9 Kings Builds

Core cards

BomberTroop · King of BloodThe early damage. They are fast, they hit an area, and each level adds half again to their attack, so a levelled plot tears the front off a wave.Card text

Runs towards the enemy and explodes, dealing area damage.

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Demon AltarTower · King of BloodThe late damage. Every ally that dies makes each Altar permanently stronger, so an Altar placed early keeps growing for the whole run.Card text

Summons one demon per level. For each dead ally, grows permanently +0.1 stronger.

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Supporting cards

CauldronBuilding · King of StoneA King of Stone building that poisons whatever the plots beside it hit. Next to the Bombers, every blast also leaves poison behind.Card text

Adjacent plots' attacks now deal poison damage. +3 poison stacks per level.

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RegressionTome · King of TimeTakes an Altar back one level and keeps its stats and effects. Level it again and it summons another demon, so an Altar at its cap still has demons to add.Card text

Brings plot back 1 level but retains all its current stats and effects.

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Perks

PaganPerk · King of BloodA Demon Altar from the first year, in a corner, so it has the whole run to grow.Perk text

Start with +1 Demon Altar in a random corner plot.

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ExplosivePerk · King of BloodMore Bombers in every plot from the start, which means more blasts in the years before the Altars take over.Perk text

Bombers start with +3 units.

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Decrees

FireworksDecree · King of BloodDoubles the area of every blast, so each Bomber catches twice the ground.Decree text

Bombers have their attack range area doubled.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Bombers down, an Altar in a corner. Level the Bombers first.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Fireworks if offered.

3. 3
   Year 7

   First merchant: a Cauldron for the Bombers.

4. 4
   Every year

   Level the Bombers until they stop clearing waves, then the Altars.

5. 5
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later picks: Fireworks if you still don't have it.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when a Bomber plot is down by year 4 and an Altar sits in a corner.

Pivot

No Bombers by year 4: the Altars grow too slowly to hold the early waves by themselves. Lean on the base instead and play Ghost Pagoda.

Countered by

• Enemy Steel Coat stacks. Each stack cancels one hit, and a Bomber gets one hit per run-in.
• Skipping the Altars. The Bombers clear early waves alone, but with no Altar growing behind them nothing is left to take over when the waves get bigger.

Core cards

PagodaCastle · King of BloodYour base. It summons 9 invincible Ghosts for each of its levels, plus the troops you have lost for good, and each level is x1.3 HP and x1.3 attack. Every early copy goes here.Card text

Summons invincible Ghosts of deceased troops onto the battlefield.

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Supporting cards

SacrificeTome · King of BloodA starting Blood card. On a spare troop plot beside the base it pays twice: a level for the Pagoda, and the troops join the Ghosts for good.Card text

Destroys target plot to level up adjacent plots.

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OfferingTome · King of SpellsThe same trade for a hand instead of a level: the troops become Ghosts and you get 3 random tomes.Card text

Destroys target plot and gives you 3 random tome cards.

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ShrineBuilding · Jack of RainbowsSpends 9 gold a year to level up one random plot, 3 gold less per Shrine level. Once the base has no level cap, every year it picks the Pagoda is a level you did not have to draw.Card text

Spends 9 gold every year to level up one random plot. Costs -3 gold per level.

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TempleBuilding · Jack of RainbowsAdds 9% to a random stat of a random plot. Cheap growth that sometimes lands on the base.Card text

Increases +9% of a random stat of a random plot.

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Steel CoatSpell · King of NothingCancels the first hit its bearer takes each battle. Stacked on one sturdy troop, it is what keeps late enemies off the Pagoda while the Ghosts work.Card text

Cancels the first hit the target unit takes every battle.

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Perks

DiabolicalPerk · King of BloodThe Pagoda starts out summoning 9 more Ghosts. More bodies from the first battle, before any decree.Perk text

Pagoda starts summoning +9 Ghosts.

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Decrees

War HornsDecreeSummons are 50% stronger, and Ghosts are summons. One of the two picks to want at the first decree.Decree text

Summons are +50% stronger.

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Evil PactDecree · King of BloodDoubles the maximum number of Ghosts the Pagoda can summon. The other first pick, and it can be taken again later.Decree text

Doubles the maximum quantity of Pagoda's summoned Ghosts.

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TranscendenceDecree · Jack of ChaosYour base has no max level. Pagoda copies and Shrine picks keep counting after level 3.Decree text

Your base now has no max level.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Every Pagoda copy onto the base. Don't burn rerolls or gold chasing more of them.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: War Horns or Evil Pact.

3. 3
   Years 7, 19, 31

   Merchants: a Shrine and a Temple when the Rainbow cards are offered.

4. 4
   Every year

   A cheap troop plot beside the base, then a Sacrifice on it: the Pagoda takes a level and the troops become Ghosts.

5. 5
   Late

   Before going past year 33, stack Steel Coats on one troop or raise a plot with a lot of HP.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit at the first decree pick if War Horns or Evil Pact is on the table and the early Pagoda copies are already on the base.

Pivot

If neither decree shows and the base is still short of level 3 after the first merchant, a Mangler fed with Imps is the other Blood plan, and it needs no decree to start.

Countered by

• Slow Ghosts. They gain nothing from move speed buffs, so the speed sources that carry other armies do not help them reach the enemy sooner.
• A dead base. Ghosts cannot die but the Pagoda can. An enemy that gets through the troops ends the run however many Ghosts are out.
• Demon Altars on the side. They lean on summon perks and Covenant to matter. Without those, the plots are better spent on the base's neighbours.

Core cards

ManglerTower · King of BloodA tower that sends out meat trolls. Every year it sacrifices one adjacent unit and keeps +2 damage and +2 HP from it. Since 0.9.8 it eats one a year at any level.Card text

Summons meat trolls. Every year, sacrifices an adjacent unit to gain +2 damage and HP.

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Supporting cards

ImpTroop · King of Blood13 units a card and 13 more with each level. Beside the Mangler they are what it eats.Card text

Fast and aggressive minion with many small units.

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BeaconBuilding · King of GreedA King of Greed building: +2% attack speed and movement speed to the plots beside it every year. The Mangler sends a troll with each shot, so attack speed is more trolls.Card text

Every year, adds +2% attack speed and movement speed to all adjacent plots.

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Perks

ButcherPerk · King of BloodManglers gain another +1 damage per sacrificed unit, on top of the card's own +2.Perk text

Manglers get +1 damage per sacrificed unit.

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SummonerPerk · King of BloodAll summons start with +10% to all stats. Meat trolls are summons, so every one of them comes out stronger.Perk text

All summons start with +10% to all stats.

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HolyPerkDoubles the blessing's effect. With Hegemony that means extra copies of every card on the blessed plots.Perk text

Doubles blessing effect.

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Decrees

War HornsDecreeSummons are +50% stronger. Everything the Mangler sends out is a summon.Decree text

Summons are +50% stronger.

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SuppliesDecreeReplaces your hand with one copy of each Blood card. That is a Mangler and Imps in a single pick when they did not come on their own.Decree text

Replaces your hand with one copy of each of your king's cards.

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Prime MeatDecreeOne more meat troll with every shot. The trolls are this build's damage, so the same tower sends out a bigger crowd.Decree text

Mangler now summons +1 meat troll per shot.

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Blessing

HegemonyBlessingClones the cards on the target plots into your hand. Pointed at the Mangler and its Imps, it hands back a second set of both.Blessing text

Clones the target plots' cards to your hand.

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Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Mangler in the middle, Imps on its sides. Level the Mangler when copies come: each level is x1.2 HP, attack and attack speed, and a faster Mangler sends more trolls.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: War Horns, or Supplies if the board is still thin.

3. 3
   Every year

   Top up the Imp plots beside the Mangler. Every body it eats is +2 damage and +2 HP that stay.

4. 4
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later picks: War Horns when it comes back and Prime Meat when it is offered, otherwise anything that strengthens summons.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when a Mangler and at least two Imp cards are down in the first years. If the blessing on offer is Hegemony, aim it at those plots.

Pivot

A Mangler with nothing beside it gains nothing. If the Imps run out and no more are coming, Imps beside Cemeteries with the Pagoda levelled is the older Blood plan, and it still wins runs.

Countered by

• Area damage. Meat trolls arrive as a crowd, and the Kings of Stone, Spells and Time all punish crowds. Skip them as early enemies where you can.
• No fodder. A year with no unit beside the Mangler is a year with no growth.
• A slow first decade. The Mangler eats one unit a year whatever its level, so in the early years the Imps and the Pagoda are doing the fighting.

