Here’s what’s changed in the Wingspan Tier List Update for Version 2.3
The complete tier list is available here: Wingsplain Card Tier List
Special thanks to Reddit users Scolipass, jK49ERFAN, and KakarikiNZ for their input.
The Evolution of the Oceania Expansion Metagame
- Playing birds has become more effective due to a general food surplus from a buffed Forest, nectar, and an increase in shared resource effects.
- Bonus Card acquisition has become more valuable since you generally end up playing more birds and focus a bit less on engines.
- Large nests are a bit less valuable due to the slow down of egg production and an overall lower percentage of round goals/bonus cards that check eggs and nests.
- Star nests are a bit less valuable due to the slow down of egg production and an overall lower percentage of round goals/bonus cards that check eggs and nests.
- Birds worth four points and cost one food have been promoted up the list. These are efficient points. Many of these birds qualify for Rodentologist, Falconer, Food Web Expert, and/or Omnivore Specialist, which makes playing them incredibly efficient if you have those bonus cards. Inflated food availability may cause these birds to lose out to bigger point birds at times. This doesn’t change the food efficiency of these birds.
Wingspan Tier List 2.3 Changes
White Throated Dipper
T2 to T0
I’ve been sleeping on this archetype. Beta testing the European Expansion on Steam has really given me the opportunity to put this archetype through its paces. A food cost of Fish + Worm is easy to drop out of your opening hand and have food left over for a Forest bird. From the Wetlands, you draw one, two if you chuck an egg, refresh the tray, look at three cards, and pick one to keep. This is pretty significant early game card advantage. On top of all that its worth three points and has a four egg nest to serve as a decent egg bank. This power is probably a superior “draw gambit” option when compared to the Ruddy Duck archetype. Which is still good!
White Stork
T2 to T0
See White Throated Dipper above. For one more wild food, you get an eight point bird that can do the same thing but also has the option of being played in the Grasslands. It plays nice with several good bonus cards and even picks up two points from Omnivore Specialist. Paying one more food slows down your early game tempo a bit but this is still a pretty good card.
Black Throated Diver
UUT to T1
See White Throated Dipper above. This one is harder to drop from your opening hand since it costs two fish, unless you are playing with Nectar. Its probably the “worst” of the three birds with this power but its not horrible. You could do a lot worse than a five point bird with a one egg nest that has decent bonus card interactions.
Common Chiffchaff
T1 to T0
To veterans of the physical board game, its no secret how good this card is. When properly supported with single-mindedness, this mass tucking bird can push scores up to rediculous levels. My best score is currently 150 points and I did that on the back of a Chiffchaff mass tucking engine (Core Set + European Expansion only).
Abbot’s Booby
T2 to T1
In the last few months, its become clear how impactful bonus cards are on the highest scores people achieve. Scores that break 150+ are done on the back of a lot of lucky bonus card draws. Furthermore, the OE metagame shifts people toward playing more birds, which directly increases the power of a bonus card’s ability to score points. Abbot’s Booby breaks the mold of traditional bonus card birds by letting you see three bonus cards before discarding two. It even enables you to discard bonus cards you already had in your possession, which lets you ditch a crappy card you may have picked up from your opening hand. This is awesome utility.
Kakapo
T2 to T1
*See Abbot’s Booby
Wrybill
T2 to T1
*See Abbot’s Booby. Wrybill can be a great late-game drop. Your opponent may have discarded a bonus card that was bad for them but amazing for you. Or, you may have ditched an early bonus card because it wasn’t useful, but you ended up regretting that decision. Currently, this is the only way to recover discarded bonus cards.
European Goldfinch
T2 to T1
Great general qualities and tucks from the deck, not your hand. Its large nest is less valuable in the OE meta.
Snow Bunting
T2 to T1
Effective passive card cycling/point generation that piggybacks off opponents’ tucking.
Spangled Drongo
T2 to T1
Hard counter-play to opponent’s nectar gaining plays, especially Hummingbirds.
Savi’s Warbler
T2 to T1
We’ve all come to understand that drawing two cards off of a brown power is top tier. This bird is balanced by the fact that your opponents also get to draw one. Its four egg nest is nice. All of this comes at the cheap cost of one food.
American Crow
T2 to T1
Efficient Points, Omnivore Specialist, Decent power
Fish Crow
T2 to T1
Efficient Points, Omnivore Specialist, Decent power
Black-Chinned Hummingbird
T2 to T1
Efficient Points, Omnivore Specialist
Griffon Vulture
UUT to T1
Generates a lot of points for zero food cost in the presence of predators. Being able to choose yourself is fantastic.
Carrion Crow
UUT to T1
Generates a lot of points for two food cost in the presence of predators. Being able to choose yourself is amazing.
Forster’s Tern
UUT to T1
Efficient points, Card Drawing/Cycling, Star Nest. Small nest sizes aren’t as much of a liability in the OE meta.
Black Tern
UUT to T1
Efficient points, Card Drawing/Cycling, Star Nest. Small nest sizes aren’t as much of a liability in the OE meta.
Mallard
UUT to T1
Card Draw with no discard, cheap, four egg nest
Broad Winged Hawk
UUT to T2
Efficient points, Rodentologist/Falconer
Common Buzzard
UUT to T2
Efficient points, Rodentologist/Falconer
Common Chaffinch
UUT to T2
Efficient Points
Eastern Screech Owl
UUT to T2
Efficient points, Rodentologist/Falconer
Green Heron
UUT to T2
Efficient points
Mississippi Kite
UUT to T2
Efficient points, Rodentologist/Falconer
Eurasian Hobby
UUT to T2
Efficient points, Rodentologist/Falconer
Willet
UUT to T2
Efficient points, Falconer
Snowy Egret
UUT to T2
Efficient points, Falconer
Brewer’s Blackbird
T2 to UUT
Being restricted to Grasslands reduces utility.
