recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Morsel Excavator

0

**Eaten:** Eater gains +3 and **Lifesteal 1.**

**Morsel Excavator** is a generated Umbra  Card in Monster Train. It can't be obtained by any means outside of combat, but is instead the byproduct of certain Umbral cards.

This morsel is an uncommon tier morsel making it one of the middle set of morsels. This morsel should be selectively fed to minions that will be taking a lot of damage on the turn following consumption so that they can heal after the enemies have damaged them. Alternatively, it can be used as a weaker Magma Morsel if there are no incoming damage sources.

## Lore

*Before the Pyre was extinguished, it had rooted itself throughout the edges of the Crucible, creating volatile shards of crystal that were bursting with violent energy. The Shroud had no use for these Void Shards and chose to remove them to gain access to whatever they concealed.*

## History

*See: Version History*

 1.1.2
 1.2.5
 2.0.0
Sycophant

*For the combat, see The Sycophants of Seraph*

**Extinguish:** Give +2 to all friendly units.

###

All
2
1

**Extinguish:** Give +2 to all friendly units.

###

All
12
10

**Sycophant** is an Enemy and a Clipped in Monster Train.

They appear in Mark of Invasion trials in Rings 4 and 5, as well as the following combats:

* The Sycophants of Seraph
* Harvesters of Death
* Fel, the Wings of Light: Eternal Crest
* Archus, Darkness Incarnate: Sin of Darkness

## Lore

*Freshly Clipped, these outcasts were once Winged, but have been cast out for some ancient argument that has remained unknown to me. They still carry the feathers of their old selves, granting others the power they no longer have.*
Refracting Lenses

When a card with **Consume** is played, restore 5 Pyre health.

**Refracting Lenses** is a Clanless  Artifact in Monster Train.

## Lore

*My failed attempt at refocusing the light of the Pyre to better fuel the Boneshaker. It wasn’t entirely a waste of time though, as the lens was able to refract that energy back onto the Pyre itself.*

## Strategy

**Refracting Lenses** restores 5 whenever a card with Consume is played.

How valuable **Refracting Lenses** is depends on how many Consume cards you have - in most cases, this is worth 5 per Battle, per card. If you're struggling early but have even 2 or 3 cards with Consume, this can help you survive the early game.

As a run goes on, you often get more Consume cards, increasing the amount of healing that **Refracting Lenses** provides. It's feasible to reach full health with it, even on Covenant 24+ where you start at 40, which can give you a little bit of buffer room later in the game. If you have an abundance of Consume cards (as the Wurmkin clan in particular does well), it's possible to depend on **Refracting Lenses** as your solution to Heavy-class enemies, simply letting them reach the Pyre and then using this to heal off the damage, provided you can take care of the Boss with strategies that work well against Relentless. This is much less viable if you take Pyre Shards in The Last Divinity (DLC), both because Pact Shard-enhanced enemies deal a lot of damage to the Pyre, and because in The Last Divinity fight, two non-relentless minor bosses appear, and they can easily kill your Pyre from full health.

If you have Rationing Scales (DLC only), you can turn the  this gives you into  in each combat, which in Consume-heavy decks can allow it to produce a lot more value.

Overall, **Refracting Lenses** is at its best if you need health early and have Consume cards, and tends to be a low-to-medium impact Artifact otherwise, though it can sometimes be part of your strategy if Pact Shards aren't part of the picture.
Mark of an Exile

When played, your Champion gains +50% max health.

**Mark of an Exile** is a Clanless  Artifact in Monster Train.

## Lore

*Despite the failings of the Roles of Champions, there was some small peace to be found in the knowledge that the Exiles had made an almost identical decision when defending themselves against greater powers. Though, their failing has only amplified ours.*

## Strategy

**Mark of an Exile** gives your Champion +50% of their  upon entering the battlefield, allowing them to survive longer.

**Mark of an Exile'**s buffs are calculated when the Champion enters the train, and do not scale with subsequent buffs. They are also not considered buffs to the card. So if your Champion dies and is returned to the battlefield somehow, the buff that this Artifact gave them originally will be gone. (However, **Mark of an Exile** will buff them again once they re-enter, and if their  has increased since then, the new buff will be based on your Champion's current ).

The value of **Mark of an Exile** is usually fairly easy to evaluate - how much are you using your Champion to soak up damage, and how much  is this Artifact giving you? It is at its best with Rector Flicker's Burn Bright upgrade tree, Solgard the Martyr's Titanchannel upgrade tree, Penumbra's Monstrous tree, any of The Sentient's upgrade trees, or Wyldenten's Thorn Lord tree.

It's worth considering with a high- Champion whose survival is a core part of your strategy, and usually skippable otherwise.
Umbra Stone

2

**Consume.**
Apply **Trample.**

**Umbra Stone** is an Umbra  Card and a Tome in Monster Train.

## Lore

*As a single mind, the Umbra had no need for written text. But when I finally discovered them, they created a language to converse with me and the other lowly residents of Hell.*

## Strategy

Trample is particularly effective on Sweep units.

