Even Screamins (Top 5 Masters)

Father Daughter Dance is back, baby.

Here's the situation: everyone in Gold III through Masters is running one of three decks:

1) Stonescar Mid
2) Hooru Sanctum
3) various flavors of Oops-I-Win combo

You can't go over Hooru Sanctum; it generates too much value. But you also can't really go under Stonescar; it's too efficient. And even if you could compete with both at a time, you'll inevitably run into some dorky combo deck that powers out a turn 2 Sword of the Sky King. What's a girl to do?

Generate recursive, evasive, charging threats with value stapled on, that's frickin' what. Are Flame Blast and Harsh Rule ruining your day? Scream. Can't get those last few points through an army of Emerald Incarnations? Scream. Just need to generate a few more cards to push through? SCREAM, BABY, SCREAM.

Haunting Scream strategies have needed a boost for a while, especially after Defiance entered the game to ruin our hopes of connecting with Gorgon Fanatic or Direwood Beastcaller.

Shh, shh: I know, it was a dark time. But it's all over now. Your new dad is here to help.

(Enter Evenhanded Golem, stage right.)

Golem helps bridge the deck to its late game without being completely blown out by cheap fast spells. And! Some bonus good news! You can now recur your card advantage endlessly via Memory Dredger! Get outta here, Torch! Everyone who loved you was wrong!

The rest of the threat suite is what you're used to: Rindra, Vara, Caiphus, and Sudden Schism to get more of their triggers (and for the Scream + Schism finishing move). Tamarys, Earthshaker helps the Oni Patrol matchup while giving you something to do with three power. It's very possible she would be better as a Black-Sky Harbinger, but season to your taste.

Assorted Tips

- Don't be afraid to use Decree as a discount Mug rather than going for full value! This is particularly true against Stonescar or a Hooru opponent who is visibly clutching Defiance.

- If you do manage to trigger the bonus effect against Hooru, prioritize hitting Svetya's Sanctum, their fast removal, and their Merchants (often in that order, but everything is contextual). Note, too, that a precombat Decree is an excellent way to break serve if they've just gone to the Market.

- Do not forget about Nullblade and Statuary Maiden in the Stonescar matchup! You can afford to send your Golems to the bin aggressively, but if your gameplan revolves around a Screaming Vara, you're likely in for a bad time.

- You will be tempted to increase the number of Memory Dredgers in the deck, because it is so, so sweet to rebuy your Golems. Do not give in to this temptation. Of the 20 Memory Dredgers I have played, exactly one (1) has lived long enough to rebuy a Golem. He is the weakest of your 4-drops in the early and midgame, when your opponent's answers are plentiful; reserve him for the later game, when he becomes a must-kill value generator.

- You can run this in Gauntlet with reasonable success, but you will always, always face Labyrinth Treasury (Units Cost 1 Less). Try to draw your Varas rather than your Golems and you should be okay.