was fun while it lasted.

Wait, what!? Slave Infantry is doomed now? That doesn't make any sense because the card wasn't that strong to begin with.

Well, maybe there is still hope...

https://twitter.com/pawelburza/status/951453174723997696

 

[Draconifors]

Well, maybe there is still hope...

Yeah, just saw that. Going to go rebuild my deck and wait for the fix.

:victory:

 

[Void_Singer]

Hah wish I had read this before creating my own version...
Emhyr
Royal Decree
Cahir
Triss: Butterfly Spell
Renew
Decoy
Alzhurr's Double-Cross
Vanhameer
Summoning Circle
Cynthia
Beggar King
3x Slave Infantry
3x Sentry
3x Magne Division
3x Ointment
3x Reconnaissance

R1
Cynthia > Infantry > Emhyr (Infantry) > Infantry, then either Triss or Sentry... goal is only to force the opponent down 1-2 cards (depending on if you went first or they're really low tempo)
R3, drown them in infantry...lead with magne > ointments to put more targets out for Triss, if weather comes out, play Triss early if no Vanhameer
the combos are Alzhur's > Sentry, or it'll pull one of the silvers
Decoy is for sentry most of the time, unless you have <6 Infantry. Renew is for Triss, Mulligan it last round if she doesn't show
always discard Cahir if you have triss, you want to use Decree on him so he's a 3 set up for Triss. He's a 19pt opener that way on R3 into magne and pickup either magne if you haven't drawn 3 magne/ointments, or Infantry to replay
Triss is expected to only fire once, and then be a target, the real threat is sentry
The rest is just GP silvers I had, could use some work.

it's a blast to play, but it's absolutely slaughtered by Schirru > Epidemic.... I did manage to push it up to >200 R3 and outpaced Nekkers.... that was hilarious

 

[Draconifors]

Slave Infantry copies being Doomed + Ointment nerf = deleted deck (again).

 

[Void_Singer]

Same here... being such low bodies to begin with they needed that R2+ boost in having more of them... now? they're just pointless

and seriously WTF is up with nerfing ointment.. it's suddenly too powerful to resurrect and option to give a small splash of points, meanwhile bone charm resurrects+boost, and has a heal+strengthen option?

 

[NGBloodgeist]

it's a blast to play, but it's absolutely slaughtered by Schirru > Epidemic.... I did manage to push it up to >200 R3 and outpaced Nekkers.... that was hilarious

Happens to me all the time when going against schirru

 

[NomanPeopled]

@Void-Singer: Ointment got nerfed because of Vipers. The deck I played last season was also drive-by nerfed by this change.
Bone Charm no longer boosts. It wasn't seen as such a problem I guess. It certainly is more fun to play against bears than it is to play against Vipers of you rely on engine units. Less of a balance, more of a fun issue, methinks.

According to the patch notes, only the copies of Slave Infantry should be doomed. Am I missing something?

 

[Draconifors]

According to the patch notes, only the copies of Slave Infantry should be doomed. Am I missing something?

Only the copies are Doomed, yes, but those copies were an integral part of at least my deck's strategy.
Playing a single Infantry in one round enabled a triple resurrect in a later round, which was a big part of what made the swarm potential so high.