Treasured Trash: Junkyard Rodeo — a Rumble Sion Deck Guide
We head back to the scrapheap and build a winning Rumble deck out of spare parts!
I'm regularbird: mobile casual and RIWAN's Treasured Trash collector and editor. Today, I'm proud to share some trash of my own!
I was instantly hooked on Rumble the first time I played him. Riot nailed the feeling of a scrappy risk-taker who hits the board hard and fast, making Round 4 feel like Mad Max Fury Road. The flavor and value of the Mecha-Yordles are great too, and I've tried a lot of (very flawed) ways to utilize them.
This list is the result of a lot of junkyard tinkering, and like all good ramshackle machines it runs on fuel and prayer. So let's get started!
You can find the deck’s code here!
Hit That Red Line
Junkyard Rodeo is a midrange tempo deck that can sometimes deliver on an aggro gameplan if the starting hand is just right. The list is full of cheap units, cards that create cards, and cards that want to be discarded.
The primary gameplan is to play out cheap units through the early game, drop Rumble on curve, and then either pull off a wide board win by Round 6 or grind it out using cheap, buffed Mecha-Yordles.
Rumble is often a finisher on his own, not many decks have an answer for him in Round 4 and have a hard time recovering tempo by Rounds 6 or 7. Sion is your secret weapon. Usually, I'd recommend discarding him when playing Rumble, but if you find a second copy, Sion should flip when played, giving you a massive game-ending Overwhelm threat that will grant rally if he's killed.
Time in the Garage Well Spent
This list is composed of leftovers from experiments and memes. One of my favorite net-decking finds is Rumble Jinx, an explosive burn deck that relies on discarding Reborn Grenadier and three copies of Vision to pull off big swings.
Experiments with Mecha-Yordle decks led me to drop Bilgerat Rascal and Arena Promoter from this list. Despite being respectable cards, their cost slows development of Mecha-Yordle units. Squeaker, alternatively, which was universally ignored before Patch 3.10, is the perfect fit for an early or mid-game drop for unit creation and blocking. It's also fine to play Squeaker early without discarding if you need a body on board in the early game. Something eye-opening for me was when Friendly Nihilist referred to his single copy of Squeaker as an anti-bricking tool in his Pile of Trash deck.
I've seen other Mecha-Yordle lists run Yordle Portal as a way to burn a discard target and get a unit on board. It's an option here, but Scrapheap is much better for pulling out a clutch Vision or Survival Skills, and too often becomes discard fodder or a brick. You would much rather draw Scrapheap.
Under the Hood
Let's take a look at what's rattling around inside this deck.
Rumble: This deck is driven by playing Rumble on curve. He is a serious tempo threat on Round 4 or 5, and can be jacked up by discarding Vision (for +1 | +0) and Sion (granting Overwhelm). Discarding Reborn Grenadier when played adds to the pressure. Rumble needs to attack twice in order to flip and start generating value, so keep Whirling Death on hand for the opportunity.
Sion: As stated before, he's your secret weapon. It's almost always a good idea to discard Sion when playing Rumble. But Sion is also an excellent finisher for games that are going to run late. Sion is particularly good in Kai'Sa matchups if you are able to develop him before Void Abomination. His Rally effect should help close out any game.
Reborn Grenadier: Learning when to play this card is crucial to maintaining the tempo of this deck. Combining Grenadier with Rumble, or using it to cheat out a copy of Vision or Survival Skills can alter your opponent's gameplan. Try to be patient: do not use Grenadier before Round 4, even if you haven't drawn Rumble. Grenadier should be used when you can capitalize on a strong board presence.
Yordle Squire: The one-drop you want to start the game with. Spear or Shield don't really matter, you'll probably throw them away, but I have used Tiny Spear to juice up a unit with Overwhelm to win games.
Conchologist: Another early game body for blocking and board presence. I don't need to go into the exceptional value of this card, but always consider your manifest options: there are some neat combat tricks to take advantage of sometimes.
Fallen Rider: Primarily a discard target, but fine to play on its own. A two-mana 3 | 1 with Fearsome is great for early tempo.
House Spider: Here to save your bacon. Cheap blockers, cheap board units. If you have a Rumble, Reborn Grenadier, and a Vision or two in hand, getting these Spiders on board in the round before you drop Rumble can help set up a big cheap swing.
