With the release of Infinity Evolved, a new archetype, Ward Havencraft,  was added to Shadowverse Worlds Beyond with incredibly powerful new cards, Aether and Wilbert. Before the start of the new season, a lot of players predicted that it would dominate the next meta. So how has it been actually performing in the current ranked matches?

Unfortunately… not really well…

Havencraft enthusiasts and players currently enjoying Ward Haven, I’m so sorry. This is just my personal opinion. I’m going to write somewhat critically about the Ward Havencraft, but only to highlight its room to improve and spark discussion that might lead to better builds later on. And please remember, this is just a current situation Ward Havencraft is facing. The meta could change, and Havencraft might be able to find its new footing( the new season has just started after all.)

Why Ward Havencraft Struggles in the Current Meta

Let’s start by looking at Ward Haven’s main move that was discussed a lot even before the release of the card pack.

Turn 6: Wilbert　　→　Turn 7 : Aether　→　Turn 8 : Jeanne

First step, you gain Wilbert’s crest by playing him while using his token followers to cover his tempo loss. Second, you play Aether in the next turn, to make wide board filled with high-stats ward followers that are fortified by Wilbert’s crest. Finally, you play Janne and beat up your opponent with your high-stats followers buffed by Jeanne’s ability while destroying the opponent’s board.

Sounds strong, right? The problem is… that’s pretty much the only win condition the deck has right now. And there are three main problems…

1. Too Dependent on Key Cards

The deck simply doesn’t function without both Wilbert and Aether. Shadowverse is a card game. You’re not guaranteed to draw your key pieces every game. Right now, the only solid draw tool in Havencraft is Serene Sanctuary, and while Seraphic Tidings can be an option, playing it the early stage of the game could sacrifice tempo in a way that can be fatal.

Unlike Forestcraft or Runecraft, which can draw many cards, Havencraft is not rich in draw source, but if you don’t draw both Wilbert and Aether as a pack in time, your game plan can fall apart.

2. The Natural Predator for Wilbert

Wilbert is the lynchpin of Ward Havencraft… but he has a natural predator: Odin.

Odin banishes Wilbert and neutralizes his ability to summon token followers. It’s a fatal counterpunch. To make matters worse, Odin is everywhere right now. It’s a neutral card and has almost become a staple in aggro and some midrange decks, and even Artifact Portalcraft sometimes has Odin in the deck.

3. Too Reliant on Board Followers

Ward Havencraft basically has no good tools to actively generate damage to the opponent. No burn and no particular storm followers except for Griffon. The deck’s win rate highly depends on whether your followers on the board can survive or not.

That means if your opponent can clear your board, you’re out of options.

• Against Runecraft, a single William can completely wipe your board.
• Against Control Abysscraft, Medusa can delete at least three followers, and Mukann + Ghost or Graveyard combos can clear even more.
• Portalcraft can play Orchis to clear your board with ease.
  

Basically, many of the current meta decks can easily neutralize the type of board that Ward Havencraft heavily relies on to win.

So Is It Hopeless?

Absolutely not.

Ward Havencraft does have favorable matchups. It likely performs well against decks like Roach Forestcraft, which dominated the previous season. It would also have a decent win rate against Aggro Abysscraft, which has been a popular choice in the recent ranked matches. (Salepha in particular shines here.)

If these favorable matchups become more common in the ranked matches, Ward Havencraft could definitely be a meta deck. But as for now, I have to say Ward Havencraft is standing in a tough spot. Still, this is just the beginning of the season. How will Havencraft mains adapt to the new meta? I’m excited to see what innovative builds emerge from here.

Thanks for reading!

Image Source: Shadowverse Worlds Beyond Official Site

The long-awaited Infinity Evolved card pack is finally here! Shadowverse players eager for the fresh meta have already dived into Ranked Matches. Of course, I’m one of them. After the evening update, I kept delightedly testing out my new decks until the next morning. In this post, I’d like to share my early impressions of the new rank match meta.