## History

*See: Version History*

 1.2.6
Kinhost Vessel

1

**Shell 8**.
**Hatch**: Summon Kinhost Pupa.

**Kinhost Vessel** is a Banner Unit of the Wurmkin .

## Lore

*The vessels containing Kinhosts have been tended to by the Wurmkin since their discovery. By stretching out the vessels’ diet of Echoes, the Wurmkin are able to keep the vessels in a permanent state of hibernation and select the time of their hatching based on demand.*
The Winged Horde

*"Although weaker soldiers, this mob of Winged will fight with all they have, dealing damage to your unitsas they take their final breath."*
— Combat Description

**The Winged Horde** is a combat that can appear in Ring 7. This combat features a horde of Wiltwings, which can force a lot of damage upon death, as well as Darkwings, which gains Armor when units die, such as the horde.

Like all non-boss combats, a Collector will appear on a random floor on wave 2.

The Ring 7 Boss can be either Nephil, the Wingless General or the Living Armor, regardless of the combat.

## Strategies

* The massive amounts of Wiltwings can deal significant damage that ignores Quick, Sap, Dazed, and Stealth. Either make sure your units can survive this damage some other way, or ensure that the Wiltwings die on empty or insigificant floors with spells.
Olde Magic

1

**Olde Magic** is a Clanless  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*The Pyre did not always exist, that much I know for sure. But the mechanics of its creation aren’t exactly clear. There is a machine and a sacrifice of Titans. I was involved in the creation, possibly even the creator myself, but like many others, this memory has been lost to me.*

## Strategy

*To see what choices are available, please see Concealed Caverns - Arcane Machine*

If you do not wish to add any of the currently available effects, you may skip one by selecting to "Leave it be." This is most commonly useful for the Unit Movement effects.
Total Recall

1

**Consume**.
Return 3 random spell cards from the discard pile to your hand and apply **Consume**.

**Total Recall** is a Wurmkin  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*The Wurmkin claim they contain the History of the World in their stoneform — the knowledge of demons and Titans alike that can be granted and returned at will. I thought my notes to be a near-total collection of information on this Realm, but the Wurmkin appear to know of things that they have no right knowing. Things that, once long ago, I may have known myself...*

## Strategy

Consuming cards can be very useful for builds that rely on the Etch ability as well as builds that can potentially achieve an Infinite.
Protectors of the Clipped

*"Giant slabs of stone create defensive walls that can be hard to penetrate. Crack their defenses to defeat the heavy-hitters behind."*
— Combat Description

**Protectors of the Clipped** is a combat that can appear in Ring 4. This combat features Clipped Reflectors, which gain Armor on Incant.

Like all non-boss combats, a Collector will appear on a random floor on wave 2.

 6

The Ring 4 Boss can be either Pyrelight Master, The Purcupine, or the Thoughtbinder, regardless of the combat.
Rootsplit Mask

Apply **Rooted** to enemy units when they enter the floor below the Pyre Room.

**Rootsplit Mask** is an Artifact of the Awoken  in Monster Train.

## Lore

*Breaking through their armor is considered a rite of passage for the Awoken, marking their shift from Hollow to Animus. This old armor breaks under the weight of new vines making up the Animus.*
Pyrelight Master

**Relentless.**
**Resolve:** Gain +5.

###

0
6
400

1
6
600

4
7
600

14
7
620

22
7
640

## Pact Shard Upgrade (DLC)

+6 and gain 3 **Regen** (every 10),
 +1 (every 40),
 (Cov 10-25): gain 1 **Multistrike** (every 50)

**Pyrelight Master** is a Boss and a Clipped in Monster Train, that may appear on Ring 4.

## Lore

*Formerly a Light Harnesser, this curious Clipped recrafted his wings with an unholy combination made from shards of the Pyre and Seraph's Light. The terrible result helped solidify the former Harnesser as a leader among Clipped and a terror among Hellborne.*

### Battle Quotes

* *Fight back!*
* *Your Pyre is strong, I'll give you that.*
* *If the Winged can't stop me, neither can you.*
* *Ah, do you recognize your precious Pyre?*
* *Each Wing I've clipped has only made me stronger.*
* *Attack me!*
* *Let's make this quick, shall we?*
* *Take that!*
* *Quit wasting my time!*
* *Come on!*
* *This ends here.*
* *Make a move, Hellborne.*
Pyre Shards

1

**Consume.**
Apply **Spikes 4.**

**Pyre Shards** is an Awoken  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*To protect the Pyre should it ever feel threatened, I enhanced it to change its shape into something sharper that would damage the attacker. If broken off, these shards can be ingested by the Awoken to achieve the same effect.*
Quill Marksman

###

0
6
2

7
7
2

19
9
2

**Multistrike 1.**

###

0
12x2
10

7
13x2
10

19
15x2
10

**Quill Marksman** is an Enemy and a Clipped in Monster Train.

They appear in the following combats:

* Clipped Infiltration
* Protectors of the Clipped
* Clipped Tormenters
* The Harpy's Guard
* Harvesters of Death
* Fel, the Wings of Light: Eternal Crest
* Fel, the Wings of Light: Scouring Crest
* Fel, the Wings of Light: Wrath Crest
* Archus, Darkness Incarnate: Sin of Darkness
* Archus, Darkness Incarnate: Sin of Shadow
* Archus, Darkness Incarnate: Sin of Failure

## Lore

*Younger Clipped coat their severed feathers in steel and sharpen them to use as hyper-accurate throwing knives. By the time they run out, they are usually old enough to pick up a spear and serve their duty as a Guardian.*
Molting Imp

1

**Summon:** Deal 5 damage to enemy units.

**Molting Imp** is a Hellhorned  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*With each molting cycle comes a new body, on that inches the Imp closer to fully mutating into the more mature Hellhorned Demons. After witnessing the process, it is not something for the faint of heart.*
The Crystalcloak

