BP11: Bullet of Fate Primer

A primer on the currently and future playable cards in Bullet of Fate!

BP11: Bullet of Fate

Welcome to BP11: Bullet of Fate! This set is a meta defining one, with the introduction of the Wasteland trait and its queen, . Nahtnaught introduces a new mechanic in being able to Box enemy followers. (A follower being Boxed means that it loses all abilities and it doesn't refresh at the start of its owner's turn.)

Additionally, we get the introduction of Mount tokens, with the neutrals in , , and , while we also have class specific ones in and .

Finally, we have the new mechanic Maneuver. This allows an amulet, until the end of the turn, to turn into a follower. and are the only two with this mechanic so far, but the amulets with Maneuver tend to be extremely difficult to remove, either requiring amulet removal, such as , or Quick timing removal such as . Amulet removal tends to have far too high of a deck building cost, so the only class that reasonably removes either of these tokens is Runecraft.

Neutral

Before we take a look at any of the class specific cards, let's take a look at some of the more commonplace neutrals. These are mainly played in the upcoming Wasteland Forestcraft, Swordcraft, Dragoncraft, and Havencraft decks.

The Neutral Mount tokens have a lot of interactions with the Wasteland cards by allowing them to bypass the traditional stat curve, and potentially being able to gain Rush with or Ward from .

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Wasteland

: As a staple for Wasteland decks, Quixotic Adventurer is a simple generator, with its form at most being run at 1 copy in any deck running its base.

: One of the strongest payoffs for the Wasteland archetypes, being able to use the buffs from the three neutral Wasteland mounts to convert into damage, while its form is one of the better removals, dealing 2 damage if you have 2 Mount tokens on your field and/or in your EX area.

: While its base form is a marginal amount of healing, its form is one of any Wasteland archetype's consistency cards: Look at the top 4 cards of your deck. You may reveal a Wasteland card from among them and add it to your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your deck in any order.

: Vagabond Lizard is one of the archetype's generics, either being able to put a into the field or EX area. The card is similar to in that every Wasteland deck wants to run at least 2, leaning towards 3.

Future Support

: Given that an upcoming restriction to 1 has been announced for on release, running Embodiment of Cocytus to tutor it would be the primary way to enable Planetary Fracture. Additionally, having a secondary mode of being able to destroy an enemy follower at the cost of 3 is certainly nothing to scoff at.

Tokens

: Dutiful Steed is the least generic Mount that we have, specifically only being able to buff Wasteland followers with +1/+1. While cheating the stat curve is impactful, and both have applications outside of the Wasteland archetypes.

: Rush is a powerful keyword not given to every follower, but with the Bullet Bike, you can give it to followers that traditionally wouldn't have the keyword, such as . This can additionally help strengthen some of the more non-traditional strategies by letting followers trade where they traditionally wouldn't be able to!.

: On the other hand, Arcane Personnel Carrier, or APC as it is more commonly referred to, gives Ward to followers, another powerful keyword. This gives some of the decks access to slightly defensive strategies, but it is not as widely available since the only cards that generate an APC are form, , effect, , and the rarely used Last Words effect of .

Forest

Wasteland Forestcraft is a very aggressive combo deck, utilizing cards like and to reclaim the board while setting up for strong swing turns using .

Alongside the Wasteland support, is one of the few Forestcraft cards that have Storm while not needing to evolve.

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Generic Support

: Shamu & Shama, being a low cost Combo card, works in nearly every combo heavy Forestcraft archetype, such as , , and Wasteland Forestcraft.

Wasteland

: As Wasteland Forestcraft's unifying engine, Loxis provides a lot of what the deck needs: card draw, removal, and follower buffs. He can potentially buff or while setting up well for as an additional burst of damage.

: Cactus Cowboy is Wasteland Forestcraft's in class 1 drop which both helps enable the deck's primary gameplan and helps with incidental removal if you progress your Mount quantity far enough.

: One of the stronger ways to interact with the board that Wasteland Forestcraft has. A notable interaction that you have to be mindful of is that if 's Last Words activates, Varmint Hunter doesn't do damage if it is during your opponent's turn.

: Giant Pastures is Wasteland Forestcraft's top end card, providing on average a much needed 4 to 5 damage to your opponent's board and leader.

Existing Support

: While not for the primary Wasteland Forestcraft archetype, it gives based archetypes the ability to : Select an enemy follower. Deal 3 damage to an enemy followers and 1 damage to its leader. The deck tends to not have ways to interact with enemy followers, so enables decks the ability to respond to the strong boards that are present while dealing a little bit of chip damage.

