Question about Act 3. Do I always have to take damage on the first few turns?

[lizard81288]

Due to the rule changes, you can only summon with energy. However, one your first turn you only get 1 bar. However, the cards generally require 2. This means within the first few turns, you've take pot shots correct? It feels a bit cheap, since by the time you get going, you've already lost a good chunk of health correct, or am I playing it wrong?

[Dolphinflav]

I think the goal is get certain cards to offset that. The empty vessel cards are basically your squirrels, because they only cost one energy to use, but since you can't sacrifice them they end up being less useful than the squirrels. So I think in order to not get hit on your first few turns you have to be very strategic and plan your next turn in advance, use your empty vessel in a spot you know you'll get hit, etc.

There are also other cards you can find that only need 1 energy, especially the "energy bot" card which gives you an extra energy when you play it, letting you play an extra empty vessel card. I think there are some "latcher" type cards that only need one energy, and also the explode bot (correct me if I'm wrong).
But yeah!

[{GFG} Kage]

You also start with an Energy Vessel which can be played for 1 energy on the first turn. You'll take damage early on until you stabilize, but you should be able to absorb and slow the initial assault so that you don't take all that much. For me, turn 1 is an energy vessel, turn 2 is an energy battery, turn 3 is the auto turret, etc. That's 2 chump blockers on the first 2 turns, turn 3 is an attacker, and by turn 4, you're ready for 5 energy cards.

[RequiemsRose]

There are some useful 1 cost cards, like the sentry drone, and you can use your empty vessels as blockers which are 1 cost, but you will often take at least some damage along the way to setting up your own offense. By your second turn you can also place down an energy bot, which will make it a bit faster to get your max energy and it doesn't matter if that thing dies afterwards so it's also a rather useful blocker, but considering you max out at 6 energy there's also not a lot of reason to flood your deck with them either. If you aren't getting many cards you like, the best advice I can give is to carefully check each screen for any secrets and abuse the respawn mechanic a bit to get more coins which you can trade for more cards.

As for losing health at the start of the match, that isn't a huge deal as long as you can counter later on. The health is relative so as long as you aren't hit so hard you lose, you can always get it back a few turns later. Even if you do lose, you are generally taken back to your last checkpoint and the only loss is the coins which you can recover by getting back to the screen just before the battle you lost.

[::Рοϲκ::]

I personally took a lil dmg at the start of act 3 encounters, yes. But i recommend decks with a lot of low energy cards with 1 - 2 cost, and only 2-3 cards with 4-5 cost. So you can block untill you can rock. I love the sentry cards and adding spikes to the vessles makes them good for blocking dmg since you can get rid of enemys with only one hp (and especially bombbots). I dont think you are playing wrong. its just sometimes a bit difficult to get going.
In addition i would recommend energy bot. He seems a bit useless with only providing one cell but costing 2, but he will "unlock" one cell, basically advancing you one turn energy wise.
Edit: i love act 3 so much btw. Amazing setting and style imo.

[Aumires]

Don't worry, you aren't playing wrong. The vessel you get at the start is for chump block purposes indeed.

As Act 1 follows Yugioh rules, 3 follows Hearthstone/Shadowverse ones, ramping up the energy cost max per turn. So as mentioned, energy+ cards like your Energy Cell are very useful.

It is mostly about being defensive/spam energy+ and then going into the offensive.

[lizard81288]

Okay, thanks. That's what I've been doing but just wanted to make sure.