Hi Team,

This list was recently featured in an ExperienceShare video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szGfI2GYTuM. Go check it out and give Blake some love for the content!

Updated Deck List here: https://curiosa.io/decks/cm4ni87r300dhjv03krcnr2na?tab=view

Since AL, I have had a slight obsession with brewing Druid and solving this (OP) avatar. After MANY iterations, I have found this Avatar has the ability to pivot into most play styles that can attack the meta effectively. Let me know what you think in the comments!

With this testing I have landed on what I believe is the strongest druid list in this current meta, polarized with very fast (Which or Fury Road) and heavily controlling (Achimago) decks being viable.

I know what your thinking, "Wow this is a greedy threshold base." You are correct, however the inclusion of cards like Floodplain and Geyser the deck can operate very efficiently. Also, one of the MVP's of the set and deck, Pond allows a fluid path to play the larger Beast units without as much concern for threshold.

Strengths: This deck has the ability to out value the other faster decks, leveraging Tawny as the target of cards like Blaze and the source of Minor Explosions enables you to get 2 for 1 opponents unites, while also keeping pressure up to race down the control decks.

Weaknesses: Fire and Water offer NO aura hate (outside of Scorched Earth) this means impactful auras stick around. Generally you can out pace deck with aura strategies, but not always. This also mean no Monument hate either. This wouldn't have been a problem pre Archimago's rise to fame, but now we're seeing more and more Orbs. Luckily, you are able to capitalize on the orb as well, with double Shatter Strikes and Minor Explosions worst case.

A quick breakdown of each section of the deck and logic behind the card:

Auras:

• Jihad: Self explanatory. One of the most powerful fire cards ever printed. This card allows 5 power Monstrous Lions on turn 3 (off a pond or with a core).
• Atlantean Fate: Look at that, also one of the best cards ever printed. This primary function is to allow you to disrupt the Archimago's and other greedy threshold decks. It also provides a path to clear out popular problematic sites, like Free City, Pebbled Paths, and even Perilous Bridges.

Artifact:

*Before I get to into this section, I generally on principal run few artifacts, epically without access to Highland Princess. That being said, the advantage these can offer most points in the game make them tough not to run.*

• Aquamarine Core/ Ruby Core: Remember that greedy threshold we discussed? This help with that, while also works to curve out powerful threats like Monstrous Lion on turn 2 and Ashkelon Phoenix/ Panorama Manticore on turn 3. (via pond). Over all the deck has enough innate draw that these don't feel as heavy when in the mid to late game as generally you will have the ability to draw additional cards.
• Ring of Morrigan: IMO the strongest card in a vacuum ever printed, but particularly abusable in this deck. In conjunction with Drums, the ability to IG-88 your way through your opponents team while also gaining life is backbreaking to say the least.
• Pnakotic Manuscript: Drawing cards by sacrificing free units will always be good, but it also has a soft combo with Adept Illusionist.
• Drums of Doom: Surprisingly, I have been on the fence on this card since have played druid. In a slower, Earth/ Water iteration, this felt more like a liability as generally my units were bigger than theirs. However, I think the merit is there in this deck with the removal of Earth and inclusion of fire. the direct damage options fire presents, plus ring, PLUS the druid flip ability provide the triumvirate of justification to run this card. It helps claw back into games that didn't start out as hot, and with many of the bigger threats in this having airborne, it is that much harder for them to just throw something small into it for a advantageous trade.

Minions: There are a lot to go through here, so I'll try to be brief on the obvious points.

