Updated June 21 with all 7-3 or better decklists released in SolForgeGame.com news posts.

The June 7 Stone Blade Entertainment (SBE) official Golden Gauntlet was run on Challonge with a field of 146 players. A big thanks to all tournament organizers and the ForgeWatch commentators for keeping things interesting. This was the first SolForge tournament with a cash entry fee and it ran smoothly from start to finish.

In ten rounds of Swiss the top nine players all had 8-2 records. Ghox’s Socks tournament ringer, Turkis, had to drop due to prior commitments but otherwise someone with an 8-2 record could have bubbled out which would, to put it politely, absolutely suck. In the Golden Gauntlet feedback thread, several ideas to change the structure of the event were suggested, including increasing the cut to a Top 16.

Partial decklists for the Top 8 are listed by finish below including a brief summary of their main features. Full decklists will be appended upon the release of SBE’s upcoming article (source). Also worth considering are the lists of 7-3 or better finishers, which will be added if they are released. It was Socks teammate CMUStewart on Yetis vs. Zombies piloted by Pion in the finals, with the Uterra-laden Zombies having the Wills to win it all in a tight three game series.

Uterra shows off its relevance in the current landscape, appearing in six of the top eight decklists.

Top 8 at a glance: 3 UT Yeti, NT Tempo, NT Tarsus, AU Bots, NU Life, NU Zombie.

7 Wins or better (including the above): 5 Bots (4 AU | 1 AN), 4 UT Yeti, 3 NT, 3 Tarsus (2 NT | 1 AN), 3 Flex (2 AU | 1 AN), NU Life, NU Zombie, 2 Unknown.

Golden Gauntlet Top 8

1st – Pion – NU Zombie

This removal-heavy zombie list was surprisingly effective against the field. Pion splashed Uterra for Botanimate and Oros and clearly it worked out well for him. Congrats Pion!

3 Zimus, the Undying

3 Xrath, Dreadknight of Varna

3 Darkshaper Savant

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

2 Grimgaunt Predator

2 Corpulent Shambler

1 Ebonskull Knight

3 Xrath’s Will

3 Vyric’s Embrace

3 Epidemic

2 Group Meal

2 Botanimate

2nd – CMUStewart – UT Yeti

Yetis! Hellion, Thundersaur, Phoenix, the best yetis, and the most important spells…a recipe for success.

3 Uranti Warlord

3 Wallbreaker Yeti

3 Uranti Icemage

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Thundersaur

3 Rageborn Hellion

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Uranti Bolt

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Glacial Crush

Top 4 – S1AL – NU Lifegain:

Crypt Conjurer does double duty as life gain and direct damage. Thundersaur gives good coverage across a variety of matchups. Oros and Cercee provide L4+ win conditions for games that stall out.

3 Crypt Conjurer

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Thundersaur

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

3 Cercee, Hand of Varna

2 Echowisp

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Epidemic

3 Cull the Weak

2 Dreadbolt

2 Group meal

Top 4 – theninja1001 – UT Yeti

A slightly different Yeti list than CMUStewart that drops Hellion and Uranti Bolt in favor of Solstice Reveler and Scorchmane Dragon. A little less consistent, a little more swingy.

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Uranti Icemage

3 Solstice Reveler

3 Wallbreaker Yeti

3 Uranti Warlord

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Scorchmane Dragon

3 Thundersaur

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Glacial Crush

Top 8 – evilweevil666 – AU Bots:

A standard AU bots list enhanced with a Nexus Tech, Aegis Knight, Archer protection package.

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

3 Thundersaur

3 Weirwood Patriarch

2 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

2 Oreian Justicar

2 Nexus Techtician

2 Matrix Warden

2 Warmonger Mod

2 Gemhide Basher

1 Aegis Knight

1 Chistlehearth Archer

3 Ferocious Roar

1 Jet Pack

Top 8 – SuperJesus – UT Yeti

Another take on Yeti, this one with greater card diversity, pushing out it’s play consistency in favor of greater flexibility.

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Wallbreaker Yeti

3 Uranti Warlord

3 Uranti Icemage

2 Warbringer Uranti

2 Rageborn Hellion

2 Thundersaur

2 Korok, Khan of Kadras

1 Scorchmane Dragon

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Glacial Crush

3 Uranti Bolt

Top 8 – btheurer – NT Tempo

A full removal package with the focus on putting damage on throughout the first two player levels with a late game clock of Zimus 3.

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Byzerak Spitemage

3 Grimgaunt Devourer

3 Grimgaunt Predator

3 Zimus, The Undying

2 Ebonskull Knight

1 Scorchmane Dragon

3 Flame Lance

3 Epidemic

2 Cull The Weak

2 Vyric’s Embrace

2 Dreadbolt

Top 8 – Joat116 – NT Tarsus Pact

The Tarsus Pact engine can be run in any faction combination, but the NT version can put a lot of damage on quickly. In case the game runs late, Zimus 3 can take over, while empty laned Spitemages can give some extra reach. In a Reddit comment, Joat offers some play tips and comments, “the deck looks to get ahead significantly by the end of rank 2 and then close out with one of the numerous cards that provide a bit of reach.”