Core cards

HourglassTower · King of TimeAn extremely slow tower that releases one massive explosion per charge. Its own levels add only x1.02 attack speed each, so the speed has to come from outside the plot.Card text

Extremely slow tower. Releases a massive explosion when fully charged.

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CampBuilding · King of NomadsGives the plots beside it +2% to all stats whenever a card is placed on an empty plot. Four Camps touching the Hourglass pay four times for one card.Card text

When a card is placed on an empty plot, Camp's adjacent plots gain +2% to all stats.

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Supporting cards

VaultBuilding · King of GreedPays 3 gold a level every year and levels up by itself, so it is soon back at full copies for the next Earthworks.Card text

Every year, gives you +3 gold per level. Automatically levels up.

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EarthworksTome · King of StoneA King of Stone tome that returns a plot's cards to your hand, up to 3 copies. Cast on a Vault, that is three cards to land on empty plots again.Card text

Unlocks target's adjacent plots. Target's cards return to your hand, up to 3 copies.

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DwarfTroop · Jack of RainbowsMoves to an adjacent plot every year. Each step is a card landing on an empty plot, so the Camps fire without you playing anything.Card text

Melee warrior. Moves to an adjacent plot every year. Gains +50% to all stats if the plot is locked.

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Steel CoatSpell · King of NothingCancels the first hit its bearer takes every battle. Against another Hourglass, a stack on one unit is how you outlast it.Card text

Cancels the first hit the target unit takes every battle.

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LibraryBuilding · King of SpellsA 50% chance each year to duplicate an enchantment on a troop beside it. It grows the Steel Coat stack for free.Card text

Every year, has a 50% chance of duplicating an enchantment of one adjacent troop.

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Perks

ImperviousPerk · King of StoneFor the King of Stone. Losing a life gives 2 Wallmaker cards per perk level, and those cards are gold in the pit before the first merchant.Perk text

Losing a life gives you +2 Wallmaker cards.

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Decrees

OutsourcingDecree9 free re-rolls. Taken at the first decree pick, they search the first merchant for an Hourglass and a Camp.Decree text

Receive +9 free re-rolls.

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Play order

1. 1
   Opening

   Keep the gold and the re-rolls. Take the Kings of Nomads and Time as early enemies where you can: their loot is where the core comes from.

2. 2
   Years 4-6

   King of Stone with Impervious: concede a battle here. The Wallmaker cards go into the pit at 9 gold a card and pay for the shop. Multiplayer has 5 lives, so spend them only on this.

3. 3
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Outsourcing.

4. 4
   Year 7

   First merchant: Vault, Hourglass and Camp, then a second Camp.

5. 5
   Every year

   Land cards on empty plots. Dwarfs do it for free, and Earthworks on the Vault does it three cards at a time.

6. 6
   Years 19, 31

   Later merchants: Steel Coats and a Library for one unit.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when an Hourglass and a Camp are both in your kingdom after the first merchant.

Pivot

No Camp on offer? Stop levelling the Hourglass. Put Beacons against it for +2% attack speed a year and save for the next merchant.

Countered by

• Steel Coat stacks. Every stack cancels one hit a battle and a unit can carry 49 of them. A tower that hits once per charge spends the fight peeling them off.
• No Camp. Alone, the Hourglass gains 2% attack speed a level and stops at level 3. If no Camp is ever offered, it stays slow.
• A faster Hourglass on the other side. In a mirror the quicker tower fires first, and the Steel Coat stack is what survives that shot.

Core cards

MercenaryTroop · King of GreedOne unit for every 9 gold you hold, up to the 4999 troops a plot can carry. Spending gold is the only thing that shrinks it.Card text

Strong but fickle warrior for hire. You always have +1 unit for each 9 gold you have.

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DispenserTower · King of GreedGains 0.5% attack speed for each gold you earn and x1.7 attack per level. It holds the early years while the Mercenary count is still small.Card text

Single-target tower. Gains +0.5% attack speed for each gold you earn.

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Supporting cards

VaultBuilding · King of GreedPays 3 gold per level every year and levels itself, so your income climbs without a card spent on it.Card text

Every year, gives you +3 gold per level. Automatically levels up.

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MobTroop · King of NomadsGains a unit whenever a different card next to it gains one. Beside the Mercenaries, that happens every time your gold goes up.Card text

Stone-throwing rebel. Gain a unit whenever a different adjacent card gains one.

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EarthworksTome · King of StoneLifts a level 3 Vault back into your hand as 3 Vault cards and opens the plots around it. Set them down apart and each levels itself again, so one Vault's income becomes three.Card text

Unlocks target's adjacent plots. Target's cards return to your hand, up to 3 copies.

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Chaos EarthworksTome · Jack of ChaosDestroys the plots around its target and adds their levels to it, past any cap. Ring one Vault with others and it takes every level at once, and with Speculation it keeps levelling itself after.Card text

Destroys all adjacent plots. Target plot gains the sum of their levels beyond any cap.

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Perks

TycoonPerk · King of GreedLowers what each Mercenary costs, so the same treasury fields more of them.Perk text

Mercenaries cost +4294967295 gold.

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Decrees

SpeculationDecree · King of GreedLifts the Vault level cap to 99. Without it a Vault stops at level 3, and so does the income it adds.Decree text

Vaults' level cap is now 99.

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SuppliesDecreeReplaces your hand with one copy of each Greed card, which puts Mercenary, Vault and Dispenser in hand at once.Decree text

Replaces your hand with one copy of each of your king's cards.

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YieldDecree · Jack of RainbowsAdds 9% of your current gold every year. A bigger bank earns more, which is exactly what this army sits on.Decree text

Gives you +9% of your current gold every year.

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Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Place a Dispenser and level it first. It scales with the gold you earn, which suits a run built on earning and holding.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Speculation or Supplies, whichever is offered.

3. 3
   Years 6-12

   Mercenaries and Vaults go down and the rest of the gold stays in the bank. The merchants in years 7, 19 and 31 are where the temptation sits: every card bought there is Mercenaries lost.

4. 4
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later decree picks: whichever of Speculation, Supplies and Yield you are still missing.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Decide at the year 5 decree pick. Speculation or Supplies there gives the plan its engine: Vaults that keep levelling, or a hand holding every Greed card at once.

Pivot

If you are spending gold every year just to stay alive, the plan is working against itself. Every 9 gold that leaves the treasury takes a Mercenary with it, and one Over-invest at 30 gold costs three.

Countered by

• Area damage. A plot of thousands of level 1 Mercenaries at 28 HP each is what splash damage wants, so avoid Time and Stone as early enemies.
• Spending. Over-invest, merchant buys and rerolls all shrink the army the moment you pay.
• Conscription does nothing here. Mercenary numbers come from your gold, so a free unit per year on the plot never sticks.

Core cards

ElfTroop · King of NatureRanged sniper that always attacks the most distant target. 3 units a level, 18 attack each at level 1, and in multiplayer the most distant target is whatever your opponent keeps at the back.Card text

Ranged sniper. Always attacks the most distant target.

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BoarTroop · King of NatureA Rare troop that adjacent troops can mount. For each HP it has, the rider's stats go up by 1%, so Boar HP is the number this whole build grows.Card text

Can be mounted by adjacent troops. For each HP it has, increases rider stats by +1%.

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Supporting cards

ForestBuilding · King of NatureEvery year, +2% HP to the plots beside it. Against the Boars, that HP becomes rider stats.Card text

Every year, adds +2% HP to adjacent plots.

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ProcreateTome · King of NatureAdds 9 units to the target troop. On the Elves it is three levels' worth of snipers from one tome.Card text

Adds +9 units to the target troop.

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WarehouseBuilding · Jack of RainbowsA Rainbow building: the effects of other buildings beside it are applied 1 more time per level. Next to a Forest, the Forest fires again.Card text

Effects of other adjacent buildings are applied +1 time per level.

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Perks

ModeratePerkAll universal perks count twice. Any of them that adds troop HP is doubled on the Boars, and Boar HP is what the riders scale on.Perk text

All universal perks are now x2. No more, no less.

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Decrees

FeastDecreeDoubles the maximum HP of all troops. Boar HP doubles, and the riders' bonus doubles with it.Decree text

Doubles the maximum HP of all troops.

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OverworkDecreeSupport buildings apply their effects one more time, up to 3 picks. Each Forest then gives its HP twice a year.Decree text

Your support buildings apply their effects one more time.

