Combined Set: BP14: Banquet of Dreams & BP15: Trial of the Omens Decks

Welcome one, welcome all to the Banquet of Dreams, and the Trial of the Omens!
Will you enjoy the food and festivities, or will you witness the Omens fight once again in the Colosseum?
The choice is yours, weary traveler.

Ahem, now that we have introduced you to the party, let's meet some of our contenders.

Forestcraft

First off, we have... Fairies? Who invited them to come play?

Oh, of course it was Amataz, Reverse Blader. He seems to be enamored by those little creatures.

Pixie Forest

Pixie Forest is an aggressive combo deck focused around buffing the notable Pixie tokens such as Fairy and Fairy Wisp, then using either Amataz, Fairy Blader or Cynthia, the Queen's Blade to end the game. In the combined set, Pixie Forest gets two powerful board control tools in Amataz, Reverse Blader providing strong single target removal, and Piercye, Queen of Frost providing both board-wide removal and consistency.

• Amataz, Reverse Blader: As one of the very few new introductions to Pixie Forest, Amataz, Reverse Blader offers the deck two very needed sources of survival. Ward innately, and targeted removal on his on evolve effect. Additionally, the conditional 2 damage is almost always active for Pixie focused decks, as Aria, Miasma Fairy puts herself in the EX area on her Last Words.

• Piercye, Queen of Frost: Piercye, Queen of Frost offers board-wide removal, one aspect that Forest has struggled with since its release. Her ability to 'deal 1 damage to each enemy leader and 2 damage to each enemy follower on the field, and give your leader +1' activates when any follower on your field evolves, including herself. At an evolve cost of 1, she offers this board wipe as early as turn 5 going first or turn 4 going second. Notably, her evolves her if you have at least 3 faceup evolved followers in your deck, and that does not use your once per turn evolve. Her on evolve effect allows you to consistently tutor out cards to help smooth out your curve — either Sukuna, Brave and Small to provide more board damage, or any follower that simply helps you end the game.

Swordcraft

Let's introduce our second guest, Taketsumi, Aconite Paladin! He brings plenty of gifts for everyone in the form of Glittering Golds.

Oh, excuse me, Octrice, Hollow Usurpation, you can't just steal the spotlight like that. Even if you share some of your Loot.

Festive Sword

Festive Sword is a new deck that has a core focused around Jiemon, Thief Lord as a 'Chipper Skipper Skipper Skipper...'. The deck focuses around utilizing Glittering Gold tokens in your EX Area. Notably, cards like Jiemon, Thief Lord (Evolved), Haggler's Gambit, and Night on the Town interact with the number of Glittering Gold tokens in your EX area. It also, with Taketsumi, Aconite Paladin, introduces the mechanic of Advance Evolution — it takes up the same once per turn slot as the Evolve, Ride, or Serve ability.

• Jiemon, Thief Lord: As the core engine for Festive Swordcraft, Jiemon, Thief Lord offers a way to spend the Glittering Gold tokens in exchange for followers. His on evolve effect banishes two cards named Glittering Gold in order to search the top 5 cards of your deck for a Festive card that costs 3 or less. Then, that card gets put into the EX area, and it costs 3 less to play. This effect is repeatable as long as you can pay 1 play point and banish 2 Glittering Gold tokens from your EX area, and is what makes Armor of the Stars restriction worthy in May. Along with this, Jiemon passively gives every other Festive follower on your board Storm. This notably does include the advanced form of Taketsumi.

• Taketsumi, Aconite Paladin: Taketsumi offers an important amount of consistency to Festive Swordcraft, and is one of the unifying pieces of the Festive engine. His Fanfare does everything that Festive Swordcraft wants. It draws a card, discards a card, and generates a Glittering Gold token. He is also summonable from the effect of Hero of the Hunt, which is just another added bit of consistency. Taketsumi also takes advantage of the new Advance Evolution mechanic in order to summon Taketsumi, Creator of Paradise. Taketsumi's advance form summons two Sootspawn tokens on his Fanfare. He also has the ability to deal 5 damage to an enemy follower and deal 3 damage to its leader. Combined, they allow Taketsumi to be a very strong board swing tool, while also helping with the deck's survival.

