“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack”

community, few debates spark as much playful rivalry as the  one over the greatness of wolves

 recently, community member Kiel Wilson is determined to bring wolves back into the spotlight. As the organizer of the upcoming

 circuit kicking off on March 22nd at Mythic Forge Gaming, he has been busy planning for the launch of his upcoming event. However, he took a moment to step away from his planning to share his insights on the 

 deck archetype and to make his case for why wolves are indeed the superior beasts in the realm.

If you’ve attended community events last year, you’ve likely run into Kiel, known as Ras al Gul on the 

 organizing events, or running his Youtube Channel 

, if there’s fun to be had, you’ll find Kiel involved.

Shortly after the Kickstarter, Kiel dove headfirst into 

and has worked tirelessly to grow the community in the Metro Detroit area, working with local game stores, organizing events, and building a robust singles inventory. 

, which he describes as “a community circuit dedicated to LGS play, road trips, community growth, artist spotlights and exciting prizes.”  Find out more about the first event in Kiel's 

 started as a learning deck. The aim was to build a very simple drive deck full of Ordinaries and a limited number of Elites and Exceptionals. The 

 is an amazing Avatar to teach with, as if you build your deck around only single threshold requirements, it is impossible for threshold misplays to happen.

in play on turn 3, having 3 wolves being able to attack. Because 

 that is nearby, that usually looks like 15 to 18 damage. From there, you get your opponent to Death’s Door on turn 4 and finish with a wolf, 

on Turn 5. The concept is very simple, but very fun.

What are some of the Key Cards in the deck?

 as your Avatar alongside full allotments of Towers, 

, make the likelihood of playing a first turn wolf, as well as two more on the 2nd turn much more likely. On the third turn, you’re ideally playing your 4th and 5th, if not 6th wolf!

There are few key cards to counter specific meta threats. 

 to help build up the pack in the midgame. Currently, I’m incorporating 

 to remove 1 power minions or other weak blockers. But there is plenty of room to explore and build off and explore, perhaps including 

Ultimately, this deck is a blast to pilot. I highly recommend this deck in any player’s learn-to-play arsenal as it teaches and really reinforces the concepts of nearby, move and attack, and overall tactical positioning!

What are Some of Your Favorite Tactics to Use with this Deck?

There are no combos that are required for this deck to work. That being said, in addition to the wolves, we do have 18 other cards in our Spellbook. 

and 14 Ordinaries that only cost 1 threshold.  

to grab the right tool for supporting your wolves as they swarm down from your sites, howling and running (hopefully at a pesky frog player's minions!). This might be offensive, snagging a 

 to finish off an opponent on Death’s Door, or defensive to get an 

 on the board to protect against mass removal like 

Grandmaster's Note: Yes, Bury, Drown, Chaos Twister, etc., are movement effects!”)

What Are the Deck’s Strengths and Weaknesses?

This deck is so much fun to play. When it works, the games can be wildly fast and you will find plenty of people that want to beat it. It obviously has a huge weakness to 

though, I recently played a game against Rudeasaurus at the tournament at 

 in Ohio. I had three wolves in the Realm on Turn 2. He played 

and removed 29 wolves from the game! But… I was still able to win the game!

Additionally, by Turn 4 or 5 you’ll have no cards in hand and are drawing 1 spell per turn. It’s a bit of an all or nothing strategy. I’ve experimented with 

 as a solution to this, but the benefits come mainly in mid-to-late game rather than helping double down on getting an overwhelming start.

I can’t emphasize enough how fun this deck is to play, and there are a lot of variations you can build of it. Who knows what the future holds for the “Pack”? I can tell you what it doesn’t hold… losing to Frogs!

 deck building depth - simple to learn, rewarding to master, and packed with thematic flavor. We’d love to see your take on the 

Elementalist Grey Wolves Deck Spotlight with Kiel Wilson

, our aim is to have every card tell a story, brought to life through the hand-painted illustrations of some of the world's most talented traditional artists.

One standout example of this approach is 

 set, a stunning piece that captures the transformation of a young squire, masterfully illustrated by 

Today, Lindsey shares her insights into the creative process behind this compelling illustration, one of many unforgettable pieces waiting to be discovered in the Contested Realm.

A Creative Process Rooted in Storytelling

For Lindsey, every illustration begins with research. “The more I research, the more meaningful details I can put into a piece,” she explains. Her approach to 

 was no different, pulling inspiration from historical references, books, and popular media. Originally titled, 

, searching for a way to capture the emotional weight of the moment, she found herself thinking of the young, knock-kneed Arthur from Disney’s 

“I imagined a squire that was watching an assault on his beloved mentor, who was only just too far away to help. Finding his mentor where he was struck down, he picks up his helmet. His vow to take up the knight’s mantle and avenge him is solidified in that moment.”

Lindsey's creative process starts with thumbnail sketches, usually with pencil and paper, though sometimes she paints them. She's also been known to incorporate modern tools like 3D sculpting or even going so far as to stage elaborate photography scenes with models and props. Each technique offers a unique perspective, and Lindsey’s skillset affords her the ability to adapt her approach for each new challenge.

After finalizing the concept and receiving feedback from Erik Olofsson, 

 founder and creative director, Lindsey refines her idea into a digital mockup. This serves as a blueprint for her final oil painting, where her skill and craftsmanship truly shine.


 comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when working with a vertical composition.  “It can be hard sometimes getting the vertical composition to work well,” Lindsey notes. While 

 Atlas cards provide ample space in their landscape format, 

is a Spellcard, requiring her to convey the emotional impact of the scene with a narrower frame. “Something needed to be avenged, and in this case, I want to hint at the fallen knight while bringing the main focus of the piece on the young squire, or heir," she explains.

But how to include both the fallen knight and the young heir without the composition losing its focus? Lindsey’s solution was to use a tree to frame the scene, guiding the viewer’s eye upward. “I think we all subconsciously store imagery in our heads from our favorite books and movies,” she reflects. For her, that meant challenging echoes of Boromir’s dramatic farewell in 

, we're honored to have artists of Lindsey's caliber shaping 

.  Join us in celebrating our artists  in the 

To discover more about the incredible talent behind 

, explore our full roster of artists on the 

Artist Spotlight: Lindsey Crummett and the Making of Vengeful Heir

Yesterday, you witnessed epic gameplay featuring the Beta Preconstructed Decks from 

 will guide us through Avatar-specific deck techs followed by head-to-head Beta Constructed gameplay. Boasting a wealth of game knowledge, through their videos they offer insights into constructed gameplay environments for 

Start by watching Jesse and Haine's Beta Avatar-specific Deck Tech videos. Then, see how their constructed decks perform in a head-to-head match from their respective perspectives.


Now that you've seen Jesse and Haine build their decks for Constructed Play, see how the Elementalist Avatars match up in a battle from two different perspectives.  Make sure to watch both to gain a deeper understanding of the strategies and decision-making behind these skilled players!

Beta Avatars in Constructed Play

Part 1: Building the Decks

Geomancer Constructed Deck Tech

Flamecaller Deck Tech:

Part 2: Gameplay

More Articles

Elementalist Grey Wolves Deck Spotlight with Kiel Wilson

Artist Spotlight: Lindsey Crummett and the Making of Vengeful Heir