MIT Opensource license - use as is, modify, commercialize this deck list. A common modification would be to add more to the higher end of the curve for more staying power if you don't knock somebody out immediately. Also more blinks and flanking maneuvers, if so inclined.

Over the past several months, I have played numerous games of various mixes of [[Elementalist]]. I have played with high threshold bombs in multiple thresholds like [[Morgana Le Fay]] and [[Mesmerism]], heavy "[[Ghoul]]" sites like [[Forsaken Crypt]], [[Assorted Animals]] with numerous 1 cost ordinary beasts and [[Hamlet]], I have tried all of the knights, and multiple variations of light exposure to different mixes of double threshold.

NOTE: For a lower cost version, substitute [[Ring of Morrigan]] with an additional [[Blink]]. It was a last moment change before the tournament to help deal with wards, and shore up the bad matchup against (F)(F)(F) Fire [[Pathfinder]] (F)(F)(F). Additionally, Colour out of Space and Tintagel are great, but not hyper impactful. You could probably get the proper threshold mix by replacing them and 1 village with dual threshold sites. Everything else is either fairly reasonable or downright cheap for cards (I think).

This is the best mix of all of the ideas that I have come across so far, and with the 3rd place finish at Grand Contest in Vegas, 2026, I am not sure that I will explore further ideas on my own. Now, for exposure to the main concept, it is simple, but also effective:

This deck is build to rip the face off of the opponent in a burst of higher than curve minions with extra mana. It is hard to beat a turn 2 or turn 3 [[King Arthur]] and I have yet to lose when that happens. Or the old turn 3 [[Pudge Butcher]] followed by [[Sinkhole]]. Need to move pudgie? Invest in a [[War Horse]] or [[Blink]]. Now, I will cover the reasons for each card, mostly, and in some order of importance:

Best card in the deck - [[Gift of the Wolf]]

Ramp Sites - City of Souls, Glass, and Traitors. - Go fast. Don't worry about your opponent using [[City of Traitors]], they won't have time.

Ramp Sites - Towers, Dark, Lone, Gothic, Merlin's. - Go fast.

Ghoul Sites - [[Peculiar Port]] & [[Forlorn Keep]] - With 5, you ofter get to play a 3 power minion you didn't need to draw on turn 2-5.

Villages (7) - Pile on the early aggression, early foot soldiers combined with the other better than curve minions adds up.

[[Root Spider]] Hate - This horrible little jerk can just win an opponent the game. We are looking to do quick and persistent damage early, and all [[Root Spiders]] must die. -- [[Geyser]], [[Silver Bullet]], [[The Black Plague]], [[Apply Alkahest]], [[Kingdom of Agatha]]

Above curve powered minions - [[Bosk Troll]], [[Autumn Unicorn]], [[King Arthur]], [[Pudge Butcher]], [[Sir Perceval]]

Anti-Sites, NO DEFENSE FOR YOU! - [[Sinterfee]], [[Sinkhole]]

Busted Cards - [[Atlantean Fate]], [[Book of the Dead]] - We get to cast nearly everything of our opponents too, [[Lady Iseult]], [[Sir Bors the Younger]], [[Gargantula]], [[Sir Gawain]], [[Lord of Lies]], [[Grapple Shot]], [[Whirling Blades]]

The great glue, cards that play their roles exceptionally well and we are nearly always glad to see, [[Daperyll Vampire]], [[Onslaught]], [[Blink]], [[Sir Perceval]], [[Sir Lamorak]], [[Doctor Demetrius]] (a ward or two will quickly secure a win given the likelihood of being ahead), [[Quarrelsome Kobolds]], [[War Horse]], [[Arjaro Exorcist]], [[Sir Tom Thumb]], [[Silver Bullet]], [[Wizard's Den]]

------

A few notes on choices. It seems like 3 [[Onslaught]] and 3 [[Whirling Blades]] would be optimal, but I had plenty of experience with all 6 and I just drew them too much and didn't have anything great to do on the board. Additionally, when I went from 0 Geyser to 3 Geyser, I found that when I need Geyser, I need it, and it would be better to have 4 with [[Silver Bullet]]. I also found that I would sit there with Silver Bullet in play and nothing great to do with it. So, I put 1 each of Onslaught and Whirling Blades into the collection.

Why not any double fire threshold? You get great cards like [[Balor of the Evil Eye]], [[The Great Famine]], and [[Sir Agravaine]]. Well, when you run double fire threshold in addition to the others (and I need earth/air, and love the water), then the adjustment to sites reduces ramp sites from 6 to 2. And it dilutes the deck enough that it suffers significantly.

Why not [[Archangel Michael]]? Well, I played him. Generally this deck will draw one site for turn, and I would want to have significantly more earth sites. More like 60-63% to be able to play Michael if you get him, and that skews the available mixes on sites to require more dual threshold sites which in turn reduces the sites that can either give you a Foot Soldier, or ramp, or a [[Ghoul]] type of minion.

Build the deck, and go forth and smash.

HELLAMENTALIST - 3rd in Grand Contest Vegas 2026 - “All The Best”

@Michael Mindes