**Relentless.**
**Stealth 8.**

###

0
12
350

1
12
550

4
13
550

14
13
570

22
13
590

## Pact Shard Upgrade (DLC)

+5 (every 10),
 +1 (every 45),
 (Cov 10-25): +20 and gain 1 **Stealth** (every 40)

**The Crystalcloak** is a Boss and a Clipped in Monster Train, that may appear on Ring 5.

## Lore

*In the early days of the Covenant, the Clipped assisted in mining the Crucible. For their efforts, they were given some of the most valuable crystals found within the mines. It is an insult to our previous alliance that they now use these gems as weapons towards our destruction.*

### Battle Quotes

* *Do you remember these crystals?*
* *You won't make it any farther!*
* *Take that!*
* *Does this cloak look familiar?*
* *Let's go, Hellborne!*
* *For Fel and Honor!*
* *You've still a long way to go Hellborne!*
* *This cloak still reeks of your mines.*
Magma Morsel

0

**Eaten:** Eater gains +6.

**Magma Morsel** is a generated Umbra  Card in Monster Train. It can't be obtained by any means outside of combat, but is instead the byproduct of certain Umbral cards.

This morsel is a common tier morsel making it one of the weaker set of morsels. This morsel should be fed to minions with multistrike, trample, or sweep before being fed to other creatures so as to gain more effect from the attack it provides.

## Lore

*Originally heated by the nearby Pyre, molten rock can be found throughout the Crucible. Morsels excavate it like anything else, but there was no use for it until I showed them how to use the residual energy to strengthen themselves.*

## History

*See: Version History*

 1.1.2
 1.2.5
 2.0.0
Soulcrushing Guilt

0

**Extract 3**.
Apply **Dazed 3** to a unit and move it to the back.

**Soulcrushing Guilt** is a Wurmkin  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*Four Titans for Four Elements: that was the rule created by the Divinities before. Their sacrifice led to our Pyre, our survival. The only knowledge of this has been kept locked in these Wurmkin tunnels. Those that learn of our mistakes are broken with guilt, unable to process the magnitude of what once was. The Wurmkin have removed themselves from blame, seeing their roles as custodians of knowledge penance enough for the original sins.*
Votivary

0

**Endless.**
**Extinguish:** Draw 1.

**Votivary** is a Melting Remnant  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*These Reformed attendants of the Votive Houses are some of my closest allies throughout the Ring. Their reduced stature gives them a natural affinity for the weak, finding them to be kindred spirits of sorts. Their sharp resin hands, however, make their embrace of these fellow souls considerably more dangerous.*

## Strategy

**Votivary** is one of the few cards that enables Infinites.

**Votivary** gives you a chump blocker who can be moved between floors whenever it dies. Thanks to its **Extinguish** ability, it does not slow the rate at which you cycle through your deck (nor accelerate it), unlike other **Endless** cards. This allows it to serve as damage mitigation while also providing **Harvest** triggers.

When combined with Waxer Snuffer, Votivary also provides draw acceleration, making it an incredibly useful unit as long as you have a single capacity to spare.

## History

*See: Version History*

 1.1.2
Scorching Restraints

Friendly units enter with **Rage 3**.

**Scorching Restraints** is an Artifact of the Hellhorned  in Monster Train.

## Lore

*For the Hellhorned that are considered too violent by their own clan's standards, imprisonment is a cruel affair. Subjected to rot in chains sunk directly into the bubbling lava below, the prisoners are burned by the molten steel that binds them... and the scorching heat only enrages them further.*

## Strategy

**Scorching Restraints** provides 3 Rage to all units when they are played, effectively giving them +6 at the start of battle.

This is roughly on par with a Worn Grindstone initially, being useful for an initial power boost to help with early waves. Because of Rage's decay, the boost wears off over time, though the initial damage is very nice. In a run that regularly applies Rage to all its units, this can functionally be a permanent +6 boost as Rage will decay anyway.

**Scorching Restraints** has the same drawback that Worn Grindstone has with respect to units with 0 and low , making them susceptible to Spikes when the previously weren't, though no Hellhorned units care about this.

It also interacts with Resonant Shard and Deranged Brute as they increase the effectiveness of the Rage, Collection of Tails as it makes the Rage permanent, and Last Stand as it doubles the Rage this provides.

**Scorching Restraints** is a medium-impact Artifact overall that gets somewhat better with Rage effects.
Offering Token

0

Draw 1. Discard 1.

**Offering Token** is a Stygian Guard  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*Making offerings to the Unnamed Titan has become a religious experience among the Stygian Guard. These offerings are made with such frequency that I helped to create tokens to represent a Guard’s offering to the Titan and simplify the process.*

## Strategy

Offering Token has two major functions: a free, controlled way of discarding Offering cards in order to play them for free, as well as a 0-cost way of activating Incant.

When not used to discard an Offering card, Offering Token has the potential downside of making your hand worse by forcing you to discard the worst card in it. In the case that the worst card is useless (whether it's a Deadweight or simply a card you wouldn't have played anyway), it has no downside. But in cases where you otherwise would have gotten value from every card in your hand, Offering Token hurts your draw.

That said, it is the easiest, most reliable option for activating Offering. Given Holdover, it can guarantee you that you can discard an Offering card every turn for little-to-no cost and without slowing down (or speeding up) the rate at which you cycle through your deck while also providing an extra Incant activation on any floor you want.

