[Full Guide] - Rhinar Guide: Unleashing Your Reckless Brute by Eugene C

Rhinar Guide: Unleashing Your Reckless Brute v1.0

By Eugene C

(Writing is a great learning experience for a Brute (and Statistician)! After many times of writing and rewriting - I have a first version. I hope you all like it. If you feel I can improve my writing in some way - DM me please let me know. Be kind.)

I. Introduction

What took you so long to discover the most fun and best hero in the game? This hero has a lot of skill expression in terms of making decisions and is usually rewarded with a good win rate if you do the right thing. There is not a matchup that is so dire that it’s unwinnable. And given the current meta, it makes a great choice to have.  I am going to cover in this guide from the basics to the deep downs.

The Game Plan:

Dear brutes, you have just started this training camp.  You should level up your game in this tutorial doing these.  You are on your way to become an S Tier hero yourself.

II. Deck Construction: Rhinar’s Core Archetypes 

My current Rhinar deck are built around three core archetypes: Aggro (high-damage attacks), Intimidate (hand disruption via discards), and Disruption (targeted card removal). Above Aggro, I have coined the term, Hyper-Aggro to denote cards that often limit-break damage through efficient discards and spending extra action points. Deck-building is an iterative process, adapting to the meta— in this season currently dominated by heroes like Verdance, Gravy, Cindra, and Florian. My current deck build balance consistency with flexibility, with 49 main board and 22 sideboard.

How to read it:
The basic canvas of this deck is 70% aggro (Orange)/30% intimidate(Purple). (with some elements of disruption (in green) and intimidate)
On top of it I can increase the emphasis of the deck composition I can increase the proportion in aggro and disruption and intimidate in the extra 11 cards).

Different matchups I will suggest the sideboard according to the needed strategy of increased aggro/intimidate or disruption.

A short note about Nimby and other pink (Hyper aggro) cards:
The usage of Nimby/Nimbalism gives you a possible line to win certain matchups (Mostly against hyper aggro decks and extreme turtle decks). At the least we will have increased the win rate of these matchups by 5-8%. Significant enough to pilot with it BUT it needs to be handle with care.

Eye of Ophidia is a unique card to increase the deck velocity by 2 (Opting two) - so that you will see your next blood rush bellow or other key cards half a turn faster.

Skull Crack is a very underrated card as if it is discarded - it can give you 3-8 in value. (an extra attack, claw w/wo blood rush bellow)

Matchup Table (Condensed):

III. Matchup Guide: Crushing the Meta 

Verdance/Florian: 

Start with intimidate-focused cards (e.g., Agile Windup, Bloodrush Bellow) to disrupt their earth card graveyard setup. By mid-game (when they has 2+ earth cards in graveyard), shift to aggro with Swing Big or Savage Feast to deal 12-15 damage per turn. Avoid disruption cards like Send Packing, as they’re not effective against Verdance’s block cards. Use Skullhorn at your earliest opportunity. (Skullhorn is considered effective if you can increase your damage output by 3 or more). For Verdance mid to end game - you need to consider if they might kill you in your turn so you might need to consider if there is a theoretical doom clock imposed on you.

(Read the earlier post on Patreon)

Cindra:

Aim for 3-9 early damage to pressure Cindra’s low health pool, then build to 41 damage over 4 turns. Block their third or fourth attacks with 1-2 cards and with minimal gear. Return with a big combo or/and disruption if possible. Watch for Ancestral Empowerment, you can usually win a game if you can do one 4-fold blood rush attack in the game (26 damage out of the 41 needed to force Cindra to start blocking)

(Read the earlier post on Patreon)

Gravy Bones:

(Read the earlier post on Patreon)

Hard matchups: Kassai/Fang/Puffin/Slippy

Their aggressive/balanced play demands faster counterplay. Side in Nimblism, Nimby and Sea Leg to outpace their damage. Focus on 12-18 damage turns, and rush them down to 0. You need some very big turns to crack down these heroes.

IV. Extra Tactics & Combos

Mastering Rhinar requires precision and foresight. These tactics will elevate your gameplay, focusing on damage optimization, deck cycling, and combo execution.

1. Maximize Damage (Going First): (10% Win Rate!)

• Free Roll Scabskin Leathers on turn 1! Use it mostly.