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Byzerak Spitemage

3 Ebonskull Knight

2 Zimus, the Undying

2 Storm Caller

3 Varna’s Pact

3 Dreadbolt

3 Flame Lance

3 Epidemic

2 Shallow Grave

Notable Competitors

8 Wins – Turkis – AU KnightBot

Turkis had to drop at the end of the Swiss rounds but otherwise would have been top seed at the cut. Incredible effort!

3 Aegis Knight

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Thundersaur

2 Vault Blockade

2 Gemhide Basher

2 Matrix Warden

2 Nexus Techtician

1 Oreian Justicar

3 Ferocious Roar

2 Jet Pack

1 Warmonger Mod

7 Wins – baalsagoth – AN Tarsus Flex

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Grimgaunt Devourer

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Oreian Justicar

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Warmonger Mod

3 Vyric’s Embrace

3 Varna’s Pact

3 Epidemic

7 Wins – Crono2 – AN Tarsus Flex



3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Cercee, Hand of Varna

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Alloyin Strategist

2 Brightsteel Sentinel

2 Ionic Warcharger

2 Matrix Warden

2 Battle Techtician





3 Epidemic

3 Varna’s Pact

1 Overwhelming Force



7 Wins – Darkhands – AU KnightBot

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Aegis Knight

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Thundersaur

2 Nexus Techtician

2 Vault Blockade

2 Matrix Warden

2 Gemhide Basher

1 Oreian Justicar

3 Ferocious Roar

2 Jet Pack

1 Warmonger Mod

7 Wins – hans – AN Tarsus Pact

3 Zimus, the Undying

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

2 Cercee, Hand of Varna

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

2 Oreian Justicar



3 Varna’s Pact

3 Shallow Grave

2 Epidemic

7 Wins – hapcollins – NT Tarsus Pact



3 Byzerak Spitemage

3 Grimgaunt Predator

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Grimgaunt Devourer

3 Zimus, the Undying

2 Ebonskull Knight



3 Varna’s Pact

3 Epidemic

2 Flame Lance

2 Vyric’s Embrace

2 Cull the Weak

1 Shallow Grave

7 Wins – Holyghost5514 – AU Flex

3 Thundersaur

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

3 Matrix Warden

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

2 Oreian Justicar

2 Weirwood Patriarch

2 Gemhide Basher

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Warmonger Mod

7 Wins – knightofwords – AU Bots

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

3 Matrix Warden

3 Thundersaur

3 Weirwood Patriarch

2 Nexus Techtician

2 Oreian Justicar

2 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

1 Aegis Knight

3 Ferocious Roar

2 Warmonger Mod

7 Wins – Kurposkano – AU Bots

3 Thundersaur

3 Ionic Warcharger

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

3 Echowisp

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Matrix Warden

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

2 Brightsteel Gargoyle

2 Gemhide Basher

3 Ferocious Roar

2 Warmonger Mod

7 Wins – Mappo – UT Yeti

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Uranti Icemage

3 Wallbreaker Yeti

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

3 Uranti Warlord

3 Rageborn Hellion

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Glacial Crush

3 Uranti Bolt

7 Wins – N3Rk – NT Aggro Burn

3 Grimgaunt Predator

3 Flameshaper Savant

2 Korok, Khan of Kadras

2 Magma Hound

2 Storm Caller

2 Ashurian Brawler

1 Glaceus, Tundra Tyrant

1 Master of Elements

1 Everflame Mystic

3 Flame Lance

3 Epidemic

3 Static Shock

2 Uranti Bolt

2 Glacial Crush

7 Wins – SeomanReborn – NT Tarsus

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Zimus, the Undying

3 Byzerak Spitemage

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Master of Elements

3 Epidemic

3 Shallow Grave

3 Varna’s Pact

3 Vyric’s Embrace

7 Wins – Stautmeister – AN WitherBots

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Cercee, Hand of Varna

2 Battle Techtician

2 Brightsteel Sentinel

2 Ebonskull Knight

2 Grimgaunt Predator

2 Matrix Warden

2 Oreian Justicar

3 Epidemic

2 Cull the Weak

2 Overwhelming Force

2 Warmonger Mod

7 Wins – TinyGrimes – AU Flex

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Battle Techtician

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

3 Matrix Warden

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Thundersaur

2 Ionic Warcharger

1 Echowisp

3 Ferocious Roar

2 Warmonger Mod

1 Jet Pack

Great job to the list above, I’m looking forward to squaring off against you all in the next Gauntlet! I posted my thoughts on how the event ran on the Tournament Feedback Thread, and whether you participated or not, I would encourage you to take a look and see if you have anything to add to the conversation.