My love for Vanguards

[sitnam90]

How could you ever take out Archie!?!?!?! Archie is the best at making your opponent panic. In my humble opinion, there is no reason whatsoever to not have Archie in there. But that's just me.

I like him in an alternare, rush based deck with angels and cav knights. But I pretty much turtle the entire time with my regular deck, and I dont find much use for his mobility in a defensive deck. Coleen is cheaper and has a much more synergetic ability, whilst Kalon works better as a bodyguard for Sera. I also feel he is overcosted. For seven you can have Kalon, Rygos, Malevolence or Jacob. In a defensive deck I think any of those four choices is a superior investment of seven magic.

[chardris77]

Personally, I always go for a high cost deck with Leah as my centerpiece. Whether it's champ heavy or common heavy, that's always my base.

[Joseph]

I hate leah, she never works for me, especially cause i like to summon 2, maybe even 3 champs at once. Coleen rocks my world, i use her all the time. jake is superb. He is a master of offense and defense. Opponent starting to break your meat wall of knights? Jake clears it out. Offensive push, can't breach the line? Jake pones them. Suprise summon a swarm? If jake lives, you're opponent just let you slaughter everything with 1 attack. Archie, i feel is horrible on d, he costs so much because of the assassination style he brings. On d, he's no more than an overcosted guy who jumps fight next to guradian knights, and you will never get a chance to use him to his full mobility. On offense, he rocks, quite able to manuever out of tight spots, and onto a summoner. he's elein's worst nightmare. I adore raechel. I know that you all hate her, but paired with jake, she can really slow your opponents building and drawing. I actually have a super offensive deck for the vanguards. I have only played it 3 times, but i won all 3 times.
jake
archie
loveguard(yes really. you guys hate on 1 attackers too much)

1-stalwart
5-cav knights
4-angels
3-preist
4-guard knights
Get the champs out. Use any common to guard jake and loveguard. Preferably guard knights, but angels, are fine, priests are also pretty good because they heal. Archie goes on a flying warpath, leading the angels into battle. use him to clear out some space for the angles. cavs should be applying pressure anywhere there is a gap in the line. put them the furthest they can go, since you really need them in the back. loveguard with jake can create those holes very easily. so jake and loveguard are decimating the frontline, you bring in archie and the angels to force your opponent back. cav knighhts should then charge in, and start picking at the chunks of survivors. Charge in with whatever lived your daring assualt, and destroy the remainder. Just my bit on the vanguards.

[joepinion]

Wow, lots of variety here, fun times.

Ok so here's my full deck, called "Mal & Leah":
Leah
Mal
Kalon
4x Cavalry Knight
5x Priest
1x Stalwart Archer
8x Guardian Knight

This is full on the traditional healing Vanguards. Two pricey champs (which Leah synergizes with if you can get her early) with tons of life and opportunity for Greater Healing. Priests can help when needed, Guardians help Sera get into the action so she's in position to heal, and Cavalry Knights for random pressure on the opponent's summoner, which direct resources away from wounded champs or a vulnerable Sera.

Here's the other deck I've been running, Hails of Arrows:
Coleen
Kalon
Leah
10x Stalwart Archers
5x Priests
3x Guardian Knights

Maximum Archers, supported with Priests and Coleen. This deck has done well but needs some work. Coleen... I don't like her. I plan on replacing her soon with some more bite. Jacob is probably a good idea there. Could also use some more Guardian Knights as they are cheaper than Priests and can avoid Archer wounds all the same, in their own way. I won't take Kalon out, in defiance of all you unappreciative jerks. :P

[Shockma Ranyk]

Late-Game push with Kalon and Grubs FTW!

My early game with vanguards is common heavy with Coleen bolstering them, and maybe Kalon if I'm cursed with drawing him too early. Grubs is always my late game push with Sera, hopefully Kalon can help too with enough luck. Psst... Archie sucks...

