The previous articles in this series examined the spectrum of Aggro, Midrange, and Control. Combo sits outside the spectrum, and looks to play the game totally differently than the other archetypes. It's non-interactive, and it likes it that way.
Combo decks are generally focused on one of two things: a combination of cards that either wins immediately, or makes it nearly impossible for their opponent to win, a lock. The sole purpose of a combo deck is to acquire these cards, by drawing or searching the deck, and then executing the combo. At present, pure combo decks don't really exist in Mythgard. Most of the combos are in the 8-10 mana range and are too slow to stand on their own.
Will they exist?
This is not surprising at all, as combo decks don't start to form until the card pool reaches a critical mass. Often a card goes from obscurity to the limelight due to a niche interaction. It will probably require a couple expansions before we see how things shape-up. The developers* have stated that they are not opposed to combos, even infinite ones, but that doesn't mean we will see them. One thing to keep in mind, Mythgard has a tight turn timer, so even if infinite combos exist, they will have to be quick to execute.
* taken from a Discord comment by phu in Alpha, obviously subject to change.
There is still fun to be had
Even if the pure combo archetype doesn't develop in Mythgard, there are numerous card interactions that go beyond simple synergy. These add excitement to the game, and make for some epic matches. On top of that, there are still one-turn-kills (OTKs) and soft-locks, but they just don't exist on their own; they are folded into other decks, usually midrange or control. I feel this will always be the case, but we'll have to see what the future holds.
Some fun:
Sablewing Zira + Volition + Volition
20 damage for 10 mana
Dashing Ringmaster + Seven Ring Ritual
18 damage for 10 mana
Dashing Ringmaster + Stratagem 36 + Stubborn Tengu
4 damage to a minion for each purple gem
Disc of Circadia + Indrik Beast + Hopeless Necromantic
a very under-costed minion
Armageddon Angel + Root of the World + Minion-Free Deck
Apocalypse Now.
Freki Sidecar + Gemhold Dwarf + Stratagem 36 + Root of the World + Minion-Free Deck
At one time infinite, now requires one mana per loop. Good thing there is no way to generate and store large amounts of mana in Mythgard...
That's it for our look at the different Mythgard archetypes. Next up in the series we are going to examine each of the Paths in depth. We'll be looking at their effect on deckbuilding, and how some of that also carries over into the game play.
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