## History

*See: Version History*

 1.0.4
Shadewings

*For the combat, see The Shadewings*

**Multistrike 1.**
**Slay:** +2 and restore 5 health.

###

0
10x2
5

7
12x2
5

19
15x2
5

**Multistrike 2.**
**Slay:** +5 and restore 20 health.

###

0
10x3
25

7
12x3
25

19
15x3
25

**Shadewings** is an Enemy and a Winged in Monster Train.

They appear on the following combats:

* The Shadewings
* Seraph the Temperant
* Seraph the Patient
* (DLC) The Last Divinity: Divine Intervention

## Lore

*Even Heaven has darkness and those that live in it. The Shadewings gain power from death, making Hell a pleasant new home for them. We'd be happy to welcome them under different circumstances, but we could do without the freezing cold they brought with them.*
FEIQ

## История

Клан FEIQ начал свое существование на 2 день создания сервера. Изначально в нем было 3 учасника Razazzello(глава), Romantik, chako123. Клан сидел в тени очень долго, не выходя ни с кем на связь, просто набирался сил... Создавалась топовая броня для всех участников клана (даже для тех кто вступит в будущем). Спустя некоторое время в клан начали вступать новые участники. Клан FEIQ единственные на сервере кто получил легальным способом ЯЙЦО ДРАКОНА убив его.
Vapor Funnel

Apply **Dazed** to enemy units when they enter the Pyre Room. Your Pyre gets -5.

### Type

Clanless

**Vapor Funnel** is a Clanless  Artifact in Monster Train.

## Lore

*While trying to improve the efficiency of energy transfer from the Pyre to the Boneshaker, I inadvertently created a way to convert the energy directly into steam. At the time it seemed like a failure, but it may well prove useful in these harsh times.*

## Strategy

**Vapor Funnel** gives enemies Dazed 1 when they enter the Pyre room and gives the Pyre -5, giving the Pyre one turn to attack enemies before they get to do anything.

**Vapor Funnel** allows you to leak most Support-class enemies to the Pyre room without consequence (barring Spikes or Extinguish triggers), as the Pyre kills all such enemies in one hit under most circumstances. It can also nullify or mitigate damage from weakened Heavy-class enemies, though with its -5 penalty, healthy Heavy-class enemies will end up doing as much or more Pyre damage than they would otherwise, and Bosses are even more of a threat (though if **Vapor Funnel** is making your boss situation worse, your run is probably dead anyway).

**Vapor Funnel** synergizes well with Boon of the Blacksmith and especially Heaven's Gold, allowing your Pyre to better kill weakened Heavy-class enemies with minimal consequences.

In the early game when enemies aren't scaled up too much yet and the Pyre is still capable of oneshotting most of them, **Vapor Funnel** can prove to be a huge boon as it allows you to be extremely greedy with dangerous trials in the early game that can otherwise threaten to deal massive damage to your Pyre.

**Vapor Funnel** can help ease pressure on your Pyre and is generally a strong Artifact, and should be considered whenever offered unless your run is in a very strong position. However, you will usually want to reach a point where it is mostly redundant, especially if you are playing with Pact Shards in The Last Divinity (DLC), as this will not have much of an impact against the Minor bosses without Relentless in that fight.
Morsel Miner

0

**Eaten:** Eater gains +6 and +6.

**Morsel Miner** is a generated Umbra  Card in Monster Train. It can't be obtained by any means outside of combat, but is instead the byproduct of certain Umbral cards (Making of a Morsel, Shroud Mitosis (when used on a Morsel Miner), Packed Morsels, Grovel, Gem Trove, or Cannibalize).

This morsel is generally considered to be the best morsel as it is the only morsel in the "rare" category and it provides the most stats.

## Lore

*Antumbra Morsels are tasked with the bulk of the physical labor throughout the mines of the Crucible, collecting precious metals and returning them to the main stockpile for smelting and smithing. They don't say much, but they've become quite friendly during my time in the Crucible.*

## History

*See: Version History*

 1.1.2
 1.2.5
 2.0.0
Kinstone Totem

When a card is discarded before the end of your turn, gain 1.

**Kinstone Totem** is an Artifact of the Stygian Guard  in Monster Train.

## Lore

*For as long as I’ve lived in Hell, I’ve known the Ring filled with Bogwurm remains to be a desolate place with no sentient inhabitants. When Solgard mentioned a Kinstone gifted to him by a clan that resides there, the Wurmkin, I realized there’s so much I still don't know about this place. Or, perhaps, I can no longer remember.*
March of Shields

1

Move a unit to the front and apply **Armor 10.**

**March of Shields** is a Hellhorned  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*Only the bravest, or dumbest, Hellhorned are chosen to bear a shield and hold the line. They are trained to take the brunt of most attacks through an intense regimen of magma-walking that kills more often than not.*

## Strategy

While **March of Shields** is usually not a game-changing card, the ability to rearrange units and enemies to the players benefit can be of importance in some builds.
Shattered Shell

1

**Sweep.**
**Slay:** +3.

**Shattered Shell** is a Banner Unit of the Awoken .

## Lore

*When Husk Hermits grow too large for their already restrictive shell, they keep the shattered steel pieces for offensive use. Against my wishes, the Channelers have hoarded Pyre shards to further enhance the power of these creatures.*
Rules of Containment

Enemy units enter with **Frostbite 2**.

