Every single player chooses Red Eagle

SilverBride

Every single game I play the other player chooses Red Eagle. Some have said it's supposed to be the "meta" but it is really frustrating that no one will even try to use any other decks. This really makes for a boring predictable game.

SeaGtGruff

I didn't realize that it's supposed to be the META. I'm more inclined to wonder if perhaps it gets chosen so often because it's the easiest expansion deck to unlock? So far, it's the only deck beyond the four starter decks that I've collected.

SilverBride

Someone mentioned in another thread that is the current meta but I can't figure out why. I find most of the cards useless, and they just sit in the Tavern because no one is picking them up. It makes for a tedious boring game and I'm so tired of seeing it every single game.

FrancisCrawford

Card removal is compatible with almost every strategy in the game. (Even some Orgnum ones.)

That said, I so far have only played against NPCs, so I'm curious -- what other decks are popular among players?

SilverBride

Red Eagle is the one I see most.

I get the card removal part but it always ends up with the Tavern full of a lot of Red Eagle contract cards that no one wants so no new cards to draw from.

FrancisCrawford

SilverBride wrote: »

Red Eagle is the one I see most.

I get the card removal part but it always ends up with the Tavern full of a lot of Red Eagle contract cards that no one wants so no new cards to draw from.

Yeah. A lot of those cards lose their value partway through the game, because people's decks have been whittled down to the cards they do want.

But doesn't the game conclude soon after that point is reached?

Also -- one option is to select Hlaalu, so that at least the contract agents can be laundered into prestige.

Austacker

SilverBride wrote: »

Every single game I play the other player chooses Red Eagle. Some have said it's supposed to be the "meta" but it is really frustrating that no one will even try to use any other decks. This really makes for a boring predictable game.

Most new players don't understand or appreciate the value Red Eagle brings to the table.

1 - Thinning
2 - Card Draw
3 - Power (that fuels it's own Patron ability)

Red Eagle is (easily) the best Patron to accompany any other Patron in the game if you understand the value of it's cards and how powerful deck thinning in ToT actually is.

It's not that Red Eagle is 'meta' as much as it's a Patron with powerful synergy to every other Patron in the game if you know what you're doing.

SilverBride

I do see the value of the Patron and I use it to my benefit. But I really hate what this deck does to the Tavern and how it basically stalls the game.

Heartrage

SilverBride wrote: »

I do see the value of the Patron and I use it to my benefit. But I really hate what this deck does to the Tavern and how it basically stalls the game.

I don’t see how it does that, red eagle generate a decent amount of power, thin and makes decks more potent and it has cards that help clearing the tavern.

SilverBride

Heartrage wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

I do see the value of the Patron and I use it to my benefit. But I really hate what this deck does to the Tavern and how it basically stalls the game.

I don’t see how it does that, red eagle generate a decent amount of power, thin and makes decks more potent and it has cards that help clearing the tavern.

It does that by filling the Tavern with contract cards that no one wants or takes, so there are no new cards to build a decent deck. And I only know of one Red Eagle card that generates more than 1 power so it isn't a great power generator.

Celarus does the same thing but luckily that deck hasn't been used as much lately.

Heartrage

Red eagle has 4 cards which generate more than 1 power:
-blood sacrifice, 3 powers
-bloody offering 2 powers
-haggraven matron 3 power at combo 2
-midnight raid 3 power or 5 power at combo 2

Which cards specifically aren’t used? Here’s a link to the red eagle deck for the names.

https://eso-hub.com/en/tales-of-tribute/red-eagle-king-of-the-reach

SilverBride

The contract cards just sit in the Tavern and no one buys them. This is a fact and the biggest reason I find this deck annoying at best.

Psilent

Imperial Plunder is a very good card to clear the tavern when it pops up. I believe it has a combo 2 of 2 gold so it ends up costing 1 gold to clear 3 cards out of the tavern.

SilverBride

Psilent wrote: »

Imperial Plunder is a very good card to clear the tavern when it pops up. I believe it has a combo 2 of 2 gold so it ends up costing 1 gold to clear 3 cards out of the tavern.

The chance of this card popping up is zero if no one is taking any cards for it to replace.

Reverb

I only choose it in response to my opponent choosing Rajhin. That’s when I really want to control the table and my hand by destroying cards. Other than that scenario, there are so few desirable cards that it’s hard to imagine why anyone sees it as the meta.

For what it’s worth, it gets chosen in fewer than half my matches against other players.

SilverBride

Well now that I finally advanced to Rubedite I hope to see less of it.

Psilent

SilverBride wrote: »

Well now that I finally advanced to Rubedite I hope to see less of it.

At Rubedite I see a lot of Red Eagle, Hlaalu, Crow, Rajhin and as of the last few days Ansei. Very rarely do I see Orgnum, Celarus or Pelin.

