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So I decided at the last second to write this quick little article to make sure that all of my faithful readers were stocked up and prepared for Realms Champs coming up this weekend. I sent out a call to a bunch of top players to see what they thought the top 5 cards in core were. After working my way through the tens of votes, I have finally calculated out what appears to be the top 5 cards to look out for coming into realms champs.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
[Kor'kron Vanguard]/[Saurfang the Younger, Kor'kron Warlord] 1 vote - This pair picked up one vote each, and are definitely a combination to look out for. This combination can be seen in Horde versions of Death Knight, [Emek the Equalizer] decks, and even a few [Souldrinker Bogmara]s have been running these guys to give themselves a better endgame.
[Mikael the Blunt] 1 vote - A staple in controlling Alliance decks. Watch out for him in just about every Alliance deck out there.
[Undercity] 1 vote - Removing [Broderick Langforth] from the yard is reason enough to run this card…but the healing on top of it is what puts this card over the top.
[Avatar of the Wild] 1 vote - This card has shot up in value since the World Cup, and my sources tell me that it can in fact be run in two different classes! Double value!
[TimRiv the Enforcer] 1 vote - I refuse to reveal my sources.
[Dethvir the Malignant] 3 votes - This one actually came as quite a surprise to me for not hitting in the top 5. It seems like the entire metagame has been shaped around this card, ever since he came out of his shell and dominated DMF Orlando. Dethvir will still be a staple card in the environment, but I think everyone will be surprised that this next card has found it's way ahead of Dethvir.
TOP 5
#5 [Voice of Reason] 4 votes - This card has been finding a home in Control Shaman decks since it was released, but not until now has it been give the credit it deserves. The card by itself puts a real beating on any aggressive strategy that can't come up with an answer to this card immediately. The fact that it also gives your hero protector is just icing on the cake. Look for this card to be of great importance in any Shaman deck you face at realms champs, especially in all versions of the [Spark] deck.
#4 [Death Wish] 7 votes - [Death Wish] has been the key Warrior card ever since its printing. With the right card combinations, this deck can be literally unstoppable. 3 attacks a turn for 3+ damage each is nothing to scoff at. Stuart Wright has once again created a monster deck that should be in everyone's gauntlet. If you can't beat this deck, you probably should rethink your strategy.
#3 [Hesriana] 8 votes - Everytime I sit across from a Warlock I get a chill down my spine just thinking about this beautiful succubus. I fear for the worst every time I drop a [Burly Berta], [Weldon Barov], or an [Ashnaar, Frost Herald]. This guy creates great board advantage, and is another staple card that you must be ready to face.
#2 [Tuskarr Kite] 8 votes - If you can believe it, this card has actually gone down in value since the beginning of the Core format. It's still easily the most important card in an ally on ally matchup, but at least the format has changed enough that not every deck has to run this card. With that all being said, you probably should be running this card in your deck at Realms Champs…assuming you are running a decent amount of allies. Be prepared for this card to be played by just about every single opponent you face.
#1 [Broderick Langforth] 13 votes - Despite only collecting from 10 people, this card somehow ended up with 13 votes. It was on the top of just about everyone's list, and it is easy to see why. If you are running a Horde hero, you should be running 4 of this little guy. Don't give me backtalk about it's $30 price tag…cough up the cash and put this guy in your deck. Broderick doesn't need to have any synergy in your deck for him to be extremely effective, and that is why he's sitting on that #1 spot. In a Horde dominated field, Broderick is king.
Before I go…I'll give a quick rundown of the classes, what key cards to expect from them, and how popular I think they will be on Saturday.
Hunter - Tim Batow/Matt Spreadbury Productions Presents: Aberration.dec! [Avatar of the Wild] [Snipe] [Ring of Trials] (WTF?!) [Fang] Aberration allies.
POPULARITY: Low-Moderate
Druid - Matt Markoff Brings you…[Jumo'zin] Unleashed! [Avatar of the Wild] [Hurricane] [Ysera the Dreamer]
POPULARITY: Moderate
Shaman - Europe as a Country..errr Continent [Spark]les us with: [Spark] [Voice of Reason] [Wind Shear] [Feral Spirit] [Ancestral Awakening]
POPULARITY: High
Rogue - Rogue decks are still in Stealth mode…except [Zorak'tul]. He plays by his own rules. [Deadliness] [Poach] [Boots of Utter Darkness] [Enveloping Shadows]
POPULARITY: Low-Moderate
Death Knight - James Kandziolka likes blowing up corpses and reconstructing them into armies. [Army of the Dead] [Corpse Explosion] [Scimitar of the Sirocco]
POPULARITY: Moderate-High
Paladin - Instead of writing about Paladin I'm going to say hi to all of the guys I met in Pittsburgh last weekend. Hi!
POPULARITY: 0
Mage - A Niles Rowland Joint: [Blizzard] [Wub's Cursed Hexblade] [Gladiator's Regalia] [Kel'Thuzad]
POPULARITY: Moderate
Warlock - A Novel by Stuart Wright: [Hesriana] [Sardok] [Summoning Portal] and all of the 1-of allies that go along with said [summoning portal]. Also don't forget that [Pidge Filthfinder] is still a real deck!
POPULARITY: High
Warrior - A Prequel to the Best-Selling Novel by Stuart Wright: [Death Wish] [Greaves of Ancient Evil] [Death Wish] [Heroic Throw] [Death Wish]
POPULARITY: Moderate-High
Priest - "It ain't what you takin', it's who you takin' from, ya feel me? How you expect to run with the wolves come night when you spend all day sparring with the puppies?" Compliments of Bodymore Murdaland: [Searing Light] [Shadowfiend] [Taste of Divinity]
POPULARITY: Moderate
Good Luck on Saturday everyone!
-Andrew Trebing
Andrew Trebing is a regular Darkmoon Faire competitor, having Top 8ed multiple events across the years. Most recently he finished in 4th place at the 2010 North American Continental Championship. Andrew can be found locally in northern New Jersey where he recently graduated with a psychology degree in order to accomplish two things: improving his bluffing skills and tricking the top players into giving him their decklists.
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