EDIT: Worked on this list a bit more after the Trails of Grodov mini-expansion.
This deck has been great for me. Lots of synergies with a phenomenal mid-game plan make for a very consistent gauntlet deck that I've been enjoying. I'm not sure what my track record is, but I'd guess it's in the 90% range. The only losses I've taken so far out of 7-9 runs (again, haven't kept track) were due to player error and one boss pulling two huge Destiny units on turn one.
I'll cover some talking points here in no particular order:
I love
Hojan, Crownbreaker as a gauntlet card. Lifesteal is a must for sustain, and he acts as another source of power/ramp in case I get stuck with a 2 power hand. And this deck has plenty of activators for his renown (Don't forget Vara's Favor, Hojan's renown procs
before the damage so it makes for a great trigger).
I like
Spiteful Strike for the lifesteal. The quickdraw doesn't hurt either. But
Finest Hour could fit here too.
Minos of course synergize with each other thanks to Tavrod, but Yisha + Platemaker is a deadly combo too. Throw in a Secret Passage and you can generally close out the game within two rounds once they're down.
I've always liked
Auric Interrogator as a draw engine, and this deck makes it easy to activate between Spiteful Strike, Tavrod, Platemaker, Regent's Tomb, Blackhall Warleader, Vanquisher's Blade, and Dark Return. (Lots of options!)
I'm not 100% sure about my removal suite, but it's served me well so far.
I've got mixed feelings on the
Stormhalt Knife, but I'd say they've worked for me so far. It makes a great anti-aggro tool, works as another option to deal with flyers (Which this deck is a little weak to, though I haven't had much issue between combat tricks and other removal), and is another target for Tavrod. I'd normally have the
Auric Runehammer here, but the free cast at 10 or under health has been far too useful to me; despite it's anti-synergy with Interrogator and Desecrate. But I made this call before I started playing Yisha, so maybe she would make the difference in card choice. Maybe I'll move the Knife to the market and put the Runehammer in deck.
I'm not sure what makes the best market finisher, but I'm running with Secret Passage at the moment and I love it. My units get huge between Yisha and Tavrod, and most of the time I've got plenty of card advantage. So the cheap unblockable for 1-2 units is usually enough to finish the game off.
Overall I'm fairly happy with my market, but again suggestions are welcome.
I pulled baby Vara to try out
Yisha, the Equalizer and so far I'm really impressed. She has a lot of synergy with Tavrod and Platemaker and is a very solid card all on her own. But I feel like either are a perfect good option.
I've had mixed feelings about the decisions I've made since my last update. I've mostly tried dropping Dark Return for more early game. I've tried suffocates to some effect, but Copperhall Bailiff has always been a great gauntlet card too.
I'm not not entirely sure about Yisha. It's a great card on its own, and comboing with Platemaker pretty much always ends the game quickly. But often feels like a "win more" card, rather than a gamechanger all on its own.
I think I'll give the Elder's Feather a shot in place of the dark returns. I'm really not sure where to fit in the Copperhall Bailiff though, and I haven't really had issue with aggro, though the double damage boss can be rough. I'll have to play around with this more at some point!
I've mostly been playing Even Mono Time in gauntlet lately, but I've always enjoyed AP decks.