Decklists

Abu Bakr Jump shell with Easter Island swapped for Chang Cheng — deploys terrain into a CENTER space (vs Chang Cheng's wall space), shaping where he can kite. Sayf Al Siddiq Jump discount. NOTE: runs TWO armor (Qawqa A + Zhong Mo) as pictured — same theorycraft / Zhong-Mo-4th-slot caveat as the other double-armor Abu Bakr list.

Abu Bakr Jumps into an enemy's base grid — Fungus Profanam deals +1 damage when attacking from a /+0/ or /-1/ space in the defender's base grid, so his Jump positioning sets up the bonus. Libertas Combo: move + base-attack each adjacent enemy. Arabian Horse repositions; Mukhadhab Bil Hinna combo move-and-attack. A more offensive Abu Bakr line.

Cleaner legal version of the Abu Bakr Jump shell: Sayf Al Siddiq (Dodge/Jump discount) + Chang Cheng wall control + Qawqa A reactive DEF. Tokugawa Bakufu adds MORE jump mobility — spend 2 actions to corner-jump, or (since Abu Bakr is blue) jump to ANY wall space. A pure board-control kiter.

Abu Bakr Jumps (2 actions) into any space in an enemy's base grid — a mobility/positioning Champion. Sayf Al Siddiq discounts his Dodge/Jump powers by 1 action (the key enabler). Chang Cheng deploys a wall: adjacent enemies -1 DEF / allies +1 DEF. NOTE: list as pictured runs TWO armor (Qawqa A + Zhong Mo) — no standard exemption on Abu Bakr, so this leans on Zhong Mo's '4th-round slot, revealable any round' clause / is theorycraft.

Abu Bakr Jump shell with Kranos Liontariou armor: +2 Champion initiative while he hasn't moved — interesting tension with a Jump deck (go-first when you hold still, then leap). Sayf Al Siddiq discount + Chang Cheng wall + Tokugawa corner/wall jump round out the control-kite plan.

Same Kranos go-first core; Bucephalus as the special — wins-initiative repositioning (move up to 2 if blue, which Abu Bakr is). Kranos rewards standing still for +2 init, Bucephalus then moves him for free after he wins the roll. Sayf Al Siddiq Jump discount + Tokugawa mobility.

Legal Kranos Liontariou variant of the Abu Bakr Jump shell. Kranos: +2 initiative while he hasn't moved (go-first, then leap). Gorin No Sho: water/wood Champions move a space and non-water/non-wood enemies lose -2 ATK — fits Abu Bakr's blue/water lean and softens the field before he kites.

Third Kranos variant, swapping in Lipizano for the splash plan: Jump adjacent to enemies, then spend Lipizano to move + deal 1 to each adjacent Champion. Kranos +2 init holds the go-first; Sayf Al Siddiq discount + Tokugawa jump. This is the legal-armor cousin of the earlier Khutga/Lipizano list.

Builder's stated goal was 'make Lipizano viable.' Lipizano: spend 1 action + the card to move one space and deal 1 damage to each adjacent Champion — Abu Bakr's Jump positions him adjacent to enemies to maximize that splash. Khutga deals +1 damage with a revealed earth/metal cavalry card (Lipizano IS the cavalry enabler). Kabuto + Tokugawa = double jump mobility.

All-mobility Abu Bakr: Sayf Al Siddiq discounts Jump; Kabuto Jumps diagonally (2 spaces if blue — Abu Bakr is); Tokugawa Bakufu corner/wall jump. Gorin No Sho: water/wood Champions move a space and all non-water/non-wood enemies lose -2 ATK — a strong control reveal that also fits his blue/water lean.

Different Yue Fei build — swaps the polearm/Doomsday shell for an aggressive cavalry race. Arabian Horse: move on initiative win, or +1 base ATK on initiative loss (good either way). Aries: earth/metal +1 base ATK (Yue Fei is wood, so he instead gets +1 weapon ATK/+1 init). Crocea Mors disarms (deplete defender loadout). Zhong Mo armor.

Yue Fei + Gladius Hispaniensis (free base attack on a weapon miss) — extra swings on top of his pre-round-1 turn. Ars Adaptationis: +1 base ATK and +1 aether/void weapon ATK. Russkoye init-9 go-first stacks with his head-start; Zhong Mo armor. A go-first aggro line.

Yue Fei (green/wood) keys off Doomsday Book — only earth/void/wood Champions get its defense reroll + all-enemies -1 ATK. Yasakani no Magatama gives wood Champions another reroll (and d6 adjust). Whakaza Tabda: +1 init, or +2 if he has a revealed aether/metal/void card. Kusanagi no Tsurugi poison-spends to deal 2 with a Combo/Disarm. A reroll-heavy tempo build.

Yue Fei with Pilum: on attack it depletes a revealed shield in the defender's loadout AND gives +1 base ATK — anti-shield tech plus a buff. Double defense-reroll wood shell (Doomsday Book + Manteio Ton Delfon, set to /8/ if he won init). Zereh E Falsdar armor: on a defense roll of /7/ or less, deplete + all attacks vs him -1 ATK.

