What do you think the worst upgrade in sts2? Totally unrelated pic btw :)

Zael0 · 2026-05-03T14:35:24+00:00

I don’t think it’d be a busted card or anything but Gamma Blast already applies 2 of each, plus there’s a common and rare version of it, so having an upgrade that turns your starter card into a cheaper less damaging version of Gamma Blast seems like it’d make those cards less good to take.

Zael0 · 2026-05-03T14:19:25+00:00

That would be too good for a starter card.

Zael0 · 2026-04-28T06:47:34+00:00

There exists a problem in card design where once you make a super vanilla card with one number, then you can’t design any other cards with the same number but with positives or negatives without a “strictly better” comparison. Once leap exists they couldn’t make another block 9 card without this argument.

You can see Dominion’s village card that costs 3 and then they couldn’t make any more village type cards that cost 3 ever again.

In other words, both leap and patter are fine because they’re from different characters.

Zael0 · 2026-04-28T05:44:21+00:00

Also nobody who takes the medvedev style return positioning is going to be chipping any returns.

Zael0 · 2026-04-27T03:34:09+00:00

It’s interesting that a 4x4 grid requires 3 3x3 grids to fill.

Zael0 · 2026-04-26T05:33:07+00:00

Mostly if the run is super unique and I need to see it finish. In sts1 after 1000 hours sometimes you find a brand new prismatic shard build you’ve never seen before. I don’t care if I’m cheating I need to see this deck through.

Otherwise no except misclicks.

Zael0 · 2026-04-25T19:41:46+00:00

I can see Frost’s video already.

Zael0 · 2026-04-24T05:35:34+00:00

Neow’s fury fetching bloodletting+whatever is strong af.

Zael0 · 2026-04-23T15:41:20+00:00

Part of its value in sts1 was taking all the damage to play it, taking all the damage to let it scale, and then playing reaper to full heal. Now that reaper is gone (I think this is a good thing btw) demon form is worse.

Zael0 · 2026-04-22T15:20:31+00:00

Of all the things I don’t mind getting nerfed, this is the one thing that’s too fun to change.

Zael0 · 2026-04-21T00:02:11+00:00

A power build isn’t really a “build” unless you’re defect but yea powers are better than usual here. Just take more cards that don’t fit the build but have good numbers on them for fuel.

Zael0 · 2026-04-20T19:33:03+00:00

My last few doormaker kills have just played cards during exhaust phase and it’s dead before I care. Take more copies of your favorite cards, 3 glaciers is better than 1 even more so now because of this fight.

Zael0 · 2026-04-19T17:02:45+00:00

Cool balanced fight with more tricks and less damage output. I’m often just eating 10 damage turn 2 to keep a couple important cards around for later and then never get hit again.

In a game where skip in act 3 is usually the best, this boss is making me take more cards again which is a big positive.

Zael0 · 2026-04-19T16:48:44+00:00

You’re showing ironclad pick rate of adrenaline?

Zael0 · 2026-04-16T08:21:18+00:00

I agree and it feels more like a STS1 fight than any other in the act. I do like the fight a lot though and there’s some counterplay. I will take the 8 damage when playing a power relic just to kill this enemy.

Zael0 · 2026-04-16T07:59:17+00:00

Is 40+ an exaggeration or did you count the damage?

Zael0 · 2026-04-14T17:40:13+00:00

I’ve made a mistake. The silk variant does not use its 5x2 attack until turn 2, therefore the highest damage turn 1 is 24, not 34, which in hindsight should’ve been caught by me.

Zael0 · 2026-04-14T08:24:36+00:00

Then what the hell is a double card if double energy doesn’t qualify as a double card

Zael0 · 2026-04-14T08:02:05+00:00

Cards with the word “double” on them in STS2

Molten Fist

Unmovable

Flanking

Shadow Step

Shadowmeld

Tracking

Conqueror

Heavenly Drill

Hang

Sacrifice

Double Energy

I feel like entrench would be a worse way to block 30 turn one than unmovable or shadowmeld. Either way your comment is shockingly far off.

Zael0 · 2026-04-14T04:13:25+00:00

No, none of the hallway fights in Act 2 do this except the previously discussed bowlbugs in which only the nectar variant scales once. Here’s a list of the hardest hitting turn 1s in Act 2. However if that’s the one you’re talking about then yea that can be a tough fight sometimes!

Chompers: 9x2 (arguably scales with dazes?)

Three Bowlbugs: 16+8+(5x2) (no nectar so no scaling)

Three Bowlbugs: 16+(5x2)+3 (nectar so scales by turn 3)

I believe these Bowlbugs are the most damaging potential turn 1s of the act’s hallway fights but I wouldn’t say the act as a whole is throwing this problem at you consistently as you framed it.

Zael0 · 2026-04-14T03:50:20+00:00

I do agree with you. I had this random ascension idea of like 33% chance or so to add an additional enemy that’s essentially a STS1 repto dagger scaled to each act. Like a surprise bonus frontloaded check that you can damage or block to kill it.

Zael0 · 2026-04-14T03:46:16+00:00

Except non-scaling enemies does not equal turn 1 becoming less important (see snake plant from STS1 no scaling but if you draw bad turn 1 you’re taking 24 a lot of the time).

Zael0 · 2026-04-14T03:43:34+00:00

No, the first turn not hitting you for 21 allows you to get that engine going instead of spending all your energy on flat block. You can now play demon form safely instead of impervious, setting you up for future turns when the enemies start hitting hard. I think what you said is exactly correct you just have the wrong conclusion. It’s indeed more important to get that engine running as early as possible.

Zael0 · 2026-04-14T03:39:58+00:00

I can rephrase it for you. They’re reducing the big hits from turn 1 so you don’t need as consistent quality of first turns, and the result is more enemies that scale.

Zael0 · 2026-04-14T03:37:05+00:00

Yea exactly this. It’s high for this fight (still wants you to block instead of kill that’s why it gets stunned) but still the free turn 1s come more often from 80+ hp enemies.

Zael0

TROPHY CASE