Unlikely Blue Rush

by Zaldinfox

Since Unlikely Hero now procs the bonus +3/+3 and Charge 3 when it attacks a God or Structures, it is well positioned to support rush strategies in Faeria. While we often turn to Yellow for this speed of play, experimenting with Unlikely Hero in Blue yields surprising flexibility. This guide will break down the card selection into appropriate groups, and suggest some notable interactions that will help you succeed with this deck.

3 Kits: Movement, Meat, Value

Movement Kit

Perhaps the most galvanized portion of the deck, this subsection includes:

In total, 12 cards are proposed, meaning roughly 40% of the deck. The average cost of these "tricks" is 3 Faeria, meaning that, on any given turn, even if you started with 0 Faeria, you have a high-percentage to both draw and be able to play a movement trick. This is an important aspect of playing the deck: knowing what options are likely waiting for you. Movement tricks are great for gaining extra Faeria collection, altering the board for good trades, or shifting a nasty taunt out of the way to finish the game.

High-End Kit

This includes 9 high-cost (30%), meaty creatures of the deck, which offer support, pressure, and cost-reduction:

While Steamforge may seem to be the odd Yak out in this trio, the card provides significant cross-board pressure, early-game pressure, and a not insignificant 6 attack stat-line. Traditionally, Steamforge was susceptible to counterplay in the form of Punishment. It gives the blue player the flexibility necessary to open aggressively when expedient, or hang back and look for good opportunities to trade. Herald is here largely because of the combination of 1 land requirement - allowing for double-land to be a more frequent part of your wheel usage early - its healthy stat line, and the reduction for the other meaty creatures (especially Phantasm). Phantasm does double duty as removal, and can also upgrade key pieces of our Movement/Value kit (Horsemaster, Mythmaker, Frogs).

High-Value Kit

These 7 cards (23%) offer great value for their cost, including the keystone card of the deck:

Battle Toads and Mythmaker are already premium blue cards, together closing out games before 5 turns have passed. In combination with the Movement Kit they offer a great deal of pressure. Included in this lineup for the same types of synergies is the Unlikely Hero, which now excels when it can close the distance on its own terms, or be part of a pile on against the enemy Orb. Notable moments include buffing an Unlikely Hero with Mythmaker, sending it flying across the map on a Sunken Tower/Prophet ride, and slamming face to produce a 9/9 with charge 3. Very formidable! Of course, Unlikely Hero also operates well as a harvester, and couples nicely with Banquet to proc against enemy tokens/harvesters.

Weaknesses

The tightknit interactions of this deck are not without its weaknesses. Dealing with large creatures (as in green) is less savoury without Frogify in the lineup, but the goal of movement domination, and the effects of Phantasm are the primary means of dealing with serious taunts or big threats. Falcon Dive (2 copies)

provides a little extra insurance against rush decks and odd-health matchups (particularly 6 health creatures due to Phantasm/Herald).

Mulligans

In general, it is always important to assess your opponent before deciding a mulligan. You have a couple avenues with this deck. If you get a Steamforge Enforcer, you have a clear path for double-land toward your opponent's face. Similarly if you have an Unlikely Hero + Syland Horsemaster. However, I always keep Mythmaker because of the power offered by this card. A general rule of thumb on keeping/tossing cards:

Good: Toads, Mythmaker, Steamforge, Horsemaster, Tower, Hero.

Average: Herald, Prophet

Poor: Banquet, Phantasm, Falcon Dive

Conclusion

All in all, the deck is quite a blast to play if you enjoy lots of movement, board control, collection, and face smashing. The Unlikely Hero evolves into the Most Likely Hero given the proper support, buffs, and transportation!

Enjoy ~Zfox