Since I ended the previous season in Diamond, I started off this one in Ruby. With everyone testing the waters, I ran into a wide variety of decks. Some of the most common archetypes included Ward Havencraft, Artifact Portalcraft, Aggro & Midrange Abysscraft, PP Boost Dragon, and Midrange Swordcraft. Meanwhile, Spellboost Runecraft that didn’t receive notable upgrades this time and Roach Forestcraft that would have a hard time against Ward Havencraft seemed to be rare on Day 1. Among all the decks I faced, the one that felt especially powerful—and that I believe has serious potential in the evolving meta—is Abysscraft. In the previous format, Abysscraft lacked solid early- and mid-game cards and stable power to produce enough damage to beat opponents unless you could draw more than 2 Cerberuses. But with the new support cards introduced in the latest card pack, the class has been massively strengthened. I built a slightly slower midrange version and took it into ranked matches to test out Abysscraft’s potential.

Key Cards for Midrange Abysscraft

Ghastly Soiree

This spell is a cornerstone of Midrange Abysscraft’s early- to mid-game plan. From this single card, you generate three crucial followers that support the deck’s overall strategy. Whether you draw Ghastly Soiree in your mulligan can dramatically affect how smoothly your deck functions.

• The 0-cost Skeleton helps you maintain tempo in the early game and is essential to effectively use Charon later on.
• The 1-cost Ghost pairs well with Mukann—a card that hasn’t gotten much attention until now—to remove enemy followers. You can also use it with Vuella to shift into an aggressive move depending on your matchup.
• And the Rotting Zombie is perhaps the most impactful. Even when played on Turn 3 after a Turn 2 Ghastly Soiree, it can effectively reclaim board tempo—unless you’re facing a pure aggro deck.

With today’s Abysscraft decks having high-cost follower options like Cerberus, Olivia, Ginsetsu, and Medusa, a single spell that smooths both your Turn 2 and Turn 3 while also fueling your future turns is absolutely vital.

Vuella

Simple yet highly powerful. Vuella has excellent stats and Rush, allowing you to remove enemy 2/2s from the board as early as Turn 3. Her ability to buff herself and super-evolved followers adds another layer of versatility. For instance, if you evolve a Mummy with Storm and buff it using Vuella, you can generate 7 damage for just 5 play points—while also clearing an enemy follower with Vuella’s Rush.

Considering her ability, leaving Vuella on the board is highly risky for your opponent and they have to use their PP and cards to remove Vuella. Simply, she’s a card with no particular downsides.

Charon

Charon is a powerful mid-game stabilizer for the new Abysscraft. Her Fanfare reanimates two followers with Ward. Using Charon on Turn 4 or 5 and evolving her or one of the reanimated followers can create good board pressure against your opponent.

Anyone who’s played against Zirconia and Luminous Magus(Swordcraft) or Anne & Grea(Runecraft) would know just how annoying wide boards with Ward can be in the mid-game. 

One additional benefit: Charon stabilizes Necromancy for later turns. Previously, spending Necromancy on Mukann’s auto-evolve effect could leave you short on shadows in your cemetery for Cerberus or Mummy. But with Charon, those resource issues are eased.Her Crest effect upon super-evolving is nice, but I found that holding onto super-evolve points for Cerberus or other cards in the later-game is usually the better play. That said, Charon’s baseline value is already incredibly high even without super-evolve.

Midrange or Aggro?

While I personally found Midrange Abysscraft powerful and satisfying to play, the most popular version in the current ranked matches right now appears to be Aggro Abysscraft. In fact, I’ve heard that the current #1 player on the MP rankings is using an Aggro Abysscraft. I got completely steamrolled by Excella and Vuella during testing my Abysscraft deck. Aggro Abysscraft might struggle against Ward Havencraft, but it can easily overwhelm slower decks like Midrange Royal, Spellboost Runecraft, or PP Boost Dragon. And games end quickly whether you win or lose when you use this archetype, which is efficient to rake MP points

That’s it for Abysscraft  impressions so far. Next time, maybe I’ll be writing about Portalcraft or Havencraft! Thanks for reading!

The full contents of the Infinity Evolved card pack are now available to view on the official site! I can’t stop thinking about what kind of deck to kick off the new season with!

Shadowverse Official Site

https://shadowverse-wb.com/en/deck

Grimnir, Heavenly Gale

Fanfare: Gain Crest: Grimnir, Heavenly Gale.

