Combo Basics
Combos work on a strict ascending-mana-cost rule. The next card must cost strictly more than the previous one. Equal-cost cards break the chain immediately.
So if you play two 0-cost cards back-to-back, the combo ends. Spread your costs (1-2 cards per cost tier) to avoid this.
Multiplier Stacking
Each card increments a combo counter, and the next card's damage = (combo multiplier) × (printed damage). Multiplier starts at 1.0× and rises by 0.1-0.2× per step, so a 5-6 card chain hits ~1.5-2×, and 8-10 cards push past 2×.
For burst damage on bosses, save your finishers for the tail end of the longest chain you can build.
Maintaining the Chain
Hand strategy:
- 0-cost opener (Bone, Holy Water, Light Tome)
- 1-cost stabilizer (Knife, Mana Book 1, Armor 1)
- 2-cost mid-range damage (Magic Wand, King Bible)
- 3-cost finisher (Song of Mana, evolved weapons)
Build redundancy: e.g., 4× 0-cost, 3× 1-cost, 3× 2-cost, 2× 3-cost is a stable shape.
Finisher Choices
3-cost finishers anchor the chain:
- Song of Mana: scales with mana. Pairs with Free-to-Play gems and Sharp Mind arcana.
- Vandalier (Peachone evolution): AoE that hits trash and bosses simultaneously.
- Heaven Sword (Cross evolution): front-row burst.
- Unholy Vespers (King Bible evolution): multi-target sustained damage.
- Soul Eater (Garlic evolution): DoT plus lifesteal.
Pick 1-2 finishers and chase the relevant passive items in-run for evolution.
Combo-Enabling Gems
- Wild: zeroes mana cost and grants flexible combo positioning. The strongest gem.
- Free to Play: zero mana payment but original cost still counts for combo math — perfect efficiency.
- Double Damage / Triple Damage: multiplies on top of combo multiplier. Stick on finishers.
- Yin-Yang: +1 mana on even mana count, +1 draw on odd. Great for long-chain decks.
Stack multiple gems on a single finisher (Triple Damage + Yin-Yang + Wild) for maximum impact.
Arcana Synergy
Chain Link makes combos persist across turns — effectively removing the per-turn cap. Build slow, sustained chains around it.
Sharp Mind carries up to 5 mana into next turn, perfect for setting up extended combos. Stacks with Mana Syphon for permanent mana surplus.