Dancing with Lions

23/07/2018 - Guide written

Disclaimer: This guide is the result from trial & error and digesting japanese tweets and in no mean the "know all" guide.

Decklist example:
Recommended: https://shadowverse-portal.com/image/3.7.6YZMo.6YZMo.6YZMo.6N9tI.6N9tI.6N9tI.6YXPo.6YXPo.6VzLy.6VzLy.6VxeQ.6VxeQ.6VxeQ.6JLFC.6JLFC.6JLFC.6JNhI.6JNhI.6JNhI.60COa.60COa.60COa.6UjWQ.6UjWQ.6UjWQ.6UjGo.6UjGo.6UjGo.6UlTQ.6UlTQ.6UlTQ.6Q_zI.6Q_zI.6Q_zI.6UlDo.6UlDo.6UlDo.6Ya5g.6Ya5g.6Ya5g?lang=en

Budget set: https://shadowverse-portal.com/image/3.7.6YZMo.6YZMo.6YZMo.6N9tI.6N9tI.6N9tI.6YXPo.6YXPo.6YXPo.6VxeQ.6VxeQ.6VxeQ.6JLFC.6JLFC.6JLFC.6QueY.6QueY.6QueY.6Ybp2.6Ybp2.60COa.60COa.60COa.6UjWQ.6UjWQ.6UjWQ.6UjGo.6UjGo.6UjGo.6UlTQ.6UlTQ.6UlTQ.6UlDo.6UlDo.6UlDo.6Ya5g.6Ya5g.6Ya5g.6YcXw.6YcXw?lang=en


Deck's Viability
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Only for Rotation as it's too slow in Unlimited. With Snow White being the only card from an old expansion, this deck can actually last for a long time in Rotation.


Deck's Strength and Weakness
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+ Low cost. Less chance to brick
+ Unlimited resources when played right
- Lose to aggro decks that go wide early on (eg: Aggro Forest)
- Can be EP-hungry at times


What to mulligan
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With the exception of Temple (Keeping 2 is okay going first), try to keep one of each to form a curve

Forest
First - Globe, Blade, Crystal, Temple, Snow White
Second - Globe, Blade, Scripture, Temple, Snow White

Sword
First - Globe, Crystal, Temple, Weaver, Snow White
Second - Globe, Blade or Scripture, Temple, Snow White, Swing

Haven
First - Globe, Crystal, Blade, Temple, Weaver
Second - Globe, Crystal, Blade, Temple, Father

Portal
First - Globe, Crystal, Temple, Weaver, Scripture
Second - Globe, Crystal, Temple, Scripture

Others
First - Globe, Crystal, Temple, Weaver
Second - Globe, Crystal, Temple, Weaver



How this deck is played?
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The general strategy for this deck is to generate lions until you have upgraded them to 4/4 Storm. For that goal, you need to focus on removing their board either with removals or trading. A rule of the thumb is to keep only 2 amulets in play at a time past turn 4.



What this anon thinks about the cards?
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Father Punishment - Many slept on this card, this anon included. For just one EP, this 1PP can remove most obstacles. Sometimes he can go 2-for-1 by trading into a X/1 follower.

Globe of the Stairways - While it's a mandatory tool to dig deeper into your deck early on, it can be a dead weight later on when it occupies a board space for 3 turns.

Sealed Tome - Nerfed but still good. Forbidden Teachings should be the lowest priority or when you are dealing with a slow deck like Rune.

Seraphic Blade - A rather exceptional removal since most decks have 2PP. Try to save them depending on the matchups (Rayne and Brambles for forest, Temple for Haven, Vira for Blood etc). Keep in mind that Enhance follower like Holy Knight Bear is still a 2PP even if it's buffed to a 4/4, but this doesn't apply to any Choice form for Celia.

Naoise, Red Branch Knight - While usually a 2PP 2/2, he can be gamebreaking in some matchups if you manage to predict a burst from your opponent. Also useful in mirror by reducing the overall damage from the opposition

Princess Snow White - The one holding the deck up against the unfavorable matchup versus Aggro Forest. She will rotate out soon but so is some cards like Brambles, so at least that evens things out.

Blacked Scripture - Not much explanation needed. Denying Portal a puppet can go a long way

Holy Lion Crystal - Star of the deck. You will want to keep at least a copy (or a card that generates it) in your hand at all times.

Moriae Encomium - A filler card that forces awkward play from your opponent 2 turns later. As with Globe, try not to play it when you have already 2 Amulets on board.

Temple of the Holy Lion - The card that makes the Enhance play bearable early on. Since it's a 2PP developed on not putting anything on board, it's not recommended to play this on turn 2. More on that later.

