Everyone has a favorite card in Sorcery: Contested Realm.
Perhaps it’s the Death Dealer, with its board-wiping Genesis ability, or maybe the site-destroying potential of the Lord of the Void is more your style. In Sorcery, these dramatic cards are kept in check by a rarity system (Unique, Elite, Exceptional, Ordinary). This helps maintain balance and prevent things from getting... out of hand.
But what if there was a card that ignored rarity?
Enter the Grey Wolves. With their card text overriding the usual deckbuilding restrictions, Grey Wolves open up the potential for some very atypical decks - all while featuring the art of TCG legend Melissa A. Benson. What's not to like?!
If you've ever considered running a Grey Wolves deck, but weren't sure where to start, this week's community deck spotlight is for you. We caught up with, Kevin, aka “HUNK” to learn more about his “Wolves Gang!” deck.
You can view Kevin's full deck list on Sorcery TCG's official deck-building site Curiosa.io here: Wolf Gang
Deck Inspiration: What inspired you to create this deck? What theme or concept behind this deck makes it stand out?
Kevin: Each of us has had that moment where we're pondering, "What am I going to play?" For me, that question wasn't a big deal! Once I saw the "Grey Wolves" card, I chuckled to my friends and said, "That sounds like a lot of fun!" I believe many players felt the same way—seeing the pack and immediately falling in love. What was the reaction of my first opponent upon seeing a Wolf on the field? Well, obviously: "Okay, I'm fighting a Wolf Deck!" Those Decks can't hide; your opponent knows who you are, and that's where you really have to learn how to handle your pets. My first Wolf Deck was bad…but we'll discuss this later.
Key Card Choices: Tell us about some of the key cards in your deck and why you included them.
Kevin: There are two big mistakes you can make: either building a Deck with only wolves or one with too few. If we decide to build a Wolf deck, we should consider what we have and don't have.
Looking at my list, the Deck seems pretty boring, doesn't it? But when you play it, you'll notice how much card draw power you can generate. It really hits your enemy with a big hammer!
We know we need a lot of them to profit from their effect, and since we know they are cheap, we need card draw. Playing the Sorcerer is the best choice; once you hit your mana goal, you can double draw per turn. We also have fewer cards in hand than our opponent; this is where I want to introduce the queen of our gang, the Queen of Midland! Drawing another card on the turn of our opponent can lead to a "3 Wolves per turn" combo.
Kevin: Another important thing is movement. Our Wolves aren't good on foot; chasing the enemy Avatar and being unable to catch them can be embarrassing! My first Wolf Deck was bad. In my first-ever fight against my brother, I was running after the Avatar of Air and couldn't bite him! Sadly, I lost…but thanks to the potential of placement in the Realm, there are enough good choices we can make; use whatever ends the game! Shuffling the field with an earthquake, hitting the enemy with a lightning bolt, or simply using a Blink—be creative! Everyone's taste is different, so use whatever you feel comfortable with.
For the last part, I knew I needed removal. Yeah, sure, our Gang is incredibly strong and literally can destroy everything in its path, but there are things we can't hit or reach. Minions hitting from the back, airborne Minions, annoying like mosquitoes, spellcasters hiding on sites—Bury is a great Magic to get rid of these things. You will realize that most units out there with burrow have only 3 or less power, so I highly recommend Lightning Bolt.
Learn how to choose the sites you want to use. Just because you play Earth doesn't mean you can't use, for example, Fire sites! Remember, we only have to hit the threshold cost of our Deck; once this is done, we can play sites as we like.
Kevin has made some minor "upgrades" to his wolf deck.
Playstyle Tips: What's the recommended playstyle for this deck? Are there any specific strategies or combos that players should be aware of when using it?
Kevin: Oh well, well, you think Wolves are easy to tame? Silly me, I thought this too! The first time I played this deck, I panicked and didn't even know where or when to play my sharp-toothed friends.
It turns out you really have to think! Playing all in one spot can lead to a lethal blow through many magics and abilities! Losing a Wolf means the others are getting weaker. Every Wolf benefits from a nearby Wolf. Scatter them around, and build a ladder to your opponent! It's unnecessary to group them on a single site; let them invade the Realm!
It is important to note that we only need 3 Wolves to hit for 9(!) damage per round. Sure, a Wolf can't attack on the play, but it strengthens every friend! Calculate every round how many Wolves you really need for the next turn; there can definitely be a point where you have enough. Nothing is more sad than losing every one of them because of mass removal. Sometimes you need 7, sometimes only 4. Make early pressure,and don't be afraid of a single Spectral Stalker hitting your Avatar. Constantly hitting the opponent is key; we don't play the long game!
You want to start the game for sure; speed is our goal. Throw away every Wolf from your starting hand; we draw enough over time. We want to see stuff that gives us mana and acceleration. Look out for a Windmill; they are great for our threshold goal!
Matchup Insights: How does your deck perform against popular archetypes in the game? Are there any particular matchups where it excels or struggles?
Kevin: Wolves are very fast; if your enemy isn't, you win. One problem is mass removal because most of our power lies on the field, not in hand. Aggro Fire decks can be tricky; they are shooting all over the place, and if you can't build up a Gang, you have a hard time.
Can you keep a secret? The only thing a Wolf is afraid of is Death itself. Pretty poetic, don't you think? Seriously, once you see a Grim Reaper, kill it, but don't touch it! This thing is our true and only nightmare! If he touches a Wolf, it's over. And you know what? It's okay. There is not a single Deck out there that can handle every problem of the Realm, and this is what makes it so interesting and fun. We still build new Decks and try different things! There is no such thing as a perfect Deck; the only important thing is if we had fun. Even throwing out all of my beloved Wolves from my deck because of the Grim gives me a little smile on my face.
Join the Pack
Check out Kevin’s in-depth primer for more tips on how to successfully pilot this deck and leave him a comment on Curiosa.io!
We’d love to hear about the decks you are building in Sorcery: Contested Realm, share your decks in the Sorcery: Contested Realm Facebook group and join the Sorcery Discord community.
