Defining Archetypes in LRAW

Written By - Thomas NeilsonMay 10th, 2025

Aggro - Storm - Combo - Tempo - midrange - Ramp - Control - Stax

The Archetype ABCs

This article may sound quite similar to one I wrote about a while ago, but with more time to think about the subject, I wanted to explore more deeply about how the details of "archetypes" apply to LRAW. While the idea of Aggro -> Midrange -> Control exists as a simple scale for the "speed" of a deck, terms like "combo", "tempo", "stax", "storm", and "ramp" throw a bit of a wrench in the works.

In a game like Magic The Gathering, Tempo and Ramp are two terms dependent on the mana resource system of a game. Ramp decks try to "ramp" their mana, putting more lands/mana into play to deploy bigger and more expensive threats than their opponent. As for Tempo, this term generally relies on the mana system too. A Tempo deck tries to get ahead on board from their opponent, using early threats paired with cheap interaction to ensure that their impact on board is more relevant than their opponent. In a game without a mana system, how can these terms be used in a consistent and relevant way?

Additionally, storm and combo are two terms with somewhat overlapping definitions. Where does one draw the line between a combo deck and a storm deck, and where does one draw the line between a storm deck and an aggro deck? I've described Blastforge as an aggro deck, and Alehouse as a storm deck, but why? What separates the overall gameplay of these two archetypes, if anything?

As such, this article seeks to create more clear definitions for how the 8 archetype terms fit into Legions Realms At War decks, to better differentiate and describe how an archetype functions. As many of these terms rely on definitions coined in other settings, I think a more ground-up definition construction is important.

To break down the categories, I've roughly sorted the 8 archetypes that I'll be talking about by two metrics: speed, and proactivity. That being said, these are far from the only metrics that I'll be talking about with the definitions for each deck, but they offer a good frame to understand how the decks interact.

Speed

This is likely the most obvious comparison, and the easiest distinction to draw between aggro and control decks. An aggressive deck like Sharn Aggro is looking to use early tools to take it's opponent out of the game as fast as possible, while a slower control deck like Onoskelis Control is looking to stave off aggro early, and pull ahead late.

In Aggro, this can involve tools like Zelfor'Tork, The Fatal Frenzy to quickly start drawing cards, and to take out on board tools your opponent may use to slow you down, or cards like Sildud's Blood Majik Blight for some pure and simple burn damage to get your opponents DCM from zero to max as fast as possible.

In Control you'll see more tools like Empusa, The Fallen Demi-Goddess to recover your DCM, while disrupting your opponent's board to slow down their assault. Paymon's Ceremony Of The Fallen is another great example, giving you another way to recover DCM, disrupt your opponent's Warriors, and fuel your Demon discard synergies to get card advantage.

Proactivity

Now "Proactivity" and "Reactivity" may be a little bit more confusing, but I'm mainly evaluating this on a specific spectrum: One one hand, how strong is the deck at taking control of the board, and gaining value by keeping it's board in place. On the other, how strong is the deck at pulling ahead of it's opponent and recovering from being behind on board.

For a "Tempo" deck, I'm evaluating this as an archetype most interested in staying on board, such as with Castiel. With tools like Kabshiels Favours From The Seraphim, you have cards that give you more value the more turns you have them on the board, and the ability to keep them there with holy counters.

For a "Ramp" deck, Sh'Lara is a great example of one that can turn a boardstate upside down, by using cards like Feathers In The Wind to generate huge bursts of card draw in a single turn, or cards like Mystic Fire Dragon Clash to get back important cards to reuse, and to blow your opponent's built up boardstate to smithereens.

Important to note is that any deck wants to have these 4 elements. Control decks do often have some strong win-condition like Fear The Fallen to be able to take out their opponents. Aggro decks like Sharn can use strong card draw tools like Desolation Outpost Of The Outer Rim to generate value. A Tempo deck like Castiel can absolutely recover a boardstate using cards like Help From The Chaos Divine to get huge bursts of draw. Ramp decks like Sh'Lara do often have cards that want to stick around and pick up value over time, like Golden Urn Of Mystic Fire. The important thing with archetypes is pinpointing what the main strength/focus of a deck is overall.

Aggro - Damage, Damage & more Damage

Aggro decks are generally the fastest decks around, only in competition with Combo and Storm decks. While those can be faster, their more linear gameplan usually leaves less room for consistent early damage, whereas Aggro will be able to punch in damage even with certain important tools being disrupted.

Sharn has consistently been the posterchild for Aggro, whether with Orcbane, Boars, or Burn. The deck is packed with ways to kill your opponent early, and it has the capability to pick up plenty of early card advantage and value through cards like Reservoirs Of Revival Ooze, Pride Of The Orcbane, and Sildud's Call Of The Orcbane.

In terms of interactive tools, the crème de la crème of Sharn's toolkit is found in cards like Pits Of The Outer Rim and We Bleed For This, which allow Sharn to punch through backline tools, cutting off access to control tools before your opponent has the chance to use them. These are single-shot powerful ways to break through for a kill, rather than consistent ways to clear boards.

