For the first time since the game’s release, each faction won at least one first-place competitive victory over a month, according to 39cards.com. While Sigismar and Afanas took the majority of this month’s wins, including 21 online and three in-person events, the rest were spread across other heroes, including both Sierra’s and Basira’s first victories for the season.

This monthly snapshot is an effort to give players a high-level view of the trends going on in competitive play across the season, developed from stats and decklists from 39cards.com. These are unofficial details based on results reported to 39cards.com, and may not accurately reflect official standings reported to Equinox. These statistics, which include mainly online and some in-person events, only represent competitive play and shouldn’t be taken to inform trends for other modes of play. While some stats are shared directly, others are intentionally vague. These notes are meant to provide context around competitive recaps as well as spark ideas for new approaches and deckbuilding.

This snapshot continues our coverage of the Trial by Frost season going back to prerelease events beginning Jan. 24 to the present. In March’s snapshot, Sigismar showed up in more competitive matches than any other hero, but Afanas took the most victories for the month.

Hero distribution

April hero distribution

1. Sigismar =
2. Teija =
3. Afanas =
4. Kojo ↗ 1
5. Fen ↘ 1
6. Basira =
7. Sierra ↗ 1
8. Nevenka ↗ 1

The top three heroes in March continue their distribution pace in April, but the stats aren’t as clear-cut as just which hero takes which place on the podium. While Sigismar is still taking the griffon’s share, he lost almost 4% of his claim (that’s on the scale of almost all Nevenka or Sierra players for the month) to other heroes. Teija holds onto second, but lost 2% of her players as well. Afanas, in third, dropped by only about 1% total. These three have led the distribution for most of the season, but it’s clear that other decks are starting to see more ongoing play.

Competitive hero distribution for April 2025

Kojo covers a larger chunk of those decks, moving up into fourth in April and taking the space from Fen, who drops to fifth. Basira holds her space in sixth, while Sierra rallied again to reclaim seventh. Nevenka climbed over Lindiwe to pick up eighth. All six factions are represented in the top eight for the month, with Bravos and Lyra sharing two reps each. Between Kojo and Basira, if you played in a competitive event in April, you were as likely to run into a Bravos hero (17.53%) as you were Sigismar (17.17%). That wasn’t true last month (14.13% vs 20.73%, respectively).

Season-to-date hero distribution

1. Sigismar =
2. Teija =
3. Afanas =
4. Fen =
5. Kojo =
6. Basira =
7. Sierra =
8. Lindiwe =

The month’s changes weren’t enough to make any major shifts to the distribution from the start of the season. Sigismar still holds almost exactly the same lead from where he stood in March, with Teija and Afanas about one percent apart in second and third, respectively. Fen and Kojo continue to split the single percent between them in fourth and fifth. Basira maintains sixth and Sierra holds onto her grip in seventh against Lindiwe in eighth.

Top cards

These card rankings are determined by total number of instances of a card across all top-eight decks for a faction, as opposed to the percentage of top-eight decks that include a particular card.

Axiom

Common

1. Frozen Delivery =
2. Foundry Mechanic =
3. Amelia Earhart ↗ 2

Rare

1. Inari ↗ 3
2. The Ouroboros, Lyra Bastion ↘ 1
3. Axiom Salvager ↗ 3

While Axiom still struggles to pick up competitive representation or a win, the reintroduction of Haven, Bravos Bastion, in the TBF mid-season patch is clearly having an effect on their decklists. In commons, Frozen Delivery and Foundry Mechanic maintain their places, but Amelia Earhart finds her way up two spots to take third, providing cheap stats from reserve over Gibil’s versatility.

The difference is even more drastic in rares, where Inari bounds to the top over even the Ouroboros with unmistakable synergy and stats that Haven can make even more powerful. Axiom Salvager similarly moves past multiple other cards to claim third with boostable stats and card advantage that links up with Haven.

Bravos

Common

1. Fire Rabbit ↗ 1
2. Haven Seiringar ↘ 1
3. Chiron =

Rare

1. Tiny Jinn =
2. Haven, Bravos Bastion =
3. Mighty Jinn =

Basira’s influence continues to spread in Bravos, as Fire Rabbit springs to the top spot over Haven Seiringar for the first time in the past two months. Chiron is pleased to keep his place in third, benefiting both Kojo and Basira.