**Rules of Containment** is an Artifact of the Stygian Guard  in Monster Train.

## Lore

*These ancient scrolls detail the laws of the Guard, from ceremonial offerings to mundane dress codes. They are a historical treasure trove that I look forward to studying more when this whole affair is finished.*
Война против деревьев

Война против деревьев началась спонтанно, и, скорее всего, идея была перенесена с 2b2t. Участники разделились на два лагеря: за сожжение и за сохранение.

## Ход событий

### Период становления сервера

Небольшие децентрализованные группировки сжигали деревья на протяжении тысячи блоков около спавна. Многие, если не все, действовали по одиночке, учитывая что около спавна территория никем не контролировалась (Клан ENIGMA в основном обитал в центре спавна).

Особенно выделился Орден Огня. Данное объединение сожгло более 2000х2000 площади леса вокруг спавна.

За сохранение леса вокруг спавна выступило так же большое количество людей, в том числе Южане, которые устраивали посадку леса у спавна (в последствии лес был сожжён III\_INVALID\_III. При чём он не был участником этого события).

### Период "мира"

После окончания периода становления сервера и ухода большинства активных игроков из-за /shop, в том числе и Ордена Огня, у спавна всё больше начали появляться деревья, даже у нулевых координат. Конечно, след, нанесённый поджигательством, остался на карте сервера, но в этот период он становится всё менее заметным.

Поджоги практически никто не утраивает, за исключением единичных небольших случаев.
Thy Holiest Shield

X

**Purge.**
Apply 2 **Damage Shield.**

**Thy Holiest Shield** is a Clanless  Card in Monster Train. It is one of the cards that can be obtained in Armageddon Battlefield. If this card is still in your deck after 2 battles, you will obtain the Hope for Peace artifact, giving it **Consume** instead of **Purge**.

## Lore

*Driven by some misplaced sense of virtue, the Winged broke the Covenant we worked so hard to create. But they cannot achieve peace through blood.*

## Strategy

You should avoid using the spell before you obtain the Hope for Peace artifact.

## History

*See: Version History*

 1.1.2
Pyrestone Housing

Units gain an extra upgrade slot.

**Pyrestone Housing** is a Clanless  Artifact in Monster Train.

## Lore

*My discovery of the creation of Pyrestones, gemstones infused with flames of the Pyre, was monumental in enhancing the strength of Hell’s forces and marked a turning point in the war against Heaven. That victory was short-lived, however, as the design was stolen and copied shortly thereafter.*

## Strategy

**Pyrestone Housing** increases the number of Upgrades that units can have by 1, which in a standard run gives them 3 slots to work with. (Even without this Artifact, units can have any number of upgrades applied to them through events in Concealed Caverns, but with **Pyrestone Housing**, Merchants of Steel can now apply upgrades to units with 2 prior upgrades.)

**Pyrestone Housing** allows you to create more powerful units, which can be strong in just about any run - if you upgrade Banner Units, you are guaranteed to reap the benefits of upgrading units early in battles thanks to the way Banner Units are drawn. **Pyrestone Housing** is especially strong if you are able to visit several Merchants of Steel to find rare upgrades like Frenzystone or Largestone to stack on your units. Keep in mind that if your main units have already gained a third update through Concealed Caverns, the added slot is already filled, which makes this artifact much less useful.

It's generally worth taking as long as you can profitably reach a Merchant of Steel before the end of the run - it does not take long for this Artifact to make a run stronger.
Monster Train Wiki

**Monster Train**

Welcome to the Monster Train Wiki, a community dedicated to the strategy card game Monster Train! Find interesting facts, useful gaming tips, and deck-building ideas! Please feel free to contribute by creating new articles or expanding on existing ones.

Monster Train is a roguelike deck building game with over 250 cards, a plethora of artifacts and a swathe of upgrades for any card in your deck. This makes each run and strategy truly unique. Take on challenging enemies as you level up your monster clans and covenant - you’ll never play the same deck twice. To take back hell, you’ll need to power up. Choose your route carefully, different locations give different benefits; upgrade your champion, recruit powerful units, upgrade cards, gain passive bonuses or duplicate any card in your deck.

Official Site

**Content**

**Gameplay**
Enemies
Battle
Merchants
Mutators
Rings
Overworld Events
Concealed Caverns

**Mechanics**
Cards
Artifacts
Covenant Ranks
Upgrades
Battle Effects
Status Effects
Card Effects

**Clans**
Hellhorned

Hornbreaker Prince

Shardtail Queen
Awoken

The Sentient

Wyldenten
Stygian Guard

Tethys Titansbane

Solgard the Martyr
Umbra

Penumbra

Primordium
Melting Remnant

Rector Flicker

Little Fade

**Downloadable Content**

**The Last Divinity**
Pact Shards
Divine Temples
Wurmkin
Spine Chief
Echowright

**Featured Media**

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Sketches of Salvation

At the start of battle, summon 4 random units from your deck onto the middle floor.

### Type

Clanless

**Sketches of Salvation** is a Clanless  Artifact in Monster Train.

## Lore

*There was little time to act after Seraph’s invasion, but there was just enough for me to design a way to protect what would remain of the Pyre after its inevitable destruction.*

## Strategy

**Sketches of Salvation** very much alters the course of a run when obtained, for better or for worse. It gets you off to a fast start in a fight, playing units without spending  or drawing cards to play them, and gives you an easy way to Overstack your second floor, but also gives you no control over the arrangement of those units, or even what units are played on the 2nd floor.