Yue Fei's pre-round-1 turn + Yong Quan Shen Qiang (reroll its weapon attack and +1 damage in round 1) front-loads a big first strike. Hagar Rashid: everyone makes a base then a weapon attack — extra swings. Olympias: free base attack if he missed all attacks (red/orange = +1 ATK). Mukhadhab Bil Hinna combos move-2-and-attack.

Same Yue Fei core, inspiration = Entegham E Padarat (all Champions +1 base ATK / -1 DEF) — turns the build aggressive, trading the defensive Doomsday/Manteio plan for a race buff that amplifies his front-loaded Yong Quan first strike. Zhong Mo armor.

The recurring Yue Fei core (Yong Quan Shen Qiang weapon + Doomsday Book + Zhong Mo armor), testing the inspiration slot. Manteio Ton Delfon: reroll a defense roll, set to /8/ if he won initiative — which his pre-round-1 turn helps secure. Stacks two defense rerolls (Manteio + Doomsday) on a wood Champion.

Yue Fei core with the init-9 staple Russkoye Prosveshieniye as the inspiration — doubles down on the go-first plan (pre-round-1 turn + Russkoye init) so the round-1 Yong Quan reroll/+1-damage strike lands before the opponent acts. Doomsday Book + Zhong Mo round it out.

Yue Fei core with Yao Long (+1 base ATK per loadout card showing a different element) — this loadout spans Chinese weapon, Briton special, Chinese inspiration, Chinese armor, so element diversity is moderate. Adds a flat ATK push on top of the Yong Quan first strike. Doomsday + Zhong Mo.

Yue Fei takes a turn BEFORE round 1 — a built-in initiative head start. Kingdoms exemption: 'up to three Kingdoms cards may be used,' so this runs TWO specials (Shu + Wei) in place of a weapon, each a Reveal that rotates all Champions to face a direction + grants +1 DEF / +1 ATK. Zhou Tong: depletes on a Reveal to give +1 base ATK (great with two Kingdoms reveals). Linothorax armor.

Ivan + Jian: brown/cyan Champions reduce the defender's weapon damage by 1 (Ivan is brown) — offensive damage-denial. Sudebnik lifegain off his /11/ defense; Naramiannik Husarski element-lifegain/DEF-drop; Russkoye init-9 go-first. A grindy brown-element wall.

Ivan the Great can once per game set his defense roll to /11/ — a guaranteed huge block at the key moment. Annulus Sigilli (Roman jewelry): choose +1 DEF, or move — earth/wood Champion chooses both (Ivan is brown/earth = both). Al Asr Al Dhahabi sets a sword attack to /7/ (or /8/ if earth/metal/void). Kusanagi poison-spend; Arabian Horse repositions.

Stacked defensive Ivan: Jimal Majnunah React (-2 DEF to a weapon-attacker) + Zereh E Falsdar (on /7/-or-less defense, deplete + all attacks vs him -1 ATK) + his own /11/ set. Crocea Mors disarms (deplete defender weapon); Bab Khaybar anti-cavalry ATK swing. Hard to crack, chips away at attackers.

Ivan's set-defense-to-/11/ pairs with Sudebnik (React-spend: gain 2 life when his defense total is 11/12) — his power literally enables Sudebnik's lifegain. Carthago Delenda Est: +1 life per revealed event card. Yong Quan Shen Qiang round-1 reroll/+1 damage front-loads offense; Zhong Mo armor. A lifegain-tank value pile.

Ivan's /11/ defense bait-block makes enemies miss — Bardysh then grants +2 ATK on a whiffed weapon attack against him. Bab Khaybar (shield): +1 ATK vs non-cavalry enemies and drops their base ATK. Yao Long rainbow +1 ATK; Zodog reactive +1 DEF. A counter-tank that punishes the attacks his power blocks.

Mono-flavor Russian Ivan: Rogatina (1/2-handed, +1 damage 2-handed) + Sudebnik (gain 2 life off his /11/ defense). Naramiannik Husarski: he + same-element allies gain 1 life, off-element enemies -2 DEF (rewards a brown/earth board). Soyolon +1 DEF. Defensive value tank.

Sword-control Ivan: Al Asr Al Dhahabi sets his sword attack to /7/ (or /8/ if earth/metal/void — Ivan is earth, so /8/) for a reliable hit with Jian (which also reduces the defender's weapon damage). Sudebnik lifegain off /11/; Annulus Sigilli grants both +1 DEF and a move to earth/wood Ivan. Tidy defensive control.

Ivan value build: Abingdon Sword (+weapon ATK + 1 damage while he has a revealed inspiration — Jimal supplies it and React-drops weapon-attackers -2 DEF). Bab Khaybar anti-cavalry shield; Qawqa A reactive DEF. His /11/ set covers the one defense roll he can't afford to lose.

Khopesh Combo: base attack, on hit make a free weapon attack — which then triggers Cyrus' Push (free base attack + move) for a chain of hits. Javidanan deploys a minion adjacent to extend his base-attack grid and soak/attack. Legion D' Honneur repositions Cyrus + allies and gains life; Shiva-Kavacha armor. A combo-chain aggro shell.