El_Borracho

Austacker wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

Every single game I play the other player chooses Red Eagle. Some have said it's supposed to be the "meta" but it is really frustrating that no one will even try to use any other decks. This really makes for a boring predictable game.

Red Eagle is (easily) the best Patron to accompany any other Patron in the game if you understand the value of it's cards and how powerful deck thinning in ToT actually is.

It's not that Red Eagle is 'meta' as much as it's a Patron with powerful synergy to every other Patron in the game if you know what you're doing.

Agreed. You can pair it with Pelin or Ansei and get a revolving door of power cards, or with Rajhin and be a nightmare of coin and erasing prestige. But if you can use it to whittle down a deck full of Crow cards, it borderline unfair.

spartaxoxo

I win the vast majority of my matches where the opponent leaves behind the "useless" contract cards in Red Eagle, personally. In fact, I honestly feel really glad so many sleep on just how powerful those cards are. They think it's just the patron that's powerful. In nearly all my matches those cards get snatched up quick, because I'm the one buying them. It's always funny when in the later game and my combos keep going off constantly and my opponents scramble to try and copy my strategy but it's already too late. Omae wa mou shindeiru. These cards basically print rank bonus points in Quicksilver/Voidsteel for me due to a lot of people ignoring them. I personally think it's the best support deck by a country mile.

It's less effective against Orgnum though

Neoauspex

SilverBride wrote: »

The contract cards just sit in the Tavern and no one buys them. This is a fact and the biggest reason I find this deck annoying at best.

Try picking up some of those contract cards (the deck thinning ones)

SilverBride

Neoauspex wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

The contract cards just sit in the Tavern and no one buys them. This is a fact and the biggest reason I find this deck annoying at best.

Try picking up some of those contract cards (the deck thinning ones)

Why? So it can open up good card for my opponent to take?

El_Borracho

SilverBride wrote: »

Neoauspex wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

The contract cards just sit in the Tavern and no one buys them. This is a fact and the biggest reason I find this deck annoying at best.

Try picking up some of those contract cards (the deck thinning ones)

Why? So it can open up good card for my opponent to take?

In the early game, I agree, the risk outweighs the reward. Hate taking a treasury card only to see Siege Weapon or Midnight Raid pop up in its place. But later in the game thinning your deck leads to more frequent combos. Then, its worth it.

SilverBride

El_Borracho wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

Neoauspex wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

The contract cards just sit in the Tavern and no one buys them. This is a fact and the biggest reason I find this deck annoying at best.

Try picking up some of those contract cards (the deck thinning ones)

Why? So it can open up good card for my opponent to take?

In the early game, I agree, the risk outweighs the reward. Hate taking a treasury card only to see Siege Weapon or Midnight Raid pop up in its place. But later in the game thinning your deck leads to more frequent combos. Then, its worth it.

I'll give that a try then.

Austacker

El_Borracho wrote: »

But later in the game thinning your deck leads to more frequent combos. Then, its worth it.

This is the trap most new players fall into - the tavern race - believing that 'he who has the most toys, wins'.

Most often they'll look up the 'power card list' and just snatch everything they can ala 'Monopoly' strategy.

It's a rookie mistake.

Card synergy / combo play is the most powerful strategy in ToT, which is bolstered by spending time early game passing up 'power cards' that counter act your deck synergy to land devastating chain combinations late game.

I think most players 'learn' that strategy over time, but I find out usually in the first 5 turns where my opponent's experience level is at.

There are 'power cards', but they're far less effective as isolated card plays later in the game when your opponent has better deck thinning and combination synergy.

Seriously, I've literally won games with 5 cards in my deck (single hand) because of excellent synergy with just those 5 cards over and over every turn.

Neoauspex

Austacker wrote: »

El_Borracho wrote: »

But later in the game thinning your deck leads to more frequent combos. Then, its worth it.

This is the trap most new players fall into - the tavern race - believing that 'he who has the most toys, wins'.

Most often they'll look up the 'power card list' and just snatch everything they can ala 'Monopoly' strategy.

It's a rookie mistake.

Card synergy / combo play is the most powerful strategy in ToT, which is bolstered by spending time early game passing up 'power cards' that counter act your deck synergy to land devastating chain combinations late game.

I think most players 'learn' that strategy over time, but I find out usually in the first 5 turns where my opponent's experience level is at.

There are 'power cards', but they're far less effective as isolated card plays later in the game when your opponent has better deck thinning and combination synergy.

Seriously, I've literally won games with 5 cards in my deck (single hand) because of excellent synergy with just those 5 cards over and over every turn.

Exactly this

Snowy_Wyndra_Karn

I am guilty of this - I have to say it is my go-to deck along with Celarus.

These are my two favourite decks... I find them both very useful.

NoOneSpecial

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