Welcome to our new series, where we take a step back from the meta and explore some different brews players are cooking up. Criteria to qualify as an Off-Meta deck include:
- Decks not in the top meta
- Unique twists on an existing archetype
- Well known decks that fly under the radar (like Cerebro)
- Completely fresh idea
These decks are meant to be good enough to compete with, but may still struggle against the top meta performers. If you are looking to mix up the decks you are playing and want to try something new, you’ve come to the right place! Without further ado, let’s get into it!
A Fan Favorite
Who doesn’t love a good Cerebro deck? It offers a unique way to play the game, while also letting you experiment with forgotten cards. These decks frequently change what cards they run since OTAs can instantly force you to remove (or add) cards from your deck. Cerebro 2 and 3 frequently steal the show with their occasional appearances in the meta charts. This week, I want to highlight a lesser used deck, but featuring a fan favorite: Cerebro 4!
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Cerebro 4 is a tricky deck, as 4 Power cards are surprisingly very limited. With that said, this brew surprisingly works! The bit hitters in this deck are Sera, Ms. Marvel, and Klaw. Their ability to generate extra Power without Cerebro gives the deck the extra punch that it needs. Mysterio offers a way to hide which location will be your Cerebro target location, while also quickly giving Ms. Marvel targets if you need them. With Nocturne’s nerf to 4 Power, she makes for a good location control card. Combined with Cloak, you have the ability to swap 2 locations that may hurt your Cerebro.
As for other tech options, you have the mandatory Luke Cage to protect you from Power decreasing locations and the likes of Cassandra Nova. This deck also uses Shadow King as he serves a duel purpose: he can correct an unwanted Power buff to Cerebro still triggers, and he can cause massive Power swings by interacting with your opponent. You also have Leech at your disposal since his latest rework. This can help you slow down any big turn 6 plays your opponent was banking on.
Cerebro 4 doesn’t have many substitute cards avaliable due to the limited cards it has. You do have options like Hope Summers or Iron Man, but most other options simply don’t make sense in Cerebro. While we may get more options with future OTA and balance updates, this list has worked surprisingly well in the time I tested it.
The Combo Deck
If you’re feeling nostalgic, let’s take a trip back a few seasons ago to when Hela dominated the meta. Nearly every game you saw used Hela in some way. After her much needed nerf, she all but disappeared from the meta. While she isn’t the powerhouse she once was, she can still compete and surprise your opponent with a seemingly lost deck.
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This is Hela Tribunal. A combo deck that tries to use every card in your deck each game to win with one of 2 gameplans. Option 1, play Magik, Iron Man, Onslaught, and Tribunal for a big Multiplier! Jubilee or Iron Lad can offer extra points to multiply with. Option 2, use
Currently, the decks biggest adversaries are Alioth and Copycat. Alioth can make your Invisible Woman location useless. Copycat can steal a key card, while also giving your opponent intel on you early that your key card is missing. Outside of these 2 cards, this deck is still very capable of popping off and creating some exciting moments!
The Reactive Deck
Tired of wishing you had that one tech card when you needed it? Want a way to have every counter you could need in one deck? I have just the thing. This is Sera Control, a classic list that has all but vanished in the meta. Not only has the deck performed well, it has lots of new tools available that push it into a new level.
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Sera Control is a deck that wants to win by simply making your opponent lose. You bring every tech card you can into one deck: Mobius, Killmonger, Shang-Chi, Enchantress, Shadow King, Nocturne, and Red Guardian. Copycat can be a tech card on occasion, or simply give your deck information and flexibility. Ms. Marvel allows you to hold your Power back until the final turn, giving those tech cards a little extra Power bump to their locations. Ghost helps ensure you lose priority, even if your opponent is trying to lose priority to dodge your tech. Sera simply allows you to play more tech cards on turn 6, thus making them more effective.
With so many new tech options, you can actually swap out cards to best fit your pocket meta. Seeing a lot of big cards or Surfer buff styles? Use Absorbing Man to get a second tech card. Need more Power, but want to interrupt their deck? Try Galadiator to destroy important cards. You also have Cable, Rogue, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Cosmo, or even Goose! Control decks have every tool they need to combat a wide range of decks in the meta.
Reader Submitted Deck
That’s right, you have a chance to get your deck featured in the next edition! If you have an off-meta brew that meets the qualifications we are looking for, you could have your deck highlighted in this section. All you have to do is drop a comment letting us know what your deck is and a brief idea on how to use it. We will pick different decks each edition from your comments to show the world what you’ve been cooking up, or simply enjoy playing! To give you an idea of what could be, here is an example from one of our readers!
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This deck comes from user MrJRu! This is a hand dump style deck featuring Pixie! The idea is similar some Sunspot She-Hulk decks you may have seen, but this deck leans on Pixie to ramp up the amount of big cards you can slam down. The deck has 2 play lines you can aim for: First, use Sunspot, Pixie, and Mobius for your starting turns. This can let you float energy as needed to dump your hand onto locations that need it most. Option 2, you can use the classic skip turn 5 to discount She-Hulk and dump your hand, or play The Infinaut. Mysterio allows you to play Mockingbird early, which in turn discounts your Skaar and sets up for a turn 5 skip.
Magik serves 2 purposes here. She can extend the game to give you a She-Hulk + The Infinaut turn 7. She can also surprise extend the game on turn 5 to combat meta decks that like to use Sandman to counter you. Caiera can protect both your Sunspot and your 6-Cost cards you play out early. Ice Man gives you some interaction with your opponent’s hand, while Shang-Chi let’s you interact with cards on the board.
Wrap Up
That’s all for this week’s edition! What do you think about this new Series? Do you have an off-meta deck to share? Let us know in the comments!
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