Cyrus' Push: on a weapon hit, make a FREE base attack then move the defender — a built-in two-hit engine. Rogatina (1- or 2-handed, +1 damage if 2-handed) is the weapon trigger. Isis: +1 weapon ATK per revealed aether/void/water loadout card (Cyrus is blue/water). Hagar Rashid forces everyone to base-then-weapon attack — extra Push triggers. Qawqa A DEF.

Cyrus Push engine with Kotegiri Masamune (move a space on a weapon miss — keeps him repositioning even when he whiffs). Shabdbhedi Baan sets a total to 10 to guarantee a Push-triggering hit; Russkoye init-9 go-first to land the first Push first. Qawqa A reactive DEF.

Double-mobility Push build: Dory moves Cyrus on a weapon hit (the same hit that fires Push's free base attack + defender shove) — chains movement and repositioning. Bucephalus repositions on initiative win; Russkoye init-9 secures going first. Qawqa A DEF. Cyrus stat line read off-card: 8 life / 4 agility.

Cyrus Push with Abingdon Sword (+weapon ATK + 1 damage while he has a revealed inspiration — Jimal Majnunah supplies that, and React-drops a weapon-attacker -2 DEF). Germania: all Champions move up to 2 and must end in a starting row — board reset that can yank enemies into his Push range. Zereh E Falsdar reactive armor.

Emperor Uda's /4/-reroll + Zulfiqar's /1/-reroll heavily fix his weapon rolls. Boudicca's Speech: React — when he rolls a /6/ on an attack d6, each enemy loses -1 DEF (his reroll suite helps manufacture that /6/). Shabdbhedi Baan sets a total to 10 for a guaranteed big hit; Yasakani no Magatama defense-d6 adjust. Roll-manipulation aggro.

Emperor Uda corner-shot build: Slonovye Pistolety +1 ATK vs defenders in corner spaces; Easter Island deploys center terrain to shape spacing. Yao Long: +1 base ATK per loadout card showing a different element — Japanese champ / Oceania special / Chinese insp / Mongol armor is a wide spread. Zodog reactive +1 DEF. His /4/-reroll keeps the pistol shots consistent.

Emperor Uda value/control: Paludamentum adjusts a /3/ on a defense roll by +1/-1, and his /4/-reroll covers the other dice — tight defensive smoothing. Pilum depletes a revealed shield + gives +1 base ATK; Yao Long rainbow +1 base ATK; Ars Adaptationis +1 base ATK and +1 to aether/void weapon attacks. A grindy roll-fixing shell.

Emperor Uda + Gladius Hispaniensis (free base attack on a weapon miss) — extra swings, and his /4/-reroll smooths the attack. Daimao: +1 Champion initiative for black/orange/purple/yellow Champions (Uda is black) and taxes earth/water enemies -1 init — a go-first edge. Al Asr Al Dhahabi sets a sword attack to /7/-/8/ for a reliable Gladius hit; Taag El Kobra crit denial.

Emperor Uda rerolls each /4/ on his attack AND defense rolls — a built-in dice-smoothing Champion. Zulfiqar rerolls all /1/s on his weapon attacks (stacking the roll-fixing). Al Asr Al Dhahabi sets a sword attack to /7/ (or /8/ if earth/metal/void) for a near-guaranteed Zulfiqar hit; Ars Adaptationis +1 base ATK. Yasakani no Magatama: Uda is black (not aether/void/wood), so he gets its defense-d6 adjust (/1/ to /3/) rather than the full reroll. A consistency-stacked sword build.

Musashi (two 1-handed swords) + Bokken (two may be used) = 2x Bokken. Each Bokken: miss -> free base attack. Isis +weapon ATK; Kimono Jump. Sacrifices special for 2nd weapon.

Musashi's two-1-handed-sword exemption running Bokken + Wakizashi (sacrifices the inspiration slot). Bokken makes a free base attack on a miss; Wakizashi counter-attacks whenever an enemy hits him with a weapon — and Musashi himself moves + gains +1 ATK on being hit, so he punishes attackers three ways. Kimono Jump mobility; Easter Island deploys center terrain to shape spacing. A counter-punch two-sword build.

Musashi's two-1-handed-sword exemption running Crocea Mors + Dojigiri Yasutsuna (sacrifices the special slot). Crocea Mors depletes the defender's weapon on a hit (disarm); Dojigiri Yasutsuna reduces incoming damage by 1 (and the next damage too). Musashi himself moves + gains +1 ATK whenever an enemy hits him, so he keeps pressing. Russkoye init-9 go-first; Zodog reactive +1 DEF.

Musashi's two-1-handed-sword exemption running Dojigiri Yasutsuna + Gladius Hispaniensis (sacrifices the inspiration slot). Gladius makes a FREE base attack on a weapon miss — and Musashi himself moves + gains +1 ATK when an enemy hits him, so he's always pressing. Dojigiri reduces incoming damage by 1 (twice). Bucephalus repositions on initiative; Qawqa A reactive DEF.

