It’s been one week for the reason that launch of Disney Lorcana’s newest set, Ursula’s Return, and whereas a number of issues in regards to the meta will nonetheless take a while to resolve, there’s one deck that’s undeniably positioned to be a serious participant this season. Ruby/Sapphire Pawpsicle Management, or Pawp Patrol as I (and nearly nobody else) name it, was arguably the very best deck throughout the Into the Inklands meta, and Ursula’s Return has solely made it extra constant, extra versatile, and extra lethal. There’s no query what the very best deck is correct now. The query has develop into, can Pawpsicle Management be crushed?
There are fairly a couple of new additions in Ursula’s Return which have introduced the deck from one-of-the-best to borderline damaged. In Ruby, Pawpsicle Management advantages from Brawl, a three-cost motion that banishes a selected character with two energy or much less. This low-cost, inkable motion targets tons of top-tier meta-cards and offers Pawpsicle Management some early recreation removing instruments it was lacking earlier than.
Sisu, Daring Customer – an Evasive three-cost character that banishes a selected character with one Energy or much less – is one other nice early recreation removing instrument, and pairs completely with Sisu, Empowered Sibling, a Floodborn eight-cost character than banishes all opposing characters with two-strength or much less.
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Rounding out all this nice low-Energy removing is Ice Block, a brand new Sapphire merchandise that may be exerted to cut back a personality’s Energy by one. Not solely do that, Brawl, and the Sisus goal extra high-strength characters, however it additionally powers up Madame Medusa, The Boss, probably the most oppressive removing instrument within the meta at present.
There are much more choices to experiment with. Scuttle, Skilled on People makes discovering the deck’s key merchandise playing cards like Fishbone Quill, Fortunate Dime, and Pawpsicle simpler by growing your probability of hitting one. Ariel, Treasure Collector is a good Fortunate Dime goal that’s a lot tougher to take away than Belle, Unusual However Particular. Goofy, Tremendous Goof; Mulan, Elite Archer; The Queen, Diviner; and Medallion Weights all have potential for inclusion on this deck.
The New Pink Blue
The most important problem Ruby/Sapphire gamers face proper now is determining the right way to match the whole lot in, however that may not be as onerous because it sounds. In a German event this previous weekend, the profitable Ruby/Sapphire deck ran a staggering 20 uninkable playing cards.
Three out of the highest 4 decks in that event have been all Ruby/Sapphire. Seeing decks that have been already robust succeed early in a brand new meta is to be anticipated, however it’s troublesome to see how one can beat a deck that ramps rapidly and nearly completely performs playing cards that may take away your characters from the board, typically earlier than you will get any worth from them. What’s the reply to a deck that may get management rapidly and by no means let it go?
Ruby/Sapphire doesn’t have many weaknesses, however exploiting those it does have stands out as the key to beating it. It’s loaded up with removing instruments, however nearly all of them – excluding Maui, Hero to All and Maleficent, Monstrous Dragon – can solely select low-strength characters. Ice Block is included within the deck to offer it extra targets, however you may counter a number of Ruby/Sapphire management techniques just by enjoying high-Energy characters.
Whenever you take away Madame Medusa’s capacity, she’s only a 6-cost, uninkable 4/4 character that quests for one, which is a horrible stat line. A two-cost Gaston, Smug Hunter can take her out, and he’s not simple to take away both. Constructing a deck round characters with 4 Energy or extra hinders Ruby/Sapphire considerably.
Ruby And Sapphire Playing cards To Beat Ruby/Sapphire
You may additionally discover that the very best counter is to struggle hearth with hearth. Different decks with Ruby and Sapphire have solutions to Ruby/Sapphire’s recreation plan, like utilizing Lumiere, Fiery Buddy to boost the Energy of their characters to maintain them secure from Brawl, Sisu, and Madame Medusa. Sapphire gamers have entry to a number of Ward characters, which may’t be chosen by any of Ruby/Sapphire’s talents. This deck has so many characters and objects, that gamers are beginning to lower the variety of Be Ready they play to suit extra in. With out Be Ready, the deck can’t successfully cope with Ward.
If the meta narrows round Ruby/Sapphire, decks might want to use particular countermeasures to fight it. Metal gained entry to I Discover ‘Em, I Flatten ‘Em, a board wipe for objects that’s ineffective in a number of matchups, however can devastate Ruby/Sapphire decks if used on the proper time.
Characters with a 4/7 stat line are secure from each Madame Medusa and Maui, so playing cards like Chien-Po, Imperial Soldier’ Tik-Tok, Ever-Current Pursuer, and Ursula, Sea Witch Queen could seem gradual, however they’ve a greater probability of surviving than extra high-impact characters like Beast, Tragic Hero and Robin Hood, Champion of Sherwood Forest. Even the Fang Crossbow may very well be a viable instrument for eradicating the high-value dragons on this deck, Sisu and Maleficent, Monstrous Dragon.
It’s an unsure meta proper now, however the sooner you begin occupied with the right way to counter Ruby/Sapphire, the higher. Pawpsicle Management is a deck that ought to have died a hero final season, as a result of now it is lived lengthy sufficient to develop into the villain of the Ursula’s Return meta.
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