Need help beating the game (Warrior)

[MakoSipper]

I've tried many, many times, with different approaches, but I always fall short.

I've already unlocked all power cards, and I have enough Wildstones to unlock a new deck, so I've really tried. I once got lucky and reached enemy 18, but lost.

I'm not sure I can see strategies that work, so maybe someone can shed some light?

TIA

[Jennik]

Here are some basic strategies that should help:

1) Be patient. Often the best option is to save up resources for a few turns until you can set up a big run. In addition to making you a ton of gold, it also gives you extra information to work with.

This means don't blow your dex spells just to take 4 cards, don't heal if you aren't in danger of dying or having your willpower burned in case you need to use Arcane Missiles instead, and don't use attack spells to blow up cards just because you can.

One of the easiest ways to lose is to spend all your resources and knock the board down to one or two cards while you're on empty. This means you have to draw something to win before the enemy draws something to beat you. Try to avoid this situation.

Don't cast Arcane Missiles just because you can if it leaves you with one card on the board. Top decking a card adjacent to any of four different cards on the board is much easier than top decking a card adjacent to a single card on the board.

2) Have a plan. Some spells are always amazing. Some are always terrible. Some range from horrible to insane depending on what other spells and items you have. Try to make sure you're playing spells and items that have good synergy. Always have spells that can let you get back in the game if you get a little unlucky.

3) Have a way not to die.

3a) Speed - I've killed Stuck on my first turn a few times. Typically you don't have speed that crazy. Even just a decently fast setup with extra starting resources, spells that boost resources, and spells that create chains can be enough, though. Going fast is normally the best bet, especially since it means you're going to make tons of gold from long chains.

3b) Armor - The expensive, efficient armor spells can be okay on their own if you're decently fast or can gain hearts occasionally. Usually you want the cheap armor spells with items that boost armor gains. Being able to spend two defense for four armor makes it almost impossible to die.

3c) Hearts - Use items that give you extra starting hearts. Combine those with a spell and items that gain hearts or boost heart gains, plus a decent defense spell (the Trampoline one is a favorite of mine). As long as you're reasonably efficient at building resources (fast or combo-ey) and don't lose to a horrible early draw, it'll be almost impossible to die.

3d) Celestial Hourglasses - If you spend gold intelligently and can pick up runs, you should be able to comfortably afford one by boss 9-12. This will stop the rare games where you get unlucky starts from ending runs, at least.

[Jennik]

This is a partial list of good stuff to buy. This is what I saw in a game I just played plus some I remembered, not a comprehensive list.

Items worth buying:

all three heart potions, all four heart necklaces, Clarinet & Oboe (+ heart gain), Map of Myriodd (double stun), X-Ray Glasses (see second card in each column) +1 & Beetle (+ armor gain)

Always play the X-Ray Glasses if they come up. Everything else depends on your build. Items like Oboe that are amazing in some builds are trash in others.

All four "gain 1 of X resource when damaged" items can be excellent in the right matchups with the right spells. Gaining willpower and defense when damaged can make you unkillable sometimes. Pay attention to the sorts of attacks (few big, tons of small) different bosses use and equip these when appropriate. Note that they're nearly useless if you're really fast or using stun.

All four "+4 of resource type" items are solid. Sapphire Idol can be eight armor, eight dex, two stuns, and so on. Willpower's the worst. You need to be doing something specific to want that one. The others are always great if you can afford to give up the utility slot.

The +2 & +3 to all resources items are the same as the previous bunch, but better. You should almost always use them if you're lucky enough to get them.

Spells that suck:

Insight, Perceive, Resilience, Spectacles - These are all terrible. Never buy or use them.

Spells worth using (not comprehensive):

Attack: Cleave (damage three adjacent cards), Expose Weakness (damage non-attack front row card and triple reward if destroyed)
Defense: Block (prevent damage from next attack) Fortress (+8 armor), Raise Shield (+4 armor), Reversal (bounce back next attack), Shield Bash (double stun), Thunder Shock (stun enemy for total front defense cards, they become barren)
Dexterity: Gamble (randomize front row), Haste (-1 cost), Shadow Stalk (make three in a row), the five card version of Shadow Stalk
Willpower: Arcane Missiles (damage three random cards), Comet Storm (damage three cards in first two rows), Minor Heal (+2 hearts), Heal (+4 hearts)

Expose Weakness is the best spell in the game. Always buy it if it shows up.

Arcane Missiles isn't insane, but it's usually the best thing you can do with willpower. This is another auto-buy. Occasionally it gets swapped out at some point for Comet Storm.

You always want one dex spell that leads to runs (Gamble, Shadow Stalk, etc.). Sometimes you want a second or Haste.

For heart gain, if you use it at all, Heal is the best if you don't have Clarinet or Oboe. If you have one of those, use the cheapest heart gain spell you have. Major Heal is too expensive and too clunky. Skip that one.