• Adept Illusionist: This was one of the final inclusions into the deck as I was searching for a good lower cost minion that also possessed synergy with the deck. Outside of being innately powerful on their own, their synergies with Pact with the Devil, Pnakotic Manuscript, Ruler of Thul and in edge cases The Lady of the Lake has shown them to fit in for that early minion spot that I was searching for.
• Vile Imp: 2 damage on entry, Kill spell with Drums. Takes out knights holding lances often and is just one of the best 2 drops in the game.
• Colicky Dragonettes: Kill spell with Drums and helps keep the pace up.
• Lugbog Cat: Amazing tempo play with Pond, can reach into opponents site with Floodplain. Solid beast.
• Morgana le Fay: Soooo much value with this card. Once you cast all the spells, attacking then sacrificing to Pact with Devil THEN resurrecting with lady of the lake = 1 spent card (Pact of the devil being the only card truly spent as lady of the lake shuffles back) for 9 cards of draw.
• Redcap Powries: Cheapest charge minion for the stats.
• Sir Agravaine: Self protecting unit that buffs Tawny's attacks. Has proven to be a huge problem is not answered with non-targeting damage. Enables one turn deaths doors with only a few minions striking the avatar. Amazing when comboed with Ruler of Thul, as you essentially double dip on the ruler buff every strike. Very underrated knight.
• The Lady of the Lake: Three threshold can be a bit of a concern. However, you are likely never wanting to play this on turn 3, or really turn 4 or 5. This is more of a tech card bringing back key mortals for surprise impact plays like Boudica.
• Boudicca: Buffs Tawny and can just be a sudden deaths door machine. Recursive with Lady of the Lake.
• Monstrous Lion: Has been one of the biggest standout cards. Combos with Pond, great target for Blaze and Guyer to be used as a kill spell on a body.
• Ruler of Thul: Similar role to Boudicca. Burst potential. Awesome surprise play with flipping Druid into Bruin then following that up on the next turn with a Ruler for 8 in their back row with the free unit in Bruin. Also recursive with Lady of the Lake.
• Sir Gaheris: Most likely to be cut. Decent Stats, and recessive with Lady, but has proven to just be lace delivery system in most cases. It does play well against many aggro decks, by being able to keep life parody and block which is nice.
• Ashkelon Phoenix: With the increase in fire's popularity, this card is an absolute menace. Able to be cheated out sooner with Pond, buffed by Jihad, innate evasion and protection with Airborne. This cards feels very good right now.
• Panorama Manticore: Similar role to Phoenix, early bruiser that is hard to deal with. Untaps regularly and trades well.
• Questing Beast: Also a Bruiser, awesome burst potential with attack from stealth and shatter strike.
• The Green Knight: Has been so impressive almost every time I play it. The card is often a 2 or 3 for 1, and can kill the opponent on their turn unless they can move out being nearby. ALSO recursive with Lady (Niche). Also, if you're running against something with a lot of chump blockers, this will eat the majority of them allowing you to actually get through some damage.

Magics: Fire has so many amazing magics abusable by Tawny and just deal with many of the problems for the deck.

• Geyser: Started out as a way to deal with Root Spider has quickly become one of my favorite cards. Providing airborne to these units increases their lethality dramatically allowing them to avoid many problematic defensive sites. Also is a good combo with Blaze as it really extends the range with + movement and the ability to fly nearby.
• Blaze: Amazing early game equalizer, deals with flooded board and helps attack into venerable sites. Often used on Tawny for the reach of the airborne.
• Minor Explosion: I started with 3 firebolts, however the prevalence of Morgana Le Fey ultimately had me consider this instead. The indiscriminate 3 damage has a higher ceiling and with the reach of Tawny, can easily be a 2 for 1.
• Infiltrate: Very good as always. One copy because it does feel bad if they are teched into removing stealth.
• Pact with the Devil: This has been one of my favorite cards. Combing with Tawny, Adept Illusionist, and Morgana (more niche) allows you to keep up with Sorcerer and Archimage in the mid the later game.
• Shatter Strike: With the prevalence of good held artifacts, this is absolutely necessary. Also, being able to flip druid into Bruin, and have Bruin Shatter an enemy for 4 out of nowhere can shift momentum heavily.

Sites: Only going to call out sites that play role other than producing mana and threshold.

• Floodplain: Always been one of my favorite due to its ability to allow you play more greedy with your threshold in Water, but also serves the purpose to kill root spider and other burrowed minions and to extend reach on Lugbog cat.
• Forge: Lances are good, Turn 1 giving tawny a lance can shut down early aggression.
• Pond: MVP site: So many beasts in the deck make a dramatically increased impact by coming out a turn earlier. Tower for beasts but better. Also amazing that with the prominence of earth still, being summoned onto a water site protects the beast you curved out from burry effects.