Henry V Disarm shell with Cat o' Nine Tails (init-9 staple): depletes itself to deal 1 to an adjacent Champion that activates a Reveal power — punishes the reveal-heavy field. Whakaza init boost + Shabdbhedi 'set total to 10' guarantee the Disarm. Qawqa A DEF. Variant of the Pilum list.

Henry V's Disarm (1 action: base attack, on hit deplete the defender's weapon) is a tempo-denial engine — strip their weapon, then Pilum further depletes a revealed shield. Whakaza Tabda +1/+2 init to Disarm first; Shabdbhedi Baan sets a total to 10 (guaranteed Disarm hit). Qawqa A reactive DEF.

Henry V Disarm + Pilum shield-strip, on a value/control package: Ars Adaptationis +1 base ATK (feeds the Disarm base attack); Manteio Ton Delfon defense reroll set to /8/ if he won init; Zodog reactive +1 DEF. Strip the opponent's weapon and shield while staying defensively sticky.

Henry V with Ying Tie Chang Mao: rerolls a base attack and +1 ATK on it — a consistent Disarm base-attack hit. Bucephalus repositions on initiative (blue Henry moves up to 2). Taag El Kobra caps an enemy roll at /6/ (crit denial); Peykareh E Shapur Yekom inspiration buff. More aggressive Henry build.

Julius aura: enemies in his base attack grid lose -1 ATK/-1 DEF. Abingdon Sword: +weapon ATK + 1 damage while he has a revealed inspiration — Jimal Majnunah supplies that and React-drops a weapon-attacker -2 DEF. Bab Khaybar (shield) anti-cavalry ATK swing; Linothorax +2 DEF. A defensive value build that grinds behind the control aura.

Control aura + reroll engine. Yasakani reroll feeds Yatagarasu (gain init when a reroll fires). Julius is Yellow so Dory moves 2; Chang Cheng wall control (-1 DEF adj enemies).

Julius aura: enemies in his base grid lose -1 ATK/-1 DEF. Wood/Yellow value shell: Doomsday Book (earth/void/wood reroll + enemies -1 ATK) keys off Julius being wood; Manteio Ton Delfon rerolls a defense roll, set to /8/ if he won initiative; Abingdon Sword +weapon ATK with a revealed inspiration. Linothorax +2 DEF.

Leans on Julius = Wood (Doomsday Book reroll requires earth/void/wood) + Yellow (Zerkalo 'choose both' = +1 DEF AND +1 life). Yao Long rainbow +1 ATK; Abingdon +ATK w/ inspiration.

Pistols + terrain: Hadrian's Wall to wall off/corner the arena; Tunik E Kaviri + Bayeux Tapestry both push initiative (go-first to crit first).

Core Olivier engine: Push -> corner; Slonovye Pistolety +1 in corners; Ars Adaptationis +1 base ATK & +1 to Aether pistols; Samyogita forces enemy move + grants Gold Olivier a bonus action. Kimono = Jump mobility.

Olivier core: Push moves the defender, Slonovye Pistolety gets +1 ATK against defenders in corner spaces — push them into a corner, then crit. Samyogita forces all enemies to move (sets up corners) and gives Gold Olivier a bonus action. Mukhadhab Bil Hinna armor combos move-2-and-attack; Shabdbhedi Baan sets a total to 10 for a guaranteed big hit.

Same core, armor swapped to Taag El Kobra (cap an enemy roll at /6/ — deny their crit). Pistols+Push corner-crit plan.

Peter the Great gains +1 ATK on an initiative WIN (or +1 DEF on a loss) — solid either way. Double Bokken (its own 'two may be used' exemption, sacrificing armor): each Bokken makes a free base attack on a miss. Arabian Horse also rewards init win/loss; Isis +1 weapon ATK per aether/void/water loadout card. Self-doubling swing aggro.

Peter double-Bokken variant sacrificing the special slot for armor: 2x Bokken (free base attack on miss) + Isis (+1 weapon ATK per aether/void/water card) + Zhong Mo (4th-slot-revealable, move + ATK). Peter's init-win +1 ATK fuels the Bokken swings.

Peter's green Yu Chang Jian grid-overlay attack, on a cavalry/buff package: Arabian Horse repositions on init win / +1 base ATK on loss; Aries earth/metal +1 base ATK (Peter is wood, so he instead gets +1 weapon ATK/+1 init); Zodog reactive DEF. More aggressive than the Yata grid build.

Peter is green — Yu Chang Jian lets green/yellow Champions OVERLAY the weapon grid and base-attack grid to determine the result (a unique wide-grid attack). Yata no Kagami pulls an enemy into his grid + gives +1 ATK vs them. Jimal Majnunah React -2 DEF on attackers; Zodog reactive DEF. Grid-manipulation tempo.

