Can I beat the game playing however I want or is they're a "meta" I need to follow.

[Patch]

Like a strategy that's more or less recommended.

[Nibbie]

Obviously there are strategies that are better than others, but especially at base difficulty you can get away with a lot of stuff once you know what you are doing.

[LHGreen]

You can do pretty much whatever you want, as long as you follow certain guidelines. But there isn't really a "go for specifically this item/combo, ignore everything else" problem in this game.

You CAN play that way, too, if you want, but if you try it from the start, you'll generally lose.

[spinn72]

some cards are good, some trash

some relics are good, some terrible.

there's no meta you can force upon yourself since everything is given to you randomly, you just make do with what you have. There is no way you can consistently build the same decks.

[Spawnling]

Originally posted by Patch:

Like a strategy that's more or less recommended.

Pick the cards that make you win based on the cards you have already picked during your current run ^^

[Cress]

On the lowest difficulty... you can pretty much just take whatever you like, within reason.

On the highest difficulty... there is somewhat of a "meta" but this will vary from game to game based on what you're offered. Just to give one example, the meta for the character Watcher is to remove defends, take attacks, go full aggro for the first couple acts, then work out a defensive plan later. This has been sort of proven to be the meta since some pros are hitting 90-95% winrate with this character (but shes pretty busted so... lol). On other characters it's a bit harder to say what the meta is, as most pros are still working this out themselves, but there will always be good/bad cards given certain situations which can sort of be solved which is the "best" pick at any given time.

[1.2M | Missingno.]

Well you can't just click cards at random and expect to win. It's a strategy game, you gotta find the right choices to make.

This game is all about being flexible and adapting to what comes your way. The one thing you don't do is go in with a specific idea of a deck you want to force.

[Patch]

Yeah I guess what I don't like in games is when the experience feels extremely static as opposed to dynamic. I'm sure there's certain combos and strats in this game that work well than others but I don't like it when I feel pigeon holed to play a certain way in order to win. I know I can't just pick cards at random but I also don't want to feel like I have play in a purely strict way in order to beat the game. I'll probably play on "normal" difficulty or whatever.

[Spawnling]

Originally posted by Patch:

Yeah I guess what I don't like in games is when the experience feels extremely static as opposed to dynamic. I'm sure there's certain combos and strats in this game that work well than others but I don't like it when I feel pigeon holed to play a certain way in order to win. I know I can't just pick cards at random but I also don't want to feel like I have play in a purely strict way in order to beat the game. I'll probably play on "normal" difficulty or whatever.

That's good. The game wont let you build the same deck again and again. If you try to you'll die.
You have to change your play style according to the cards you are offered.

If you skip too many card rewards early on, hoping to get the cards you are wating for you are likely to die.
If you just pick cards without thinking you'll dig your own grave.
If you want to force a certain build, you are quite likely to die.

I'd say the game is certainly on the dynamic side, as you can't repeat the same things.

[LHGreen]

Originally posted by Patch:

Yeah I guess what I don't like in games is when the experience feels extremely static as opposed to dynamic. I'm sure there's certain combos and strats in this game that work well than others but I don't like it when I feel pigeon holed to play a certain way in order to win. I know I can't just pick cards at random but I also don't want to feel like I have play in a purely strict way in order to beat the game.

I feel the same way. That's probably why I still play this game after 1,300+ hours, because it's one of the few games of this type which genuinely don't have that problem.

[Slowsilver]

Some characters give more space to do what you want than others. Like you kind of need to use characters strengths to make it work. Like Watcher pretty much needs to use stance cards to be able to deal damage and defend. I haven't tried to get karma or scry cards tho, so maybe there is some other way too.

[pitiflauticus]

There are hundreds of ways of beating the game HOWEVER you shouldn't approach it with a preconceived idea of how to beat it.

Work with what you are presented, and choose the best options from what's available - constructing your character on then fly.

If you try to create a functional "archetype" deck from the beginning, you will get frustrated when you don't find the pieces you need. If you remain flexible and adaptable and try to create a functional character as you go, you will enjoy the game much more AND find amazing new combos and synergies.

[Hedning]

There are "meta" choices in this game as well as any other, and it is for sure hard enough that if you want to get the best win rate you have to go for the meta choice. However the randomness of the game means it is both harder to detect, like not even pros have figured out or "solved" the game apart from a select few seeds, and since it is random then even if there is a "correct" path for one seed the "correct" path in another seed will be different. And again due to the randomness following a meta strategy may be punished in one seed where the only path to victory was making the noob gamble that payed off.

If you are playing seeded though you can experience the exact same thing as you might in other strategy games where one path will be valid and the other lead to defeat.

[Ratconned]

I made the mistake of going one level higher as soon as I beat the initial difficulty once. Playing at an appropriate level, there should be room to do fairly well in game without squeezing every decision to perfection. There's a few very powerful combos but in base difficulty you shouldn't need them to win.

[trial_by_fire]

Good, strategic choices matter in this game. After a couple times of playing you will begin to see ways to play more optimally.

What you don't want to do is to play based on a predetermined build. Adapt with what the game offers you, and make good choices. You should be asking yourself what cards and relics will help me with my current deck.

[Patch]

Should I be trying to get rid of basic attack cards at some point? I'm playing with the Ironclad right now and I'm not sure if there's a point where I should be either getting rid of my basic strike cards or maybe trying to upgrade them at the smith.