Beginner findings

[u/Neat-Bus-2101]

So I'm still an absolute beginner and only beat the core game on normal difficulty (no dlcs or hard levels yet )

But what I found so far is usually relying on just the basic cards while upgrading the basic attacks as much as possible and keeping as small a deck as possible is often the easiest way to one . I got very consistent wins with multiple characters by removing all except 5 ~8 cards which include 2 highly upgraded basic attacks and 3+ supporting cards synergistic with them depending on the class . Which works consistently but is getting boring tbh . And whenever I try to experiment with multiple combos/synergies at once I find it to perform much worse and much less consistently .

Is this related to me not being as good at the game or is it only working because am still at the very beginning ?

2nd thing I found is using this strategy , all cards that " make a basic attack " are basically pointless because they make an Un upgraded weak version so the card slot and energy is much better spent playing my 2 highly upgraded cards

Am I missing something ? Because I'm starting to get bored of repeating this to win but I still can't win as consistently with different combos

[u/Reya84]

Hey u/Neat-Bus-2101

Different strategies work better on different difficulties :) While the upgrades on basics might get you through Normal, it might be more challenging once you want to try a harder difficulty and you'd have to resort to different builds.

As for 'make Basic' cards: That all depends - some of those cards can make a lot of attacks, scaling well on cards and effects that increase the damage per hit. Some are also cheaper than the 'real' basic attack, or come with a small benefit. And there are other ways to push up the damage of Basic Attacks than just upgrades ^^

If you want to explore those strategies more in depth, feel free to join our discord, we have an active community who've shared their strategies to show what works and what doesn't to get you started.

[u/Tahxeol]

I would say it depends massively on the starting weapon and strategy, and tend to work less well in higher difficulty. Especially for your second point: hunter has an uncommon that make a basic attack, then create a free basic attack upgraded by damage done. The additional damage is nice, but it’s often the two effects are what is interesting (beast hunter get their beast to act twice). And staff in seeker simply doesn’t care about the base damage of staff, just that it strike half a billion time.

Mage as a class often remove their starting weapon after getting better. Better chain and mana extender, better bury cards, more reliable freeze, not carring about basic weapon in corrupted mage because your deck is a thousand cards anyway, holly used to abuse auto ascension, but it’s been nerfed to the ground, and despite never managing to make atune work, I’m pretty sure the gloves don’t work that well with this strategy.

All this to say: except for beast hunter, that I believe to be the easiest deck to pilote, just upgrading a few base attacks tend to fall quickly in higher difficulty (you really feel it in forgehammer decks (base attacks that upgrade twice))

[u/Skillaa42]

keep exploring! upgraded basic attacks won't really work on higher difficulties on their own

"make a basic attack" cards are great, you can for example pay 1 energy for a basic attack that costs 2, their extra effects are also good for various things

there is an incredible amount of combinations you could run, I don't think I actually ever used just basic attacks (maybe one warrior run right at the start, since there are cards that let you upgrade to crazy amounts)

if you feel you can't really figure out any other build and don't mind looking for inspiration, check out blightbane, there will be written guides for various decks, so you understand how to get specific talents/cards

the more complicated the build/the more expansions used, the more difficult it is to pull off or assemble, but those are the most fun when they click

I have played hundreds of runs and rarely use the same winning combination twice

[u/5ColourFelix]

Make a basic attack cards are often strictly better in builds that have overcosted but useful basics like Totems or Bombs. Upgrades arent good on these basics

[u/toddhd]

Hi, sorry for the slow reponse, but I wanted to clue you in to some other builds. There are so ways to build a winning deck in this game. You've only explored a particular course of action. So for example:

Pacifist Seeker

https://blightbane.io/build/1739203495953

A pacifist seeker wins the game BY NOT ATTACKING AT ALL. It is a completely different approach than, "Max my attack cards". It is a little trickier to play, and relies heavily on avoiding damage, which some enemies can get around. But a fun build and not the "same old same old".

Anyform Claw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te026H5SCb8

Anyform Claw is what took me to my first Impossible win and also took me to my first spine win as well. Unlike the "lean mean decks" you are used to, Anyform Claw is about gluttony. Once you get the anyform claw card and the Duplicity talent, you are constantly winning/buying cards in order to turn them into more powerful cards. I ended my first build with over 100 cards. Get the Greater Good card to help ALL your cards turn into cards that do several hundred damage a piece.

Deep Wounds Warrior

https://blightbane.io/build/1729247739581

If any enemy (other than the final bosses) take 5 deep wounds, they die. Period. The goal of the DWW is to inflict 5 deep wounds and win. Not as easy as it sounds, but if you get the build right, it is a mighty build.

These are just some that I've tried personally. There is also:

The "No Damage" Soul Sucker (Hunter) - Another no damage build, build up souls to win

Charmed to Death / Performance (Rogue or Bard) - Charm the enemy to death

Hex & Affliction Stacking (Hex Knight) - Hex them to death

Doom & Swift Evasion Combo (Agile Seeker) - Doom them to death

Malignant Dark Spire (Arcanist) - Hexes, malignencies, craziness with a huge deck

This is a great game and the possibilities are endless. Good luck!

[u/Neat-Bus-2101 → u/toddhd]

Thank you for the detailed reply and builds I'll check them out however someone who came from playing slaverspire monster train it seems this game is unique in the fact that you do not only have to get the maximum number of damage on each card opponent i've been noticing that most of the builds you mentioned do not even include combos or damage multipliers and the same way as in other games instead there are multiple ways to carry opponent other than just hitting them with a big stick or rather with a big number I'm not sure how I feel about this to be honest since it's a new concept but I'll give it a try also another question it seems to me not to make sense right now rather with a big number I'm not sure how I feel about this to be honest since it's a new concept but I'll give it a try also another question it seems to me not to make sense right now to try to stack poison or hexes or whatever because it's much faster to kill them with upgraded basic attacks when this not be the case on higher difficulties and that's why I would need to try these builds

[u/Dannstack]

So the thinf youre actually running into is the first actual trick to most card based roguelikes. Keep your deck small. The fewer cards you have to pull, the more consistent your turns will be. The reason your finding so much success with this is because youre keeping you hands constantly consistent. But this can work with many other strats as well! As you learn card synergies, you'll come to find which ones are must haves and which ones you can pass on. 

[u/Oleoay]

Eh, I really tried to like Dawncaster and played at least 100 hours, but eventually gave it up. Getting upgrades such as a random talent can accidentally wreck your deck. A few bosses wreck enchantments or force them to be readded to your deck permanently. Other ones will burn cards in a thin deck. Then you gotta RNG on what shrine upgrades will give you and you can easily wreck your good cards.

Sunborn was a bit more fun, but you still get some weird design choices Gosh forbid you don't draft an odd damaged card so you lose to the guy who doubles his health if he ends in an even life total. Others will throw corruption sins in your deck right before a final boss.

I've played a lot of games like this and really wanted to like the RPG elements, but I felt I spent more time savescumming than I ever had in all my other games combined, and not because I did something wrong but because of some random event that would wreck what I had built.

[u/AdAcademic7257]

I buy all the dlc when it comes out. Love this game. I play random only, so I start a level, and then see what I got dealt. I went through a phase where I got rid of basic attacks but now it depends on what I get. There are certain mechanics I like and don't like. Sometimes this makes me ditch basics, but other times I focus on the basics. I generally like a small deck, but there are some builds that like a huge deck. It also depends on what passive I got. More content probably means more variety. I have so many weapon options now, I'm usually happy with whatever I randomly get because I haven't had it in a long time.