Grand Admiral Discard - CursedParagon

Updated Version

Hello everyone, this is a decklist I've created and been using against mostly my friends as well as many matches on Karabast. It has a high success rate in a large amount of matchups if played properly and is fun to play, and can be quite frustrating to play against. I plan on updating it pretty regularly.

Why Thrawn? Most people are familar with Thrawn blue, but I find that Thrawn red is equally as fun and satisfying to play. On top of that, many people are familiar with the semi-popular Rey red discard deck from Set 2. I find that Thrawn can capitalize on the discard mechanic even more than Rey with his access to the Cunning aspect, and even more so with his access to villainy to use cards like No Bargain. This deck is all about board control, hand destruction, and card advantage so we can get to our late game bombs.

We have a primary focus on discarding the opponents hand with cards like Pillage, No Bargain, and Force Throw. With access to yellow, we have further discard options including Bazine Netal, Spy for the First Order, Chimaera, Flagship of the Seventh Fleet, Unmasking the Conspiracy, and Cunning. It also gives access to events that help exhaust and slow down our opponent in conjunction with Thrawn's ability.

Below, I will explain the gameplan and each cards placement in the deck as well as sideboard.

Early game, the focus is on getting out either our Migs Mayfeld, Triggerman to get bonus damage off of our discarding, or Bib Fortuna to allow us to play our discard/removal for cheaper so we can also use Thrawn's ability if needed. We can use Bazine Netal early if needed or resource it for later and smuggle it out. We have Cell Block Guard and Black Sun Starfighter to help with early aggro units.

Midgame, Bossk, Deadly Stalker helps with bigger threats, and has synergy with our plethora of events to ping enemy units.

No Good to Me Dead, Outmaneuver, Open Fire, Frozen in Carbonite are all great for slowing down our opponent and removing their threats.

Evacuate is for if the opponent is able to get out enough units that our single card removal/exhaust/Thrawn's ability is not enough to slow them down. I have had times where this card won me the game because I had almost no units (if any) on the board and my opponent was going very wide, and allowed me to get to my late game finishers.

Late game, Krayt Dragon, Chimaera, Emperor Palpatine, and Savage Opress helps us finish the game. I have tested both Savage Opress and Cad Bane, and have found both to be useful and have their own pros and cons. Savage Opress is great with Force Throw (as is Palpatine), and Savage also almost always readys when played as we usually have less units than our opponent.

SIDEBOARD:

Most of the sideboard is for the control mirror/matchup. This deck is weak against aggro so most of the maindeck is geared towards combatting that. Something not in the maindeck or sideboard that I think can be another good option versus aggro if you find that you are struggling is replacing Bib Fortuna with 2x copies of Cloud Rider.

1. Unmasking the Conspiracy 2-3x - Something I replace with either Frozen in Carbonite or No Good to Me Dead if I don't need the extra removal/exhaust against an early game deck and are playing vs control. Usually something I resource early and is used as more of a late game card when I have already gotten good card draw from Forced Surrender, No Bargain, and potentially Cad Bane, Hostage Taker, and have excess cards I can afford to discard.

2. Forced Surrender 2x - Replace with Evacuate if against a control matchup. I tried to make Forced Surrender work in the maindeck for a while to maximize on the discard, but against any fast or even semi-fast deck, I found I was rarely able to ever make use of it or have an opportunity to use it, especially if the opponent is pinging our units. It's just way too slow of a card. Against control, it works wonderfully for further improving card advantage while getting rid whatever's left of their removal/late game threats that weren't removed with Pillage, Force Throw, and No Bargain.

3. Cad Bane, Hostage Taker 3x - Can replace Savage Opress if you need even more board control and also gives card draw which is nice. I find both are good options.

4. Syndicate Lackeys 3x - Replace with Bossk, Deadly Stalker when against an opponent that uses lots of 5 health units like Han Yellow etc.

Things I Tested but Didn't Include (although you could):

1. Cunning 2x - Can replace No Good to Me Dead or Evacuate if you feel that you don't need Evacuate's bounce or the early exhaust and can afford to wait until 6 resources if the matchup allows it such as a control matchup. Not in the sideboard as at 6 resources instead of 4, I found many times I had to resource it as playing it cost too much to only delay the inevitable against a faster matchup. It is a little bit better vs control, but even then, I find Forced Surrender to be a better 6 resource play to discard their hand to remove their removal/finishers.