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Blessing

Baby BoomBlessingDoubles the unit count of the troop on the target plot in the year of the prophecy. Aim it at the Elves. Hegemony, which clones the plot's cards into your hand, is the other one worth taking.Blessing text

If you have a troop card on the target plots by the year of the prophecy, doubles its number of units.

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Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Boars and Elves on neighbouring plots, a Forest against the Boars.

2. 2
   Blessing

   Baby Boom on the Elf plot.

3. 3
   Years 5, 13, 21, 29

   Decree picks: Feast first, then Overwork up to its 3 takes.

4. 4
   Every year

   Procreate on the Elves. More Forests and a Warehouse around the Boars.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when a Boar and Elves sit side by side in the first years. The bonus is there from the first battle, and every HP source after that makes it bigger.

Pivot

If Elves are slow to arrive, put any ranged troop beside the Boars. The mount bonus is the same, and the Boars are still the plot to grow.

Countered by

• The King of Progress. Defenders do not attack and reflect all the damage they take, and Elf shots boosted by a fat Boar are a lot of damage to get back.
• Walls. A King of Stone opponent who puts everything into Stronghold levels and wall HP is the setup that outlasts the snipers.
• Slow shots. Elves fire every 8.3 seconds at level 1. A rush that reaches them between volleys hurts, so the Boars are also your front line.

Core cards

TreantCastle · King of NatureThe King of Nature's own base. It hits everything inside its field at once, and the field keeps growing as the Treant levels.Card text

Creates a field on the ground that heals allies and damages enemies.

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PatronageTome · Jack of RainbowsThe only way past level 3. Each copy is three more levels for the base, cap or no cap.Card text

Levels up your base plot by +3 levels. Works beyond its max level.

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Perks

HealerPerk · King of NatureA head start on the Treant's damage for the years before Patronage arrives.Perk text

Treant starts with +10% damage.

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Decrees

HeartvineDecree · King of NatureThe field's healing then pushes your troops above their max HP, so the army inside it soaks more each wave.Decree text

Treant attacks now heal allies beyond max HP.

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Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Level the Treant toward 3. Hold any Patronage until it gets there.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Heartvine.

3. 3
   Years 7, 19, 31

   Merchants: every Patronage on offer.

4. 4
   Every year

   Once the Treant is at 3, Patronage it the moment you draw one.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit once the Treant reaches level 3 and a Patronage is in hand.

Pivot

Patronage is a Jack of Rainbows card, never in your own deck. With none by the second merchant, the base stays at 3, so put the years into an army of Elves and Boars instead.

Countered by

• A run with no Patronage. The Treant stops at level 3 like any other plot.
• Playing Patronage too early. A Treant pushed past 3 early can't use its normal level-ups any more, so the run ends up three levels short.

Core cards

WallmakerBuilding · King of StoneA King of Stone building, looted by fighting him. It raises walls in your kingdom and its HP grows by 10% every year with no card spent.Card text

Builds defensive walls in your kingdom. Its HP increases by +10% every year.

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ForestBuilding · King of NatureEvery year, +2% HP to the plots beside it. Against the Wallmaker that stacks on top of the wall's own 10%.Card text

Every year, adds +2% HP to adjacent plots.

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CauldronBuilding · King of StoneAnother Stone building. Attacks from the plots beside it deal poison, 3 stacks per Cauldron level. Beside the Treant, your base poisons everything it hits.Card text

Adjacent plots' attacks now deal poison damage. +3 poison stacks per level.

Card page →

Supporting cards

TreantCastle · King of NatureYour base. Its field heals allies and damages enemies in one cast, so placed on the wall it repairs it and hits the attackers.Card text

Creates a field on the ground that heals allies and damages enemies.

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Perks

ImperviousPerk · King of StoneLosing a life gives you 2 Wallmaker cards. It gets you the wall in runs where the King of Stone never shows up.Perk text

Losing a life gives you +2 Wallmaker cards.

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ToxicPerk · King of NaturePoison ticks 10% faster, which is the closest thing poison has to attack speed.Perk text

Poison ticks are +10% faster.

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Decrees

VenomDecreeEvery poison effect is applied twice. Each Cauldron stack counts double from the year you take it.Decree text

Every poison effect is now applied twice.

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OverworkDecreeSupport buildings apply their effects one more time, up to 3 picks. Each Forest then adds its HP twice a year.Decree text

Your support buildings apply their effects one more time.

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Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Wallmaker down the year you get one, Forests on its sides. Every year it stands is another 10% HP.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Venom, or Overwork if the Cauldron is not placed yet.

3. 3
   Every year

   Auto-attack off. Place the Treant's field on the wall yourself, so it heals the wall and poisons what is attacking it.

4. 4
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later picks: Venom if you delayed it, then Overwork up to its 3 takes.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit once a Wallmaker is down with a Forest against it and a Cauldron touches the Treant. Venom can wait one decree pick if something safer is on offer early.

Pivot

No Wallmaker by the first decree means no wall. Without Impervious the card comes from the King of Stone's loot, so reroll your early enemy toward him.

Countered by

• A late wall. The 10% a year only starts counting when the Wallmaker is placed, so one that arrives in year 12 has missed a third of the run.
• Auto-attack. Left on auto, the Treant's field lands where the game aims it. A wall that is never healed is only as good as its HP.
• Paying in lives. Impervious hands out Wallmakers for lost lives, and a solo run only has 3 of them.

Core cards

Dragon DenTower · King of NomadsSummons single-strike dragons and gets 20% stronger each time a plot is destroyed. Levels multiply its attack by 1.5, so three copies on one plot more than double it before the first plot goes.Card text

Summons powerful single-strike dragons. Gets +20% stronger each time a plot is destroyed.

Card page →

Supporting cards

DwarfTroop · Jack of RainbowsMoves to an adjacent plot every year. The plot it walks off is one more for the Dens, and the plot it lands on fires the Camps.Card text

Melee warrior. Moves to an adjacent plot every year. Gains +50% to all stats if the plot is locked.

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CampBuilding · King of NomadsGives the plots beside it +2% to all stats whenever a card lands on an empty plot. With Dens on its sides, every Dwarf step pays the towers a second time.Card text

When a card is placed on an empty plot, Camp's adjacent plots gain +2% to all stats.

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MigrationTome · King of NomadsMoves a card to an empty plot beside it and leaves it with +10% damage and HP. On a Den that is damage straight away, and the landing is another Camp trigger.Card text

Moves target to an empty adjacent plot. Moved card gains +10% damage and HP.

Card page →

Perks

ReptilianPerk · King of NomadsDragon Dens get a 3% buff for every destruction effect. It pays again for the thing this kingdom does every year anyway.Perk text

Dragon Dens get +3% buff for every destruction effect.

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Decrees

DismantlingDecree · King of NomadsCamps also trigger whenever any plot is destroyed. The Dens already count each plot a Dwarf leaves, and now the Camps beside them pay on the same step.Decree text

Camps now also trigger their effect whenever any plot is destroyed.

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CryoflameDecree · King of NomadsDragons attack 1 more time per battle. For a tower built on a single strike, a second strike is the biggest raise on offer.Decree text

Dragons now spit blue fire and attack +1 time per battle.

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Play order

1. 1
   Opening

   Den copies onto one plot, the Camp beside it. Troops are there to survive the first years and to be moved.

2. 2
   Every year

   Let the Dwarfs step. Land spare cards on empty plots so the Camps fire again.

3. 3
   Years 5, 13, 21, 29

   Decree picks: Dismantling first if it is offered, Cryoflame after it.

4. 4
   Years 7, 19, 31

   Merchants: Dwarfs when the Rainbow cards are offered, then the second finisher.

5. 5
   Late

   When the first Den stops gaining, start another. Enemies that slip past one dragon meet the next.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when a Den sits beside a Camp and something in your kingdom moves every year. A Dwarf is the cheapest version of that.

Pivot

If the lobby is stacking Steel Coats, one big dragon hit is the wrong answer. Keep a second finisher that hits often, an Hourglass or a Converter, on the other side of the same Camps.

Countered by

• Steel Coat stacks. Each stack cancels the first hit its bearer takes, and a single-strike dragon spends its strike on the coat.
• Ballistas. Their bolts pierce, and a lobby full of them can reach your base before the dragons arrive.
• Fast armies. Units with enough move speed and a few enchantments get past the dragons, which is why the Den should never be the only thing defending.

Core cards

MigrationTome · King of NomadsMoves a card to an empty plot beside it, and the moved card gains +10% damage and HP. Played on the Warlord, every copy is a permanent buff to your base troop.Card text

Moves target to an empty adjacent plot. Moved card gains +10% damage and HP.

