Monster Train 2 is out and has been receiving rave reviews from many, including us here at Gamer Social Club. However, for some newer players who were unfamiliar with the first one, or are new to deck building roguelikes, Monster Train 2 can prove to be a bit of a challenge. We're not going to claim that the below tips will win you every single run. While there is strategy there’s also a level of luck with this game. These won’t be strategies to use, but some ways to help you craft your own strategy.
Quick note before we jump into some beginners tips. Since this is built specifically for beginners, we're going to continue to remain mostly spoiler free. While there may be moments where you read this and say "wait, I thought there were X amount of cards" that is due to us trying to keep some secrets for new players to discover as they progress. With the disclaimer out of the way, here are some tips to get you started with Monster Train 2.
The Fight is On Three Floors
The first of our Monster Train 2 tips is the easiest to reinforce as it’s consistently on the screen. It's easy to forget at first that the fight will take place on all three floors. When you start your initial set up, it almost feels right to just protect the first floor and worry about the others later. Almost being the key word. You'll want to make sure you have some sort of unit ready on each floor. While in your beginning runs you may not see enemies that appear on any random floor, be warned, these do exist. Your bottom floor is only your first line of defense but enemies will quickly rush past you on their way to the pyre at the top.Â
Also, it's possible you'll lose your first and second floor as enemies ascend to the top. While yes, this does mean less points earned overall, don't let this be the thing that stops you in the long run. Losing a floor and keeping units on the higher floors to keep damaging the enemies is better than losing it all. Sometimes sacrifices are the key to victory. Win the war, not the just the battle. Those cards will be back at your next battle as long as you don't lose your run. While your pyre has some self defense, don't rely on it, and rely on strategic planning and strong units.
Take Time to Learn The Deck
As a newer player, it's easy to fall into the trap of switching up your deck as soon as you unlock a new one. We've all been there. However, a good tip is to stick with a certain deck and learn the strengths and weaknesses first. It’s also helpful to unlock everything in that deck to see its full potential. Your five decks come with pros and cons which is why the mix and matching can be great. However, if you only do a run or two with each deck, you may not get enough time to fully delve deep into this. Especially as each deck has 41 cards for you to uncover and then ultimately master. There are also 26 clanless cards that will vary up your deck during a run so keep this in mind.
Take Time to Learn the Champions
The same way you should take time to learn a deck, you should also try to learn the champions. The five decks have two champions to choose from and each of them will have different ways to be built. For example, Fel will be more aggressive with "Just Cause" using them to advance and gain valor whereas Talos will allow friendly units to gain valor without moving to the front of battle. Learning the champions and the combat style they are best suited to is very important for our next Monster Train 2 tip.
Build Synergy, Not Rarity
It's always exciting to see a rare card. It feels like a great chance to grab the card, add it to your deck, and use it every chance you get. Sometimes it works, but it can often be a red herring that can actually ruin your deck. It's more important that you build synergy amongst the cards, including your champion. If you're playing with a lot of spell cards, you may want to consider more cards with the conduit keyword to increase your magic power. Playing as the Pyreborne? Keep some money in case you draw that Soldier of Fortune card to upgrade a unit. Also consider not trading in your horde right away as some cards will need those. If you don't want to use that Soldier of Fortune or want other cards to appear more often, consider our next tip.
Purge the cards you don't want
This can be scary to new players. With certain games, a good strategy is to find all the items you can and collect them. Hoard them like the inner Pyreborne dragon you are. While it's fine in some games, it doesn't work well in deck builders. In fact, you want to clear out your deck every so often to ensure you aren't holding cards that are stopping you from getting what you really need. In some instances, this may be getting rid of your steward cards as you recruit stronger units with more abilities. Other times it may mean getting rid of equipment you found early on to make space for stronger attacks or better buffs.
Don't take every card JUST because it's there
Along with purging your deck, be sure you don't take every card because they are offered to you. The game does allow you to skip choosing a card in order to gain some gold. This choice can actually lead to a good balance in skipping cards for purchasing buffs and upgrades at shops along the way. Keep the units you want and allow yourself to upgrade those units or spells for even more durability and power. Add new keywords on cards for a more streamlined approach to combat or for more flexibility if that's your style. As you build up some of these units with the two upgrades they can take, you'll want to pull these cards more often. In order to do that, you can't have a deck of filler.
Our most important tip...
Patience. While many may want to go through a run as fast as possible, it's definitely not advisable with Monster Train 2. While the very bare bones gameplay is easy to learn, mastering the game will take much more time. You'll want to be patient with yourself and remember that not every run is going to end in a win. Unless you've been playing for hundreds of hours, you'll probably still be unlocking new items or events. You are still rewarded with something at the end of the run. It’s the beauty of a roguelike.
Patience will also help you review all of the keywords on the cards. This is extremely important while strategizing your game play. When you hover over the card with the keyword or the unit, it will give you an explanation. Use this to your advantage, take your time with the game. Monster Train 2 isn't meant to be a sprint, it’s a bit of a marathon.
For those who have dived in head first, what do you wish you knew at the start of the game? Or what tips would you give to a new player looking to ride this train? Let us know down below!
