Faction Identity: Ruthless Attrition
Desert Devils are the midrange control faction of Goblins & Gunslingers. They combine efficient stat lines with Warrant creatures that force bad trades, Overshot damage that punishes small blockers, and healing effects that keep your HP out of lethal range. If you prefer winning through inevitability rather than explosiveness, this is your faction. Every card in the faction is listed on the Desert Devils faction page.
Signature Keywords
Each keyword below is defined in the keyword glossary; here is how the Devils put them to work.
- Warrant — Dustcloak Chief (4M/1G, 3/5) forces enemies to attack it first. Locks lanes and protects your other threats.
- Overshot — Stormglass Colossus (5M/1G, 6/5) is one of the hardest-hitting cards in the game. Kill a small blocker, push 4+ damage through.
- Double Barrel — Sand Wyrm Wrangler (5M/2G, 5/5) attacks twice. The faction closer that ends games in a single action phase.
- Cover Tokens — Quicksand Trapper (4M/1G, 3/5) places two 0/1 tokens. Slows aggro decks while you build board control.
- Flying — Sunstorm Sentinel (4M/1G, 4/3) patrols from above, untouchable by ground walls.
- Heal — Mirage Conjurer (5M/2G, 5/4) restores 5 HP to your hero. Keeps you alive through burst attempts and resets the damage race.
Key Cards
Sand Skirmisher (1M, 2/1, Ambush) — Turn-1 aggression that earns Gold. Even a control deck needs early presence.
Dune Scout (1M, 1/1, High Noon) — Draws a card on play. Cheap cantrip that keeps your hand full while the board develops.
Dustcloak Chief (4M/1G, 3/5, Warrant) — The lane lock. 5 defense with forced targeting means opponents waste resources dealing with it while your real threats go unchecked.
Dune Titan (4M/1G, 5/4, Overshot) — Efficient midrange body. Kills blockers and pushes spillover damage every combat.
Nightfall Marauder (5M/2G, 5/5, Wanted) — The untargetable finisher. Cannot be removed by spells, abilities, or effects. Only combat takes it down.
Deck-Building Tips
Desert Devil decks want a balanced curve with a slight lean toward 3-5 mana. Your early game is about surviving and generating Gold through chip damage, then deploying mid-game threats that dominate combat trades.
Pair with Straw Elves for a grinding long-game shell — their Wanted creatures complement yours for an almost untouchable top-end. Or pair with Beasts for midrange flexibility — Scorch Hawk Scout (2M/1G, 2/2, Flying + High Noon) provides cheap card advantage that fills the Desert Devil curve gap.
Matchup Notes
Desert Devils are strong against aggressive decks. Warrant creatures force bad trades, Cover Tokens stall early rushes, and healing resets the damage race. Goblins especially struggle to close before your mid-game takes over.
Desert Devils can struggle against Gnomes, whose Flip abilities create unexpected combat tricks that bypass your Warrant setups. Against Gnomes, prioritize board presence over individual creature quality — they can't Flip if they're behind on tempo.
Ready to grind someone down? Build a Desert Devil deck and take it to the table — play free at the Online Outpost.