• Haggler's Gambit and Stay in Paradise: As Festive Sword is a very consistent deck, Haggler's Gambit and Stay in Paradise both allow you to get further into your deck while advancing your gameplan. Haggler's Gambit generates a Glittering Gold while drawing a card, occasionally costing zero if you have three copies of Glittering Gold in your EX area. On the other hand, Stay in Paradise simply checks the top 4 and puts a Festive card from them into your EX area.

• Night on the Town: Given that Angelic Snipe is our baseline for 1 play point removal spells, Night on the Town, at worst, matches the damage while generating a Glittering Gold. If you have three Festive cards in your EX area, Night on the Town trades off generating a Glittering Gold for dealing an additional 2 damage to an enemy follower.

• Front Desk Frog: A 2 play point 2/2 that evolves for 1 to deal 2 damage to an enemy follower is a very solid staple for any deck. On their Fanfare, Front Desk Frog generates a Glittering Gold. Additionally, Front Desk Frog can self evolve if Jiemon, Thief Lord is on the field. Finally, Front Desk Frog's on evolve effect can also draw a card if there are at least three Festive cards in your EX area, adding on to the consistency of Festive .

• Torchbearing Guide: Torchbearing Guide is a very simple card that, if you put a Festive card from your hand into your EX area, allows you to draw a card. Then, if you have at least 3 Festive cards in your EX area, he gains +1/+1 — a very simple card that adds to your consistency, while also sneaking ahead on board if you curve out.

• Masterful Musician: Given that none of the other Festive Sword cards restore to your leader, Masterful Musician weaves an impeccable melody if Jiemon, Thief Lord is in play, restoring +3. She also unconditionally puts a Glittering Gold in your EX area. Her on evolve effect seems relatively unassuming – putting a Glittering Gold in your EX area. That changes once you read her passive effect, 'Whenever a Glittering Gold token is put into your EX area, select an enemy follower on the field. Deal 3 damage to it and 1 damage to its leader.' Notably, the lower cost Glittering Gold effects are excellent for activating her passive more.

Thief Sword

The Thief Swordcraft support released in BP15: Trial of the Omens utilizes a new token type, Loot. While Glittering Gold primarily gets used by banishing themselves, the new Loot tokens, Remnant of Hollowness, Gilded Blade, Gilded Goblet, and Gilded Boots are all intended to be played in order to help gain an advantage over your opponent. Thief Sword becomes a menacing aggro deck with Dance of Usurpation providing a very strong endgame.

• Octrice, Hollow Usurpation: As one of the unifying engines of Thief Sword, Octrice, Hollow Usurpation and her support in BP15 introduces Loot tokens — Remnant of Hollowness off of her Fanfare, and the three "Gilded" tokens, Gilded Blade, Gilded Goblet, and Gilded Boots generated by her ability. The tokens themselves are simple to use, and the main form of skill expression falls under deciding which token to pick. Octrice herself allows you to play Loot tokens for two less play points twice per turn, so be sure to decide what works best.

• Ultimate Hollow: Ultimate Hollow is the archetypal version of Angelic Snipe — it is a Quick spell that deals 2 damage to an enemy follower. It additionally generates a Gilded Goblet, which helps Thief Swordcraft get closer to the late game.

• Arsène Lupin: Thief Sword was introduced as an archetype that forces your opponent to bury cards from the top of their deck, and Arsène Lupin has a very interesting interaction with what your opponent buries. If a follower was buried, you generate a Gilded Blade. Otherwise, if a spell or amulet was buried, you generate a Gilded Goblet. His on evolve effect is also an added source of consistency, being one of the archetype's 'Look at the top 4 cards of your deck and add a Thief card from them to your hand' abilities.

• Adherent of Hollowness: Adherent of Hollowness is one of Thief Swordcraft's mid-game tools to help push you towards ending the game. His Fanfare self-evolves if there are at least 10 cards in your opponents' cemeteries, and his on evolve effect puts a Gilded Blade token into your EX area. Importantly, he is one of the few sources of Gilded Boots tokens, which you get once per turn when you play a Loot token.

