The Fall of Argenport is releasing this week! There are a few archetypes that I want to talk about that I think are decently well supported with the coming of the new set. One is aggro/Obelisk Combrei and the others are Feln Midrange, Feln Unseen, and Rakano Midrange. Lets take a look at a few of the key cards for Combrei:

I would run four of this card hands down if it were +3/+3 and without the Spellcraft. Does the Spellcraft add +1/+1 or more of value? Absolutely! Stand Together is a card that we are running three copies or more depending on whether we run a Merchant or not. Having that effect stapled onto a weapon for just two cost more is amazing value. My inclination is that it is better to have four of this maindeck and a Stand Together in the market rather than three Sword Main with four Stand Together main and one Sword in the Market. Auralian Merchant on six + Stand Together could be a really nice play (the idea is to get Stand Together’s important effect in a more power efficient way from the market). Sword of Unity has utility even without a wide board so I’d rather have access to all four copies in the seventy-five.

This is another very powerful weapon, but one that is a little more limited as an on curve play. There are a couple really great two drops I will discuss below, but neither are evasive, so this is rarely a turn three play being a plus zero health weapon. We can also have only so many weapons in the deck. I like this as a two of because it’s a nice way to break a board stall, push damage, and has some ramp thrown in. While I believe the Time Merchant is better for a deck that wants to run Obelisk and top out with Amilli, the Justice Merchant would allow this card to be a possible option in the market.

The ability is ok in Gauntlet, but not as relevant as it is in Ranked. What I like about this card is that it might let us trim on copies of Vanquish while being a weapon on boards where Vanquish isn’t useful, like against go wide aggro (put it on a Commando to race). Running four Vanquish feels awful in a Gauntlet Combrei Aggro, and this will let us run just three copies most likely (and four Finest Hour which can act as removal). I’m thinking up to two copies of this weapon in our seventy-five will be correct. The card doesn’t get the most value unless Spellcraft is active, which makes this not as great an early play. Currently we have eight weapons total, but it’s possible a weapon like Inquisitor’s Blade or Hammer of Might is still just better in this slot. Worst case scenario is this is a 2/2 weapon for two power and that’s not too horrible in its own right because of the card below, and there are still a few decks where the void hate is useful, though not nearly as many as in Ranked. While I do not discuss the deck here, this would be an excellent card for Argenport Midrange since it is removal that can be drawn off of Tavrod.

Before moving onto the last new card, lets take a moment to revisit this card:

We are running eight weapons that have great utility. a 2/3 for two power is not terrible, and the ultimate provides a really nice burst of damage, and that unit threatens to win the game quickly, especially if it has lifesteal against aggro decks. Still, we are probably only running two copies since we want to have four copies of Awakened Student.

There aren’t a ton of AI decks that draw extra cards but there are certainly a few, including decks running Echo units. We also get guaranteed value off of the infiltrate draw. Symmetrical draw effects are more favorable in Gauntlet because we are going to have a higher quality average draw than the AI decks. Seeing more cards will also help with consistency including making power drops which is so essential in Gauntlet. This will be a four of for sure.

Let’s not forget we’re also getting Crest of Progress which will be huge for consistency.

Here are a couple nice additions to Feln Midrange and Feln Unseen or Feln aggro:

We still don’t know what Inferiority Complex is, but assuming it doesn’t benefit the AI, this card is amazing! I’m not 100% sure what I will cut for it in Feln Midrange (probably Midnight Gale), but having Flying Rindras and Shadowlands Tyrants is incredible value. Having lifesteal units means we easily race other decks, and Flying will make it harder to trade with our units in combat. I might even trim one removal spell as Flying will lessen the need for having as many (we don’t have to worry about ground blockers as much). I will also likely run the Shadow Merchant and have removal in the market there.

For Feln Unseen, this card will fit right in and could give units like Rindra and Zelia flying. Zelia is a unit that gets big fast and this would prevent chump blocks from the AI.

For a possible Feln aggro deck, including this would depend on how much of the deck already has Flying (Twilight Raptor, Midnight Gale, Impending Doom). Running Haunting Scream could give added value to Gorgon Fanatic and Direwood Beastcaller as they can potentially infiltrate much easier starting with flying. There is also not that much silence in the AI decks overall and that approach might have validity.

This card is a slam dunk for Feln aggro or Feln Unseen. It is aggressively statted, although it may end up just trading a decent amount of the time with only two health. Along with Miris, the draw ability can deal some extra damage and help keep drawing units after we run out of threats. In Feln Midrange this probably won’t make the cut over Ripknife Assassin as it is terrible at playing defense lategame. Still, having a repeatable draw engine is nothing to scoff at. This is another unit to help Bond out Zelia in Unseen.

There is a third possible archetype, but I do not feel we have seen enough of the new cards to be sure how good it will be, and that is Rakano Midrange or Valkyries.

This is a card that has gotten mixed reviews for Ranked. With enough useful spells like Finest Hour, Reinvigorate, Torch or Vanquish we should be able to have Lifesteal fairly consistently. This card is going to be extremely good in Gauntlet. The AI has much less removal than decks in Ranked, and this is a ten point lifeswing each hit. The summon kills the same relevant units as in Ranked, and you can add five drops like Hunting Pteriax, Magus of the Mist, Pearlescent Drake without Spark, Primal Incarnation, and Iceberg Warchief to that list for Gauntlet. Ultimately with just a few more cards supporting Rizahn, Rakano Midrange could be an excellent Deck. Currently midrange Rakano is not that high performing so we will have to see what the new set brings.

Copperhall Bracers while likely only a two of in Combrei can be a four of in Rakano. Running Rakano Outlaw and Champion of Glory gives quickdraw plus the four attack and that will be much harder for the AI to block. While they likely chump block with a Grenadin Drone, with a more valuable unit the AI will not block and you get to push damage and ramp. Icaria, Valkyrie Captain could be an option for Valkyries and with evasion Bracers could get through in the air and help ramp to your powerful late game.

That’s it for now,

MagicTurtle