At the end of your turn, if there’s a super-evolved allied follower on the field, deal 2 damage to all enemy followers.

The release of the new card pack, Infinity Evolved, is about to launch!
A preview video showcasing the upcoming Fully Animated Cards and brand-new Leader Skins has just been revealed.
Make sure to check it out and see what’s coming!

Fully Animated Cards

New Leader Skins

Image & Video Source: YouTube Channel: Shadowverse Worlds Beyond Official.

The latest card pack for Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond is almost here, and several exciting new cards have just been revealed! Here’s a quick look at some of the standout cards announced so far. If you’re interested, please visit the information source and check it out!

Corpse Soldier:Abysscraft

Fanfare: Summon 2 Rotten Stench Zombies.

Rotten Stench Zombie:Abysscraft

Last Words: Summon a Rotten Stench Zombie. That follower loses Last Words.

Nocturne General, Excella:Abysscraft

Fanfare: Gain +X/+0. X equals the number of other allied followers in play. Deal 2 damage to your leader.
Storm

Mind Arts, Carla:Portalcraft

Fanfare: Choose a 5-cost or lower Artifact follower from your hand. Summon a copy of it.
When Evolved: Gains Can attack twice per turn.

Reverse Change:Neutral

Choose a follower in play. Give it +2/-2.

Angel of Bonds, Lena

Evolved
Evolve Effect: Evolve all unevolved allied followers.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying Shadowverse Worlds Beyond mainly in the Diamond and Sapphire groups of the Master rank. One of the best things about playing in this level of groups is….

Occasionally getting matched against former and current pro players from the original Shadowverse!

X Account

Replay

X Account

Replay

I’ve been a long-time fan of the game since the original Shadowverse days and have followed official tournament games like the Pro League and RAGE, so this is honestly such a thrill.

So far, I’ve been lucky enough to face off against Mizuni from Yokohama F. Marinos and MURA, formerly of Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Gaming.

It was truly an amazing experience!

The latest card pack for Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond is almost here, and several exciting new cards have just been revealed! Here’s a quick look at some of the standout cards announced so far. If you’re interested, please visit the information source and check it out!

Aether, Guardian of Heaven: Havencraft

【Effect】

Fanfare: Summon 3 random followers with cost 3 or less from your deck.

Ward

Super Evolve: All other allied followers gain +0/+2 and Aura.

Forest Chivalry, Cynthia: Forestcraft

【Effect】

Fanfare: Summon 2 Fairies.

Evolve: All allied Fairy followers gain +1/+0.

Jasper, Afterglow of the Abyss: Portalcraft

【Effect】

Fanfare: Add 1 Gear of Remembrance to your hand.

Evolve: Choose 1 Artifact follower in your hand. It gains Ward and Indestructible by effects.

Laura: Abysscraft

Fanfare: Give an allied follower Bane.
Super Evolve: Give another allied follower Storm.
Bane, Storm

Julius:Swordcraft

Fanfare: Summon 2 Knights to the opponent’s field.
Whenever an enemy follower enters play, it gains “Cannot attack followers or leaders until end of turn,” and deals 1 damage to the enemy leader and heals your leader for 1.

Pamela’s Dance:Forestcraft

You gain Crest: Pamela’s Dance.

Countdown (1)
At the end of your turn, draw 1 card from your deck.
Earth Rite (10): All allied followers’ attack and defense are doubled.

Draconic Soul Smash:Dragoncraft

Reduce the cost of 1 chosen card in your hand by 2.
Deal 3 damage to all enemy followers.

Titania, Queen of Wings:Forestcraft

Fanfare: Summon 1 Fairy. You gain Crest: Titania, Queen of Wings.

Evolve: Transform 1 enemy follower into a Fairy.

Crest: At the start of your turn, add 1 Fairy to your hand.

Garden’s Guidance

Fusion: Elf cards
Draw 1 card from your deck.
If this card was fused, draw 2 cards instead.

Prim, Princess on Vacation:Swordcraft

Fanfare: Add 1 Silent Maid Nonia to your hand.
Ambush
Super Evolve: All other allied followers gain +1/+1.

