Blessed with Brawn Rush
By Pepegak · PlaystyleBack to guides
Welcome to Stormbound! A place where every player can be a winner or a loser. A place where there are countless decks and playstyles, and this one is no exception. Today, I will teach you how to play with and against Blessed with Brawn Rush (BwB Rush).
Basics and Features of the Deck
One of the features of the BwB Rush is that it takes the enemy by surprise, as the last thing you expect is the BwB used on the unit in front of your base. The enemy will need more than 6 mana to somehow destroy the buffed unit if he does not have Confinement or Siren of the Seas. Also, one of the features of this deck is its low average cost, which makes it easy to play 2-3 cards each turn and quickly cycle to the one you need. While it’s cheap, it’s not lacking in power like other similar-style decks.
This deck can have a lot of variations, but there is a template for it. These 8 cards are the foundation for any BwB Rush deck and depending on your leveling of cards and the goals that you want to achieve from this deck, you finish the deck the way you want. I personally recommend 2 variations of this deck: Zhevana variant and Felflares variant.
- Green Prototypes
1
5 - Icicle Burst1
5 - Summon Militia1
5 - Frosthexers2
5 - Gifted Recruits2
5 - Lawless Herd2
5 - Mystwives4
5 - Blessed with Brawn6
5 - Empty deck slot
- Empty deck slot
- Empty deck slot
- Empty deck slot
Zhevana Variant
- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer3
5 - Westwind Sailors3
5 - Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana4
5 - Terrific Slayers4
5 - Blessed with Brawn65
Classic and main deck variation for me, suitable for those with Spellbinder Zhevana. Best played in Platinum, Diamond, and Hero leagues. This variation is distinguished by the presence of Zhevana and Westwind Sailors. Aggressive, fast, and powerful deck capable of reaching the enemy base quickly. In this deck, the main combinations are Icicle Burst / Frosthexers + Spellbinder Zhevana + Mystwives (when you have 5-6 mana, which is very good). Zhevana is very suitable for destroying weak units almost for free and at the same time being an excellent unit for triggering Mystwives ability in case you have insufficiently strong units or they are not at all for some reason.
Felflares Variant
- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- Felflares3
5 - First Mutineer35
- Execution4
5 - Mystwives45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Even less, but still the same aggressive deck, suitable for players without legendary cards. Best played in Platinum and Diamond 5-4 Leagues. This variation is not as aggressive as the first, but rather relies on the destruction of units and the subsequent combination of Green Prototypes + Blessed with Brawn. Here, more emphasis is placed on clearing the board from enemy units and buildings, because there are Execution and Felflares cards that do this task quite well. In other cases, this is still the same deck, capable of quickly reaching the enemy’s base and dealing with it if the enemy does not have suitable cards.
Deck Template Analysis
This, like every other deck, should have the main cards that you will rely on when playing. I’ll tell you everything about them now:
Give 8 strength to a target friendly unit or structure with 4 or less strength
Level 1Give 10 strength to a target friendly unit or structure with 5 or less strength
Level 2Give 12 strength to a target friendly unit or structure with 6 or less strength
Level 3Give 15 strength to a target friendly unit or structure with 7 or less strength
Level 4Give 18 strength to a target friendly unit or structure with 8 or less strength
Level 5Blessed with Brawn
It’s worth starting with this one, because this card is one of the main cards for winning this deck. The name of this card is even in the name of the playstyle. A 6 mana spell that grants incredible amounts of strength to weak units like Green Prototypes or Lawless Herd. This card helps the opponent’s attack to choke, because they will need to defend themselves 100% from the unit, which can almost completely destroy the base. It is also a versatile card that suits any situation and card. You can use it for defense, then use it in a counter-attack and force the opponent to surrender. However, it must be used wisely, because the opponent can use this card against you. The most dangerous cards against this are Confinement, Siren of the Seas, and any other unit with similar strength. Simply put, in the right hands, it can work wonders.
Green Prototypes
It is the only 1 mana unit with movement that exists in the game. This card is great for moving frontline so you can deploy more units closer to the enemy base. It is also one of the main cards for the Blessed with Brawn combo. Also, at higher levels, it is able to activate the Mystwives ability, which can cause difficulties for the opponent.
Summon Militia
One of two spell cards costing 1 mana. It is not a very important card, but like Green Prototypes, it is capable of activating Mystwives and if the knights spawn is successful, be a target for Blessed with Brawn. However, if you have the opportunity to play this or some other card, then it is better to play another card, because this card will not be the best choice due to the RNG (very random card since knights may spawn right in front of your base or on the farthest tile). However, if you have no choice, then you can play this spell.
