Duelyst

Duelyst

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Faction Pros Cons and Specialty
By अभिषेक
GrincherZ's Updated Budget Decklists, Overview, Pros, Cons and Upgrades http://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=763080853

My Guide on Deck Building and Strategy is now up. Be sure to check at http://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=763000157

So after patch 1.71 and Denizens of Shim’Zar realeasing now its time to give you guys some "Factions Guide". In this patch ABYSSIAN was heavily nerfed as its shadow tiles now deals only 1 damage which was previously equal to the number of shadow tiles. Also MAGMAR was patched as its egg now hatch at start of turn and hatched creatures can now immediately used. This guide will cover pros and cons of a faction while giving some of their unique playstyle. This would help you guys to build the deck so as to maximize the faction strength. Soon i will make Game play Meta Guide so stay tuned. Use my code "xmrhacker" to get free 100 gold. Also be sure to check my Duelyst "Challenges and Their Rewards" Guide http://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=753352604
   
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LYONAR


Lyonar uses lots of Provokes and high health Minions to focus on having massive presence on the battlefield. When playing as Lyonar, your goal is to amass a large, sturdy army to beat your opponent down. You can make use of Lyonar’s excellent healing abilities to keep your Minions and General alive. To finish your opponent off, you can use cards like Divine Bond to turn your Minions’ Health into damage to deal lots of damage in one Attack, or Skywind Glaives and other Zeal effects to turn your nearby Minions into powerhouse Attackers. Recommended for beginners.

Strengths
  • Your Minions have lots of Health and very efficient combat stats overall for their cost.
  • You have access to the widest variety of healing options.
  • Lots of area-of-effect damage so you can blow apart the battlefield.
  • You can use many different types of Dispels to disrupt bonus effects on other Minions.
  • Extremely threatening when you're in melee range of your opponent.
Weaknesses
  • Difficult for you and your army to catch fleeing enemies.
  • You have limited Attack options at range.
  • Difficult for you to break enemy Artifacts.
  • Your spells often need allied Minions to be alive for at least one turn before they can be effective.
  • Difficult for you to come back from a losing position when your opponent takes control of the battlefield.

Speciality : Zeal, Provoke, Healing

Zeal-> Your Minions with Zeal gain bonus effects while adjacent to your General.
  • Your Zeal Minions will lose the buff whenever your General is not in an adjacent square, even if the buff was already applied before.
  • Diagonally adjacent minions also count for Zeal.
Provoke-> Nearby enemies can select ONLY this Minion as an Attack target and cannot move.
  • If your enemy is Provoked by multiple Minions at once, they can choose any Provoke Minion to target.
  • Provoke can be used to lock enemies down to allow you and your army to catch up and get some good swings in!
  • Placing yourself directly between a Provoke and the edge of the battlefield covers you from all sides.
  • The root from Provoke can be used to force your opponent to block their own Minions from being able to Attack. This is an advanced tactic!
SONGHAI


As Songhai, you can be very mobile and aggressive. You have lots of combos and synergy between your spells and units. You can use your superior mobility to outmaneuver your opponent’s Minions, preferring to avoid threats rather than facing them head-on. Spells like Mist Walking allow you to get in and out quickly, and put you in prime position to Backstab your opponents. Spells like Mist Dragon Seal allow you to teleport your Minions across the battlefield to make a hasty escape or a sneaky entrance.

Strengths
  • You have various options to deal damage, with both direct spell damage and damage-focused buffs.
  • High combo synergy allows you to deal heavy burst damage in one turn.
  • You can easily break your opponent's artifacts by using Bloodrage Mask and Four Winds Magi.
  • Can fight up close or at range using your Minions and spells.
  • You have the most diverse positioning options, using teleportation to your advantage.
Weaknesses
  • Your Minions are very frail.
  • You have low defensive options outside of retreating.
  • It's difficult for you to remove big threats.
  • You can draw ‘bad hands’ - hands without spells, creatures, or specific combo pieces.
  • If playing aggressively, you can run out of cards quickly; slower Songhai decks can have a higher chance of drawing poorly early game.

Speciality : Backstab, Ranged, Positioning

Backstab-> When Attacking from the square directly behind the target, you deal extra damage and will not receive counterattacks.
  • Using your teleportation spells can allow normally difficult Backstabs.
  • Backstab Minions have poor survivability; play them in safe positions until you're ready to Attack!
  • Enemies who Attack Backstab minions will still take bonus damage if their back is facing your minion.
  • It is very difficult to Backstab the same target more than once in one turn. Inner Focus can allow Minions like Kaido Assassin to Backstab multiple times!
Ranged-> Attack from anywhere on the battlefield.
  • Your General *with Cyclone Mask equipped* or Minions with Ranged do not take counterattacks from far away enemies! You will still take counterattacks if you Attack adjacent enemies though.
  • Ranged is counterattacked by other Ranged, but not by Blast.
  • Ranged can make great use of Attack buffs to pick off enemies from a distance and free from harm!
VETRUVIAN


As Vetruvian, you are focused around using creatures with low base stats that have powerful special effects. You can also swarm your opponent with small creatures and buff them while drawing lots of cards. Using debuffs, you are able to weaken opposing Minions, reducing their Attack or mobility. You are most comfortable at range, controlling the ‘zone’ where your opponent can safely move. One single misstep can spell disaster against you, as your spells are often based on the position of your enemies on the battlefield. You can generate Dervish tokens with your spells and Minions and buff these Dervishes to gain a huge advantage in battle.

