At the end of my last outing with Gulrang & Tocsin, I speculated that some of the hero’s fundamental issues could be solved by thinking of them not as a defensive late-game hero, but as a tempo hero whose finishers come online at 8 mana.
I took the end-result of that experiment to the Wednesday A.W.O.L. tournament on 2025-01-08, where the deck went 3-3 to finish 18th out of 36.
Disclaimer: I’ve lost a ton on BGA - and I mean a ton - while playing this deck. I’m happier with it than the previous iteration, but I think Sigismar and Waru are both better able to make use of Ordis’s current toolset.
The deck
My first Gulrang write-up and the last time I played her.
This deck does its best to trade through the early-game, ideally drawing cards and banking token-generators in hand and in reserve in the meantime. When there’s an opportunity, it tries to get additional value out of its bureaucrats. Once it reaches 8 mana, Gulrang effectively gets a free The Monolith, Ordis Bastion (C), letting Open the Gates (C) and the other token-generators close out the game through sheer stat output.
Unlike my previous attempts at Gulrang, this deck does not want to create tokens before 8 mana for the most part. The only exceptions are if you’re trying to block an expedition that you wouldn’t win anyway or if you can get a major advantage by preventing one of your bureaucrats’ expeditions from moving forward.
Otherwise, defender is too big of a downside. You dream about boosted Ordis Recruits blocking both sides, but in reality, you’re usually just putting a do-not-contest sign on one expedition and handing the other to your opponent. Accumulating enough 0-1s leaves you with a deficit large enough that even your late-game hero power can’t overcome.
Since this isn’t a control deck, we’re able thin out some of the removal that can make some of your hands awkward. Cutting most of the permanents also helps remove some of your dead draws.
Card choices
I wrote at length about my card choices in my first write-up, but several of the cards have a different context here, and my opinions on others have changed.
- Open the Gates (C): It’s very nice to have a win condition at common. I’d rather put this into mana than play it before 8 mana.
- Ordis Attorney (R): Gulrang is desperately in need of 2-drops and card draw, so this hits two birds with one stone. This is the character I’m most okay with putting alongside a token in order to block while drawing.
- Ordis Trooper (R): This does wonders for your curve, is aggressively statted, and turns on your go-wide payoffs.
- Teamwork Training (R): I still hold that this is one of Gulrang’s most powerful cards, but the fact that it’s a late-game removal spell meant I was putting this into mana too often when I was running more than one copy.
- Ratatoskr (F): I’ve dropped from three copies to just one. The reserve side is very powerful, but it’s difficult to fit into your curve with the deck’s competing 3-drops, and playing a 3-mana defender character often dooms you to a 0-1. This overflows my reserve enough of the time that I often have to put it into mana.
- Ordis Cadets (C): With this list, you’ll keep the common much less often in the early game, but it’s sometimes worthwhile to turn on a bureaucrat. I like that it enables my Quetzalcóatl (U) on 8 mana.
- Kelon Burst (F): Teamwork Training isn’t online early enough for Gulrang, and it’s nice to have an answer for the first Haven, Bravos Bastion.
- Ordis Carrier (C): This being a tempo deck, it’s not especially interested in either a do-nothing permanent or a card that shuts off progression for an entire expedition. I’ve included one copy because there are occasionally windows where you can play this on 6 or 7 mana without falling behind on expeditions, and a free 2-2-2 in the late-game is certainly powerful.
- Ozma (C): This is one of Ordis’s best commons, but it doesn’t have a place here. You’ve got to jump through hoops to draw with this early, and by the time you can achieve the draw, you’d rather be putting boosted tokens on board.
- Charge! (C): I cut this because the deck already has too many cards that are exclusively good in the late-game. I probably wouldn’t even run one if I weren’t running a Charge! unique.
Uniques
I’ve included two Open the Gates-style uniques so that you can consistently count on having an explosive 8-mana turn.
Athena: 5/7
Compared to Open the Gates (C), this provides an additional 3/3/5 for 1 mana. For Gulrang specifically, this generates 11/11/13 in stats from hand. You’ll almost never want to play this from reserve, but you’re not too torn up about it, given how strong of a finisher the front side is.
Quetzalcóatl: 5/7
This is another Open the Gates (C), but this one is upgraded to an arrow ability in exchange for requiring two other characters on board to activate. That isn’t trivial for Gulrang, but by the time you want to play this on 8 mana, you can usually plan to have an Ordis Cadets (C), a reserve Ordis Spy (R), or an Ordis Carrier (C) plus a 2-drop.
Ozma: 5/7
The biggest downside of this unique - that you have to play one fewer Ozma (C) - is a non-issue for Gulrang, for whom Ozma (C) is much weaker. On balance, this isn’t as strong of a standalone play early.
Overall, Gulrang still likes this: it’s a Charge! (C) that can be played alongside Open the Gates (C) on 8 mana but that you’re happy to play for the draw before that point.
