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Act 1 - Exordium

The beginning of your journey through the Spire. Establish your deck's identity and prepare for the challenges ahead.

🎯 Strategy Overview

Act 1 is about building a functional deck. You need enough damage to kill elites and the boss, plus basic defense. Don't take too many cards — a lean deck is better than a bloated one. Prioritize cards that deal damage or apply Vulnerable.

📋 Priorities

  1. 1 Front-loaded damage (Carnage, Predator, Ball Lightning)
  2. 2 Vulnerable application (Bash+, Leg Sweep, Uppercut)
  3. 3 Basic scaling (Inflame, Footwork, Defragment)
  4. 4 Card removal at shops (remove Strikes first)
  5. 5 Taking 2-3 elites for better rewards

⚔️ Elite Encounters

Gremlin Nob

❤️ 106-111

Gains 2 Strength every time you play a Power card. Starts with Enrage and hits increasingly hard.

Attack Pattern

Turn 1: Bellow (Enrage, +2 Str per Power) → Skull Bash (8 dmg + 2 Vulnerable) or Rush (14 dmg) alternating

Strategy

Do NOT play Power cards. Focus on Attacks and Skills. Front-load damage and apply Vulnerable/Weak. Kill fast before Strength snowballs.

▸ Every Power card gives Nob +2 Strength — avoid them entirely
▸ Weak is extremely valuable to reduce his scaling damage
▸ This fight is the #1 reason Act 1 decks should prioritize attack cards
▸ If you must play a Power, do it on the killing turn

Lagavulin

❤️ 112-116

Sleeps for 3 turns with 8 Block each turn. Awakens after 3 turns or when attacked. Each turn applies -1 Strength and -1 Dexterity (permanent debuff).

Attack Pattern

Sleeping: 8 Block per turn for 3 turns → Awakens → Siphon Soul (-1 Str, -1 Dex) and Attack (18 dmg) alternating

Strategy

Either burst through 8 Block during sleep to deal free damage, or set up during sleep turns and kill fast after awakening. The longer the fight, the weaker you get.

▸ Str/Dex debuffs are permanent and cumulative — end the fight quickly
▸ You can use the 3 sleep turns to set up Powers and buffs
▸ Artifact prevents the Str/Dex loss — very valuable here
▸ With strong enough damage, attack immediately to get free hits through 8 Block

3 Sentries

❤️ 39-45 each

Three enemies that alternate between attacking and adding Daze (status) cards to your discard pile. Left and right Sentries add Dazes; center attacks.

Attack Pattern

Left+Right: Bolt (9 dmg) and Daze (add 2 Dazes) alternating. Center: opposite pattern. One group attacks while others Daze.

Strategy

Kill the outer Sentries first to stop Daze flooding. AoE is excellent. Focus one side, then the other, then center.

▸ Dazes clog your draw pile and waste card draws
▸ AoE attacks (Cleave, Whirlwind, Dagger Spray) are incredibly strong
▸ Kill outer sentries first — center alone is manageable
▸ If you can't AoE, focus-fire one at a time

👹 Boss Encounters

The Guardian

❤️ 240

Alternates between attacking and defensive mode. In defensive mode, gains Thorns (Sharp Hide) and Mode Shift. After taking enough damage in defensive mode, returns to attack mode.

Hexaghost

❤️ 250

Turn 1: Activate (no damage). Turn 2+: cycles through attacks. After 6 charge turns, unleashes Inferno — a 6-hit attack where each hit = your first attack's damage + 2.

Slime Boss

❤️ 140

Uses Slam (35 damage) and Prepare (does nothing, telegraphs Slam). At 50% HP, splits into two smaller slimes (Acid Slime L + Spike Slime L).

⚠️ Common Mistakes

💡 Tips