Jeanne, Beacon of Salvation - Usually a 7PP play but you can curve her out against Rune. Your only out against a wide board like Arthur (Needs an EP though. I did say this deck is EP-hungry)

Peaceweaver - A good turn 3 curve or a turn 5 play (including the lion). Her existence is one reason why Forbidden Teachings can be bad when resolved

Prism Swing - Since you need an enemy follower to generate the crystal, it can be a dead draw versus Dragon or Portal so use them when there's an available target.



Matchups (Rotation in mind)
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Forest - This is an unfavorable matchup for you since they won't allow you to have the time to develop your lions. You really need Snow White to control their board early on to prevent them from having the full benefit from Elf Song. Save up Blade for Rayne and Brambles. Naoise won't do much in this matchup, so you can play him early on (Snow White is still a better play since she doesn't die to Fairy + Insect Lord)

Sword - An even matchup. Always keep a removal in hand for possible Mars play and keep an EP and Jeanne for that turn 7 Arthur. You play Naoise like a normal 2PP.

Rune - Extremely favorable matchup unless you brick real hard without any lion cards. Use Father Punishment to remove a stray Flame Destroyer and keep Naoise for turn 9 and so on.

Dragon - Should be a favorable matchup. Always keep their board empty to prevent Jabberwock shenanigans and keep Naoise for when they have 10PP next turn.

Shadow - Encountered the least in the meta. Favorable so far as long as they don't start having Plagued City to stop your storm.

Blood - Favorable. Keep a Blade or two to deal with Vira.

Portal - Even matchup as long as they don't get their turn 3 Silva (They will). It's usually race on who manages to storm the opposition. Keep a Naoise only when it's an Artifact player to strafe off a possible Safira OTK on turn 10.



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More Indepths
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When to Play a Temple?
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The earliest turn you can play a Temple is on turn 2, but that is usually a bad move unless you have another Temple or two in hand. This is because your opponent will usually answer it with a Blade. While we can argue that it's a even trade of 2PP to 2PP, a Temple has more late game value than a Blade so it's usually recommended to play it on a later turn (Turn 4 to 6 is most ideal). That way, your opponent will be forced to make a least optimum play since they have to spend 2PP to play the Blade to remove the amulet (Say, on turn 5, by spending 2PP for the blade, they are left with 3PP to play other cards instead of a full 5PP play). Generally, we want to try to gain a PP out of the amulet before it's destroyed.

For example, take this turn 4 play
Temple (2PP) --> Crystal (2PP) --> Globe (1PP)
From here, we manage to recover a PP, effectively making the amulet a 1PP.

Other play includes
Turn 5: Temple (2PP) --> Crystal (2PP) --> a 2PP card
Turn 6: Temple (2PP) --> Crystal (2PP) --> Prism Swing/Peaceweaver
Turn 6: Temple (2PP) --> Crystal (2PP) --> Crystal (2PP) --> a 2PP card

Of course, if you start with a 2 Temple hand, you can do Temple (Turn 2) into Crystal + Temple (Turn 3), but this only works against slow decks like Dragon/Rune or when you go first.


To Enhance or not to Enhance?
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It's ideal to use Enhance if you have a Temple in play, but sometimes the situations don't allow that (Not drawing into any Temple or they get destroyed). On those situations, try to play other cards while keeping a single Crystal in hand (Say, using Peaceweaver and the Crystal she generates instead of spending 5PP to summon a lone 2/2). Only start using the Enhance when you start generating 4/4s.


How many Temple in play at a time
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2 at most. 3 will get you killed by denying you the board you need.


What turn can I start generating 2 Lion with a single Crystal without consuming it?
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0 Temple - Turn 10 (5PP + 5PP. 0PP left)
1 Temple - Turn 9 (5PP - 1PP + 5PP. 1PP left). Turn 10 allows a total of 3 Lions at the expense of a Crystal
2 Temple - Turn 8 (5PP - 2PP + 5pp - 2PP. 2PP left)> Turn 9 allows a total of 3 Lions with 3PP left for Peaceweaver or Prism Swing


Other trick
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You can only check the number of lions played by looking at a Crystal card (Or your discard pile, provided none of the lions get banished). Remember to keep track since the 4th and 7th play changes a lot of things. For example you can make use of the board limit by "discarding" lion when your board is full.

Say, you start the turn 9 with a board like
Temple Temple 2/3 2/2 4/4
Your current lion count is 5 and your opponent is at 12 Defense. So you discard lion #6, then get rid of the 2/3 and 2/2 to give slot for Lion #7 and Lion #8 to lethal them with.