Did you warm to defect a bit by the end? Despite being quite sure it's not my fave character, it has certainly given me more than it's fair share of my favourite runs. Energy juggling combo chains are the best

Defect is my fave too, likewise the orb system is just mega fun.

Started the game again on Xbox recently so unlocking stuff atm still. Was on PS4 previously.

Defect is fun but I tend to follow the same power builds each time, but it works. Silent has the best diversity imo. Some of the discard decks are sublime.

Facewon wrote:

Ironclad exhaust might actually be my fav.

Too broken. Corruption with dead branch or spoon is almost automatic win, whatever state your deck is in when you pick them up.

equinox_code wrote:

although it's an OP combo, I actually find the dead branch corruption thing kind of boring to play these days.  exhausting status cards,   on the other hand, which I put into the deck only to convert them into a motor for card draw, is ace

Yeah. That or using them to do damage to all enemies. Tasty.

Defect is still my least favourite character. I've warmed to it a bit, but it's never clicked.

Oddly, I also got my heart asc 20 defect run a couple of days ago. It was a slightly odd deck, relying on 0 cost cards, 2 glaciers and runic pyramid. There were a few other cards that shouldn't usually work very well  - metamorphisis (which pairs well with drawing 0 cost cards out of discard, but is typically too slow to work) and enlightenment (turning cost 2 cards to cost 1 - again kind of slow).

I think that means I've done everything the game has to offer, so it really, really is time to put it to bed. I just need something to replace the low effort/stress gaming space it occupies.

I think what makes Defect so hard on later ascs is that you need to go hard on poison for the first floor elites but then you often really need to pivot for floor two.

okay I guess you mean silent and not defect?

funny mistake to make repeatedly after so much play time

Hmm, I luv defect. Watcher is the hardest to master imo. as one fuckup shatters the glass cannon.

I love the stackable offense and defense of defect. His base strategy is to keep cycling his orbs, switching from offense to defense and back. There are likely many variations on above strategy tho, as I'm just asc6.

There are no shortage of people out there who exclusively play as her and virtually never lose, going infinite on almost every run and racking up 95% win rates for a20 heart victories

equinox_code wrote:

I realise there is room for subjectivity in games, but watcher is absolutely the easiest to master and by quite a large margin

I dont actually enjoy using here because I always feel that while you can breeze through a run with her, more than the other three a bad deal on the cards can scupper you.

equinox_code wrote:

Defect is without doubt the hardest*, but also has scope for pulling together some of the most OP runs too. I just find the focus/biased cog centre point of most builds to be a bit repetitive and too easy to lean into. The character doesn't have any alternative of comparable strength and frequency.  Other characters have these almost auto-include OP cards too, like wraith form, and yet even this never really feels like the defining element in a silent deck *this is what a20 stats say, iirc

Yeah - it's really hard to pull together a strong deck without cards that build focus. If you don't get those cards offered, it makes runs really hard. That's what made my win against the heart so odd - I finished with 4 focus on 3 orbs. If I hadn't had kunaii I wouldn't have been able to build any block.

Watcher is completely OP. Relics hardly matter.

I mean I notice it because it's rare, but 2 out of last 3 games with ironclad I've landed deadbranch and corruption in first half of first area. Just absolute scenes.

Ac13 and 14 done again in quick fashion.

Stick at it, you'll do it. I must admit the last few ascensions took me a long old while.

An exciting deck has suddenly appeared. I'm mid way through act 2 and have:

- 2 x pain (lose 1hp each time a card is played). crucially, when both are in hand at the same time, it hits for 1 damage twice, not two damage once
- 2 x upgraded rupture (each time I lose hp from a  card, gain 2 strength, of 4 strength if both are in play, or 8 strength if both pains are in hand)
- runic cube (each time I take damage, draw a card, or 2 with both curses)
- some other useful cards, blood letting, anger, blood for blood, all upgraded

The engine on this is mad; unlike anything I have played with before. play a card, draw 2, gain 8 strength, cycle through 0 cost attacks exponentially getting stronger with each one played. Unfortunately I seem to burn through life a bit too fast and currently need all my campfires for resting. All I need is a reaper....