It is often worth skipping if offered, even for 25 Gold if in a Trial, as its effect can be very detrimental for certain decks.

If you take **Sketches of Salvation**, your deck should consider how to handle these problems:

* The random order means that frail units like Lodestone Totem may be put in front, jeopardizing their safety.
* You may not have enough units for the 1st or 3rd floor when the situation calls for it. (Beware Haste in particular)
* You have no control over which units are played; it may play Train Steward, Imps, or a key support unit. (One way to address this is to have exactly 4 non-Champion units.)
* Your Champion will never be played by this, so they may be separated from your other units - often you will be unable to reliably pair them with a particular other unit.

Effects that change unit positioning like Hidden Passage, March of Shields, Vine Grasp, or Dripfall help address many of these problems.

Decks that build around **Sketches of Salvation** can be powerful if they address these issues because of the sheer card and  advantage it provides (especially if units with difficult play requirements like Shadowsiege are played using it), so consider carefully if the benefits are worth the risks.

### Additional Information

This will never summon your Champion to the middle floor, even if your deck has 3 or less Unit cards in it.
Wurmkin Spike

X

**Consume**.
Apply **4 Reap** to enemy units.

**Wurmkin Spike** is a Wurmkin  Card and a Railspike in Monster Train.

## Lore

*The creation of the Wurmkin Spike was an appreciated gesture, but symbolic nonetheless. The Wurmkin never opted into the Rail and had made it clear that they would continue to preserve their anonymity. When I leave — when I forget — the Spike will remain with them, their symbolic support returned along with the memory of my mistakes.*

Lorewise, **Wurmkin Spike** has been returned to the Wurmkin by Herzal, thus **Wurmkin Spike** is not available in the Railspikes event. (Mechanically this is due to the fact that Charged Echoes are not available to unrelated Clans)
Mark of a Champion

When played, your Champion gains +50% attack.

**Mark of a Champion** is a Clanless  Artifact in Monster Train.

## Lore

*The roles of the Champions of Hell were created as part of the Hellpact. They were to be representatives of each clan, chosen by their own clan. In hindsight, this was an ambitious idea that failed more often than it succeeded. It’s unfair to attribute our current situation to these failings, but that makes it no less accurate.*

## Strategy

**Mark of a Champion** gives your Champion +50% of their  upon entering the battlefield, allowing them to deal more damage.

**Mark of a Champion'**s buffs are calculated when the Champion enters the train, and do not scale with subsequent buffs. They are also not considered buffs to the card. So if your Champion dies and is returned to the battlefield somehow, the buff that this Artifact gave them originally will be gone. (However, **Mark of a Champion** will buff them again once they re-enter, and if their  has increased since then, the new buff will be based on your Champion's current ).

The value of **Mark of a Champion** is usually fairly easy to evaluate - how much are you using your Champion to deal damage, and how much  is this Artifact giving you? It is at its best with Rector Flicker's Burn Bright upgrade tree, Solgard the Martyr's Titanchannel upgrade tree, Penumbra's Monstrous or Architect trees, or Little Fade's Eternal Flame upgrade tree.

In the context of The Last Divinity (DLC), if you are going for the final fight against The Last Divinity, this Artifact is often not that impressive, as your Champion tends to play a support role by that point in the game due to the availability of fused units. It's worth considering with a high- Champion but even then it's probably a mid-tier Artifact.
The Bloating Fungus

**Regen** restores +1 health per stack.

**The Bloating Fungus** is an Artifact of the Awoken  in Monster Train.

## Lore

*This fungal infection affects the bark of trees throughout the Wildwood. While it feeds on much of the sap the tree produces, the fungus also accelerates the tree's sap production entirely, creating a fascinating symbiotic relationship between the two species.*
Thorn Casing

**Sting** spells get +10 **Magic Power** and **Piercing**.

**Thorn Casing** is an Artifact of the Awoken  in Monster Train.

## Lore

*Using the smithing techniques I taught them, the Edge Priory developed casings for the thorns ejected from the Awoken, turning them into much deadlier weapons against the Winged.*

## Strategy

**Thorn Casing** gives Sting spells +10 Magic Power and Piercing, which under normal circumstances increases their damage from 10 to 20.

**Thorn Casing'**s use clearly depends on how many Sting spells you have over the course of your run (see this for a list of ways to have more Stings), giving you +10 damage for each. It also gives them Piercing, which is either irrelevant or very useful, depending on what enemies you are facing. With **Thorn Casing**, Disciple Protector, Clipped Defender, and Steelwings - all of whom are front-line enemies that can be hit with Sting - are killed with a single Sting spell, making fights where those enemies are featured much easier. If you are playing with The Last Divinity (DLC) and are depending on **Thorn Casing** to help get you through fights featuring these enemies, be wary of taking Pact Shards, as Shard-enhanced versions of the aformentioned armored enemies have enough  to usually be out of range of being killed by Sting spells, making their Pierce useless against them.

Be careful not to over-flood your deck with Sting spells even with this Artifact, as while Sting is "free" up to a point thanks to its +1 card draw next turn effect and 0 cost, if your deck has too many of them, you may not be able to take advantage of all the draw thanks to the 10 card hand limit, and even with the +10 Magic Power boost, you do not want Sting to replace other cards lategame.
Restore

1

Restore 2 health. Apply **Regen 1.**

**Restore** is an Awoken  Card in the Base  Starter Deck. You begin with 3-5 of them depending on your Covenant Rank.

## Lore

*One of the many strengths of the Channelers of the Wildwood is their ability to heal their fellow Awoken. Upon our completion of the Rail, they agreed to extend this practice to other Hellborne in need.*

## Strategy

**Restore** is a rather weak card in general - 2 health per card will not suffice for very long. However, it can be used strategically to allow a unit to barely survive a hit that would kill it.