Shield Bash - Stun is ridiculously powerful. There are tons of ways to win with it, with Shield Bash being the easiest. Just casting it when you can is good, but it's especially nuts if you can reduce the cost to 2 with Haste. You can do this on turn one with the right spells and items, then chain stuns until the game ends.

Some top combos to look for (optional and gimmicky, but fun and powerful):

Thunder Shock is pretty solid on its own. It's totally nuts when you combo it with the dex spell Strategy (all front cards converted to target card's type). You'll permastun every boss.

Drop Guard with the + armor items and a cheap armor spell. You can build up a pretty crazy amount of dex with this combo. This is the easiest way get first turn wins without getting super lucky.

[MakoSipper]

Wow, I'm really thankful for this guide!

I never thought Expose Weakness would be useful.

I'm a big fan of Shadow Stalk because of the longer chains it can get me. By the way, the 5 column version is called Invisible.

I tried comboing Overwhelm (Select card. All front cards with that type are damaged.) with Strategy, but it didn't work very well. Comboing Strategy with Thunder Shock makes more sense.

I was always unsure about what to do with my Willpower. Usually went for healing, as I use armor mostly for stun. Sometimes I even got Alchemy to use it in the first easier battles, and it usually pays off.

Yeah, the X-Ray Glasses are insanely helpful, but I only saw it once.

Thanks again for sharing that knowledge! =)

[MakoSipper]

3 hours trying, got nice builds, but still no luck. I'm not known for being smart, so that's probably my problem. I'm really sorry for wasting your time, but hopefully someone can do better than me with this information than I could.

I even got the "all traits" achievement while trying to beat the game with Warrior deck. Here's the list of traits for the Zoologist achievement (I might have let slip a creature name or two there):

Armored --- Cards have a chance to be corrupted with armor.
Attractive --- A thing of beauty making it hard to attack.
Barbarian --- Enrages cards and has a huge axe. Expect extra damage!
Beard --- Beards aborb 1 spell damage, but can be removed in sequence normally.
Bomb --- Bomb cards count down and explode for 5 damage, taking cards with them.
Bureaucrat --- Will barrage you with paperwork making spells more expensive.
Caveman --- Not very smart, but a huge pet bear makes up for it.
Colossal --- Has two extra rows of cards.
Conjuror --- A master of matter. Bends the fabric of reality itself!
Dazzle --- Dazzle cards randomize each turn.
Dreary --- Will drain your energy, a total buzzkill!
Expanding --- Regeneration cards add 1 back card to their column each turn.
Exploding --- Cards have a chance to be corrupted with bombs.
Falconer --- A majestic pet falcon will harry and punish agile champions.
Fire --- Does 1 damage each turn, and can spread.
Flying --- Will aggressively evade you by mirroring many cards.
Frigid --- Cards have a chance to be corrupted with ice.
Greedy --- Will steal coins from the board, snatch them fast!
Grizzled --- Beards coming out of the woodwork!
Humongous --- Has an extra row of cards.
Hungry --- Will heal cards as they bite you or weaken if their tummy is empty.
Ice --- Frozen cards absorb 1 damage.
Iron --- Armored cards abosrb 2 damage.
Irresistible --- Will stun you with powerful love charms.
Lava --- Gives off heat that will set blaze to anything neart it!
Levitating --- Will evade you by mirroring cards.
Mirrored --- Stuns you for every turn they're stunned.
Multiplying --- Flesh that grows exponentially!
Needle --- Absolutely covered in Thorns!
Poison --- Poison does 1 damage each turn, ignoring armor.
Priest --- The enemy will heal itself by adding cards.
Puny --- Has one less column.
Raging --- Attacks will grow with every enraged card, destroy them!
Relentless --- This enemy draws a new card if it fizzles.
Sapper --- Sets huge explosive charges, keep the front cards diverse!
Sculptor --- Shapes stone into terrifying constructs bent on destruction!
Spiky --- Cards have a chance to be corrupted with thorns.
Steel --- Literally made of steel, do not punch with your bare hands!
Sturdy --- Recovers from stuns one turn faster. Stun champions beware.
Thorn --- Thorns do 1 damage when removed, but not when destroyed by spells.
Venom --- Armed with the most toxic poisons in Myriodd!
Warlock --- Will sacrifice cards for devastating attack power.
Warrior --- Adept at sundering armor and precision attacks.
Winter --- Cold swirls around this enemy in every direction!
Wretched --- Cards have a chance to be corrupted with poison.

[MakoSipper]

Finally beat the game with Warrior! 5 decks to go... =)

[Righteous Hammer Games]

Congrats Mako! And awesome breakdown Brilk, good stuff :)

[MakoSipper]

Originally posted by Righteous Hammer Games:

Congrats Mako! And awesome breakdown Brilk, good stuff :)

Hehe, thanks! By now, the only achievements I'm missing are the two that were broken.