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Mono Shadow Gauntlet Grinder (Dark Frontier)

Gauntlet Deck By
FallenChameleon

+15

Cost Curve

Type

Faction

Information

This is the first deck that I have found to be both fast and very consistent at Masters gauntlet post Dark Frontier.

Spells:

3x Dark Return - Get your best unit back, and synergizes with Blackhall Warleader.

4x Spiteful Strike - An excellent combat trick, helps race against aggro and blow out multi blocks by the AI. You will sometimes win otherwise losing games just thanks to using this as a lifegain spell. You can trick the AI go wide decks by using this defensively on a blocker. Very versatile card.

4x Cabal Standard - One of the benefits of being mono shadow, we run very few depleted power so can run a full complement of this excellent combat trick.

2x Suffocate - Aggro decks are a thing, as are 1/4 endurance flying lifesteal multifaction 4 drops.

3x Annihilate - Solid two cost, fast removal.

4x Desecrate - Two cost removal that can hit multifaction units like Reality Warden. The life loss is almost always offset by the lifesteal this deck has.

4x Vara's Favor - Kills so many x/1s. You can also do things like attack with an Argenport Instigator into a 4/4 Champion of Wisdom and trade off before it becomes a 6/6 flying that your Annihilate in hand can't deal with. Pops Aegis.

4x Cull the Deck - Play this card as late as possible when you are trying to dig for a specific answer or a threat late. Helps a ton with consistency.

Units:

4x Argenport Instigator - Perhaps the best two drop in the game for gauntlet considering all the go wide decks and the amount of damage this can deal when the AI attempts a multiblock. Great statline.

4x Blackhall Warleader - Another excellent two drop that scales well if unanswered and synergizes well with Dark Return. I usually try to play Warleader before Instigator if I have both in the opening hand, but this depends on board state of course,

4x Rhysta, Acantha's Herald - This may actually be the best card in the deck. While lousy against aggro (can't block), she is often able to pressure well with at least one hit, and the AI will trade off cards like Twinbrood Sauropod. Getting power number four on time as often as possible is great, as we want to ideally start curving into our powerful late game threats. Late game, the Shadow sigil can be market fodder.

4x Vara, Vengeance-Seeker - Fairly compelling reason to play a Shadow deck, no explanation needed.

2x Shadowlands Tyrant - Fantastic Gauntlet five drop, it can pick apart a board state and help you come back from behind against aggro. We have another copy in the market.

4x Tasbu, the Forbidden - We run a total of six five drops. Tasbu has all 4 in the main to maximize the chance of getting that sweet warp value. The card is pretty good, and can help you grind out the AI.

4x Kerendon Merchant - The 1 health is unfortunate, but deadly is a relevant keyword against the AI midrange decks, and markets are good.

Market:

Shadow Sigil - We don't want to miss power drops against the AI, that's the main way this deck loses.

Madness - This card can be game winning if you grab a big blocker, particularly if it happened to have lifesteal. You can also sometimes trick the AI into blocking its own unit for a nice two for one.

Nullblade - Occasionally you grab it to smash face, but it's mostly used for pests like Silverwing Familiar and Inquisitor Makto

Shadowlands Tyrant - Explained earlier, the card is just great.

Lethrai Provocateur - Probably a flex slot, this is a card that is great against Armory and Foregemasters and if you are really lacking for a turn four play. But it's by far the least common market pull.

Powerbase :

The only other card that needs explanation is Amethyst Waystone. Basically, this helps us hit our 5th power on time, and because our deck is better optimized than the AI decks, having both players draw an extra card will be favorable for us over the long term. Against the AI nightfall deck, it can be a bit unfortunate, but that deck is able to keep nightfall going so consistently anyway that the drawback hardly matters.

I also don't run the warp power card because it reduces the chance of hitting Tasbu on five, but this decision may or may not be correct. My results are below:

Results:
Minions of Shadow
Argenport Shootout
Unseen Masters
The Strangers
Merciless Stonescar
Rebel Forces
Power of Progress (Loss)
(6 win)

Relentless Onslaught
War Scavengers
Arcane Might
Harsh Elements
Apex Predators
Shields of Order
Limitless Possibilities
(7 win)

Grenadin Revolt
Merciless Stonescar
Students of Time
Elemental Mastery
Harsh Elements
The Enlightened
Defender of the Spire (Loss)
(6 win)

Unseen Masters
Kosul Heroes (Loss - stuck on 2 for 6 turns, on the draw no less, with Rhysta in opening hand.)
(1 win)

Forgemasters
Blackhall Bullies
Unseen Masters
Heart of the Vault
Airborn Assault
The Enlightened
Highly Skilled
(7 win)

Blackhall Bullies
Elvish Raiders
Airborn Assault
Tales of Elysia
Winds of Destiny
Chilling Touch
Sudden Death (Loss)
(6 win)

