The Night Cloaked Deck is one of the most popular and powerful decks in the card game Shadows of Eternity. It is a deck that focuses on using stealth, deception, and manipulation to gain an advantage over your opponents. In this article, I will explain how to build, play, and master the Night Cloaked Deck, as well as provide some tips for success.
Getting Started
Building your deck
The Night Cloaked Deck is composed of cards from the Shadow and Eternity factions. The Shadow faction specializes in hiding, sneaking, and ambushing, while the Eternity faction deals with time, fate, and destiny. The combination of these two factions allows you to create a deck that can surprise, disrupt, and outsmart your enemies.
The core cards of the Night Cloaked Deck are:
- Night Cloak: This is the signature card of the deck. It is a passive card that gives you the ability to cloak your cards, making them invisible to your opponent until they are revealed by an action or an effect. Cloaking your cards can help you conceal your strategy, bluff your opponent, and create unexpected attacks.
- Shadow Strike: This is a powerful attack card that deals damage equal to the number of cloaked cards you have in play. It also reveals all your cloaked cards, triggering their effects. This card can be used to deal a massive burst of damage and create a chain reaction of effects.
- Eternal Clock: This is a passive card that gives you the ability to manipulate the turn order. It allows you to skip your turn and take two turns in a row later, or take your turn earlier and skip your next turn. This card can help you gain tempo, avoid threats, and set up combos.
- Fate Weaver: This is a versatile card that can be used as an attack, a defense, or a utility. It allows you to draw a card from your deck, your discard pile, or your opponent’s deck, and then play it for free. This card can help you find the card you need, recycle your cards, or disrupt your opponent’s deck.
These are the cards that define the Night Cloaked Deck, but you can also add other cards from the Shadow and Eternity factions, as well as some neutral cards, to complement your deck. Some examples are:
- Shadow Blade: This is an attack card that deals damage and cloaks itself after being played. It can be used to deal consistent damage and increase your cloaked card count.
- Shadow Trap: This is a defense card that cloaks itself after being played. It can be used to block damage and surprise your opponent with a counterattack.
- Shadow Clone: This is a utility card that creates a copy of a cloaked card in play. It can be used to duplicate your powerful cards and create more effects.
- Eternal Flame: This is an attack card that deals damage and burns your opponent, making them lose health every turn. It can be used to deal damage over time and pressure your opponent.
- Eternal Shield: This is a defense card that blocks damage and heals you. It can be used to survive damage and recover health.
- Eternal Insight: This is a utility card that lets you look at the top cards of your deck or your opponent’s deck, and rearrange them. It can be used to plan your moves and anticipate your opponent’s moves.
- Neutralize: This is a neutral card that cancels the effect of a card in play. It can be used to stop your opponent’s cards or your own cards that have negative effects.
- Swap: This is a neutral card that lets you swap a card in your hand with a card in play. It can be used to change your strategy and adapt to the situation.
Understanding the rulebook
The rulebook of Shadows of Eternity is simple and easy to learn. The game is played by two players, each with a deck of 30 cards. The players take turns playing cards from their hand, trying to reduce the opponent’s health to zero. The game has three phases: the draw phase, the action phase, and the end phase.
- Draw phase: At the start of your turn, you draw a card from your deck. If your deck is empty, you lose the game.
- Action phase: During your action phase, you can play one card from your hand, paying its cost in energy. Energy is a resource that you gain every turn, and can be used to play cards. You start the game with one energy, and gain one more every turn, up to a maximum of 10. Some cards can also generate or consume energy. You can play any type of card during your action phase, such as attack, defense, passive, or utility. Attack cards deal damage to your opponent, defense cards block damage from your opponent, passive cards have ongoing effects that last until they are removed, and utility cards have various effects that can help you or hinder your opponent. Some cards have additional effects that are triggered when they are played, revealed, cloaked, or removed. You can also choose to skip your action phase and save your energy for later.
- End phase: At the end of your turn, you discard any cards that you did not play from your hand, and draw new cards until you have four cards in your hand. Some cards can also have effects that are triggered at the end of your turn.
The game also has some special rules and terms that you need to know:
- Cloak: This is a keyword that some cards have. It means that the card is invisible to your opponent until it is revealed by an action or an effect. You can see your own cloaked cards, but your opponent cannot. Cloaked cards can still be affected by some effects, such as damage, removal, or swap. When a cloaked card is revealed, it triggers its effect, if any, and becomes visible to both players.