Scipio reroll core (Soyolon inspiration enables /8/-or-less). Anti-cavalry plan: Bab Khaybar gives +1 ATK against enemies WITHOUT a revealed cavalry card and -1 base ATK to them. Al Harbah polearm repositions one space on hit; Taag Masr El Muwahhad +1 DEF while Scipio hasn't moved (pairs with the stand-and-reroll plan).

Scipio defense-reroll core (Jimal Majnunah inspiration enables the /8/-or-less reroll AND, as a React, drops a weapon-attacker -2 DEF). Cavalry tech: Khutga deals +1 damage with a revealed earth/metal cavalry card; Asb-E Sefid gives black/orange/purple/red Champions +2 ATK on reveal. Karrna Kavach +1/+2 DEF.

Same Scipio + Jimal Majnunah reroll/React shell as the Asb-E Sefid list, with Tian Ma swapped in: it's the earth/metal cavalry enabler for Khutga's +1 damage AND pushes a defender one space east/west on a weapon hit (board control). Karrna Kavach armor.

Scipio rerolls a defense roll of /6/ or less (/8/ or less with a revealed inspiration — Soyolon enables that). The build punishes whiffed attacks: Bardysh grants +2 ATK when an enemy MISSES with a weapon; Durga Dal reacts to a hit by cutting damage and dealing 1 back. Stovepipe Hat: Fear + situational +1 DEF. A grindy reroll-tank shell.

Spartacus +1 ATK w/ 1H weapon (Crocea Mors) AND +1 DEF w/ shield — Bab Khaybar is a SHIELD subtype, so it doubles as the shield + its staple effect. Crocea Mors disarm.

Spartacus +1 ATK while he has a revealed 1-handed weapon (Crocea Mors) AND +1 DEF with a revealed shield — Bab Khaybar is a Shield subtype, so it satisfies the shield clause AND adds its anti-cavalry ATK swing. Yao Long: +1 base ATK per revealed loadout card (rainbow). Linothorax +2 DEF. Crocea Mors depletes the defender's loadout (disarm).

Spartacus +1 ATK (1-handed weapon = Crocea Mors) and +1 DEF (shield). Bab Khaybar is a Shield subtype, so it satisfies the shield clause AND adds its anti-cavalry swing (+1 ATK vs non-cavalry enemies, -1 to their base ATK). Crocea Mors disarms (deplete the defender's weapon on a hit). Peykareh E Shapur Yekom inspiration buff; Qawqa A reactive DEF. A disarm-aggro take on the gladiator shell (armor swapped vs the Mantled Tunic list).

Spartacus gains +1 ATK with a revealed 1-handed weapon and +1 DEF with a revealed shield. Culina Cultro: +1 weapon ATK if he moved before attacking (a 1-handed utility weapon — feeds his ATK clause). Scutum (shield) satisfies his +1 DEF clause AND, once per round, punishes an enemy that moves into his grid for 1 (Spartacus is silver/metal, so it triggers). Soyolon +1 DEF; Zodog reactive +1 DEF. A move-and-strike gladiator.

Tokugawa's once-per-turn defense reroll backs an aggressive multi-attack line. Shamshir E Akinaka ('two may be used') spends to make two free base attacks; Libertas Combo: move + base-attack each adjacent enemy — lots of extra swings. Arabian Horse repositions on an initiative win / +1 base ATK on a loss; Stovepipe Hat: Fear + end-of-round 1 damage. Swarm aggro with a defensive backstop.

Mobile reroll-tempo Tokugawa: Urumi Talwar costs 1 less action to attack once he's activated a power this turn; Chanakya Combo — move a space, base-attack, then move BACK (hit-and-run). Arabian Horse repositions on an initiative win; Shishak +2 DEF adjacent (water Tokugawa). Strike and slip back behind the defense reroll.

Tokugawa with Ying Tie Chang Mao (reroll a base attack + 1 ATK on it) — his reroll suite plus the polearm's own makes hits sticky. Libertas Combo multi-target base attacks; Arabian Horse cavalry repositioning. Shishak: +1 DEF while adjacent to a Champion, +2 if either is water — Tokugawa is blue/water, so it's +2. Reroll-backed aggro.

Tokugawa Ieyasu rerolls his defense roll once per turn — a consistent defensive Champion. Manteio Ton Delfon stacks a SECOND defense reroll (set to /8/ if he won initiative). Anti-equipment reach: Pilum depletes a revealed shield + gives +1 base ATK; Bab Khaybar (shield) gives +1 ATK vs non-cavalry enemies and drops their base ATK; Taag El Kobra caps an enemy roll at /6/ (crit denial). A grindy reroll-tank.

Crocea Mors + Gladius both deplete/free-attack (weapon denial + economy). Doctrine of Lapse wins ties when behind; Russkoye go-first.

All high initiative (8/8/8/9). Pilum shield-strip + Kotegiri move; Isis + Russkoye inspirations. Maximal go-first.

Naganori exemption: 2 weapons + 2 inspirations, no armor/special. Wakizashi counter-attack + Shestopyor +2 ATK; Petrovskaya defensive reroll; Russkoye init-9 go-first.

