The Ethereal Build treats the Necrobinder's Ethereal cards — cards that Exhaust themselves at the end of turn if not played — as a deliberate engine rather than a drawback. Each unplayed Ethereal triggers Exhaust-synergy effects automatically, letting you generate passive value without spending Energy. Osty can be empowered by the volume of Exhaust triggers each round. The build demands consistent draw to ensure Ethereal cards reach your hand every turn.

• Wisp: A core Ethereal card that provides early draw and Exhaust fuel; each copy triggers synergy cards for free.
• Dirge: Ethereal Skill that applies debuffs passively; exhaust it without playing for a free synergy trigger.
• Oblivion: High-impact Ethereal that Exhausts after use; its effect alone justifies inclusion even without synergy.
• Pagestorm: Power that rewards Exhausting cards — Ethereal cards feed its trigger every single turn.
• Forbidden Grimoire: Power that scales with Exhausted cards; the more Ethereal cards in your deck, the faster it compounds.
• Sleight of Flesh: Skill that benefits from or generates Ethereal cards, keeping the pipeline full.
• Seance: Skill that creates Soul cards (themselves 0-cost Exhaust), adding additional Exhaust triggers each cycle.

• Funerary Mask: Buffs effects tied to Exhausting, making every Ethereal trigger more potent.
• Undying Sigil: Provides passive survivability so you can sustain the multi-turn Ethereal engine.
• Ivory Tile: Generates Osty-related bonuses, pairing naturally with the high Exhaust volume.

1. In Act 1, prioritize any Exhaust-synergy Power cards (Pagestorm, Forbidden Grimoire) to establish passive scaling before Ethereal volume peaks.
2. Add Ethereal cards freely — their downside disappears once synergy cards are online.
3. Each turn, play high-priority cards first, then let Ethereal cards Exhaust at end of turn to trigger bonuses automatically.
4. Keep a Block card in hand each turn — Ethereals do not generate Block on their own, so you need dedicated defense.
5. Use Osty as an additional win condition: with many Exhaust triggers per turn, Osty's attack count or buffs compound quickly.

• Highest: Pagestorm, Forbidden Grimoire (passive scaling from every Exhaust)
• High: Wisp, Oblivion, Dirge (efficient Ethereal bodies that also do something useful)
• Medium: Seance, Sleight of Flesh (Exhaust volume extenders)
• Low: Standalone Ethereal attacks with no synergy payoff

• Do not skip Block cards thinking Ethereal value covers you — the Ethereal engine is offensive, not defensive.
• Avoid overfilling your deck with Ethereal cards before getting a synergy Power; a large hand of Ethereals you cannot play fast enough becomes a liability.
• Against enemies that buff their own attack repeatedly, prioritize clearing fast rather than setting up the engine.
• If Osty is active and healthy, each Exhaust trigger from an Ethereal card can translate directly into Osty-attack bonuses — maintain Osty's HP.