- Turn order: This is the order in which the players take their turns. Normally, the player who goes first is decided randomly, and then the players alternate their turns. However, some cards can change the turn order, such as Eternal Clock. When the turn order is changed, the player who would normally take the next turn is skipped, and the player who changed the turn order takes their turn instead. The turn order then resumes normally from the player who changed the turn order. For example, if player A changes the turn order with Eternal Clock, then player A takes their turn, and then player B takes their turn, skipping player A’s next turn.
- Burn: This is a keyword that some cards have. It means that the card deals damage to your opponent every turn, until it is removed. Burned cards are marked with a flame icon, and the amount of damage they deal is shown on the card. Burned cards can stack, meaning that you can have multiple burned cards on your opponent, dealing cumulative damage every turn.
- Heal: This is a keyword that some cards have. It means that the card restores health to you or your opponent, depending on the target. Healed cards are marked with a heart icon, and the amount of health they restore is shown on the card. Healed cards can also stack, meaning that you can have multiple healed cards on yourself or your opponent, restoring cumulative health every turn.
Mastering the Shadows
Stealth tactics
The Night Cloaked Deck is a deck that relies on stealth and deception to gain an advantage over your opponent. By using the Night Cloak card, you can cloak your cards, making them invisible to your opponent until they are revealed. This can help you conceal your strategy, bluff your opponent, and create unexpected attacks. For example, you can cloak a Shadow Strike card, and then reveal it when you have many cloaked cards in play, dealing a huge amount of damage to your opponent. Or, you can cloak a Fate Weaver card, and then reveal it when you need a specific card, drawing and playing it for free. Or, you can cloak a Neutralize card, and then reveal it when your opponent plays a powerful card, canceling its effect.
The key to using stealth tactics is to be unpredictable and adaptable. You need to keep your opponent guessing what cards you have cloaked, and when you will reveal them. You also need to be ready to change your strategy and react to your opponent’s moves. You can use the Swap card to swap a card in your hand with a cloaked card in play, changing your plan and surprising your opponent. You can also use the Shadow Clone card to create a copy of a cloaked card in play, increasing your options and effects.
Exploiting weaknesses
The Night Cloaked Deck is a deck that can exploit the weaknesses of your opponent’s deck and strategy. By using the Eternal Clock card, you can manipulate the turn order, gaining tempo, avoiding threats, and setting up combos. For example, you can skip your turn and take two turns in a row later, allowing you to play more cards and energy in one turn, and overwhelm your opponent. Or, you can take your turn earlier and skip your next turn, allowing you to play a card before your opponent can react, and disrupt their plan. Or, you can use the Eternal Clock card in combination with the Night Cloak card, cloaking your cards and then revealing them in a different turn order, creating a surprise attack.
The key to exploiting weaknesses is to be observant and strategic. You need to pay attention to your opponent’s deck, cards, and moves, and find the best opportunity to use the Eternal Clock card. You also need to plan ahead and anticipate the consequences of your actions. You can also use the Eternal Insight card to look at the top cards of your deck or your opponent’s deck, and rearrange them, helping you plan your moves and anticipate your opponent’s moves.
Card combos and synergy
The Night Cloaked Deck is a deck that can create powerful card combos and synergy, enhancing the effects of your cards and creating a greater impact. By using the Fate Weaver card, you can draw and play a card from your deck, your discard pile, or your opponent’s deck, for free, creating a card advantage and a surprise effect. For example, you can draw and play a Shadow Strike card, dealing damage and revealing your cloaked cards. Or, you can draw and play an Eternal Flame card, dealing damage and burning your opponent. Or, you can draw and play a Neutralize card, canceling your opponent’s card effect.
The key to creating card combos and synergy is to be creative and experimental. You need to try different combinations of cards and see what works best for your deck and situation. You can also use the Shadow Blade, Shadow Trap, and Shadow Clone cards to create more cloaked cards and increase your card effects. You can also use the Eternal Shield and Eternal Insight cards to heal yourself and control your deck.
Strategic Approaches
Aggressive strategies
The Night Cloaked Deck is a deck that can adopt an aggressive strategy, aiming to deal as much damage as possible to your opponent and finish the game quickly. By using the Shadow Strike card, you can deal a massive burst of damage to your opponent, especially if you have many cloaked cards in play. By using the Eternal Flame card, you can deal damage over time and pressure your opponent. By using the Shadow Blade and Shadow Trap cards, you can deal consistent damage and cloak your cards, making them harder to block.
