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In the Houston Regional, Order was the only domain left out of the Top 8, as OGN-269 failed to make it and was the only chance for yellow to reach the top cut. Except for The Boss, OGN-253 and OGN-265 also showed good promises among Order legends. Yet, they never reached the status of serious threat in a high stakes tournament, instead more suited for Best-Of-1 formats.
With Spiritforged, Order mostly needs more proactive firepower, cards able to force the opponent into a reaction, strong synergies they have to respect. Without these additions, Order will again be limited to the support role, the domain we look at for strong removal, but not one to be scared of.
Based on the new legends, it seems like the situation won't change much. Indeed, SFD-247 looks like an improved OGN-265, but still a token deck, while the other three also focus on specific strategies. Then, unless one of those niches clicks, which is difficult when you have to divide a set into four separate synergies, Order might still have to serve as a support domain.
These articles are focused on the cards I feel will have the most impact in the Spiritforged set within their domain. However, this doesn't necessarily mean I believe they are all powerhouses we will play in every deck.
A card can also leave its mark as a fantastic side deck option, a solid support, or be a strong fit in a precise environment. Then, I rated each card out of five stars for more clarity on their expected role :
Niche synergy contributor — Great side deck inclusion.
Great fit for the Spiritforged metagame — Playable in multiple decks
Future staple for the domain — Able to shape the Spiritforged metagame
Sacred Shears
If we manage to ignore the equip cost, this card will represent plenty of cards over the course of a game. Fortunately, we have the perfect legend to do so in SFD-247.
Turn one when going second, play SFD-172, tap your legend, and you have a 3-Might Sand Soldier with Deathknell - Draw 1.
The Emperor of the Sands likely won't have much room in its deck after we included enough equipments plus the strong standalone cards. In that context, cards able to serve as support and synergize with a core mechanic of SFD-247 will massively help to build a cohesive list.
Honest Broker
Elementary, yet exactly the type of card I believe Order needs to gain some density. During Origins, OGN-216 emerged as the staple 2-cost unit for most legends, but it suffered from losing most showdowns to other early units.
The deathknell isn't as good with SFD-155, but we get to take out the opposing unit unless the opponent spends resources to keep it alive.
Deathgrip
This is a type of card I felt the domain lacked during the first set, especially when it was time to push for the win. Most Order legends were forced to play a hold oriented play-style due to their struggle to push for both battlefields to go for the win.
Typically, SFD-163 won't do more than transform what would be a lost unit into a buff to another and a draw. It is fine for two runes, but not something we can afford to do at any moment.
Once at six points however, we can use SFD-163 to transfer the might of a unit we used to conquer the first battlefield, to another we'll send to the other battlefield. We could consider this a sort of OGN-173, except we need two units in play.
Blood Money
Going second often means playing from behind as the opponent got the initiative of both playing a unit first, and scoring the first point. SFD-162 will slow that process by a turn, but more importantly, allow ignoring our next power cost.
SFD-173, OGN-240, OGN-238, SFD-171, SFD-170, OGN-239 are that many cards we could be interested to use on turn two and with a power cost attached. Ignoring that cost to keep all our runes will go a long way into wrestling initiative back in our favour, as we will keep our one rune advantage.
With that in mind, SFD-162 could be a solid side deck option when going second, or a fine removal when combined with the Mind domain to lower opposing units' might.
Fiora - Worthy
I really like to have a solid 3-cost unit without a power cost attached when I go second. Moreover, the ability to ready our units has proved to be a fantastic way to catch-up and seize board control. Last, this card's ability plays right into SFD-205, which would read "When one of your units become Mighty, you may exhaust me to ready it" with SFD-180 on the board.
I'm not a big fan of the Fiora legend to be honest, which is a shame as she was my favourite champion in Legends of Runeterra. However, if she is going to become something in the Spiritforged metagame, she will need this type of card by her side.
Soraka - Wanderer
In a set designed to equip units, there is no way this card does not become a very annoying card at some point. Indeed, SFD-173 could grow too much to be removed, but also lock the opponent out of interacting with the battlefield until removed.
There are two main scenarios for this card to shine :
- In a hold oriented strategy, use SFD-173 as the battlefield manager, sending the dead units back to it after they were resummoned at the base.
- In a conquer mindset, attack with SFD-173 in the group and have her survive so all the other units are sent back to base. The following turn, you have those units ready to attack the other battlefield.
A Riftbound match doesn't last for long, 5 to 6 turns on average. If SFD-173 allows us to keep all our units while the opponent lost theirs, we only have to snowball this massive gain of resources to win the game.
Renata Glasc - Industrialist
Another champion unit I have troubles picturing the associated legend as a competitive threat. However, compared to SFD-180, this one can be played in a much wider range of decks.
First, we have Token decks obviously, such as SFD-247 or OGN-265. It might a little slow to keep SFD-171 at our base all game long so our tokens all enter active, but just that passive buff makes the card appealing in those decks already.
Then, we also have to consider the synergy with the new SFD-T03 tokens we will create through the course of the match. Through being able to use them immediately, we should be much more flexible when it comes to equipping our weapons, or using our support spells with a power cost attached.
OGN-209 for example, is a great removal, but sometimes sets us back in runes if played too early in a match. With SFD-171 on the board, we could create a SFD-T03 token and use our removal without hurting our ability to play in the future.
A package with SFD-155 and SFD-162 could emerge, representing a nice way to cheat power costs.
Glasc Mixologist
When I see this card, I'm sorrowful Order and Chaos cannot be mixed currently. I would have spent hours looking for the perfect 3-cost to resummon, even if I had to discard it through an ability.
But that synergy is not available, so let's look for strong 3-cost we could fetch back from our trash in the other domains :
- SFD-180 and SFD-110 look pretty good, and one can be a chosen champion to make sure she always hits the board early.
- SFD-029 is another champion unit we could summon early and be interested to get back in play.
- I'm sure decks looking to leverage cheap gears would hate to see SFD-074 come back and remove a second one. Plus, the first SFD-T03 we created can pay the power cost of SFD-165.
I want more of these cards for the Order domain, able to serve most strategies, and help anchor the more important turns in a match.
Closing Words
If I had to pick, I would go with SFD-197 and OGN-261 as the best Order legends for the Spiritforged metagame.
SFD-197 as I expect it to be the best proactive strategy, on top of receiving the most support in the set. I have hopes for the stun synergy with big equipped units roaming the metagame, which explains my second pick being OGN-261.