: A new spell to help the to the archetype. While this card does require a Puppetry card in your cemetery, it does allow you to add some of your stronger Puppetry cards back from your cemetery such as and .

Sword

Wasteland Swordcraft is the strongest deck to come out of BP11: Bullet of Fate, and with that comes a number of strong archetypal cards. and together make up the deck's main source of consistency, while and together help the deck keep drawing cards.

Additionally, sees support in most other Swordcraft archetypes, as she is a generically strong card - being able to Box an enemy follower is a unique method of interaction that most decks don't have a way to deal with with.

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Generic Support

: The defining card of Wasteland Swordcraft, Nahtnaught, Cursed Queen introduces a new mechanic of being able to Box an enemy follower (Boxed followers lose all abilities and don't refresh during the start phase). Furthermore, on Fanfare, she tutors any 1 cost Swordcraft card and puts it into the EX area, allowing you to do one of the following: Remove a follower and tutor out another Wasteland card with , summon a free 2/2 and draw a card with , or push damage with . There are also plenty of non-Wasteland targets for her, so make sure to design your decks with her flexibility in mind!

: Tyrant's Order is one of Wasteland Swordcraft's strongest cards, being removal if used alongside while also being able to tutor her, or any of your other Wasteland cards, including .

: 1 cost 2/2s are always well statted, and Naht's Henchman has the upside of being able to cost 0 if tutored off of , while also drawing a card if summoned while she is on the field.

Wasteland

: As Wasteland Swordcraft applies pressure consistently, Bunny & Baron, Specter Duo, is typically first used to summon , and then later used to tutor a . Speaking of , being an amulet means that removal is very sparse, and Val has the upside of drawing a card (effectively) every turn.

: One of the plenty of tutorable Wasteland 1 drops that Wasteland Swordcraft has, but she also allows you to translate Mounts that you wouldn't want to bury into 2 damage chips that eventually allow you to end the game.

: Outlaw Gunner sets up a on Fanfare while dealing 2 damage on Last Words, she helps you both apply pressure and potentially interact with the opponent's board if you want to spend the immediately.
: One of Wasteland Swordcraft's weaknesses is not being able to deal with standing followers very well outside of , and Desperados' Shot helps shore that up while also providing chip damage if played alongside .

Rune

The most eye-catching Runecraft cards this set are and his - especially the ability to do 12 damage if you have 12 cards with different base costs in your cemetery. With , the deck is able to cycle through cards with relative ease.

Despite this, the strongest Runecraft cards this set do happen to amplify some of the already strong Runecraft archetypes, namely Earth Rite and .

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Wasteland

: Vincent, the Peacekeeper is an archetype defining card, with his effect benefiting immensely from cards like and to help achieve the goal of 12 cards with different base costs in your cemetery. Additionally, the deck is required to run at least one of and to help achieve this goal, although more commonly, variants tend to run both.

: Given that 's archetype needs to be able to cycle through cards quickly, Magical Gunslinger helps to achieve this goal while pinging enemy followers in the process with her ability: During your turn, whenever a Mount card is put onto your field, select an enemy follower on the field. Deal it 2 damage, draw a card, then discard a card. Her effect does require you to have 6 cards with different base costs in your cemetery, which should be helped by the rest of the deck.

: Effect removal is very rare, and outside of Words of Judgement, the only other card that has (albeit temporary) effect removal is . Additionally, with Words of Judgement being , the thresholds for and can sneak up on your opponent, allowing you to heal or deal damage a little earlier than expected.

Existing Support

: A 1 cost Quick spell that deals 2 damage has been a staple of Spellchain Runecraft decks since was released in the starter decks. Since Rapid Fire is a 1 cost deal 2 damage to an enemy follower that can scale up to 3 damage once you have 3 in your cemetery, it is sure to see play in both present and future versions of Spellchain Runecraft.

: A massive boost to any Runecraft decks that want to cast 2 or higher cost spells, given that his Fanfare is Draw a card. Discard a card, and his lets you cheat out a Runecraft spell for 3 less. One of the strongest interactions that Crystal Fencer has presently is that you can place in your EX area, and it will cost 4, effectively making Crystal Fencer a 1 cost (or 0 with an Evolve Point)

: One of the most adaptable cards for Earth Rite, Artistic Arcanist has some synergies with being able to give any other allied follower Rush, Bane or Drain, and she can also do the same with . This ability is not once per turn, so as long as you have the Stack, you can repeatedly give followers Bane, Drain, or Rush. Her form is also a nice soft removal, being able to put an enemy's follower into the EX area.

: With the introduction of , Earth Rite becomes even more Stack hungry, and Terra Nova helps by generating 3 Stacks for 2 mana, setting up for being able to get both tokens from on the next turn, or simply accumulating more Stacks for the rest of the game. Additionally, floating 2 play points would allow you to bluff other quick spells such as .

