I'm about to start playing again and I plan develop a deck that will get me to top 10 (even without the 20 game per day spam). I'll share it when I do, but my process starts with surveying the meta and figuring out what aspects I need in my deck. Some things I always have: spot removal, detection, antiequip and pers counter (although that's prob alot less important than it once was). I always have at least 1 hammer and 1 baneblast so that I have that 34 spell dmg for 80 nora option. Kinda like a bad drown. I always have a Minister. From there I build "ideas" into my deck and I usually like building certain countering aspects as well such as rush deterrent (VW, Geo) with a rush rune(excavator) or buildup (angel of prot) with a front loaded rune (Talgar). I also try and prepare for the certain strong decks or general themes that.im likely to see. Right now I'll likely include MoR for NKD, or Geo for counter-efficiency.
Here's my very rough first edition. I like to 2x much more than I am currently, but this shows you how much I believe in DMC and Geo, since even in testing they are hard auto 2x.
Effectively, Geo and DMC make you really want to come and get me asap because both of them will punish you in different ways for letting them stay alive. Now I need to flesh out aspects of my deck that make you not want to come and fight me, Talgar is one, since he double attacks every round in melee and is fairly unstopable, Euan pairs well and heals him, the new dorf basically deflates your tires with his ability - might look at Maggy for that role, DKing can really stop your advance too. Roughneck MIGHT be a show stopper, I might put in VW if I have magic dmg issues. Sarge/Commander combo helps me survive a rush with their block/dodge.
Right now, the only permanent champions in the deck are 2x DMC, 2x Geo, Minister, Talgar, Sarge, Commander and Tink.
Something I didn't mention is that I'm trying to see if I can use all paladins up front for additional heal synergy. Then i'll throw in a HBOV for additional heal synergy and anti healing.
For me, it's too uncontrolable and doesnt offer what I always demand from my non banner relics: good contesting HP/cost ratio. Also, Earthshaker has synergy with Geomancer (and strip armor), it has an uncleansable debuff, and it does 5 dmg to shrines (show me another relic that damages shrines).
I just can never get over the cost of Mortars. They are undoubtedly good though. Ever considered Gliders? With Banner and Handler it has the same range and damage. Trades Artillery Strike for Stone Bomb (Mortar wins there) but Glider is 25 nora cheaper. Reckless Flight is def a negative early on but mid/late game it is free AP basically. Once they get in place covering a mid font you can just put one of your support champs like Sarge or Handler to block their movement.
I don't play stupid runes or RNG runes. Gliders are Firking stupid on half the maps. If you click that stupid ability even once, all that efficiency is out the window. Looking seriously at VWs though, for countering death bene until Anthrop gets dealt with.
You always do this. I dont want to waste AP of other runes trying to keep from having to waste nora and AP on this rune. It just doesnt make any sense. Its a great theorycrafting rune but it's simply not viable since it doesnt work the same way every time I need to deploy it. And having a rune that I dont want to deploy first turn is something I really hate unless its name is Priest of Valdac. I will probabaly end up firing a couple of my runes and doubling up on a couple others, I really like deployability consistency in the early game. Two VWs will probably happen. I'll probably loose the Ethereal Priestest, I really like her but she's kinda expensive and more of a late game steamroller than something that contributes to my vulnerable early game. I'd use her if she still had force barrier though. And if I have VWs, I can get soften.
My first change goes like this: WP and Roughneck out, VW X 2 in. EP I discussed earlier, roughneck is really great but his attack range is the same as Geo. His flashbang was an option to help me get in range for Geoswap so he might be coming back. Secondly, I'm going to try switching Magnus for newdorf. Don't like going more expensive but the paladin thing is there. With this many pals and shamans, HBOV wins over EGS. I REALLY love EGS, so I don't remove it lightly.
Havnt really been impressed with Magnus. 80ish nora is expensive and he doesnt really bring anythng special for the price. How do you deal with NKD without Marl pf Redemp or Instill Panic?
Agreed, pmuch. I could try the Amethyst wing.. But look at this paladin melee line up with have, nearly every champ has issues: @Sokolov Amethys Wing: 75 Nora with Static Greeting and Deflect makes him decently tanky, but not sustained tanking. Angel of Almara: Utterly and ompletely ruined with the Abuse Charged change (instead of attack charged). Bastion: 91 nora, um, well the deck requires you to cater to him. You now need attendants, RD a 2nd MoiF, etc. Brubakers: 73 nora for 5 speed, no, not happening. Early game disaster. Charger Knight: 86 nora deploy, worth that cost but .. do I have to deploy an 86 nora beater to tank with? Maybe. Council Elder: Not tanky at all. Crusader: Terrible starting stats, lost battle leader, got MA3, lol - this unit is just Firking juvenile design 101 Elemental Warstaff: Not tanky at all. Euan: I'd really like NOT to play him, but he's tanky with his 3 defense and self heal. Magnus: Underwhelming, though not necessarily overcosted. Ironfist Warsaint: Failure on many levels starting with his idiot 123 upgrades. (BTW, please delete defensive attack from the game, thanks) NCT: Low dmg, not tanky. Not sure what you want this rune to do besides get a sunder off as he dies? Needs 4 def, or 3 def T1 minimum. Paladin Commander: Probabaly our best cost:tankiness unit in paladins, oddly enough, after Talgar Vengeant Knight: Um... this champ would work at possibly 63 nora or attack charged 2. Block 1 and attack charged 2 would be 67 nora, doable. Right now he's nearly 70 nora for something that will likely not get to heal anything and even less likely to get a violence up. That is a huge ass list of meh.
