Taking the Showdown Decks Beyond the Box

With just a week before Set 16: New World Genesis, a new entry point arrives - the new Showdown Decks. These decks are the perfect entry point for new players, and a great way for existing players to try out new classes! Additionally, these decks introduce the Super-Evolution Point - check out the super-evolution primer here!

Let's meet our new contenders, in the Showdown.

Forestcraft

In the Forest corner, we have Aria, Miasma Fairy and her Fairy and Fairy Wisp tokens.

The Forest Showdown deck focuses around enabling aggressive combo plays with cards like Amataz, Fairy Blader and Cynthia, the Queen's Blade, turning your Pixie tokens into high damage threats. We have a guide on the deck for the BP14/BP15 format, but be sure to refine your deck with the upcoming cards from BP16: New World Genesis!

High-Priority Upgrades

• Aria, Lady of the Woods: As the third iteration of Aria, Aria, Lady of the Woods enables early Fairy generation, while sporting a very powerful On Evolve and On Super-Evolve effect - notably providing her buff to existing Pixie token followers on your board and in your EX area with her On Super-Evolve effect.

• Amataz, Reverse Blader: While the set 6 version of Amataz is provided in the Showdown deck, his BP15 iteration, on evolve, provides a valuable source of removal in order to help stabilize your midgame, provided you have the EX area set up sufficiently.

• Good Fairy of the Pond: Consistency with the early Pixie generation was often a pain point for Pixie Forest, and Good Fairy of the Pond is another strong way to generate two Fairies for 1 play point. She also has an aggressive stat line, often prompting an early response from your opponent.

• Piercye, Queen of Frost: Piercye offers Pixie Forestcraft a way to interact with wide boards, and she can often fix your curve - tutoring into Sukuna, Brave and Small if you need additional removal early, Amataz, Fairy Blader if you need the damage, or any other curve filler that would help you advance your gameplan.

Low-Priority Upgrades

• Intertwined Resolve: Intertwined Resolve, once a staple for Pixie Forest, is now a situational upgrade for the Showdown deck. The card offers 2 Fairies for 1 play point, and gets much stronger once Aria's effect is active alongside Titania's Sanctuary.

• Fairy Tamer: As another retrain from Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, Fairy Tamer comes with a relatively solid on evolve effect. The primary drawback behind running her is the lack of evolve deck space, as Pixie Forest has a very tight evolve deck.

Swordcraft

Next up, we have - wait is that Nahtnaught? And Bunny & Baron? What are you three doing here?

Wasteland Sword is an aggressive midrange deck, and since its release in BP11, it has been a mainstay. Nahtnaught, Cursed Queen offers a unique soft removal method. Additionally, her spell, Tyrant's Order, can pull any of the existing Wasteland followers, which helps tie the deck together!

High-Priority Upgrades

• Celia, Sky Commander: Celia is a Sword staple, as she offers immediate tempo on turn 1 going second through her on evolve effect. She also occasionally offers Storm on her second evolved form, but you do need to pay an additional 3 play points for that.

• Flashstep Quickblader: While the original Quickblader shares the same statline as Flashstep Quickblader, the new Quickblader's on evolve effect offers a 1 damage ping for 2 fewer play points and 1 less attack and defense. The flexibility he offers ensures that he is a mainstay in any aggressive Sword deck.

Low-Priority Upgrades

• Nagi Hisakawa: Wasteland Sword thrives on flexibility, and Nagi Hisakawa provides that - removal if your opponent has a large target, a small amount of damage to help you get closer to ending the game, and cycling a card as needed. While not a staple, she is a strong tech choice depending on the metagame.

• Ralmia, Astrowing and Supersonic Breakthrough: Neither one of these cards can be mentioned without the other. Supersonic Breakthrough helps tutor out both versions of Ralmia, as Ralmia, Sonic Racer is one of your primary sources of damage. And Ralmia, Astrowing offers a potential source of board-wide removal, albeit with the condition of filling your board with followers. Overall a relatively niche inclusion, but a potential surprise for your opponent!

Runecraft

Oh, of course those two are playing with the dirt again. Ceridwen? Faust? Can you two explain yours- ah. Riley. I see.

Earth Rite Rune is a resource-intensive archetype, focusing on Stack management in order to grind out your opponent. Ceridwen, Eternity Hunter offers a large source of recursion for the deck, and Faust, Truthseeker enables consistency, tutoring out two Earth Sigil amulets.

