FPS Peaks (Top 25 Masters)

My take on FPS Peaks that I’ve been having lots of success with in high masters.

This deck was heavily inspired by Team Rankstar’s article here: https://teamrankstar.com/a-guide-to-fps-peaks/

Most of the cards and general strategy can be read there. I’ll call out my specific changes here:

Howling Peak Smuggler:
First, I really disliked the Vara + aegis unit tension. Jennev Merchant and Jotun Feast Caller really lose some of their luster with a Vara in play. Especially if you’re unfortunate enough to get your Vara permafrosted… I have been really impressed with Howling Peak Smuggler. Especially the combo with torrential downpour so I swapped them in for the howling peak smugglers.

Jotun Feast-Caller:
I found that I really disliked having my hand clogged with Feast Callers, They are pretty weak on curve body wise, and the influence requirements are not to be brushed over; However it’s still one of the most powerful things you can be doing in Primal and is an amazing mirror image target so I left it at 3 copies.

Statuary Maiden:
I’ve found Vicious Highwayman to be somewhat lackluster in a lot of the matchups. Statuary Maiden however, is very appealing. It turns off the entomb from Zal Chi, and can hold the fort against aggro. People often just don’t want to run their big beefy unit into her so it can buy you a lot of time. The cudgels it makes are excellent smuggler/strategize fodder as well.

Feeding Time:
I’ve cut the In Cold Blood for an extra Feeding Time. This card is another clean answer to Zal Chi.


The Market:
The market needed a hefty makeover from Tchamber5’s list since we’re using a smuggler not a merchant. I’ve really been lowering the average power cost of my markets since observing that
most of my losses with Howling Peak decks have been to opponents going under me or too wide, not over me. I’m not a big fan of Molot and Nakova out of the market just because it’s so damn expensive.

Torrential Downpour:
If you haven’t tried this card with Howling Peak Smuggler, do yourself a favor and try it out! It’s important because there have been a lot of go-wide strategies in high masters lately and it’s obviously good there, but it does so much more. It hits sites and players. Just the other day I killed an Auric Runehammer, a Regent’s Tomb, and a Red Canyon Smuggler off one downpour. I feel slightly bad sometimes since the opponent has to wait and watch you scout - just prolonging their feel bads.

Rain of Frogs:
This is one of my favorite cards out of the market and is my preferred weapon to fight in grindy value mirrors. My favorite targets are: Howling Peak, Zal Chi, Display of Ambition, Moonstone Vanguard, Jotun Feast-Caller, and sometimes Xo (though it’s not as powerful there because they have the treasure already). If your opponent has duplicates of the above in their hand - even better. But it can also randomly hose combo decks. As a guideline, if my opponent is trying to play a long game this is probably my first market grab.

Vicious Highwayman:
This is a swiss army knife market card. I don’t love it but I can’t find anything better that does what I want from the market. This card gives lifesteal which can pull you out of burn range against aggro opponents, races well, pops aegis, is an awesome answer to sites (that can’t be sabotaged). It’s almost never my first market grab, but I love having access to it in a variety of matchups. With this card your mileage may vary.

Kaleb’s Choice:
Attachment hate. Also gives you an insurance policy against Maul, and can randomly blow people out. This card really rewards you for knowing what is in your opponent’s deck. I’m not 100% sure it’s better than bore, but I like it.

Burn them All:
Another great card with Howling Peak smuggler. I use it first as a removal spell, and second as a burn spell. It being a fast spell is just gravy.