Hey everyone! Reygon here once again with another Alpha Clash Deck Primer. This time we will be looking at the Harbinger Death, Chaos Bringer!
Link to Deck: https://www.deckplanet.net/alpha_clash/deck/6cbb66b0-67cf-48b1-8245-c8dfeb710981
Death is a Contender from Set 2 Clashgrounds but has continued to remain relevant and powerful even 4 sets later. Death is looking to out value her opponents with efficiently costed clash cards and removal suite. This build would squarely be considered a “Mid-Range” deck when looking at the standard Aggro, Mid-Range and Control archetypes.
Both of Death’s contender abilities are valuable and add to your deck building and play strategy. Her first ability reads whenever a [Death] clash card is defeated or sent to oblivion, you may engage to draw a card and give another clash card +1/+1 until end of turn. To leverage this ability we are looking to play a healthy number of [Death] clash cards.
Death, Agent of the Dark acts as a great early game blocker that triggers your contender to draw a card. Additionally, if the portal is closed, when she gets defeated she goes back to your hand to be played again later! This allows you to get multiple draw triggers and slow down aggressive decks in the early game. Then Death, the Dreadful allows you to get portal control to be open or closed and when it is defeated, it draws you an extra card on top of your contender draw making it an efficient turn 2 or later play!
In this version of Death, we are also playing red for the removal suite, harbinger synergy and the most importantly War, Bloodlust Commander. This War card first our curve very nicely, it generates consistent attacks, and since our Contender is also a Harbinger, it allows us to draw off the War Minion damage! Bloodlust Commander is one of our best engines and damage dealers. In the early game and we are looking to get it into play fairly consistently.
On top of war, we are also running the classic Torque/Boom combination that remains powerful since set 1, the legendary War, Warzone, and the consistent finisher big Flare aka Flare, Explosive Combatant. A 6/6 flyer with a good trigger attack ends the game quickly if not dealt with immediately.
A card that may stand out as odd is Somewhere in San Francisco which gives each contender +1/+0. Even though we are rarely attacking with our contender since we need to engage it to draw off the [Death] cards. It allows our Death, Agent of the Dark to attack AND get defeated every turn, ensuring that we get the card draw in the early game. Then in the late game, we can attack with Agent of the dark let it die and return to our hands and replay and attack with it as many times as we have black resources available. If this is also buffed by our Warzone, these attacks can add up to be a game ender your opponent doesn’t see coming! On top of that, it also helps us maintain Clashground control at the low cost of 1 resource.
Now with the Agent of the Dark combination in mind, lets talk about Death’s second contender ability. Once per turn, during your Primary Phase, you may put target black Clash card with an initial resource cost of two or less from your Oblivion into play. At the end of your turn, banish that card. When we are at the end of the game and looking to squeeze in that last bit of damage I like to use this second ability in combination with Death, the Dreadful. You play Dreadful and attack for 2. It gets defeated since it only has 1 defense, you force your opponent to pay 2 life and draw a card. Then you use your contender to replay Dreadful attack again for 2 more and make them draw another card for 2 life. This adds up to be 8 damage for 2 resources. In combination with Agent of Dark, you can go wide and win with your early game cards as well easily dealing 10-12 points of damage. Even more if you have a Warzone in play boosting each attack.
This deck also just likes to run high value and efficient cards. Bombardment is a 1 resource 3 damage removal action, I am demise is a 2 cost removal and reanimate action, deflating is one of the top clash buffs in the game killing small cards and drawing you cards, and Morac which lets you tutor for your desired low cost clash card while being a solid blocker. Then of course, Here Comes the Boom to reset the board when your opponent overextends and swarms the board with Clash Cards.
Clarity, Bad Omen and Clarity, from the Shadows are highly desired clash cards that also carry the [Death] and Harbinger affiliation to synergize with our Deck. Then Death, Queen of the dark is usually playable at 4 or less resources due to our high count of [Death] card in the deck, becoming an efficient evasive finisher.
Playstyle
Death is looking to follow the typical Mid-Range playstyle of playing cost effective clash cards, establishing a draw engine, and removing efficiently removing your opponent’s threats. So early game I am looking to play Agent or Dreadful into a Bloodlust Commander and late game just taking whatever avenue my opponent gives me. It is a flexible deck with various play pattens. Each card is high value and efficient so play it how it fits your style! Also, if you like to draw cards this deck is right for you!
Strengths
Efficiently costed cards with tons of built in card draw. This deck is flexible and fluid and can be competitive into any archetype or meta. It offers both card synergies and independently strong cards on in their own right.
Weaknesses
There aren't any glaring weaknesses to point out in this list other than it will take a skilled pilot to maximize the deck and make the right play consistently.
This deck is also highly customizable; there are so many good cards to pick from that it’s difficult to narrow it down to the 60 best! Each local meta or event card will change how you look at building and playing. Use your imagination and skill to adjust the list to best suit how you play and what you are expecting to see!
Thanks for reading! :)
Reygon