Strengths
  • Your minions are very powerful if not Dispelled.
  • You’re good at destroying Artifacts due to Rasha's Curse.
  • Blast forces your opponent to spread out, allowing other spells like Stars' Fury to become more effective.
  • You have excellent late game Spells and Minions, such as Time Maelstrom and Aymara Healer.
  • Your Minions gain value over time - while Obelysks are alive, they generate Dervishes and some Obelysks also buff other Dervishes.
Weaknesses
  • Dervish tokens die at the end of the turn unless buffed by Dunecaster to remain on the battlefield.
  • Not very effective at repelling aggressors once they have already reached you.
  • Dispel removes a lot of power from your creatures.
  • Conditional, expensive removal. Your ability to neutralize enemy creatures only works in certain situations.
  • Positional requirements on many of your spells means your opponent can outplay you with well thought out movements.

Speciality : Blast, Summon Dervish

Blast-> Attack ALL enemies in the same row of the initial Attack target from any range.
  • Minions and Generals with Blast are not counterattacked by enemies that are out of range, excluding enemies with Ranged.
  • Blast ONLY counterattacks against adjacent enemies, and does not pierce through on counterattacks.
  • It’s a good idea to place your Blast Minions in the center row and away from the action, as you can effectively move to reach all tiles on the battlefield from that position with your massive range!
Summon Dervish-> At the start of your turn, summon a Dervish with Rush into a random nearby space.
  • Your Obelysks can't move or Attack, but the Dervishes they spawn can!
  • All Dervishes are affected by Fireblaze Obelysk and Windstorm Obelysk's buff while the Obelysks are still alive.
  • Your summoned Dervish tokens disappear at the end of your turn unless buffed by a Dunecaster.
  • Your Dervish tokens disappear when Dispelled.
  • Your Obelysks won’t spawn Dervish tokens if the Obelysk is surrounded.
  • You can purposely block bad Dervish spawn locations using your General and Minions!
ABYSSIAN


As Abyssian, you excel at removing big threats and can generate many small Minions, while also having great late game threats. Deathwatch can power up your Minions, deal damage while healing you, or generate Wraithlings. Wraithlings are 1/1 tokens that can be used as sacrifices for powerful spells and cause more deaths on the battlefield to fuel Deathwatch effects. Additionally, you boast a wide range of removal spells and area control. Although you are high on damage and battlefield control, your creatures are not very efficient.

Strengths
  • Your battlefield advantages can be quickly converted into damage with Deathwatch.
  • Numerous Rush minions and damage spells allow you to be very aggressive.
  • You possess many different forms of Minion removal.
  • Has a moderate amount of healing which also deals damage to your opponent.
  • You can use a variety of different deck archetypes and strategies.
Weaknesses
  • Difficult to come back after you have no more Minions on the battlefield.
  • Your removal is expensive, requiring a sacrifice of your own Minions or a lot of Mana.
  • Your Minions are not very efficient and rely on Deathwatch to gain effectiveness.
  • Difficulty against Dispel; your Deathwatch and Shadow Creep are both Dispellable.
  • Low cost creatures that fuel Deathwatch are very frail and survive mainly by outnumbering your opponents, causing Area of Effect damage to be highly effective against you.

Speciality : Deathwatch, Shadow Creep (Heavily Nerfed This Patch), Sucide

Deathwatch-> Triggers a special effect whenever ANY Minion dies.
  • Best used in conjunction with Wraithlings, where each 1/1 token death can count towards Deathwatch.
  • Since your enemies’ deaths count too, Deathwatch Minions tend to make your opponent hesitant to Attack on their own turn until there are no more Deathwatches left.
  • Rush Minions work well with Deathwatch, as they usually die the turn they are summoned.
Shadow Creep-> A special tile which is generated from some Minions and spells. Deals 1 Damage at end of owner turn.
MAGMAR


As Magmar you are big, slow, and powerful. Once you reach your opponent, your enormous Minions and mighty Artifacts can deal massive damage! You can slowly take over the battlefield as your opponent runs out of space to retreat by using Grow Minions. You’ll quickly end your opponent's life in melee range by using Rush and Frenzy Minions along with Artifacts. Your removal is great, with lots of Area-of-Effect and Dispel. Recommended for New Players.