Dragon

defines an aggressive Wasteland Dragoncraft archetype, leaning off of the existing facets of an aggro Dragoncraft deck that previously existed due to , and the deck always needs additional sources of damage in order to help finish the game.

Most of the other Dragoncraft cards from this set are listed because of their applications in future sets, primarily with Draconic Duelist's future support in from Set 13 and 7 cost Dragoncraft's primary win con in from Set 16. But, most of these 7 cost cards do have a potential application in an off-meta strategy in Ramp Dragoncraft.

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Wasteland

: Reggie, Peerless Artisan's Fanfare has a number of valuable targets, with the strongest typically being due to the fact that she gains Storm off of Reggie's effect. Additionally, if you simply plan to flood the board, or have a second Reggie, summoning may be a valuable option as well.

Existing Support

: Being the only Draconic Duelist card released in Bullet of Fate, Georgius is often run at only 1 copy, due to either being able to search him out of your deck with , or in Set 13, using to summon Georgius to help clear the board with his effect.

Future Support

: Draconic Call is one of the strongest consistency cards for 7 cost Dragoncraft. It is, as of the time of writing, one of the very few cards that goes positive in hand size within the archetype.

: Running a lot of high cost cards means that removal is few and far between, and despite Thunderous Roar not being a 7 cost or higher card, being able to partially cycle through them early while also acting as removal is extremely helpful.

: While Fennie, as she as known as, seems like a 'casino' card of sorts, she tends to perform better in Dragoncraft decks that run on the higher cost side, with one of the more notable 'fun' hits being .

: Azureflame Dragonewt serves a similar purpose to , while actually being a 7 cost card. His Fanfare and effect tend to not be used very often, but the effect tends to be strong enough to include in every 7 cost deck.

: Pumpkin Dragon as a name seems a silly dragon, but its effect is no laughing matter. Being able to restore 5 to your leader in both modes, while potentially being able to to restore 5 for the simple cost of discarding Pumpkin Dragon and a 7 cost Dragoncraft card.

: Ramp in Dragoncraft tends to often be at least playable, but Dragon-Devouring Dread synergizes immensely with the gameplan of 7 cost Dragoncraft, while being for only . The Fanfare tends to not come up outside of very specific matchups.

: In the recently released Set 17, defines Marine as a very viable deck, and Wavecrest Angler is one of the deck's standard look at top 3, and effectively 'draw' one.

Abyss

Abysscraft this set supported a wide variety of existing archetypes, not limited to Sanguine, Necrocharge, and 2 cost Abysscraft. Additionally, with the introduction of and , the core of a Wasteland Abysscraft archetype begins to form.

Additonally, is one of the most powerful generic cards Abysscraft gets, especially since he has an innate synergy with from Set 13.

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Generic Support

: Iceschillendrig, Gilded Autocrat is the strongest Abysscraft card released this set. He has the persistent effect of forcing each opponent to discard a card when he becomes engaged - something easily achievable with . Additionally, helps your Magitrain remove enemy followers long after Iceschillendrig has been put into your cemetery. His effect is very powerful as well - Discard a card: Select 2 followers in your cemetery and add them to your hand. On evolve, after using the Magitrain effect on him, he engages two enemy followers, which makes removing boards significantly easier. Icey, as he is often called by the community, sees even more play in set 13 and beyond with the release of .

: Dead to Rights is the newest defense reduction effect at quick timing that we have. Additionally, as a Quick effect, you can give an enemy follower -2 while it is attacking you, potentially saving you 2. The effect of Dead to Rights also allows you to an enemy follower, which either has synergies with or simply allows you to swing into standing enemy followers.

Wasteland

: Illganeau helps two specific Abysscraft archetypes, the Necrocharge and Wasteland archetypes. Her Last Words effect, at least in Bullet of Fate, has two primary targets - for removal, and to evolve it and give it Storm

: Wasteland Abysscraft has few ways to definitively push towards ending the game, and Skeleton Dreamer being able to gain Storm, mainly from the Neutral Mount tokens, helps the deck end the game as effectively a second . Its Last Words effect also helps you progress any gameplans involving Necrocharge.

: Greatpick Corpse is one of the most versatile cards that Abysscraft received this set - a 3 cost 3/3 that deals 4 damage to an enemy follower, at the cost of burying any other allied card - including the Neutral Mount tokens. A notable synergy, if a is in play, is that you are able to bury the Dutiful Steed and then it to give the Greatpick Corpse +1/+1.

