Greetings, mortals! We’ve seen your deckbuilding exploits and godlike plays in the new metagame. Needless to say, it’s been a blast to see the interesting creations that have begun to emerge. And yet, as we glimpse into the future (or rather, some of the fancy internal dataset…) we couldn’t help but notice some highlight cards hiding in the wings...
An arcane burst of excitement
First of all, let’s take a look at Arcane Burst: a 7 mana Magic spell with explosive proportions. It may not seem like much, but it has the power to deal a whopping ten damage in a single blast... if used correctly. This one is a logical follow-up to those who embrace early game shenanigans by slingin' a bunch of cheap spells. Does that ring a bell by any chance?
It should! Because this card very much falls in line with Form of Unity, a sleeper build-around card now coming to the fore, and the source of added burn later in the game can easily make the difference between a close victory and a blowout loss as your opponents begin to stabilize for that particular archetype.
Work Arcane Burst into your builds and witness the staying power it brings in longer matches even as you get pushed off the board and begin to run out of cards. The beauty of the synergies it brings is that the card text condition naturally gets fulfilled as you work through your deck, offering an almost guaranteed big burst of damage just when you need it the most.
A scientific discovery
As a rule of thumb, three mana 2/4 creatures need to pack an extra punch to make their inclusion in your deck worth it, and Frumentarii Researcher does more than enough in the right archetype. Light decks boasting Mystics could slot this nifty tool in to help further leverage a board lead, or add it to standard Heal builds to get the most out of its tribal synergy.
With the Healing Light builds already relying on High Thaumaturge and Highborn Knight, there’s quite a bit of deckbrewing potential here. Since it slings shots at an “enemy character” rather than a “creature”, you can also use it to weave in some extra face damage, making it relevant even in scenarios where you’ve fully established board control.
As a Neutral card, it can also potentially find a home in other domains as well, but Light Mystic decks seem like the most obvious starting point for experimentation.
A merc well worth his price
Last but certainly not least, make sure to take a look at Desert Mercenary, another Neutral creature with great potential. Its measly 3/2 body for 3 mana is more than made up for by its Roar effect. If you manage to play this sturdy-looking merc in the opening turns, a low-curve deck built around Guild synergies can cheat out a lot of free mana (and therefore stats) fairly early on in the game.
A great tempo tool for a tribal deck that’s seemingly still waiting to emerge, early adopters could get a lot of mileage out of this nifty little creature. Check out this build for a more aggressive option first, then salivate at the prospect of a 6 mana Anti-Magic Expert as part of a slower archetype!
The Trials continue
Only time will tell if this triplet of hidden gems will be picked up thrill seekers and victory chasers alike – or maybe some other jewel will be found? These Trial of the Gods cards – and other like them – can serve to augment your gameplay strategies and to future-proof your collection. Make sure to check out the Trial of the Gods buyers guide to work through your share of the spoils, or head straight to the store.
Happy hunting, mortals!
Credit ~ Luci Kelemen
See more:
- Trial of the Gods Launch Companion
- Shadow & Mythic Prize Draws
- Video: Trial of the Gods – Lore, set overview, packs and chests
- Video: Trial of the Gods – Champions, shadow and mythic prize draw
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