This is a semi-WIP werewolf deck made with the intent to be as competitive as is possible and affordable. Werewolves are, by nature and lack of supporting cards, not as good as other aggressive options - however, they're fun as hell and truly terrifying with a clutch
Moonmist
or Blasphemous Act
+
Full Moon's Rise
. I'll try to go in-depth on the combos and play style that I've found to be successful so far, but I would appreciate any advice, as I am still very much learning.
Sidenote: This deck draws heavily from Werewolf Rush, credit to the creator for providing this inspiration and base for this deck.
Playstyle:Werewolves have a lot of power for their cost, and once they transform they can outfight almost anything with a similar CMC. This makes them very suited to an aggressive playstyle, as getting them on the field quickly can allow them to deal with anything your opponent can put out at the same level, allowing you to punch through and go for a turn 4-5 victory.
You're going to want to be careful with your turns, and try to plan ahead as much as possible. Remember, your werewolves are going to change back at the beginning of the next turn if you play two or more spells on your turn - and will turn into their wolf form if you play nothing. If you only have humans on the field, that's a good time to dump your hand, play as much as possible, and get some more bodies/spells on the field. On the other hand, if you've only got werewolves out, limiting yourself to one action per turn (unless it's necessary is often the best course of action). Additionally, consider the benefits and drawbacks of one-for-one trades with your werewolves. On the one hand, trading your
Reckless Waif
or Wolfbitten Captive
for an attacker isn't necessarily a bad trade, as they're both cheap as chips - but keep in mind that both of them will get much stronger if they're allowed to transform, and could potentially block without dying or out-damage the attacking creature if given the chance.
The Cards:Some of my choices are odd or seem sub-optimal (And hell, they very well might be, so let me know!). I'll do my best to give my reasoning/tactics for some of the different cards contained within, especially if not immediately apparent.
- Reckless Waif
+
Wolfbitten Captive
- Your turn one drops. There are so many in here because they're great for their price, and often will transform on your T2 if your opponent does not also have a turn one play.
- Mayor of Avabruck
- Giving your other werewolves either +1/+1 while in human form or +2/+2 in werewolf form is very, very good. Not to mention that he spawns wolf tokens, all for CMC 2. Be wary though, as he will not provide bonuses to your creatures in the form he is not currently in (that is to say, werewolves will not receive the bonus while he is in human form, and humans will not receive the bonus while he is in werewolf form).-
Kruin Outlaw
- One of my all-time favorite cards. The first strike means that she will almost always win fights against anything you'll be facing on T3, and once flipped forces your opponent to double up all of their defenders, making for an easy overwhelming lethal attack.-Immerwolf - The ringer. For 3CMC you get a oft-unblockable attacker, +1/+1 to ALL your other werewolves and wolves, regardless of form, and they also cannot change back into humans. Once you've got one of these on the field, a single
Moonmist
will ensure that your frontline will put you in a very good spot.
-
Daybreak Ranger
- Some decent utility against flying, and her
Prey Upon
-esque ability when flipped can be helpful. All in all I've found her to be generally underwhelming, and I'm considering other alternatives.
-
Instigator Gang
- The most expensive creature you'll play, and generally a game-winner unless you're in a bad spot. The boost it gives your attacking creatures is very strong, going up to +3/+0 when flipped, allowing him alone to put out a whopping 8 damage, for a CMC 4.
Ghor-Clan Rampager - The trick to this guy is that you won't be using him as a creature. You'll be using him primarily for his 1G1R Bloodrush ability that gives another one of your creatures +4/+4 and trample. It also doesn't count as casting a spell, which means you can Bloodrush one of your attackers and still transform next turn.
Full Moon's Rise - Cheap as chips and wonderful utility. The +1 and trample makes all of your lycans a bit more punishing, but the real bonus here is the one-off regeneration. When things go bad, or you want to wipe a beefy defending/attacking line, sac Full Moon's Rise and get all of your werewolves back. For more fun times, try using a Slagstorm or Blasphemous Act to wipe the board ...then exempt yourself from said board wipe.
Moonmist
- One of the significant problems with the wolves is the inconsistency with their transformations. Against a competent opponent, the only time you'll transform is if they draw atrociously or you pass a turn - and passing a turn can be a very tough move to make early in the game. For that we have
Moonmist
. If you just played an Immerwolf, or you really need to play two spells, dropping a
Moonmist
can keep your guys where they do best, in their werewolf forms. Don't forget that this also negates all combat damage, so can be used in a similar effect to Full Moon's Rise, by eating a bunch of attackers or blockers but remaining on the field.
Blasphemous Act + Slagstorm + Mizzium Mortars + Devil's Play - These are all great board clear/target removal spells. Half of them will take most or all of your werewolves with you, so ensure you have a Full Moon's Rise. This element of the deck could use some tweaking, as there are generally only one of each in the deck/sideboard.
- Blinding Flare
+
Harness by Force
- I haven't had a chance to use these in play yet, however their purpose is to open up the defensive line of the opposing player.
Blinding Flare
by simply making them unable to block, and Harness by Force by taking one of their defenders and gaining an attacker in the progress.
