{% extends "archetypes/_layout.html" %} {% import "archetypes/_layout-erratum.html" as erratum with context %} {% import "archetypes/emerald-legion.json" as deck_json %} {% block meta %} {% endblock %} {% block archetype_name %}

{{ harbinger_of_skulls }} Emerald Legion

{% endblock %} {% block archetype %} {% trans trimmed agent_of_power=card("Agent of Power"), anarch_convert=card("Anarch Convert"), anarchist_uprising=card("Anarchist Uprising"), ancilla_empowerment=card("Ancilla Empowerment"), ashur_tablets=card("Ashur Tablets"), aura_reading=card("Aura Reading"), babalawo_alafin=card("Babalawo Alafin"), breath_of_thanatos=card("Breath of Thanatos"), call_of_the_hungry_dead=card("Call of the Hungry Dead"), delaying_tactics=card("Delaying Tactics"), direct_intervention=card("Direct Intervention"), dreams_of_the_sphinx=card("Dreams of the Sphinx"), emerald_legionnaire=card("Emerald Legionnaire"), entrancement=card("Entrancement"), erebus_mask=card("Erebus Mask"), erlik=card("Erlik"), far_majesty=card("Far Majesty"), fbi_special_affairs_division=card("FBI Special Affairs Division"), forced_march=card("Forced March"), gear_up=card("Gear Up"), heart_of_nizchetus=card("Heart Of Nizchetus"), inevitability_of_the_void=card("Inevitability of the Void"), khurshid=card("Khurshid"), liquidation=card("Liquidation"), piper=card("Piper"), rolling_with_the_punches=card("rolling_with_the_punches"), shroud_mastery=card("Shroud Mastery"), sniper_rifle=card("Sniper Rifle"), spectral_divination=card("Spectral Divination"), summon_history=card("Summon History"), telepathic_misdirection=card("Telepathic Misdirection"), the_barrens=card("The Barrens"), the_capuchin=card("The Capuchin"), the_unmasking=card("The Unmasking"), trochomancy=card("Trochomancy"), tupdog=card("Tupdog"), vengeful_spirit=card("Vengeful Spirit"), bounces=link("/strategy/fundamentals", _("Bounces"), _anchor="bounce"), meta=link("/strategy/articles/advanced/the-game-of-the-game", _("meta")), anttis_kurshidwall=link("/deck-search", _("Antti's Kurshidwall"), id="10234"), lukasz_ho_thanh_proved=link("/deck-search", _("Łukasz Ho Thanh proved"), id="9857"), richard_stefan_utners_deck=link("/deck-search", _("Richard Stefan Utner's deck"), id="2019gbzzc"), world_championships_win=external("https://www.vekn.net/2-uncategorised/491-vampire-elder-kindred-network-newsletter-november-2020", _("World championship win")), oriols_giotto=link("/deck-search", _("Oriol Pubill's Giotto"), id="2021nsdpvemo"), imbued=link("/deck-search", _("Imbued"), id="10044"), daughters_of_cacophony=link("/deck-search", _("Daughters of Cacophony"), id="10214"), daniels_weenie_obfuscate=link("/deck-search", _("Daniel Gargulák's Weenie Obfuscate"), id="9801") %}

Highlights

This is an allies toolbox deck using {{ emerald_legionnaire }}. This version uses {{ erlik }} as a star: his ability lets the player get another Harbinger {{ harbinger_of_skulls }} out fast and cheap.

The idea is to defend and get an {{ emerald_legionnaire }} out, then bring the others back from the ash heap if they are there. Once {{ the_unmasking }} and {{ fbi_special_affairs_division }} hit the table, they're a solid defence.

{{ liquidation }} is used to bloat and can put some {{ emerald_legionnaire }}, but also the cards to power their ability, in the ash heap.

As the game progresses, {{ emerald_legionnaire }} are used to bleed: they bleed only for one each, which negates the defensive power of {{ bounces }}, but they quickly swarm up, especially since they're not that easy to kill and they can be dreadful in combat with {{ target_vitals }}. On top of it, {{ vengeful_spirit }} and {{ trochomancy }} help boost the Harbinger bleeds, too.

The deck uses combat defense for the Harbingers {{ harbinger_of_skulls }}, with {{ for }} prevention cards like {{ rolling_with_the_punches }} alongside simple combat ends like {{ spiritual_intervention }}, {{ delaying_tactics }} for vote defense and {{ AUS }} bounces like {{ telepathic_misdirection }} against bleeds.

Tips & Tricks

To be able to use their ability, an {{ emerald_legionnaire }} must be put into play by recruiting it: the ones in the ash heap can not have their effect used — their card text is ignored as long as they are in the ash heap. In order to manage to get at least one into play, the deck packs a bit of stealth with {{ spectral_divination }}, {{ call_of_the_hungry_dead }} and {{ breath_of_thanatos }}.

A key feature of this deck is the versatility of its cards: {{ spectral_divination }} can be used for stealth or intercept, {{ breath_of_thanatos }} for stealth or a deadly strike, and so on.

Many cards in the deck allow for additional discards to feed the {{ emerald_legionnaire }}'s ability. {{ liquidation }}, of course, but also {{ the_barrens }}, {{ dreams_of_the_sphinx }}, {{ aura_reading }} and {{ babalawo_alafin }}.

{{ trochomancy }} is a very {{ meta }} dependant inclusion, as {{ inevitability_of_the_void }} can be a stronger alternative to lunge. But {{ trochomancy }} has the distinct advantage to be a very strong counter against other {{ emerald_legionnaire }} decks as well as recursion heavy builds relying on {{ ashur_tablets }}.

The archetype has been so successful the last few years that a lot of decks now include strong counters against ally swarms, specifically ally-stealing actions like {{ entrancement }} and {{ far_majesty }} as well as anti-swarm votes like {{ anarchist_uprising }} and {{ ancilla_empowerment }}. The hight number of {{ direct_intervention }} and {{ delaying_tactics }} in the deck is designed to counterbalance this trend.

Variants

With {{ erlik }} as a star, {{ forced_march }} is often included. A few equipments like {{ sniper_rifle }}, {{ erebus_mask }} and {{ heart_of_nizchetus }} are also common.

A variant uses {{ the_capuchin }} as star, {{ richard_stefan_utners_deck }} from 2019 is a good example of it.

Another successful variant is {{ anttis_kurshidwall }}, using {{ khurshid }} as a star and introducing a small Anarch module with {{ anarch_convert }}, to allow for the inclusion of {{ piper }} for safe recruitments, and {{ gear_up }} for a welcome bit of recursion that plays very well with {{ liquidation }}. It's also possible to use {{ khurshid }} without going for the Anarch angle, like {{ lukasz_ho_thanh_proved }} through multiple wins.

{{ emerald_legionnaire }}'s ability is so self-sufficient that one does not even need to play a full Harbingers {{ harbinger_of_skulls }} crypt to make them work. Bill Troxel has been industrious in using them in very convoulted builds, like his {{ world_championships_win }} using {{ tupdog }} and {{ agent_of_power }} to play {{ summon_history }} to fetch them, or his {{ daughters_of_cacophony }} and {{ imbued }} variants. Other big names have explored alternatives, most notably {{ oriols_giotto }} and {{ daniels_weenie_obfuscate }}.

{% endtrans %} {% endblock %}