How well do River and Sets combine?

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How well does the Finesse spec mesh with the Ninjitsu spec? Both seem to want lots of small units with bonuses.

Which starter (white, or neutral) would work better?

And what would make a good third spec – strength or discipline? Perhaps a better question: What conditions would favor one or the other as the backup spec?

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The chief problem is that Ninjutsu wants very specific tokens, and the Dancers don’t benefit much from them, if at all. Setsuki has just one spell to buff them, and all that does is help them sneak by patrollers, which the unstoppable tag already does.

Green seems like a great candidate for Finesse, though.

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Building a Finesse Tech II isn’t that bad (especially compared to Bashing lol), your main problem might be to run out of cards (especially when facing Black Starter with Thieving Imp), so several solutions :

  1. Drawing more (Graveyard, Garth’s Midband, even Setsuki’s (or Bigby’s) maxband but difficult to set up (worths the test IMO)
  2. Spending your money elsewhere than cards (heroes, add-ons, tech rush…), your main solution as White maybe
  3. Card-effective options (thinking first about Brave Knight, but maybe other expensive Tech I like Rambasa Twins or tokens to sit on the Technician slot)
  4. Assuming to go low on cards, but easing the cycling with cards such as Young Treant, Scribe, Boot Camp, Martial Mastery…

The Ninjutsu Tech II is nice too, main problem is the tempo to set up Fox’s Den. You have to keep money for it too.

Finesse-Strength synergies : Bird’s Nest + Two Step is very difficult to set up (you need two heroes…) but looks really terrifying on the paper. Never seen it in a match thought. Finesse gives a good cheap anti-air solution with Leaping Lizard which lacks to Mono-White (Whitestar Grappler is good against air units but more expensive and not protected while defending). Brick Thief + Earthquake looks quite fun too. Neutral Starter has Bloom, which can buff Rook or the Barbarbarian effectively :slight_smile:

Finesse-Discipline synergies : Rambasa Twins and Martial Mastery might help you when going Tech II Finesse and you have handsize/cycle problems, Versatile Style can destroy upgrades so is interesting in this build, Focus Master looks going well with Nimble Fencer and Timely Messenger. Mind-Parry Monk might help you on some weird matchups. Grave itself is a very beefy heroe, he midbands only at level 3 with 3/4 stat and his maxband is nice on lategame. A really good first move (Rook is too), but more offensive so fits better to Finesse IMO.

I think the best synergies are still between Finesse and Ninjustu : Bloom and all River’s spells go insanely well on Glorious Ninjas, and Setsuki’s drawing power is a great add on Virtuoso’s gameplan (don’t recruit Setsuki too early, her stats make her difficult to keep several turns) and her spells are nice once Nimble Fencer gives haste to everyone, making virtusos maybe even more frightening than Crashbarrows. Bloom looks great on Setsuki herself too to get more from her Swift Strike ability.

Although White Starter looks powerful with Finesse (Safe Attacking with Harmony Dancers, access to Snapback, Aged Sensei for heroes…) I think Neutral Starter would be even more powerful. You keep the flagbearer, but in addition you get Bloom, Brick Thief and the crazily gold-effective Tenderfoot. Which is a Virtuoso too !
I’d personnally run it with Discipline (because Strength is more known for its awesome early tech choices, but you already have access to good options with your other specs), but it’s maybe fanboyism :stuck_out_tongue:
You can also run them with Necromancy to get access to Graveyard :slight_smile: Black starter is really OP lol

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