It was good fun being ahead of the meta with mono-Uterra Poison last season, but things got a bit flat when everyone switched over to burn, Poison, and AU level at the start of Season 2. It seemed like the meta would boil down to those three decks since they cover the main archetypes – aggro, midrange and control.

To shake things up I started brewing decks in UT, AT, AN and AU. These are mostly variants of existing lists with new ideas for what faction or concept to splash. The 7.1 meta is healthy in the top ranks and I’m happy with the variety I’ve seen.

It feels like the matchmaking has also improved lately. Due to the relatively small player-base there are still the occasional outliers of getting paired against a Bronze player with under 50 Legends (no matter what your rank is). Someone on the forums had a great idea that I’m following when this happens: take the easy win, but send over two Heroics (or Rares) at the end of the match that would complement the opponent’s deck. This way it’s more of a win-win situation and the other player can still feel okay for getting stomped. If you have the spare cards I encourage you to do the same 🙂

AT Fastbots

Robot Core:

3 Arcflight Squadron

3 Automaton Prime

3 Batterbot

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

3 War Machine



Armor Core:

3 Aegis Knight

3 Relic Hunter

3 Gauntlets of Sulgrim

3 Nexus Bubble

Enabler/Splash:

3 Ator, Thunder Titan

This deck is currently my favorite archetype for laddering. It’s quite fast, can have some incredibly powerful comebacks and has the ability to race other decks. The deck itself is quite simple – you take an ArmorBots list and splash Ator as activator for Arcflight. I actually never played Nexus Bubble in a Robots list before and was suprised how good it was in certain matchups.

Especially in the Burn matchup I try to play two Nexus Bubble in PL1, since they usually remove your creatures anyway and with two Nexus Bubble, they need two cards to take out whatever you play mid. Once you have two Nexus Bubble put a Batterbot mid whenever you can and race them. There isn’t really a clean way to take out Batterbot for the burn deck, especially when you put some additional armor on it with Relic Scout or Gauntlets.

In the Poison or AU match-up Arcflight Squadron is key, especially when you combine it with a Nexus Bubble (if you think your opponent plays Wipe Clean, never play two Nexus Bubble). They usually only have Dissolve to take out Arcflight, which really disrupts the poison synergies and at some point they whiff and you can activate him anyways. Also try to not block their creatures when they are not on the offensive, take the damage and set up a Brightsteel Sentinel play.

AT Alyssa

3 Alyssa, Strifeborn

3 Brimstone Tyrant

3 Ignir, Khan of Ashur

3 Nexus Aeronaut

3 Oratek Battlebrand

3 Oreian Justicar

3 Relic Hunter

2 Frostmane Dragon

1 Korok, Khan of Kadras

2 Firestorm

2 Trial by Combat

1 Oratek Explosives

1 Wipe Clean

This Alyssa deck is brought to you by JockeD and I really like that it doesn’t focus as much as other lists on Alyssa (only two Trial and Firestorm). This version seems optimized for AT Burn and Poison since those decks damage Alyssa for you. What is quite impressive is that JockeD hit top1 of the titanium ladder mostly with this list.

Mono U Poison

Mono-U Core:

3 Patron of Deepwood

3 Enduring Vitality

2 Lifeblood Dryad

2 Ferocious Roar

Poison Core:

3 Demara’s Pitguard

3 Leyline Vermin

3 Malice Hermit

3 Shardplate Toxoid

3 Venomous Netherscale

3 Dissolve

2 Lash of Demara

I’ve already written an article on this deck so I won’t go into too much detail. This list is still tier one, but the meta has adapted and found better counters. Instead of Lichmane Dragon tech I’d recommend another Dissolve and Demara’s Pitguard. This is somewhat optimized for Armorbots and AU Control but if you face lots of AT Burn you could splash two Wipe Clean. I also saw a sweet version from Pion that used Windspark Elemental for some additional reach.

It’s relatively quick to build this deck if you can pick up some Set 6.1 and Set 7.1 Uterra preconstructed decks. You get all the Legends besides Lash of Demara (which you get one copy of from the campaign) and most Heroics.

