Amahle was here all along (Fen & Crowbar) [Standard]

Amahle, Asgarthan Outcast (R) can cash in on Fen’s reserve, commonly drawing between 2-4 cards and setting Fen up for the rest of the game. Fen innovator ElWiwi was the first player I saw slotting him in, and once I tried him myself, there was no going back.

What’s fascinating is that Amahle has been available since Altered was released. There’s not much in Trial by Frost that makes the rare more compelling than it already was, yet it’s only halfway through the second set’s release that the card has started to see regular play.

This is a call to all the brewers out there: keep searching for that one card that’s been overlooked. There’s more room for innovation than we tend to think!

Thoughts

The last time I played this deck in Beyond the Gates.

Gameplan

Spell Fen’s gameplan is to build resources through the early-game while trading expeditions. Towards the late-game, you can after-you with cheap spells and cost-reduction support abilities, then drop overstatted characters backed by removal once your opponent has already committed.

Magpeng Hoarder (R) joins Anansi (C) as another low-cost character providing a cheap burst of stats that can’t be hit by Tiny Jail.

Amahle, Asgarthan Outcast (R)

Fen needs a critical mass of cards to be able to start chaining them together for maximum efficiency. In a single card, Amahle lets you convert the dregs in your reserve into a full hand.

He’s especially nice in a spell-centric build, where you can start the day with a Magical Training (F) or Off You Go (F), then cash in that spell and the rest of your reserve for more cards.

Amahle being a 5-drop means he dodges a lot of the popular removal spells. As a 5/5/5, he’s often large enough that you’re able to guarantee a 1-1, which is critical. It’s okay if you have to play him in an uncontested expedition, even if your opponent is already winning the other one: your opponent might be saving resources, but you’re usually gaining even more.

This is how I’ve been playing Amahle on D2, D3, or D4:

• D3: If you’re the second player on D3, you can often wait for your opponent to make a move then safely play Amahle in the less-contested expedition. Set your reserve up with two cards so that you can draw three after the Fen resupply.
• D4: Regardless of whether you’re first or second, a Magical Training (F) after-you can put a fourth card into reserve while leaving you with 5 mana for a four-card Amahle. Higher risk of going 0-2.
• D2: If you keep a starting hand of e.g. Hathor (C), Martengale (C), and Amahle (R), you can use the Martengale to reduce the cost of Amahle and discard the two remaining cards in your reserve to draw two cards. A 5/5/5 is often enough to 1-1 on D2 even as the first player.

A cost-reduction support ability paired with a 1-mana spell from hand can keep the same number of cards in reserve while letting you pass priority to make it more likely that Amahle gets played in a winning expedition.

If it’s a good matchup for Amahle (cards matter, tapping out less risky), I’ll go out of my way to keep it in my opener unless I can’t afford to. It starting in hand rather than in reserve means that you’ll have another card in reserve to convert into card draw.

Small Step, Giant Leap (F)

I’ve seen many players cutting Small Step from their Fen lists. Despite being a Small Step doubter from the beginning, I’m still running one copy.

I feel the card is still essential against Yzmir, especially Afanas, and in the Fen mirror. I’ve found the deck to be unfavored against an experienced Afanas player with strong uniques, despite it being tuned for the matchup. Small Step opens up the win-condition of sleeping their boost targets and stumbling across the finish line before they can chain together insurmountable multi-spell days. Likewise, in the spell-Fen mirror, I’d give the edge to the player who has Small Step as an out.

The downsides of Small Step become more tolerable with two copies of Amahle. If you draw three or more cards with Amahle, you’re more likely to find Small Step while also holding enough playable cards that you’re not punished for keeping a “dead” card in hand. If it’s resupplied early, Amahle lets you discard it for a new card.

Small Step is also better the more copies of Twinkle Twinkle (C) and The Sandman (C) you’re running. You can sleep your opponent’s characters then end the game with Small Step before their stats actually matter.

Cost-reduction support abilities

Nyala, Gifted Conjurer and Sleight of Hand (F) increase the value of cost-reduction support abilities.

Twinkle Twinkle (C) and Will-o’-the-Wisp (C) are situationally very strong but can sometimes be close to unplayable. I was comfortable running the third copy of Twinkle Twinkle (C) and one Will-o’-the-Wisp (C) because they can be swapped into reserve to turn the card into a free mana. Will-o’-the-Wisp (C) in particular is solid as balanced-statted D1 play but is very hard to line up once both players have left the starting regions.

