The first mini expansion to Eternal released a few weeks ago, Jekk’s Bounty. Today I am going to review the cards that came out of it for Ranked play. I am rating the cards from 0.0-5.0 with 5.0 being the best based on their power level and viability in the current Ranked meta. I will also attempt to speculate on their future use.
Praxis Outlaw
2.0
This card appears to go in an aggressive Fire based deck, but its name reveals it may have a better home in Praxis among Obelisk and other cards that can buff units. It will be hard to unseat Primal(Shimmerpack) as the go to pairing for the Time value units and pump effects, but Praxis Outlaw might be a step in the right direction. I don’t love the card in this particular meta game in that there are so many value 1/1 bodies running around that a 3/1 just doesn’t impact the board very much. It would be a very annoying card for control to deal with however.
Bait
2.0
This is a very flavorful card with a powerful effect. Unfortunately, I think the cost is a bit too high for this to compete in Ranked at the moment. It is also very susceptible to silence effects, which makes it a huge liability against any Combrei deck. An Entomb based Stonescar deck might be able to get it to work as sometimes those decks have a hard time closing out games and the dragon can help there. Ultimately, in the face of Jito, Rakano Aggro, and Combrei decks I don’t think this card will be too successful in Ranked.
Passage of Eons
1.5
This card is tailor made for a side deck, however this feature is currently not part of Eternal. I can see playing 1 or 2 in a slower Time based deck as a catch-all. It can be quite powerful against certain strategies but it is so bad against the aggressive decks that it might not be viable in Ranked.
Hibernating Behemoth
2.0
There are shenanigans that can be had with this card and various ways to put it back on top of your deck, but it feels like they are too slow to be relevant in today’s Ranked environment.
Copperhall Bailiff
4.0
This doesn’t look like much, but Justice decks can have an annoying time dealing with swarm based decks. This card can help quite a bit against Jito for instance. It is so mediocre against everything else, that it is a bit of a gambit to run normally. I have had runs in Ranked in the past where I kept hitting Jito decks and wished I had one of these to play. Relic Weapon based control decks will love this as they struggle the most against swarm strategies.
Hone
2.0
The rate on this feels a little too weak to stand out. It does curve nicely with Auric Runehammer, but if you have no relic weapon equipped it is quite weak. Overall, it doesn’t feel like there is room for this effect in most Relic Weapon control decks.
Cliffside Porter
2.0
This card sort of fits nicely in the Elysian Obelisk deck and pairs especially well with Whispering Wind. It’s unclear if there is room for this sort of thing in the deck, but it may be worth trying.
Tyrannize
1.0
Even in the best-case scenario where you are transforming a value unit of your own, this doesn’t seem great. It can be used in a last-ditch effort to deal with a challenging enemy unit, but that is not where you want to be in Ranked.
Stray into Shadow
2.0
I was excited to see this card at first when it was revealed. I have tried it in a few decks, but it feels like it is not great. If it cost 4, it would be a lot more viable but costing 5 makes it a little too slow to rely on against the aggro decks. The -4 health doesn’t get there against many of the midrange decks. Still, I can see playing 1 or 2 in a Shadow based control deck to supplement Lightning Storm.
Shadowlands Feaster
3.0
Fun card, and the type of stats/combat abilities you want in a control finisher. There is a definite limit to the number of 7 drops you can put in your deck, but I have tried it in a Feln control deck to decent results. People are not playing around it very much, which boosts its value as a blocker. Ambush units are very powerful against Relic Weapons, which makes this a powerful unit in those match-ups. The additional ability is a nice way to disrupt decks that focus on the void and perhaps there are some shenanigans that can be had with it.
Jekk, the Bounty Hunter
3.5
I think Jekk does enough for the cost to be a viable Ranked card, but where to play him is the issue. Most Rakano decks are too aggressive to want a six drop, but there is no question when you cast him that he is worth the cost. I have been trying him in a mid-range Rakano deck and I have liked him. The Summon ability is a huge catch-all and he is nearly impossible to block effectively. I could even see playing him in some kind of Combrei multi faction deck on the splash (see below for an example of this).