• Chivalrous Bandit: Rush is a powerful keyword, and Chivalrous Bandit offers it on a 3/1 body. He also has the Fanfare of burying the top card of your opponent's deck and putting a Gilded Blade token in your EX area. As a simple card, he provides all of what the deck wants — removal (with Assail if there are at least 10 cards in your opponents' cemeteries), Loot generation, and advancing the 10 cards in cemetery gameplan.

• Gilnelise, Ravenous Craving: Thief Sword tends to have issues interacting with boards outside of Ultimate Hollow, Usurping Spineblade, and the Gilded Blade tokens. Gilneliise, Ravenous Craving fixes this by, on her on evolve effect, giving another follower +2/-2. You can also use this to give some of your followers with Storm extra damage, notably the followers with 3 defense or more. She also innately has Drain if your leader has 10 defense or less, which helps with survivability.

Runecraft

Who's that reading over there? Yukishima, Master Biographer? Of course they are, let's not disturb them too much. Maybe they'll let us read once they're done writing!

Festive Mage Rune

Mage Rune has historically always been a burn focused deck, utilizing powerful spells such as Chain Lightning and Truth's Adjudication to deal damage directly to your opponent. Additionally, Daria, Infinity Witch and Yukishima, Master Biographer both help provide powerful board swings, while 0. Lhynkal, The Fool and her spells help with smoothing the deck's draw and damage output.

• Yukishima, Master Biographer: Yukishima, Master Biographer offers an immense amount of removal in a one card package — they passively provide 2 damage to an enemy follower whenever a Mage or Festive card is played. Additionally, their Fanfare allows the next Festive or Mage card that costs 3 or less to be played for 3 less, which can often be chained with three or four other Mage or Festive cards on turn 5.

• Story of a Lifetime: Runecraft values being able to draw 2 cards, and Story of a Lifetime is 3 play points for drawing 2 and burying 2. This establishes Story of a Lifetime as a Rune staple, but specifically in Festive Mage Rune, Story of a Lifetime refunds one playpoint if Yukishima, Master Biographer is in play.

Dragoncraft

Well, if we look over at the arena, Galmieux, Ardent Disdain is definitely taunting her opponents. And burning them up.

We should maybe get someone to check on them. Maybe.

Disdain Dragon

The original Disdain Dragon is a very tempo heavy midrange deck with a focus on powerful swing turns involving Galmieux, Omen of Disdain and damaging your own followers during your turn. The iteration introduced in BP15 provides a much stronger swing with the new version of Galmieux. Additionally, the deck runs a small Mjerrabaine, Great One package, which helps finish off your opponent.

• Galmieux, Ardent Disdain: Galmieux, Ardent Disdain is a very unifying engine for Disdain Dragoncraft. Her token, Fangs of Ardent Destruction, offers a solid way to interact with all of your "Disdain" followers' effects, including giving Galmieux, Ardent Disdain Storm. Her swing turns start as early as turn 6, and help provide the deck with fuel to flood the board, especially if you chain multiple Omen cards off of Galmieux, Ardent Disdain's effect. Her passive does not have a limit on how many times you can activate her effect, so be mindful of ordering your cards correctly to maximize the deck's board swings.

• Adherent of Ardor: Given that Disdain Dragon has very few ways to interact with an opponent's board, Adherent of Ardor serves as a new generic for a number of Dragon decks. At worst, he deals 3 damage to an enemy follower on both Fanfare in Overflow and his on evolve effect. But, especially if you summon him from Galmieux, Ardent Disdain, he can interact with the opponent's board while continuing your board swing.

• Ardent Torch: Ardent Torch is a simple spell that does everything the deck wants. It deals 1 damage to your own follower, which helps activate your Disdain effects. It deals 1 damage to your opponent, which helps you end the game. And, it draws a card, which is generically good. Notably, to play Ardent Torch, you must target an allied follower in play.

