ECQ Top 32 Dragons-Updated Post ECQ

Update: Removed 1 of each of our dragons to make room for a set of Tota Pioneer. This change was discussed and mentioned a couple times and after testing, this is the way. 12 dragons isn't significantly fewer than 16 since we have Dragon Forge. Also has the added benefit of making Turn to Seed hit you less harshly. We get a better early game to apply pressure, increased threat diversity, and the potential to power out some stronger turns faster. In the Market, I removed Edict of Linrei and Backlash to make room for Lightning Storm and Unseal. Unseal is more relevant now that people are playing the Hooru list from the ECQ, and you can hit Permafrost from opposing Primal decks
As requested, here's the list I used for the Qualifying rounds. Its not my own list, but I don't remember who posted it. Anyway, here's the breakdown. I'll just go through every card in the list and try to go through the notable interactions with the decks that I faced in the qualifier as well as my thoughts on the matchups.
Blazing Salvo- No surprise here. 2-power Market provides access to a lot options. Often seen in tandem with other damage spells like Sear to clean up some bigger units. Being Fast allows you to steal wins through 3-power Counterspelling or grabbing Provoke the Dragons on opponent's end phase. Notably, can possibly be used to kill off a unit in response to Turn to Seed but I've never encountered that being the case, since this deck doesn't have many units that outright die to it. In that case, you're better off praying to have 3 power and counter it.

Permafrost solid removal in the current meta. For the most part, that unit is as good as gone. You want to prioritize problem units that don't have an ability that can be activated, such as Milos, Rebel Bomber or Jekk, Mercenary Hunter. Also worth noting that such units are still prime targets for a Turn to Seed later on. Just because you handled the first one doesn't mean later copies are irrelevant. Against Aggro decks, depending on your hand, you can be pretty liberal with your removal.so it can often times be correct to Permafrost a Turn 1 Ruthless Stranger. Even if your opponent plays a "better target" on Turn 3, you want to be making as best use of your resources as possible, and conserving your life total against Aggro early on to stabilize is key. Ideally you'll be able to handle your opponent's later plays with your own, and that early Permafrost can save you 4 life. Ultimately, you'll have to decided how to play your cards.

Seek Power- Only 3 copies, because the power for this deck isn't too harsh. Always important to have your power fixing, never leave home without it. Plays nicely with Tattoo Dragon. Depending on the matchup, it can be correct to hold onto a Tattoo Dragon an extra turn to hit the 5th Power and get the free chump blocker.

Lightning Strike and Sear- You damage removal package, and part of what makes the deck so good. Being 2 power, you can reasonably prepare for enemy Milos on curve, and plenty of things will die to Lightning Strike. If it doesn't, you can use them in tandem with other burn/blocking. Notably, hitting face is an option. Sear gets through by itself while Lightning Strike can target your opponent if they attack with a Relic Weapon.

Cozin Darkheart- You know how annoying it is for Jekk to generate Treasure Trove turn after turn? Imagine if he also blocked like a champ. Unfortunately it is more than possible for an opposing Dizo, Cabal Racketeer to make you a regretful rhino, but its not the end of the world. She's an Icon. Be wary of your opponent burning her out if you chump with her early on. If it seems like a bad attack on their part, its probably a trap. In spite of this, she is an underlying threat that can generate enough card advantage to pull you through the mid game and if she eats double removal from your opponent, they now have less cards to deal with your more aerial threats.

Dragon Forge and Wisdom of the Elders- C-C-C-CARD ADVANTAGEEEEE. These little babies right here can fit so much potential in 'em. They come down faster than you can say "I am speed". KACHOW. Plays nicely with Tattoo Dragon on top of their normal functions. Making your Big Bois cheaper but no less big. Really can afford you so much. In my experience, it can certainly be correct to prioritize throwing them to the market if you need removal, especially Dragon Forge. Wisdom of the Elders can at least dig for removal though. Your mileage may vary.

Turn to Seed here we have what I nominate as the best non-unit card in the format.It looks cute, its solid removal, it resets itself, and its cute. It really does it all. You really would rather get them later, preferably the turn after your opponent deploys a bomb that needs to be answered, because if they get a lot of seeds early on, you can have trouble dealing with them, but in that case you were probably gonna die anyway, right?

Cries in lack of board wipe

Anyway not only is it good for removing problem cards, it can clear the skies for your dragons to get through if your opponent is trying to placate them with a tasty sky treat. Turns out dragons are carnivorous and ignore the seeds until they grow up big and strong. This card leads to me to consider changing the Edict of Shavka in the market with Lightning Storm. More on the market later on. Notably, your Spitflame Draconus can clear them up if you have nothing better to do, your opponent isn't dead, and you have 8 power.