Strengths
  • Your Minions are very resilient and can be buffed for a very low cost.
  • Using Kujata and Flash Reincarnation, you can reduce the cost of your creatures.
  • Your great Area-of-Effect and single target removal keeps the battlefield clear of threats.
  • Extremely powerful when in melee range of your opponent.
  • You have many ways of using Frenzy, including Makantor Warbeast, a Minion with both Rush and Frenzy.
Weaknesses
  • Some of your Spells and Minions have high costs for their effects.
  • Your Minions may take a while to reach your opponent unless you’re playing with lots of Rush.
  • It’s difficult to remove your opponent’s Artifacts.
  • You don’t have extra card draw outside of neutral cards.
  • Many of your Spells and Minion effects can damage or destroy your Minions. Some can also damage your General!

Speciality : Grow, Rebirth(Buffed This Patch), Frenzy

Grow-> Gain Health and Attack bonuses at the start of your turn.
  • You can use your Grow Minions to make sure your Natural Selection and Plasma Storm can't affect you.
  • It often takes a Dispel or a costly removal to get rid of a minion with Grow.
  • Grow allows you to mitigate the damage dealt to your own Minions via effects such as Kujata, Flash Reincarnation, or Spirit Harvester.
Rebirth-> When your Minions with Rebirth die, they leave behind a 0/1 Egg that now hatch at the start of your turn. Additionally, minions that hatch from eggs are “ready” (can move and/or attack immediately).
  • It’s possible to use Egg Morph to hatch your Eggs immediately.
  • Eggs can be buffed by your spells, and can sometimes make for a great surprise tactic!
  • It’s best to leave the killing blow of any Rebirth Minion to your opponent, as they will not be able to stop the Egg from hatching if they don't kill it on the turn they cause the Egg to spawn.
Frenzy-> Simultaneously strike ALL enemies within Attack range.
  • Your General and Minions with Frenzy will only take counterattacks from the main Attack target.
  • Counterattacks from enemies with Frenzy won’t strike any targets besides the Attacker.
  • If a Ranged Minion gains Frenzy(MECHAZ0R!), it will only hit adjacent units if you Attack a target in melee range with your main Attack.
VANAR


When playing as Vanar, you want to use the battlefield and Minion blocking to your advantage. You excel at forcing your opponent into bad positions. You can trap your opponent using Walls and other Minions, eventually overwhelming them with massive battlefield presence. Superior removal gives you the ability to neutralize all sorts of threats. Using Vespyr Minion summons, you can trigger lots of different synergistic effects focused around keeping the battlefield clear of threats and buffing your Minions. You can Transform ANY minion on the battlefield to your advantage. Force your opponents to choose whether they get hit by Infiltrate Minions on their starting side or Avalanche on yours! Recommended for advanced players.

Strengths
  • You have excellent Minion removal options.
  • There are big payoffs for successfully Infiltrating your opponent’s side of the battlefield.
  • You have very high play making potential and mind games using the Infiltrate and Avalanche zones.
  • Vespyr based strategies can completely take over the battlefield if your Vespyr minions survive.
  • It's difficult for your opponent to fully remove threats such as Fenrir Warmaster and Snow Chaser without Dispel.
Weaknesses
  • You have very limited card draw options.
  • Win conditions are very slow without your Minions on the battlefield.
  • Your Area of Effect spells are very conditional and can be avoided with careful play.
  • You have no innate healing options.
  • Most of your Walls have no combat stats and are weak to Area-of-Effect removal.
Speciality : Vespyr, Infiltrate, Walls, Transform

Vespyr-> Special Minion type that triggers synergistic effects when other Vespyr Minions are summoned to the battlefield.
  • Many of your abilities trigger every time a Vespyr minion is summoned - the main focus is to gain control over the battlefield.
  • Frostfire gives an extra health bonus to Vespyr units.
  • Vespyr tokens, like those generated by Voice of the Wind and Walls generated by Bonechill Barrier, will also activate Vespyr effects!
Infiltrate-> Gain a bonus while on your opponent's starting side of the battlefield.
  • Your Infiltrate bonus applies to the first four columns from your opponent's starting side. Avalanche is the first four columns on your starting side.
  • You can also use Walls and Provoke to block your opponent from running out of the Infiltrate zone so you can continue to use your Infiltrate bonuses!
Walls-> A special type of token generated by spells.
  • Your Walls cannot move, and are destroyed when Dispelled.
  • Walls are used to block your enemies' movement and can be Transformed or buffed.
  • Enemies often avoid walls, so you can also use them as a zoning tool.
Transform-> Change a Minion into another Minion with different stats and abilities.
  • Transformation can be used on your own minions to make them stronger OR the enemy minion as a removal to make it weaker.
  • Your Transformations will not activate Dying Wish or Deathwatch - the target Minion becomes a different Minion entirely.
  • Walls or other active creatures will remain active after being Transformed. Keep this in mind, as you can use your Walls as offensive tools by using cards like Aspect of the Drake!
  • When Aspect of the Mountains is used on an enemy, you still deal damage to other nearby enemies! This can surprise opponents with tight formations.