Card page →

CampBuilding · King of NomadsWhen a card lands on an empty plot, the plots beside the Camp gain +2% to all stats. A Migration is a card landing on an empty plot, so each move pays here as well.Card text

When a card is placed on an empty plot, Camp's adjacent plots gain +2% to all stats.

Card page →

Supporting cards

WarlordTroop · King of NomadsYour base and a ranged troop, 9 units a level. Its banners add the Warlord's own stats to the allies they hit, so buffs on it are shared out.Card text

Base and ranged troop. Shoots banners that add Warlord's stats to target allies.

Card page →

MobTroop · King of NomadsGains a unit whenever a different card beside it gains one. A Warlord plot arriving next door counts in full, which is where the swarm comes from.Card text

Stone-throwing rebel. Gain a unit whenever a different adjacent card gains one.

Card page →

DwarfTroop · Jack of RainbowsA Rainbow troop that moves to an adjacent plot every year without a card. Each step fires the Camps again, and a step onto a locked plot gives it +50% to all stats.Card text

Melee warrior. Moves to an adjacent plot every year. Gains +50% to all stats if the plot is locked.

Card page →

ProcreateTome · King of NatureA King of Nature tome: +9 units to the target troop. On the Warlord it raises what every return adds to the Mob.Card text

Adds +9 units to the target troop.

Card page →

Perks

ImmigrantPerk · King of NomadsOne Migration card for every Expansion Tower event. It keeps the engine's only fuel arriving all run.Perk text

Gives you +1 Migration card every Expansion Tower event.

All perks & decrees →

Decrees

KhanateDecree · King of NomadsDoubles the number of units of your Warlord. Every trip past the Mob is then worth twice as much.Decree text

Doubles the number of units of your Warlord.

All perks & decrees →

PillageDecree · King of NomadsYour own decree. Migration counts as one of the plot destroying cards it repeats, so every move on the Warlord pays its +10% damage and HP twice.Decree text

The effect of all plot destroying cards is applied +1 time.

All perks & decrees →

DismantlingDecree · King of NomadsAlso your own decree. A Migration clears the plot the Warlord leaves, and that counts as a plot destroyed, so each move fires the Camps a second time.Decree text

Camps now also trigger their effect whenever any plot is destroyed.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Box the Warlord in: one empty plot on one side, cards on the others. A Mob goes where it touches the Warlord.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Khanate.

3. 3
   Every year

   Each Migration goes on the Warlord, out one year and back the next. Keep its landing plot empty.

4. 4
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later picks: Khanate whenever it is offered again, then Pillage or Dismantling.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when Migration cards are arriving and the Warlord has exactly one empty plot beside it. One Mob next to the route is enough, and two is plenty.

Pivot

If Migration stops showing up, grow the Warlord directly with levels and Procreate, then take Khanate to double the result. It is slower to start and leans less on the draw.

Countered by

• Ballistas. Thousands of light units are what piercing bolts are for, and a Mob has 14 HP at level 1. Keep the King of Stone out of the early years.
• The King of Time. Warpers keep summoning, and a swarm that kills slowly can end up unable to clear them.
• Too many Mobs. The buffs belong on the Warlord. Mob units die in numbers late and refill on the next move, so extra Mob plots only thin out what the Warlord gets.

Core cards

RandomfyTome · Jack of RainbowsThe plot becomes any other card of the same type and its current stats are doubled. You do not choose what it becomes. You do keep the numbers, and they double every time.Card text

Plot becomes any other card of the same type, doubling its current stats.

Card page →

Supporting cards

RewindTome · King of TimeThrow it into the pit and the cards you played last come back as copies. After a Randomfy turn, that means Randomfy.Card text

Throw this into the pit to replace your current hand with copies of your last played cards.

Card page →

GolemTroop · Jack of RainbowsAny tome used on a Golem has double effect, and Randomfy is a tome. It is the plot to open on.Card text

Magic tanker. Any tome used on it has double effect.

Card page →

Play order

1. 1
   Opening

   Play your own king's run. This build starts when the Rainbow cards are offered.

2. 2
   Years 7, 19, 31

   Merchants: Randomfy first, then Rewind. A Golem if there is gold left.

3. 3
   Every year

   Randomfy the main plot, throw Rewind into the pit, and Randomfy it again with what comes back.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when Randomfy and a Rewind are in the same hand. One Randomfy alone is a single doubling and a card you did not pick.

Pivot

If the tome stops coming back, stop gambling the plot. Keep whatever it has become and feed it the ordinary way, with Camps beside it.

Countered by

• The card you get. A plot becomes any other card of its type, so your base can turn into another king's base and a troop you built around can become one that fits nothing next to it.
• No Rewind. Without a way to replay it, Randomfy is one doubling per copy you are offered.
• The Rainbow offer. Randomfy and the Golem have to turn up, and a run cannot plan on that before it happens.

Core cards

PaladinTroop · King of NothingMelee tank whose damage buffs also raise its HP, so every buff does two jobs. It is a Rare card and starts as 3 units with 30 HP each.Card text

Melee tank. Damage buffs also increase its HP.

Card page →

Steel CoatSpell · King of NothingCancels the first hit the unit takes in every battle and stacks up to 49 times. On a plot this small, each stack is one more hit taken off every Paladin.Card text

Cancels the first hit the target unit takes every battle.

Card page →

Supporting cards

BlacksmithBuilding · King of NothingAdds +2% damage to the plots beside it every year. On Paladins the same buff lifts HP too, with no card spent after the first.Card text

Every year, adds +2% damage to adjacent plots.

Card page →

FarmBuilding · King of NothingAdds 1 unit a year per level to one troop beside it. A Paladin card is only 3 units, so the Farm is where the numbers come from.Card text

Every year, adds +1 unit to one adjacent troop per level.

Card page →

LibraryBuilding · King of SpellsA King of Spells building, looted by fighting him. Each year it has a 50% chance to copy one enchantment of a troop it touches, which beside the Paladins means free Steel Coat.Card text

Every year, has a 50% chance of duplicating an enchantment of one adjacent troop.

Card page →

BalanceTome · Jack of RainbowsSets the plot's HP and damage to whichever is higher. Paladins carry far more HP than damage, 30 against 8 at level 1, so their hits jump up to match their health.Card text

Target's HP and Damage are now equal to whichever is higher.

Card page →

Perks

BenevolentPerk · King of NothingA Wildcard after every Rainbow army battle, in years 17 and 27. Each one is a level on the Castle or on the Paladins.Perk text

Gives you +1 Wildcard after every Rainbow Army battle.

All perks & decrees →

ValiantPerk · King of NothingDoubles the first Paladin card: +3 units.Perk text

Paladins start with +3 units.

All perks & decrees →

Decrees

DevelopmentDecree · King of NothingGives a Wildcard for each empty plot you have, and a Wildcard levels up any plot. Taken while the board is still mostly empty, that is a handful of Castle levels in one year.Decree text

Gives you +1 Wildcard card for each empty plot you have.

All perks & decrees →

OverworkDecreeSupport buildings apply their effects one more time, and it can be taken 3 times. Every pick is another round of Blacksmith damage and Farm units each year.Decree text

Your support buildings apply their effects one more time.

All perks & decrees →

FeastDecreeDoubles the maximum HP of all troops. Use Balance afterwards and the Paladins' damage doubles with it.Decree text

Doubles the maximum HP of all troops.

All perks & decrees →

ArmoryDecree · King of Nothing+3 Steel Coat stacks on every troop.Decree text

All troops gain +3 stacks of Steel Coat.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Paladins first, a Farm and a Blacksmith against them. Spare Farms are worth placing too: an Overhaul looted from the King of Progress destroys one to level up 2 random plots.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Development while plots are still empty, otherwise Overwork.

3. 3
   Mid run

   Every Steel Coat goes on the Paladins. A Library beside them starts copying it.

4. 4
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later picks: Overwork up to its 3 takes, then Feast.

5. 5
   Late

   Balance on the Paladin plot once the HP is stacked.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when Paladins are in the opening hand, and reroll the start if they are not. The whole plan is one plot of a Rare card, so it has to arrive first.

Pivot

Steel Coat stops hits and kills nothing. If the Castle is still level 1 at the first decree and Development is not offered, spend every Wildcard and Overhaul on Castle levels before adding to the Paladins.

