I have a problem following your argument for the same reason as the OP’s. The existence of Trials alone do not make other decks obsolete. If that happens to be the case, it’s not because they are Trials, but because they are strong. Just nerfing them would be a solution to your concerns.
Trial/Destiny has taken the fun/unpredictability away
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Yes, at least for me, nerfing them into oblivion is probably the only way of fixing this meta. And i am not just talking about Wanderer here. I mean all of them. None of them should be available before 8 mana so that other decks have some breathing room. I am aware this will probably kill all of them but i don’t see any other way. That’s the inherent design flaw with them. Once the trial is out the trial player gets a huge uncounterable advantage that other decks can’t possibly hope to overcome unless they have a simliar mechanic available, like Variax, Titan or Fault.
So there are just 2 possible scenarios here as far as i can see. The trials come online fast enough to be relevant, in this case every deck that can’t outrace them or compete with them in the late game will be pushed out. Or variant 2, they don’t come online fast enough to be viable in which case they will be pushed out themselves. There can be no middle ground here it’s either black or white.
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I played Drogon Vaath to S in July without too much problems. I’m not a good player and I’m even worse at Magmar. Damn, it was the first time I was dedicated to playing Magmar deck at all.
For him, the most problematic matchup of top decks is non of the Trials, but Fault instead.
I see the truth in what you’re saying, but just wanted to point out that Smash Vaath is perfectly playable.
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Would you mind sharing the decklist? I was thinking of trying to reach S with my Drogon deck this month myself so i’d be interested to see your approach. (actually i wanted to do it last month already but couldn’t get the motivation together).
Ice Age into Wake destroys complete Trials pretty easily. There’s still some non-Trial lists out there capable of infinite value.
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The list is not mine, but here it is:
I played this exact list, never feeling competent enough to tinker with it.
Of unpopular choices , I find Iridium and Tracer very useful.
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Except that you can EMP Ice Age, and you have to wait 9 mana.
I kind of agree with @baharoth on this point, one of the most annoying things about trials is the fact that you can’t counter them when they trigger, so the games for trial players just become a rush to the trial (more or less, i just feel that with wanderer you just blindly rush to summon him 90% of time and basically can ignore what your opponent is doing, while other trial requires some more thinking).
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Keep in mind that Vanar is also the ramp faction; they can get out Ice Age before the opponent reaches 7 mana.
Well, it’s pretty easy to overwhelm the opponent before the Trial is complete. This is the case for Ox, Furnace, and Xor. Strategos is a little more tricky to slow down, but you can counter its Destiny by removing minions before they can swarm. NoSE and Nemeton are just weak. And yes, Wanderer is a bitch; only exception.
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And also the fact that many such decks run Abju.
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And Malicious Wisp too. Really slows your enemy down.
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I mean, a heavy part of “Control” decks is disrupting the opponent game-plan. Out of all the trials, at least 4 of them have clear ways to delay/disrupt them.
- Notion of Starless Eternity can be countered by destroying artifacts. Keep your pings high, and take advantage of their Low tempo Trial turn. Positioning can also delay this trial until you are ready to deal with it. Magesworn also works against most Sacrifice spells
- Xor Xuul needs cheap eternal minions to be on board. Cypheron Control is a perfect counter to this deck, since you can steal Sarlacs/desolators with Grapnel/(that 3 cost stealing thing) and kill Xors with Rae
- Hatefurnace also needs certain minions to stick to complete consistently on 6-7 mana. Save your removal for Minos, Vindicater and that 5/6 that gets +1/+1 when you draw cards. Otherwise, this trial takes fairly long to complete, and buffs by their design set up for favourable trades with removal cards that control decks usually run.
- Oak is easiest to counter. Just kill their unique tokens. Poor oak.
- While Ebon Ox has no clear counters, it can be pretty hard for a struggling opponent to squeeze in a 6 or 7 drop if the pressure them enough. Furthermore, slower decks can combat the destiny after the trial is completed by going wide.
The only trials that are problematic to counter are Strategos and Mythron Wanderer. Wanderer is downright impossible to prevent coming down, so the best you can do is hope they don’t draw well. Wanderer generally plays like a “fair” deck, so very fast or very slow decks tend to beat it. Flash + Wanderer is silly though. Brome only requires you to summon minions to count towards the trial, and can chunk off a large portion of it with Jax Truesight. Once the trial is complete, it will keep snowballing unless you remove all their units, and a single lucky ironcliff Monument can instantly win them the game. However, this deck usually opts for less spell based removal, so a few answer-or-die threats may be enough to kill it.
Some lategame/Control decks I’ve been having good luck with in high diamond/low S are:
- Spinecleaver Sajj: this deck aims on burning your opponent down with many many Bloodfire totems. On a good day, it has around 50% winrate, but it’s tons of fun.
- Creep Cassyva: this deck is still going strong, with cards such as Munch and the always-powerful Desolator. Obliterating your opponent for 12 is as good a strategy as always.
- Ice Age Vanar: this deck can take Trial decks by surprise by slamming walls that demand an answer and following with Winter’s Wake. Malicious Wisp is a roadblock to any and all trials.
- Steal Cypheron: this deck does well against Strategos and Underlord with its numerous steal effects. I added Fault as a backup plan.
- Buildmar: The automation sensation that’s sweeping a nation, buildmar is taking the meta by storm with slow build minions.
- Underlord Xor Xuul: I would consider this the only true control deck Duelyst has EVER had outside of maybe Beta Magmar (mana burn, 4 mana plasma, 5 mana metamorphosis) or that wizard Brome I saw on one tierlist. Xuul has enough healing to sustain into the lategame, and the inevitablity of the trial plus a growing swarm of minions.
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I actually find Strategos quite easy to counter. Most of them don’t run Congregation, so it is usually pretty easy to keep the swarm under control unless a Warblade highroll. If you’re able to maintain that level of control, Strategos wouldn’t be too much of a threat even when the Trial is complete. Also Frostburn, Rebuke, and Plasma Storm. And I want your Control Ciphyron list.
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Quorlma! There was a game where I didn’t play 1 and 2 mana minions as P2 against Ramp Faie which by some twist of fate ran this shit 
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Weak, I obliterate for 30
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And this is the only well made trials for this reason imho.
It feels like a trial, cause it requires effort and thought deck building choices. There is no way to rush it. It’s not insta win when you complete it.
And that’s why i’m saving spirit to give it a shot.
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I would argue that the only reason this Trial is playable at all rn is due to “fun and interactive” Thunderhorn synergy.
How about double Ghost Azalea for 60 then? 
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Wait, isnt songhai “fun and interactive” by definition? 
Anyway there are some ox on the top 50, and iirc moggin list doesnt even have TH, and if memory serves well I even encountered an S<10 player recently that beated me with an ox list(with a spectacular “substitution” to escape lethal, that quite surprised me tbh)
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Did he play Calligrapher to get it?
Old Reva trick, have 1/² substitute and Mist dragon seal as usual. Proceed to blink to the other side of the board/anywhere at will.