Will-o-Wisp Exude Combo Build

Build Overview

The Will-o-Wisp Exude Combo Build revolves around Exude synergy cards, efficiently Exuding from hand to fuel resource generation. The v0.103.0 patch majorly reworked Will-o-Wisp into an 18-damage attack (24 upgraded) that also Exhausts a random card from hand. It is no longer the one-shot finisher that used to Exude your whole hand for a huge damage burst, but its 2-cost, high single-target damage still triggers Feel No Pain (Block per Exude) and Dark Embrace (draw per Exude) on every play, making it a reliable Exude attacker that produces Block and draw per use. Will-o-Wisp itself is Exhausted (formerly Exuded) so you only play it once per combat; that Exhaust on a hand card still fires Dark Embrace's draw and triggers Exude-related Relics like Charon's Ashes. Overall, Will-o-Wisp slots into an Exude build as a high-damage attacker.

Note that the March 20, 2026 patch nerfed the Hellraiser + Pommel Strike Energy interaction. This weakens the previously fast Energy loop that combined Hellraiser's on-Exude Energy with Pommel Strike's draw, so alternative Energy sources (Offering, Bloodletting) are even more important now.

Tier Rating: B

With the v0.103.0 change from "Exude whole hand for one-shot damage" to "18 (24) damage plus random hand Exhaust," the one-turn burst potential is gone. But 18-24 damage at 2 cost is still strong as single-target damage, and reliably firing Exude synergies (Feel No Pain, Dark Embrace, Charon's Ashes) remains valuable. The build's direction has shifted from "chase one giant Will-o-Wisp turn" to "output steady damage and Block via Exude synergies across the fight." Ash Strike, End of Contract, and Kindling, scaling with the Exude count, are the finishers that matter most now. Will-o-Wisp becomes a high-damage attacker plus synergy trigger within an Exude build - slot into a larger Exude shell, keeping the B rating.

Key Cards (essential)

• Will-o-Wisp: Deals 18 damage (24 upgraded) at 2 cost and Exhausts a random card in hand. Also Exhausts itself, so one play per combat. The Exude build's attacker slot - it reliably fires one synergy trigger while delivering high single-target damage. The upgraded 24 damage is top-tier for a 2-cost attack.
• Feel No Pain: A Power that grants 3-4 Block every time a card is Exuded. Beyond Will-o-Wisp's hand Exhaust, other Exude cards like Burning Pact, Kindling, and Second Wind also trigger it, yielding consistent turn-by-turn Block.
• Dark Embrace: A Power that draws 1 card per Exude. Will-o-Wisp's hand Exhaust draws 1, and every other Exude keeps the cycle going. Essential as the Exude build's draw engine.
• Offering: An Exude card that spends 6 HP for 2 Energy and 5 draw. Funds Will-o-Wisp's 2 cost and floods the hand. If Dark Embrace is on the field, the Exude trigger generates bonus draw.

Candidate Cards

• Burning Pact: A 1-cost Skill that Exudes 1 card and draws 2-3. Reliably triggers Feel No Pain and Dark Embrace every turn - a core Exude build card.
• Ash Strike: An attack dealing 3-4 damage per Exuded card. The Exude build's main finisher and, post-Will-o-Wisp-rework, the card that now carries the build's damage scaling.
• End of Contract: A scaling card based on the Exude count. A separate finisher axis from Will-o-Wisp, used alongside Ash Strike.
• Kindling: A Skill that Exudes your entire hand and draws that many cards. Combined with Dark Embrace, each Exude adds another draw, so hand size explodes. With Feel No Pain you also stack huge Block.
• Battle Trance: A 0-cost Skill that draws many cards (4 upgraded). Fill your hand before Kindling or Second Wind to maximize their Exude counts.
• Second Wind: A Skill that Exudes all non-attacks in hand and grants 5-7 Block per Exude. Combines mass Exude synergy triggers with defense.
• War Drum: A 0-cost Power that draws 2-3 cards on play and auto-Exudes every turn. Keeps Exude triggers going automatically every turn.
• Distant Howl: An AOE attack that keeps auto-playing every turn after being Exuded. Triggered by Will-o-Wisp's Exhaust or other Exude sources to pile on damage.

