Slay the Spire - Northernlion Plays - Episode 325 [Exalted]

[@gresh-ld7gm]

great orb manipulation egg I commend your commitment to improvement

[@TZerot0]

(ಠ ͜ʖಠ)

[@qb4428]

Rests before second boss when he has pantograph...

[@auail5594]

I'm sure you always remember everything about your runs.

[@AsianGamerKenji]

Au Ail. It’s pretty easy when you spend the 1 second to scan your relics before doing an action

[@qb4428]

Au Ail It's right there on the screen, so it's not hard to see...

[@plaguedpixel39]

galaxybrain.png

[@emeraldralts]

"Dang, he's actually playing pretty well." *sees the final boss* Oh. Oh no. edit: HE'S DONE IT

[@Chunkosaurus]

Replicating buffer got him the win. The only way to beat the awakened one with that decision is just lean even harder on the powers

[@publicaccess9573]

So if NL attacks with only one creature it'll get +1/+1? TL;DR: Run Strength 10/10, Tactics 9/10, Strategy 7.5/10. This is a banger of an episode, even with a couple unfortunate strategic misplays. The run was admittedly strong but NL knocked it out of the park. > Loving the additional attention NL's paying to the map. Ya boi's planning ahead, avoiding early Act 2 elites, leaving himself outs, the whole nine yards. > I think NL overrates Storm pretty hugely - taking it over Biased Cognition early on is IMO almost objectively wrong. The general Power archetype I think is stronger without taking Storm/Heatsinks/Amplify until the deck is well and truly set. That single Creative AI would have been enough, possibly combined with Loops, Defragments, and Buffers. > Lotta stuff in this game: feel free to google stuff you don't remember. > Saving Double Energy is admittedly much more relevant with multiple Heatsinks, but it's usually a mistake in shorter fights when you're unlikely to draw it again. Just play it to replace it with something else. > The logic you used with Buffer applies to many other upgrade choices, especially in act 1. Having an upgraded Bash can typically lead to 1 turn being saved, which against Lagavulin and Nob might just save all the HP you would have gotten from the rest, for example, and that improvement is permanent. > Be wary of overcommitting - that "orb build" early on pretty quickly ended up being a power build. It's not even that NL was wrong in saying that nor in switching, but just that he should be aware that pivoting in early game is very possible. Act 1: - As long as he's not swapping Cracked Core, I'm fine with all of these prospective choices, although transforming is the weakest. Still though, the endless refrain of "map pls" must still be said. Gambling Chip massively helps consistency, too. - He looked at most of the map and the boss! Hopefully he drafts a little more towards defense since he's got the Guardian. - Literally never mad about Cold Snap picks. Frost is great and Cold Snap is a cheap and agnostic way to get that into the deck while still being a relevant card in its own right. Hell, 2 is fine as well. The second Zap is a little more iffy - now NL has 3 cards that really want upgrades. - Going right instead of left hurts. Very unlikely that he'll be able to fight 3 Elites unless something goes extremely well, so he's essentially losing out on a campfire for free. Well, I wouldn't say that it's impossible, but I'd much rather take the safer approach of fighting elites later rather than earlier, especially if he can pick up 0 cost attacks for shuriken first. - Claw is definitely worth considering with Shuriken. I think skipping is perfectly acceptable, but there's a case to be made for taking the 0 cost attack. More than the choice itself, though, I have an issue with NL's logic here: 2 Cold Snaps and an extra Zap does not make an Orb build yet, and even then NL could use the orbs for defense and use Claw/0 cost cards for offense. Archetypes are almost never that strict. - I agree with not removing and taking the heal. The 3 Elite dream is looking more and more realistic. - Good Laga fight, but it pretty much always is as the Defect. Mercury Hourglass absolutely crushes 3 Sentries, which is pretty much guaranteed to be the last elite, so pathing towards that is good. I would take the Biased 9 times out of 10 in this pick literally just on the chance of Core Surge in the Boss card (also since it's extremely good anyways). - Bird Faced Urn means that, among other things, Creative AI stalling is possible. - Great Sentries fight, which gives him Dead Branch of all things. It's not quite as good as it is on Ironclad and then below him Silent, but it's still one of the best relics in the game - provided, of course, that the deck isn't too synergy based (which usually ends up not being the case, especially since the cards generated only affect the deck on the second draw). Bonus points