Boudicca move-strike build leaning into movement: Culina Cultro gives +1 weapon ATK if she moved before attacking (she always moves to trigger her grid free-attack); Jaysh Al Rashidin grants an action when she moves 3+ spaces — chaining more moves/attacks. Aries earth +1 base ATK; Tankard lets her move through minion/terrain. Pure mobility aggro.

Boudicca makes a FREE base attack whenever she moves into an enemy's base-attack grid — a mobility-aggro engine. Culina Cultro: +1 ATK if she moved this round (always-on here). Aries: earth/metal Champions +1 base ATK (Boudicca is brown/earth). Celtic War Chariot: brown/green +1 base ATK/+1 DEF. Naramiannik Husarski armor.

Boudicca free-attacks on entering an enemy's grid; Wakizashi counter-attacks when she's hit by a weapon — so she punishes on both offense and defense. Shapka Monomakha: deplete to do something when an enemy moves adjacent (board punish). Celtic War Chariot: brown/green +1 base ATK/+1 DEF; Aries earth +1 base ATK. A mobile counter-aggro brown build.

Variant of the Lagertha/Jian shell (vs the Manteio/Linothorax one): Jian reduces the defender's weapon damage by 1 (she's cyan) on top of her own reduction. Sudebnik lifegain on a 11/12 defense total; Aries fire/wood buff; Annulus Sigilli +1 DEF or move. Tests Aries+Annulus over Manteio+Linothorax.

Lagertha damage-reduction tank (-1, -2 vs metal). Dory: hits move her a space (up to 2 since she's cyan) for kiting. Lawhat Narmer sets her defense roll to /7/ (a reliable block to stack with her reduction). Soyolon +1 DEF; Qawqa A reactive DEF. A mobile mitigation wall.

Lagertha reduces weapon damage taken by 1 (by 2 vs metal weapons) — a dedicated tank. Jian: brown/cyan Champions reduce the defender's weapon damage by 1 (Lagertha is cyan) — stacks more damage denial. Sudebnik: React-spend to gain 2 life when her defense total is 11/12. Manteio defense reroll; Linothorax +2 DEF. A grindy damage-mitigation pile.

Leonidas' no-dodge attacks pair with Slonovye Pistolety corner shots (+1 ATK in corners) — Chang Cheng's wall helps pin enemies into corners. Jimal Majnunah React -2 DEF on weapon-attackers; Taag El Kobra caps an enemy roll at /6/ (crit denial). His un-rerollable clause makes the pistol hits stick.

Leonidas I makes enemy defense rolls un-adjustable/un-rerollable when he attacks — so his hits can't be dodged by dice-control (strong vs reroll-heavy meta). Dory moves him up to 2 (he's brown). Chang Cheng wall control; Soyolon +1 DEF; Naramiannik Husarski element DEF-drop. A grinding phalanx tank.

Leonidas (brown) with Celtic War Chariot — brown/green get +1 base ATK/+1 DEF and the chariot taxes non-earth/non-wood enemies. Dory moves him up to 2 on a hit. Jimal Majnunah React; Taag El Kobra crit-denial. His no-adjust/no-reroll attack clause makes the chariot-buffed hits reliable.

Themistocles init bomb + a Combo engine: Libertas (Combo - spend 1 action: move a space, then base-attack each adjacent enemy) provides the Combo power that Kusanagi no Tsurugi keys off (poison-spend: deal 2 to an enemy hit by a Combo/Disarm). Ars Adaptationis +1 base ATK; Qawqa A reactive DEF. Go-first into a multi-target Combo.

Themistocles' free placement (round zero) lets him set up the corner-shot plan immediately: Slonovye Pistolety +1 ATK vs defenders in corner spaces. Chang Cheng wall deploy shapes the board (enemies -1 DEF / allies +1 DEF). Aries: fire/wood +1 weapon ATK/+1 init — Themistocles is red/fire, so he takes the weapon buff. Zodog reactive +1 DEF.

Themistocles gains +3 initiative during round zero and free-places himself anywhere — a massive go-first/positioning Champion. Bayeux Tapestry pushes init further (or heals). Tribuneccia Potestas (Rage): his next attack gains +1 ATK per damage he took from weapon attacks this round — a counter-punch payoff. Urumi Talwar -1 action after a power; Zhong Mo armor.

Black-Champion aggro Thutmose: Pugio gives black/gold/pink Champions +1 ATK; Khalanga: when a black/pink Champion hits with a weapon, its next attack gains +1 ATK per damage dealt (snowball). Asb-E Sefid: black/orange/purple/red +2 ATK on reveal. Dira Bronzi Harshafi armor (adjusts a black/pink/purple/white defense d6 by +2). Poster noted Ars Adaptationis as the alternate special to Asb-E Sefid.

Doubles-matters Thutmose: he spends tokens on defense-roll doubles to deal 1 back, and Neyzeh E Motadel Zarin gives +1 ATK when his ATTACK rolls doubles too — the whole deck wants doubles. Thermopylae: on a /1/ defense roll choose +1 ATK or +1 DEF (both on double /1/s). Shabdbhedi sets a total to 10; Zereh E Falsdar reactive armor.