For about $20 (two of each precon) you can share the higher rarities with a friend or someone on SolForgeLadder.com and have enough silver to forge the rest of the Heroics (2 Lifeblood Dryad, 3 Venomous Netherscale).

AT Burn

3 Ambriel Archangel

3 Steelscale Dragon

3 Ambriel’s Edict

3 Dragonwake

3 Firestorm

3 Ice Grasp

3 Static Shock

2 Burnout

2 Flame Lance

2 Shatterbolt

1 Cypien Experimentation

1 Draconic Echoes

1 Nanoswarm

Although it doesn’t look like much, the newer versions of AT burn play a copy of Cypien Experimentation, which can wreck decks that don’t run removal (like UT Yeti). Even the L1 Experimentation on an L1 Steelscale Dragon creates a 13/6 Armor 7 Breakthrough creature, which is incredibly hard for those decks to handle. I took this list from piquadore who won a Titanium Challenge ladder tournament with it. Burn is still tier one and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. It basically wrecks all decks that don’t have a dedicated plan for beating burn.

AU Wegu Control

AU Control Core

3 Chrogias

3 Killion, Infinity Warden

3 Esperian Sage

3 Malice Hermit

2 Dendrify

3 Ambriel’s Edict

Wegu Core:

3 Glowstride Stag

3 Wegu, the Ancient

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

Flex Slots:

1 Wipe Clean

1 Lysian Shard / Nova, Grove Queen

2 Othra, Apex Predator

This deck belongs to the crew of tier 1 decks and can usually stall enough until you can play a huge Wegu or Chrogias to finish your opponent quickly in PL3. I have seen additional Lifegain cards, Leyline Sentry, Oreian Justicar or Voltaic Prophet played in the flex slots and they are all viable options. Against poison focus on Othra and Malice Hermit and try to play around Leyline Vermin triggers as much as possible when you play Esperian Sage. If you face a lot of AN, you definitely have to add a single Nova, Grove Queen, since she is more or less your only win condition in that matchup.

AU GrowWideAndTall

3 Arcflight Squadron

3 Automaton Prime

3 Esperian Scarab

3 War Machine

3 Relic Hunter

3 Lifeblood Dryad

3 Weirwood Patriarch

2 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen / Thundersaur

3 Ferocious Roar

2 Cypien Experimentation

2 Lysian Shard

This is the new Set 7.1 take on the AU GrowWide archetype. I took this list from WookieMike and tried to streamline it a little more. I like that it has two win conditions and has the ability to fill the board and also create big threats with Lysian Shard and Cypien Experimentation. The changes to this deck improve the burn and the AU Control matchup (which was already not bad before), but is not as good as the AT Robots variant against poison.

AN Formation

Formation Core:

3 Voltaic Prophet

2 Lichmane Dragon

2 Nexus Aeronaut

2 Relic Hunter

Hate/Control package:

3 Killion, Infinity Warden

2 Death Current

2 Ambriel’s Edict

2 Oreian Justicar

3 Spiritcleave

2 Wipe Clean

2 Zimus, The Undying

Flex Slots:

1 Cercee, Hand of Varna

1 Iron Maiden

1 Epidemic

This is a brew I came up with when trying to finally get a formation deck going. I usually start with an existing core and try to combine it with the new idea. In the first iteration I cut as much of the existing (AN Hate) deck as possible to make room for new ideas. I then overload the deck with what I want to try – in this case the Formation ability. I tried Necroplasm and Ordnance Captain, but they didn’t make the final cut.

First of all you can’t have too many formation cards in the same deck, since they block each other at some point, but more importantly they simply didn’t fit the style of the deck very well. For example Ordnace Captain often proved to be very useful early on, but it didn’t fit the control archetype, since he isn’t good enough in the late-game. In the end I added two Nexus Aeronaut in his slot – he is a much better late-game threat and is simply more flexible with his mobility. Two Relic Hunter seemed optimal, since I often just use the tokens to enable Formation and wanted a little more consistency.

