I want to start by saying that I don’t play any renfri decks, so this is entirely from the perspective of someone who has been playing against them in/around the pro rank. (So no, I’m not just defending renfri because I’m in love with toxic decks)
The thing I’ve personally hated about the past few flashy meta cards (GN, Sihil, Aerondight) was that they were both super powerful, they shaped a deck’s entire play style, and they forced a specific response. What made them frustrating was that every game felt the same (especially in the 3-1 ranks where people just spam whatever toxic deck will get them to pro). You can tell from the first card played what the general play order would be for the rest of the game and it took away the pressure to learn about different strategies/how to react to new or unusual play styles.
I actually think I love renfri because, even though some of the “curses” (really pushing the definition of curse here) are maybe a bit overpowered, I’ve seen more unique decks in this season than I have in months. And to beat a renfri deck, you don’t need to totally change your pacing (like with GN) or radically change your play style (like with Sihil). You just need an answer to whatever damage/boost it puts out. In a way I feel like renfri is a step in the right direction because while it’s definitively another “in most decks op neutral,” it’s one that allows for creative deck building and inspires creative responses.
Honestly I think a lot of people are hating on renfri because for the first time in months the game is actually rewarding creativity/making it harder for people to play the same exact card order every round without thinking.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/gwent/comments/w3z1zq/hot_take_renfri_isnt_bad/
