The Holy Trinity of Stonescar

Sorry if the words aren’t adequate, my english is very primitive and I write with the help of Google Translator. Anyway, I decided to encourage myself to write because I considered that deck was going to give them a lot of fun.

Attention, wall of text incoming.

Well, I’m playing this deck for some months. When “Into Night” comes out, put my eyes in Vara. Vara is amazing, and add some help against “aegis” decks (example: hooru students).
My results (which were already good) improved, and this is related to the synergy between these three cards: Statuary Maiden, Vicious Highwayman and Vara, Vengeance-Seeker. They complement each other very well and allow you to adapt to practically any situation, it feels very consistent.
In addition, gauntlet runs are relatively fast. Not as fast as some of the decks that post here, but it gave me better results against bosses. And this is the main reason why I keep playing, because this deck gets very good results against Gauntlet bosses (in my humble experience, of course). For the same reason, I share the deck with you.

As you probably know, some bosses appear more than others. Thinking of a deck that can adapt to those rules that are seen most often is an approach that can make you win more games

The Holy Trinity explanation:

Statuary Maiden: AI doesn’t understand how it works. For this reason, you can abuse it. AI is afraid to attack units that have the Deadly ability, so they will stop immediately. At that time, you will use a large assortment of Spells, resulting in dead enemies and many Stone Cudgels, which you will skillfully place in your units. Sounds easy.

Vicious Highwayman: He’s very explosive. You can use it to kill a unit, with Maiden in the field it even generates value. Kill units activate his quickdraw ability, and allow you to attack without fear to lose it. While you clear your path, you have power to lead all of your attacks.

Vara, Vengeance-Seeker: Vara is good at everything she does, also AI makes weird decisions against her. This is another behavior that you will have to learn for abuse AI. I always have the feeling that, no matter what the AI chooses, I will benefit from it.

How can I play this deck?

1)“Aggro mode”: Play as an aggro deck, curving well and making good decisions.
2)“Play safe”: Place one Statuary maiden. Kill everything. Collect Stone Cudgets. Attack with whomever you like. Easy Win.

The option you choose will depend on the deck you face and the safety you have when playing aggressively. Generally, I look for a balance: if I can summon Statuary Maiden, I do it. If I can’t, I play aggressively. If I run out of "fuel", I try to hold on with Maiden or Vara, until I recover. In any case, it is a matter of how much I am willing to take that run.

Now I proceed to explain one by one the inclusions in the deck:

3 Combust: It allows you to sacrifice a unit of lower value to destroy an enemy unit that bothers you, while you generate a Stone Cudgel and activate Vicious Highwayman. [MarketIntensifies] 10/10
2 Grenadin Drone: They serve as blockers in early game, or flesh for Combust later. You can even consider attacking with them. Very useful, but only two, don’t get excited.
3 Suffocate: Kill a lot of things in early game, and then too.
4 Torch: This card doesn’t need explanation.
4 Annihilate: Four? Yes.
4 Quarry: Smoothes the card draws and also reduces costs, great card.
4 Ripknife Assassin: Good attacker, better blocker. AI won’t attack thanks to deadly, or will lose a valuable unit in the attempt. It’s also a Warcry unit. Ripknife Assassin > Argenport Instigator.
3 Vara's Favor: I feel comfortable playing three copies, it helps you get the second influence of Shadow. It’s a good card.
2 Auric Interrogator: I only include two copies because he isn’t a great attacker (compared to his teammates…) and he dies to many things, but when you activate him (Stone cudgels or warcry), he helps you a lot. If you don’t care about card draw, you can cut it.
4 Champion of Chaos: This card is still very broken, imagine that you add some of Stone Cudgels.
4 Ixtun Merchant: Market + Overwhelm, I can’t ask for more. And if you have Stone Cudgels ...
2 In Cold Blood: Controversy here. It's slow and it costs too much, but it ruins Justice's decks. In particular, I'm relieved to have a copy on hand. So that's why I included two. It is necessary to learn how to use it, but it is worth it.
4 Statuary Maiden: One of the best value engines, becomes more decisive with each turn that survives. Can you play less than four copies? Yes, but with each copy that you remove, you will play less secure. It’s slow to include in the market, I don’t recommend it.
If she doesn’t come out, play without her. In most games, you should be fine. In the others, for when you bring it from the market, it will be late.
4 Vara, Vengeance-Seeker: Whether she's a 3/4 or a 5/6 (+ deadly), she's always a threat that bothers the AI a lot. She’s the least important of the holy trinity, but that doesn’t mean that she isn’t important. The possibility of disabling all Aegis of the units allows you to use Spells more efficiently, and that is enhanced with the ability of Statuary Maiden.
3 Vicious Highwayman: The surprise factor plays a big role here. AI doesn’t know that you are going to play and attack immediately afterwards, so it doesn’t protect itself as it should. Also, with some Stone Cudgel, becomes unstoppable.

