So there is a new promo out — Wump, Party Starter. He really has gotten the party started and the deck Ideas flowing. I believe that there are a couple of interesting directions that you can take Wump because he improves the value of a few cards that were undervalued in closed betaand are only seeing play now in limited amounts.
Wump is 3PP for a 2/2 body and has the ability when you play a Yeti, to deal 1 damage to the enemy player as well as having your other Yeti receive +1/+1.
If you didn’t know it Calderan Channeler will trigger infiltrate. Well, the same thing happens when a yeti throws a snowball at a player’s face. So suddenly, Yeti Spies automatically draw cards and Yeti Snowslingers generate free snowballs. This improves their potential respective values significantly. Scouting Party is now a crazy 2-card combo of draw 4 cards, deal 5 damage (one from Wump), and end up with 5 2/2 Yeti.
How can we “stop the madness” that is going to befall our quaint little community? Well, there are a few things I can think of. The first is a little spell that was heretofore considered the red-headed stepchild of its cycle, Eilyn’s Favor. Yes, I said it. Eilyn’s favor is now a 4 of in every Primal deck. It will stop at least 1 snowball and potentially up to 4. The snowballs it stops are not what makes the card good. Stopping the instant and free infiltrate is what makes it worth playing.
Hero Aegis is currently really strong. I expect to see a lot of Protects running around in the future meta. With all the Stonescar Burn being played, I’m surprised that it hasn’t been more popular, especially as a save. A body and some health is often a great trick. Now it prevents 4 damage and denies the card draw. The potential is there but so is the potential for Lightning Storms. The third card that fits into this category is Mistveil Drake. It has received a lot respect as of late because of the Burn running around and now it has just got better.
Another card that increases in value is Withering Witch. This card will allow you to “reset” the health buff on the opposite side of the board to 1. This can solve the problem of Wump stacking that I’m sure will be rampant in the new meta. 2 or 3 Wumps aren’t hard to come by when you have twinning and mirror image moved to uncommon from rare. Stacking the bonuses really increases the damage and double dipping in a snowball from each Wump means that a simple Yeti Spy will throw 2 or 3 snowballs each. That could add up to a one-turn kill if a scouting party is combined with a few reduced-cost Wumps.
This brings us back to our other answer. It’s actually two, but I really only see one taking off. Backlash and Spell Swipe are real cards. There are now going to be a class of decks that care very much that their Mirror Images, Twinnings, and most importantly, Scouting Party’s resolve. If you are playing Wumps yourself (you will be, it’s a freaking free, powerful card), what is better than getting an additional Scouting Party? Deny it from your opponent then steal it. OK, I will admit that Spell Swipe might be a stretch, but it’s viable with all these Yeti running around.
What works or should work with Wump? Well, we have the basic Yeti (Spy, Snowslinger, Icebreaker, and Troublemaker). Then we have the Spell Yeti (Scouting Party, Twinning, Mirror Image, and Strength of the Pack.) We might also be able to pull in some dead Yeti (Dread Return, Excavate, Haunting Scream). Last we have the “Your Yeti” (Madness, Spell Swipe).
To start off, here is my all in Yeti build.
Yeti Spagetti
3 Seek Power (Set1 #408)
4 Yeti Spy (Set1 #191)
4 Eilyn’s Favor (Set0 #24)
4 Twinning Ritual (Set1 #79)
4 Wump, Party Starter (Set1 #511)
4 Yeti Snowslinger (Set1 #203)
2 Eye of Winter (Set1 #210)
2 Icebreaker (Set1 #216)
4 Mirror Image (Set1 #217)
4 Sandstorm Titan (Set1 #99)
1 Vault of the Praxis (Set1 #480)
3 Xenan Obelisk (Set1 #103)
4 Yeti Troublemaker (Set1 #222)
1 Staff of Stories (Set1 #234)
4 Scouting Party (Set1 #488)
1 Shimmerpack (Set1 #365)
1 Strength of the Pack (Set1 #367)
8 Primal Sigil (Set1 #187)
5 Time Sigil (Set1 #63)
4 Diplomatic Seal (Set1 #425)
4 Elysian Banner (Set1 #421)
4 Seat of Wisdom (Set0 #63)
This deck is pretty straight forward. Draw Wump. If you have twinning use it. If you have Mirror Image, play Wump then image it. Maximize your value and hopefully win! It’s a little more than that but that’s the basic plan — play bodies and pump them.
