Shao Ratter Deluge

Deck

Shao Ratter Deluge

Prerelease

I trade early, cash in Backstreet Ratter from the Alley, and save Sōryū for a useful reset.

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• Hydromancy Gate
• 1Hayabusa Itto4
• 1Hayabusa Saburo2
• 1Rei3
• 1Sundering Strike
• 1The Wandering Angler2
• 2Benzai the Merchant3
• 2Foamback Crab2
• 2Mio the Bubbleweaver2
• 2Mirage Frog4
• 2Tenshin4
• 3Backstreet Ratter2
• 3Fumiko
• 3Lotus of the Mizuryuu4
• 3Stalking Assassin2
• 4Mizuryuu's Torrent3
• 4Phantom Shinobi4
• 5Mizuki3
• 6Pulled Under2
• 8Sōryū no Rin2

Game plan

1. Early turns

   I open with Itto or Rei and trade early. Mirage Frog buys time by returning a cheap entity, but I need a spare card for its discard.

2. Middle turns

   I put Ratter in the Alley for its end-of-turn ability. Lotus handles several tiny entities; Torrent reaches a combined cost of 5. I save Pulled Under for a larger Garden threat costing up to 7.

3. Closing

   I finish with Phantom's clear attack or consider Sōryū against a large Garden: discard my hand, return every other Garden entity, and leave my 7/7 behind. I count what both players get back first.

Mulligan

I keep Itto, Rei and Mirage Frog alongside another cheap play. I send Sōryū and expensive removal back when they would leave my opening turns empty.

Key cards

• 

  Itto searches for Watercrafting cards. I choose Mirage Frog, Ratter or Sōryū based on my next turns.

• 

  At my turn's end, I can sacrifice Ratter from the Alley to draw, untap 1 IKZ and bounce an opposing Garden entity costing 2 or less.

• 

  Angler searches my top 5 for Mizuryuu: four Lotus and three Torrent give it seven possible hits.

• 

  Pulled Under bottom-decks one opposing Garden entity costing up to 7. I save it when the smaller spells cannot reach.

• 

  Sōryū discards my hand before returning the Garden entities. My Alley Ratter stays put, and returned friendly entities refill my hand afterward.

Tips

• Ratter's refunded IKZ can pay for Shao's Response on their turn. Its end-of-turn bounce cannot clear the way for attacks I already made.
• I have only two Foamback Crabs and one Sundering Strike. Against fast starts, I trade early instead of waiting for a perfect removal spell.
• Sōryū returns their useful On Play entities too. Discarding a full hand can make that reset worse for me.