Hey there.

This guide is meant to show you how to make a god-like Defect.

You won't die. Ever again. And you'll win every battle on the first turn, at least until you're facing bosses with "+1000% HP" or something like that (I didn't go that far).

So, let's check the deck you'll need.

I'll lay down my current deck first, because it's what I have going on at the moment and I know it works. (The ideal deck will be shown right after it.)

After a couple successful climbs in Endless Mode, you'll get a Blight that limits the maximum number of cards you can use in a single turn to 15, so you might want to build a deck with a total of 15 cards just so that you can use all of them at once, instead of worrying about how many you have already used in a turn and which one to use next before you reach the limit.


So here is my current deck:

1x Heatsinks+
3x Storm+
2x Electrodynamics+
4x Biased Cognition+
6x Buffer+
1x Thunderstrike+
1x Reinforced Body+

("+" signs means the cards are upgraded, which is obviously what you want.)

In the interest of full disclosure: I also have 1x Echo Form in there, which makes the first card you use each turn be automatically cast twice (it can give you extra Buffs if you save Buffers for following turns, but I can't remember the last time I used it, since I've been beating every battle in the first turn for quite a while now). And also 2x Master of Strategy, a colorless card that costs 0 and makes you draw 3/4 cards, which I had to use before I managed to make my Heatsinks innate (I'll explain this up ahead).


Ideally, you should limit your deck to 15 cards. So here's what you really want:

1x Heatsinks+
3x Storm+
1x Electrodynamics+
4x Biased Cognition+
4x Buffer+
1x Thunderstrike+
1x Reinforced Body+

Note: other than Thunderstrike and Reinforced Body, every other card in the deck is a Power. Powers can only be used once, then they're gone. After you've used all of them, the only cards you'll keep drawing will be Thunderstrike and Reinforced Body (which is in there as a "safety-net," in case you go too far and end up needing armor at some point).

Note 2: it might be a good idea to keep at least one extra card in your deck, in case you step on an Event Node that forces you to discard something. If you don't want to put a 16th card in there, discard Reinforced Body instead.


So let's see how this plays in combat.

You managed to put all that together. Now you're climbing this weird, infinite Spyre, when monstrous bullies pop out of nowhere and assault you for no good reason. You start to panic. "Oh. My. GOD! I'm going to die! What do I do now? WHAT DO I DO?!"

Don't worry. I know the feeling.

And now is your time to shine.


You play it like this (taking the "15-card deck" into account):

1 - Use Heatsinks. After that, you'll draw two cards whenever you use a Power.
2 - Use 3 Storms. That will make every Power you cast afterwards channel 3 lightning orbs, thus evoking your first ones, doing damage to the enemies.
3 - Use 4 Biased Cognitions. Your Focus, and thus your damage, will sky rocket.
4 - Use 4 Buffer. Now you can take 8 hits without losing any HP.
5 - Use Thunderstrike. Considering how many lightning orbs you'll have channeled by now, this will deal a massive amount of damage and end the fight (if it didn't end yet).
6 - Use Reinforced Body, to turn any energy you may have left into Block.
7 - If the fight still goes on, you'll redraw Thunderstrike and Reinforced Body next turn. So just keep repeating steps "5" and "6", if it ever comes to that.

With all Relics and under the right circunstances, I have seen my Thunderstrike hitting for 82 damage. Times 50.

IMPORTANT: You need to start by casting Heatsinks (or you'll run out of cards) and follow up with the 3 Storms (for maximum damage output). After that, just cast whatever card in your hand is costing 0 (thanks to Mummified Hand, a Relic we'll see in the next section).


But wait. We're not done yet!

What happens if you run out of Energy? What if you don't draw Heatsinks right away?

That's where the Relics come in. A few of them are essential for this to work.

Let's check them out.

Relics are hallowed. Relics are holy. And Relics carry a whole lot of power.

You need them, but, first and foremost:

DO NOT PICK UP VELVET CHOKER (the relic that limits you to use 6 cards a turn)! That being said...


Essential Relics:

1 - Bottled Tornado (ATTACH THIS TO HEATSINKS! This will make your Heatsinks innate.)
2 - Mummified Hand (Whenever you play a Power card, a random card in your hand costs 0.)
3 - Nuclear Battery (Start combat with 1 channeled Plasma; +Energy. In practice, this means +3 Energy in the first turn.)

In the worst case scenario (if Mummified Hand doesn't lower the cost of 2 of your Storms right away), 6 Energy should be enough for you to cast everything up to Thunderstrike (Reinforced Body is an "X" cost card, and also not a necessary cast).

With Prides (up next), you'll need a maximum of 9 energy.


After the 4th successfull climb or so, you'll get 3 innate Prides (playable curses). Then, these Relics will also become essential:

1 - Smiling Mask (Merchan'ts Card Removal Service always costs 50 gold. You'll want to Remove the 3 Prides ASAP at the start of every new climb.)
2 - Lantern (+Energy in the first round. No trade-offs.)

And 2 of the following. Which 2 is up to you:

1 - Philosopher's Stone (+Energy. Enemies get +1 Strength.)
2 - Runic Dome (+Energy. Can no longer see enemies' intents.)
3 - Cursed Key (+Energy. Get a Curse when opening non-Boss chests. These won't be available anymore after the first or second successful climb.)
4 - Fusion Hammer (+Energy. Can no longer Smith at Rest Sites.)
5 - Sozu (+Energy. Can no longer obtain Potions.)
6 - Busted Crown (+Energy. Card Rewards have only 1 card choice from now on.)
7 - Coffee Dripper (+Energy. Can no longer Rest at Rest Sites.)

These are all "+Energy" cards, so you can get as many as you want if you're OK with their trade-offs.


Helpful ones:

1 - Singing Bowl (Gives you the option of getting +2hp instead of cards, when receiving these. VERY helpful before you manage to put your entire deck together.)
2 - Akabeko (First Attack each round deals +8 damage. Great buff for Thunderstrike.)
3 - Strike Dummy (Cards containing "Strike" deal +3 damage. Buffs Thunderstrike.)
4 - Membership Card (50% discount with the Merchant. Helps you buy cards and Relics.)
5 - The Courier (20% discount, plus Merchant restocks his items.)
6 - Data Disk (Start every combat with +1 Focus.)
7 - Fossilized Helix (Prevents damage the first time you're hit in combat.)
8 - Preserved Insect (-25% HP to Elites and Bosses.)
9 - Slaver's Collar (+Energy against Elites and Bosses.)
10 - Chemical X (+2 to "Costs X" cards' effects. Slightly useful for Reinforced Body.)
11 - Calipers (Lose only 15 block between turns. Useful for Reinforced Body, if you ever need it.)
12 - Bag of Preparation (Draw +2 cards when combat starts.)


Eventually, you'll have every Relic. Just make sure you don't get the ones with trade-offs you don't want. Most trade-offs are irrelevant, given that, once you're fully built, you'll never need to heal, Smith, etc. again, but Sozu's one (unable to obtain potions) sucks a little bit. You'll never need potions again either, but it's nice to have some of those "Get back to X% HP when you die" ones on you. You know, just to feel twice as immortal.

We're done, lads!

Build this thing, go out there and climb The Spyre until you reach another galaxy, then wonder if you'll ever die, and feel bad about abandoning your run to start another, with a different character, as you want to because you are not OK with throwing everything you've just achieved away... like me. That's where I'm stuck at, right now.


Finally, I'd like to thank my family and friends for the patience and support they showed me in the 3 hours it took me to write this guide while I was home-alone and none of them knew I was doing it.

Thanks, guys. I couldn't have done it with you.



And thank you for reading this guide!