The main use **Restore** has is to trigger *Rejuvenate* abilities - and it will often do so twice, since it also provides *Regen*. If you have this card, it is therefore often worth picking up units with *Rejuvenate* abilities.

You will typically want it removed by lategame, or at least upgraded with a Surgestone to allow one decent, cheap heal once per fight.

On Regen heavy builds, especially with The Sentient, Restore can actually be very potent and it could even be good to duplicate 0 cost Restore over other cards.
Living Armor

**Relentless.**
**Revenge:** Gain +1.

###

0
5
900

1
5
1250

4
6
1250

14
6
1290

22
6
1330

## Pact Shard Upgrade (DLC)

+15 (every 5),
 (Cov 10-25): +1 (every 10),
 (Cov 10-25): gain 15 **Armor** (every 5)

**Living Armor** is a Boss and a Winged in Monster Train, that may appear on Ring 7.

## Lore

*The Captain of the Steelwings has never removed the armor hammered into his wings. With each blow taken during battle, the steel forms more tightly around the Winged. We have speculated that the armor has now fused to his body, making him indestructible.*

### Battle Quotes

* *Do not mistake your successes so far as victory.*
* *I always knew your Covenant was a sham.*
* *You'll have to go through me to get to Seraph.*
* *You Hellborne were always so crude.*
* *Stop now!*
* *Oh did that hurt? Good!*
* *You cannot beat me!*
* *I should've done this long ago!*
* *I can't say I won't enjoy stopping you.*
* *I command you to stop!*
* *I'll make sure to give Seraph what's left of you.*
Talos, the Architect: Empowering Offense

*For the major boss, see: Talos*

*"The Architect of the Exodus attacks blindly and gains more protection with each unit she slays, so take her out quickly."*
— Combat Description

**Talos, the Architect: Empowering Offense** is a combat that can appear in Ring 3.

In this combat, the boss, Talos, attacks before Relentless, gaining Armor 25 if she manages to slay a unit. Also, all enemy units enter with Rage 2.

## Strategies

* With Clergyman starting with rage and doing a lot of damage on lower floors, it is generally advised to play units on higher floors.
* Applying Dazed to Talos will prevent her from striking.

## Trivia

* This combat shares the same wave pattern with Daedalus, the Professor: Explosive Sigil.
Plink

1

Deal 1 damage to a random enemy unit, twice.
**Slay:** Add a common or uncommon Morsel unit to your hand.

**Plink** is an Umbra  Card in the Exile  Starter Deck. You begin with 3-5 of them depending on your Covenant Rank.

## Lore

*The Primordium does not speak through words but through floods of feeling. The bounds of its mind seem endless. It’s no wonder that the ultimate split of the Primordium created a varying number of personalities, not the least of which are my friendly Morsels.*

## Strategy

**Plink** is a strong early card in fights where there are lots of 1 enemies, frequently killing 2 enemies and generating 2 morsels against waves of Clergymen. However, 1 enemies are not common past Ring 4, and not all battles before that will have many good targets for this spell. Taking the  Armor Emblem trial will make **Plink** a lot less effective as well, often even if it is upgraded. On the other hand, **Plink** is quite effective on early turns if Mark of Invasion is taken.

Without either a Surgestone, Powerstone, or some other source of Magic Power, this spell is therefore a high purge priority.

## History

*See: Version History*

In Dev streams, Plink was revealed as a 1 damage to all enemies card with the same slay effect, but was nerfed before introduction in Friends and Foes.
Subsuming Blade

2

**Piercing.**
Deal 5 damage.
**Slay:** Increase damage by 3 permanently.

**Subsuming Blade** is a Melting Remnant  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*This blade grows larger with each use, slowly accumulating more wax and becoming more dangerous. Reluctantly, I created it with the Wickless when Hell was invaded to defend against the advancing Winged.*

## Strategy

The ideal upgrade set is Holdover + Energy. Holdover allows the damage on Subsuming Blade to scale up reasonably quickly, which obviates the need for any damage upgrades. Reducing the cost from 2 to 1 makes Subsuming Blade much easier to play alongside other cards. Subsuming Blade is a very flexible card, as it can be used for backline removal, removing your own units (e.g. scaling Bounty Stalker via Extinguish trigger + Reform, Imps), or dealing reasonable damage to enemy heavies.
Shadelamp

The first time each turn an enemy unit dies, add 2 Morsel units to hand.

**Shadelamp** is an Artifact of the Umbra  in Monster Train.

## Lore

*When the Rail was built, the Crucible became accessible to Hellborne other than the Umbra Shroud. The Shroud was not too welcoming, however, and crafted lights of shadow that only they could use to see, making it impossible for tourists to linger.*
Jackstrips

Deal 2 damage whenever an enemy unit moves between floors.

**Jackstrips** is a Clanless  Artifact in Monster Train.

## Lore

*The stairwells of the Boneshaker are never what they seem. Among other surprises, the hidden spike traps I've engineered can be set to stop any combatant.*

## Strategy

**Jackstrips** deals 2 damage to all enemies when they change floor, which single-handedly ensures that several Support-class enemies in early Rings will not be able to ascend your train at all.