The faction’s rares are fairly well set for the season, though, holding exactly the same from the previous month. None of these cards have left the top three since TBF’s release, which is saying something, as all three are from BTG.

Lyra

Common

1. Hathor =
2. Martengale ↗ 1
3. Twinkle Twinkle ↗1

Rare

1. Ouroboros Inkcaster =
2. Magical Training =
3. Aloe Vera =

Hathor continues to hold the lead for Lyra decklists, providing stats and the potential to keep a card from ever reaching the discard pile. Cost reduction support is on the rise, as both Martengale and Twinkle Twinkle ascend one place each.

Lyra’s top rares remain the same in April, providing card cycling, draw and ongoing stats. These three have held their exact positions since February, a fairly impressive feat for such a chaotic faction.

Muna

Common

1. Floral Tent =
2. Dracaena ↗ 1
3. Muna Caregiver ↗ 1

Rare

1. Aloe Vera =
2. Ogun =
3. Spindle Harvesters =

Floral Tent holds its lead in Muna’s commons since February, and it’s easy to see why with defense along with Harvest. The tiny Dracaena climbs back into second, having remained in the top three all season. Muna Caregiver steps past Muna Druid this month to take third.

Aloe Vera, Ogun and Spindle Harvesters all maintain their superiority from March, with Aloe Vera holding the same space exactly since February.

Ordis

Common

1. Teamwork Training =
2. Monolith Legate =
3. Ordis Spy =

Rare

1. Baba Yaga =
2. Ordis Attorney =
3. Foundry Mechanic ↗ 1

Fittingly, Ordis’s order maintains almost exactly from March, and the top cards have remained almost exactly the same since February. Monolith Legate and Ordis Spy, who swapped places last month, remain content in their new positions.

Baba Yaga and Ordis Attorney were not in the least bit threatened by being placed on the watchlist in the mid-season patch. They’re getting as much play as they can out of the current daylight before the next set, and have been in these exact spots since February. Foundry Mechanic reclaims its space in third from Ordis Trooper, who took it in March.

Yzmir

Common

1. Off You Go! =
2. Studious Disciple =
3. Tooth Fairy =

Rare

1. Helping Hand =
2. Kadigiran Mage-Dancer ↗ 1
3. Baba Yaga ↘ 1

Yzmir’s top commons have remained in exactly the same positions since the start of February. This has remained true even as Lindiwe and Akesha have seen a little more play in the recent two months.

Helping Hand has remained the top rare in Yzmir since February. Kadigiran Mage-Dancer, also in defiance of having been placed on the watchlist, continues its climb from March to reach second in April. Baba Yaga moves out of the way to third, content to at least have been in the top three all season.

Hero standings

For the first time since the game’s release, each one of the six factions have won at least one first-place victory in the past month. Yes, even Axiom. Sigismar and Afanas continue their ongoing duel over the most firsts for the month (winning more between them than all other heroes combined). But Kojo and Teija each pulled two wins away from them, and Basira, Sierra and Fen took one each for themselves.

Total competitive first-place wins by hero for April 2025

In comparison, April both shakes up the field drastically but also reaffirms where consistent play lies. While Fen was ascendant in March (pulling almost as many victories as the leader, Afanas, and tying Sigismar), she toppled down in April. Kojo picked up an extra win, but couldn’t get past Teija, who continues to hold about half-pace of the leaders for the month.

Continuing from March, Sigismar was also the most common hero to take second, third, fourth and fifth places in any event. Afanas ties him for third and fourth place totals, and is the most common hero to take sixth.

Season-to-date first-place victories by hero

1. Sigismar ↗ 1/ Afanas =
2. Fen ↗ 1 / Teija ↗ 2
3. Kojo ↗ 2
4. Lindiwe ↗ 1 / Basira ↗ / Sierra ↗

The season-to-date standings both expand the field and contract the rankings, as Sigismar again ties with Afanas for first. Fen improves her position as they condense the top spots, and Teija gains a little ground to tie there as well. Kojo moves up to third on his own, and Lindiwe holds onto her single win for the season. Basira and Sierra join the group with their single April wins.