Countered by

• Piercing volleys. The King of Stone's Ballistas shoot bolts that pierce, so one volley passes through the whole plot. Stack Steel Coat before you meet him.
• A weak Castle. Paladins swing every 4 seconds. If the base cannot kill what they are holding, the fight drags on with nothing dying.
• Spread buffs. A second or third troop plot splits the Farms, Blacksmiths and Steel Coats that one Paladin plot needs.

Core cards

ArcherTroop · King of NothingWeak, fast, numerous. Every level adds 9 more and speeds them all up, and Twinshot doubles what each of them fires.Card text

Deals weak but fast ranged damage.

Card page →

Supporting cards

BlacksmithBuilding · King of NothingNext to the Archers it adds damage every year without a card being played, which is what lifts their small hits into real ones.Card text

Every year, adds +2% damage to adjacent plots.

Card page →

StaticSpell · King of SpellsEach attack starts a lightning chain, one more link per stack, and Archers attack every 1.6 seconds from level 1.Card text

Unit's attacks trigger a lightning chain that deals 0 damage. +1 chain per stack.

Card page →

Perks

FarsightedPerk · King of NothingMore range means the Archers open fire earlier and get more volleys in before anything reaches them.Perk text

Archers have +50% range.

All perks & decrees →

Decrees

TwinshotDecree · King of NothingThe build's name for a reason: twice the arrows per hit means every level and every Blacksmith year counts double.Decree text

Doubles the number of arrows shot by Archers per hit.

All perks & decrees →

InvisibilityDecree · Jack of RainbowsLate in a long run, the Archers stop taking damage at all. Take it once something else holds the line.Decree text

Ranged troops no longer take damage but also no longer stop enemies.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Archers down, Blacksmiths beside them.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Twinshot.

3. 3
   Year 7

   First merchant: Static for the Archers.

4. 4
   Every year

   Level the Archers. Each level is 9 more units, all of them faster.

5. 5
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later picks: Invisibility once the front line is solid.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when the Archers are in your opening hand and Twinshot comes up at the first decree pick in year 5.

Pivot

No Twinshot by year 13: put the Blacksmiths next to Paladins instead and run the King of Nothing's Steel Paladins.

Countered by

• A slow start. A level 1 Archer hits for 2, and the build needs the Blacksmith years before that becomes anything.
• Invisibility with nothing in front. The enemy no longer stops at the Archers and walks on to the base.
• A run without Archers early. Nothing else in the King of Nothing's deck uses Twinshot.

Core cards

DefenderTroop · King of ProgressThe wall itself. They never attack, so all their damage comes from the enemy's own hits, and they sit in the King of Progress deck from the first year.Card text

Tank warrior that doesn't attack but reflects all taken damage.

Card page →

ConverterTower · King of ProgressThe answer to an opening volley. Against a Ballista line, the first Ballista it converts becomes the rat the others shoot at, which buys the Mothership its time.Card text

Turns enemies into rats fighting for you. Rats inherit Converter's stats.

Card page →

Supporting cards

Steel CoatSpell · King of NothingThe counter to an Hourglass. Stacked on the Defenders, each copy eats one of the slow tower's charges before any HP is lost.Card text

Cancels the first hit the target unit takes every battle.

Card page →

RecyclerBuilding · King of ProgressOne beside the base, fed with every spare card, keeps the Mothership growing in years with nothing better to place.Card text

Every time you throw a card into the pit, adjacent plots get +2% damage and HP.

Card page →

AmplifierBuilding · King of TimeHands a support building's yearly gains on to more plots, so one Recycler or Beacon pays the wall as well as the base.Card text

Gives every buff it gains to one adjacent plot. Amplifies one extra plot per level.

Card page →

BeaconBuilding · King of GreedPlaced around the Converter, it speeds up the conversions year after year.Card text

Every year, adds +2% attack speed and movement speed to all adjacent plots.

Card page →

OrchardTower · King of NatureRoots pin the enemy wave in place, so it is still taking damage while the Mothership is out of range.Card text

Creates roots that trap enemies. +3 roots per level.

Card page →

Decrees

ProliferationDecree · King of ProgressEach conversion adds two rats to your side, so the Converter grows your army as fast as it shrinks theirs.Decree text

Converter now summons +1 Rat per conversion.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Level the base first. Defenders down from your own deck.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Proliferation if it is offered.

3. 3
   Year 7

   First merchant: the Converter, then a Recycler beside the base.

4. 4
   Every year

   Throw spare cards into the pit and put every Steel Coat on the Defenders.

5. 5
   Years 19, 31

   Later merchants: more Steel Coats, Beacons for the Converter, Amplifiers.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit once the base has a few levels and Defenders are down. Level the base before anything else, then put down the first Recycler.

Pivot

No Steel Coat by the second merchant: put Reinforce on the Defenders instead. They then heal 2% HP a second in battle, past their max.

Countered by

• A maxed Greed Hourglass late in the run. Once its attack speed is capped it strips coats faster than you add them, so take out Greed, Nomads and Time early, before they ramp.
• Carnage on the enemy troops. Every enemy the reflection kills explodes for a tenth of its HP across the Defenders.
• Spending on HP after the cap. Past 100,000,000 more HP does nothing; coats and conversions are what still pay.

Core cards

ExecutionerTroop · King of ProgressThe one plot that gets every level. Each level adds 9 more units and makes all of them hit harder, and every one of them shoots whichever enemy has the least health left.Card text

Ranged fighter. Always targets the enemy with the lowest health.

Card page →

OverhaulTome · King of ProgressThe engine. Every copy turns a throwaway plot into levels, and each use makes the next one stronger, so the run speeds up the longer you keep at it.Card text

Destroys target plot to level up +2 random plots. Effect increases with each use.

Card page →

Supporting cards

RewindTome · King of TimeThrown into the pit straight after an Overhaul, it hands you that Overhaul again. More Overhauls means more levels landing.Card text

Throw this into the pit to replace your current hand with copies of your last played cards.

Card page →

Perks

RangerPerk · King of ProgressExecutioners start at 1 attack, so a head start on damage helps them through the years before the levels pile up.Perk text

Executioners start with +40% damage.

All perks & decrees →

Decrees

FuturismDecree · King of ProgressWithout it the Executioner stops at level 3 and the Overhauls have nowhere to go. With it, every level up to 99 counts.Decree text

All troops can now level up to level 99.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   One Executioner down. Spend re-rolls on Overhaul and Futurism.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Futurism.

3. 3
   Every year

   Place a spare card, Overhaul it, Rewind if you have one. Never level anything but the Executioner on purpose.

4. 4
   Years 7, 19, 31

   Merchants: Rewinds, and anything cheap to place and destroy.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when Futurism is in hand or the first decree pick offers it, and one Executioner is down. Keep your free re-rolls at the start for finding the pieces.

Pivot

Overhaul is a Progress card, but re-rolls can still miss it for a long stretch. If it won't show by the second merchant, turn the spare cards into a Recycler beside the Executioner instead, where every throw still pays it.

Countered by

• A wide kingdom. Every extra plot is another place the random levels can land, and the Executioner falls behind.
• An early rush. Before the levels arrive, the Executioners hit for almost nothing; a fast army in the first years takes lives before the build turns on.
• A dry hand. Each Overhaul needs a plot to destroy, so a year with nothing to place is a year the Executioner stands still.

Core cards

RecyclerBuilding · King of ProgressEvery card thrown into the pit gives +2% damage and HP to each plot on its sides. The whole build is this one line, repeated as often as you can find cards to throw.Card text

Every time you throw a card into the pit, adjacent plots get +2% damage and HP.

Card page →

TrashyPerk · King of ProgressEach Recycler you place adds a Trash card to your hand, one per perk level up to 3. Trash does nothing on the board, so it goes straight into the pit.Perk text

Whenever a Recycler is placed on a plot, adds +1 Trash card to your hand

All perks & decrees →

Supporting cards

ExecutionerTroop · King of ProgressRanged Legendary troop that always hits the lowest-health enemy: 9 units at level 1 and 9 more per level. Beside a Recycler it collects every pit buff.Card text

Ranged fighter. Always targets the enemy with the lowest health.

Card page →

RewindTome · King of TimeA King of Time tome. Throwing it into the pit counts for the Recyclers, then refills your hand with copies of the cards you last played.Card text

Throw this into the pit to replace your current hand with copies of your last played cards.

Card page →

EarthworksTome · King of StoneA King of Stone tome that unlocks the plots around its target and hands back up to 3 copies of that plot's cards. More cards in hand means more to throw.Card text

Unlocks target's adjacent plots. Target's cards return to your hand, up to 3 copies.