for destroying Chosen. On the other hand, Storm over Biased is a terrible terrible terrible choice - it's just a much slower Zap at this point and will bait NL into taking all sorts of powers that aren't good until they hit critical mass. - Still play the Dualcast - you're evoking the Orbs anyways with all these Zaps and Cold Snaps, might as well evoke it twice. - Creative AI and Nuclear Battery are pretty much exactly what the doctor ordered. If he can keep that Energy Orb somehow (early Capacitor perhaps) this deck is going places. Act 2: - He's respecting elites, praise the lord. Champ as Defect is pretty simple, especially with Creative AI, so egg lord doesn't have to do any prep for that. - Double Energy for once is a decent pickup since Nuclear Battery isn't that reliable. Plus, it's upgraded. - I'm proud of that lethal spot with Fission, which was handled well, but at the same time Biased > Zap > Cold Snap > Capacitor does enough burst damage that it ends up better (evoking as many Lightning Orbs as possible and only after the Focus buff went in). Still a good play, but one that was forced because of his initial miss. - Shop time is decent, Barrage being a good pick especially with Shuriken and Storm compounding with itself. My issue here is block, but with Bird Faced Urn he has time to find more Frost generators and/or block cards. - I'm still iffy on Heatsinks with only 3 energy outside of Nuclear Battery (which goes away very quickly due to the Storms) and Double Energy. This run feels like NL's forcing the power build again - that single Creative AI would be enough in my opinion. - This is definitely a bold upgrade with 2 elites coming up, but I like the reasoning that he's using and there's a good chance it goes well on Asc 15. - With the clutch Electro and clutch Creative AI draw timing, NL gains like 10 health this fight. I think Steam Barrier would be good in this deck, being a low cost block that could go up alongside powers. Hologram would also be good for saving Double Energy and then fetching it when needed. - NL forgetting what the forge does is pretty classic. Can we get the DD treatment where he googles the stuff? I think the Warped Tongs would have been totally worth. - This deck is fairly weak to enemies that start strong and ramp fast because there are a lot of innate cards - things like double Orb Walker and Donu/Deca come to mind. Funnily enough, though, a decent solution would be to add another innate card in the form of Boot Sequence. - Play Double Energy literally for Dead Branch, NL. You never want to get value out of that card coming back up because that means that this fight has gone long, which is absolutely not a place you want to be. - Egg forgets about Pantograph, rip. - Fission is the much better take here, IMO, pushing through for more powers which will then replace the ones he already has. Not like an Echo Form+ is bad, though, just a Fission is great in a Storm deck. Sozu is Sozu. Act 3: - No concern for pathing this time, unfortunately, but he specifically calls out the Awakened One as problematic to his deck. His proposed solution isn't the best (the real way to solve it probably being snap taking Frost and just spam evoking them) but he's doing it. - Exhausting the Echo Form was absolutely correct, especially with the Dead Branch. No need to be scared of non-obvious plays. - Kunai in the shop is an interesting but ultimately incorrect take. Mirror, though, is probably not worth it - Seek + Core Surge would have been much better than adding extra Buffers. Biased is pretty likely to show up and just generally eating Constricted or Frails or whatever is good - it even exhausts for Dead Branch. - Piloting Powers against the Woke Bloke is actually very interesting, weighing the Str up versus the benefit of the power. Let's see how NL handles it. - That Turbo + would have been great in a deck with multiple Heat Sinks and expensive powers. - NL played a few too many irrelevant powers in this fight - the second Heatsinks realistically does nothing and only is worth having to draw faster, and the Panache is pretty unnecessary. Thankfully, he only gains 1 strength per power, so it's not run ending, plus a clutch doubled Barrage to knock him out.

[@solitudesf8111]

wtf

[@user-zz8zf8kl1l]

Everytime Egg skips the remove card event it actually hurts

[@jbreitz87]

Yeah. I just ... I don't get it. He even skipped a claw just moments before.

[@28PickleMan]

His brain is like a minute slow I swear, I still love egg lord but god damn

[@cfRafalski]

HE USED GAMBLING CHIP CORRECTLY!

[@cyberrb25]

NL, the Ominous Forge gives you the Warped Tongs (every turn, upgrade a random card for the rest of the combat)

[@TZerot0]

I'm loving the backseating when egg is happily crushing ascension 15.

