The Hannover $10K metagame was very complete, with only a few decks missing from the wide spread of archetypes represented. Curve Sentinels and Teen Titans made impressive showings, while X-Stall, Cosmic Cops, Common Enemy, The Brave and the Bold, and many others were well-represented. However, a few key decks did not make a showing at the event, and it’s worth taking a look at the decks that weren’t played.

TNB Blitz was the major deck I expected to see and found to be absent. TNB Blitz has developed almost a cult following among Top 8 competitors at many PCQ events throughout North America. Blitz looks as if it will only get stronger as time goes on, with Scarlet Witch, Eldritch Enchantress in the Marvel Knights set. Its absence from the metagame was felt, as Cosmic Cops and X-Stall decks ran most games to long finishes. Because Blitz wasn’t around to rush such decks and drive them into the dirt before they could secure their combos, both decks had a relatively easy field compared to other major tournaments in the past two months.

Also missing from the metagame was Wild Vomit, but this absence is a bit easier to predict because nobody’s playing it right now. With Hounds of Ahab soon to be legal and Sentinel Mark III seeing play over Sentinel Mark IV, this deck will probably make a comeback soon. As it stands, the deck’s absence from the Hannover $10K was another feather in the proverbial cap of Cosmic Cops and X-Stall, which benefited from the rather sluggish early-game that Hannover afforded.

On a single card basis, there were a few notable cards not seeing much play. Flame Trap was an extremely rare sight, which seems unlikely for a field that saw a good amount of Doom, both in the form of Common Enemy and straight Doom Control. The lack of Flame Trap again alleviated some pressure that Cosmic Cops would normally be feeling, and allowed Teen Titans players to swarm the board with cheap low-drop characters.

Aside from the above, most of the possible aspects of a Vs. System metagame were represented quite thoroughly. Flame Trap is on its way out of most metagames at the moment, and it probably shouldn’t be. It cleans house on Cosmic Cops and Titans, despite CC having access to Fizzle, and it also ruins key elements of The Brave and the Bold. It’s definitely worth playing. Once players realize this, it might see an increase in use, but for now, the absence of Flame Trap from most metagames is one of the major factors behind the success of Cosmic Cops.