Power base: It’s quite conventional, but works fine.
5 Fire Sigil.
2 Shugo Standard. Very useful in mid and late game.
6 Shadow Sigil.
4 Crest of Chaos.
4 Seat of Chaos.
4 Stonescar Banner.

Market:

1 Bore: It’s very usefull.
1 Combust.
1 Cauldron Cookbook: This card is SO good. You won't need it much (probably use the market for Vicious Highwayman or Combust), but when you need it ...
1 Vicious Highwayman.
1 Flamestoker: Useful only when the game is too long or you want to play it safe. It is very slow, but it can be a little less if you manage to plan your game to get it out before the market and play it in turn six. Combust will thank you.

If you play as 1): seek Combust or Vicious Highwayman.
If you play as 2): seek Combust, Cauldron Cookbook of Flamestoker.

Although I'm still evaluating options, the market is one of the things I've experienced the most. The three key cards of this deck were here, and after many tests, I decided that only with Vicious Highwayman, I reached. Originally I used Jekk, Bounty Hunter and a banner, for more consistency. But when adding Vara on the deck, I made changes.
Jekk is very slow, and many times you can’t even activate his tribute. For the same reason, you can’t always influence in the board. I often played it and died the next turn, which was frustrating. It also generated other problems around the power curve, so for all this, I decided to cut it. Anyway, when he managed to attack and get Bad News, it was very satisfying.

Deck problems?

- Card draw: Partly solved thanks to Auric Interrogator and Cauldron Cookbook, before it worked worse.
- Hailstorm destroys you, luckily the AI only uses Lightning Storm (which should also worry you), at least I don’t remember decks with Hailstorm. But I could be wrong.
- Aegis units, partly solved thanks to Vara.

Other inclusions?

Cabal Tactic: For shugo standard, seems good.
Execute: Very good against all units, except those that have endurance.
Zuberi: It’s slow. Cost 4 and doesn’t have much synergy with the Holy Trinity. If I include this card, I have to check out Statuary Maiden. No, thanks.
Jawbone Greatsrowd: It’s ok, but cost 4. If you think more about a control deck, it might work. But I would have to cut to Vicious Highwayman. No, thanks.
Censari Brigand: I like it a lot, but isn’t as good as the other units of cost 3 against which it competes.
Impending Doom: Honestly, I don’t like it.
Bandit Queen: It isn’t deck approach, but maybe a copy on the market could work
Scraptank: Meh, only if I had more grenadins.
Jekk, Hunted Fugitive: Good but slower than Zuberi.
Shadow Merchant: He isn’t a good attacker, but he’s a good blocker. If you include it, you could change Flamestoker for In Cold Blood (and leave two free spaces on the deck).

Do you have a version to play ranked?

I was testing this deck a while ago, the results were pretty average. Hailstorm y stand together (hi Vara) they are big problems. Vicious Highwayman doesn’t feel strong enough to go through more defensive threats.

- Cut Auric Interrogator, add grenadins.
- Cut In Cold Blood, play Execute maybe.

I would need to keep trying, but I'm not very interested at the moment.


If you arrived here, I thank you sincerely.
Greetings, Maxi.