NEUTRALS
Airdrop-> Summon this Minion anywhere on the battlefield.
  • Allows you to play Minions safely or more aggressively than you otherwise could.
  • Playing other Minions *after* using an Airdrop as a “launch pad” can cause serious damage to your opponent’s weak spots.
Celerity-> This Minion may activate twice per turn.
  • Attacking with your Celerity Minion counts as one activation. Moving twice without Attacking once forfeits one activation.
  • Reactivating an exhausted Celerity Minion with a spell such as Inner Focus or Spirit of the Wild will give it two more activations.
Dispel-> Abilities and enchantments added to this minion are removed.
  • Any damage sustained to an enchanted Minion will remain after being Dispelled. This means if a Minion takes more than its original max health in damage, it will die immediately after losing its bonus Health!
  • Dispels applied in combat, such as Sunstone Templar, will apply before counterattacks *if you are the attacker.*
Dying Wish-> Triggers a special effect when this Minion dies.
  • Will not trigger Dying Wish: Summon X on this space on death if something spawns in the same square(such as Dark Transformation) before Dying Wish triggers. This is based on who initiates the action; the initiator’s effect takes priority.
  • Transformation spells such as Metamorphosis and Aspect of the Fox will not trigger Dying Wish.
Exhausted-> This minion has finished acting for the turn.
  • Minions summoned from the Action Bar are exhausted when they come into play.
  • Reactivation refers to removing the exhausted state from your Minions.
Flying-> Move anywhere on the battlefield.
  • You can bypass enemies who are blocking your movement!
  • You can also use Flying to move to a safe summoning position to make your Minions tougher to reach!
Opening Gambit-> This Minion triggers an effect immediately before being summoned from the Action Bar.
  • It’s important to note that the trigger occurs before the minion is summoned - Minions such as Hearth-Sister will swap positions before you capture a Mana Spring tile!
  • Will not trigger if you summon a Minion using a spell such as Nether Summoning.
Rush-> Enables this Minion to move and Attack on the same turn that it is summoned.
  • Summoning Rush Minions adjacent to your other Minions allows you to extend the effective Attack range of your Rush Minion.
  • Inversely, you can use Rush Minions as a launch pad to summon your other Minions closer!
21 Comments
अभिषेक  [author] 15 Apr, 2018 @ 7:33pm 
@RKNM this guide was like more than 2 years ago. Magmar was nerfed a lot but for now its somewhat viable. I remember playing magmar. Most of time i used to end by turn 7.
RKNM 15 Apr, 2018 @ 6:29pm 
This guide is so dated. Proof: they actually say that magmar has weaknesses (to a lesser extent vetruvian). Fact: Magmar has been broken since before unearthed prophecy. Also Fact: CPG has done nothing to nerf Magmar or buff the other factions to be their equals (and continue to do nothing about balancing it, nor will they in the future)
अभिषेक  [author] 8 Jan, 2017 @ 8:01am 
I mentioned that its of 1.71 patch.
Brooke 8 Jan, 2017 @ 7:41am 
PSA: This guide is dated as of the RotB expansion. For example, Magmar now has some of the best draw in the game, whereas this guide says they have no viable in faction draw options
अभिषेक  [author] 30 Oct, 2016 @ 8:52pm 
@Sportacus Ok
Digiorno Giovanna 30 Oct, 2016 @ 1:56pm 
magmar does have card draw. you could say minimal but not none
Honestly though 24 Sep, 2016 @ 8:59am 
yea and it actually destroys generals pretty easily
अभिषेक  [author] 24 Sep, 2016 @ 8:26am 
@Nordic Lord It is divine bond. Means you are playing lyonar. Its ok for this stage. Its of one the strong cards of lyonar and is basic.
Honestly though 24 Sep, 2016 @ 6:47am 
well maybe it's because i just started out and i am facing those who just started out but a lot of my wins involve late game putting down high health troops and using a spell (forgot what it is called but it is a basic card) which adds 1 attack for every health so say you have a card with 8/8 you can make it 16/8 or you can do it to flying stuff for less damage but it can go directly at the general
अभिषेक  [author] 24 Sep, 2016 @ 12:34am 
@Nordic Lord Wining from a normal late game abyssian deck is very hard. Cause they have solid death watch effects. Shadow dancer + Sister will heal him to full health almost i.e even a simple wraithling will do 2 damage (1 Damage to minion + 1 Damage to enemy general) and will heal you 2. There are many replays of full health win from abysian.