High-Priority Upgrades

• Ancient Alchemist: While the deck comes with 1 copy, an additional copy of Ancient Alchemist is important - outside of Riley, Hydroshaman and Acid Golem, the deck can struggle to close out games. Notably, Ancient Alchemist is extremely effective when summoned by Mirror of Truth.

Low-Priority Upgrades

• Lilanthim, Anathema of Edacity: As a new addition to Earth Rite, Lilanthim offers herself as a very sticky follower to deal with. As long as you have any Stacks, she summons herself if she is evolved. She also utilizes the new Super-Evolution mechanic in order to add two to a Stack on your field and destroy two enemy followers.

• Magical Augmentation: Magical Augmentation is a very Stack hungry card, but highly play-point efficient. If the 4 damage meets the thresholds of the meta, I would suggest one or two copies.

• Red-Hot Ritual and Summoning Drills: Earth Rite is a very toolbox-like deck. Given that Faust, Truthseeker can tutor out two Earth Rite amulets, additional copies of both Red-Hot Ritual and Summoning Drills can be run depending on the speed of the meta.

Dragoncraft

What's that? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's... Filene and her dragons. At least they're not coming to destroy the place like last time.

While the Showdown Dragon deck is focused heavily on ramping into big followers, the upgraded deck is colloquially referred to as 7-Cost Dragon due to needing to run such a high density of 7 or higher cost Dragoncraft followers. The upgraded deck focuses almost entirely on cycling rapidly to find and resolve Burnite, Anathema of Flame in order to swing the game back in your favor.

High-Priority Upgrades

• Burnite, Anathema of Flame: As the primary win condition of 7-Cost, Burnite is an essential upgrade to the Showdown deck - she can come down for as little as 5 play points, she deals 7 damage to your opponent when evolved, and her Super-Evolve effect gives your leader +5, helping you stabilize. Overall, she perfectly embodies 7-Cost's gameplan: providing stabilization while helping you close out with heavy burst.

• Draconic Call: Since 7-Cost often has to discard cards in order to activate key effects, Draconic Call is one of the few ways that you generate hand advantage - it adds up to 2 cards that cost 7 or more, and for 2 play points, it is necessary for 7-Cost to function.

• Celestial Dragoon: Celestial Dragoon maintains your hand size by letting you to draw a card when you discard a card. She also evolves in order to grab a card that costs 7 or more, which simply adds to the consistency of the deck.

• Zahar, Stormwave Dragoon: Zahar, Stormwave Dragoon is an important card for 7-Cost despite not being a card you often play - he is one of the deck's best discard targets, as he adds a card that costs 7 or more from the top 2 cards of your deck when discarded. Seeing him early ensures that you maintain a strong hand.

• Dracomancer's Rites: Discarding cards in 7-Cost doesn't only serve to advance your Burnite condition, it actually serves to activate Dracomancer's Rites - one of the strongest payoffs for discarding cards in the game. If you draw one early, that is almost assuredly 2 damage per turn, adding a strong amount of inevitability.

Low-Priority Upgrades

• Dark Dragoon Forte: While 7-Cost relies extremely heavily on Burnite, Anathema of Flame and Dracomancer's Rites to finish the game, any additional reach is helpful. Dark Dragoon Forte offers 7 damage for 6 play points (or 5 and an evo point), and with Aura, she is very difficult to interact with.

• Marion, Ravishing Dragonewt: Marion, Ravishing Dragonewt offers both cycle and, once you get at least 4 cards that cost 7 or more, he can to deal 4 damage to an enemy follower - a very helpful source of cycle and removal all in a 2 play point package.

• Gilnelise, Ravenous Craving and Apollo, Heaven's Envoy: Depending on how aggressive the meta is, Gilnelise, Ravenous Craving and Apollo, Heaven's Envoy are worth considering. Gilnelise provides a strong amount of healing once your leader's is below 10, and Apollo is valuable if you need to respond to wide boards that have followers with 2 or less.

Abysscraft

Just because they're Departed doesn't mean they aren't allowed to show up to the Showdown!

Departed Abyss revolves around burying cards until your Necrocharge effects are active, notably Chris, Beyond the Patch and Illganeau, Horror Astray, or even Odile, Black Swan. Then, you control the board with Iceschillendrig, Gilded Autocrat and his token, Magitrain. Once you're set up, the deck provides the inevitable value needed to outlast your opponent.

High-Priority Upgrades

• Gremory, Death Teller: Gremory is one of the fastest Necrocharge enablers: She advances your Necrocharge by 3 for 2 play points, and for one more play point, she advances it by another 1, all while providing a well-statted 2/3 follower with Ward.