Silent Maid Nonia

Fanfare: If Prim, Princess on Vacation is in play, gain +1/+1 and Bane.
Ward

The second season of Shadowverse Worlds Beyond is now on the horizon, and it comes along with a wave of powerful and intriguing new cards. Here’s a first look at six newly revealed cards that could shake up the meta in a big way.

Ginsetsu & Yuzuki, Twin Calamities — Abysscraft

The Abysscraft has many cards suited for long games and excels at resource management, and the new legendary card Ginsetsu & Yuzuki is a remarkable addition to fortify the strength the class already has.  You can choose from two different effects: Summoning 4 one-tailed foxes or destroying up to four enemy followers upon play. Either effect you choose, if you evolve it and attack, you can potentially remove a total of five cards, which completely clears the field while healing 4 damage to the leader.

Ginsetsu & Yuzuki  is particularly well-positioned to counter current meta-defining cards like Amaria (Swordcraft), Orchis (Portalcraft), and Ralmia. However, its high cost (9 PP) makes it far too slow against aggressive decks like Rinoceroach Elf. And aiming a long game is not necessarily a good strategy in the current meta, considering the popularity of Lunecraft that can win any long games with an infamous combo of Ruler of Cocytus and Dimension Climb. For now, Ginsetsu & Yuzuki’s value may depend heavily on how the meta changes in the next season.

Filene, White Frost Bloom — Dragoncraft

Fan-favorite Filene returns to Dragoncraft with updated effects drawn from the original Shadowverse. She deals damage to all enemy followers on the field and can destroy them with her token spell  — but what makes her truly powerful is her other ability to increase the cost of cards in your opponent’s hand.

This effect is especially effective against the current top-tier Rino Elf and Satan OD Runecraft, severely disrupting their combo potential. Even outside those matchups, well-timed play of White Frost Whisper can completely control the game. Dragoncraft is currently struggling with a problem; even if you are in Overflow, there’s no particularly strong move, but Filene might just be the savior Dragon players have been waiting for.

Lilanthim, Anathema of Edacity — Runecraft

Earth Rite Runecraft finally gets its exclusive legendary card. Lilanthim revives herself after destruction as long as there’s earth rites on your field. With Super Evolve, she can destroy three enemy followers upon play, providing solid board control. Lilianthim has an aura, so getting banished wouldn’t be much of a concern for now. However her 8-cost sounds a little slow, considering a current meta where powerful attackers like Orchis and Rhinoceroach go on a rampage around turn 8. Furthermore, Lilianthim herself is not an attacker with a particular ability to cause damage directly to an opponent player, which Earth Rite Runecraft definitely needs. So I believe that Lilanthim’s true value and whether Earth Rite Runecraft can be a next meta deck will likely hinge on the rest of the cards introduced for the class.

Gildaria, Anathema of Peace — Swordcraft

Swordcraft finally gets a Rally card — Gildaria. Once the number of followers that enters your field hits 20, Gildaria automatically Super Evolves. The potential advantage of auto-Super Evolve would need no explanation… Upon evolution, Gildaria summons two Steelclad Knights with Rush and deals 1 damage to all enemies every time an allied follower enters the field — a powerful AoE. While reaching Rally 20 may be a late-game condition, even using standard evolution in the midgame makes Gildaria a phenomenal board controller. This card might solidify Midrange and Control Swordcraft’s position as a top-tier archetype in the upcoming meta.

Wibert, Desolate Paladin — Havencraft

Ward Havencraft is finally ready to battle now that it has one of its key players. Upon death, he summons two Holy Cavaliers, and when evolved, he grants a Crest that buffs allied ward followers.

With a cost of 6, he fits neatly into the midgame and offers solid value, especially against aggressive decks like Rino Elf OTK and Face Dragon. Wibert will definitely become a key part of Ward Havencraft.

Odin, Twilit Fate — Neutral

Odin makes his return to Worlds Beyond. Odin vanishes an enemy follower upon play and can immediately attack as a storm follower. With Super Evolve, he can deal 7 damage to the opponent’s leader.He can be played as early as turn 6 (going second) or turn 7 (going first), making him a valuable addition to aggro decks like Face Dragon. Odin is shaping up to be a flexible finisher that could fit into a wide variety of strategies.