JWA Tournament: CRE Nonhybrid Mono-Class Skill

It’s tournament time again ladies and gentlemen, and this time around we have our second restricted format. However, unlike the last one which restricted creature abilities, this one restricts creatures based off what class they are, and it’s a format that is mono-class only, so no dual types or wildcards allowed. It is also nonhybrids only minus Parasaur Lux. So, what creatures should you look out for? Well, it’s my job to help you find the best team that works for you.

Before we jump into the creatures, first let's go over the Tournament itself.

The rewards for this Tournament are COINS - THOUSANDS OF THEM! You'll be needing these coins to level up your creatures to do well in Advantage Tournaments and in the Arena, so be sure to get your creatures battling in this Tournament. These are the numbers of coins you'll be able to get for each placement:

Let’s start off with the banned creatures. This weekend, Tanycolagreus, Majungasaurus, Tupandactylus, Megalosaurus, Arctodus, Nasutoceratops, Deinotherium, Fukuisaurus, Carnotaurus, Tsintaosaurus, Stegoceras, and Concavenator. This actually doesn’t impact the format all that much in the long run, as the best creatures on this list being Concavenator and Nasutoceratops don’t have that big on an impact on the format. So, with those guys out of the way, let’s look at the big threats this weekend.

First up, these rats need no introduction. Compsognathus is one of the most annoying creatures in the game and possibly the most annoying nonhybrid out there right now. It has great speed, is a flock, has a good rally heal move, can alert the flock at 2 members, can pin you, and has good resistances all wrapped into one. Expect people to keep swapping this thing in over and over nonstop. You want these guys, and if you don’t have them, go to a zone with glyptodon everywhere and start looking because you NEED these guys to do well. And if you are face to face with them, there are many resilients out there to deal with them. Scutosaurus, Antarctopelta, Diplodocus, and Doedicurus can all deal with them pretty well. However, they can always swap to something else, so you probably won’t kill these guys with your first attempt.

Next up is another creature that just refuses to die. Scutosaurus, in my opinion, was the best creature in the last format to allow only rare and epic nonhybrids. It’s decently fast at 116 speed, has amazing bulk with 25% armor and 4800 hp, has good offense with 1200 attack, and has 2 revenge moves at its disposal. One can prolong that bulk for 4 attacks while the other allows for a bit of offense and speed control. It’s a resilient with options. And with stun, slow, and vulnerability immunity, it is hard to work around. You have to plow straight through. However, this is where Scutosaurus gets tricky when paired with Compsognathus. Scutosaurus is usually in the back, waiting for revenge, and Compsognathus is a very popular lead. So when a counter like Albertosaurus is brought out, your opponent can swap out into Compsognathus and sweep your counter under the rug, and there isn’t much that can swap into Compsognathus, so this makes it hard to deal with Scutosaurus. Albertosaurus is the best 1v1 counetr out there, but Diplodocus is another really good answer as it can deal with both Compsognathus and Scutosaurus.

Going back to the topic of "epics that really annoy everyone", you can't leave out Woolly Rhino.  This epic is notorious for its bulk and 1500 on the swap as well as shields and an impact with decent resistances and 108 speed. It can reduce a creature with low hp and high armor down to almost half in some scenarios while also stunning them. It's going to be a popular pick, so prepare for it. The best counters include creatures like Albertosaurus as well as trappers like Compsognathus and even Andrewsarchus. Also, you can predict them swapping with creatures like Titanoboa.

Speaking of that sneaky snake, Titanoboa is something that needs little introduction. With the best on escape move in the format, Titanoboa can make sure something stays on the field. On top of on escape rampage, it has a great set of resistances, good output, speed control, good hp and speed, and precise rampage for dealing with cunnings and just as a good turn 1 option. It’s a great closer and can really turn the tide of a match. If you want to take it on, Scutosaurus just walls it while Albertosaurus can impact it twice to take it out. However, a Titanoboa at 1 hp may be down, but is never out, so be careful.

