I’m not going to stick my neck out and say that player X or player Y is going to win the big show because I don’t know enough about the North American players to do that – and let’s face it, it’s going to be almost exclusively North American players competing.
Instead, I’m going to make a few predictions based on the environment and the perceived best decks.
Although Hulk/Warbound won’t be the most played deck at the event, it will be the most played deck at the top tables.
And the only reason it won’t be the most played deck at the event is the short amount of time that MUN has been available and the high proportion of rares that this deck needs to work properly. Yes, the deck is susceptible to KO effects due to its reliance at having a single hulk in play but even the most defensive build of this deck still packs some amazing attack pumps.
This is not the definitive build – I haven’t had anywhere near enough time to perfect and test it properly – but this is a good starting point for a more control oriented Warbound deck.
4 x Elloe Kaifi
4 x Miek
3 x Rick Jones
4 x Archangel
3 x Hulk, Exile
4 x Hulk, Green Scar
2 x Brood
3 x Hulk, Gladiator
2 x Korg
3 x Hulk, Green King
2 x Caiera
4 x Warbound to the End (or Origin Story)
4 x Hulk Smash!
4 x Trouble With Dinosaurs
4 x Righteous Anger
4 x Bloodsport
4 x Pathetic Attempt
2 x The Great Arena
Although I’ve only included only 2 copies of each in the deck, Korg and Caiera are nearly always the better drops on 5 and 6 – just remember to add their effects to the chain in the right order. If the game goes to 7 then a boosted Green King able to swing two or three times should be enough to win. Provided you can guarantee dropping Green Scar on 4, a second Elloe + Rick Jones is almost always the best play on 3 unless you missed Miek on 2 in which case Elloe and Miek is the way to go. Although Warbound to the End allows you to get any character in your deck, Origin Story is well worth considering as it allows you to attack with Archangel and then return him to your hand, fetch another copy and give Hulk +6 ATK for the whole turn. As I say, far from tweaked but a darn sight more reliable in the current Modern environment than the solid beats version of the Warbound deck.
Somebody will forget one of the umbrella effects granted by a removed from game Warbound and it will cost them a match.
Even just goldfishing the warbound deck, it can be hard to keep track of all of the effects to apply to Hulk. In the high pressure environment of Worlds, don’t be surprised to see players forgetting to add that +1/+1 or that Master Man can’t be reinforced thanks to Miek’s effect.
Pathetic Attempt will be the difference in at least one Top 8 match.
Pathetic Attempt is the environment defining card IMHO. Nothing in the field will consistently kill before 4 and too many decks have ways of searching out plot twists just when they need them. And it may well be a Pathetic Attempt targeting a Pathetic Attempt that ensures somebody takes Galactus home… (edited for the sake of reality)
Crime Lords will define the second day of Worlds.
I’ve already expressed how impressed I am with Crime Lords in draft and with the best 5 drop in the environment being in the common slot look for some Red Skull fuelled dominance on a lot of tables. The only stumbling block I can see to effective draft strategies is the size of the set – I opened 3 boxes of MUN and only got a single 7 drop Venom, compared to 3 copies of The Beyonder.
Somebody, somewhere will have come up with something that we never saw coming and will do really, really well with it.
Will it be Thunderbolts/Gotham Knights? Alpha Flight/Birds of Prey? Injustice Gang/S.H.I.E.L.D? Dare I think it – Nextwave!?
And speaking of Nextwave, somebody will get disqualified for ‘abusing’ Elsa Bloodstone’s ability.
Remember, kids – calling your opponent a ©¿π† isn’t big and it isn’t clever ;->
Remember to check in to The Mothership or VS Realms for ‘live’ coverage from the tournament floor once the action starts on Friday and good luck to everybody taking part.