Takeaways
This tempo variant feels the strongest out of the Gulrang builds I’ve tried. Truthfully, it’s slightly disappointing that the defender/control archetype Gulrang advertises is less viable than playing a hero ability-less Sigismar until you reach 8 mana.
For defender Gulrang to work, I think anything that provides defender needs to be strong enough to allow the possibility of blocking both sides. An extra boost here and there isn’t enough to overcome the fact that defender will usually put you at an expedition disadvantage, despite slowing down progress overall.
Ordis Carrier (C) as a 1-of looked great in R2 and R4, but I’d still hesitate to go any higher out of fear of including too many dead draws.
In retrospect, this deck could consider Ordis Cadets (R) as a powerful 2-drop that doesn’t shut off the expedition it’s played in.
The games
Round 1 (W): Basira & Kaizaimon
The first several turns of the game were a sabotage-off between my Ordis Spy (R)s and my opponent’s Haven Bouncer (R)s. My opponent pulled slightly ahead on expeditions thanks to their Bravos Tracer (R)s.
When they went for a Mana Channeling (R), however, I was able to use Ozma (U) to win an uncontested expedition and boost my other expedition over their Bravos Tracer (R), all while drawing a card.
Even with 4 mana open, my opponent was unable to contest either expedition thanks to the body on top of the Open the Gates effect.
On 8 mana, I played an Ordis Spy (R) from reserve and followed it up with Quetzalcóatl (U) to overwhelmingly win both expeditions.
My opponent’s fourth sabotage of the game hit the Quetzalcóatl (U), but I kept a top-decked Open the Gates (C) as a backup to close out the game.
Round 2 (W): Teija & Nauraa Hydracaena ramp
The first eight cards I saw this game included six 3-drops and a Teamwork Training (C), highlighting some of the awkwardnesses of this list even after trying to shift towards cheaper cards.
Neither of the revealed regions having mountain meant my Ordis Gatekeeper (C) had to stay in hand, but my opponent’s Dracaena (C) getting stuck in a forest-only region meant that I could afford to play a Monolith Legate (C) while only going 0-1. I sabotaged a Dracaena (C) instead of a Daughter of Yggdrasil (R) because an anchored threat is more problematic for this deck than a one-off giant character.
My opponent stacking an expedition to guarantee at least one progression opened up a window for me to drop the 1-of Ordis Carrier (C) on D3.
On D4, they ran out a Hydracaena (C) with the help of Bountiful Meadow (C). I was just able to 1-0 today, but I knew I needed to draw into one of the two copies of Sticky Note Seals (C) in the remaining twenty-six cards of the deck.
Which removal spell gets played this turn?
My opponent’s Daughter of Yggdrasil (R) drew me into Sticky Note Seals (C) on the following turn. I had the choice of either Kelon Burst (F) on their anchored Aloe Vera (R) or Sticky Note Seals (C) on the Hydracaena (C).
I decided to remove the Aloe Vera (R). This denied my opponent a resupply and let me block without having to play my Ordis Spy (R) from reserve. I could have used the spare mana here to remove the eternal threat, but this would let them replay it on the following turn, which I’m not sure I could have dealt with.
On the next day, I led with Open the Gates (C) and followed it up with surprise removal on the Hydracaena (C) once my opponent had dropped below 7 mana. I went 1-0 here, but I believe my opponent could have 1-0’d me if they didn’t misclick when applying Chiron (R) boosts.
I needed to draw into the second Sticky Note Seals (C) to stay in the game.
Miraculously, I drew into the second Sticky Note Seals (C), so when my opponent went for the Hydracaena (C) again, I was able to remove it and go 1-1 off the back of a reserve Open the Gates (C).
My opponent’s Loki (F) discarded my Athena (U) just before I was about to play it, but my Kadigiran Alchemist (F) and reserve Ordis Spy (R) provided an additional 8/8/8 to overcome Loki while my Ordis Carrier Recruit took the other side for the win.
Round 3 (L): Sigismar & Wingspan
I considered leading with Ordis Attorney (R) and Ratatoskr (F) but ended up playing Baba Yaga (F) instead; if I didn’t draw into a 2-drop to play along the Attorney next turn, I would end up being wasteful with either mana or cards, or else play a defender Ratatoskr (F) to give my opponent an easy 1-0.
Despite not being at its best, Ozma (U) forced action from my opponent while drawing me a card.
After trading on D2, my opponent spent a lot of resources to 2-0 me on D3 with a Teamwork Training (C) on my Ordis Attorney (R).
The deck includes enough situational cards that you'll occasionally be stuck with hands like these.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capitalize after they had stretched themselves thin on cards. I felt compelled to hold onto Sticky Note Seals (C) in case of an expensive landmark and one of my 6-mana uniques to ensure I had a strong play once I got to 8 mana. This left me with The Frog Prince (C) into mountain on both sides and an Ordis Cadets (C) which put on zero offensive pressure. As a result, my opponent was able to 1-0 me on two consecutive turns while spending minimal resources.
Athena (U) let me handily 2-0 once I reached 8 mana, but I was still hopelessly behind at 4/1. Not drawing into another finisher meant I couldn’t block both expeditions on my opponent’s Charge! (C) turn.
