Hey everyone, Reygon here with another article! We will be reviewing my current interpretation of the meta breakdown for Alpha Clash Contenders using the traditional S, A, B, C, D and F rankings going into season 2 of the online leagues.
Its best to start by defining what each tier represents in my mind when doing these rankings. This interpretation can vary for whoever is doing the rankings but this is my article and my train of thought so this is my standard I'm using! Remember an S tier deck can still lose to an F tier contender if built poorly, played poorly or RNG issues so please don't comment with anecdotal examples of x beating y one time. This is based on large data sets with averages over time assumed based on my experience in the game over the past 4+ years. There is a high chance there are still more decks out there unexplored that could push contenders into new tier levels over night! Good example of this is the war minion build made popular by the UK teams during season 1 of online play. Also these rankings assume no event cards as event cards can greatly swing this tier list.
Tier Explanation:
S: top options, are likely the strongest contender to play. They offer something other contenders cannot do or do it better than other contenders and viable in the current competitive scene. They can best utilize top meta cards or make cards meta when combined with contender.
A: strong meta options but can struggle into certain matchups or not quite as consistent or power level ceiling of S tier options. Can beat anyone if plays out as planned and not interacted with enough by opponent.
B: strong decks, but can be inconsistent depending on your draws. Has a good power ceiling but can have bad matchups you struggle to beat. Feels really good some games, feels bad other games.
C: These options are okay. Can compete with other decks but struggles to maintain a positive win rate over time. Has some noticeable short comings or is "single minded" in a strategy. Once again, these aren't bad decks but usually another contender can do what these are trying to do but slightly better.
D: these contenders cant quite stack up with the competition on a regular basis. You can win versus weaker decks or opponents but when playing against top options you will lose more often than win. This is the kind of deck you would bring to a local meta to play for fun more than to a tournament.
F: not currently viable when it comes to competitive play. Only reason to play these would be to take home a bounty. Just not enough tools to make winning consistently an option. file these under casual and fun more than competitive and viable.
Contender Tier List
S: Torque, Genesis, Absence, Clarity, Ready for Trials (cant link due to not being in deck planet yet)
A: Haven, War V1, Gearwin, Death
B: Warcry, Kilimanjaro, Khagan, Sinai, Flip Clarity, Anzudak, Cadavros
C: Krung, Valen, Alpha Aster, Machina, Mangate V2, Meanstreak Boosted, Pestilence V1
D: Shadowblade, Shadowlight, Clarity V1, Thragor, Magnate v1, Conquest
F: everything else not listed
S tier evaluations and why I think they are S tier.
Torque: just the all around good stuff king. Preys on any clash card style deck, can punish them with consistent efficient removal that is converted into card draw. His ability to ping for 1 damage every turn with no conditions combined with other cards such as pestilence the infectious, crimson scales, and anzudak puts higher defense cards into removal range others cant touch. Has single removal, mass removal with boom and torque combo, card draw and powerful finisher with flying v1 flare. If you cant compete with this guy, you have no chance to win big tournaments as you can usually expect to see at least one in the top 8.
Top cards that torque uses better than others: Crimson Scales, Torque, the uncontrollable, Here Comes the Boom, Anzudak, Elemental Tyrant
Genesis: the king of ramp. Getting to play cards from the resource zone is something no other contender can offer. You can freely dump your best cards in hand into your resource to use later at better effeciency. Getting to use I Am Creation to ramp and put a card into resource zone from top of deck is essentially the same as drawing a card and ramping for genesis. Turbo ramping into end game cards by turn 4 can just overwhelm any deck that isn't able to deal with it instantly. You can refer to article by Furious chicken on why ramp is so strong!
Top cards that Genesis uses better than others: I am Creation, Genesis, the Oppressor, Machina, Unstoppable Force, Genesis, Changing Plans
Absence: Similar to torque in just being a great value contender. You can manipulate the portal so easily that its almost a guaranty drawing 2 cards per turn putting you ahead in card advantage at almost all times. He can also play 1 drop absence which is a complete powerhouse combined with cataclysmic or low earth orbit. Makes your 1 drop card into a formidable game ender. If you have nothing else to do, you can always pump your contender and just win with contender attacks for 5+ which no other contenders can typically touch. Main weakness is starting health 25, versus the 30 of torque and genesis. You can refer to Gai's article as well for more insight to why Absence is good!
Top Cards Absence uses better than others: Absence, Shadow Incarnate, Cataclysmic Surge, Low Earth Orbit, Hidden Pathway, Morac, the Devourer, Trugg, Unruly Scavanger
Clarity Ready for Trials: her 25 ability is built in card draw, built in damage buff up to 4 attack on a contender is crazy, and ability to fill oblivion with built in discard while being a death card enables i am demise combo decks on her own with no extra adds. Her ability for card draw, aggro damage, or combo potential puts her a tier above any other option and gives her a unique position in the meta no one else can fill currently. You can refer to my Clarity article just recently posted for more detail.
Card Clarity uses best: I am Demise, War, Bloodlust Commander, Areson, Rising Threat
With the rest of the contenders in lower tiers, I have either played with or against the contenders to form my opinions. Could some of them move up or down maybe one slot? Probably because I haven't played every contender enough games to truly give accurate analysis. Death might be ranked to high based on personal biased and killimanjaro or warcry could be too low for the same reasons.
To finish this off just remember, this is a personal opinion not an actual tier list backed up by big data that can verify these assumptions. As new cards, sets, and more people join the game this tier list will change and change quickly .
thanks for reading :)
Reygon
