Is the Defect's Power build way too overpowered?

[McFuzz]

Yes. Yes is the answer to the question.

When I obtained the Mummified hand (Using a power makes a random card in your hand cost 0 energy) and the item that upgrades all power cards you find, both pretty early in my fourth run of the game, so I decided to cram my deck with as many power cards as I could find.

How surprised was I when I beat the game in that run, with only a very fundamental understanding of the second boss and all of the third level enemies. Even without those two artifacts, I still feel like I could easily recreate that build and go on to win again.

It got to the point where I wasn't even thinking about what I was playing, considering that playing a power would give me lightning orbs, cards, free energy costs, more powers, heals, block, damage, a mail-order-bride, and even more lightning orbs that deal double their usual to all enemies (and I didn't even know why because I had played so many powers by this point). I was able to beat the game without being experienced with the game because I stumbled onto something ridiculously overpowered. I would use stuff in random order since, ultimately, it didn't matter what I used because I was going to win anyway, and get a free heal somewhere within.

And then I tried to replicate this feeling of brokenness with the other classes and always start to fizzle out in the latter half of Act 2.

My point is that I have not managed to find any similarly 'overpowered builds' with the other classes, or even anything similar with the Defect's Power build. Given that it's a singleplayer game, it's not that big of a concern however. But it does tend to make the other classes less fun for me, as a result.

TL;DR: If there's something I'm looking for from this post it is advice on how to make the other classes as powerful as Defect; because if there's a way to match this build with the other characters then Defect is not overpowered :D

But if Defect is indeed overpowered then why would I play the others?

[Rin 凛]

Every character has op build, Ironclad Vulnerable+Flex+Whirlwind build is op, The Silent Shiv build is op, Defect Orb build is op. If you think its too op for you why dont you play other build

[McFuzz]

I was trying to find the builds by myself; trying Silent discard builds and poison builds and my attempts never came anywhere close to the incredibly destructive force of the Defect's Power build.

[Zu]

I mean, you got solid relics and Defect's all-in-one win condition. Nice when that happens, isn't it?

It's like getting upgraded cloak n daggers as Silent when you have kunai, or demon form and reaper as Ironchad so you can cheese hallway fights for full heals, or you exhaust your deck down to almost nothing and spend way too much time smithing a generally trashy card because you can.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1320945332
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1354794872

[McFuzz]

Both of those pictures are hnnnnnng. How. What. I wouldn't even know where to start. I've never even seen either of those cards (Granted, they may be unlock cards and both my Ironclad and Silent only have the first unlock.)

I did run into the kunai once but I didn't get blade dancer or that power that gives you shivs at that point :(

[Eagle_of_Fire]

Power cards pretty much IS the defect. Without power cards boosting your focus you would not last very long at all.

[Reya]

This is why I have ascension 12 for Defect and 3 for Ironclad/Silent.

["Donut☆]

I find the defect easier to play than the other characters and also a bit unbalanced.

- Finding stuff that boost focus is absurdly important.
- Blizzard-Frost build is OP and doesn't require huge brains to pilot.
- If you find electrodynamics early on it becomes hard to lose.
- Power build is OP.

Maybe it's just my playstile but I find the Defect easier to play than the others and it didn't took me much effort to get to ascension 10.

[Eagle_of_Fire]

Electrodynamics is a great card in itself but it is rare. I've played countless runs where I could not find a single one and I know for a fact that wasn't what cost me those runs.

It is true that the Defect deck house very powerful cards by themselves but it is really only when you use them in a certain combinaison that it really get the engine working. None of its cards would win you a run by themselves but you know... When you keep getting 0 cost cards while at the same time getting 2-3 cards extra every turn (with a good chance to get very powerful cards you didn't have yet)... Then add on the next time you play a power card you draw one card free... Then you also get a free lighning core at the same time... etc. THEN you get to the unstopable powerhouse status.

With the other two, bloating your deck so much would be kind of ridiculous... But for the Defect it just works. At least semi-reliably. Most of the time it will work reliably once you achieve a certain treshold and to be frank that alone is what make it look or feel like it is so powerful.

But overpowered? I don't think so. None of those cards are overpowered by themselves like I already mentioned. Reducing anything in power would make the thing as a whole feel useless and you'd end up with a very bland character you don't want to play with anymore.

[Shajirr]

Originally posted by Zu:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1354794872

How is this even possible?

[Zu]

Armaments.

[Shajirr]

I tried to make a power-stacking build with a card that gives you a random power each turn - couldn't even make it past the 2nd floor boss [The Champ] Sure I had like 10 different powers, but it didn'ty help much when none of them give defense or healing and I end up eating a 25 hp hit...

So it is much less auto-win than you described.
My problem was that I had pretty much no focus, no way of gaining it aside from like 1 card, and none of the numerous powers had focus either... and without focus orbs do almost nothing...

[Shajirr]

Originally posted by Zu:

Armaments.

but this upgrades it one time. You were sitting there for 100 turns?

[Terratrox]

Yeah Armaments is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ insane with that card. And it's good overall as well. Each character has things that make them really crazy. The Ironclad can gain infinite armor that doesn't go away, and upgrade his cards to the point that his attacks instakill absolutely everything in the game. The Silent can cycle through her whole deck every turn dumping hundreds of attacks on people without spending any energy. The Defect gets incredible survivability and variety. The Defect is probably the WEAKEST character in the game, but the easiest to understand. Dump Powers, win game.

[Terratrox]

Originally posted by White Spirit:

Originally posted by Zu:

Armaments.

but this upgrades it one time. You were sitting there for 100 turns?

It upgrades it one time... per cycle... per copy of armaments. Assuming he isn't clearing his deck to make it more armaments focused (which is how an Armaments Ironclad is played). Armaments Ironclads can usually cycle their deck quickly due to the deck thinning capabilities. If they only have 2 copies of armaments and 3 of those, they upgrade all of them twice every turn.

[Zu]

Originally posted by White Spirit:

Originally posted by Zu:

Armaments.

but this upgrades it one time. You were sitting there for 100 turns?

I was bored.