Card page →

ConcabulatorBuilding · King of ProgressWhen it reaches max level it levels up every plot you own, the Executioners and the base included.Card text

When this building reaches max level, it levels up all your plots.

Card page →

OverhaulTome · King of ProgressDestroys a plot to level up 2 random plots, and grows with each use. Played every year, the levels keep landing.Card text

Destroys target plot to level up +2 random plots. Effect increases with each use.

Card page →

Perks

IngeniousPerkYour base, the Mothership, can level up 3 more times. It sits beside a Recycler too, so it takes the pit buffs like any other plot.Perk text

Your base can now level up +3 times.

All perks & decrees →

Decrees

FuturismDecree · King of ProgressAll troops can level to 99 instead of 3. Executioners add 9 units every level, so this is where their numbers come from.Decree text

All troops can now level up to level 99.

All perks & decrees →

UltragravityDecree · King of ProgressDoubles the Mothership's attack range and can be taken 3 times. A base stacked with pit buffs then reaches much further across the field.Decree text

Doubles the attack range of your Mothership.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   A Recycler beside the base, Executioners on its other sides. Every card thrown from here on counts.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Futurism or Ultragravity.

3. 3
   Every year

   Throw every spare card into the pit. A card you will never place is worth +2% to every plot beside a Recycler.

4. 4
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later picks: whichever of the two you missed. Ultragravity can be taken up to 3 times.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit once a Recycler sits beside your base and you hold Trashy. If you can, reroll the first enemy to the King of Stone: Earthworks is one of its cards.

Pivot

A Recycler pays nothing without cards to throw. If Trashy, Rewind and Earthworks all fail to show, the Recyclers are empty plots, and Executioners levelled under Futurism are the safer core.

Countered by

• A spread-out board. Only plots touching a Recycler gain anything, and a troop two plots away gets none of it.
• A dry hand. The engine needs cards to throw, and a year with nothing spare is a year with no growth.

Core cards

WizardTroop · King of SpellsRanged spellcaster with +5% damage for each enchantment it carries. It gains x1.75 attack a level but only x1.25 HP, so it hits harder than it can survive.Card text

Ranged spellcaster. Damage increases +5% for each enchantment it bears.

Card page →

LibraryBuilding · King of SpellsEvery year it has a 50% chance to copy one enchantment of a troop next to it. Free enchantments each year, as long as it touches the Wizards.Card text

Every year, has a 50% chance of duplicating an enchantment of one adjacent troop.

Card page →

SpireTower · King of SpellsHeals whichever of your units is closest to death. Wizards start at 14 HP, so they are usually the ones it saves.Card text

Heals your units that are closest to death during battle.

Card page →

Supporting cards

BalanceTome · Jack of RainbowsSets a plot's HP and damage both to the higher of the two. On a Wizard plot, HP jumps up to match the damage you stacked.Card text

Target's HP and Damage are now equal to whichever is higher.

Card page →

Steel CoatSpell · King of NothingCancels the first hit the unit takes each battle and stacks up to 49 times. Casters this fragile need the opening hits absorbed.Card text

Cancels the first hit the target unit takes every battle.

Card page →

FrostSpell · King of NomadsAn enchantment like any other, so it raises Wizard damage too, and its 20% slow on movement and attack speed buys the casters time.Card text

Attacks slow the enemy's movement and attack speed by +20%.

Card page →

Perks

ArcanePerk · King of SpellsAdds another 1% damage for every enchantment on a Wizard, on top of the card's own 5%.Perk text

Wizards gain +1% damage for every Enchantment they bear.

All perks & decrees →

Decrees

Re-enchantDecree · King of SpellsDoubles every enchantment on all your active troops and can be taken 3 times. On a Wizard plot each pick is a damage jump.Decree text

Doubles all enchantments of all your active troops.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Wizards in the middle with a Spire beside them. Upgrade the Citadel early: it fights while the Wizards are still few.

2. 2
   Years 5, 13, 21, 29

   Decree picks: Re-enchant whenever it is offered, up to its 3 takes.

3. 3
   Mid run

   Libraries against the Wizard plot, and every enchantment you draw goes on the Wizards.

4. 4
   Late

   Balance once the damage is stacked, so HP rises to meet it.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when the Wizards and a Library are both down early and enchantments start arriving. Each one now pays on the card, and the Library can copy it every year after.

Pivot

If no enchantments come, the Wizards are 9 slow casters with 5 seconds between attacks and little HP. Upgrading the Citadel and protecting a tank is the safer line.

Countered by

• Burst before the first cast. Wizards wait 5 seconds between attacks, so fast hitters and volleys reach them first. Steel Coat is the answer, and the King of Stone's volleys are the reason to carry it.
• Running dry. A Wizard with nothing on it does 12 attack every 5 seconds.

Core cards

WizardTroop · King of SpellsThe only troop in the box. Each enchantment the Libraries copy onto it is another +5% damage, so this is the plot that turns copies into kills.Card text

Ranged spellcaster. Damage increases +5% for each enchantment it bears.

Card page →

LibraryBuilding · King of SpellsFour of them, one on each side of the Wizards. Each is its own yearly roll, so four Libraries give the plot four chances a year instead of one.Card text

Every year, has a 50% chance of duplicating an enchantment of one adjacent troop.

Card page →

Supporting cards

Steel CoatSpell · King of NothingThe enchantment you most want copied. Every copy cancels one more hit per battle, and that is what keeps casters this fragile alive against another player's late army.Card text

Cancels the first hit the target unit takes every battle.

Card page →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Wizards down and the first Library against them. The first enchantment you draw goes on the Wizards, so the Library has something to copy.

2. 2
   Year 7

   First merchant: Steel Coat if it is offered, onto the Wizards.

3. 3
   Mid run

   Fill the other three sides with Libraries. Nothing else touches them.

4. 4
   Every year

   Every enchantment card goes on the Wizards: +5% damage now, and one more thing for the Libraries to copy after.

5. 5
   Years 19, 31

   Later merchants: more Steel Coats.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when the Wizards and two Libraries are down and one enchantment already sits on the Wizards. A Library can only copy what is there, so the first enchantment has to come from your hand.

Pivot

If Steel Coat never shows up, the copies add damage but no shield, and a level 1 Wizard has 15 HP. Put the enchantments you do draw on your toughest troop and let the Libraries copy those instead.

Countered by

• Many small hits. A Steel Coat stack cancels one hit, however small, so a wide army of fast attackers burns through every one of them early in each fight.
• A slow start. Each copy is a coin flip, and a Library with nothing to copy does nothing at all. Until the coats arrive, 15 HP casters fall to the first volley.
• A crowded box. Let another troop share a Library's sides and its copies spread over plots that don't need them.

Core cards

WarlockTroop · King of SpellsThe King of Spells' own tank. It hits an area, so it doesn't need help clearing a crowd, and every tome you play anywhere in the kingdom makes it tougher.Card text

Melee tank that deals area damage. Gains +5% HP whenever a tome is used.

Card page →

LibraryBuilding · King of SpellsThe yearly copy machine. Next to the Warlocks it keeps doubling up the enchantments you have already put on them.Card text

Every year, has a 50% chance of duplicating an enchantment of one adjacent troop.

Card page →

Supporting cards

Steel CoatSpell · King of NothingThe enchantment worth copying. Every stack cancels a hit, and the Libraries turn one cast into many over the years.Card text

Cancels the first hit the target unit takes every battle.

Card page →

Perks

SorcerousPerk · King of SpellsStacks on top of the Warlock's own HP gain from each tome, so the cards you play every year count twice for them.Perk text

Warlocks gain +1% HP for every Tome used.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Warlock down, a Library beside it. Put the first enchantment on the Warlocks before the Library's first roll, or it has nothing to copy.

2. 2
   Year 7

   First merchant: Steel Coats, and a second Library.

3. 3
   Every year

   Play every tome you draw. Each one is HP for every Warlock plot.

4. 4
   Years 19, 31

   Later merchants: more Libraries around the same Warlocks rather than new Warlock plots.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when a Warlock and a Library are both down side by side and you have a Steel Coat to start the stack.

Pivot

Warlocks are slow, with a 9 second attack at level 1. If the waves are getting past them early, start putting the enchantments on Wizards behind them instead: they take the same Library copies and fire from range.

Countered by

• A bad run of Library rolls. Each copy is a coin flip, so the first years can pass with almost nothing doubled.
• Too many kinds of enchantment. Every extra type is one more thing a Library can copy instead of the Steel Coat.
• A hand with no tomes. The Warlocks stop growing in any year you have nothing to read.

