The overall goal is to deny your opponent of critical resources (site/threshold/mana) by eating a site as early as possible, then controlling the early/mid game as you ramp to your bomb minions.

Which sites do I eat?

Good question as this is the most important and first step of your plan. You'll want to pay very close attention to your opponent's first 3 site plays. Threshold and any special abilities are information you need. Number one priority is to deny a threshold from them so if they play a River first and desert in front of that, and another water site to the side, then the desert is your choice as to deny fire. If they play a [[Thin Ice]] or [[Boulevard of Bones]] forward, then eat that one as you know it's key to their plan. It's all about interrupting their plan and slowing their tempo down.

Do not be afraid to tank damage with [[Realm-Eater]] in exchange for eating a critical site. The deck has defender minions like [[Sir Galahad]], [[Sir Tom Thumb]], [[Kettletop Leprechaun]], [[Cerberus in Chains]] and utility minions, like [[Highland Princess]], [[Land Surveyor]] & [[Fey Changling]], can be used as blockers once they've done their jobs. These are also targets for a [[Shapeshift]].

Once you've advanced and eaten the first site, do what you can to protect [[Ream-Eater]] with defenders and spells like [[Shrink]], [[Firebolts]], and [[Poison Nova]] as he digests, gets a lift and gets ready for dessert.

Second site eaten should follow the same rule - eat a critical threshold/special ability site but at the very least, eat anything to deny your opponent mana. A second site eaten, followed up by a [[Landmass]]/[[Overflow]], allows you to play your site on top of your opponents former site and can really feel oppressive forcing your opponent to make a new plan for their site placement. This is even better if the site replacement is [[The Manor at Daperyll Hill]] as this is a great site to camp on as you digest or spend a couple turns playing sites/minions

Movement & more eating

[[War Horse]] & [[Fine Courser]] are your taxis so don't be afraid to pick up Realm-Eater and run with him. After you've eaten your first site, you're immobile until you tap to digest but you can still attack a new site if you get a ride from a horse or you can [[Blink]] and [[Teleport]] (from [[Toolbox]]) but you get the picture. [[Ruler of Thule]] and [[Polar Explorers]] are there to give you the option to eat a site from your starting site or deal with a pesky back row minion. You want to open as many options as you can for your insatiable hunger.

Keep eating sites and bonus if you can get [[Asmodeus]] or [[Lord of Destruction]] off the same turn Realm-Eater eats a new site. Losing one site feels bad. Losing two sites is devastating. First site gone forces your opponent to tap their Avatar to play a new site next turn. By turn 5ish, it will also force them to draw Site deck for turn or tap their Avatar for site draw, which isn't horrible but probably not what they want to do.

Artifact Package

Largely to aid in mana/threshold and toolbox. I know people say protect your Toolbox and play on same turn as you sac it but I'll just play it as soon as I get it so that those 10 cards in the collection are online as soon as turn 3. That could aid in the site eaten + [[Landmass]] / [[Overflow]] turn or dealing with an opponents aura or artifact. Ring is in because its ring and [[Key to the City]] lets you ignore defensive sites.

An early [[Shrine of the Dragonlord]] is great because we are in all 4 thresholds and Toolbox gives you access to answers to your opponent’s auras/minions/artifacts and access to a timely [[Blink]] or land generator like [[Landmass]]. Do not underestimate [[Toolbox]] as it’s one of the best cards in the deck. I view Toolbox as 10 different cards and the collection is designed to provide big answers like [[Exorcism]] and [[Boil]] or [[Zap]] for the kill shot. Toolbox is legendary!

Site Package

Playing all 4 thresholds makes us lean into multi thres multi/tri sites. There are threshold greedy cards so pay very close attention to your opening hand and mulligan to match keep sites with keep spells. Double threshold like [[Deep Sea]] helps with those 2 and 3 thresh cards. [[Mount Ussar Sanctuary]] is helpful when you're eating sites but tanking damage with Realm-Eater and [[The Manor at Dapryll Hill]] feels pretty good to hang out and camp while you digest or need to turtle for a couple turns. Try to mulligan for one tri-three site and don’t forget to reserve a space in your back row if you can. I ended up removing one tri-site because nothing felt worse than having a tri-site in hand a nowhere to play it on your back row.

Late Game Minions & Winning

Once you force your opponent to replay sites and defend against another possible site loss, you're looking to play the big boys [[Lord of Lies]], [[Lord of Destruction]], [[Death Dealer]], [[Sir Pellinore]], [[Draconian Bonekite]], etc. [[Grandmaster Wizard]] & [[Browse]] to dig and draw cards. The dream is to force your opponent to focus their turns on replacing sites they’ve lost while you play a big minion every turn and apply constant pressure. They will need to choose to either tap to move their avatar into better defensive positioning or tap to play a site and keep getting punched in the face. If you can eat two sites by turn 6, you’ll usually overwhelm your opponents.

Unfavorable cards/decks/sites

[[Order of the Sacred Oak]] and cards that protect sites with Ward are not great to see and really slows down your plan, forcing you to deal with them first. Aggro decks tend to overwhelm unless you get your [[Poison Nova]] or Direct Damage and stall minions. Cards that silence minions give us trouble too. The way you play your site and manage threshold will make or break you.

Wrap Up

This deck is something different and fun to play but don't expect an 80% win rate. I wouldn't consider this "meta" or anything but if you learn to pilot and get some favorable draws and good mulligan choices you can take your opponent off their plan. It certainly has the element of surprise against folks who haven't played against THE MIGHTY REALM-EATER and is something different and odd and risky and dumb (When is doesn’t work lol) which is why it's a blast to play.

Happy Eating!

-M. A.

I am become death, destroyer of realms

@M. A.