Lost Lands: Deck Archetypes in Shadow Era

[Airact]

I'll bite on defining mid-range since no one seems to have done it (forgive me, if I missed it, I skimmed). I think the Aggro and Control definitions were spot-on. Aggro is all about bringing threats to the board and Control is about removing threats. Aggro tends to have a low-resource curve with the aim being winning as soon as possible, while control tends to require a high-resource curve where complete dominance is only possible in the late game (e.g., the turn that a priest can play a tidal wave and an Aeon in the same turn).

Mid-range is really a hybrid between the two in that it generally contains a solid and relatively quick win-condition, while also containing limited control tools. It tends to peak in power a bit later in the game than an aggro deck, but earlier in game than a control deck. Because it sort of inhabits this in-between space between Aggro and Control, midrange decks can play as either aggro or control, depending on their matchup and the choices of their player.

A mid-range deck vs an aggro deck tends to play as a very fast control deck, eliminating the early threats that the opponent plays and then growing into a position of dominance relatively quickly where the opponent cannot put together their win condition. This tends to be a very strong matchup for mid-range decks.

A mid-range deck vs a control deck tends to play like a slow aggro deck, trying to establish threats and use control cards to maintain those threats on the board for as long as possible before the control deck can come into its strength and take over. This tends to be a weak matchup for mid-range decks.

Incidentally, I think mid-range is sort of an arbitrary distinction, and the same features can be found in aggro and control decks. Aggro decks, when faced with a slightly faster aggro deck will either race (hoping that luck will outweigh their disadvantage in speed), or try to play a control game.

Similarly a control deck, when faced with a more powerful, but slower control deck will typically try to play like an aggro deck, ignoring some enemy threats and limiting the use of control tools to those necessary to maintain a win-condition. Instead of focusing on killing all allies, the faster control deck may just go for the throat, if they know that it's just a matter of time before the opponent takes control.

The classic rock-paper-scissors triangle of rush>control>midrange>rush can also be summarized by (paraphrasing sisyphos I believe): Provided it won't lose in the first 10 turns, the slowest deck is at an advantage.

A midrange deck is an early-game control, mid-game aggro deck.

A tempo deck is an early-game aggro, mid-game control deck.

That's pretty much how I would define those two.

[Mightyoak713]

Archetype: This, from all I have read, is more akin to the "tribe" ( Hero/Clan) where as the " win con" or Strategy is what Rush/Stall/Mill/Control/Combo is more correctly placed in terms of TCG/CCG. The introduction of Tribes to Shadowera is gearing more for Archetypes to surface instead of the initial Win Con/Strategy as the early sets were balancing out( see rush mage/control zhanna/ resource destruction baduruu)

[Gondorian]

Necro!