• Gold Rush Ghost: A follower burying itself seems like a downside, but Gold Rush Ghost provides plenty of upsides to counter it. Given that Gold Rush Ghost is both a Wasteland and Departed follower, it has a number of very powerful synergies, including being summoned via Illganeau, Horror Astray, Linkstaff Necromancer's On Evolve effect, or Mukan, Shadowcrypt Ward's On Evolve effects.

• Mukan, Shadowcrypt Ward: As the primary Super-Evolve target run in Departed Abyss, Mukan offers access to a 3 cost or less Departed follower from your cemetery through his On Evolve effect. His Super-Evolve summons another Departed follower that costs 3 or less, granting the new follower Assail to help with standing threats. Your strongest targets are Gold Rush Ghost for adaptability, Greatpick Corpse for removal, or Kagero, Swordbound Soul for damage if you have Necrocharge (20) active.

• Odile, Black Swan: As Departed lacks both board-wide removal and significant burst damage, one copy of Odile, Black Swan covers both, along with being one of your stronger cards off of Chris, Beyond the Patch.

• Cerberus, Hellfire Unleashed: Adaptability only helps Departed Abyss, and Cerberus, Hellfire Unleashed cements herself as a very versatile piece of the puzzle. Her tokens, Coco, Left Paw Hellhound and Mimi, Right Paw Hellhound, provide you with a small amount of healing and damage while also advancing your Necrocharge.

Low-Priority Upgrades

• Arcus, Spirited Manager: Despite not being able to attack, Arcus, Spirited Manager offers a lot in a 2 play point package: You can at the cost of burying a follower, and pick one of three very useful options. Arcus being a 5/5 is also extremely difficult to remove while dealing with other threats on your board, ensuring high value if he survives.

• Linkstaff Necromancer: While Mukan, Shadowcrypt Ward is a good card, Linkstaff Necromancer serves as a viable alternative to him - she buries one card on her Fanfare, and her On Evolve effect is identical to Mukan. Depending on how much space you have left in your evolve deck, she can fit in very well.

• Tartarus, the Tormentor: Given that the density of Departed cards has increased significantly, Tartarus, the Tormentor can be played as an added consistency piece - one play point for 2 Necrocharge while adding a Departed follower to hand is very valuable. Additionally, while rarely suggested, his On Evolve effect isn't the worst, as it can target Iceschillendrig, Gilded Autocrat.

Havencraft

Oh, don't mind the Amulets that have been placed around, I'm sure that's just Alexiel being cautious.

Amulet Haven is a combo-control deck that utilizes Amulets to smooth out your curve, utilizing board control tools such as Themis's Decree in order to achieve a strong lategame push with Godsworn Alexiel and Zelgenea's Advanced form.

High-Priority Upgrades

• The Prayer Counter Engine (Lapis, Shining Seraph, Whitefang Temple, Enstatued Seraph, Lapis, Glorious Seraph): Lapis, Shining Seraph acts as the core behind the Prayer Counter engine, accelerating Whitefang Temple to summon a follower earlier, Enstatued Seraph to tutor out two cards from your deck and give your leader +10, and boosting the value of Lapis, Glorious Seraph. Once you stabilize, this engine is terrifying to play against and can survive almost anything thrown at it.

• Serene Sanctuary: As setting up Lapis, Shining Seraph is extremely important, Serene Sanctuary directly tutors her (and Darkhaven Grace).

• Angelic Prism Priestess: Angelic Prism Priestess provides further consistency, digging for amulets on her Fanfare and cheating them into play On Evolve - both of which simply help Amulet Haven.

• Rodeo, Anathema of Judgment: While his base form is unassuming, Rodeo's Evolved form is very swingy - his On Evolve and On Super-Evolve effects can pull powerful targets like Lapis, Shining Seraph, Whitefang Temple, and Darkhaven Grace directly from your deck.

Low-Priority Upgrades

• Eidolon of Madness: Depending on how much space you have left in your evolve deck, Eidolon of Madness can serve as an easy 2 play point follower that turns into an amulet and banishes an enemy follower on evolve.

• Darkhaven Grace: While the ability of Darkhaven Grace is difficult to activate in a relatively low follower count deck, it remains a solid 4 play point Luminary amulet that offers unconditional removal on Fanfare. It is situationally a very strong target off of Rodeo, Anathema of Judgment, and can be a potential target for Serene Sanctuary.

Conclusion

While the Showdown decks provide a strong base for new and veteran players alike, be mindful of how existing cards and the upcoming BP16: New World Genesis set can strengthen them!