Your first run: what to do at every stop

Unlock the roster

Play a run as Ironclad to unlock Silent, then a run as Silent for Regent, Regent for Necrobinder, and Necrobinder for Defect. A loss still counts; the published unlock guide also reports that abandoning counts.

Try one full run before rushing through the roster. Ironclad teaches the basic turn economy; Silent adds discard, Regent adds Stars, Necrobinder adds Osty, and Defect adds Orbs.

Choose a route you can survive

1. Inspect the boss icon and the branches leading to it.
2. Choose early combats for rewards, with a reachable rest site or a safer branch before a risky elite.
3. Reconsider the path after an expensive fight. A route chosen at full health may be wrong after two bad hands.

Make a complete turn before clicking

Add up incoming attacks, then check whether killing one enemy removes more damage than blocking. Apply modifiers before the attacks they improve. Keep enough Energy for the defense you intend to play.

Kingy example: if one enemy intends 8 damage and another 12, killing the first removes 8 from the turn. Your remaining Block decision concerns the survivor. Recalculate when an effect changes an intent; do not rely on the starting total.