"Grand Battles" mode is NOT fun

[Freshdaxx]

Starting the game with more than 100 cards in your deck is basically a death sentence, as any deckbuilder veteran knows. Consistency with a small deck is far more important than having a giant deck, chockfull of garbage cards that don't synergize with each other.

Now, suffering 80 damage in one of my first battles (because RNG says: no fun allowed. none of your cards let you move out of the danger zones) might be a blessing in disguise, as my deck now has a proper size to work with... is what I first thought.

But the cards gone and the cards staying in the deck are determined randomly. Now my brain overheats, because I try to make sense out of it. I did not pick these cards for my deck, so I'm not aware of any potential synergies (if there even are any left).

Am I overlooking something very important? I genuinely try to have fun with the game (because I like the waifus and the fundamental gameplay), but instead I get more and more bitter about the fact I can't refund it anymore.

[HeraldOfOpera]

You also get all your muses, which lets you do such extremely dumb crap.

[chanakochan]

Strategy Guide on wiki:
https://inti.miraheze.org/wiki/Card-en-Ciel/Strategy_Guide

it has a page on Grand Battle.

[chanakochan]

If it is that bad for you, find some appropriate weak enemy area near the floor boss, subjugate it and position a Muse there. Then position a Muse every step along the way, so that you always have Muse support for every battle. It makes a ton of difference.

Grand Battle has no deckbuilding to speak of, so it is all map play (when it is not easy instant win).

[chanakochan]

Also remember: if a battle is turning out very bad, and you believe that it is only due to RNG, you can flee and fight it again.

[PsychoticSoul]

It's made up for by having every single muse - so whatever ♥♥♥♥ u happen to draw - you have the muse for it.

[Melfes]

From my playthrough, That should be everyone first impression in that dungeon rules. Because not only no other game experience can help you, you still missing a lot of pieces and not knowing the game system enough either.

However, I think that figuring out how to solves all of that and watch potential of the game can be is what really the fun part of the games for me. The feeling of first day playing and clearing the Hard+9 is like playing a different game.

If I Looking back to that now, assuming that is first visit of the dungeon. that should be 3 run of the normal dungeon rules with 1 or 2 star for most people. at that point, What you missing are:

- Muses, You may have 12 muses at most at that point, that barely functionable. There are 48 muses and All 48 can be waiting to activate at the same time, Including the easier to activate that will act as your starter.

- Card, There are 4 rarity of the card with uncomparable power. The better ratio of good card you have combine with available muses mean almost any 5 card hands combination can be starter.

- Upgrade, The plug-in upgrade is a huge part of the consistency. Especially the noticable wild card, Low number of wild card slot at early run and can only used each card per run make it sound like an ace up your sleeve, But this going to be your main card of first floor of every run, inclunding grand battle dungeon rules, I can use wild card every turn no matter what good hands or bad hands and still have some left unused. At least in dungeon 1 and 2.

- Knowledge, What the available options of muses, cards or upgrade can do. How to use it effectively. The strat of the games, like in grand battle dungeon rules, I will activate trap intentionally and keep it if it help me activate first muse. Or what you mentions that get hit make your unplayable deck become very more unplayable, If take that hit have higher chance to make you lose the run then flee that battle before get hit is a valid strategy. There a lot more of that and you will learn as you play.

I hope that these help you to keep playing more before give up. For now, I suggest you to play previous dungeon or pick easy difficulty for grand battle dungeon to help get to the next dungeon and revisited later. What I do not suggest is grinding though, While I may make it look like if you grind to get muse / card / upgrade you will have easier time play these. Playing normally is a smooth experience for me.

[Kite Kaze]

Did you just lose another dungeon? Do this.
1. Vent somewhere (Done)
2. Close computer and go to toilet/bath.
3. Think that you could have better time.
4. Return to the game.
5. Grind up with older dungeons.
6. Try Grand Dungeon again.

If you fail at 5 or 6, repeat.

[chanakochan]

Plugins and Wild Cards are needed to score grade 3 on higher difficulties. One does not need any of those to clear normal or easy and get grade 2. Grinding for permanents is a slow, long-term process with minuscule short-term impact (except for HPs for Grand Battle).

On one's first encounter with a synergy group, it naturally takes time to learn what it does. The most effective tool for carrying a novice through the main story (including Grand Battles) is to learn the map play. This knowledge alone will carry you through anything on Normal difficulty, even when playing with unfamiliar cards.

I myself am among those who played too much of the demo while waiting for the full release. Yet the demo has very low caps, so there are only that much decode tokens and plugins one could get. What makes the biggest difference is the knowledge about map play. With this alone, Normal difficulty with any cards is a breeze. One may occasionally miss grade 3, but the elite and grade 2 is no problem.

If one knows the map play for normal dungeons, it would take no time for one to figure out Grade Battles, at least the first one (where there is no nasty trick waiting for one at the end).

https://inti.miraheze.org/wiki/Card-en-Ciel/Dungeon_Floor_Map_Play

[chanakochan]

If one struggles with Grand Battle, the best advice should be to play on easy. You get 3 continues, so I can't imagine anyone losing with that.

You don't need to come back for the higher difficulties until a long time later.