Cycle Deck

Cycle Decks are small decks that use Alchemists and healing potions to heal each other continuously. This allows cycles to withstand large amounts of damage without breaking. Cycle decks are also useful in building up a large repetition of buffs.
==Healing Potions==
Several healing potions can be used in cycle decks:
Potion 	Effect 	Image
Greater Healing Potion 	Heal 3 on Deplete 	
Vampire's Blood 	Heal 3 on Deplete (Assassin only) 	
Vampire Dust Snuff 	Heal 3 on Deplete, +3 damage to attacks for the next 3 turns 	
Nectar of the Gods 	Heal 5 on Deplete, chance to deal extra damage 	
Infernal Steak and Kidney Pie	Heal up to 3 NPCs. Your opponent depletes 1 for each NPC healed in this way.	
The Commander's Wine 	
On deplete, deplete a Weapon attack and a Magic attack. Heal 5. 	
===Notes===
*Healing Potion is not recommended because healing only 2 cards gives very limited cycle size. 
*Enchanted Emetic is also not recommended (in most cases), although the self-depleting effect can be utilised.
*Infernal Smelling Salts can be used in conjuction with other healing potions, since it heals alchemists. 
*Djinn and Tonic and Rassys' Rejuvenation should not be used in a cycle as they do not heal alchemists. 
*Similarly, no other potions should be included in a cycle, as they drastically reduce stability.
==How Many Cards Should my Cycle Contain?==
The stability of a cycle depends on the number of alchemists and potions there are compared to the number of other cards. A fully stable cycle should always have at least one alchemist in deck, and fewer other cards than the healing power of the weakest potion.
Potion Heal Strength	Number of non-Alchs for full stability
3 	2
5 	4
A cycle with too few alchemists may break because all the alchemists are drawn into hand. Three alchemists are recommended to prevent this happening, though it is possible to build a cycle with less. Some cycles will fail when a potion is drawn into hand. This is usually a result of too few alchemists, but can be countered by using healing cards or extra potions. Alternatively, self-depletion can be used to keep a cycle going.
===Overloading===
Many players will choose to add extra cards to a cycle, beyond the absolute stability limit. This is known as overloading. The cycle has a slighlty increased chance to break, but there is a better chance of drawing useful cards on hand. Hence the number of cards in a cycle is a matter of judgement. Some typical examples are given below.
More information on cycle stability is available on this forum post .
Players can overload safely with cards that banish on deplete.  Because these cards banish they never become part of the cycle.  Cards such as Many Hands or Martyr can be used safely; however cards such as the Mighty Thews of Terracles would not be as safe due to  it banishing when played but not upon deplete.  This could cause the cycle to become unstable if the player is not able to draw an play it.  Having some extra cards like Martyr mainly benefit a lower level cycle that may only be running with 2 Alchemists as it will be less likely to pull both Alchemists on first draw.  Many Hands will benefit all cycle decks because it will increase the damage of the alchemists or other NPCs if  you play it before it banishes. Chaluan Hydra is also a safe add because even though it adds cards (which would normally cause the cycle to become unstable) all of those cards are also banish on deplete. 
==Example Cycles==
Stat-Gainer
A Claw Assassin gives an agility gain on deplete. This increases the player's attack without increasing absorb. Duelist and Archmage are alternatives stat-gainers for this deck type. Lotus Fist is used for unpreventability and healing. Greater Ferocious Cleave is used for self-depletion.
===Defensive Stat-Gainer===
Here Paxon Greengaze is used as a stat-gainer that also increases absorb. This means that the cycle becomes more protected against normal damage the more that it is hit. However, it will still take indirect damage, e.g. from Acid Flasks or Soulstealers.
===Retribution Cycle===
Sympathetic Slaughter, Come Die with Me or Blood Bond are particularly effective against hard-hitting enemies. This is a particularly common strategy for Erakka-Sak, combined with Heartbreakers to avoid banish damage.
===NPC-Booster===
Lord Edmund boosts NPC damage by 3 on deplete and also depletes 5 on play. This type of cycle can result in alchemists doing huge amounts of damage themselves. Sar Jocelyn the Red is also an npc-booster.
===Self-Depleting Cycle===
Nectar of the Gods and Bernard Bronzefist cause damage when they are depleted. These are combined with Goblin Ambushers to make the cycle deplete itself when hit. This combination can kill most enemies in one turn. Other possible cards include Apocolocyntosised Demon, Zeilend of the Western Wold and Samantha the Demophile.
===Other Cycles===
Many other variations are possible! There are many other cards such as Lapu, King of Maclan and Magma Elemental that have interesting and powerful effects on deplete, so try experimenting for yourself.
==What about Banner of Dread?==
Banner of Dread is an ememy talisman that prevents NPCs from being drawn into hand. If no attacks are left in deck, then a potion is drawn rather than an NPC. If no other cards are in deck, then the player is defeated. Both of these are problematic for a normal cycle, but it is possible to build a cycle that can cope with Banner of Dread, known as a null-npc cycle.
Extra attacks are used in the cycle ( that would usually cause the cycle to become unstable). Furthermore, extra precautions are taken with healing to ensure that there is almost always an attack in deck to be drawn. Cards with delayed heal or deplete are particularly useful.
===Null-NPC cycle===
==Ways to Break a Cycle==
* Banish
* Blank
* Displace
* Envy
* Banner of Dread
* Drawing potions
* Overloading
* Too much damage (the game has a limit of depletion effects for a single threat - about 1000, in order to prevent infinite cycle depletion)
==Notes==
This is a work in progress. When it is done, it will probably be one of the longest pages on the wiki, so please be patient. If you have any suggestions, please use the Comments section or make edits yourself. Only send messages to my My Talk if you have a suggestion(s) for multiple pages I've been working on.
GameTommy 02:45, March 27, 2012 (UTC)
Updated by Zaytuun Jan 23, 2013
Updated by Zaytuun May 26, 2013
Updated by Mciuni June 26,2013 (overloading section).
Please continue to improve the page, and correct any mistakes.
Category:Deck Types