I’ve been mentioning Albertosaurus quite a lot, and it’s for a good reason. This rare is the best fierce around. End of story. With good hp, 106 speed, great damage, really good resistances, and a priority shattering impact, Albertosaurus is one of the best 1v1 creatures around. Even cunnings like Compsognathus can struggle. It has great burst damage and pin immunity, so it is never a sitting duck. It also can resist other important statuses like bleed and slow. With so many resilients around, Albertosaurus is a great addition to any team. When it comes to taking on Albertosaurus, 1v1 counters can be hard to find. In fact, there is only ONE creature in this format that has a guaranteed win over Albertosaurus: Dilophosaurus. Everything else in this format can or will lose. The best counters are creatures like Compsognathus and Archaeopteryx, but again, they can lose. The key with Albertosaurus is to wear it down. Then something like a rhino can take it down. And if you need to, a flock should work out, but you have been warned.

Next up is a returning epic. Antarctopelta is the ultimate anti-flock creature. With its slowing counter, shields, and good bulk, Antarctopelta can not only win in a head to head scenario, but it can also usually just swap in on these creatures and straight up beat them. On top of flocks, it can also destroy almost any resilient out there that isn’t Scutosaurus or Diplodocus. Superior vulnerability and that counter can really do a number on a lot of creatures. And if it wants to, it can go for ferocity to really set up for a butt-kicking. If you want to take on this cold-hearted beast, wearing it down with Woolly Rhino is a really good way to do so, as well as using Scutosaurus, Albertosaurus, or Diplodocus. Otherwise, you’ll probably lose.

Another resilient that boasts great offenses is Diplodocus. Tied for the most hp in the format, Diplodocus also has a great 1500 damage stat to boast along with its hp. And on top of that, it can also slow on the swap, which allows it to catch some speedy creatures off guard while also allowing it to throw up that shield before their next hit comes in. And following that shield advantage is a 3000 slowing decelerating rampage. And with a 50% deceleration resistance, odds are it will still outspeed you. If you want to take down this behemoth, use the same strategy as you use with Albertosaurus: wear it down. Woolly Rhino can again do wonders and take it from 3750 hp to 0 in 2 turns. Also, it may win a lot of matchups against creatures like Scutosaurus, it isn’t in the best scenario either and is usually just an easy setup for something else. But if you want something to 1v1 it, Allosaurus gen 2, Andrewsarchus, and Marsupial Lion all can 1-2 it with ease.

Moving on, we have another sauropod. Brachiosaurus may not have the best 1v1 matchups around or may not have some gimmick, but it can fill one of the most important roles in any team really well: the opener. If you have a bad lead matchup, you can easily be screwed and not much can save you. However, this is not the case with Brachiosaurus. Most people will not want to lead a fierce all that often in fear of a Compsognathus lead, which could potentially shut them down. However, Brachiosaurus isn’t worried about that. Now what if they lead a fierce? Well, Brachiosaurus has options to potentially deal with that fierce, and if it cannot, it can swap out most of the time with pin resistance. If you want to swap rhino on it, it’s risky because it has stun resistance and is faster than a lot of resilients and fierce creatures, and it can easily tank a hit from any cunning. If you need a good opener, Brachiosaurus is your creature. And to sprinkle one last thing on this beast, it has a 30% critical hit chance. If you want to take down this behemoth, there are some resilients and fierce that can do the job. Acrocanthosaurus, Scutosaurus, and Albertosaurus can do the trick. However, they do not all get off so easily either.

If you cut Brachiosaurus’s hp stat in half, but you add 20 speed on it, you have Ornithomimus. Ornithomimus is one of the fastest creatures in the format at a whopping 131 speed, with 1600 attack to back it up. This thing was made to hit and run because it also has access to rampage and run, allowing for it to almost 1-shot anything that isn’t a sauropod when paired with Woolly Rhino. And with distraction, pin, and stun immunity, Ornithomimus is hard to stop. Want to take down this speedster? You can take advantage of its low hp and lack of slow resistance with something like Antarctopelta or especially Titanoboa (as long as decelerating impact is up). But really anything bulky that can slow should do the trick.