• Mjerrabaine, Great One: As the original Mjerrabaine, Omen of One was a finisher for aggressive decks, Mjerrabaine, Great One is a way to play aggressively while not needing to zero out on your cards. His Fanfare generates a Great Testimony at the cost of discarding 3 cards. Great Testimony allows you to remove an enemy follower in play while also dealing damage to your opponent, but note that saving it for later means that you might miss out on the damage. If you happen to discard a Mjerrabaine, Omen of One, you can activate Mjerrabaine, Great One's ability to draw 2 cards and deal 2 damage to your opponent

Abysscraft

Make sure to not take too much from the feast, otherwise Paracelise, Demon of Greed might get you~

And who's that watching in the corner, Itsurugi, Eager Admirer? Don't be shy!

Handless Abyss

Handless Abyss is an aggressive archetype focused around the Festive Abyss cards released in BP14. In terms of gameplan, you aim to accelerate your hand to zero while filling up your EX area with powerful cards. Your best accelerators are cards like Eternal Contract — cards that fill up your EX area while removing cards from your hand. Once you're at zero cards in hand, Paracelise, Demon of Greed is active. She serves as the deck's primary payoff for zero cards, and in combination with Full Moon Leap and Bat Usher, the deck aims to create large swing turns.

• Paracelise, Demon of Greed: As part of the deck's primary win condition, Paracelise, Demon of Greed does a lot in one card. Her Fanfare does the effect of 'drawing' a card into your EX area, then you discard a card. Once you do end up at zero cards in hand, you're able to evolve her. Her on evolve effect does everything the deck wants. It deals 5 damage to an opponent's follower, 2 damage to its leader, gives your leader +2, and puts the top card of your deck into your EX area. The only noticeable issue with the card is that you need a target to play in order to activate her effects, so decks like Arcane Item Shop would make it difficult to use her on evolve effect.

• Itsurugi, Eager Admirer: Itsurugi, Eager Admirer is a new generic that happens to perform well in Handless Abyss. He puts a Wolfling's Struggle in your EX area on his Fanfare, which serves as a generically good card in most Abyss decks. It advances the handless portion of handless decks, the Necrocharge portion of Necrocharge decks, and also serves as a slight amount of removal that can be delayed. Importantly, he takes advantage of the new Advanced Evolution to summon Itsurugi, Paradise's End. Itsurugi, Paradise's End serves as a very strong board swing, removing up to three followers on his Fanfare while dealing 3 to your opponent and giving your leader +3.

• Eternal Contract: Handless Abyss needs to empty its hand as quickly as possible, and Eternal Contract helps do that as early as turn 3. Eternal Contract effectively trades two cards from hand for two cards in your EX area, and banishing a card like Anisage, Lost Forsaken ensures that you don't go too far down in resources. Something that will come up in grindier matchups is the ability to to recycle any copies of Paracelise, Demon of Greed from your cemetery and banished zone.

• Briared Vampire: Briared Vampire is a simple 1 cost follower that evolves to let you effectively trade a card in hand for a card in your EX area — extremely helpful as the deck does lack powerful turn 1 plays going second outside of Eternal Contract.

• Bat Usher: Paracelise, Demon of Greed is not the only payoff that Handless Abyss has — Bat Usher is a simple 1 cost 2/2 that can potentially become a 3/2 with Storm if you have 0 cards in hand. It is very helpful in terms of chipping your opponent down as the game nears its end.

• Full Moon Leap: Full Moon Leap is an extremely aggressive payoff for Handless Abyss, as you can provide Storm to any of your Abyss followers, with notable targets being Paracelise, Demon of Greed, Itsurugi, Paradise's End, and Room Service Demon. One thing to note is that Full Moon Leap is not a Festive card, so it cannot be selected for those effects that care about Festive cards.

• Stay in Paradise: Since the Festive trait was introduced in BP14, it received a plethora of Neutral generics, Stay in Paradise included. Stay in Paradise searches the top 4 cards of your deck for a Festive card and puts it in your EX area — almost every Festive archetype interacts with the EX area in some way, so make sure you choose the best card for the situation!