In general, while Sharn can fight a longer grindier game, it's certainly not trying to and most versions of the deck look to try to win the game on turn 2, or turn 3 if necessary.

One other "archetype" I may use occasionally is "burn". For all intents and purposes, Burn fits into the same category as Aggro, just relying on Effect Damage rather than Battle Damage. One such example of a Burn Aggro deck can be seen in Adramelech Black Magic Aggro, which looks to eradicate your opponent's deck as quickly as possible to power out burn damage with Ermadexa, Black Magic Sorcerer, and Sif'Sara, Black Magic Manipulator.

Combo & Storm

Combo and Storm are arguably the two most similar archetypes on this list, and I'd describe them as the most "all-in" archetypes in the game. While Aggro decks may have ways to push in damage late to close out a longer game, and a midrange deck may have plenty of ways to push in incremental damage to secure a win over the course of a game, Storm and Combo decks generally go all in on one central win-condition or gameplan, potentially with one to two alternative win-conditions as a backup plan.

So where do the archetypes break apart from one another? For my definition, a Combo deck has a singular central "combo" that the deck looks to put together. For a deck like Angelica Sapphire Combo, the deck focuses around the combo of Sapphire Amulet + The Hood Becomes The Resistance + March Of The Resistance. This three card combo lets you conscript your Hero Warriors for free, netting a card off of each one you conscript. While the deck relies on other pieces to work, like your Warriors to cycle and your Ancient Relic - Sword Of Sacrifice to net a kill, you rely on this central combo to get your gameplan going.

For Storm, a deck like Ethelhime Alehouse Storm doesn't rely on any particular card, but rather the whole deck functions as one massive engine, where retriggering your Alehouse Drinks lets you build up more and more cards, with card advantage being generated off of pieces like Alehouse Drink - Skoal, Alehouse Fortunes And Future, and The Grand Alehouse. While Alehouse Drink - Moonshine is often your main win-condition, you also have access to Gettin' Tipsy, Gettin' Rowdy and Ethelhime's Roll The Barrel Out Special Ability to finish off your opponent.

The easiest line to draw, is that Combo relies on a specific "combo", while Storm relies on most of it's deck being an engine.

This means that while a Combo deck can be shut off easier by removing one of it's main combo pieces, it can also get running easier, being able to dedicate more cards to interaction and protection like Dismantle and Fandorian Ferocity. Similarly to a Ramp deck, a Combo can often win against a more setup opponent by timing enough interaction to break through contol tools, and deploying it's whole combo when the coast is clear.

Storm decks can often survive having a critical piece being permanently removed, but can be more reliant on being able to get ahead with it's disruptive tools, with less power to break through a pre-existing board state, or with more reliance on . While they still can with their removal tools like Ladonza, The Alehouse Shield Maiden, they can also fight a more fair game, playing much more similarly to a Tempo deck by getting ahead in card advantage and board presence early.

Another sort of hybrid archetype can be seen in "Combo-Control" decks like Mal'ady Mausoleum Combo, where your Combo is surrounded by control tools, emphasizing consistency over speed.

Midrange - Jack OF All Trades, Master Of None

Midrange is at it's easiest definition a deck which utilizes strong tools in all directions, not over-committing too much into any pile of cards. While Prometheus Primordials is historically a strong Aggro deck, latest cards have given the deck tools to perform well from pretty much any state in a much more Midrange gameplan.

Strong win-conditions like Creationist Power Of The Primordials let the deck hit hard and fast, closing a game out quickly when necessary or possible. Primordial Treasury Of Arion and Treasures Of Arion offer good ways to regain DCM, staving off aggressive opponents.

In terms of proactive power, Stax pieces like Topaz Amulet make your opponent's life harder the longer they stay on the board, and cards like Shimmering Pools Of Lethe let you pump out stronger and stronger tokens turn after turn. This is paired with strong Proactive tools like Pandora's Box, letting you punch out your opponent's backline, and Gifts From Arion, letting you recur any pieces you need.

The ability to take out your opponent quickly, and punch through boards, or to sit back and hold the fort with a variety of strong tools makes Prometheus Primordial an incredibly flexible archetype that in the right hands, can excel in any boardstate.

The arguably more famous Midrange list can be seen with Alero Fandorian Midrange, with strong interactive, card advantage, board buffs, and recovery tools.

Tempo - Get Ahead & Stay Ahead

Now Tempo has been a more difficult definition to apply to LRAW. Based in games like Magic: The Gathering, where Tempo refers to your ability to stay ahead of your opponent through mana efficiency, I've initially had a more difficult time describing the archetype in a game with no mana system, where boards can be built in a single turn.

The reframing of this has been for me in terms of decks looking to take control of the game early, and generate value off of keeping your opponent on the back foot. While every deck in the game would love to do this, Tempo decks live and die by this principle.