Returning to the bulky side of things, we have Doedicurus. This rare is one of, if not THE bulkiest creature in the format with 4200 hp and 50% armor.And on top of that, it has a priority shield at its disposal. And despite its bulk, it also has some good output with resilient strike and decelerating rampage to pair nicely with that 1200 attack stat. And to top it all off, Doedicurus is decently fast for something this bulky with 111 speed. If you want to take down this bulky rare, you want to eat through it with something like Acrocanthosaurus, or especially Albertosaurus to take advantage of that poorer turn 1. Diplodocus can also work quite nicely.

Sticking with the trend of bulky rares with a bit of power to them, next up is Dracorex. With swap in resilient strike, cunnings can really take a hit with this rare running around. And with resilient impact into instant charge, this guy can pack a serious punch with its output. And to top it all off, Dracorex sits at a decently fast 124 speed. It also has superiority strike for some speed control to top it all off. And luckily for Dracorex, it can survive an impact plus a swap from Albertosaurus and Woolly Rhino. But if you want to take on this rare, don’t really look to trappers like Titanoboa and Andrewsarchus for help, as they usually lose now that resilient applies vulnerability. Scutosaurus is immune to everything Dracorex does, and because Dracorex is usually used to pick something off, Scutosaurus can get up a revenge protection. Other creatures like Brachiosaurus can also kill Dracorex.

Next up is another chomper. Acrocanthosaurus may not be as versatile as Albertosaurus, but it is bulkier and can hit just as hard. It has good output, can cleanse, and has just enough hp. When compared to other chompers like Allosaurus gen 2 or Tyrannosaurus Rex, this bulk comes in handy against quite a few creatures. Titanoboa for example cannot 2-shot it without a crit, and Diplodocus can kill Allosaurus and Rex with a setup in 2, but not Acrocanthosaurus. It’s probably the second best fierce around. If you want to take down Acrocanthosaurus, Ornithomimus can easily 2 shot it while Compsognathus can wear it down. And again, Woolly Rhino can always pose some issues for it too.

We started off with Compsognathus, so let’s end on Compsognathus gen 2, because who doesn’t like more flocks? Compsognathus gen 2 isn’t as strong as its gen 1 counterpart, but it can do things that can make it just as annoying. Like its gen 1 counterpart, it is immune to stun and can resist rend, pin, and distraction. However, while it cannot rally heal as well, it has a priority strike that grants it a critical hit when secure and evasion when threatened. And it also has good team synergy with impact and run, potentially allowing the other Compsognathus to come it and cause more irritation. And like its epic counterpart, Compsognathus gen 2 can also pin you at 2 members, but only rally heal at 1. Overall, this guy is a strong pick and something to look out for. If you want to take it down, it may have more bulk, but it cannot distract turn 1, allowing more creatures to pick off members. Creatures like Scutosaurus, Antarctopelta, and Titanoboa can easily eat away at it, with the latter outright preventing it from doing much at all.

That’s really all for the viable creatures around this weekend. There are others out there like both Spinosaurus, Megalonyx, Allosaurus gen 2, Cervalces, Archaeopteryx, and Edaphosaurus, but these are going to be the threats you see most often. Also, if you can, stay away from the commons. Most of them are just worse than rares and epics, so almost disregard them entirely.

That’s really it for this weekend. I thank you all for reading and I wish you all the best this weekend. It’s nice to see some of these new formats, however this one wasn’t as impactful (especially compared to the next format). Also, make sure to go out and dart all of your epics tomorrow and don’t miss out on that legendary attempt and that Cervalces DNA on Monday. Have a great weekend!