Grubs
Kalon
Leah

1 Stalwart Archer (and I kill him for magic)
3 Angels
3 Stonecloaks
3 Priests
8 Guardian Knights

[GeneralRolando]

See this is what I'm talkin about! There are so many fantastic builds for vanguards it's hard to know when to stop. I don't think any other deck has this kind of strategic versatility. Man, the Vanguards are amazing! ^_^

I hate leah, she never works for me, especially cause i like to summon 2, maybe even 3 champs at once. Coleen rocks my world, i use her all the time. jake is superb. He is a master of offense and defense. Opponent starting to break your meat wall of knights? Jake clears it out. Offensive push, can't breach the line? Jake pones them. Suprise summon a swarm? If jake lives, you're opponent just let you slaughter everything with 1 attack. Archie, i feel is horrible on d, he costs so much because of the assassination style he brings. On d, he's no more than an overcosted guy who jumps fight next to guradian knights, and you will never get a chance to use him to his full mobility. On offense, he rocks, quite able to manuever out of tight spots, and onto a summoner. he's elein's worst nightmare. I adore raechel. I know that you all hate her, but paired with jake, she can really slow your opponents building and drawing. I actually have a super offensive deck for the vanguards. I have only played it 3 times, but i won all 3 times.
jake
archie
loveguard(yes really. you guys hate on 1 attackers too much)

1-stalwart
5-cav knights
4-angels
3-preist
4-guard knights
Get the champs out. Use any common to guard jake and loveguard. Preferably guard knights, but angels, are fine, priests are also pretty good because they heal. Archie goes on a flying warpath, leading the angels into battle. use him to clear out some space for the angles. cavs should be applying pressure anywhere there is a gap in the line. put them the furthest they can go, since you really need them in the back. loveguard with jake can create those holes very easily. so jake and loveguard are decimating the frontline, you bring in archie and the angels to force your opponent back. cav knighhts should then charge in, and start picking at the chunks of survivors. Charge in with whatever lived your daring assualt, and destroy the remainder. Just my bit on the vanguards.

I've always taken Loveguard out not because I think she is bad but because I guess on the outside all the other champs just seem so good. Since you bring her up I might have to give some plays too. Loveguard and Jacob could be a fun combo cause they are both ranged, and ranged champs always rock. I still think Malvolence is the all purpose go-to champ simply because she is like a better Kalon, and I NEVER take out Archie because he ruins everyone's day no matter what the situation. I'll use another deck build with Loveguard as my third sometime.

Psst... Archie sucks...

......ANGER...... RAGE....... and HATE!!!!!!!!! Archie is total pro at everything!

[Shockma Ranyk]

......ANGER...... RAGE....... and HATE!!!!!!!!! Archie is total pro at everything!

I'm just messing with ya. I use Archie every now and again, but against factions with a tough summoner or factions that can lock him down and chip away, he's a waste of magic. He really only shines against PE, BE, CL, or a VG mirror match.

[airdroppers]

What are these decks without Kalon? Blasphemy.

I like the idea of Mal in the VG, but to replace Kalon with her... I donno...

She has that immediate 4 attack, but Kalon has survivability over her, plus he is going to get the 4 attack. 1 extra life, plus not wounding yourself, can make the difference of Kalon staying on the board for a couple of turns longer than Mal.

A deck with Leah, Mal and Kalon is pure powerhouse though.

Stalwart Archers are awesome defenders and force rushing in. I like Stone Golems and all, but nothing beats the range of the Stalwart Archers to force some bad moves out of my opponent.

I'm really not a fan of the Archers. I am usually happy my opponent is summoning them, I take them out in one turn and if my opponent wants to summon another one, sure.

[GeneralRolando]

What are these decks without Kalon? Blasphemy.

I like the idea of Mal in the VG, but to replace Kalon with her... I donno...

She has that immediate 4 attack, but Kalon has survivability over her, plus he is going to get the 4 attack. 1 extra life, plus not wounding yourself, can make the difference of Kalon staying on the board for a couple of turns longer than Mal.

A deck with Leah, Mal and Kalon is pure powerhouse though.

The survivability hardly matters in Vanguard decks because you have all the healy powers. It doesn't matter if Mal is wounding herself because she can just be healed right after by a priest or Sera.

The reason I replace Kalon with Mal instead of having them both, is because I use Jacob and Archie for the deep strikes where Kalon or Mal don't have the range or movement to be able to do many really hard hits. Units like Mal and Kalon are more to make your opponent piss his pants because anything he puts near it is going to be omnomed in a matter of seconds. Archie and Jacob are less scary but in most cases, more useful or deadly.

[Dapuma]

tns - i was thinking about trying a Archer Deck with them - do you often find you can get a big enough damage bonus on them without them dying to make it worth using, and do you have to give up casting all 3 champs to make it work? seems like there would be a mana problem with them costing 2 each