Welcome back to Meta Monday! We've slightly changed the game with one OTA shaking up the meta. However, the new card release has been the biggest changer in the meta game so far, as many people are using Misery, and seeing her is very common. So, let’s get to it.
Pillar One: Agent Venom
Agent Venom decks are still amongst the most popular in the current meta game, with different versions taking up about 11-12% of the meta game, especially post-infinite. Agent Venom is slightly less in the 70-99 ranks but still is one of the top-performing decks. The two main decks have not changed much and are still some of the best options.
Agent Venom 1
Agent Venom 2
However, because this deck has remained at the top of the format, people have adjusted to a more Sera tech-style Agent Venom deck with several options.
Sera 1
Sera 2
All four options are some of the most popular and best decks to climb with. However, just because Agent Venom comes down on turn 2 doesn’t always mean it’s one of these decks due to his versatility, so just be mindful of trying to run an anti-Agent Venom deck.
Pillar Two: Misery
Misery decks have taken the game a bit by storm regarding game volume. Her decks are not overpowering, and she does not boast the best stats in the game. But decks revolving around her mechanic have infiltrated about 10% of the current metagame. Whether players really want her to work or find her incredibly interesting, her decks do not boast the best stats, even if they are popular. Here are two of the better ones.
Misery PF
Misery Buff
While both have the potential to do some really fun things and have a lot of power output, they can feel clunky and unintuitive, which leads to more misplays than anything else, causing some of the lower stats. Either way, Misery has been seen in about 17% of games over the last 7 days and is currently 10th in popularity according to our metrics.
Pillar Three: Storm Machine
Speaking of being taken by storm, Storm-War Machine decks make up the third pillar of the Meta and are some of the easiest decks to snap with, as well as the turn 6 lock deck of choice for this current meta game. Especially with War Machine being in this last week's spotlight, many players have picked up one version or another. The current #1 ranked player/streamer, Sizer playing aLeo, has been playing several versions throughout the season and is doing well.
Storm Machine 1
Storm Machine 2
While these decks seem simple to pilot, they have some interesting play lines that can surprise opponents even when they are not doing the actual Storm Machine combo. For the most part, they are trying to lock down the game by turn six with Storm and Legion, and if you have War Machine and the opponent doesn't, it’s probably just game over.
Pillar Four: Arishem, Move, Bounce
The last pillar features three decks that have been in the meta game for a while but still boast about 5% of the format each.
Arishem
Move
Bounce
While there are other combinations and slight differences in lists, these decks are currently best performing when you dig into each archetype. However, that doesn’t mean you must take this at face value. I’d suggest trying it out and tweaking them or adding a tech card for what you see most when playing.
Old Faithful: Destroy, Zoo, Discard
It would be surprising if you don’t have a decklist for these three archetypes yet. The auto builder can grab the most viable option for these three archetypes. While all three have dipped in popularity over the different weeks, they are still viable and can produce the numbers to climb as well as any decks. Especially if you are pre-infinite, Destroy is probably the best to climb with, but I wouldn’t sleep on Zoo or Discard either.
Meta Health
Several archetypes are hovering around the 11% mark in the current meta game. But there are a host of decks that are still completely viable even with this. Overall, the meta seems decently healthy, and with Hela and Clog not completely gone but a lot less prevalent, I think most players have enjoyed the new metagame. However, Storm Machine decks can still provide some frustration, as can the Sera decks running a lot of tech cards. Either way, the meta doesn’t feel like one deck or another is pulling it in a singular direction. Honestly, it feels like it’s just a little unsettled. This makes sense with the most recent OTA, which was only a few days ago. What are your thoughts on the meta game? Do you like it? Or are you tired of this season already? Let me know in the comments.