Recommended Relics

• Charon's Ashes: Ironclad-exclusive Relic. Deals damage to every enemy each time you Exude, firing on Will-o-Wisp's hand Exhaust too. Chain reactions when Kindling or Second Wind mass-Exudes can devastate groups.
• Pine Incense (Goma): The first time you Exude a Skill each combat, add a copy to your hand. A copy of Offering or Burning Pact gives additional draw and Energy.
• Bag of Preparation (Backpack): Draw 2 extra cards at the start of combat. Starting with 7 cards raises the odds of drawing the Exude combo pieces (Offering, Dark Embrace, Feel No Pain) on turn 1.
• Gambling Chip: At the start of combat, discard any number of cards and draw that many. Swap out non-combo cards to dig for Offering, Dark Embrace, and Feel No Pain, dramatically raising combo consistency.
• Chess Piece: Draw 1 card every time you play a Power. With many Powers (Feel No Pain, Dark Embrace, War Drum), you maintain hand size and dig to key cards during Power-deployment turns.
• Burning Blood (starting Relic): Heal 6 HP after combat. Covers Offering's 6 HP cost every fight, letting you rely on it long-term.

How to Play

Act 1

In Act 1, prioritize Feel No Pain and Burning Pact to lay the Exude synergy foundation. War Drum is a great early pickup for automatic Exude stacking every turn. Grab Will-o-Wisp when offered, but since post-v0.103.0 Ash Strike and End of Contract carry the damage, treat those with equal priority. Early on, focus on assembling the Exude base (Burning Pact, Havoc, Feel No Pain) and let Ash Strike or End of Contract handle scaling damage. If Offering appears in Act 1, include it for the draw-and-Energy combo.

Act 2

In Act 2, prioritize Dark Embrace above all else. With Dark Embrace + Feel No Pain online, firing Kindling or Second Wind triggers (Block + draw) per Exude for a strong offense-defense balance. Will-o-Wisp, as a 2-cost 18-24 damage attacker, handles Elites well. If Ash Strike's Exude scaling is coming along, it can also bring down Act 2 Elites. When running Second Wind, turns with many non-attacks in hand become Second Wind Block turns.

Act 3

In Act 3, head into boss fights with the full Exude kit assembled. Deploy Will-o-Wisp on the turn the boss threatens a big attack, using it as a high-damage attacker while simultaneously triggering Feel No Pain and Dark Embrace. The main damage sources are Ash Strike and End of Contract scaling with the Exude count - build Exudes with Kindling, Second Wind, and Burning Pact, then unload with Ash Strike for massive damage. With Dark Embrace on the field, every Exude refills draw so your hand never runs dry. After Will-o-Wisp is Exhausted, close out with War Drum plus continuous Ash Strike damage.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Once the Exude synergy (Feel No Pain + Dark Embrace) is online, you balance Block and draw every turn
• Ash Strike and End of Contract's Exude-count scaling makes long fights devastating
• Will-o-Wisp serves as a 2-cost 18-24 damage attacker while reliably firing Exude synergies
• The Kindling + Dark Embrace mass-draw combo keeps the hand full, essentially self-running

Weaknesses

• With v0.103.0's Will-o-Wisp rework removing the whole-hand Exude, the old one-turn burst no longer exists
• Many pieces (Feel No Pain, Dark Embrace, Burning Pact, Ash Strike) are needed - missing any leaves the deck half-baked
• Exude-count scaling needs several turns to build, so fast fights are a weak matchup
• The March 20, 2026 patch nerfed the Hellraiser + Pommel Strike Energy interaction, reducing prep-turn Energy options