Deck of the Day: Ezreal Gangplank

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Ezreal Gangplank created by Dragonguy • last updated 2 years ago

Regions

Types

Rarities

Mana Cost

Champions (6)

Ezreal

Gangplank

followers (16)

Ballistic Bot

Black Market Merchant

Spells (18)

Hello everyone, my name is Dragon and I welcome you all to another Deck of the Day!

What is ‘Deck of the Day’?

The goal of these short write-ups is to regularly introduce you to the new exciting decks and archetypes that are popping up constantly in the revitalized meta of Patch 2.11.

Each day, we’ll be showcasing one list that we think is worth your time. We’ll then follow it up with a commentary to cover the deck’s origin, its gameplan, and, in the end, we’ll be giving it a preliminary verdict.

We hope you’ll find the decks we share entertaining, and let us know what you think about this new format!

Today, I wanted to showcase an old archetype that’s been revived thanks to the new balance changes. Without further ado, let’s get into this exciting fresh take on Ezreal Bilgewater.

Origins

Ezreal Bilgewater was born during the Rising Tides expansion that came out in April 2020. Versions back then used to run Twisted Fate over Gangplank.

More than a year has passed, TF has been nerfed, and many other changes have occurred since, so GP has now taken over as the second champion for this deck. He also brought along his ship – The Dreadway – which recently received some love and now costs one less mana than in its original state.

The specific version of the build I’m featuring – also sometimes called Funsmith Burn – comes from swim.

Gameplan

This deck uses a suite of removal options to control and stall the board until we can set up the win in the mid-to-late game with the help of our champions. GP and Ezreal are both solid win conditions for the deck, so going for their level-ups can be very rewarding.

Make it Rain has really given this list the boost it needs, as it helps to quickly level Ezreal, advance Gangplank‘s requirement, and proc Plunder for Monster Harpoon. It also has amazing synergy with Powder Kegs, as well as with Funsmith and The Dreadway, both of which buff our spell damage.

As a general rule, you want to manage your resources very carefully and be reactive. Wait until the best possible moment to play your removal spells on high-priority targets, and look for openings to play your value engine units like Ezreal or Funsmith.

Another thing to consider when playing this deck is that many of your spells can double-up as removal and burn. Sometimes, you may have to leave a problematic unit of your opponent on the board and go face instead, to close out the game. It is also important to keep in mind that with your spells, Ezreal wants you to target units while GP wants you to damage Nexus. Be flexible and recognize when going for level-ups is crucial and should influence your decisions on how to use spells.

Verdict: 8.0 out of 10

The deck has felt really solid in most of the games I’ve played. The list runs a lot of interaction, giving you plenty of options to control the flow of the game and eventually swing it in your favor.

In terms of weaknesses for the deck, one of them is the lack of card advantage mechanisms. The new Time Trick spell is a massive help for this deck, increasing consistency and helping you dig for answers, but it can be difficult to stay ahead on cards.

Most of our units can’t do more than to trade 1-for-1 with opposing units, and our lower-cost value generators are all susceptible to 3-mana removal. This deck also lacks healing, making it soft to burn strategies.

Still, the deck has felt incredibly potent, and I expect this deck to be on the rise this expansion.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope I’ve inspired at least some of ye to don your pirate hats and have give this deck a mystic shot.

Come back tomorrow for another featured Deck of the Day on RuneterraCCG!