Round 4 (L): Sigismar & Wingspan
Ordis Gatekeeper (C) traded for the first two turns of the game, but my opponent was able to pull ahead on cards with two Baba Yaga (F)s.
On D3, my opponent dropped The Monolith, Ordis Bastion (C). I 2-0’d with a pair of Ordis Attorney (R)s to pull ahead 3/5, but I knew I would need to draw into a Sticky Note Seals (C) fast.
My opponent drew up with Conjuring Seal (R) next turn, which was a relief for me, since I was able to keep them at just one progression while drawing with both Ordis Attorney (R)s.
This is the exact kind of situation where the 1-of Ordis Carrier shines: I'm going 0-2 removing The Monolith anyway.
Thankfully, the Sticky Note Seals (C) was in the top four cards. I used it to remove The Monolith just as my opponent put into reserve a 5/2 3-3-4 Athena (U) that could sleep a character and would lose fleeting as long as a landmark was out. Since I was going 0-2 regardless, this was a perfect window to drop my Ordis Carrier (C).
Teamwork Training (R) is a powerhouse for Gulrang because of how finely it can redistribute stats.
At 2/3, I was facing down my opponent’s asleep-giving Athena (U). Teamwork Training (R) was a 4/4/4 swing that let me distribute stats such that I couldn’t get 2-0’d regardless of how my opponent placed their Athena (U) or which character they slept. They chose to trade but sleep an Ordis Trooper (R) for the next day.
With an Ordis Trooper (R) and Paper Herald (C) in reserve and the Quetzalcóatl (U) I had been holding onto for ages, I was praying to draw into a 2-drop. I instead drew into a pair of 3-drops, but even my best draw couldn’t block both sides of my opponent’s double-The Sandman (R) plus 5-character Charge! (C).
Round 5 (L): Waru & Mack
I could have Kelon Burst (F)-ed my opponent’s D1 Ordis Attorney (R) to deny their draw and delay their bureaucrats. I was afraid of a 1-drop follow-up, though, so I played out Ozma (U) as a poor man’s Baba Yaga.
In retrospect, this play was wrong. I’d be unlikely to get a better Kelon Burst (F) window for some time since I would be the first player next turn. I should either be happy firing off the Kelon Burst (F) immediately or shouldn’t have kept it in the first place.
I unfortunately drew into two copies of Open the Gates (C) and Quetzalcóatl (U), so my D2 was a lone Ordis Attorney (R) which got 0-2’d but at least drew me a card.
On D3, my opponent slept a Robin Hood (U) that would create two tokens whenever a non-token character entered. I 2-0’d here but braced for the following day.
My opponent's token-generating Robin Hood (U) doesn't need to be awake to lock down its expedition.
The Robin Hood (U) tax was very relevant against my two Ordis Trooper (R)s. Meanwhile, my opponent played The Sandman (F) into a mountain-water region to win the expedition while sleeping their Robin Hood (U). They didn’t need its stats since it had already generated 4/4/4 to bolster his expedition.
No Sticky Note Seals (C) in sight, I watched helplessly as my opponent’s Quetzalcóatl (U) slept and boosted Robin Hood (U) yet again. Kelon Burst (F) let me trade expeditions, but I was still behind 2/3.
No Sticky Note Seals (C) meant my opponent could sleep their Robin Hood (U) with impunity for the third day in a row.
On the following day, my opponent had a second The Sandman (F) to sleep their Robin Hood (U) for a third time, now a comically huge 10/9/9. My Quetzalcóatl (U) and Ordis Spy (R) generated 12/12/11 to win the other side, but I had no way to deal with Robin Hood (U), and my opponent dealt the final blow on the next day.
Round 6 (W): Kojo & Booda
I got off to a great start, drawing with Baba Yaga (F) and a blocking Ordis Attorney (R). Meanwhile, my opponent dropped The Spindle, Muna Bastion (F) and anchored Booda with Parvati (F), alerting me to the fact that I might need to watch out for gigantic characters and/or boosts.
This is an unlucky matchup for my opponent's Aja (U): Gulrang benefits from ramp more than any other hero.
They 2-0’d me with an Aja (U) + Helping Hand (C) on D3, but I was at least as happy as my opponent about the symmetrical ramp, since it brought me one turn closer to turning off my hero ability restriction.
When they replayed Aja (U) alongside Booda, I took advantage of the window to Kelon Burst (F) The Spindle and set up a losing Monolith Legate (C) while still winning an uncontested expedition. I chose to sabotage the Helping Hand-ed Aja (U) with the Monolith Legate; now that I was at 8 mana, we’ve had quite enough ramp, thank you very much.
It looked like my opponent had drawn very poorly, as their turn was just to play another The Spindle and pass with 5 mana up, giving me a free 2-0.
Next turn, Quetzalcóatl (U) handily won after my opponent split their Physical Training (C) boosts between both expeditions. They had the chance to block with an All In! (F), but they rolled a 2.