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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....

I brought an updated Atsadi list to the AQZ championship on 2025-04-17 where the deck went 4-2 (with a bye) for 29th of 95. Changes The last time I played Atsadi & Surge. Expensive characters I swapped in expensive characters that play better with Eat Me Energy Bars (C). I’m no longer interested in characters that naturally have gigantic like Valemon (R) and Atlas (R) since they turn off Energy Bars....

If you like anchored characters, look no further! This Sneezer Shroom (U) can (1) anchor on boost (2) with an arrow ability to self-anchor (3) and a support ability to anchor a character. Truly the anchoriest mushroom! The “anchor on boost” line rightfully puts it on the watchlist alongside other mass-anchorers. I’m glad I got the chance to play with this one, but I look forward to these uniques being rebalanced in the next season patch....

I’ve made a couple of tweaks since the last time I played Basira, but the biggest change comes with my approach to unique selection. There’s something to be said for demanding an immediate power spike from your uniques when you draw them. Previously, I was running a Bravos Pathfinder (U) and Dracaena (U) that smoothed my deck’s function with persistent stats and resupplies. I still think they’re very strong, but their full value is spread over several days, and they’re best with some additional investment....

Issitoq (F) can often result in a 1-0 but can’t be played until at least 6 mana or, realistically, later. Sleight of Hand (F) can trigger The Nilam, Withered Tree (C) for 1 mana, pass priority, and bounce valuable cards, but without good swap targets, it’ll put you behind on resources. Together, however, they shore up each other’s weaknesses. If you draw them early, you can swap Issitoq into reserve, then trigger its support ability to go up on cards....

I brought Sigismar & Wingspan to the AWOL Monday Weekly on 2025-03-24 and the AQZ Championship on 2025-03-27. The list I brought to AWOL included no permanents while the list I brought to AQZ included two copies of Grand Endeavor (R). The Grand Endeavor-less list went 4-3 for 48th of 163 while the Grand Endeavor list went 5-1 for 11th of 119. The decklists The list without Grand Endeavor (R)...

This is the Lyra Festival deck I brought to the AQZ Championship on 2025-03-20, where it went 5-1 for 4th of 91. The list was modeled after Nate1DeGreat1’s, which I found more effective than the spell-bounce list I had been testing. Notes I like that this list can threaten an expedition win in addition to a Lyra Festival win. This is primarily due to the ease with which the deck can anchor characters for continuous threats....

Altered is difficult for late-game decks by nature. An early-game progression is equivalent to a late-game progression, and once your opponent is within one expedition of victory, it’s very difficult to block them on both sides indefinitely. Sakarabru is the only card in the game that can undo progress made by your opponent, but its high cost and low stats have historically meant that you’ll usually fall behind when you play it anyway....

I brought this Basira list to the Wednesday A.W.O.L. weekly on 2025-03-05. It ended up going 3-3 for 21st of 71. The last time I played Basira & Kaizaimon. Card changes Akhlut (R): By leading with this and applying the Basira boost, you can shut down your opponent’s reserve for two turns in a row. As back-breaking as that can be, I hesitated to go higher than two since it’s still a slightly situational 4-drop....

This is the Lindiwe list I brought to the Monday A.W.O.L. weekly on 2025-02-17, where it went 5-1 for 5th of 124. The deck The last time I played Lindiwe & Maw. Trial by Frost give Lindiwe access to Moth Lantern, a strong tempo play and late-game win-condition all in one. Alongside Baba’s Isba, she’s now a lot closer to the critical mass of worthwhile sacrifice outlets to make the sacrifice archetype a serious contender....