Cloth Cocoon (C)

I’m still running three copies where many players have dropped down to two or fewer. Truthfully, part of this is purely because I dislike losing to cards like Lyra Festival and Grand Endeavor.

This build is very removal-heavy, so it can get stonewalled by The Spindle, Muna Bastion. Cloth Cocoon is essential to be able to keep playing the game.

It’s not often an efficient removal spell, but I’m surprised at how often I’m okay using it against e.g. a fleeting Kadigiran Mage-Dancer (R) or powerful unique.

Amahle isn’t an excuse for running bad cards, but his ability to cycle through tech cards slightly eases the burden of running multiple Cloth Cocoons.

A Cappella Training (C) and Twinkle Twinkle make additional copies of Cloth Cocoon more useful since in a pinch they can target characters that Off You Go! (F) can’t, as long as they’re not tough.

Uniques

My rating system

Paper Herald: 6/7

Studious Disciple: 6/7

Cernunnos: 6/7

AQZ Championship 12

I brought this deck to the AQZ Championship on 2025-04-24 where it went 5-1 for 5th of 98. This version of the deck had a third Twinkle Twinkle (C) in place of The Snowman (C).

Matchups:

• R1 (W): Sigismar & Wingspan
• R2 (W): Kojo & Booda
• R3 (W): Fen & Crowbar
• R4 (W): Afanas & Senka
• R5 (L): Sigismar & Wingspan
• R6 (W): Sigismar & Wingspan

R4 (W): Afanas & Senka

• A Cappella Training (C) and Cloth Cocoon (C) deny my opponent’s infinite card-bounce unique. I’m in a bad enough spot if this survives that I’m willing to lose the game to Helping Hand (F) in response. If they have a 1-drop - and they do - going 0-1 is okay here.
• Passing priority with Magical Training (F) let me 1-0 with a 5/5/5 Anansi (C) to catch up.

• Removing the Kadigiran Mage-Dancer (R) before a Helping Hand (F) has it lose fleeting is tempting. Paying 4 for Off You Go! (F) then A Cappella Training (C) into a 2/2/2 Magpeng Hoarder (R) sometimes trades but does risk going 0-1 against a character and Beauty Sleep (F) or Off You Go! (C). Instead, I play the Magpeng Hoarder (R) and Amahle, Asgarthan Outcast (R) companion-side. This virtually guarantees a 1-1 even if my opponent has removal. My opponent is free to draw from their Mage-Dancer, but I’ll be drawing more with Amahle.
• I was able to 2-1 thanks to a Sleight of Hand (R) recovering an Off You Go! (F) and swapping a Twinkle Twinkle (C) into reserve for exact mana to replay it with a Martengale (C).
• My Small Step, Giant Leap (F) ended the game at 1/2 on expeditions. I had spent nearly all of my resources on the previous turn, so it’s not clear I could have closed the game out without it.

R5 (L): Sigismar & Wingspan

• I kept Martengale (C), Magpeng Hoarder (R), and Amahle (R). This went 1-1 on D1 and set up a D2 cost-reduced Amahle to draw two cards.
• On D2, I played the Amahle against my opponent’s Ordis Recruit. They blocked with two Ordis Attorney (R)s. I like slowing the game down but don’t love my opponent getting two draws.
• The Sandman (C) flipped both expeditions so that Sigismar could at best 1-1.

• There’s an argument for each of the Inkcaster bounce choices. I returned Amahle. This sets up a potential D4 play of A Cappella Training (C) on Jack Frost (R), then Amahle for four cards. Leaving Amahle in reserve nets me one fewer card should I choose to play it, and it leaves him vulnerable to sabotage/exhaust. What I don’t like about this line is that it will almost certainly go 0-2, though it will force my opponent to spend some resources.

• After the Ouroboros Inkcaster (R) resupply, I spent both support abilities to reduce Amahle’s cost by 2, then discarded the other two cards to draw two more, hoping for a 2-drop. I drew into a Magpeng Hoarder (R) which let me only go 0-1 but gave my opponent an Ordis Attorney (R) draw. Interestingly, leaving the Paper Herald (U) in reserve for its support ability and only drawing one card would have gone 1-1.
• In retrospect, I think my line was quite cowardly: Amahle for four cards as planned would have set me up better for the rest of the game despite going 0-2. We were still at 5/5 on expeditions, and letting my opponent win here means their Attorney doesn’t draw.

