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We asked the community what kind of content you want more of as part of a PAX Penny Arcade code giveaway (still ongoing), and an overwhelming amount of requests were for more off-meta content. So thanks to your feedback, we’re bringing back our off meta series for you to enjoy on your way to Infinite, or after you’ve reached your goal.
This week will feature a range of deck styles and goals. If you’re looking for something different to play than what the meta charts recommend, look no further! To define off-meta decks, they are decks that aren’t seen on the weekly meta charts. They won’t include cards like Loki or Arishem that don’t explicitly care about the cards in your deck.
X-Men Bounty Deck
With the latest New X-Men Global Bounty event now live, players are tasked with winning matches using decks with specific cards to work towards fun rewards! This challenge obviously fits in the theme of off-meta, so here’s a unique deck that tries to use several event cards!
CanadianAlfredo
The biggest theme I noticed with the card list is discarding. X-23, Wolverine, and Gambit all work with discard. Surge and Esme Cuckoo don’t directly synergize with discard, but this list makes use of them. You have hand mill discard options for disruption.
Scorn and Swarm are your ideal discard targets, but X-23 and Wolverine aren’t bad either. Bullseye can give you a payoff if you were able to discard those Swarms a few times. This obviously isn’t a top tier deck or anything, but it does give you 5 event cards in a deck together that isn’t just Arishem.
Off-Meta Competitive Deck
Wanting to climb ranks or jump into Conquest with something different? This category is for less common decks that can still compete in today’s meta!
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Phoenix Force and Nimrod pop in and out of the meta from time to time. It never outperforms your top tier meta decks, but it can still high roll you some incredible matches If you aren’t familiar with the deck, you have 2 basic goals each match: Destroy Human Torch or Multiple Man, play Phoenix Force, then Human Torch + Arnim Zola or spread lots of Multiple Man copies around. Plan B, use Shuri or Symbiote Spider-Man with Nimrod, then blow them up with Destroyer, Nimrod, or your other destroy cards.
The deck has several alternate cards you can substitute if you need or want to. Attuma can replace Shuri or SSM as a 4-Cost that interacts with Nimrod. You can also use Agony as a low Cost Symbiote Spider-Man, or Forge as a low Cost Shuri option. If you want to focus more on the move aspect, cut Destroyer and add Araña, Ghost-Spider, or Doctor Strange. The latter two cards can also help you tech against a Cosmo or Armor on your Nimrod.
Throwback Deck
Feeling nostalgic? This category is for decks that were once popular, but have since vanished from the game over time. They may not be super competitive, but they can be plenty of fun and offer some gameplay great moments.
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Lockjaw used to be one of the best cards in the game, but after multiple nerfs, the good boy rarely sees play anymore. Even after getting his old ability back to swap multiple cards per turn, the meta had shifted away from lucky Lockjaw rolls. For those unfamiliar with this deck, this is “JaneJaw”! The goal is to draw your hammers with Jane Foster, then play them onto Lockjaw to double up on their On Reveal by turning them into a much higher-statted card. Thanks to King Eitri, you now have another way to grab a hammer from your deck. If you draw him late game, throw him onto Lockjaw and roll for something better!
There aren’t a lot of alternate cards for this deck style, but Gorr the Butcher can be replaced by Magneto or Red Hulk. You can try using Wong for extra On Reveal triggers. If you want to take the deck in a different direction, you can use Misery and Firehair to get extra triggers from your hammers.
Pure Fun Deck
This is the kind of deck you play when you care nothing about winning a bunch. This is like decks that center around crazy combos or silly concepts (like how big can I make Kitty Pryde grow). Do not expect to climb ranks with these decks, but definitely give them a shot if you want something unique to try.
ZombiesGoNomNom
While it is another throwback deck to the early days of Snap, it was always a meme combo deck. Gambit Exodia has a specific combo in mind: Play Wong and Mystique, then let Gambit + Odin destroy every card your opponent has on their board. As long as you have a card to discard, this combo gives Gambit 20 triggers, which is almost double the number of available card slots. Unless your opponent’s cards are immune to destruction, you never really care how much Power they have.
As an alternate win condition, you have Scorn and Swarm. Bullseye can take advantage of a bunch of Swarms to throw out tons of negative Power. Blade or Colleen Wing with Odin can give you 20 hits on a Scorn, giving your board +40 Power! Of course the deck will struggle against Cosmo, Enchantress, and Red Guardian, but that’s why you play this deck if you don’t care about winning a bunch.
Community Deck!
The best part about off-meta decks is seeing what the community can come up with! As long as it fits the off-meta definition, any deck you enjoy playing that is off-meta could show up here! Simply drop a link to your deck in the comments, preferably with a brief description on how to play it. Each week, I will pick one of your decks and feature it in the next edition (with your name credit)!
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The last time we had an off-meta article, this deck by Tray69 was a fun standout. It’s a more classic style Galactus deck, which you never really see anymore. It also gives you a use for Kang, so you can finally have a reason to play him! These decks are pretty self explanatory, so there isn’t much need to break it down. If you miss the classic Galactus feel though, give this deck a try!
Be sure to share your deck in the comments if you want a chance to be featured!
Wrap-Up
That’s all for this Off-Meta edition! If you have suggestions for future editions, be sure to let me know in the comments. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve all been cooking up!
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