Best Decks

These four decks weren't picked by feel. We built them with the game's own battle engine and AI, refined them card by card over thousands of simulated matches, and then tested each one in 16,800 fresh games. Here's what came out on top, why it works, and how to play it.

Dawnwall Fortress

LightEarthMidrangeDefensiveBest overall

A wall of tough Light and Earth Summons that hands out Shield to everything it plays. Opponents spend their whole turn breaking one Shield while your board grinds them down. It beat every deck we tested, including the other three on this page.

91%win rate vs the top decks

99%win rate vs all 18 Boss decks

22,720Motes to craft from scratch

4.3average Aether cost

ACx2: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Copy deck code

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Summons (25)

• 1×1Sill-Sitter2/1/6
• 4×2Still Reading the Tutorial2/2/6
• 1×3Beacon Runt3/2/6
• 2×3Hitbox Abuser2/3/4
• 1×4Damage Sponge1/5/6
• 3×4Dragonlance Knight5/2/7
• 1×4Saur-Bonded Rider3/2/4
• 2×4The Min-Maxer1/6/7
• 2×5Aurum Drake5/3/8
• 2×5Ishrel, Queen of the Caravans4/4/8
• 2×6Beaconward Paladin4/4/9
• 1×6The Ice Chapel5/3/10
• 1×7Lady of the Long Glow0/4/10
• 1×8Colossus of the Pale Vigil5/6/11
• 1×10Grakathar, the Apex Tyrant8/5/9

Events (2)

• 2×4The Hollow Elk Herd

Sigils (3)

• 1×3Scale-Mail of the Aurum
• 2×5Everbright Censer

Why it works

Combat in Aether Chronicles rewards Defense far more than it looks. Defense comes off every hit, and the counter-blow has no minimum, so a 4/4/8 blocker takes a sliver from most attackers and hits back hard. Light has the toughest bodies for their cost in the game (its Summons average 7.6 Health), and this deck plays the best of them.

Shield is the engine. Fifteen of the 30 cards have or grant Shield. A Shield soaks one whole hit from a Summon, including the minimum chip, so every Shield is a full attack your opponent wasted. When Colossus, The Ice Chapel or Lady of the Long Glow lands, every Summon you have gets one at once.

Earth adds the walls: Hitbox Abuser, The Min-Maxer and Damage Sponge are Bulwark and Guard bodies that soak the early rush. Then Grakathar ends the game: a Summon destroyed, 4 to the Soul and an 8-Attack Pierce body in the same turn.

It is slow on purpose: its games against the Boss decks last about 12 rounds, against 9 for the Wind decks. Aggressive decks run out of steam against it, and it beat Gale Rush about 3 times in 4.

How to play it

• Mulligan for a 2 or 3 cost Summon. Still Reading the Tutorial (2/2/6 Shield) is the ideal opener.
• Lanes: Dragonlance Knight and Aurum Drake go in the Aggressive lane; the 0 and 1 Attack walls (The Min-Maxer, Damage Sponge) go Defensive, where +1 Defense makes them almost unbreakable.
• Wait for the mass Shield. Fill the board first, then play Colossus, The Ice Chapel or Lady of the Long Glow so the Shield lands on as many Summons as possible.
• Censer goes on a Guard or on whatever is facing their biggest attacker. Beaconward Paladin re-Shields a unit that just lost it.
• Save Grakathar's Invocation for their best Summon. At 10 Aether it comes down on your seventh turn at the earliest, so the walls have to hold until then.
• Remember the wall's price: every blow a Bulwark takes costs you 1 Soul. Let Shields soak hits where you can, and don't lean on Bulwarks against a board full of small attackers.

Matchups

Best against	Win rate
Balanced (Boss)	100%
Light Radiance (Boss)	100%
Shelter Bodyguard (Boss)	100%
Wyrm Solitary (Boss)	100%

Toughest against	Win rate
Unseen Storm (this page)	70%
Gale Rush (this page)	72%
Lantern Wall (this page)	88%
Water Undertow (Boss)	94%

Its closest games are against other walls: Water Undertow bounces your Shielded Summons back to hand, and Shadow Toxin's poison ignores Shield. Against fast Wind decks, just keep blocking. They can't get through the Shields fast enough.

Swaps and upgrades

• No Grakathar? Play The Worldroot Warden or Thunderfoot Titan instead. You lose some reach, but the deck still works.
• No Lady of the Long Glow? A second The Ice Chapel or a Glimmerwarden Marigold fills the slot.
• The Hollow Elk Herd is the weakest card here (it only pays off when you Eclipse). Decree of the Mending Host from Lantern Wall is a fine replacement.
• Short on Motes? Lantern Wall is the same plan for under a quarter of the cost.