• Looking back, it’s pretty clear this should have been Magpeng Hoarder (R) from reserve hero-side, then Amahle from hand hero-side to draw two cards. Instead, I made the puzzling decision to contest companion-side, then play scared of removal by fortifying with the Anansi (C), only to pass with 3 mana open; I belatedly realized I couldn’t do better than trading but also didn’t have enough of a victory to safely self-sleep. I needed to see that 1-1 was the best I’d do today, so I should have at least gone up on cards while doing it.
• Being low on characters forced me into an Amahle for only one card. Their The Sandman (F) earned a 2-0, putting us at 4/1 on expeditions.
• The slept Amahle let me 2-0 but only by spending nearly all of my hand and sleeping their 3/3/3 Recruit for the next day.

• I kept Amahle + Will-o’-the-Wisp. A 2/1 deficit with a 3/3/3 waking up means that Hathor + Magical Training or Tanuki + Amahle are very unlikely to outstat Sigismar. I think the only shot I have is if I cost-reduce an Amahle companion-side for +1 card, then Small Step, Giant Leap, hoping to sneak into tiebreakers if my opponent doesn’t realize winning one side isn’t enough.
• Unfortunately, my opponent’s token-generator unique and Charge! (C) decisively beat Amahle and won them the game.

Go4Altered Spring Break Single Tournament

I brought the version of the deck pictured above to the Go4Altered tournament on 2025-04-27 where it made the top 4 of 34.

• R1 (B)
• R2 (B)
• R3 (W): Treyst & Rossum
• R4 (W): Afanas & Senka
• R5 (L): Fen & Crowbar

R5 (L): Fen & Crowbar

• Alongside snap-keeps Magical Training (F) and Ouroboros Inkcaster (R), I kept A Cappella Training (C) over Off You Go! (F). Especially going second, I figured hitting a Hathor (C) or Ouroboros Inkcaster (R) on D1 if they were planning to bounce a Magical Training (F) can instantly win me the resource war.
• It’s possible this was incorrect, as a D1 A Cappella Training means I’m bouncing that instead of Magical Training, the better target. Keeping Off You Go! instead could result in a blowout if, for example, my opponent is on Aloe Vera (F) (spoiler alert: they were).
• The A Cappella Training (C) went on to give fleeting to two Hathor (C)s, which was huge.
• My opponent resupplied into a Haven Seiringar (F) on D2, which helped them bounce on resources.

• The play here should be Anansi (C) from hand into the companion expedition. You need to play the bigger 5/5/5 Anansi into the water-only region to threaten a win against Aloe Vera (F) or Alice (F). The 4/4/4 reserve Anansi can go hero-side, where it can contest in mountain as well.
• Instead, I mistakenly played the from-hand Anansi hero-side, which let my opponent anchor an Aloe Vera (F) companion-side. My reserve Anansi was only able to block.

• Had I moved out of the water-only region, I may have been able to move forward here, or at least force my opponent into a worse play. As it was, they were free to Sleight of Hand (R) in order to bounce The Sandman (C), then pass for a 1-0.

• Despite the Small Step, Giant Leap (F) in my opponent’s reserve, I figured that Amahle would put me so far ahead on resources that I could prevent them from getting within one expedition.

• After the resupply of The Sandman (C), I decided the Hathor (C) had to go. I figured this prevents The Sandman (C) or a spell in hand from being bounced while forcing Small Step to occupy a space in reserve if they want to keep it as a win-con. What I failed to realize was that The Sandman (C) - especially the second one - becomes less scary if my opponent doesn’t have access to Small Step; any stats they sleep will have to be dealt with since they’re still three expeditions from victory. I think Small Step is the correct sabotage target.
• The only reservation I have with Tanuki (C) is that it’s a pretty juicy sleep target with an upcoming water region.

• Resupplying into a cost-reduction support ability gives them enough mana to pull ahead hero-side and pass priority. Then, their The Sandman (C) in hand can sleep any character I play, and its body can replace any character I should choose to remove. As the starting player, the Small Step wins the game for them on the following day.

This was a very interesting game that could have played out differently depending on my decisions to:

• Keep Off You Go! (F) over A Cappella Training (C) in the opener.
• Lead with Anansi (C) companion-side instead of hero-side.
• Sabotage Small Step, Giant Leap (F) instead of Hathor (C).