Icicle Burst
A second spell that costs 1 mana. This card is a real treasure, because it can be used almost anytime possible: in combination with Spellbinder Zhevana, in combination with Frosthexers, to stop the opponent’s attack, in combination with Blessed with Brawn (situations where you can use such a combination are rare, but they can happen anyway). This card costs very little, has absurd damage and can be used in attack, counter-attack, and in defense too. The perfect piece to complement the deck perfectly.
Frosthexers
Another treasure of the Winter Pact. Excellent assistants in attack and defense. Due to its low cost, it can be played very often. Such combinations include other units and spells like Spellbinder Zhevana, Icicle Burst, Mystwives, and Blessed with Brawn (the last one can be used on it, but not desirable). Frosthexers can block enemy units from attacking stronger units in the vicinity and even use enemy units against the opponent.
Gifted Recruits
A card that can be seen practically in any deck, not excluding this one. It is the basis of all attacks and the main attacking card. It’s cheap and can be used to defend as a last resort .
Lawless Herd / Iceflakes
Linking units for other cards and combinations. These cards have a large amount of strength (6 and 7, respectively), but both have one drawback: lack of movement, which means that they will go on the attack only after 1-2 turns. However, this minus can be turned into a plus, putting them up as a shield for attacking cards, which will force the opponent to spend a lot more than 2 mana to deal with them. I also added Iceflakes to this point, because it is very similar (almost the same strength, used for the same purposes), however Iceflakes have their disadvantage, which is that it cannot move for 2 turns. On the other hand, unlike Lawless Herd, it can be “fed” to Spellbinder Zhevana, and in combination with Icicle Burst you can get 1 additional mana, which is not always useful. Also, this card is suitable to mock the opponent a little (Iceflakes + Icicle Burst on them). But in ranked matches, it is better not to do this. Spend this mana on smarter targets and use them for reaching better goals.
Mystwives
The second card is used to defeat the opponent in the game. This is not a card worth playing alone. This card simply requires to be played with strong units on bordering tiles, because all its strength is in its ability. Everything must be done to trigger this ability as often as possible. It is one of the main attacking units for a small cost, which forces the opponent to spend precious spells and units on them, which will have a deadly impact on them in the future.
Felflares
One of the additional cards for the deck, needed for defense and counter-attacks. Unfortunately, this card is lacking in strength and is not capable of causing significant damage to the enemy base. The sole purpose of these frostlings is to damage enemy units and clear the tile of enemy structures and then occupy these tiles with your other units. Not the best, but not the worst choice for BwB Rush either.
First Mutineer
A pirate with 2 speed is also one of the additional cards that is desirable to add to the deck, because it can be one of the win conditions. However, the drawback is its ability to discard a random non-pirate card from your hand, which can often play a trick on you. This card must be used very carefully, because from a winning situation, you can instantly go into a draw or even a losing situation. However, you can use the card for even faster iterations of the deck cycle and draw the main cards more often. I can say that it was a card which saved me in many situations. Like Blessed with Brawn, it can work wonders in the right moments.
Terrific Slayers / Warfront Runners
An additional card with 2 speeds, and is the another win condition. They, like First Mutineer, have saved me so many times, but they are not at all necessary here. Due to their small amount of strength, they are unable to challenge most enemies, and even more so against large units like Heroic Soldiers. But they are not needed for such purposes, because their only task is to damage the enemy base. I combined these 2 cards into one subgroup, since they have exactly the same strength, but Terrific Slayers can do huge damage to enemy dragons, which can sometimes help you.
Westwind Sailors
Another not quite necessary pirate in the deck. Due to the low strength to cost ratio, it can be replaced with Yowling Weavers, but only if you are not afraid of losing a unit of any strength, even if it has more than 20 strength. But if you’ve added it to your deck, then it’s best to use it in the same way as Gifted Recruits, the very case when you need an additional unit to move and save your frontline.
Personal Servers / Potion of Growth
Pure support for the units in the deck. If you have a low level of cards, or you do not have enough of the strength that you already have, then you can add them to your deck to strengthen all your units. They will be in your deck only so that your cards live on the board even longer. Examples of using these cards include: Green Prototypes / Summon Militia + Personal Servers / Potion of Growth or Gifted Recruits / Rimelings + Personal Servers / Potion of Growth. Unlike Personal Servers, Potion of Growth can also cancel poisoning from a unit and prevent the opponent from using Amberhides / Marked as Prey, if he has them, of course.
