Expedition Open Boogaloo

By EpicWarl0rd

March 19, 2022

Welcome to Eternal Nonsense, or my rambling about Eternal.

The Expedition Open is soon approaching. Good times are here.

If you are planning to play in the Open, this newsletter will cover some of what to expect.

Disclaimer: I am not the greatest eternal player. I play ladder to calm my nerves. Take any opinions I have with a grain of salt.

In this edition:

  • Pillars of the Format

  • My Hot Take!

  • Last Word: Skycrag

Pillars of the Format

Much has not changed in Expedition format even with the March Patch and Draft Pack Update. The following decks are what I expect will be the majority of the decks at the Open:

Xenan Tokens

This deck made waves at the World Championship. With the ability to make a wide board fast and units that keep coming back (Revenge and Sinister Rumors). It’s hard to beat this deck with single removal spells.

Blistering Wasp, Scorpion Wasp and Sive provide deadly defense against larger units attacking.

Huntmaster Vikrum steals an opponent’s best unit to hit them with or to sacrifice hurts.

Combrei Mid

There is nothing like hitting your opponent not once but twice with a huge weapon. Combrei Mid game plan is simple. Ramp into Mystic Ascendant and Stormhalt Plating to crush you with a huge unit or weapon.

Furious Magniventris is the bridge that helps this deck get to the late game. If being a unit with a big o’ booty and stunning an opponent’s unit wasn't enough. It also gains you 3 “life”. Magniventris the premier midrange unit of Expedition right now.

Now with the draft pack update, Maeve joins the party. Maeve adds even more card draw (like Mystic Ascendant isn’t enough). And shuffling buffed units and weapons back in your deck, so you don’t deck yourself.

Rakano Mid

Rakano Mid is a midrange deck that has the ability to finish the match out of nowhere.

This deck can create huge tempo swings, putting the opponent on the back foot. With charge units like Inferno Phoenix and Varbuk. Furious Magniventris stunning a blocker and providing an armor boost. Helena’s contract giving flying and a small boost, allowing bigger units to attack from the sky. Rakano Mid is aggressive.

Scalesworn Patrol empower ability beefs up units on the board and on the top of the deck. The longer Patrol is on the field, the stronger this deck becomes.

Argenport Mid

Argenport Mid is like Combrei except for no ramp but better removal. With both Suffocate and Slay, this deck plays solid units. And control the board with removal and sweepers

Plating is here again because hitting your opponent with a huge weapon is still fun. But if Plating not enough this deck a Raniya and Spire Loyalist to finish the game.

This deck grinds an opponent out of resources. Then beat them overhead with either a large flier or Plating.

Stonescar Aggro

“If you ain’t first, you’re last” - Ricky Bobby

Stonescar Aggro wants to go fast! This deck wants to play units and attack.

Battlefront Dasher is the best fire 1 drop in Expedition now with great flexibility.

Houndmaster is still great in this deck, rewarding the player with free 4/1’s for emptying their hand.

Syl is the newest addition to this deck, making everything better. Paying life for a board wipe is a control deck's worst nightmare.

The Greed has Set In

“Greed is Good" - Gordon Gekko

People love to get greedy when the format has stabilized. Playing larger top end spells and units to go over the top of other decks. This is a warning! Greedy decks may be fun to play on the ladder, but don’t play them in the Open. There are a few cards that will punish this greed hard

This is your warning!

Hot Take! Burn is Good

There are so many burn spells in Expedition, My take, there is a burn deck in this format that can end games fast. Syl punishes high cost spells like board wipes in brutal fashion. Obliterate is now in the format, providing even more reach.

The following decklist can provide inspiration to any aspiring deck builders:

This month I watched Marvin_The_Imp go on an 8 game win streak with neonhavest Praxis on the ladder. Some of those games ended with a big burn spell to the face. Or  Inferno Phoenix rip off the top of the deck and swing in for 6.

With the majority of the decks in the format focusing on controlling the board. And grinding out opponents of resources. A burn deck looks to take a direct approach by aiming damage to the face.

Last Word: Skycrag

Skycrag is still viable in both aggro and midrange in this format. It is not as popular as other decks in this current format on the ladder. But both decks still have punching power in Expedition.

Skycrag aggro has a crew of aegis units, making an opponent's removal bad. With Gemblazer Cannon providing the extra push to close out the games, Skycrag is still fast.

Skycrag Mid carries some units from aggro, but with Quinn and Serpent Hive at the top of the curve. The new promo card Cora could have potential in this deck as another top end unit.

Skycrag is strong. Be ready to see it at the Open

If you made it to the end of this newsletter, I want to tell you thank you for reading. Eternal Nonsense is my way of contributing to a game I enjoy to play. If you have any feedback, you can reach me on my twitter @EpicWarl0rd.

See you on the ladder.