Lantern Wall

LightEarthBudgetDefensiveGreat first deck

Everything that makes Dawnwall Fortress strong, built only from Commons, Uncommons and Rares. It costs 5,280 Motes to craft from nothing, and it beats every one of the 18 Boss decks at least 89% of the time. This is the deck to build first.

77%win rate vs the top decks

98%win rate vs all 18 Boss decks

5,280Motes to craft from scratch

3.9average Aether cost

ACx2: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 deck code

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Summons (24)

• 1×1Firstspark Mote0/1/5
• 1×1Sill-Sitter2/1/6
• 1×1Sunlit Pilgrim2/1/5
• 2×2Alarm Ringer3/2/5
• 1×3Snow Golem2/2/4
• 3×4Dragonlance Knight5/2/7
• 2×4Warden of the Crest3/4/7
• 1×4Watch Warden4/3/7
• 1×5Aurum Drake5/3/8
• 1×5Glimmerwarden Marigold0/3/9
• 2×5Ishrel, Queen of the Caravans4/4/8
• 3×5Warden of Edict4/4/7
• 2×6Beaconward Paladin4/4/9
• 1×6Paladin-Confessor5/4/8
• 1×6Tutorial Boss5/4/9
• 1×7Thunderfoot Titan5/4/8

Spells (1)

• 1×4Edict of the Dawn-Line

Events (1)

• 1×5Decree of the Mending Host

Sigils (4)

• 4×2Motivational Poster

Why it works

Rarity buys power in Aether Chronicles less than you might think. The best Light Commons and Uncommons already have huge bodies for their cost: Alarm Ringer is a 3/2/5 Shield for 2, Dragonlance Knight a 5/2/7 Pierce and Bane for 4, Warden of the Crest a 3/4/7 for 4.

The plan is the same as the Fortress: big Shielded bodies, a Bulwark or two, and grind. Decree of the Mending Host heals the whole board every turn, so damage that doesn't kill a Summon outright simply disappears.

Motivational Poster is the surprise star. A Sigil for 2 that gives +1/+1 and Crest means an extra +1 in the Summon's bonus lane, and the AI found it worth all 4 copies.

It is almost mono-Light, so the element gate never locks your Spell, Decree or Sigils. The two Earth cards are Summons, which never need a matching element.

How to play it

• Mulligan for Alarm Ringer or a 1-drop plus a Poster.
• Posters go on Crest or big-Attack Summons in their bonus lane: Warden of the Crest in the Defensive lane, Dragonlance Knight in the Aggressive lane.
• Play the Decree early (turn 4 or 5) on a board that's already holding. It wins long games by itself.
• Hold Edict of the Dawn-Line for a Summon whose keywords are the problem: Unseen, Pierce, Toxin or a big Invocation body.
• Shield units go in front of their biggest attacker. Beaconward Paladin and Watch Warden re-Shield one that lost it.

Matchups

Best against	Win rate
Balanced (Boss)	100%
Water Control (Boss)	100%
Light Radiance (Boss)	100%
Respawn Recursion (Boss)	100%

Toughest against	Win rate
Dawnwall Fortress (this page)	14%
Unseen Storm (this page)	41%
Gale Rush (this page)	57%
Shadow Toxin (Boss)	90%

It crushes the Boss decks and holds its own against Gale Rush, but the full Dawnwall Fortress beats it most of the time: Grakathar and the mass-Shield Legendaries are exactly what a mirror match needs. Upgrade toward the Fortress as your collection grows.

Swaps and upgrades

• First upgrades: Everbright Censer (Rare) for a Sill-Sitter or Sunlit Pilgrim, then The Ice Chapel (Epic) for Snow Golem.
• Swap a Paladin-Confessor for a Lady of the Long Glow or Colossus of the Pale Vigil when you open one.
• Every card here is in normal packs. Many are Commons you'll already own after a few days of Daily Free Packs.

Gale Rush

WindFireAggroTempoFast games

Vanguard and Pierce attackers that hit the turn they land and never take a counter-blow, topped with board-wide Attack buffs. Against the Boss decks its games are over in about 9 rounds.

77%win rate vs the top decks

95%win rate vs all 18 Boss decks

51,420Motes to craft from scratch

4.3average Aether cost

ACx2: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 deck code

In the game: Decks → Import Code → paste. Missing cards can be forged right from the editor.