So winning the game is a thing you're trying to do yeah? Well I suppose 4x Sear would do it if we had Prodigious Sorcery, but we play real decks here, so that's not happening.


Crimson Firemaw our first flying friend.He hurts your opponent real good, makes things cheaper, and likes his bloody marys with everclear instead of vodka. Always down for a snaq. He can block if he needs to, kinda just depends where you are the scale from 1 to dead. Sometimes shows you what's your next non-power card if its a Dragon and you play Dragon Forge.

Tattoo Dragon- we've talked about him before, he's another removal magnet and sometimes he makes ad nauseum levels of chumpion blockers/alternate win cons when your opponent has fuckall in their set up to stop them. Synergizes well with a lot of the rest of the deck.

Eclipse Dragon- He's magnificent. He's majestic. His glorious wingspan keeps all his friends safe from sunburn. Always has some extra clout to throw around so your resources can stretch that much further when you need your opponent DEAD dead. He's also a fast boi and is not afraid to get in when the gettin's good. Always goes for the throat. 11/10 card

Lastly,
Finally,
Bestly...
You know in Yugioh when clouds come out of nowhere and all of a sudden there's a storm because someone is messing with Divine power channeled into a children's card game and they pull out the Egyptian God Cards to REALLY send people to the Shadow Realm? That's what it feels like to slam this Category 5 Hurricane of an absolute unit onto the board. Proud owner of the fattest ass in the format, ladies and gentlemen...
Spitflame Draconus- You may not like it. You may not agree with it. But this is what peak performance looks like. Out here dropping mixtapes left and right, Big Momma knows how to take of you real guud. Thiccc gurl makes your opponent chill out whether they want to or not. My favorite card of the format, there are few cards right now that cleanly answer her, and she can end the game real quick. Tempo loss when they do happen to immediately remove her can be real bad, but sometimes you just lose, its not her fault. Don't blame her, blame Direwolf Digital and their randomizer. Or yourself. Its never her fault. While Turn to Seed can be your best friend, it can also ruin your whole day. Fortunately its not an issue against Praxis decks. She has earned her place in Rhoxy's Pen as an honorable Rhino. Truly the highest aware available.

Power Base
There's not too much I want for when it comes to the power base. Its pretty relaxed, only needing FFPP, the Seats and Insignias make it pretty simple. Only things to keep in mind are what influence you need for the cards in your hand, and what influence you need for the cards you'd like to play in the next couple turns. You'll have to decide when its appropriate to Pledge allegiance to the Tattoo Dragon, it happens often enough. Generally I don't like decimating if I need to keep my power up for the bigger units, but later on it can be super relevant, generating a lot of advantage with Tattoo Dragon, giving you threats/blockers, and keeping you alive until you can get to the bigger stuff. If you're at 4/5 power and you're not under pressure from the opponent/don't have anything else you need to do immediately, you're fine making a new unit friend for you dragon pals.

Market
Backlash
Edict of Linrei
Edict of Shavka
Provoke the Dragons
Draconic Ire

I won't go into too much detail here because they're there for you to use as you need, and I'm ready to go take care of other stuff tonight.

Backlash is a nice little sneak attack when you've got 3 power up and want to make your opponent feel bad. Also provides the potential to ruin your opponent's attempt at removal, keep them out of their market, or push through your attack. At the moment, the damage is more relevant than Unseal hitting curses, since if you're not ready for the curse the second they play it, you can't do anything about it anyway. With the biggest one being Permafrost, its unlikely you'll be able to answer it early so Backlash just casts a wider net.

Edicts are good to remove units of their specifc targeted factions, as well as removing a unit's Aegis should you need to. Edict of Linrei has a parallel function of just stunning a unit to get through the last few points of damage you need. This deck is already pretty well set up against aggro and Edict of Shavka helps shore up your removal options against opposing Primal midrange decks (which happened to be the majority of my losses in my Qualifier Stage 1). It is important to keep it in mind because I definitely didn't, and may have lost some games because of it. If x/2s become more popular, changing Edict of Shavka for Lightning Storm would be fine, but at the moment that really only serves to clear the board if your opponent ends up with a bunch of seeds early on.

Provoke the Dragons I wasn't sure about until I played with it. Sometimes your opponent is thinking "I really need to draw something in the next couple of turns or I'm dead" and then all of a sudden you slap down this bad boy and they no longer have a couple of turns, they're just dead. Can remove a unit or hit face for the last bit of damage. Berserk on your dragons is way better than I was expecting it to be.

Draconic Ire is an all-star. If you have the chance to use it, you probably should use it. Gets rid of Marionette Cross, Permafrost, Eremot's transformation, and I suppose in the Relic/Armory Matchups (which I never saw in my Stage 1) it can hit plenty of relevant targets.