These dev blogs include not only lore on each of the factions, but faction specific tips and tricks from our battle tested QA team!! Read on to learn more. Without further ado, you know them, you love them, you will eventually be sacrificed by one of them...
Strife
Amidst volcanic upheaval and earthquakes lies the land of those who march under the banner of Strife. This army of Dragon Souls, Goblins, Demon Kin, and Slags seeks nothing more than to lay waste to the lands of Terrene Gall and see the continent burn in glorious fire. Commanding war machines and infernal powers from beyond that choke the battlefield in rancid exhaust, it is said that when the land vomits flames and dark clouds loom on the horizon, heralded by a Dragon’s roar, it means the forces of Strife will soon be arriving to burn down all you hold dear.
Champions
The Last Calamity unlocks after you’ve discarded 100 Cards from your Hand. Its Ability discards your entire Hand, then draws three new cards in their place. Note that if your Champion Ability is the only card in your Hand, this means you will draw three cards with no downside, which can be a lifesaver in a pinch. If you draw your Champion Ability and have cards you’d like to get rid of, such as ones with too high a playing cost or a Skeleton Key without a chest to use it on, this can free up your hand for more useful Units and Spells. This Ability also has great synergy with the Feralborne unit, which gains +1 Health whenever its owner discards a card; or the Varg Stalker, which damages opponents when cards are discarded.
Gaazer the Wretched is summoned upon having played a Champion’s Ability 100 times! Gaazer’s Ability, befitting of a Dragon’s Pride, emboldens the Enemy by granting +1 Power and Health to one of their Units. While this may not sound like it offers any upside, Gaazer himself boasts a Herald Gem, granting him +2 Power and Health when his Champion Ability is played. By granting a paltry buff to an already feeble Enemy Unit, Gaazer’s Ability lets him stay in the fight longer, and potentially empower himself enough to take out the Enemy in a single strike.
Upon applying the Burned status to 75 cards, Rynoxxys the Unruled will be yours to command. Their Champion Ability deals 2 Damage to an Enemy Unit – and if that damage proves fatal, grants a card that Burns all cards in the Enemy’s Hand. Rynoxxys’ ability lets you turn the tables when faced with a challenging opponent, and can goad an Enemy into wearing themselves down if you choose to play a patient game or choose to take advantage of mechanics that allow the Enemy to add cards to their Hand, such as by playing Units with the “Fair Game” Condition.
Prove yourself in battle by slaying 15 Minibosses, and Tor the Relentless shall arrive with his Slag army. His ability grants +1 Power to every Unit of the Slag Tribe in your Draw Pile, then allows you to choose any one of them to bring into your Hand. Slags form much of the infantry for the Strife faction, with many powerful Units amongst their ranks. For those who choose Tor to lead the charge into battle, building around Slags will be the easiest choice they’ll ever have to make.
Promotion Gems of Strife
Strife has four unique gems that set them apart from the other factions.
HERALD – This Unit gains +2/+2 whenever its Owner plays a Champion Ability card. A fairly straightforward buff that can be great when used in conjunction with Relics that help gather up Fragments like Adrenaline Rush, Bottomless Canteen, or Purple Heart. This Gem is best applied to Units with high bulk capable of surviving while you attempt to gather up Fragments, and can be paired with Gems that aid in survival like Armor or Regen. Units with the “Hungry” Conditional are also great recipients of this Gem, as they cannot be played until you have received your Champion Ability with them in your Hand, allowing you to instantly buff them after they’re deployed.
TAUNT – While defending, reduce the opposing Unit’s Power by 1 before dealing damage. This Gem is naturally fantastic on bulkier Units, but can also be tactically applied to Units that focus on Power to give them the bulk to survive until their next attack. Since Taunt doesn’t reduce damage from Units retaliating against your attacks, the Ranged Gem is a fantastic partner, as Ranged Units can’t be retaliated against unless their target also has Ranged.
EXPLOSIVE – When dealing damage, deal 1 damage to Enemies adjacent to the target. This Gem is an excellent spread damage tool, capable of hitting the Champion if the Unit attacked is in the rear battle point. Excellent Gems to pair with this one are Gems that afflict damaged enemies with Status Ailments and Debuffs, such as Poison, Stun, Hush, and Blight. The best Gem Synergy, however, may be with the Deathstrike Gem, as it will eliminate any Unit damaged by its owner – including via Explosive Damage.
BURN – Applies BURNING to a random card in the Enemy’s Hand when played. The BURNING status on a card makes it so that, if it is played within the next round following the status being applied, it will deal 1 damage to the owner’s Champion. This Gem is best used on Units with the “Fair Game” Condition, as that will cause the Enemy to draw a card that will be instantly burned when the Unit spawns.
Units of Note
Slags form the backbone of the Strife Army – both the Units called “Slags” and the Tribe called “Slag.” The basic Slags are among the strongest foot soldiers in Terrene Gall, being the only “basic” Unit with more than one Power; while other Slag-Tribe Units possess a myriad of ways to boost their power or spread it around the battlefield.
A leader among the Slag-Tribe, the Varg Death Rider deigns to never travel alone. While its Reaper Conditional will require 4 Units to die in its presence before it will enter into battle, it will deploy a basic Slag to the battle point behind it provided an open point exists for it to do so.
Dragon Spark requires a toll of playing one Spell before it will lend its power to you, but once deployed, its burning maw sends foes scurrying. Any foe that survives its attack will be forced to retreat to its owner’s Hand with the Burning Condition.
The Harbinger of the Dragon calls upon those terrible beasts that Strife revere as gods, summoning a random Dragon-Tribe Unit to your Hand when it is played. Dragons are a consistently powerful ally to have, though be careful – to call upon a Dragon is exhausting; thus upon being felled, the Harbinger of the Dragon will retire from that battle for good, and won’t be available until the next skirmish.
Anger may burn with the heat of a fire, but so does love. Baron, a ruler of the demonic Slags, is a Strife Unit that found romance with Cleo, an angelic noble of the Essence faction. When Baron falls in battle, a Consort Cleo shall take up arms in his place, granting you fleeting access to Essence’s Amplify Gem, which boosts the power of Spells.
Wrap Up
For those who want to play aggressively, hammering on opponents until they fall, Strife is the choice for you! With plenty of methods for spreading damage around the battlefield and potentially wearing the Enemy down simply by deploying Units, you’ll not want for ways to clear out the battlefield and leave the Enemy Champion exposed. That said, more defensive players will still find plenty to enjoy between Strife’s Taunt Gem weakening attackers and its variety of tankier Units – after all, you can’t stop the spread of a fire so long as it resists being put out.