Yowling Weavers
A 3 mana card similar to Westwind Sailors can be a nice addition to your deck. Having 4 strength at the first level, it can be used together with Mystwives as a very dangerous bundle, especially near the base. But it is worth remembering that Weavers pay for such big strength with its ability - it destroys a random non-dragon friendly unit, which can play into the hands of the opponent. After all, if they can make Weavers destroy your combination of Green Prototypes + Blessed with Brawn, then you will have big problems. Use this card only at your own risk.
Rimelings
A good card that can complement this deck with another medium strength card. Its practical cost is 2 mana, which creates a good strength to cost ratio, but this card has one drawback: it costs 5 mana, which means that unlike Westwind Sailors, it cannot be played in the first 1/2 turns. However, if you are willing to wait 2 turns, then you can safely add them to your deck instead of Westwind Sailors. Another small drawback is that you must be aware of your card order during your turn to ensure that you have enough mana to play this card.
Cards in Hand
I will explain this section based on the main variant: Zhevana Variant.
Due to the large number of cheap cards in the deck, 1-3 cards can be played each turn, which must be kept in mind. There are several opening combinations in a match on your first or opponent’s first move. Let’s take a look at the best ones:
- Green Prototypes + Gifted Recruits
- Green Prototypes / Gifted Recruits + Summon Militia
- Westwind Sailors
- First Mutineer
- Gifted Recruits
Here are some opening combinations if the opponent got the first move:
- Westwind Sailors + Summon Militia
- Gifted Recruits + Lawless Herd / Frosthexers
- First Mutineer + Summon Militia
If you have any 4+ mana runners in your hand at the start of the game (depending on the cards you put in the deck), Spellbinder Zhevana without freeze cards, or Blessed with Brawn, then you should discard them from your hand. However, if you have 2 extra cards in your hand at once, then first of all, you need to throw out a spell or a more expensive runner, and only then, the rest of the cards. Blessed with Brawn > 4+ mana cost runner > Spellbinder Zhevana without freeze cards - those cards should be discarded in that priority, from left to right. This is due to the fact that as the game progresses, you will receive those cards that you initially discarded from your hand earlier, and that is why it is advisable to discard Blessed with Brawn first, so that it can be used right away.
Also, for faster card iterations, you can use First Mutineer. After all, the faster you play a card, the sooner you get it and the faster you can play it again. When you have 6 or more mana, it is best to use the following discard sequence: Lawless Herd / Iceflakes (without Mystwives) > runner > Mystwives > Blessed with Brawn. Blessed with Brawn can be discarded from your hand if you have 7 or more mana only if you are absolutely sure that you can win without this card such as successfully drawing a runner card and using it to destroy the base. However, the main thing is that with 10 mana in hand, you have either BwB or 2 runners as win conditions.
Unit Placements on the Board
It’s one thing to have the right cards, and it’s another to place them correctly. To win, you need to place the cards in the correct order from start to finish. Placement is key to victory. Now I will show several examples of playing opening combinations:
3
neutral3
winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers21
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Example 1: Green Prototypes + Gifted Recruits. Be sure to play Green Prototypes first.
4neutral4winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Example 2: Gifted Recruits + Lawless Herd. Be sure not to put them next to each other.
In these positions, the main thing is not to place units next to each other, so that there is more space for Mystwives to play:
4neutral4winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Example 3: The only convenient tile for Mystwives is the tile on the left, adjacent to Lawless Herd (B3).
4neutral4winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Example 4: There are 2 tiles where you can play Mystwives (A3 and C3), which makes your position more flexible to attack than the first position.
When you have already placed your units on the board after the opponent and you have Mystwives in hand, then you can use Mystwives for 2 types of attacks: the first, more aggressive, aimed at the enemy base; the second, more positional, aimed at getting more units and for Blessed with Brawn combinations:
4
ironclad4winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Example 5: There are 2 potential Mystwives plays that have different impacts explained below.
If you want a more aggressive attack, then play Mystwives to the left of Gifted Recruits, on tile A4. Even if there is a structure on A5, it is alright to play Mystwives since they will have enough strength to destroy that structure.
If you want a more positional attack, then play Mystwives to the right of Gifted Recruits to destroy the unit in front of Green Prototypes, on tile C4. This position is a little more difficult than the first but in the next turns, you can get a more stable position for Blessed with Brawn.
The aggressive attack has its plus: if the opponent uses Confinement on Mystwives, then you can freely use Blessed with Brawn without fear of the opponent using Confinement again and vice versa. And the more positional variation also has its own plus: you get a flexible position and good control over the board.