Thutmose III starts with 2 tokens; on rolling doubles on defense he spends one to deal 1 to the attacker — a punishing defensive Champion that wants to be hit. Double defense-reroll shell (Manteio Ton Delfon + Yasakani no Magatama, both aether/void/wood rerolls) to manufacture those doubles. Daimao: +1 init if black/orange/purple/yellow (Thutmose is black). Pilum shield-strip.

Xerxes I (blue/water) grid-tax control. Gorin No Sho: water/wood Champions move a space and all non-water/non-wood enemies lose -2 ATK — Xerxes is water, so he softens the field while sidestepping. Gun: blue/grey Champions gain +1 ATK per move-action before attacking (Xerxes is grey) — his repositioning converts into weapon ATK. Libertas Combo multi-attack; Qawqa A reactive DEF.

Xerxes I taxes attackers: enemies must spend 1 EXTRA action to attack from a space in his base attack grid — a positional speed bump. Embolon: if it's the first revealed card, it costs 1 less action to attack (Xerxes is grey, so Orden Nevskogonevnevsky's move can reposition for the grid). Catherine of Valois: while the attacker has 5+ life, crits against Xerxes deal only NORMAL damage (anti-burst). Shapka Monomakha punishes an enemy that moves adjacent. A grindy control tank.

Kingdoms exemption: 'up to three Kingdoms cards may be used,' so this runs TWO specials (Shu + Wei) in place of armor — each a Reveal that rotates all Champions to face a direction and grants +1 DEF (Shu) / +1 ATK (Wei). Xerxes' grid tax keeps enemies stuck where his Sarissa polearm (rotate after attacking) can keep facing them. Libertas Combo: move + base-attack each adjacent enemy. A rotation/positioning tempo build.

Abraham Lincoln makes a free base attack against any enemy that MISSES him — a counter-punch tank (pairs with high DEF to bait whiffs). Stovepipe Hat: Fear + end-of-round 1 damage; Soyolon +1 DEF. Ras Suljan Narmer rolls its attack first and +1 weapon ATK; Shabdbhedi Baan sets a total to 10 for a guaranteed swing.

Builder's stated goal: 'just block, stun and counter.' Lincoln free-attacks any enemy that MISSES him; Wakizashi counter-attacks any enemy that HITS him with a weapon — so every incoming swing gets answered. Bokh: React-rolls to reduce a 2+ damage hit and knock the attacker prone (the stun/block piece, and Bokh is a Mongol Martial Art special). Soyolon +1 DEF; Zodog reactive +1 DEF. A pure counter-punch wall.

Oda Combo (move 2 + attack) feeds Jaysh Al Rashidin (move 3+ = extra action). Whakaza +init; Du Jin Tie Jia anti-attack dice tech; pistols corner crit.

Oda Combo (1 action: move 2 + base attack) chains aggression; Musha Shugyo: attacking Champions gain +1 ATK and deal 1 extra damage this round (a global aggro pump that suits his repeated attacks). Kotegiri Masamune keeps him moving on misses; Shabdbhedi Baan sets a total to 10 for a guaranteed hit; Zhong Mo armor.

Qin +1 ATK with 1-handed weapons. Atum gives init for Bludgeon + Silver Qin. Ras Suljan rolls attack first; Ars Adaptationis +1 base ATK; Qawqa A reactive DEF.

Qin Shi Huang gains +1 weapon ATK with 1-handed weapons — Bokken is 1-handed, so BOTH copies get the buff. Double Bokken (free base attack on miss) + Isis weapon-ATK stacking + Zhong Mo. A purer 1-handed-aggro take on the double-Bokken combo than Musashi's.

Ramses + Yao Long both reward 4 different-element loadout cards (rainbow +1 ATK each). Alt weapon seen: Neyzeh E Motadel Zarin. Hagar Rashid burst special.

Ramses II + Yao Long BOTH grant +1 ATK per loadout card showing a different element — this spread (Chinese weapon, Chinese insp, Japanese armor, Japanese special) is only moderately rainbow, but Ying Tie Chang Mao (reroll base + 1 ATK) and Yata no Kagami (pull an enemy into his grid + 1 ATK) add reach. Kimono jump mobility.

Skanderbeg gains +1 base ATK per revealed companion/icon card and +1 weapon ATK per minion in the Arena/his discard. Manteio Ton Delfon is an Icon (scales his ATK + defense reroll to /8/ on init win). Chang Cheng wall control; Tunik E Kaviri +2 init while a non-Champion card is in the Arena; Cat o' Nine Tails init-9 reveal-punisher.

Skanderbeg scales ATK off icon/companion cards — Manteio Ton Delfon (Icon) is the enabler again. Wakizashi counter-attacks when he's hit; Bab Khaybar anti-cavalry shield ATK swing; El Taag El Azraq rotates + +1 DEF if aether/metal. A more aggressive Skanderbeg than the Chang Cheng control build.

