Image taken from the Riftbound Report pageAmbessa's kit promises to redefine the playstyle of the Orange and Yellow Domains, creating for the first time an "Irelia" style deck where you stack resources onto a single unit and continuously move it around the board.Ambessa might be the best Empower-focused archetype to date, and she could very well rank among the top decks in the upcoming season. Let's take a look at her core kit cards.Ambessa - Matriarch of WarFeaturing a unit-readying effect, Ambessa's Legend card is what defines how this archetype plays.You will need to construct your deck with activating her effect in mind; therefore, your list should include plenty of Empower cards.So far, the Orange and Yellow Domains have received the best Empower cards. Even if this mechanic is relatively weak overall, Ambessa will have good options in her arsenal to execute her combo.Readying a unit virtually for free is a massive effect that defines the archetype. You will likely funnel resources into a single unit, constantly attacking and defending with it, readying it, and ganking enemy battlefields to tear down your opponent's defenses.Overall, Ambessa stands out significantly from other decks running these colors, bringing a completely fresh identity to these Domains.Ambessa - The WolfThis card is a vanilla 4-energy unit until you pay its Empower cost.When empowered, it becomes a 7-might unit that cannot be dealt damage unless it is currently in combat. This is a powerful effect that can prove essential in many matchups, especially against Blue and Red.On paper, this card might seem a bit slow, but it can serve as your designated target for all the resources you stack throughout the game. In other words, the one chosen to be protected.It costs no power and enters on turn 2, threatening to become an indestructible 7-might unit on turn 3. If the meta shifts toward midrange decks, this unit could prove quite meta-defining, forcing opposing decks to run non-damaging removal options like bounce or stun.Because of this, the unit tends to be very strong and will undoubtedly serve as the Chosen Champion in Ambessa decks.Ambessa - Respected and FearedAnother vanilla unit until its Empower cost is paid.Its Empower cost is relatively cheap and can be paid as early as turn 3. While empowered, whenever she attacks, she destroys an enemy unit at a battlefield that has lower might than her own, which means any unit with 7 or less might.When combined with Punch First, this unit destroys any unit with 12 or less might upon attacking, effectively taking down almost any card in the game.This card sounds insane on paper, but in practice, it suffers against any form of removal, such as bounce, spells, and direct kill abilities. Since it lacks Deflect, your opponent will have no trouble committing resources to remove it from the field.Unless you have reliable ways to protect her, this unit likely won't accomplish much during a match, depending on the matchup.Against decks that cannot answer units in reserve or those that run few units, she can easily turn into a card that wins the game on her own.Public ExecutionSpeaking of killing units, Ambessa's signature spell does exactly that: a targeted snipe on any unit with lower might than a chosen friendly unit.It is a spell that complements Ambessa's archetype exceptionally well, reinforcing the slower identity focused on controlling the board, removing threats, and accumulating resources.This card carries a rather high Flow cost, but since its effect is extremely powerful, paying 5 energy and 2 power to recast it from your trash will likely be worth the investment.When played, this spell creates a board state where any unit your opponent drops that is weaker than any of yours puts them at an immediate disadvantage, simply because you can cast this spell right back out of your trash.As a result, Ambessa will likely be a top-tier meta contender, as her playstyle tends to be quite dominant and dictates the tempo of the match.What to Expect From This ArchetypeThis archetype has everything required to bring a breath of fresh air to the Orange and Yellow Domains, offering a playstyle vastly different from the norm alongside powerful cards that control the game.Expect Ambessa to be a Tier 1 deck that heavily shapes the meta, as she possesses high-impact plays that shut down typical opponent responses. For instance, opponents cannot deal damage to Ambessa - The Wolf, nor can they defend a single-unit battlefield against Ambessa - Respected and Feared.It is a build capable of securing checkmate early in a match depending on the matchup, making it very predatory against lower-tier or casual decks. This further reinforces that the archetype will be highly competitive.Keep an eye out for pre-release events, as Ambessa looks to be a formidable pick for that format as well.ConclusionWhat do you think of Ambessa? Do you think she will shape the meta, or will Empower turn out to be too slow and flop? Let us know in the comments.Don't forget to share this article on social media. See you next time!
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