It's February 20th, and I am at my Local Realm Qualifiers. I'm already qualified but as per loving this game I had to attend and had to show all my friends what I've been up to.

TheMetaMart Phoenix event had just finished a few days ago, so I knew exactly what to expect. Some Priest, some Mage, and than some random New decks were gonna be in my horizon today. I had brought a special deck today that I knew nobody was anticipating: Solo Rogue.

Now the main reason people weren't expecting me to be playing this deck was because the main part of the deck that made the deck work was no longer viable due to [Jeishal]. The major part of the deck was the [Treads of Fleeting Joy] and with Jeishal's ability to just crush them and make them useless, it meant I just couldn't use them.


So, as for changes to the deck. It was a major reconstruction, or at least it felt like it, but it definitely worked out in my favor.

Without further delay, I'll show you the deck list that you're wanting to read and I'll explain bit by bit on the noteworthy adds I got to put in the deck from my previous version.


Hero: [Vorix Zorbuzz]


Abilities: 40
4 [Prey On the Weak]
3 [To Arms!]
3 [Tormenting Gouge]
4 [Sap]
4 [Vicious Strike]
3 [Carnage]
3 [Daze]
4 [Poison The Well]
4 [Steal Steel]
4 [Trickster's Gambit]
4 [Sinister Strike]


Equipment: 12
4 [Maimgor's Bite]
4 [Smite's Reaver]
4 [Meteor Shard]


Quests: 8
4 [The Grimtotem Weapon]
1 [Seeds of their Demise]
3 [Mystery Goo]


So far starters we have my choice of resources.


4 [The Grimtotem Weapon]


I am a firm believer in what's known as card selection over card draw. This quest is a median for that. In most decks people worry about card draw mechanics and having a bunch of ways to keep getting cards into your hand. However in solo decks from what I've learned over the year and some change, you don't always need another card, You need the right card.For example, getting a [Meteor Shard] when you need a [Maimgor's Bite] is a bit cruddy, and can easily cost you game. Therefore This quest is a staple in any solo deck that runs more then 8 equipment, in my eyes.


3 [Mystery Goo]


This is in here for the same reason as the other quest. If I want to get a [To Arms!] I have much better odds in my top 5 then I do in my top card. If you have any pivotal abilities in your deck that are essential to your win conditions or control, this is a staple.


1 [Seeds of their Demise]


This is just a one-of, I like the quest a lot, and if I get a nice opening hand with this I like keeping it just because it's a little extra help for the first turns.


4 [Daze]


This is probably my favorite resource. This card has so many intricate uses it's ridiculous. On top of knowing what's in your opponents hand, you also give them the head trauma of letting them know that you know, which causes them to play differently due to the fact they think you're prepared for everything they can throw at you. If you're competitive then you know how devastating it can be to have someone know what's in your hand.

This also shuts down janky combo decks that you're unprepared for, and this lets you get prepared for everything about to come your way. Also a quick note, make sure you write down what's in their hand and keep track of what they play.

There is nothing better then on turn 1 Stashing this and seeing they can't play anything until turn 4. Take advantage of it.


Next we are onto the abilities.

To save some time I'm just gonna mention the ones that really pop out and are unexpected.


4 [Poison the Well]


So this card alone allowed me to go full solo and no longer have to use [Sava'gin the Reckless]. This card is an absolute must in every single Rogue deck.

The best uses for this card are using it when they can't use [Shadowfang Keep] and on their turn 3. What you do is wait to see if they play another one or two drop. In most cases if they plan to play another low drop, they will play it first then resource. If they try to play a resource, then in response to them placing one (since this is the only time you will have priority to do anything before they play something), you play Poison the well and kill there lower drops. This can stop Harmonize decks right in their tracks.


4 [Steal Steel]


Ah my masterpiece of deck building, This bad boy went from that "Meh" card to an "Oh Crap!" card.

This card lets you steal equipment from just about any plate deck, but more importantly it lets you steal [Miniature Voodoo Mask]. And boy let me tell you, this card won me some games.

For instance, even in a worst case scenario you get two of these in your hand, you can use one to get a mask and name their Voodoo Mask, then use the other to name [Ice Barrier]. They get locked out of some of their best cards, and cannot do a thing about it.

This card alone won me one of my games at my RCQ after using it and naming Ice Barrier. It's by far one of the strongest cards in the deck given our current meta.


4 [Sinister Strike]


This card is seriously one of my favorite Rogue cards, Nothing like having the ability to pummel their face with an extra weapon swing! This card is an alternate win condition for when you have [Maimgor's Bite] out with any of the other two weapons in the deck.

Swing twice with [Smite's Reaver] for 18-20 depending on if you're flipped and deal 9-10 damage with Sinister Strike. It's one of the key compounds to why the deck is so strong.


4 [Trickster's Gambit]


This is another card I love to death. Words can't explain how useful this card is. Just to point something out, as solo you have to use both aspects of this card. Don't only use it for the defense properties but use it for its offense.

This card won me a game at the RCQ, It lets you swing into a [Jhuunash] on turn 7 with [Victor Baltus] flipped, and lets you redirect the damage to their hero and on top of getting the threat off the board. Although this isn't what I did for my win.

For my win I top-decked this card, and exhausted his Jhuunash with [Smite's Reaver]. The turn before he just played [Prince Xavalis] And his Terror Fiend token was in play, So I immediately Trickster'd his hero and swung into the Terror Fiend for the win (as the Terror Fiend damaged his own hero for the kill).


As for the equipment in the deck, just to briefly note, [Maimgor's Bite] is the king of them and you're combining the synergy of [To Arms!] and/or [Sinister Strike] with it to make your other equipment brutally destructive.

The biggest thing to note about this deck is its Achilles Heel. If they have any real way to destroy equipment, let's say they use [Giblin Plunderer] or [Crushing Strike] or any other actual equipment destruction, you basically sit there like a a sitting duck until you find replacements.

Now for how I did at my RCQ, I went 5-1 in the swiss rounds, and got 5th in the Top 8 cut.


There wasn't really any other noteworthy games with those small exceptions mentioned above. The only deck I lost to was a Monster Hunter rush that William Zobac was playing, and I lost to Scott McKelvy because his Rogue deck had ways to steal my equipment and destroy them which was quite devastating.

-Isaac