Agrippina (Green/wood) spends a revealed earth/void/wood card to set ALL enemy attack grid values to -1 — a hard offensive shutdown. Celtic War Chariot feeds that (it's a wood-region special) AND, since Agrippina is green, gives +1 base ATK/+1 DEF. Russkoye init-9 go-first to land the lock first; Urumi Talwar -1 action after a power; Linothorax +2 DEF staple.

Alexander moves diagonally (extra reach). Gun: when a blue/grey Champion spends actions to move, gain +1 ATK per move-action before attacking (Alexander is blue) — so his diagonal moves convert directly into weapon ATK. Bucephalus repositions on init; Jaysh Al Rashidin grants an action on a 3+ space move (fuels more Gun ATK). NOTE: pictured with TWO specials (Jaysh + Bucephalus) and no inspiration — Alexander has no exemption, so this is likely theorycraft / a card-options shot.

Alfred the Great scales explosively: when he reveals an AETHER or FIRE inspiration card, he gains +1 base ATK per revealed card he has — a wide-loadout payoff. NOTE: the inspiration pictured is Musha Shugyo (a Japanese Event), so it's unclear it satisfies Alfred's aether/fire clause — read this as a theorycraft/options shot. Musha Shugyo itself pumps all attacking Champions +1 ATK/+1 damage; Yata no Kagami pulls an enemy into his grid + 1 ATK; Cat o' Nine Tails punishes Reveal powers; Zhong Mo armor.

Artaxerxes' crits deal 3 damage (vs the usual doubling), so the whole deck manufactures crit chances. Shamshir E Akinaka spends to make two free base attacks (more dice = more doubles). Masallat Thutmose rerolls/adjusts a base attack d6 by +/-1 to hit a double; Entegham E Padarat: all Champions +1 base ATK/-1 DEF (a race buff). Zhong Mo armor with a 4th-slot move trick.

PARTIAL CAPTURE — only 3 loadout cards were in the photo (weapon + two specials, no armor/inspiration shown), so the 4th card is unknown. Ashoka simply rerolls an attack roll (raw consistency). Nagamaki: spend on damage to make a free weapon attack. Asb-E Sefid: black/orange/purple/red +2 ATK (Ashoka is black). Hagar Rashid: every Champion makes a base attack then a weapon attack (a swingy mirror-burst special).

Emperor Wu deals 1 to ALL enemies at the start of round 1 — a free opening tick (great vs go-wide/low-life fields). Nafthalini Granata: Save tokens then spend to deal 2 to an enemy in a /-/ grid space (more reach damage). Pilum shield-strip + buff; Russkoye init-9 go-first; Zhong Mo armor. A chip-damage aggro shell.

Khalid's d6 'Heal' gives a life or an action every round (action-economy engine). Lobera (purple champ) strips a defender action on hit, compounding the tempo lead. Aether package: Nakaz makes an aether/void weapon attack; Unification of England gains +1 base ATK per revealed aether card. Taag El Kobra caps an enemy roll at /6/ to deny crits.

Khutulun is a board-control trap: enemies must spend 1 EXTRA action to leave any space in her base attack grid — and once per game, with a revealed cavalry card, she yanks an enemy adjacent to her. Arabian Horse supplies that cavalry tag (and repositions on an init win / +1 base ATK on a loss). Khutga: +1 damage with a revealed earth/metal cavalry card. Soyolon: +1 DEF plus a once-per-game 2-damage zap (Khutulun is brown/earth, so she qualifies). Zodog reactive +1 DEF. A Mongol cavalry sticky-zone build.

Liu Bang moves up to a space on every weapon hit — a mobility engine. Crocea Mors disarms (deplete defender weapon) on those hits. Scutum: once per round, punish an enemy that moves into his grid (1 damage). Soyolon +1 DEF; Naramiannik Husarski element lifegain/DEF-drop. Mobile disarm-aggro.

Napoleon's Deploy: each round he places up to three UNREVEALED loadout cards as 1-life minions adjacent to him, then moves/attacks with them using his base grid — a go-wide swarm Champion. Ta Moko: Reveal — minions gain +2 ATK (turns the token army lethal). Dory moves him on a hit (up to 2 since he's yellow); Shabdbhedi Baan sets a total to 10 for a guaranteed swing; Petrovskaya Revolyutsiya rerolls a defense roll when he's the lowest-life Champion (likely, while he spends cards as minions).

Philip spends 1 LESS action to attack with 2-cost weapons and gains +1 weapon ATK with 2-handed weapons — Yong Quan Shen Qiang (2-cost polearm) is the payoff, and it rerolls + deals +1 damage in round 1. Aries: fire/wood +1 weapon ATK/+1 init (Philip is red/fire). Shabdbhedi Baan sets a total to 10 (a guaranteed crit-tier swing); Qawqa A reactive +1 DEF.

Prithviraj may make base attacks from ANY of his revealed weapon's attack-grid spaces — so a wide weapon grid massively extends his base-attack reach. Slonovye Pistolety lends its grid (and +1 ATK in corners). Easter Island deploys center terrain to control spacing; Dhoti Sari multi-element DEF; Yao Long rainbow +1 ATK.