Summons (29)

• 2×1Castanet Quail2/1/2
• 1×2Ashen Penitent2/1/2
• 2×2Glider-Wing Vandal4/1/2
• 1×2Hearthstone Cat2/1/3
• 1×3Ember-Pilgrim3/2/2
• 1×3RNG Manipulator4/2/3
• 3×3Zephyr Card-Sharp4/2/3
• 1×4Cornet Kestrel5/1/4
• 3×4Music-Stand Bulwark2/3/5
• 2×4Skyhook Captain5/2/3
• 1×5Any% Runner6/2/3
• 1×5Peeks6/2/5
• 2×5The Meta Slave6/1/3
• 1×6Grand Pipe-Organ Owl4/3/7
• 1×6Stormcrow Duelmaster6/3/5
• 2×6The Storm That Walks7/2/6
• 1×8Conductor of the Clouds6/3/7
• 1×8Maelstrom Sovereign7/4/7
• 1×8Miss Birdwell, the Aviary Maestra5/4/9
• 1×9The House Eternal5/4/8

Spells (1)

• 1×2Tailwind Toss

Why it works

Wind has the highest Attack in the game and the most Pierce. Pierce means the defender never strikes back, so your fragile attackers survive trades they should lose. Vanguard means they hit the turn they arrive instead of waiting a turn.

Every unblocked hit goes to Soul at full Attack, with no Defense and no element modifier in the way. A 6-Attack Pierce body facing an empty lane takes a fifth of their Soul each turn.

The late game is a pile of Legendary and Mythic finishers (Maelstrom Sovereign, Miss Birdwell, Conductor of the Clouds, The House Eternal) that buff the whole board or deal direct damage. Fire adds Bane and The Meta Slave, a 6-Attack Vanguard Pierce body for 5.

It is one of the two fastest decks here, about 9 rounds a game against the Boss decks. It beats Unseen Storm and splits its games with Lantern Wall. Its problem is Dawnwall Fortress: Shields eat its hits one by one.

How to play it

• Mulligan hard for two cheap Summons. This deck has to start fast.
• Attack the empty lanes. Put Vanguard units across from empty enemy lanes so their first hit goes straight to Soul.
• Pierce attackers go at their biggest blocker: they take no counter-blow, so they can chip it down safely.
• Music-Stand Bulwark is your only defense. Put it in the lane facing their biggest attacker.
• Count to lethal. Conductor of the Clouds adds 2 Attack to every other Summon; with three units out that's often the whole game.
• Going first matters more here than for any other deck (the first player won 56% of its games), so make the first turns count.

Matchups

Best against	Win rate
Earth Defense (Boss)	100%
Earth Stampede (Boss)	100%
Shadow Pinch (Boss)	100%
Respawn Recursion (Boss)	99%

Toughest against	Win rate
Dawnwall Fortress (this page)	24%
Lantern Wall (this page)	49%
Unseen Storm (this page)	61%
Light Radiance (Boss)	84%

Against walls and Shield decks, spread your hits: a Shield only stops one blow, so two cheap attackers into one Shielded Summon beat one big one. If they stabilise, your finishers have to do the last 10 to 15 Soul.

Swaps and upgrades

• Missing the Mythics? Vairya, the Stormvoiced (Epic) and Tempest of the Verge are good stand-ins for Miss Birdwell or Peeks. The House Eternal can become a second The Meta Slave.
• Hearthstone Cat and Ember-Pilgrim were the weakest cards in testing. Rooftop Screamer or a fourth Glider-Wing Vandal are fine replacements.
• For a cheaper start, build Unseen Storm's Common core first: Glider-Wing Vandal, Rooftop Screamer and RNG Manipulator.

Unseen Storm

WindShadowAggroUnseenTricky

Nearly mono-Wind, built around Unseen: attackers that spells can't target and that take no counter-blow on the hit that reveals them. A Shadow splash adds Thorne and Vesper, who steal an enemy Summon when they land.

76%win rate vs the top decks

93%win rate vs all 18 Boss decks

34,660Motes to craft from scratch

4.5average Aether cost

ACx2: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Copy deck code

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Summons (29)

• 1×1Castanet Quail2/1/2
• 4×2Glider-Wing Vandal4/1/2
• 4×2Rooftop Screamer4/1/2
• 3×3RNG Manipulator4/2/3
• 1×4Cornet Kestrel5/1/4
• 2×4Skyhook Captain5/2/3
• 2×5Any% Runner6/2/3
• 1×5Cult of Verdigris4/2/2
• 1×6Grand Pipe-Organ Owl4/3/7
• 1×6Stormcrow Duelmaster6/3/5
• 2×6The Storm That Walks7/2/6
• 1×6The Thing in the Cut5/2/4
• 1×7The World-First Clearer7/3/5
• 1×7Vairya, the Stormvoiced8/2/5
• 1×7Vesper the Conspirator6/3/5
• 1×8Maelstrom Sovereign7/4/7
• 1×8Miss Birdwell, the Aviary Maestra5/4/9
• 1×8Thorne, the Pretender6/4/4

Spells (1)

• 1×6The Full Ensemble

Why it works

Unseen units can't be targeted by spells or effects, and the strike that reveals them takes no counter-blow. With 12 Unseen cards, a lot of this deck's damage simply can't be answered before it lands.

