Eirika (B22)

## Overview

Written by: Basil

One of the premiere raw +1 MCs due to her fairly easy condition and excellent color. Eirika usually is a more aggressive midrange deck that runs 1 costs with Gerik to hit the 3 allies in front line threshold easily, with other options like Marisa and Eliwood 4(3) as backup plays. Getting around self supports is also a small upside but helps ensure you hit when you need to just enough.

## Gameplan

Eirika runs the traditional aggressive purple early gameplan, trying to deploy 1 costs to swing and hit support skills. The only difference is the support skills you’re trying to hit- you have the usual Manaketes, but you also have hero emblems. Hero emblems are basically an evade check- if they have the dodge, great for them, if not, they’re hurting pretty bad since they lost an orb for no good reason.

Ramping isn’t necessary for Eirika since you’re already a 4(3), but it doesn’t hurt to accelerate your gameplan as aggro. Once you’ve promoted, you mostly are playing to apply pressure while meeting your draw condition to give yourself fuel. Gerik is your main way of doing that, since he not only deploys a 1 cost (usually a kete), but also buffs the whole frontline so he and Eirika hit 80 and the 1 cost should hit 70. Later on you can skip using his skill and just deploy from hand, but the tempo you get from deploying from retreat is deceptively strong, even if it's just a 1 cost.

Zeph is your usual finisher, playing him + a 1 cost to buff is not only a solid way to hit the opponent twice, but also triggers Eirika’s draw. You can also run B11 Ephraim as an easy way to trigger her draw since he will be very hard to remove and applies a lot of pressure by hitting big and potentially double breaking.

## Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

* Strong early and mid game options in purple
* Straightforward gameplan
* Strong finisher in Zephiel

Weaknesses:

* Doesn’t hit 80 on her own
* Can struggle to deal with backline
* Plumeria blocking Zephiel and Ephraim can be a pain

## Key Cards

### Gerik 4(3) B18

As with other aggressive midrange purple decks, Gerik is your preferred turn 4 play (and probably turn 5 & 6 too if you can help it). Making the frontline +10 means he and Eirika hit the 80 benchmark, and deploying from retreat enables Eirika’s draw as well, he is basically everything Eirika wants. Only downside is the 10 support, which can sting when you count on having good supports from Eirika’s re-support skill.

### Fae & Myrrh (Dragonkin Emblem)

Ketes are common in a lot of purple decks, and while they’re not as crucial in Eirika as other decks, they are still great cards. Eirika needs low costs to help her reach the 3 ally requirement in the mid game, and ketes are the best option to do it since they are 1 cost 60 bases. Randomly getting ramp is also a plus.

### Hero Emblems

Eirika’s hero emblem cards can swing the game massively in her favor if they hit. Both of them have good advantages- Roy swings for 50, helping him connect more often, while Ephraim is a 40 support on your MC.

### Zephiel 5(4)

Zeph is a great finisher for purple, buffing himself and a low cost to be able to hit and potentially ripping a dodge and destroying the opponent’s MC as well. This also works well with Eirika, since Zephiel and the 1 cost would make 3 allies in the frontline for her draw.

## Sample Decks

Eirika + Eliwood
4 Eirika, Princess of the Sacred Storm Blade
4 Eirika, Princess of Kindness and the Storm Blade
4 Mirabilis, Elf of Daydreams
4 Myrrh, Girl of the Dragonkin
4 Peony, Sweet Dream-Bringing Lass
4 Gerik, Almighty Mad Tiger
3 Eliwood, Blazing Knight of Valor
4 Fae, Innocent Dragon Girl
4 Ephraim, Prince of Renais
2 Ephraim, Restoration King+
3 Zephiel, Liberator of the World
2 Eirika, Younger Princess of Renais
3 Eliwood, Knightly Heritor of a Legend's Will
1 Eirika, Kind Princess in Confrontation
4 Roy, Heir to House Pherae (P2)
MC:
1 Eirika, Kind Princess in Confrontation