• Preselect your deck of 60 to give you better odds in drawing premium cards. Given drawn the cards, consider different play lines to do the following in his priority. The higher the density of the A and S tier cards, the more consistent your turn one damage is. You can add more “intimidate” related cards going first to increase your average damage potential going first.

Priority 1: Maximise your damage going first (3 damage with arsenal, 6 damage without arsenal) 10-15% lower implied win rate if you do 0 damage. Please catch up in the next 5-6 turns if that’s the case.

Priority 2: Maximise your deck circulation

Priority 3: Minimise your opponents deck circulation (they block or overblock)

Priority 4: Set up for next turn

2. 7-Turn Win Plan Mentality:

   - Cycle 35-40 cards by turn 7 to draw into key combos. Arsenal Bloodrush Bellow early to set up a massive turn (e.g., 4 cards for 26+ damage). Use Sand Sketched Plan to fetch Beast Within or Nimby for tempo spikes. Expect to see 2/3 of your deck, assume drawing one Bloodrush Bellow by turn 5. But prefer for alternate lines that does comparable damages. Aim for 12-18 damage per turn by pitching 5-6 pitches. Every turn you can imagine yourself having 30% S-tier hand, 30% A-tier hand, 30% B-tier hand and 10% awkward hands (1.2% quad red, 1.2% quad blue and 7.5% something in between)

3. Key Combo Lines:

Be familiar with your lines of play:

Some samples:

(Windup) + 2claw and RunR oughshod = 5 pitch 11 damage

Pulping/Wild Ride + 2 claws = 6 pitch 12 damage

With Agility:
Bare Fangs + Claw + Claw = 12-14 damage
Bare Fangs + Claw + 6-8 attack = 15-19 damage.

- Tear Limb from Limb with 6/7/8 brute attacks: Discard a 6+ power card to intimidate, then swing for 12-16 damage and even with an extra claw.

   - [Savage sash] Pulping + Wild Ride + Bare Fangs/Swing Big/Show of Strength : Chain these for 18+ damage and intimidate, overwhelming opponents’ blocks.

   - Sand Sketched Plan: Fetch Beast Within or blood rush bellow... sometimes nimby if there are 3 applicable reds.

   - Buck Wild + Smash Back Alehorn: Use with yellow/blue pitches for a 6+ attack turn with intimidate.

4. Arsenal Management:

   - Save high-impact cards like Bloodrush Bellow or Show of Strength for optimal turns (e.g., when opponent’s hand is depleted). Avoid using them in 3-card hands unless desperate.

V. Common Mistakes to Avoid 

Even skilled Rhinar players can stumble. Avoid these pitfalls:

Over/Under-Blocking:

Balance defense with aggression. Block appropriately with 1-2 cards against heavy hitters (e.g., Cindra’s attacks) but push consider to take damage against control decks (e.g., Verdance). There are some advanced decisions in here.

Poor Arsenal Management

Between turns try very hard to preserve an arsenal card and attack with claw instead, unless you know you are likely to lose the arsenal or you really need to threaten a disruption effect. You need to give yourself a very good reason not to arsenal. Ask yourself again why you did not arsenal. And again. And again.

Ignoring Opponent’s Strategy:

Adapt to their playstyle. For example, against Cindra, prioritize disruption to intimidate. Count all their key cards. Pay attention to what they might have in their hand by how they block and attack.

Over/Under Reliance on Scabskin Leathers:

To roll or not to roll - it's a complicated choice - a generalized consideration is you roll when you increase the chance of winning the game (not damage maximizing, but win rate maximizing).

Static Deck Choices:

Adjust your sideboard based on meta trends or opponent tendencies. My Deck choice is morphing to the meta. Add more disruption/Intimidate/Aggro related cards if there are more heroes in the meta that is relevant to a specific side.

VI. Conclusion

By balancing aggro, intimidate, and disruption, you can win many games in 6-8 turns, crushing meta giants like Verdance, Cindra, and Gravy. Study your local meta, refine your deck with sideboard tweaks, and practice key combos to outpace opponents. Embrace Rhinar’s chaotic spirit—take calculated risks, adapt to decks and go for the win. 

Now, grab your Mandible Claws, roll those dice, and unleash the Reckless Brute!

May the 6 be with you!