Note: the build orders used in these guides can also be found here. If you have any suggestions or comments about the build orders used here, please discuss them in that thread instead.
Popular Multi-Color Codexes (No Reference Sheets Yet)
Coming some day (hopefully)
Credits
These reference sheets were originally inspired by the discussion in the Strategy for Red vs Green thread (to the point where I first posted the Red and Green sheets there).
The Codex Logo and the portraits of the Heroes are from sirlin.net, specifically in the Graphic Design section and the Codex section, respectively.
The recommended build orders (and details connected to them) are taken from the second post of the Beginner’s Guide to Teching. This was a bit of a collaborative effort, since some of the build orders there were originally created for these sheets (not that I made any of the build orders myself, though).
Last, but not least, the spec generalizations were inspired by the ones written in this post.
Thanks to everyone who contributed in any way! Even if your name doesn’t show up here, I really appreciate all you’ve done.
The sheets for specific codices are being overhauled to match the style of the Blackhand Scourge sheet, so let me know if you want to help. All of them already have permission set so anyone can suggest changes, so if you think there’s something that you can improve, go for it! I have final authority to accept or deny your suggestions, of course, so don’t bother if a reasonable person would reject what you’re doing (in other words, don’t be a jerk).
Thank you! I was hoping people could get some use out of them. There may be updates to them over time, but they’ll probably be minor for Red and Green at least.
While I’m here, the main thing that’s preventing me from making sheets for the other mono-colors is that I don’t have a “recommended build order” for any of them, and I don’t have any experience playing them like I did with Bashing and Finesse. If anyone can make one, please let me know! And of course, if you see room for improvement on any of the ones that are on the sheets (or ones people suggest), you’re free to bring that up too.
Just like, tech at least one turn four (as player one) and probably one on turn three as player 2.
Then tech the second one in the turn after.
Heck yeah, rhinos
Just to be clear, when you say turn four you’re talking about the start of turn 4, right? I have the turns marked so that it makes sense if you tell people to tech when their turn ends, so that would be the end of turn 3 on the sheet. With that in mind, it sounds like you’re saying to replace either the second Hired Stomper or the Revolver Ocelot, depending on who goes first. Since I don’t have a clue how I’d fit in two different tech paths yet (I am thinking about it, though!), I’ll just assume Player 1 for now. Does that seem fair?
As rhinoceroses go, this rhinoceros is teched more than most rhinoceroses.
OK, I’ve added another Rhino. Also decided to replace Eggship with Harvest Reaper, but I can be convinced to revert that or make it something else entirely.
Well, that’s kind of the nature of the Starter Set, right? There’s few enough options that pretty much anything is “probably fine” in games between beginners. Still, if you can think of a better option, I’m all ears! I’m just making the Bashing and Finesse builds up as I go, so any suggestions for either of them will probably be better than what I’ve got.
While Finess has two ways to tackle an Eggship, Bashing can easily use Bloom to turn 1 Eggship into a Tech Building killer. Even if all it does is show up and threaten damage, it should at least cause panic if Finess didn’t Tech a Leaping Lizard. Another option is to combo it with Sneaky Pig and/or Wrecking Ball.
That’s a good point… So, it sounds like I should revert the Harvest Reaper back to Eggship (already done), then change something in Finesse out for a Leaping Lizard. Any thoughts on how to change it? Here’s the current Finesse build order:
Glimmer instead of Centaur? Can’t say I agree! Glimmer won’t give you any great trades while Centaur can do some great stuff with Overpower and spells ^^
This is the kind of feedback I was hoping for! I agree, Centaur seems better there, but I got the Red and Green builds from @EricF, who has been described as a “codex god,” so I thought it best not to question it at the time. I’d really like if people could talk about the merits of each choice and debate a little, since it both helps make a better guide and lets everyone involved learn a bit more about the game! My initial thoughts:
Centaur
3/4 is a “benchmark of power,” according to Sirlin
Overpower helps deal with Wisps and other token shenanigans
Can survive a trade against most things Red has available at Tech 1, unless it gets damaged first
This means it could be used for Circle of Life in a different build
Can still get poked by various haste/spell damage
Excellent target for Kidnapping, if it gets teched early
Galina Glimmer
Can get you more gold (obvious, of course)
1 gold for 2/2 is cheap, especially if she gets you any gold from her ability
Not that great in combat, and there’s a conflict between using its stats and hiding it for the gold gain
Not worth Kidnapping except to deny gold gain (and it costs 4 to do so, so it might not be worth it?)
That’s what I see here, but I’m still not even an intermediate player yet. Anyone who wants to chime in, please do so!
Galina was chosen over Centaur because she synergizes better with the rest of the tech choices - when going for “hide behind Ferocious Tiny Basilisk -> Might of Leaf and Claw” having an extra 1-drop floating around in the deck is going to do more than a 3-drop will. Specifically, it frees up 2 gold to help get that Tech II down on turn 4, and green can just max-band their heroes if they end up with a gold surplus - and Cal or Arg can serve as a good Centaur substitute.
That fixed tech order isn’t supposed to be the best in abstract, just something “good enough” and internally consistent. Also, maximizing Galina means getting more units out, and not trading them off, which is exactly the strategy green should pursue (given the MoLaC endgame, and playing against Red), so it helps guide a new player towards the “right” things to do.
While I’m here, does anyone have thoughts on build orders for Blue vs Black, or any more changes to the Bashing vs Finesse sheets? It would be nice if I could get new sheets together, and I want to be sure that people think the Starter Set sheets are good before printing them.
