When you say
wait 3 turns and play nothing
do you mean "nothing but Emerald Towers"?
Also, have you tried +3 Frogs, -1 Cloak, -1 Scorp, and (-1 Tower
or -1 Epinephrine)? It seems that waiting the three turns you have described should allow time to still draw and start the Cloak chain. Also, one or two Epi'd Scorpions on the field should be enough for Poison damage vs Stall/shields with added Frogs helping deal large damage quicker against a rush with no shields.
I'd try it but Arena exists not in Trainer and I severely lack the upgraded Towers/Life cards to try it for real...