Core cards

PortalBuilding · King of TimeWhen it reaches max level, your kingdom travels 2 years back in time. The blessing's year comes round again, and so does the blessing.Card text

When this building reaches max level, your kingdom travels 2 years back in time.

Card page →

Supporting cards

RewindTome · King of TimeThrow it into the pit after a clone turn and the cloned cards you just played come back a second time.Card text

Throw this into the pit to replace your current hand with copies of your last played cards.

Card page →

Perks

HolyPerkDoubles the blessing's effect, up to 3 perk levels. Every trip back through the blessing year pays that much more.Perk text

Doubles blessing effect.

All perks & decrees →

Blessing

HegemonyBlessingClones the target plots' cards to your hand. Aim it at the plots you most want more copies of, and include the Portal plot: the Portal cards it returns are the next trip back.Blessing text

Clones the target plots' cards to your hand.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Opening

   Take the King of Time as an early enemy where the offer allows it. His loot is where Portals come from.

2. 2
   Blessing

   Hegemony, aimed so the Portal plot and your main plot are both targets.

3. 3
   Every year

   Cloned Portal cards go straight onto a Portal plot. Everything else in the hand goes where it was copied from.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when the blessing on offer is Hegemony and a Portal is already in your kingdom or your hand. Spend re-rolls on the blessing if you hold the Portal.

Pivot

A Portal with a different blessing still replays decree picks and merchants. Keep it as a nice extra and put the levels into your main plot.

Countered by

• No Portal. The card belongs to the King of Time. Without him among your enemies or a lucky merchant, the loop never starts.
• A different blessing. The Portal replays whatever blessing you took, and only Hegemony gives the Portal cards back.
• The cost of a trip. A Portal fires when its plot reaches max level, so every jump needs fresh copies. A clone that misses the Portal plot is the last one.

Core cards

TrapperTroop · King of StoneBuilds traps that stun enemies and damage them. 5 units a card and 5 more per level, with x1.3 attack and x1.1 attack speed each time. The stun is what the build is bought for.Card text

Builds traps that stun and deal damage to enemies.

Card page →

Supporting cards

CauldronBuilding · King of StoneMakes the attacks of the plots beside it poisonous, +3 poison stacks per level. Beside the Trappers, every trap that goes off poisons what stepped on it.Card text

Adjacent plots' attacks now deal poison damage. +3 poison stacks per level.

Card page →

WallmakerBuilding · King of StoneBuilds walls whose HP grows 10% every year. The wall keeps enemies out in the trap field, where they are stunned and poisoned, and off the base.Card text

Builds defensive walls in your kingdom. Its HP increases by +10% every year.

Card page →

StrongholdCastle · King of StoneYour base, which summons towers that shoot nearby enemies. With the Cauldron touching it as well, those towers poison too.Card text

Summons towers that shoot nearby enemies.

Card page →

RegressionTome · King of TimeA King of Time tome that takes a plot back 1 level and keeps all its stats and effects. On the Trappers it reopens the level-ups, and their stun keeps getting longer.Card text

Brings plot back 1 level but retains all its current stats and effects.

Card page →

Perks

HunterPerk · King of StoneTraps stun 50% longer. Every extra moment an enemy stands still is a moment of poison it cannot walk out of.Perk text

Trapper's traps now stun +50% longer.

All perks & decrees →

ImperviousPerk · King of StoneEvery life you lose hands you 2 Wallmaker cards. The wall is what holds enemies in the trap field, so a lost battle still pays back into the build.Perk text

Losing a life gives you +2 Wallmaker cards.

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Decrees

CatharsisDecreeEvery troop on the field gets the damage of your strongest troop. Trappers arrive 5 to a card at 6 attack each, so borrowing a bigger number is a large raise.Decree text

All troops on the field now have the same damage as your strongest troop's current damage.

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DynamitesDecree · King of StoneEach trap goes off one more time in battle. For this build that is one more stun and one more poisoned hit from every trap the Trappers lay.Decree text

Each trap is now triggered +1 time in battle.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Opening

   Wallmaker first, since its 10% a year only starts counting once it is placed. Then Trappers beside the Cauldron.

2. 2
   Every year

   Trapper copies go onto the same plot. More units means more traps on the field.

3. 3
   Years 5, 13, 21, 29

   Decree picks: Dynamites or Catharsis when either is offered.

4. 4
   Mid

   Each new Cauldron goes on a free side of the main Trapper plot, until it has one on every side.

5. 5
   Late

   Regression on the Trapper plot once it is level 3, then level it again.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when Trappers and a Cauldron are side by side with a Wallmaker down. All three are in Stone's starting deck, so this can be decided in the first years.

Pivot

If the traps are going off and nothing is dying, the poison is missing. Put the Cauldron against the Stronghold and add Ballistas on its other side: slow, piercing and poisoned is the other Stone plan.

Countered by

• A broken wall. Once it falls, enemies head straight for the base and walk past most of the traps.
• The King of Time late on. Warpers keep summoning fresh bodies, and a trap field has an end where the summons do not.
• Small squads. A level 1 Trapper card is 5 units at 18 HP each. Anything that reaches the plot kills it, so they are never the front line.

Core cards

BallistaTroop · King of StoneLegendary ranged machine whose bolts pierce. A card is 3 of them at 16 HP, firing once every 12 seconds, so each shot has to matter.Card text

Ranged machine that shoots huge bolts with piercing damage.

Card page →

CauldronBuilding · King of StoneAttacks from the plots beside it deal poison, 3 stacks per Cauldron level. Beside the Ballistas, a bolt poisons every enemy it goes through.Card text

Adjacent plots' attacks now deal poison damage. +3 poison stacks per level.

Card page →

Supporting cards

WallmakerBuilding · King of StoneRaises walls in your kingdom, with HP that grows 10% a year by itself. The walls are what the enemy hits while the Ballistas reload.Card text

Builds defensive walls in your kingdom. Its HP increases by +10% every year.

Card page →

BeaconBuilding · King of GreedA King of Greed building: +2% attack speed and movement speed to the plots beside it every year. Attack speed is the stat a 12 second reload needs most.Card text

Every year, adds +2% attack speed and movement speed to all adjacent plots.

Card page →

StrongholdCastle · King of StoneYour base. It summons towers that shoot nearby enemies, and with a Cauldron touching it those shots poison too.Card text

Summons towers that shoot nearby enemies.

Card page →

Decrees

VenomDecreeEvery poison effect is applied twice. It is the pick the whole build waits for.Decree text

Every poison effect is now applied twice.

All perks & decrees →

PerforationDecreeThe first enemy a bolt hits takes x10 more damage. Poison works on the column behind it, and this kills the unit at the front.Decree text

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Ballistas beside a Cauldron. Level the Ballistas when copies come: each level adds 3 machines.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Venom.

3. 3
   Years 6-12

   Beacons against the Ballista plot, and levels on the Stronghold.

4. 4
   Mid run

   Wallmakers go down. From here the walls take the hits.

5. 5
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later picks: Venom if you have not found it yet, then Perforation.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit once Ballistas stand beside a Cauldron. Take Venom at the first decree pick that offers it.

Pivot

If the Ballistas keep dying before their second shot, move the plan to the base: a Cauldron against the Stronghold and levels on it. Its towers poison too, and nobody has to protect them.

Countered by

• Ballistas without poison. On their own they deal 7 damage every 12 seconds at level 1, and a run built on that alone stalls. The Cauldron is the damage.
• Fast rushers. 12 seconds is a long first reload, and 3 machines at 16 HP do not survive being reached. Walls and Stronghold levels have to be there before the enemy gets quick.
• Thin poison. Without Venom every stack counts once, and late enemies have the HP to walk through that.

Core cards

OrbiterTroop · King of TimeLegendary spellcaster, 9 units a level. It copies any enchantment a neighbouring plot receives, and it is the army that holds the field while the Hourglass is still slow.Card text

Magnetic spellcaster. When an adjacent plot gets an enchantment, it gets it too.

Card page →

HourglassTower · King of TimeAn extremely slow tower with one massive explosion per charge. It goes down second and gets the Amplifier ring, because speed is the one thing it lacks.Card text

Extremely slow tower. Releases a massive explosion when fully charged.

Card page →

Supporting cards

AmplifierBuilding · King of TimeGives every buff it gains to one adjacent plot, and one more plot per level. At level 3 a single Amplifier feeds three neighbours.Card text

Gives every buff it gains to one adjacent plot. Amplifies one extra plot per level.