• Anisage, Lost Forsaken: Handless Abyss empties its hand rather quickly, helped by cards in hand being banished or discarded. Anisage, Lost Forsaken serves as a way to maintain resources while discarding or banishing her, as her on evolve effect searches the top 4 cards of your deck for a Festive card and puts it in your EX area. We run 3 copies of her evolved form simply due to the existence of Undying Resolve, as she can keep coming back once she is in your cemetery.

• Undying Resolve: Undying Resolve can target any Festive follower that costs 2 or less, but your primary targets will be Itsurugi, Eager Admirer if you need a Wolfling's Struggle, or Anisage, Lost Forsaken in order to give her +1 and Storm. Additionally, when Undying Resolve is discarded or banished, you can give an allied Abysscraft follower Bane — this doesn't come up nearly as much as it may seem, but you should still keep it in mind!

• Torchbearing Guide: As part of the Neutral Festive generics, Torchbearing Guide serves as a simple 2 play point follower that draws a card on the condition of having a Festive card in hand to put into your EX area. The +1/+1 is not as impactful in Handless Abyss, but it still comes up from time to time.

• Room Service Demon: Room Service Demon serves as another payoff for being handless, as her Fanfare deals 3 damage to an enemy follower innately, recovers 2 play points if you have 2 or less, and deals 2 to the enemy leader if you have 0 cards in hand. Be careful, as her Fanfare does not resolve if you cannot target a follower.

• Parkour Werewolf: As a finisher, Parkour Werewolf doesn't actively interact with any of Handless Abysscraft's cards — he is simply 6 play point for 6 damage, which will only come up near the end of the game.

Havencraft

At least Wilbert, Luminous Paladin is doing his job of protecting the audience. And keeping the stands intact.

Ward Haven

Ward Haven is a midrange deck focused on board swings — Wilbert, Grand Knight into either Wilbert, Luminous Paladin or Shiro, Cursed Wings into a plethora of other options. Shiro, Cursed Wings also serves as a very consistent board wipe. Additionally, Bellringer Angel shows up once again, as she was a staple from the game's release.

• Wilbert, Luminous Paladin: Wilbert, Luminous Paladin's Fanfare searches the top 5 cards of your deck for a 2 or less cost follower with Ward. Some of your best targets are Lunerian Paladin if you need to extend a board, Sarissa, Luxflash Spear or Hardplume Warrior if you need the Storm, and Temple Healer if you need the cycle.. Along with Wilbert being an extremely flexible card, he has an to destroy an enemy follower if you have 3 followers on your field with Ward.

• Shiro, Cursed Wings: As recursion is important for a board based deck, Shiro, Cursed Wings can target any of your powerful Ward followers that cost 2 or less and summon them. Notably, she also offers a board wipe on her on evolve effect, where she deals damage equal to the number of other allied followers with Ward. Notably, she does not include herself in this count, so make sure you manage defense thresholds!

• Fox of Fortune: Fox of Fortune is a simple 2 cost 2/3 with Ward that draws a card when your leader gains . At first, it would seem that the only way to draw would be to play the generated Fox of Invitation token. But, Lunerian Paladin's on evolve effect, if you summon a follower with Ward, gives your leader +2.

• Sarissa, Luxflash Spear: As a very simple way to extend a board lead, Sarissa, Luxflash Spear has storm while there are at least three cards on your field. These three do not need to have Ward, so she would have storm if you summon her off of Jeanne's on evolve effect. Additionally, her Fanfare gives an enemy follower -1/-1, which is a helpful bit of removal.

• Temple Healer: Temple Healer serves as a way to cycle through your deck, with her Fanfare discarding a follower with Ward in order to draw her card. Her on evolve effect also simply draws a card — always helpful.

• Hardplume Warrior: Sarissa, Luxflash Spear and Hardplume Warrior are the only two sources of Storm that Ward Haven has, but Hardplume Warrior requires three followers on your field to have Ward instead of simply having 3 cards on field.

• Arael: Arael is a solid slot in board focused decks, as her Fanfare and her on evolve effect can be used on herself, but they are typically better served on other allied followers — Sarissa, Luxflash Spear as an example.

Conclusion

I hope the banquet brings plenty of joy, and the trial brings immense excitement~

Welcome to the Banquet of Dreams, and the Trial of the Omens!