Dark Orb Build

Build Overview

Dark Orbs accumulate damage as turns pass, and on Evoke they drop the full stored damage on the lowest-HP enemy. The build uses Darkness to accelerate accumulation, then Multi-Cast or Quadcast to Evoke several Dark Orbs at once and delete bosses. The higher your Focus, the more damage accumulates per turn, and you can build up one-shots of 100+ damage in only a few turns. Bringing Consume into the mix creates a powerful loop where Orbs auto-Evoke for continuous damage each turn while fresh Darks are piled back in.

Tier Rating: A

Reason: Once complete the build can take down a single-target boss in one hit or just a few turns, which is enormous burst. But accumulation takes turns, so setup is long and early HP management is tricky. Also, because the damage hits the lowest-HP enemy, it doesn't always land where you want in multi-enemy fights. Played with those weaknesses in mind, it delivers true A-tier power.

Key Cards (Essential)

• Darkness: Channels 1 Dark + fires every Dark Orb's passive (fires twice when upgraded). The most important card, doubling or tripling accumulation speed. Running multiple copies is recommended
• Defragment: Focus +1 to +2, increasing per-turn accumulation. Higher Focus means faster Dark stacking and larger Evoke damage
• Multi-Cast: X-cost, Evokes the rightmost Orb X times. Used with ample Energy, it unloads a stack of Darks in a single hit for enormous damage
• Quadcast: Cost 1, Evokes the Orb four times. A Dark Evoke finisher when Energy is tight

Flex Cards to Consider

• Consume: Cost 2, channels 2 Dark + auto-Evokes the leftmost Orb at end of turn. A powerful Power that automates the Dark accumulate/Evoke cycle
• Annul (Nullify): Damage + Weak + Dark channel. Functions as a Dark-axis attack card while also channeling an Orb
• Shadow Shield: Block + Dark channel, letting a Dark build retain defense
• Loop: At the start of each turn triggers the rightmost Orb's passive an extra time. If Dark is rightmost, accumulation speed effectively doubles
• Dualcast: Cost 1, Evokes the Orb twice. A small early finisher
• Capacitor: Adds Orb slots. Lets you hold more Dark Orbs at once and increases total Evoke damage
• Double Energy: An Energy-doubling card that maximizes Multi-Cast's X value
• Seek (Hypercritical): Grants Energy 4 instantly. Used right before Multi-Cast it dramatically increases X

Synergistic Relics

• Data Disk: Focus +1 at battle start. Directly increases the per-turn accumulation of Dark Orbs, so you store more damage in fewer turns
• Runic Capacitor: Grants additional Orb slots. You hold more Dark Orbs simultaneously and raise the total Evoke damage of Multi-Cast or Quadcast
• Chemical X: X-cost cards gain +2 to X when played. Multi-Cast's X rises, more Evokes of stored Darks fire, and burst damage scales dramatically
• Ice Cream: Unused Energy carries over to the next turn. Stockpile Energy during accumulation turns and maximize X on the Multi-Cast finish turn
• Mummified Hand: Whenever you play a Power, a random card in your hand becomes free. When playing Defragment or Consume, Darkness or Multi-Cast may become free
• Busted Crown (Intimidation Helmet): Playing cost-2+ cards grants 4 Block. With heavy cards like Consume (cost 2) and Multi-Cast (X-cost), this build shores up defense
• Lantern: Energy +1 at battle start. Lets you deploy Defragment or Dark-channel cards one turn earlier, moving accumulation forward

Play Flow

Act 1

Pick Darkness and Defragment as top priorities. Because Dark takes a few turns to accumulate, keep some direct-damage attacks for HP management early. Dualcast provides an early finisher when you find it. In Act 1 there are often no turns to spare for accumulation, so survival beats Evoke. Even at Focus 1 to 2, a Dark Orb can accumulate roughly 50 damage over 3-4 turns.

Act 2

Stack Focus to 3 or 4 with Defragments. If you find Consume, take it immediately to build the Dark auto-Evoke cycle. Multi-Cast sharply raises damage. Pair it with Loop and Dark accumulation accelerates further. In elite fights, stack 2-3 Darks, speed things up with Darkness, and release with Multi-Cast after 3-4 turns - that's the strong pattern. Cover defense with Shadow Shield, Emergency Evade, and similar cards.

Act 3

The finished form is Focus 4 to 5 + multiple Darkness copies + Multi-Cast. A single Dark can accumulate 100+ damage over 4-5 turns. In boss fights, stack Darks early and accelerate accumulation, then on the turn enough damage is banked, use Multi-Cast with all your Energy to Evoke at once. Pair it with Double Energy or Seek, and you can release several Darks on a single turn for the win. With Consume installed, you also harvest continuous damage via auto-Evoke each turn.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Once accumulation is sufficient, burst damage that can end a single-target boss in a handful of turns
• Maximizing Multi-Cast's X gives near-unlimited damage potential
• The Consume + Darkness cycle also produces continuous damage each turn
• Higher Focus stores more damage per identical turn count, so scaling is strong

Weaknesses

• Accumulation takes several turns, so early finishes and swarms of small enemies are tough
• Damage hits the lowest-HP enemy, so in multi-enemy fights it doesn't always hit the target you want
• Defense is low, and heavy incoming damage during accumulation makes play uncomfortable
• The finisher burns huge amounts of Energy, sometimes leaving no room to play other cards