In the end I had 3 flex slots and opted for a mix that is typical for the AN Hate deck. You can play around with the flex slots and also try Leyline Sentry (which is the only card from the AN Hate deck that I really miss) or fill up some of the two-of slots or add Cypien Experimentation. This deck doesn’t have a lot of weak match-ups, but it feels like it’s more draw dependent than other lists. It’s pretty good against burn, but looses to the more aggressive decks. Overall I would say it’s solid tier 2, since it’s lacking something like Shardplate Toxoid to make the deck really shine.

The set 7.0 AN Control deck is also still valid, but I didn’t want to post it again, since it’s so similar to this list. The current AN Control variants cut Leyline Demon to make more room for tech cards, so there is also room to experiment with that.

UT Yeti Raid

3 Blitzmane, the Destroyer

3 Cauldron Mystic

3 Korok, Khan of Kadras

3 Malice Hermit

3 Uranti Warlord

3 Warhound Raider

3 Weirwood Patriarch

2 Nug, Fury Fists

2 Rageborn Hellion

1 Ator, Thunder Titan

2 Ferocious Roar

2 Fit of Rage

I wanted to build an an aggressive deck that featured Nug, the new Set 7.1 Yeti 🙂 Overall this list is a little more Yeti heavy and includes Malice Hermit (which is a Uterra Yeti). In the Set 7 version it often felt like this deck lacks “ping” effects to clear creatures and Malice Hermit fills this role perfectly. Nug is usually only played as an underdrop in the lategame to protect whatever big threats you have. You basically put your opponent into an awkward position when he is low on life and has to block. Overall this deck can perform well against Control decks and can win against burn, but that’s not a given. I initially played Lorus, the Unrivaled instead of Fit of Rage, but I felt like I needed some form of removal in the current meta over another win condition.

Nekrium Ignir

3 Ignir, Khan of Ashur

3 Leyline Demon

3 Patron of Tarsus

3 Varna, Immortal King

3 Xerxes, the Executioner

3 Zimus, the Undying

2 Spiritstone Sentry / Ebonskull Knight

2 Lichmane Dragon

3 Death Current

3 Spiritcleave

2 Immortal Echoes

Mono-Nekrium can now use Lichmane Dragon, but the rest of the deck remains unchanged. The deck is still very powerful and it has a fair chance in most macthups, if played correctly. Both Zimus and Ignir are two great bombs and Xerxes and Patron of Tarsus are incredibly good at controlling the board to be able to reach the lategame. Spiritstone Sentry is a tech card for the poison and burn matchup. It can be replaced with other tech cards like Epidemic or Grimgaunt Devourer.

Mono N (A/U/T) Fiend

These decks are still valid, but haven’t really changed. See Set 7.0 Metagame Analysis for decklists.

Experimental Brews

These decks aren’t top tier competitive, but they follow interesting strategies and can beat some of the tier 1 decks. It can be refreshing to play some unusual decks with completely different play-styles. I hope you get inspired to try some crazy brews yourself or to optimize these lists.

NT Nug

3 Ator, Thunder Titan

3 Borean Stormweaver

3 Nethershriek

3 Nug, Fury Fists

3 Zarox the Raging

2 Everflame Mystic

2 Spiritstone Sentry

2 Vyric Ebonskull

3 Death Current

2 Spiritcleave

1 Call the Lightning

1 Dreadbolt

1 Rage of Kadras

1 Scythe of Chiron

The idea of the deck is quite simple: play must-block cards like Vyric Ebonskull, Everflame Mystic, and Zarox the Raging and protect them with Nug, Fury Fists. When there is no Nug in play you can still play removal or move into open lanes with Borean Windweaver. Against certain strategies it can work from time to time and it’s incredibly fun when it does.

