Articles

Chapin's Wheel

How to build better decks in 7 Point Highlander: Aggro-Control

In this article, we analyse a macro-archetype that is tricky to define but has been known to dominate: Aggro-Control. Reading this article should help you to build and pilot Aggro-Control decks in 7 Point Highlander, and identify and defeat opposing Aggro-Control decks.  In 7 Point Highlander, Aggro-Control decks tend to appear under the Good-Stuff Control or Value Midrange archetypes, and are not to be confused with the Protect the Queen archetype, as we explain in this article. We begin by unpacking the elements of Aggro-Control, mostly according to Hall of Famer Patrick Chapin.  Then we examine two successful Aggro-Control decks… Read More »How to build better decks in 7 Point Highlander: Aggro-Control

How to Win a Tournament in 7 Point Highlander

In this article I will go through the things you can do and the mindset you can adopt to maximise your odds of winning a tournament. This article is intended for intermediate competitive players entering 20-100 person events.  An introduction to better play Getting started on beating the skill ‘plateau’ I find that a lot of established players plateau. They learn the format, get confident with a deck and can play an event without blundering, but then they stop improving. An important piece of advice for players who have played for a while but don’t seem to be getting results is to look to eek out… Read More »How to Win a Tournament in 7 Point Highlander

Deck Primer: RUG Sprowess in Highlander

Welcome to a deck primer on RUG Sprowess in 7 Point Highlander! In this article we will take a deep dive into RUG Sprowess, which is a representative of the Tempo Strategy in Highlander. You’ll notice a unique fusion of elements from multiple Highlander Archetypes, including Protect the Queen and a blend of principles from Burn and Theme Combo. “Squires throughout the realm aspire to her mix of panache and martial prowess.“ – Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale Want to play an 18/10 double strike and trample creature on turn two? Like the idea of pumping a creature for lethal… Read More »Deck Primer: RUG Sprowess in Highlander

Chapin's Wheel

How to build better decks in 7 Point Highlander: Lava Spike or Burn

The Lava Spike deck aims to win by hitting the opponent with enough one-off sources of direct damage, also known as “burn”. It is very aggressive, consistent, and clear in its game plan. The Lava Spike deck would be fair (in the sense of being interactive instead of a degenerate combo deck) but for the fact that direct damage can be hard to stop. Indeed, the Lava Spike deck tries to be unfair by sidestepping common interaction like creature removal. It is geared to win the damage race, not interact, so it can struggle against life gain, faster combo decks, and problematic permanents.… Read More »How to build better decks in 7 Point Highlander: Lava Spike or Burn

How to build better decks in 7 Point Highlander: The Rock and Junk

The Rock is a deck that emphasises curving out midsized creatures and progressively gaining advantage on the battlefield. It plays a very fair game and balances aggression with wide-ranging interaction. One variant of the Rock is called Junk (it’s just a bit smaller and faster). After reading this article, you should have a better handle on building and beating Rock decks, which frequently appear in 7 Point Highlander as Equipment-based Midrange.  Aspects of the Rock can also appear in Value Midrange and Lands decks. Click here if you want to skip to the summary at the end of the article.… Read More »How to build better decks in 7 Point Highlander: The Rock and Junk