Combrei Emissary
4.0
I immediately put this into my Combrei Ramp deck and have been happy with it. It is sort of like a Secret Pages with upside of possibly continuing to ramp you. The 2/2 body is welcome as a speed bump against the aggressive decks as well. Clearly combos very well with all of the sweet Empower cards like Marshall Ironthorn and Mystic Ascendant. Here is my current Empower Combrei build:
4 Seek Power (Set1 #408)
4 Desert Marshal (Set1 #332)
2 Find the Way (Set1 #513)
4 Rolant’s Favor (Set0 #18)
4 Combrei Emissary (Set1001 #12)
4 Combrei Healer (Set1 #333)
4 Knight-Chancellor Siraf (Set1 #335)
4 Sandstorm Titan (Set1 #99)
4 The Great Parliament (Set1 #338)
4 Harsh Rule (Set1 #172)
4 Marshal Ironthorn (Set1 #174)
4 Mystic Ascendant (Set1 #116)
4 Vodakhan, Temple Speaker (Set1 #347)
7 Justice Sigil (Set1 #126)
6 Time Sigil (Set1 #63)
4 Combrei Banner (Set1 #424)
4 Diplomatic Seal (Set1 #425)
4 Seat of Progress (Set0 #58)
Avisaur Patriarch
3.0
I have been brewing a Dinosaur deck with this card and it has been surprisingly good. It does struggle mightily with hyper aggression and Stonescar Burn, but the other match-ups feel decent. Of course, all future Dinosaurs will need to be thought of with this card in mind. Here is the build:
4 Initiate of the Sands (Set1 #74)
4 Permafrost (Set1 #193)
4 Accelerated Evolution (Set1 #351)
4 Lightning Storm (Set1 #206)
4 Sauropod Wrangler (Set1 #83)
4 Ageless Mentor (Set1 #90)
4 Pteriax Hatchling (Set1 #354)
4 Avisaur Patriarch (Set1001 #13)
4 Nesting Avisaur (Set1 #225)
4 Hunting Pteriax (Set1 #363)
4 Twinbrood Sauropod (Set1 #113)
4 Predatory Carnosaur (Set1 #118)
1 Ancient Terrazon (Set1 #119)
4 Primal Sigil (Set1 #187)
6 Time Sigil (Set1 #63)
4 Amber Monument (Set1 #420)
4 Diplomatic Seal (Set1 #425)
4 Elysian Banner (Set1 #421)
4 Seat of Wisdom (Set0 #63)
Cabal Spymaster
3.5
Another card I have been building around! I have a video set coming up on Numot this week with my first games with the deck and they were surprisingly good. This card hits a very nice spot on the curve as Feln does not have many four drops that slot in well with a Infiltrate strategy. This is the perfect fit for that strategy.
Quarry
5.0
This feels like the standout card from the set as far as Ranked goes. This should immediately slot into every Stonescar deck. The combination of card selection and cost reduction is VERY powerful and the discard ability can even be a bonus in the right deck. Quarry is exactly what the Stonescar burn deck wants to dig for the killing blow. Curving Quarry into Maiden sounds quite nice as well for the mid-range decks. This also goes very well in a Felnscar control deck to dig for the right answer and give you a way to cast it sooner.
Nictotraxian
3.5
This is one of the first cards I brewed with once I got all the cards. In a Combrei based five faction deck, it is not all that hard to cast. I have been impressed with the body and amused by the value it produces. Here is the current deck I am playing with Nictotraxian:
2 Dark Return (Set1 #250)
4 Permafrost (Set1 #193)
4 Seek Power (Set1 #408)
4 Desert Marshal (Set1 #332)
4 Find the Way (Set1 #513)
4 Lightning Storm (Set1 #206)
4 Second Sight (Set1 #207)
3 Secret Pages (Set1 #81)
4 Nesting Avisaur (Set1 #225)
4 Sandstorm Titan (Set1 #99)
4 Cirso, the Great Glutton (Set1 #362)
2 Jekk, the Bounty Hunter (Set1001 #11)
1 Azindel’s Gift (Set1 #306)
2 Mistveil Drake (Set1 #242)
4 Nictotraxian (Set1001 #16)
1 Fire Sigil (Set1 #1)
1 Justice Sigil (Set1 #126)
7 Primal Sigil (Set1 #187)
1 Shadow Sigil (Set1 #249)
7 Time Sigil (Set1 #63)
4 Elysian Banner (Set1 #421)
4 Seat of Wisdom (Set0 #63)
The idea here is to play a control game while using Second Sight and Nesting Avisaur to get value with Nicto. This probably isn’t the most competitive deck, but it is quite fun to play in Gauntlet.
Overall, Jekk’s Bounty features a NUMBER of sweet build around cards that should let people flex their creative deck building muscles. Ranked is a little hostile to slower decks right now, so make sure to pack those Lightning Storms and Plagues!
I will be at PAX East on Saturday/Sunday @ the Direwolf Booth if you want to stop by and say hi! Also pick up a sweet pin.
Thanks for reading,
Ben Chapman
@bchap55