: The other notable target for 's effect, Wretch helps by either trading into enemy followers and burying the top 2, or with its form dealing having 5 damage to an enemy follower and having Storm, Wretch is another one of Wasteland Abysscraft's stronger Necrocharge payoffs.

: Given that , , and all bury the top card(s) of your deck, Wretched Tryst is one of the deck's strongest payoffs for actively achieving Necrocharge (10), with a number of combinations being selectable depending on what is needed at the time - and to help push damage, and to help clear the board, or even two if the board state warrants it.

Existing Support

: Being aggressive Sanguine support, Grudge Teller is simply a solid card to help reduce the enemy's defense to zero, with one of the stronger activators being - there are plenty of sources to activate Sanguine though, so be wary of how much more damage the deck gets with Grudge Teller.

: One issue Sanguine decks tends to have is not being able to interact meaningfully with some of the scarier boards that get put out by a number of decks, but Hazhan, Demonblade Knight is able to, with his form, he is able to push 2 damage per turn while removing two enemy followers and restoring 2 , given that he has Assail, Bane, Drain, and the ability to swing twice per turn.

: While Spiderweb Array seems like a not very impactful card, the primary Abysscraft deck that would run it would be 2 cost Abysscraft - the deck desperately needs solid 2 cost cards that help you draw towards , and engaging an enemy follower also helps you trade into enemy followers with cards like .

Haven

Wasteland Havencraft is introduced this set as an aggressive, Storm heavy archetype, with its standout cards being and . Additionally, Control Havencraft gains some powerful tools in , , and .

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Wasteland

: Being the primary engine for Wasteland Havencraft, Selena, Sugarkiss Assassin is effectively a 2 cost draw 2 that also deals 2 damage to the enemy leader. Her Fanfare targeting one 2 cost or lower follower and a Wasteland follower casts a large enough net for cards that you're sure to have a card that can be played alongside her, depending on the amount of playpoints you have remaining after swinging with her. Notably, 2 or less cost Wasteland cards can satisfy either of her Fanfare conditions, which would leave the other selection open. At 2 play points remaining, is a strong target. At 3, is powerful as well. At 4, you can even play another Selena, Sugarkiss Assassin.

: As Wasteland Havencraft's top end, Anvelt, Judgement's Cannon acts as both removal and chip damage. His effect is a repeat of his Fanfare, which allows him to deal up to 12 damage to an enemy board. The condition to deal 2 damage (4 damage if you evolve him) is almost always active as long as you hold onto a Mount token or a Wasteland card from 's Fanfare, so Anvelt helps chip for usually 4 damage while clearing most boards.

: While Shady Priest seems like a simple re-hash of , he does offer a way to banish enemy followers by paying whenever a Mount card you control leaves the field.

: Sacred Stone Apostle is a very simple card that has a high amount of synergy with Wasteland Havencraft's primary gameplan - cheat out stats by spending 1 play point for a 2/3 if you have a Mount in play, while offering some cycle with her Strike effect.

: Dealing 4 damage to an enemy follower for 2 play points has become the new standard in stat breakpoints, but with in play, Haven Fire costs 1 less, and with a Wasteland card in your EX area, it deals 1 damage to your enemy. The chip damage, while seeming small, helps Wasteland Havencraft get closer to ending the game.

: In an aggro deck, Storm is a very powerful keyword. As one of the two Havencraft cards this set with Storm, Revolver Eagle is a very solid card - generating a . Being 2 play points, it is also a valid target off of 's Fanfare that you can select alongside another Wasteland card.

: Vengeful Sniper is a powerful card for both Amulet Havencraft and Wasteland Havencraft, providing essential chip damage for both decks. Additionally, her effect is helpful for both decks as well, since banishing cards is a way of removing cards that prevents their Last Words effects from triggering - and Bullet of Fate has plenty of meaningful Last Words effects.

Existing Support

: While not as relevant for Wasteland Havencraft, Benevolent Blight does everything that Control Havencraft wants - it deals 2 damage to each enemy follower, it gives your leader +2, and it draws you a card.

: Holy Sanctuary is one of three cards in Havencraft that has an interaction whenever your leader gains defense, but with the introduction of and , a more heal oriented version of Amulet Havencraft exists, and the introduction of more consistent low cost heals will certainly help Holy Sanctuary thrive.

: Both of Set's abilities are very relevant in current and future Control Havencraft decks - being able to to discard him and give your leader +2 ensures that he will never be a 'brick' in your hand, while Set as a 6 cost follower is extremely annoying to remove. Ward, Bane, and Aura together on a follower with 6 means that it will take usually two or three followers to trade into him and remove him, and his form being 7 and giving your leader 4 makes him that much more annoying to deal with.