Metagame Minute: Pro Quest: Singapore, Week 2

Talk about riding the Lightning...

Week 2 of Pro Quest: Singapore is done and dusted, and Aurora hasn't hesitated to fill the gap left by Enigma. Now she's singing from the top, and it's looking like a very strong possibility that she will reach Living Legend next weekend. But fret not, all you Shock Frockers out there—a hero this iconic, fun, and powerful surely won't be gone for long...

As expected, Florian has bloomed into one of the best decks in the format, and will likely be contending with Nuu for the top spot. Players will now need to pivot away from the fast-paced Lightning race, and start building their decks for the long haul.

Enigma's absence has seen the resurgence of Jarl Vetreiði and a few of his Guardian pals, and of course, Kano is on the rise once more, looking to steal wins from the unsuspecting slow decks. Even ol' Dash is dusting off her Chambers—could this be the moment she finally crosses the finish line?

Let's take a look at some interesting winning decklists from week 2...

Jarl Vetreiði

With Enigma out of the way, Jarl has managed to reemerge, and will likely only grow in popularity as this metagame progresses. He stands to gain a lot from a slow format with tools like Count Your Blessings, but it's also his ability to neuter key pieces of equipment like Flick Knives, Grasp of the Arknight, and Fyendal's Spring Tunic, to name a few, that puts him in a strong position.

With Aurora on her way out, there will be opportunities for aggro decks like Cindra or Slippy to take up the mantle and this is where Jarl's Ice pool will come in handy. These red-heavy decks will struggle with Frostbites, especially when he's doing his best Iyslander impression by playing Blizzard while they have an empty equipment zone. Oaken Old, Felling of the Crown, or an old fashioned Command and Conquer—all of these stolen turns snowball and make it harder with each passing hand to surmount the sheer number of 0-for-4 defense reactions Jarl is walled up behind.

Dash, Inventor Extraordinaire

Dash's racecar appeared to have run out of steam inches before the finish line, and she's been patiently waiting for roadside assistance for quite some time. But with no Zen, Enigma, or Aurora—all decks with strong gameplans into her, she might just have a shot at that final push. If the metagame is slowing down and decks like Florian are king, Dash has a pretty good angle in just not attacking, depriving Florian of opportunities to decompose, while cycling through her deck to setup her Pistol items.

This control build is also very good into Guardian, even Jarl—as OG Dash has always been more opportunistic with her equipment, where her core strengths lie in her main deck. With a control build you aren't locked into Mechanologist cards, and can fit in all sorts of Generic tech for the matchups you expect to encounter. I'm a big fan of this build's use of Pummel alongside Command and Conquer and The Weakest Link. Dash enjoyers will need to be wary of Nuu, however, as she poses a very significant threat with Bonds of Agony ripping items, or even just shaving away the blues before Dash can lock it down. Perhaps we'll see Snag come into the sideboard?

Ira, Scarlet Revenger

It's a new era for a classic hero, and I'm loving the new direction our top chefs are taking her in. Breaking away from the old style of Kodachi math, this build uses Flick Knives and Blood Splattered Vest, then retrieving the Kodachis to swing with again, in order to push some very cool turns. Ira's ability gives you full flexibility on pushing breakpoints and threatening Mask of Momentum, allowing you to tailor each hand to be the exact thing your opponent doesn't want it to be.

Dual Threat is a standout card in this build, allowing you to attack with a Kodachi, increase the power of an attack action with go again and Ira's ability, then buff a second Kodachi, for insane value. At worst it's still a 3-defense yellow 0-cost you can pitch away. Ira is an interesting choice for the upcoming season—she might not be as explosive as her Draconic counterparts, but she can tailor her 2-cost 6-power lineup for any metagame, such as Erase Face for Aurora, Cindra, and Dash, or Wreck Havoc for the infinite 0-for-4 defense reaction fatigue decks. Threatening an on-hit for 7 with two cards is always good.

Congratulations to our second round of Pro Quest winners! You've earned the right to fight for the ultimate title at Pro Tour: Singapore later this year. Next week we will see if Aurora is taking an early vacation, or if she's got an encore up her Zap Clappers...