Squeaker: Your flexible Mecha-Yordle generating unit. Don't forget you can also play this card without discarding, in case you need a blocker on board. This deck does not run Bilgewater Rascal or Arena Promoter, so keep this in mind when using Squeaker. You can also take advantage of Augment in this deck if you end up using Tiny Spear, any Conchologist spell, or when you play a Mecha-Yordle.
Ruined Reckoner: This card puts a strong body on board and grants a free attack. Perfect for leveling Rumble or triggering his Level 2 ability; making a good swing with a Mecha-Yordle like Earthshaker, Dunehopper Mech, or Shadowtech Walker; or just slamming any Overwhelm or Impact unit into your opponent's face.
Lost Soul: High value discard target, great for use with Squeaker and Scrapheap. The four-drop it creates is great, and returns to your hand to set up another discard play. Also handy for leveling Sion, though that isn't ever much of a concern by Round 7.
Scrapheap: This card should primarily be used to trigger Vision or Survival Skills, but is of course useful for creating a Mecha-Yordle. If you don't like a Mecha-Yordle in-hand, you can recycle it with Scrapheap to apply Rumble's buff to a more desirable target. Scrapheap is also necessary to play on or after Round 4 if you have not drawn Rumble; developing Mecha-Yordles will be your only means of maintaining tempo.
Pokey Stick: Your primary ping and draw tool. Don't get greedy, consider your matchup if you're going against keyword soup especially. You can also use this to trigger Rumble's Level 2 ability.
Vision: This is the juice that fuels the tempo threat of this deck. Try to trigger it often and creatively. Create unfair advantages for yourself. Make a wide board just a little taller. Use Reborn Grenadier and Scrapheap to cheat it out for one mana, or just cast it; it's awesome.
Whirling Death: Use this defensively to protect or proactively to flip Rumble.
Whispered Words: Your eject button.
Survival Skills: Great for blocking, especially against high value Quick Attack units like Kai'Sa. Look to trigger its effect on a single unit with Scrapheap, you'll rarely have time to cast it.
Double Tap: The ace up your sleeve. This is a removal spell no one really expects. Use it to pick off key units. Using it with Rumble or a high value Mecha-Yordle will cause Impact to trigger twice, which is pretty awesome if you have a flipped Rumble. You can also use it to level up Rumble.
In the Cockpit
A good starting hand is absolutely critical to this deck. Your number one priority is Rumble, then Squire, Conch, and Grenadier (in that order); everything else can be scrapped. A good rule of thumb is Rumble, two early drops, and a discard target. I mentioned earlier that this machine runs on prayer: you'll need some luck and patience to get it started sometimes. There's not much to consider depending on matchup, you need Rumble and early units regardless to set up your strongest possible position.
When playing Rumble, pay attention to the order of discarding if you are targeting Reborn Grenadier(s) and Vision—target Vision last to buff the Grenadiers. Also, if you are playing Rumble again, you don't need to discard three cards again to grant his keywords.
If you don't draw Rumble by Round 4, you need to start thinking creatively about your gameplan. You should be able to at least fill your board with cheap units and pop Squeaker or Scrapheap to prepare a beefy Mecha-Yordle. Trumpetecher and Dunehopper Mech are great alternatives to Rumble to keep your pressure up. Hopefully, you can find Rumble, Sion, or even Double Tap to give yourself a winning edge.
Every so often, you will be blessed with the perfect starting hand and with priority on even Rounds: ideal for an aggro opener. Playing out a Squire on Round 1, then a Conch, House Spider, or your other two Squires by the end of Round 3, will set you up for a big swing on Round 4 if you have Rumble and at least one Vision and Reborn Grenadier. It won't be enough damage to win, but you should be able to end the game on your next attack, especially if you discarded Sion into Rumble.
If you remember our Rumble Viktor guide, Djmarcus has a great tip that works here too: don't generate Mecha-Yordles before Round 4. Save your mana early on and manifest a Mecha-Yordle when you can play it in the same Round (as a general guideline).
This deck takes its cues from aggro, but doesn't deliver on its threat until the midgame (Round 4+) and later. Playing this deck on ladder takes some finesse: playing around known threats, holding interaction, and knowing when it's safe to manifest Mecha-Yordles.
The Finish Line
I am very fond of this pile, and proud of the fact that it can compete on ladder right now. If you've wanted to get more out of Rumble, give this a try!
These articles are a place to share the joy you can get out of making your own fun in this game. If you've surprised yourself with your own creation, please share it with us!
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