The set is almost out and there is no telling what cards I am actually going to open. Probably not the ones I want on a limited budget but we will have to wait and see.

Until then I thought it would be fun to talk about what I think I want to put together using the new cards. I do not think there are really any new archetypes hiding in these cards like there have been with new set releases of the past. With Mortal Judgement we had a complete upheaveal of the game and the introduction of Anubians, Regen wild nature, Light aggro went to a whole new place with echo creatures being able to fill the board, and Deception getting a slew of power reducers that redefined what they could do as well. Lights Verdict did not introduce to many new archetypes so much as offered powerful new options, but the archetypes it introduced in Divine Coronet and Pyrrhic Knowledge decks were dominant to the point of needing a nerf.

Instead what I think we get in this set is a refinement of some other lagging strategies that may bring them new prominence and a seat in the meta. I personally love this over net new decks because it also affords older cards a chance to shine in ways they have not been able to do in the past.

I think this is the simplest deck to talk about but I also think it is the most important. Valka is in my estimation the most powerful card in the set, even if she is rather simple in effect. She is overstated, she is fast, and she both controls the board and potentially does damage the turn she comes down. With all that in mind I think the way to build Vikings may be to go for value with a chip damage theme, where everything you play helps to control the board and build up your board state but still puts life total pressure on your opponent.

• 2x Skollkin Valkyrie
• 2x Vanguard Axewoman
• 2x Leviathan Hunter
• 1x Munosian Infiltrator
• 2x Tavern Brawler
• 2x Warmonger Smith
• 2x Valka's Captain
• 2x Master Tactician
• 2x Thunder Caller
• 2x Deathsworn Raider
• 2x Blade of Styx
• 1x Oddi, Valka's Herald
• 1x Commander Pyros
• 1x Ulfgaar, Eater of Bears
• 2x Raid Reveler
• 2x Cunning Challenger
• 1x Sleigh Master Valka
• 1x Take the Reins

So you may be looking at this list and asking yourself why is card X not in here, and the reality is I do not think there is specifically one proper way to build this. With the build listed above I focused on controlling the board with blitz and protected while eschewing some of the more early explosive cards and plays like Foolhardy Berserker since they are also very glass cannon, all while trying to keep the mana costs as low as is reasonable to not have more than 2 in hand when Valka hits. I think there is merit in trying to build this a little more midrange, where you can utilize Out of it's Misery for both explosive starts and big threat game enders, but were I to build it that way I would want to lean on using more 1 drops plus Archangel Bruisers as OoiM targets.

This list is also notably only using 2 new cards, Valka and Take the Reins. Valka is self explanatory, Take the Reins I only went with 1 copy because it's a card I can see getting stuck in your hand when you need something else which can later hurt a big Valka play. It is the same reason I decided against including the shield over Blade of Styx and instead went with 5 cards that start with protected. Woodcutter Imp is the other big card for war form this set and I could easily imagine using it in this list, but the issue with it is if you are trying to vie for the board as opposed to going full on aggro it can be very dangerous. You really do not want to throw this down turn 2 just to make a trade that costs you 3 damage when a Tavern Brawler would have been better. Rest assured there are builds that will likely max out on all 3 of the new cards as just a full on aggro pile. Were I to try woodcutter imp I think I would cut the Deathsworn Raiders first.

Cunning Challenger is a card that surprised me a lot when I played it during the community challenges and while it does cost a lot for this list, the benefit you can get from it is well worth it. I have had plenty of games where it came down turn one and got like Ward and Hidden which ensured it would hit next turn, and then next turn had an option that included twin-strike or overkill. It swings way above it's cost and can easily snowball if not dealt with.

I included a single Munosian Infiltrator, a card that has taken a back seat since it's glory days, because Pyramid Warden is still a very real card that you can expect to see, along with guild enforcer. Other than that the deck is pretty straight forward. Play Vikings early and often, make positive trades, get chip damage and use hero power when you can to close out the match, and try to win before turn 7.

• 2x Guiding Light
• 2x Dryder Sailweaver
• 2x Vesper of Concession
• 2x Vexing Vicar
• 2x Devout Cleric
• 2x Illuminate Warrior
• 2x Exalted Hermit
• 2x Recovering sigil
• 1x Triumvirate Prophet
• 1x Forged in the light
• 2x Bright Mage
• 1x Lysanders Spear
• 2x Radiant Dawn
• 1x Kadmos, Son of Lysander
• 2x Highborn Knight
• 1x Sern, the Moderator
• 1x Merry Kadmos
• 1x Wrong Path
• 1x The Light Seeks the Truth

The game designers are very interested in making the chosen one work, so I think we should at least try it. Note this is not just a deck that takes every single card that mentions the chosen one and plays them, because some of those cards are just bad. At it's core this deck is still an aggressive midrange deck that can apply early and consistent pressure, and then ideally hit the chosen one early and often to just keep playing above scale creatures to the table. It is not impossible to turn one drop 2 copies of Illuminated Warrior/Devout Cleric on to the table to follow that up with a 4/3 armor 1 Exalted Hermit or Ward/Protected vicar and just start smashing and generating 2/2 every turn.

Even without the chosen one, this deck is still very much a good stuff deck. Lysander's spear can run away with games by itself, and all of your creatures are pretty good on their own. I included some choices over other because I favor playing native ward/protected over giving it to the chosen one because most of those cards are less than great.

I have also avoided using creatures I do not want to have chosen one like Humble Benefactor and Thaeric Extortionist, which also lead me not to run Empyrean Pacifist. I may change my mind on the Pacifist after testing. If you hit a lot of Anubians/Pyramid Wardens I would say Lights Levy is a better option that extortionist since you do not want to chosen one your 1/1 vanilla guy as much as you can avoid it, and I generally like a 2/2 over two 1/1s in situations where I am not getting other stat bonuses to them.

Of the new cards, I included Kadmos mostly against my better judgement but I do want to test it just to make sure I am correct. I just think 5 mana is too much, at 4 I would be a lot happier to run him. Guiding Light is a better card than I originally gave it credit for and I think it may be the thing that makes the deck work. I originally thought you would want to use the empowered version of it all the time but now that I have given it some more thought the 1 mana unempowered is actually more often than not better. Since the most expensive creature in our list is 5 mana (and that is kadmos and dropping him is realistic) it makes for a very good top deck in that once you hit 6 mana you know you can always cast whatever you draw the same turn and it is going to be big. If you have the time then empowering would be the correct play.

I did not include Thawed Heart because I am not some sort of monster, but also I think the deck can win those matches without. That being said it is easy enough to include it if the meta shifts that way, and if you are a monster.

There are surely plenty of other decks to play with in this new release, so I hope I can pull the stuff I need to try it all out, and I wish you all great luck in your pulls. Hopefully I'll be able to craft some new lists in the next few days to test out most of these new cards. If you like what you read here make sure to leave a free tip below, and post what you think it the comments!