Raid Offense

*Special thanks to Gelt2*

## Introduction

When it comes to Raid Offense, some decks get more stronger and better as you progress along the game.

### Beginners Raid Guidance

Early game, your raid offense should focus on the characters for whom you have the best cards/gear and, importantly, the play style that fits you best. Usually, more aggressive approaches are preferred, in hopes of gaining a 3 vs 2 (or 3 vs 1) advantage on your first turn. However, on some maps (like The Eye) where you might not be able to strike first, you may be better off defending for a turn and baiting the AI to approach your heroes. The "best" tactics for each situation are usually gained by your own playing experience, and so much depends on your party, the map, *your draw,* and your opponent's party that it cannot be effectively described in detail.

That said, here are a few tips for beginner offenses:

* Do not underestimate the value of movement, even if you have ranged heroes. Being able to move one or two extra squares could be the difference between you striking first or your opponent getting that key initial advantage. Cards like Adrenaline Rush (Rogue), Assault (Fighter), and Scouting (Archer) can be invaluable...in addition to Sprint and Advance
* Make sure you have a strategy AND a backup strategy to deal with stealth. If you're entirely relying on a mage's AoE spells to de-stealth an enemy rogue or archer, and your mage falls (or you don't draw AoE), you could be out of luck. Many opposing defenses will purposefully include abilities and equipment to try to keep their heroes under stealth and "steal" a turn or two from you
* Leverage stealth, if you can. Many opposing defenses haven't considered the above (especially among beginners), and you can take advantage of a less-than-perfect AI to remain stealthed and wipe out an opponent with just one rogue. The rare core equipment "Pinnacle," which lets your rogue stealth after a kill, is a great starter weapon to use for this.
* Take advantage of the AI's algorithms. One major, largely unspoken, advantage for the offense is that the AI will behave predictably. If you can learn/find ways to exploit that (e.g. character positioning), you are more likely to survive an enemy volley and counterattack effectively. Your success is as much dependent on how you play as it is what party you bring.
* Use potions! If popping a vitality brew will let you cast a critical spell, or a healing potion will help you survive an extra attack, it's worth it to secure the win! Use those thornpikes you're going to start acquiring from murgle farming to create Elixirs of Rage and Stone Decoctions (ideally during Arms Race so you can also help your clan!) - those are two of your biggest advantages in PvP!

As you approach the endgame and rise in ranks, there are two very prevalent offensive approaches that dominate the landscape - not everyone uses these approaches, but most veteran players have leveraged at least one of these two tactics:

### Booming Raid Deck

This is probably the most common offensive strategy since it relies on the same cards players have created to enable faster Farming. It employs the AMP strategy to draw Chthonic Tremors (usually via By the Sword), buff the mage with Guided Vision, and defeat (or severely weaken) multiple opponents with one massive cast. The movement restriction from Tremors provides a key added benefit here, since it can also prevent more tanky opponents (who might survive the blast) from reaching your casters, and give you another 'free' turn to finish them off. For a demonstration of this strategy in action against a top defense, see this video: https://youtu.be/yR3BLxB4S48

### Double Sniper Raid Deck

This other strategy revolves around the Archer's ability to quickly and effectively deal a great deal of damage from very long range. It is greatly supported by Laarn's passive ability that lets the team draw 3 extra class cards at turn start, and is further fueled by Trophy which, when drawn, will help provide the mana necessary to cast all three of those cards (including the expensive and devastating Headshot). Most Sniper builds leverage River, Laarn, and either a priest or fighter for support. Key cards include: Trophy, Headshot, Guided Vision, Hawksight, Pinpoint, and Hunter. For a demonstration of this strategy's wicked power against a top defense (with an admittedly near-perfect draw), see this video: https://youtu.be/SMRwsJc9LwE