Concept

Swarm Brome is an established archetype that aims to flood the board with cheap, high-toughness minions, and then apply buffs to close out the game with them. This budget version relies on position-dependent buffing tools in Shiro Puppydragon, Marching Orders, and Sunbond Pavise (in addition to the global effects of War Surge and Warblade). These cards have decent rates if used to their maximum potential, but the positioning restrictions make them very tricky to play properly.

Cards

Bodies

• Golem Metallurgist
• Celebrant

The Golems. Cheap bodies with high toughness that allow you to go off with Warblade.

• Azurite Lion

The card that makes best use of your buffs.

• SIlverguard Knight

The biggest base body, and the Provoke really helps in allowing your awkward positioning tools to actually function.

Buffs

• Shiro Puppydragon
• Marching Orders
• Sunbond Pavise

The positioning-dependent buffs. Shiro’s restriction is minor given that the 1/4 body is useful on its own, while the other two require more careful setup. For Orders, this isn’t too bad: the rear slot should ideally be Lion, but it’s ok to stick any fresh minion back there just for the value. Pavise is trickier: while it’s good to try to use the Provoke to a high toughness damage sink, you still want to be aggressive with it and get in 4+ extra damage. However, the main trap to avoid is to not avoid hitting face while having it equipped. Don’t waste charges needlessly of course, but in most matchups you’re the aggro and need to push damage whenever possible.

• Warblade
• War Surge

Positioning-independent buffs. Warblade is great and is the card that really makes this whole archetype function. Surge is significantly worse, but is still good for getting your minions past critical attack/health thresholds. If you prefer, you could substitute in another removal spell (like Lasting Judgement) or a single-target buff (like Afterblaze, which is great on Crestfallen) into this slot instead.

Removal

• Draining Wave
• Bloodtear Alchemist

Damage-based removal. Wave cleanly answers pretty much anything in the early game and is instrumental in allowing you to establish a board, while Bloodtear is nice as an incidental body which accumulates value from your buffs.

Card Advantage

• Replicant
• Fealty

Replicant is some minor card advantage. The bodies are bad but OK once buffed. Fealty is the really important card as it lets you refill in one go and keep the pressure on.

Gameplay

Flood the board and try to get advantageous trades with your buffs, eventually going wide enough to overwhelm your opponent. Make sure to properly set up your Fealties, as they are vital to ensure you don’t run out of gas – aim to draw at least three cards each time.

Upgrades

The most important upgrades are more reliable draw cards in Trinity Oath and Spelljammer and better buffing tools in Empyreal Congregation and Skywind Glaives. Beyond that, you can add Holy Immolation for burst damage, cheaper minions like Dreamgazer, and more powerful 3-drops like Auroara or Surgeforger.