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Video Game Thread!
Anyone playing Slay The Spire 2? :D
I'm a filthy noob at this type of game but I'm having fun with it. I abandoned my first run on the second map after realizing I picked what was by far the worst bonus at the start of that map.
Playing my second run I'm using an unlocked character called The Silent. My max hp increases by 5 ever time I rest (a bonus).
Not sure if I should seek out the Elite enemies on the map...?
Also - I'm getting the sense that a smaller deck with stronger cards is better because the deck keeps getting recycled over an over in combat. So should I not pick the normal grey 'add a card to your deck' option at the end of battles?
Yes, I've beaten A20 with all 4 characters and put hundreds of hours in StS. I was hyped for StS2, and I'm loving it so far. Great game, I'm trying to determine how much of a sea change it is, versus Slay the Spire: The Second Time Through. I keep comparing it to pokemon generations. Pokemon Gold is the same game as Pokemon Red, almost entirely, but more. That's what makes it great. This is more different than that, certainly.
This is the first thing you learn in deckbuilding games (see: Dominion). Skipping is better than adding much of the time. Removing is so good, they can't let you do it too often. An ideal deck is the same 5 cards drawn and played every turn (after setting up powers, and exhausting, you can do this with many decks).
So no, don't pick every card. Start skipping at the end of act 1 when your deck is good enough to beat the act 1 boss. You can start seeing upgrade card rewards starting in act 2, and the rarity also improves.
Got it! I've taken to removing un-upgraded strikes/defends on most chances I get. And I'm skipping some mediocre card rewards.
I've got a decent Ironclad run going right now. Just reached act 3 and picked up The Distinguished Cape. :) He's got Barricade+ and Impervious. Those two are pretty good cards.
When I've checked youtube vids of boss fights though, they seem to have conjured up way better decks than anything I've ever had. I'll probably lose to the act 3 end boss for the third time, if I even reach it. But I discovered that there are only 3 acts in the EA, so I've been very close to beating a run.
Got any more solid advice you can spare for a newbie? I've searched for guides but there's little solid info out so far, mostly just clickbaity bloated low-effort videos and few good websites with info for the sequel specifically.
Yes, burn the strikes on everyone, especially defect. Those remove bonuses at the beginning are extra good, as are transforms. Defect especially, not sure about the two new characters. Silent has a bigger starting deck, but the most innate draw, so it balances, but removals are not as good for her. Don't neglect the cost of drawing the cost of drawing the card. You get 5 draw and 3 energy each turn, and every card costs 1 draw. The more cards you add, the longer it takes to cycle your deck to get to the good cards.
In general, you want to consider your immediate future: how do I survive the next fight, how do I beat the upcoming Elite for gold and a relic, how do I beat the Act Boss. That means cards in deck, relics, current HP, and potions. Potions are a great way to get through elite fights and scale your deck.
Try to take 0 damage each round (unless Ironclad), especially early. You will take damage, but you need to have enough HP to get through the Act and beat the boss. Spending HP in fights costs you upgrades if you Rest instead of Smith. You get healed at the start of each Act, so use that HP to get rewards. It's a resource, so spend it, but spend it wisely.
The first few rewards, you simply want to improve your deck. You need damage early, so add it. You can add ~5 cards in Act 1 without worrying too much, but after that you want to start being picky about adding unupgraded cards and synergy you don't have yet. Find a way to deal single target damage, clear multiple opponents, and block.
Don't add cards that require cards you don't have. Really, this is the toughest one, and you can start to relax it as your build comes online and you accumulate relics, but adding dead draws is the surest way to slow down a deck.
Plan your moves. Consider your relics. Look at your draw pile. Read the text of that tiny little icon on the enemy. Do the math on block. Use your potions.
For the characters specifically:
Ironclad has a lot of vulnerable and strength, which multiply. Bash is a decent early upgrade for this reason. Don't be afraid to draw down your HP.
Silent has the biggest starting deck. Neutralize upgrade is great for the second round of weak.
Defect loves removes and loves upgrades. Zap upgrade early is critical, Doublecast upgrade is nice to have, too. You want to be mindful of where you're getting damage, and where you're getting block. Defect has great cards for both, but your orbs can't do everything all the time.
I don't know much about the two new ones. Regent's sword seems like a trap. Necrobinder seems weak overall. None of their starting cards look like good upgrades to me.
I appreciate you taking the time. :)
It seems to me now that one of the essential things to get a character that can finish a run is to put together some kind of synergy; to plan out a deck as soon as you've got a few rewards because they point you in some direction(s). This is where a newbie has little or no knowledge to feed on to put together that plan. If I knew a few strong builds for the character by heart I could easily decide on a path from an early point and build the deck for synergy.
One related issue I seem to run into is that I try to be an all-rounder with both decent defense and decent attack. Ending up with not having massive attacks and not having massive blocks to survive the most difficult act 2 bosses/act 3 bosses.
I will give Defect another go in the coming days. I failed early when I tried him. The zapping/dual-casting is pretty cool though. Regent seems more hit-or-miss than any other character. But I like his style. I reached the act 3 boss with him. Necrobinder's aesthetic is kinda cool too. I see people getting very strong Silents but she's not my cup of tea. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(I think I will stop taking the Greed card (+333 gold for an eternal curse that can't be removed at the shop). It makes the run more reliant on RNG; if you don't see something good to spend that gold on in the first shop, you've clogged your deck for no reason. I found a decent guide/rating system to the Ancient rewards here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3680984107 )
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