Card page →

PortalBuilding · King of TimeAt max level it sends your kingdom 2 years back. Those years are played again, and anything that pays per year played pays again.Card text

When this building reaches max level, your kingdom travels 2 years back in time.

Card page →

Over-investTome · King of GreedA King of Greed tome: 30 gold for +15% to every stat of a plot. On the Hourglass that includes attack speed.Card text

Spend 30 gold to increase every stat of a plot by +15%.

Card page →

OsmosisTome · Jack of RainbowsA Rainbow tome: every plot of the same card as the target gets +30% to all stats. Aim it at whichever card you have the most plots of.Card text

All plots of the same card as the target plot get +30% to all stats.

Card page →

TempleBuilding · Jack of RainbowsA Rainbow building that adds 9% to a random stat of a random plot. When the plot it picks is an Amplifier, the neighbours get it too.Card text

Increases +9% of a random stat of a random plot.

Card page →

Perks

WisePerk · King of TimeAdds to all stats on all plots for each year played. This is the buff the Amplifiers pass around, and every Portal trip adds years.Perk text

Gives 0% to all stats to all plots per year played.

All perks & decrees →

DestructivePerk · King of TimeOrbiters start with 40% more damage. It matters most in the years before the Amplifiers have anything to share.Perk text

Orbiters start with +40% damage.

All perks & decrees →

HorologistPerk · King of TimeHourglass attacks start 10% faster. A small number on the only stat the tower is short of.Perk text

Hourglass attacks start +10% faster.

All perks & decrees →

Decrees

Big BangDecree · King of TimeThe Hourglass's first attack stuns enemies for 1 more second. That is a longer opening for the Orbiters before anything reaches them.Decree text

Hourglass's first attack now stuns enemies for +1 seconds.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Opening

   Amplifiers, then Orbiters and Portals beside them. Hold the Hourglass copies.

2. 2
   Mid game

   When the Orbiters stop dying in the first clash, place the Hourglass and ring it with Amplifiers.

3. 3
   Years 5, 13, 21, 29

   Decree picks: Big Bang once the Hourglass is down.

4. 4
   Years 7, 19, 31

   Merchants: keep 30 gold back for each Over-invest. Osmosis and a Temple if the Rainbow cards are offered.

5. 5
   Every year

   Level the Portals whenever you can. Each jump back is more years played.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when Orbiters and two Amplifiers are down before the first decree pick. Orbiter, Portal, Hourglass and Amplifier are all in Time's starting deck.

Pivot

If the troops keep collapsing before the Hourglass is fed, build on the Bastion. It is your base, its rifts warp each enemy to the backline once, and Beacons beside it add 2% attack speed a year.

Countered by

• A weak start. The yearly buff is small while few years have been played, so the first decade has little to amplify and Orbiters at 26 HP have to live through it.
• Scattered plots. An Amplifier only reaches the plots it touches. Cards placed away from one are paid once, like anyone else's.
• An unfed Hourglass. Without attack speed from outside it charges too slowly to matter, and levelling it adds 2% each time.

Core cards

BastionCastle · King of TimeThe King of Time's own base. A warp sends the enemy to the back and makes it start its walk again, so the fight happens far away from your kingdom.Card text

Casts rifts that warp each enemy to the backline once. Rifts deal damage when cast.

Card page →

PatronageTome · Jack of RainbowsThree base levels a copy, past the cap. Every one makes the rifts hit harder.Card text

Levels up your base plot by +3 levels. Works beyond its max level.

Card page →

Supporting cards

RewindTome · King of TimePlayed straight after a Patronage, it hands you that Patronage again.Card text

Throw this into the pit to replace your current hand with copies of your last played cards.

Card page →

PortalBuilding · King of TimeSends the kingdom 2 years back once it is maxed, which means more years of decree picks and merchants to find Patronage in.Card text

When this building reaches max level, your kingdom travels 2 years back in time.

Card page →

Perks

ExilerPerk · King of TimeOne more warp per enemy from the first year, before any decree helps.Perk text

Bastion attacks warp enemies +1 time.

All perks & decrees →

Decrees

LoopholeDecree · King of TimeDoubles the warps, so each enemy is sent back twice.Decree text

Doubles the number of times Bastion's rifts warp enemies to the backline.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Years 1-4

   Portal down early. Level the base toward 3.

2. 2
   Year 5

   First decree pick: Loophole.

3. 3
   Years 7, 19, 31

   Merchants: every Patronage on offer.

4. 4
   Every year

   Patronage the base, then Rewind it back.

5. 5
   Years 13, 21, 29

   Later picks: Loophole if you missed it.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when the first Patronage shows up and Loophole or Exiler is already in the run.

Pivot

Patronage is a Jack of Rainbows card, never in the Time deck. If none has come by the second merchant, the base stays at level 3; put the Portals and Rewinds into the Amplifier Ring instead.

Countered by

• The King of Stone as an enemy. Its Ballistas shoot through every troop in the way, so a wave of them still lands hits while the rifts work.
• A run with no Patronage. Without it the base stops at level 3 and the rifts never outgrow the waves.

Core cards

WarperTroop · King of TimeLegendary troop that summons melee units with half its stats. 5 units a level and 17 seconds between attacks, so its strength is in how many of them there are.Card text

Summons melee units that inherit half its stats.

Card page →

PortalBuilding · King of TimeWhen it reaches max level, your kingdom travels 2 years back in time. Whatever the calendar holds in those years comes round again.Card text

When this building reaches max level, your kingdom travels 2 years back in time.

Card page →

Supporting cards

AmplifierBuilding · King of TimeGives every buff it gains to one plot beside it, and one more plot per level. It sits against the Warpers and passes everything on.Card text

Gives every buff it gains to one adjacent plot. Amplifies one extra plot per level.

Card page →

RewindTome · King of TimeThrown into the pit, it replaces your hand with copies of the cards you last played. After a Portal turn, that is Portals again.Card text

Throw this into the pit to replace your current hand with copies of your last played cards.

Card page →

Perks

PhysicistPerk · King of TimeStart with a Portal card, one per perk level up to 3. Three copies make one max level Portal, ready for the year you want to jump from.Perk text

Start with +1 Portal card.

All perks & decrees →

BrutalPerk · King of TimeYour troops start with an Adrenaline stack, which speeds up their attacks during battle. Warpers wait 17 seconds between attacks, so they need it more than anyone.Perk text

Your troops start with +1 Adrenaline stack.

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Decrees

KintsugiDecree · King of TimeBroken decrees are 2x more powerful. Looping back through a decree year means picking again, and those picks now pay double.Decree text

Broken decrees are 2x more powerful.

All perks & decrees →

WormholeDecree · King of TimePortals travel 1 more year back, and it can be taken 3 times. A longer jump passes more of the calendar on every trip.Decree text

Portals now travel +1 year back in time.

All perks & decrees →

MegaminionDecree · King of TimeWarpers summon giga tanks with double HP and damage, up to 3 picks. It fixes the summons' weak point, which is how little HP they inherit.Decree text

Warpers now summon giga tanks with double HP and Damage.

All perks & decrees →

Blessing

Baby BoomBlessingDoubles the unit count of the troop on the target plot in the year of the prophecy. On the Warpers, every loop back through that year doubles them again, until the plot holds the 4999 troops it can carry.Blessing text

If you have a troop card on the target plots by the year of the prophecy, doubles its number of units.

All perks & decrees →

Play order

1. 1
   Opening

   Portals first, every copy on the same plot. Warpers go next to where the Amplifier will sit.

2. 2
   Blessing

   Baby Boom on the Warper plot.

3. 3
   Years 5, 13, 21, 29

   Decree picks: Kintsugi first, then Wormhole up to its 3 takes, then Megaminion.

4. 4
   Every year

   After a Portal turn, throw Rewind into the pit to get the Portals back in hand.

Commit or pivot

Commit

Commit when you start with Portals in hand and the blessing on offer is Baby Boom. Without it the loop still replays decree picks, which is where Kintsugi earns its place.

Pivot

No Warper by the first trip back? Put the levels into an Hourglass. It is the other thing Time opponents lose to, and it does not need the blessing.

Countered by

• Area damage. A level 1 Warper has 22 HP and its summons inherit half, so they die in crowds. Dragon Dens, Combustion and an Hourglass all clear them.
• Elves. They always shoot the most distant target, which is the Warper plot standing behind its own summons.
• No blessing. If Baby Boom is not offered, the plot grows 5 units a level like any other troop and the loop has much less to repeat.