August Season Top 64 Qualifier Meta (Round of 16)

witcher triss merigold gwint

It's the last chance to get into a Gwent Open in 2022, so for one final time let's take a look at the tournament meta from this weekend. All decks can be found here.

Syndicate (16 total decks):

  • Lined Pockets Golden Nekker Poison (14)
    • w/Azar Javed (13)
    • w/Decree (13)
    • w/Maraal (13)
    • w/Shady Vendor (13)
    • w/Knickers (12)
    • w/Failed Experiment (10)
    • w/Townsfolk (10)
    • w/Salamandra Lackey (4)
    • w/Freak Show (2)
    • w/Slander (2)
    • w/Necromancy (2)
    • w/Matta+Alissa+Tome (1)
  • Off the Books Devotion Tributes (1)
  • Off the Books GN Poison(1)

Another qualifier, another clean sweep for Syndicate. Most players decided to go for single GN Crimes Poison again, with similar amounts of experimenting as we saw last week. Mya-Mon decided to go for double Golden Nekker instead, Bart went for the old Devotion Off the Books deck, and Puzzle.Express decided to combine the ideas a bit with a Golden Nekker Off the Books deck.

Nilfgaard (16 total decks):

  • Imprisonment Renfri Assimilate/Soldiers Hybrid (9)
    • w/Igni (9)
    • w/Braathens (8)
    • w/Mage Infiltrator (8)
    • w/Slave Infantry (8)
    • w/Imperial Diviner (7)
    • w/Slave Hunter (5)
    • w/Spotter (4)
    • w/Blightmaker + Mage Assassin (3)
    • w/Knickers (2)
    • w/Vilgefortz (2)
    • w/Pellar (2)
    • w/Ard Feainn Light Cavalry (2)
    • w/Traheaern (1)
    • w/Illusionist (1)
    • w/Crossbowmen (1)
  • Imprisonment Calveit Assimilate (1)
  • Double Cross Calveit Assimilate(4)
    • w/Bribery (3)
    • w/Runemage (3)
    • w/Yrden (2)
    • w/Mushy Truffle (2)
    • w/Traheaern (2)
    • w/Stefan Skellen (2)
    • w/Igni (1)
    • w/Vilgefortz (1)
    • w/Surrender (1)
    • w/War Council (1)
    • w/Heatwave (1)
  • Double Cross Renfri Assimilate/Soldiers Hybrid (1)
  • Double Cross Cultists (1)

Everyone also brought Nilfgaard, but there was certainly some differences in exactly what NG to bring. Renfri Assimilate remained the most popular, with Imprisonment becoming far and away the most popular leader for the deck. We saw a lot more non-Renfri Imprisonment decks, running Calveit and tactics and often a Stefan Skellen to proc assimilate multiple times. Finally, Mya-Mon decided to be spicy as usual and bring Cultists intead.

Scoia'tael (15 total decks):

  • Guerilla Tactics Harmony Saskia (10)
    • w/Cursed Scroll (9)
    • w/Simlas+Bountiful Harvest (5)
    • w/Simlas+Vanadain+Waylays (No Alissa) (2)
    • w/Simlas+Waylays (No Vanadain) (1)
    • w/Simlas+Lacerates+Malena (1)
    • w/Heatwave (9)
    • w/Water of Brokilon (6)
    • w/Dwarven Chariot (6)
    • w/Decree (3)
    • w/Pellar (3)
    • w/Igni (3)
    • w/Zoltan:Warrior (2)
    • w/Ida Emean (1)
  • Guerilla Tactics Renfri Midrange (2)
    • w/Igni (1)
    • w/Yrden (1)
  • Call of Harmony Saskia (2)
  • Guerilla Tactics Double Scenario (1)

Harmony is still the third most popular deck to bring. The Saskia version is now the most popular way to play Harmony, usually with Guerilla Tactics, and usually with some kind of Simlas play as well (though there were multiple choices for what to play off Simlas). Redrame decided to forgo Saskia in favor of the double scenario ST, and we also had a few players opt for a Renfri Midrange deck instead of Harmony.

Skellige (9 total decks):

  • Rage of the Sea GN Rain (3)
  • Rage of the Sea non-GN Rain (1)
  • Onslaught GN Pirates (2)
    • w/Tempest, Pellar, Holger (1)
    • w/Raiding Fleet, Dorregaray, Mardroeme (1)
  • Blaze of Glory Devotion Warriors (2)
  • Reckless Flurry GN Compass (1)

Skellige is probably the biggest surprise of the weekend for me, vaulting up from least played last week to having over half the players include it this time around. Four players opted for some form of rain deck, with most of them choosing the GN version of the deck. Two players (both of them finalists) brought GN Pirates, with some slight differences. There were two Devotion Warriors decks as well, and finally Redrame decided to play a slightly older GN Reckless Flurry deck.

Northern Realms (5 total decks):

  • Royal Inspiration Knights (5)
    • w/Yrden (2)
    • w/Heatwave (2)
    • w/Igni (1)

Knights, while certainly vulnerable to targeting, remains played in 5 players decks due to the sheer amount of points it can churn out. The main choice here is what tall punish to play – Igni, Heatwave, or Yrden.

Monsters (3 total decks):

  • Renfri Vampires (2)
    • w/Toad Prince (1)
    • w/Knickers (1)
  • Overwhelming Hunger Deathwish (1)

Rounding out the pack this time is Monsters, with only a couple Vampires players as well as a Deathwish Control deck from InNomineSatanas. The Vampires decks have now ditched Triss:Butt in favor of Roach/Maxii, and then the main difference in the decks is whether to go for more thinning with Knickers or more control with Toad Prince. The Deathwish deck does not run Succubuses, but rather plays for point and a bit of control with Aerondight, Manticore, Miruna, and Heatwave.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/gwent/comments/xhoh4e/august_season_top_64_qualifier_meta_round_of_16/

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