Bow Of The Archangel in Castiel Tempo is a great example of this: As a removal tool it depends on having enough Holy Counters on board to use it. As such, it's useless without having enough Counters on board, but if you're ahead you can use your advantage on board to blow out your opponent and keep them behind.

Kabshiel's Favours For The Seraphim is similar, giving you the ability to draw a card every turn, and to shut down one of your opponent's Fortified cards every turn. If your opponent is hurting for cards in hand and on board, this could completely shut them out of the game.

While there's no Mana in LRAW, there are certainly cards and archetypes that help you get ahead on board, and make sure that your opponent never has the chance to come back.

Angelica Rogue Tempo is another version of a Tempo Deck, with tools like Angelica's Emerald Luck Charm and The Rule Of The Rogue giving you overtime on-board power to keep your opponent on the back foot.

Ramp - Go Big, or Go Home

Hey look at that, another MTG archetype that doesn't translate quite so cleanly into a TCG without Mana. Again here, I'm expanding the archetype to look past the explicit idea of "having more mana than your opponent" to having more explosive power than your opponent. In short, the ability to snowball card and board advantage.

The short of a Ramp deck is having the capability to just go bigger than your opponent possibly can, with the ability to stuff your hand with cards, and completely upturn an entire boardstate. The cost of this can be early board power, where you may not have quite as many tools early, which can make Ramp archetypes vulnerable to more aggressive game plans. Against decks like Control, Midrange, and Tempo, Sh'Lara often has the ability to dwarf other decks in just about every category of advantage, and can do so from an empty board state.

Cards like Feathers In The Wind offer huge bursts of card advantage, helping to turn the corner and go bigger than anything your opponent could hope to have.

While a Ramp deck doesn't mind taking control of the board early, it certainly doesn't need to do so to make it's explosive plays, and the strongest play can even be letting your opponent get ahead on the board so you can tear it all down with strong removal options like Jolkure, The Mystic Fire Alpha.

Another good example of a Ramp deck comes from our other Mythical Beast Warlord, with Merrisod Dragons Ramp, which again values the ability to snowball quickly out of control, until you've got twice as many cards in hand, and thrice as many cards in play as your opponent (if they have any cards in play).

Control - No, No, No, & No

You know what Aggro does now, right? Well Control's gameplan focuses on stopping that from happening. Interactive tools of all sorts give you the ability to trip your opponent every time they try to run, and card draw engines let you keep up the resources while doing so.

Onoskelis is the main control deck here, with tools to make sure your opponent's gameplan doesn't happen for long enough that you simply have more tools than they do. Aeshma, Consumed By Hate lets you rip out important cards from your opponent's hand to shut out important aggro tools, or shut down combo pieces before your opponent has the chance to play them. Stax pieces like Majik Void Collapse give you the ability to shut down many of your opponent's strong keyword abilities while leaving your plan relatively uninterrupted.

In terms of proactivity vs reactivity, Control decks usually have strong pieces of both, with tools like Rapture On Mount Bane and Treasury Of The Fallen Priestess getting better and better the longer they stick around, but strong board-breaking tools like Set Fire To The World lets Onoskelis flip a board state upside down, taking control of an opponent that sets up early.

Michael Seraphim Control is another good example of a strong Control deck in the meta, and one that arguably leans more heavily into proactive tools than reactive tools through Angel's strong board based power like Ascension To The Seraphim.

Stax - Don't Even Think About IT

So where does Stax differentiate from Control? While Control makes good use of Reactive and Proactive tools, Stax focuses almost entirely on the Proactive side of things.

With strong Undead and Bounty on-board hate pieces, Mal'ady gets to shut do your opponent's cards before they even get played. Stax cards like Mal'ady's Putrid Mausoleum, Majik Void Collapse, and Death's Doorstep get to shut off Warrior Keywords, and stop them from even sticking around on the board.

Mausoleum also pairs nicely with cards like Twilight Magnolia, and Decay Warriors like Carrion Corpse Flower tokens, to keep the pressure on by slowly suffocating your opponent.

Speaking of Suffocate, Asphyxia, The Putrid Silencer is another strong Stax piece, and one not even reliant on staying on board. The Suffocate keyword lets you shut off most card-draw tools until your opponent finds a way to disrupt it and break out of your choke-hold on the board.

While there aren't many archetypes in the game that truly fit under the "Stax" umbrella for the time being, Gaia Unstoppable Control does share some similarities with strong on-board tools to disrupt your opponent and deny certain game actions, like with Reformation. That being said, Gaia has much more Reactive tools that keep it in the "Control" category.

Now of course there'll always be flexibility in archetypes. Many can, and do, ride the line between 2 or even 3 archetypes, but it's still useful to use the main categories to understand how decks collate into the metagame.

To see how these archetypes are reflected in the Meta, the LRAW Snapshot Tierlist has been updated with these archetype definitions to clarify how decks play and compete in the meta!

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