[@314Marvin]

TZerot0 this. Every single comment on the StS videos are people bitching about every single play he does, it’s insane lol. Sure, rag on him all you want for silly mistakes but he’s been beating ascension pretty easily so far

[@junkbarrage]

You're free to think the egg is crushing Ascension as much as I am free to think about all the free wins he squandered and tossed in the trash. Or to put it another way, if I had the eggs luck I coulda beaten ascension with the world record on attempts taken.

[@trugbuttroundhouse1033]

maybe you always have the eggs luck but you just don't have a video to go back and look at all your misplays?

[@junkbarrage]

When it comes to relics not really. With regards to my own misplays I notice those as they are happening. In cruel slow mo. Slapping my face with the realization I screwed myself. And yes, on rare occasions they were mistakes that made the difference, if sometimes barely, between win or loss.

[@tomaszprzyby784]

Good orb manipulation and he upgrades buffer instead of resting. I don't get it, episode 323 plays great, episode 324 plays like Egg, episode 325 again plays quite good. Do you have split slay the spire personality disorder? Just plz stop resting before the boss when you have pantograph and 2/3 of max hp.

[@chaosmastermind]

That was really impressive.. not only have I not seen a deck like that before, but you actually beat the boss that directly counters it. Nice work.

[@Captaindragonfire]

The win streak starts at 0:00

[@qaustin92]

Oh my god, it's learning!

[@iNerdier]

Is he though? He still will never remove a card that isn't a curse.

[@qaustin92]

@@iNerdier Sure, he isn't 100% perfect yet, but I think he made some great plays today that he normally wouldn't. He upgraded a card instead of resting! He resisted the urge to just add a dozen cards in act 3. He managed his orbs well. All in all I would say he has clearly learned a lot, but yeah he still has a ways to go.

[@MehYam2112]

That was mostly good, and he used and even upgraded Capacitor.

[@mainantagonist5335]

REMOVE STRIKES AND DEFENDS!!!! PLEASE!!! SECOND STORM!!!!???? NANI!!!??? GG NL. Well done.. even if that last boss was cuttin it close lol

[@TehJams]

Seeing those full hands toward the end that were clogged with strikes and defends hurt a lot.

[@Chromatus384]

I once had a run, in which I collected 9 storms and had mummified hand... Meaning 36 invoked lighting turn one. It. Was. EPIC! Although yeah... before it got absurdly overpowered, it was really tough starting each combat with 3-5 storms in hand.

[@DisEkript]

"We've got a pretty thin deck" Says Egg while having a 25 card deck.

[@neiltiffany471]

He didn't take a self repair? is he sick?

[@trauntualafigghtetr6209]

idiot brain it was the last fight

[@mastahkiter]

Will the egg choose sensible cards? Will the egg lose hp to goop? Will the egg win?

[@batterytoast896]

I love it when he says We have a thin deck.

[@Noah_McCurry]

you're learning well, watching this got me hyped

[@Veloceipro]

Congratulations!! Well played :D

[@WizardofWestmarch]

at least one of the skips that had compile driver you should have taken. You could pretty regularly get 3 cards plus the damage for one energy. In an orb deck that card is incredible.

[@PainTendoZockt]

damn that was epic, going up with the hardest deck for the hardest boss when playing as the defect, so thrilling and good job on pulling this off with a ballsy strategy

[@Hakasedess]

I recoiled in actual pain when he skipped the recycle on a dead branch, high cost deck

[@Orillion123456]

NL, please. Don't skip card removal events. Basic strikes are basically curses that you need to get rid of every opportunity you get, and you regularly make dumb mistkaes that cost you HP will giving you NOTHING in return so paying 7 for a card removal is a pretty good deal in comparison.

[@palejr1254]

Oh boy, it's a defect run. Can't wait to hear him talk about how he wants to build a power deck

[@m-rots]

The actual madman, literally an all or nothing final boss.

[@mastatheif9909]

That first elite misplay with 2/3 shuriken

[@AsianGamerKenji]

NL! Youre working at an excellent rate!! Keep it up!!

[@Orillion123456]

@19:11 That was indeed a fool's move. "Upgrade a card every turn in combat." is a liiiiitle bit better than "Upgrade one card.". Especially if, right afterwards, you state that you want to go for maximum upgrades...

[@Nimareza1]

Dude,after 300 episode i have yet to see you using your attacks in the right order against the shelled parasite

[@MasterChoof]

this was such a satisfying and entertaining run!

