Nautilus
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Poor (5/10)
High Investment Required
Epic Relics
Players disagree heavily about Nautilus. Some consider his Deep mechanic incredibly satisfying and powerful once activated, while others find his early game glacially slow and frustratingly reliant on specific epic relics and high constellation investment.
Optimal Deep Acceleration
Provides essential starting mana to accelerate his slow early game.
Grants Overwhelm, which is mandatory for converting massive stats into Nexus damage.
Drastically reduces his cost, enabling deployment as early as Turn 2 or 3.
Strategy
This build focuses on accelerating Nautilus's deployment and reaching the Deep threshold as early as Turn 2 or 3. Starforged Gauntlets provides essential starting mana, while Disciple of Shadows drastically reduces his cost. The Beast Within is mandatory, as Nautilus requires Overwhelm to convert his massive stats into Nexus damage and avoid being endlessly blocked by small units.
Inevitable Glacier
- Provides the necessary mana ramp for high-cost plays.
- Ensures Sea Monsters can push damage through blockers.
Offers a safe, guaranteed deployment for Nautilus.
Strategy
For players who prefer a safer approach, Frozen Tomb replaces Disciple of Shadows. This guarantees Nautilus hits the board and provides immediate presence without requiring a wide board to sacrifice. The Beast Within remains crucial for closing out the game once Deep is achieved.
Accessible Deep
Provides the essential Overwhelm keyword to the board.
Capitalizes on his level-up to swing for lethal immediately.
Accelerates the Deep condition by drawing an extra card each round.
Strategy
This accessible build utilizes Troll King's Crown to provide the necessary Overwhelm keyword. The Gravedigger's Spade accelerates the Deep condition by drawing an extra card each round, which also triggers a Toss effect with his star powers. Crownguard Inheritance allows for an immediate Rally upon reaching Deep and leveling up.
Other Relic Options
Players disagree about Nautilus's signature relic. Some consider it useful for granting him the Sea Monster subtype and accelerating Toss, while others argue it is a trap because it is too slow and conflicts with his inherent cost-reduction mechanics.
While it can provide massive stat scaling due to Nautilus's starting deck size, it actively dilutes the deck and delays the Deep activation, making it a risky inclusion.
A strong defensive option to protect Nautilus from stuns, frostbites, and recalls, which are major threats to his game plan.
Highly effective in Titanic adventures where players start with 5 mana, allowing for immediate spell duplication and rapid Deep progression.
Constellation
Nautilus requires significant investment to reach his full potential. His early game is notoriously slow, and his core mechanics rely entirely on surviving long enough to activate Deep.
Echoes from the Deep
Deep gives an additional +1|+1 for every 10 cards you've drawn or Tossed.
The Endless March
+1 Starting Mana. Until you're Deep, when you draw a card, Toss 1. Game Start: Toss until your deck has 40 cards.
Echoes from the Deep II
Deep gives an additional +1|+1 for every 5 cards you've drawn or Tossed.
Fortifications
Your Nexus is Tough.Review
Players disagree about the value of the Tough Nexus. Some consider it essential for surviving early aggression, while others view it as a mere stalling tactic that fails to advance his primary win condition.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
This upgrade is considered absolutely crucial. The additional starting mana is mandatory to accelerate his slow game plan and deploy high-cost units earlier.
Rising Tides
Each Round, the first time you draw or Toss a unit with cost less than or equal to your mana gems, create a copy in play.Review
Provides excellent board presence and tempo by summoning tossed units directly into play. This significantly speeds up his early game and helps stabilize the board while working towards Deep.
Gameplay Tips
- Aggressive Deck Thinning
Prioritize cutting cards at healer nodes and avoid adding unnecessary cards to your deck. A thinner deck ensures you reach Deep much faster.
- Mulligan for Toss
Always aggressively mulligan for low-cost cards that Toss or Draw (such as Dreg Dredgers or Salvage). Never keep Nautilus in your opening hand, as he is ineffective until Deep is active.
- Overwhelm is Mandatory
Nautilus and his Sea Monsters boast massive stats but lack inherent evasion. Always secure a source of Overwhelm through relics or powers to prevent the opponent from endlessly blocking with small units.
- Support Champion Synergy
Prioritize support champions that offer card draw or deck manipulation. Janna and Maokai are excellent choices that naturally accelerate your Deep progression.
- Countering Mill Strategies
Nautilus is exceptionally strong against adventures that attempt to deck the player out, such as Twisted Fate, as his Deep mechanics naturally align with a rapidly depleting deck.