It is also possible in such a position where the Gifted Recruits, or any other unit, does not defend the Mystwives from the attacks. This is a bait for spells and units from the opponent. The opponent will most likely spend units or even spells to destroy Mystwives, while not destroying Gifted Recruits:
7neutral7winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Example 6: Unlike the aggressive variation, Mystwives are played on C4, not A4, which is a trap for the opponent.
It is also possible and necessary to play several cards on the 4th row and 1-2 units on the 5th row, as another trap for the opponent. It is also very important to have Blessed with Brawn in hand during these plays:
8neutral8winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Example 7: Here, you need to play Lawless Herd on C4 or D4. Once the enemy spends his main units and spells on Westwind Sailors and Frosthexers, you play Blessed with Brawn on the previously placed Lawless Herd next turn.
Icicle Burst and Frosthexers are useful freeze cards in this deck that can be used in many situations. Here is one example of its use for a very aggressive attack (yes, this situation is very possible, I personally experience them):
8
swarm8winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Example 8: You can use Frosthexers or Icicle Burst to freeze Token Satyr on C4 followed by Blessed with Brawn on Green Prototypes. This attack can only be neutralized with Confinement, which makes the attack incredibly dangerous.
Against Every Faction
Each faction has its own features and advantages in playing against BwB Rush. I will now explain how to defeat the player of each faction.
Swarm of the East
The first faction, Swarm of the East, isn’t a big deal for BwB Rush. The only things that can somehow interfere with the game are Swarm Rush / Reckless Rush and Dark Harvest. Rush decks are dangerous in that opponents can defeat you simply by rushing you faster. The solution to this is performing faster attacks or using some cards to defend and then counter-attack. Dark Harvest can also be dangerous, especially in the early stages of the game, because it can quickly interrupt your attack and there will be no units left for Blessed with Brawn and Mystwives. The solution is to eliminate enemy units that are close to your main attacking units.
8swarm8winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Swarm of the East Matchup: Destroy Dreadfauns before your opponent plays Dark Harvest
Ironclad Union
Ironclad Union poses a big threat to BwB Rush due to some of the cards and mechanics of this faction, namely push/pull (Windmakers, Flaming Stream, Eloth the Ignited), Doctor Mia + Trueshot Post, and IC Rush. Push/pull is very unpleasant for this deck, as it can push your troops far back, such as Flaming Stream can pushing a buffed unit back to your base. But alas, there are no reliable preventative measures against these cards and mechanics. The only thing that can be done against Eloth the Ignited and Windmakers is not to allow them to push off strong units, and against Flaming Stream, have spare cards for your attack. Doctor Mia can also be a thorn in BwB Rush due to the fact that she is usually used in combination with Trueshot Post, which can do a lot of damage to your troops. The solutions to this problem are to have Siegebreakers and / or Execution in your deck and put other units in one row with attacking cards to somehow distract Trueshot Post. Ironclad Rush creates all the same problems as Swarm Rush / Reckless Rush. I have already described how to deal with this above.
8ironclad8winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Ironclad Union Matchup: Play Green Prototypes on A4 tile to try to distract Trueshot Post from Mystwives.
Tribes of Shadowfen
Shadowfen poses the greatest threat to BwB Rush due to the large number of control cards (Toxic Sacrifice, Crimson Sentry, Witches of the Wild, Tode the Elevated). The opponent will likely have one or more of these cards, which definitely makes the game harder against Shadowfen. The solution to this is to encircle the main attacking cards with your troops and actively use runners to destroy the enemy base as quickly as possible.
8
shadowfen8winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Tribes of Shadowfen Matchup: Do not let the opponent destroy your Mystwives by blocking.
Winter Pact
The last faction you can face. This faction can be a big problem for BwB Rush due to the likely presence of Olf the Hammer, Mystwives, Frosthexers / Icicle Burst, and Spellbinder Zhevana in winter decks. While Olf is healing the base, the freeze mechanic will stop your attack for a while or even completely destroy it. There are no solutions to this problem, only if you can try to destroy the enemy base as soon as possible, before his Olf heals all the damage done to the base.
8winter8winter- Green Prototypes15
- Icicle Burst15
- Summon Militia15
- Frosthexers25
- Gifted Recruits25
- Lawless Herd25
- First Mutineer35
- Westwind Sailors35
- Mystwives45
- Spellbinder Zhevana45
- Terrific Slayers45
- Blessed with Brawn65
Winter Pact Matchup: Destroy the enemy base while the opponent has less than 8 mana, otherwise difficulties and problems may arise.
Closing Remarks
Now that you already know what BwB Rush is and its weaknesses, I wish you luck in games with and against BwB Rush! Also, this guide will be rewritten a few more times as I learn something new about positions and will add more accurate advice and better tactics.
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