[@sikic996]

gets shuriken, a literally gamewinning relic skips claw without so much as a thought

[@amycharles6398]

He had already decided his deck archetype at that point

[@Marzipaniv]

Any sane person would think Frost Orbs and low cost attacks but not our guy.

[@amycharles6398]

@@Marzipaniv yep, thats our egg

[@Lildoc911]

And the game still gives him an out.

[@MrSlizzard]

Love the vid, but for me Power based decks in Defect are the least fun. Don't get me wrong, they are super strong decks, and there's nothing wrong with playing them. I prefer Claw or Darkness decks, and the ultimate deck IMO is Frost based with Blizzard and Capacitor/Barrage :D

[@bhappen]

this run was sick

[@dogboy__]

42:40 does anyone know why barrage did 10 damage on the final hit?

[@madmaxy5772]

Should have a transformation when he has enough orbs surrounding him.

[@Bannerman1903]

if i get early shuriken, you better believe im picking up that claw and trying to go ALL IN

[@markusabelius]

gotta admit, I really "Doug" that run by the end of the vid

[@knatsu]

Remember pantograph next time

[@DoctorShroom]

Fat Deck + Gambling Chip + Curse Stuff. Pretty good.

[@mrwaffles42]

He has done it

[@TehJams]

When will NL realize that he doesn't need Beam Cell in an orb deck? He even prioritizes keeping it in his opening hand when it would provide 0 benefit.

[@palejr1254]

Has no powers; still treats storm like it's the holy Grail

[@trauntualafigghtetr6209]

he won with it tho dumb brain

[@trauntualafigghtetr6209]

he won with it tho dumb brain

[@ILMTitan]

He had bird faced urn, so he new he wanted a power deck.

[@BigSchim]

22:09 Pantograph

[@bubbles69138]

REALLY good run! if only you got mummified hand!

[@KaneCold]

*Sees title* *First thought* "Exalted Blade" - in monotone voice :( man I'm really damaged by WarFrame ... but its good xD

[@huskrzfan024]

Why doesn't he dual cast the orbs instead of pushing the orb out of the slot.....

[@CatEngineDVD]

Oh if you heal me now You take away the biggest part of me Ooooohooh girl why you gave me a cuuuurse?

[@thatpedanticcommenter5847]

*Beats the Awakened One on Ascension by playing powers* #IDoWhatIWant

[@DemyrNox]

"Relatively thin"

[@rafaelribeiro6336]

Let's go

[@joelbennett0629]

Where are you public access?

[@iNerdier]

Does anyone else find Ryab's 'Unbaleeevable' kind of disconcertingly sounds like Trump?

[@Malcador-TWOM]

Slay the Spire pvp Draft tournaments anyone?

[@notbulger]

,,First fight" *SUSTAAAAAAIN*

[@trauntualafigghtetr6209]

he literally said not a valid thing to say right after that dude

[@lucasramirez6866]

Nice thin deck

[@aussiefisher6509]

DARKEST DUNGEON plx.

[@infamousDynaset]

give it a rest 2nd boss

[@mishking9547]

Really don't understand his obsession with refusing to be 0 cost cards in the deck, yes having a thin deck is good but 0 cost card can be used no matter your energy, its always a benefit to add them no matter how fat your deck is

[@jamesrice4705]

Did this mad man just take capacitor over biased cognition?

[@jamesrice4705]

AND THEN STORM

[@jamesrice4705]

And a rest on 50/71 HP before the boss with pantograph. These are some zany misplays.

[@trauntualafigghtetr6209]

yeah dude but like those are all of the misplays. and he totally destroyed the run at ascension 15

[@jamesrice4705]

@@trauntualafigghtetr6209 I know. I just like to employ tough love (although that last fight was much closer than it had to be)

[@kylebeeson938]

AYE

[@amaro6603]

sorry dad, im late

[@paulbond96]

Yes mom, i do MOCHBM M A X I M U M O R B C A P A C I T Y H A S B E E N M E T

[@GlazedRay]

First bby

[@Goldenwraith]

Says boss gets stronger every power plays says get more buffers which is a power lmfao 😭😭

[@VidyeoGamerer]

The only thing that has [Exalted] are the quality of his misplays, *WHICH IS NOT A GOOD THING.*

[@bisquiteentrisket3890]

You did a good job today. Liked the deck, even if a few misplays were present, everyone makes mistakes sometimes