NicMakesPlays
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4 Min read Hey guys, NicMakesPlays here. I’ll be going over my list for the 5 best non-champion cards of Bilgewater and explain why they’re strong.
At the end of the article, we’ll provide three meta deck recommendations that include these cards.
If there are any other Bilgewater cards that you think we should have included instead, let us know in the comments below!
Jagged Butcher is amazing because its base is a 2/2 which is already a good stat line for a one drop, but if you Plunder at any point it becomes 3/3 for one mana.
It is easy to enable the Plunder in the early game with cards such as Legion Saboteur or Warning Shot and then you are summoning a huge early game threat for only one mana.
As a result, this card is extremely mana efficient and can regularly trade with enemy units that cost more than it.
Whether it’s bringing strong early game pressure, or finding value trades Jagged Butcher is usually always a strong card.
Make It Rain is one of the strongest cards in all of Bilgewater. Against decks that have a lot of 1 health units, this card can be used to kill multiple enemies at once.
When combined with Kegs, Make It Rain can be used to clear three enemy units with 2 health in the early game which is a huge momentum swing. If Miss Fortune is also attacking, you can use this in unison with her effect to clear enemy blockers as well.
This card is a cheap Plunder Trigger as well. There are many ways to set this card up to clear the enemies field through trading and its ability to kill multiple units for only 2 mana is amazing.
Lastly, outside of a being a board clear, it can also give you some extra burn in a pinch.
Dreadway Deckhand gives a free Keg which enables Make It Rain and other cards to have a lot of value.
Having a Keg on the field in the early game forces the opponents to open attack the Keg which wastes their development and their attack.
If they don’t get rid of the Keg first then you can just use Make it Rain or Death’s Hand on their threats that come down afterward for value.
So either way, the Keg that Dreadway Deckhand will often give you free value in a variety of situations.
Zap Sprayfin is amazing for searching all of the strong low-cost spells in Bilgewater. In aggro, this can be used to chip in 2 damage per turn as well as search Make It Rains, and Noxian Fervors to deal more damage or clear the enemy field.
In general, this card is good in midrange Bilgewater decks as well as it provides access to an Elusive, more flexibility in casting the powerful spells in Bilgewater/Noxus with Attune, along with generated card advantage from the free search.
Riptide Rex is the powerhouse of Bilgewater. A lot of midrange Bilgewater decks use Riptide Rex as their finisher and it does the job. Riptide Rex deals 14 damage to the enemy field and is a game-ender most of the time.
When Riptide Rex is summoned, you can usually clear the entire enemy field or leave it weak, then go for a full attack with your board to finish the game. It gives so much value and tempo in the late game and will usually swing the game in your favor if it wasn’t already.
If you want to give these top Bilgewater cards a shot, here are some of the signature decks that utilize them.
[See MF Gangplank Aggro deck details]
This deck is also commonly known as “Pirate Aggro” and it has been a dominant force not only through Call of the Mountain, but also since the Rising Tides.
Try it out if you want to use the firepower of both Bilgewater and Noxus to blow out your opponent quickly – it’s a great choice if you want to climb efficiently with fast wins.
Swain TF is a midrange list that is very good at countering aggressive decks.
Instead of running your enemy over in the early game, your deck’s main win condition revolves around Swain and Leviathan.
This deck is sort of a mix of the playstyles of the two previous suggestions as you can play either aggressively or midrange.
Its biggest difference is its many Nab effects with Pilfered Goods and Black Market Merchant.
If you like adapting with the different cards you get through Nab, try this out!
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask NicMakesPlays during his streams (usually 6PM-1230AM EST).
Catch NicMakesPlays live at twitch.tv/nicmakesplays 6PM-1230AM EST
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