UT WeguTor

3 Ator, Thunder Titan

3 Borean Windweaver

3 Lightbringer Council

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

3 Umbruk Lasher

3 Wegu, the Ancient

2 Everflame Mystic

2 Gemhide Ravager

3 Lysian Shard

2 Call the Lightning

2 Ferocious Roar

1 Staff of Vaerus

If you thought the above list is crazy then check out this version of UT Wegu. The idea itself isn’t new, but the deck got much better with Lightbringer Council and can be super explosive. It’s best against decks that don’t run hard removal like AT burn or Robots and does have some nasty surprises for AU Control. I’ve crushed tier 1 robot decks with this list before PL2 and had a 40/40 Wegu in PL1. This list is highly inconsistent and loses against decks that run enough removal, but if you want to play a competitive Timmy deck this is it 🙂

UN The Dream

3 Dream Tree

3 Malice Hermit

3 Scourge Hydra

3 Zombie Dreadknight

2 Heart Tree

2 Necroslime

2 Shardplate Behemoth

2 Lifeblood Dryad

3 Death Current

3 Dysian Siphon

2 Lysian Shard

2 Scythe of Chiron

This deck wrecked me when I played the AT Fastbots deck. I might have been a little unlucky and I’m not sure if these are the exact 30 cards that my opponent played, but the idea of the deck seems quite valid. Dream Tree generates some extra plays with your ping effects (or from a block), you keep Dream/Heart Tree alive with the buff spells and out-value your opponent with your extra plays at some point. I had a good laugh when my opponent beat me with a board full of 20 health creatures 😀

UN Token

3 Echowisp / Scatter the Seeds

3 Harbinger of Spring

3 Lifeblood Dryad

3 Malice Hermit

3 Patron of Deepwood

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Enduring Vitality

3 Ether Wolves

3 Phytobomb

3 Stinging Invocation

This list is another deck that I faced and really liked the core idea – generate tons of tokens and get value with Malice Hermit and Harbinger of Spring. My opponent put up a fair fight and I barely won after he played triple Stinging Invocation with L2 Tarsus Deathweaver (+2 Enduring Vitality). I luckily had a Brightsteel Sentinel + Aegis Knight combo the next turn. My opponent even played Scatter the Seeds instead of Echowisp, but since the deck lacks high attack creatures I liked the Echowisp idea. If Fiend decks are annoying you this is the perfect counter.

AN Crux

3 Ambriel Archangel

3 Crux, Metamind Rogue

3 Relic Hunter

3 Ambriel’s Edict

3 Cypien Experimentation

3 Death Current

3 Spiritcleave

2 Discordant Strike

2 Epidemic

2 Gauntlets of Sulgrim

2 Soulreap

1 Warmonger Mod

I got this deck from LastOfOurKind (username checks out) – the deck features the new Alloyin Legend and is simple and straightforward. Create one huge hard to take out threat and remove whatever your opponent plays. This is a totally valid strategy against quite a few decks, but probably loses to any deck that has more than three pieces of hard removal.

AN Ceaseless GG

2 Ceaseless Grimgaunt

1 Zimus, The Undying

3 Ambriel’s Edict

3 Energy Surge

3 Grave Pact

3 Howl of Xith

3 Soul Harvest

3 Spiritcleave

2 Lucid Echoes

2 Palladium Wave

2 Perilous Insight

1 Death Current

1 Metasculpt

1 Sonic Pulse

This might be the slowest deck in the existence of SolForge. If you win you do so by PL6 or later. You exploit the Ceaseless Grimgaunt synergy with Grave Pact and Soul Harvest and remove or shrink everything that your opponent plays, slowly killing him with Howl of Xith. The deck is quite cheap and can be build without Legends if you remove Lucid Echoes and Zimus, which makes the deck even slower, but still viable. This deck gets wrecked hard by burn, but can be great against slower creature based decks (AU Control).

AU SageWide

3 Esperian Sage

3 Esperian Scarab

3 Hive Empress

3 Lifeblood Dryad

3 Relic Hunter

3 Shardplate Toxoid

3 Weirwood Patriarch

2 Aetherphage

2 Crux, Metamind Rogue

1 Living Hive

1 Nexus Techtician

1 Nova, Grove Queen

1 Dendrify

1 Ferocious Roar

This is a sweet brew brought to you by Pion. It’s an AU GrowWide deck that utilizes Esperian Sage and other multi-body cards to trigger Raid on Hive Empress. It’s quite competitive and I like that it has an alternative win condition of poisoning your opponent, instead of playing the usual AU win conditions like Chrogias.