Airborn Assault
Arcane Might
Kosul Heroes
Hiding in Darkness
The Great Armory
Rising Up
Limitless Possibilities
(7 win)

Chaotic Rage
Minions of Shadow
Skycrag Blitz
Army of Justice
Best Served Cold
The Enlightened
Company of Exiles
(7 win)

Kosul Heroes
Strength in Numbers
Arcane Might
Unseen Masters
Primal Fury
Midnight Storm
Highly Skilled
(7 win)

Details

Shiftstone Cost
Does not include campaign cost
53,550

Premium Cost
245,600

Influence Requirements
5

Power Sources
26

Power Calculator
Shiftstoned Icon View Deck on Shiftstoned

Deck Rarities
11 22 12 17

Card Types
28 1 25 0 26

Contains Cards From Campaigns
Into Shadow [Set1004]
Homecoming [Set1005]

Archetype
Midrange

Added
May 14, 2019

Views
5,166

Eternal Version
Dark Frontier

BBCode For Comments

Deck URL

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Comments

Alakazam Eternal Version: 1.46.6
Love this Deck! Except of 2 Losses in game 1 and 2 I have beaten the Gauntlet Boss 7 Times now. Really fun to play and very consistent. Great Job Sir
LichL Eternal Version: 1.46.3
I'm loving this deck. I own very few of these legendaries, so I've had to make some substitutions. Marionette cross seems pretty good here, thoughts?
FallenChameleon Eternal Version: 1.46.3
You could try Cross in place of Rhysta, and maybe run Umbren Reaper for the legendary cards you are missing.
HerculePoivrot Edited Eternal Version: 1.46.3
Hi FallenChamaleon,

I was going to build something similar, but I trust that your list is pretty good so I will give it a shot (athough I have 0 Tasbu and this is gonna hurt). I am just curious on one thing : why not running any Seal of Devotion ?
I guess it would hurt the consistency slightly, but the 2 power hand with 2 seal will be very very rare, and it gives you extra draws quite consistently when you can warp them. Is Tasbu the only reason behind this choice ?
FallenChameleon Eternal Version: 1.46.3
Yeah, wanting to have Tasbu on 5 with warp (potentially) the highest percent of the time is the reasoning. It's possible that Seal is still correct, and is worth testing.
Gravekper Eternal Version: 1.46.3
Thanks for the nice list. The deck is very solid, and fast enough. Not as fast enough as aggro decks, but way more stable than most aggro builds because this deck have decent lategame plans.
As a 5th slot of market(instead of Lethrai Provocateur), I think it would be nice to put a card for power-flood situations. Such as Vara, Fate-Touched or Dizo's Office.
FallenChameleon Eternal Version: 1.46.3
Both are possible additions. You could also try Zelia (see profmonkey's comment below).
profmonkeys Eternal Version: 1.46.3
This deck has been working very well for me, but I have made a few tweaks that make it feel better.
I dropped 1 Spiteful Strike and 1 Tasbu for 2 Ripknife Assassin. This makes it feel easier to get in control of the game and not feel like I am on the back foot until I can find my big threats. The AI is overly respectful of deadly, so the Assassins are really useful for manipulating the AI.
From the market, I really like the Madness and the Nullblade, but have felt underwhelmed by everything else. As such, I slotted in Zelia to break board stalls and help counteract the tendency to flood out in the late game. I also added In Cold Blood to provide an unconditional removal option in the market. I am uncertain about the last market slot, but I am currently trying out Livia and feel like she is working out pretty well.
Epsilon Eternal Version: 1.46.2
Absolutely loving this deck. I was a little hesitant about crafting Tasbu but I love Mono Shadow so I think it's definitely worth it. This set definitely brought some great tools to the archetype. Spiteful Strike is absolutely fantastic in Gauntlet. It's like the Shadow Finest Hour I've always wanted. Blowing out an enemy fatty by casting it on a Tyrant is just SO satisfying. This one really has legs, I think.
Epsilon Eternal Version: 1.46.3
Yeah, after playing a few more games, this deck is terrific. It's capable of winning some games very quickly with insane Blackhall Warleader starts (it's kind of ludicrous how often the AI will let that card snowball), and it's incredibly resilient in longer games because of the healthy amount of Lifesteal, Deadly, combat tricks, and even more value than usual from Dark Return.

The only game I've lost so far was a completely preposterous power flood against Rakano Warfare. I had two Rhystas, a few power, and a few removal spells; got down both Rhystas and got like 10 Warcries off of them but did not ever draw a unit for the entire 9 turn game. Had to burn two removal spells to kill an Aegis flyer and still only lost because they topdecked a Peacekeeper Prod which denied me lethal on the backswing. That was one of those games that proves how effective a Gauntlet deck is. If it takes drawing THAT poorly to still barely lose a game where the AI basically drew the nuts, it's a superb deck. Well done!
FallenChameleon Eternal Version: 1.46.3
Glad to hear it's working for you!