This includes all such units in Rings 1-3 (barring Armor Emblem) and some of them in Rings 4-6. In rings 7, 8, and 9 (The Last Divinity (DLC)), this Artifact stops being able to do much. Also, with The Last Divinity (DLC), **Jackstrips'**s usefulness falls off dramatically once you've taken several Pact Shards as 2 damage doesn't have much of an impact against Pact Shard-enhanced enemies.

**Jackstrips** is a very strong Artifact if obtained early, removing Support-class enemies as a concern entirely for the first part of the game. This allows you to focus on your run's long-term needs. It should generally not be taken if seen later, or if your run is already in a strong position.

Despite Pact Shards and later Rings making this Artifact mostly obsolete, there are a few situations where it remains useful. It can allow Mortal Entrapment to work more reliably on higher floors. It strips Damage Shield off of enemies, making it more feasible to take Judgemental Fittings (DLC) from Malicka, and makes one of the variants of The Last Divinity's first wave (the one with three Apprentices of Light) easier to deal with on higher floors.
Ritual of Battle

3

Apply **Rage 10.**

**Ritual of Battle** is a Hellhorned  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*I have learned that the Hellhorned can gain temporary strength through self-infliction of pain. I find the ritual savage, but it proves to be even more effective when performed over the remains of their opponents.*

## History

*See: Version History*

 1.1.2
 1.2.5
Teeth of Gold

Deal 3 damage to the rear enemy unit when a Morsel unit is **Eaten**.

**Teeth of Gold** is an Artifact of the Umbra  in Monster Train.

## Lore

*On the rare occasion that a member of the Shroud has lost their teeth, sharp dentures are created from Crucible gems. Due to their high value, this has led to many Umbra intentionally removing their teeth.*

## Strategy

**Teeth of Gold** can provide some back-line removal to compliment your hard-hitting, Morsel-eating frontline. In the early game, without Pact Shards, 3 damage is enough to kill most backline enemies, and even late-game, assuming your Eater is eating two or more morsels, **Teeth of Gold** should be able to finish off backline enemies.

However, **Teeth of Gold** is held back by the fact that it usually activates *after* combat when Morsels are eaten, not before - so any backline enemies that it kills will still get to attack (and some of those enemies, like Shadewings, deal high damage). Feast and Morsel-Made, however, can allow **Teeth of Gold** to activate before combat, allowing it to prevent such enemies' attacks.

**Teeth of Gold**'s damage is also ultimately not very high, meaning that if you have another way to handle low-HP backline threats, **Teeth of Gold** doesn't do much against Armor-class or Heavy-class enemies, and certainly not bosses. If you take an Armor trial, **Teeth of Gold** will also fail to do much even against the normally-frail back liners.

Finally, if you are playing the DLC and taking Pact Shards, most enemies will have too much health for **Teeth of Gold** to really matter, severely diminishing its value.

## History

*See: Version History*

 1.1.2
Prism Retrieval

X

**Consume.**
Draw a unit and apply +5 and -.

**Prism Retrieval** is an Umbra  Card in Monster Train.

## Lore

*Prism stones have the unique ability to refract both light and space, providing protection and creating matter from nothing. I've been able to reverse engineer this power to transport objects and beings across small distances.*
Traitor's Quill

When a card with **Consume** is played, deal 30 damage to the front enemy unit.

**Traitor's Quill** is a Clanless  Artifact in Monster Train.

## Lore

*Seraph was not always the Traitor he is today, hellbent on the unification of Heaven and Hell for our mutual survival. He was the main reason the Covenant was pursued to begin with. I suppose his need for control finally got the better of him...*

## Strategy

**Traitor's Quill**, when a spell with Consume is played on a floor, deals 30 damage to the front enemy unit of that floor, giving you flexible source of extra damage that is strong early in the game and remains useful lategame with enough Consume in your deck.

**Traitor's Quill'**s value to a deck obviously depends on the number of cards that have Consume in them, and does not do anything if you do not have any such cards. However, if you do, 30 damage is very relevant against Heavy-class enemies early game and can also be used situationally to clear out exposed Support-class enemies before they hit your units. While 30 damage becomes less significant in later Rings, especially if Pact Shards (The Last Divinity (DLC) only) are also in the picture, you may also be able to play several Consume spells per combat (or several per turn in some Wurmkin decks), making its damage add up to be relevant.

**Traitor's Quill** often finds a way to be useful as there are several good cards that Consume, and Surgestone can be added to Starter cards to add more, so this Artifact can often worth a speculative take even if you don't currently have any Consume to support it. It should be strongly considered whenever offered in any deck that has enough Consume cards.
Status Effects

**Status Effects** affect units in play. There are three types; Effects, Buffs, and Debuffs.

The maximum stack amount is 9999.

Units in play are also affected by Triggered Effects.

*See also: Card Effects*

## Effects

Effects are persistent and can not normally be removed; however, some of them, such as Armor, Burnout, and Fuel, have certain conditions for removal. Armor is the only Effect that doesn't have a yellow icon during fights.

## Triggers

Triggers are effects which activate on certain conditions; they can be disabled by the Silence debuff.

## Buffs

Buff effects are generally positive for their target and are represented by green icons.

## Debuffs

Debuffs effects are generally negative for their target and are represented by red icons.

## Enemy Only Effects

These effects are only available to enemy units.

Trying to give some  to a healer (so it triggers **Revenge**/**Spikes**) will improve his healing instead.