A different look if you are not into the full tilt Yeti could be something like this.
Your/Dead Yeti’s
2 Dark Return (Set1 #250)
2 Unstable Form (Set1 #189)
4 Yeti Spy (Set1 #191)
2 Annihilate (Set1 #269)
4 Backlash (Set1 #200)
2 Devour (Set1 #261)
4 Eilyn’s Favor (Set0 #24)
4 Haunting Scream (Set1 #374)
4 Yeti Snowslinger (Set1 #203)
4 Wump, Party Starter (Set 1 #511)
4 Madness (Set1 #267)
4 Mirror Image (Set1 #217)
3 Yeti Troublemaker (Set1 #222)
3 Spell Swipe (Set1 #373)
4 Scouting Party (Set1 #488)
10 Primal Sigil (Set1 #187)
7 Shadow Sigil (Set1 #249)
4 Feln Banner (Set1 #417)
4 Seat of Cunning (Set0 #62)
This makes use of the Your and Dead Yeti varieties which is where the name comes from. Being able to take a Yeti Lord of the opponents and use it to trigger an infiltrate from your hand is nice. If you are able to take it and swing with an extra big yeti or when you are done with it put it in the void then you are managing real value. This deck style will be at its best against the mirror match, but it still should be able to hold its own against most other decks as well.
If you don’t want to join team Yeti, here is something that you can start with to fight off the yeti hoards. This should be an option for a starting point of anti-yeti control. It does fight some of the general who’s who threats on ladder as well
The Anti-Yeti
4 Seek Power (Set1 #408)
2 Suffocate (Set1 #251)
4 Unstable Form (Set1 #189)
3 Annihilate (Set1 #269)
4 Backlash (Set1 #200)
2 Devour (Set1 #261)
4 Eilyn’s Favor (Set0 #24)
4 Lightning Storm (Set1 #206)
3 Madness (Set1 #267)
2 Polymorph (Set1 #211)
1 Feeding Time (Set1 #381)
2 Rain of Frogs (Set1 #221)
2 Spell Swipe (Set1 #373)
3 Withering Witch (Set1 #368)
4 Black-Sky Harbinger (Set1 #385)
1 Azindel’s Gift (Set1 #306)
1 Mistveil Drake (Set1 #242)
2 Snowcrush Animist (Set1 #384)
10 Primal Sigil (Set1 #187)
9 Shadow Sigil (Set1 #249)
4 Feln Banner (Set1 #417)
4 Seat of Cunning (Set0 #62)
I hope you all enjoy the lists as a starting point and good luck with the climbing. Bonus Deck
“Mommy, Eilyn Wumped me!”
2 Dark Return (Set1 #250)
4 Seek Power (Set1 #408)
1 Suffocate (Set1 #251)
2 Annihilate (Set1 #269)
3 Backlash (Set1 #200)
4 Haunting Scream (Set1 #374)
2 Vara’s Favor (Set0 #35)
4 Yeti Snowslinger (Set1 #203)
4 Mirror Image (Set1 #217)
1 Plague (Set1 #274)
4 Secret Pages (Set1 #81)
3 Wump, Party Starter (Set1 #511)
2 Ancient Lore (Set1 #105)
1 Yeti Troublemaker (Set1 #222)
3 Jotun Hurler (Set1 #227)
1 Spell Swipe (Set1 #373)
4 Scouting Party (Set1 #488)
1 Strength of the Pack (Set1 #367)
2 Eilyn, Queen of the Wilds (Set1 #245)
5 Primal Sigil (Set1 #187)
4 Shadow Sigil (Set1 #249)
2 Time Sigil (Set1 #63)
4 Diplomatic Seal (Set1 #425)
4 Seat of Cunning (Set0 #62)
4 Seat of Mystery (Set0 #61)
4 Seat of Wisdom (Set0 #63)
Thanks,
BadGuyTy
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