Eight 2-drops with 4 Attack and Vanguard start the pressure on turn one. Glider-Wing Vandal and Rooftop Screamer are Commons, so the core is cheap.

Thorne, the Pretender and Vesper the Conspirator take control of an enemy Summon with 3 or less Attack, swinging the board by two units in one play. The Shadow cards are all Summons, so the element gate never gets in the way.

It is a close cousin of Gale Rush: better against Lantern Wall (it won around 60% of those games), but it loses to Gale Rush more often than not.

How to play it

• Turns 1 to 3: 2-drops into empty lanes. Each one hits for 4 the turn it lands.
• Keep a lane empty for Thorne or Vesper. The steal needs an empty lane on your side for the stolen Summon.
• The Full Ensemble wants 3 or more Summons on board. With four, every Summon gets +4 Attack and Pierce.
• Your units are fragile (most have 2 or 3 Health). Trade them aggressively. They're cheap and you have plenty.

Matchups

Best against	Win rate
Earth Stampede (Boss)	100%
Shadow Pinch (Boss)	100%
Earth Defense (Boss)	99%
Respawn Recursion (Boss)	99%

Toughest against	Win rate
Dawnwall Fortress (this page)	25%
Gale Rush (this page)	43%
Lantern Wall (this page)	64%
Fire Aggro (Boss)	80%

Like Gale Rush, it struggles against Dawnwall Fortress and big Shield boards. Against those, save The Full Ensemble for one huge turn instead of attacking piecemeal into Shields.

Swaps and upgrades

• Gale Rush tested a little better overall. If you own both sets of finishers, Conductor of the Clouds is an upgrade over The World-First Clearer.
• Cult of Verdigris was the weakest card in testing. A third Skyhook Captain or a Zephyr Card-Sharp is a good swap.
• Budget version: keep the Commons and Uncommons and fill the top end with Skyhook Captain, Any% Runner and Harrier of the Spires.

Head to head

How the four decks do against each other, 200 games per pairing. Read across: each number is the row deck's win rate against the column deck.

Dawnwall Fortress wins every pairing. The other three are close to each other, a little like rock, paper, scissors: Gale Rush beats Unseen Storm, Unseen Storm beats Lantern Wall, and Lantern Wall holds Gale Rush to about even. Lantern Wall is the best value by far.

What the testing taught us

• Big bodies beat clever synergies. Our very first drafts, which simply picked the toughest Summons for their cost, already beat the game's own Boss decks 9 times in 10. Defense and Health are worth more than they look, because Defense comes off every hit and counter-blows have no minimum.
• Shield is the best keyword in the game right now. Every top defensive deck ended up packed with it. A Shield cancels a whole attack, including the minimum damage that normally gets through any Defense.
• Light is the strongest element for building around, thanks to its huge Health totals. Earth pairs with it for walls; Wind is the best attacking element.
• Rarity matters less than you'd think. Lantern Wall uses nothing above Rare and still beats every Boss deck almost every time. Legendaries and Mythics mostly help in close matches between strong decks.
• Going first is a small edge: the first player won 52 to 58% of games, more for the aggressive decks.
• Among the game's own Boss decks, Wind Tempo is the strongest (it won 78% of its games against the other 17) and Water Control the weakest (15%).

How we tested

Everything on this page comes from simulated matches on the launch version of Aether Chronicles, using the game's real rules engine and its Hard AI (the "Archon" pilot) on both sides, so the results measure the decks, not the players.

1. The benchmark. The opponents are the Practice "Boss" version of all 18 Auto-build plans: the strongest decks the game builds itself.
2. First drafts. We drafted a deck for every single element and every pair of elements, 21 in all, and tested each against the benchmark to find the strongest foundations.
3. Refining. For each of four ideas (walls, a budget wall, aggro and Unseen), the deck was improved one card swap at a time. Each round tried 10 swaps, re-tested the best ones over hundreds of games, and kept a swap only if it measurably won more. Over 22 rounds, each deck was tuned against a field of the 6 strongest Boss decks plus the other finalists.
4. Final validation. Each finished deck then played 200 brand-new games against every Boss deck and every other finalist: 16,800 games, with seats and first player alternating.

New to building? Start with Deckbuilding for the rules and tools, and Strategy Tips for how to play any deck better.