Friendship ended with harmony, symbiosis is new best friend.

Hey everyone, I am an old school gwent player who has returned to try out the new gwent (post thronebreaker) with this update. I must say i am really enjoying it (though i do miss somethings i loved about the old gwent). Apologies in advance if i am doing something dumb in my deck where there is an obvious replacement.

So here's the deck: A double threat vitality and symbiosis deck.

I think this deck is really strong when you can force a reasonably long third round.

Basic Game Plan:

Round 1: Drop the Hamadryad + vitality for crazy value and force your opponents hand. We throw some low value cards in case we need the symbiosis procs such as duen canell guardian and abandoned girl. Successfully denying your opponent value by removing their engines with natures rebuke or Movement (if malena is in hand) means you usually win round 1. If you have a good hand getting dunca out for the carryover is good too.

Round 2: I usually just pass, if i win round 1 or bleed them if i am scared the opponent can snowball better than me in a long round 3 (Damn greatswords!). This deck also has good 2-0 potential if you feel the opponent has a bad hand.

If you lost round 1, hopefully your opponent passes and you can just play dunca for 2 points of carryover.

Round 3: Here is where we hit hard, if all goes well you should atleast have 3 young dryads with Saskia/Freixenet and transformed Eithne. Throw out all other symbiosis units (use dryads caress and vitality procs to keep your symbiosis units alive). My favorite finisher right now is mystic echo into call of the forest into forest protector into natures rebuke followed by great oak. You should potentially be spawning treat wanderers with value 4 and up (so 4 symbiosis units on the board) this round.

I have mainly tested this in unranked though. Did beat Skellige Greatswords a few times which i think is probably one of the hardest matchups with all the removal that deck has. We are usually not scared of poison too much as we run a lot of purify and veil units.

Here are some cards which i believe are not core to the deck and can be changed.

Malena: I put her in there as tech to deny value in round 1. I think there might be a better card combo here. I am trying to remove her by replacing with Vrihedd Dragoon.

Miner: Never know when you might need the boost and with Isengrim as a tutor you could keep a symbiosis unit that might usually be killed.

The Great Oak: I have a hunch this might not be the best choice here, thought it is a good finisher in its own right cause the board is usually swarmed with units. Treant boar might be a good replacement, and also helps get good value of a alive malena.

As you can see this deck is pure scoiatael and hence procs devotion as well.