The key to adopting an aggressive strategy is to be fast and decisive. You need to play your cards quickly and efficiently, and not waste your energy or time. You also need to be aware of your opponent’s defense and counterattack, and try to avoid or neutralize them. You can use the Neutralize card to cancel your opponent’s defense or passive cards. You can also use the Eternal Clock card to change the turn order and gain tempo, or the Fate Weaver card to find the card you need.
Defensive tactics
The Night Cloaked Deck is a deck that can also adopt a defensive tactic, aiming to survive your opponent’s attacks and outlast them. By using the Night Cloak card, you can cloak your cards, making them invisible to your opponent and harder to target. By using the Eternal Shield card, you can block damage and heal yourself, increasing your health. By using the Shadow Trap and Shadow Clone cards, you can block damage and surprise your opponent with a counterattack.
The key to adopting a defensive tactic is to be patient and resilient. You need to play your cards carefully and strategically, and not panic or rush. You also need to be aware of your opponent’s aggression and pressure, and try to withstand or reduce them. You can use the Neutralize card to cancel your opponent’s attack or burn cards. You can also use the Eternal Clock card to change the turn order and avoid threats, or the Fate Weaver card to find the card you need.
Control and manipulation
The Night Cloaked Deck is a deck that can also adopt a control and manipulation strategy, aiming to disrupt your opponent’s strategy and manipulate their actions. By using the Eternal Clock card, you can change the turn order, skipping your opponent’s turn or taking two turns in a row, disrupting their plan and gaining an advantage. By using the Fate Weaver card, you can draw and play a card from your opponent’s deck, stealing their card and using it against them. By using the Eternal Insight card, you can look at and rearrange the top cards of your deck or your opponent’s deck, controlling your draws and messing with your opponent’s draws.
The key to adopting a control and manipulation strategy is to be cunning and deceptive. You need to play your cards cleverly and unpredictably, and not reveal your intentions or strategy. You also need to be aware of your opponent’s cards and moves, and try to interfere or exploit them. You can use the Neutralize card to cancel your opponent’s card effects. You can also use the Night Cloak card to cloak your cards and conceal your strategy, or the Swap card to swap a card in your hand with a card in play, changing your plan and surprising your opponent.
Tips for Success
Card draw and resource management
One of the most important skills to master in Shadows of Eternity is card draw and resource management. Card draw is the ability to draw more cards from your deck, increasing your options and chances of finding the card you need. Resource management is the ability to use your energy efficiently, playing the right cards at the right time and not wasting your energy. The Night Cloaked Deck has many cards that can help you with card draw and resource management, such as:
- Fate Weaver: This card lets you draw and play a card from your deck, your discard pile, or your opponent’s deck, for free, giving you a card advantage and a surprise effect.
- Eternal Insight: This card lets you look at and rearrange the top cards of your deck or your opponent’s deck, helping you control your draws and anticipate your opponent’s draws.
- Eternal Clock: This card lets you change the turn order, skipping your turn and taking two turns in a row later, or taking your turn earlier and skipping your next turn, helping you gain tempo, avoid threats, and set up combos.
- Shadow Clone: This card lets you create a copy of a cloaked card in play, giving you more options and effects.
The key to card draw and resource management is to be flexible and adaptable. You need to adjust your strategy and actions according to the cards you draw and the energy you have. You also need to balance your card draw and resource management, not drawing too many cards and running out of energy, or playing too many cards and running out of cards.
Continuous learning
Another important skill to master in Shadows of Eternity is continuous learning. Continuous learning is the ability to learn from your experience, improve your skills, and adapt to new situations. The Night Cloaked Deck is a deck that requires continuous learning, as it is a complex and versatile deck that can be played in different ways and against different opponents. To improve your continuous learning, you can:
- Practice: The best way to learn is to practice. You can play the Night Cloaked Deck against different opponents, with different decks and strategies, and see what works and what doesn’t. You can also play the Night Cloaked Deck in different modes, such as casual, ranked, or tournament, and see how you perform and rank.
- Review: Another way to learn is to review. You can review your games, either by watching replays, reading logs, or analyzing statistics, and see what mistakes you made, what opportunities you missed, and what you can do better. You can also review your deck, either by editing, testing, or optimizing it, and see what cards you can add, remove, or change, and how they affect your deck performance.
- Research: Another way to learn is to research. You can research the Night Cloaked Deck, either by reading guides, articles, or reviews, or by watching videos, streams, or podcasts, and see what tips, tricks, or strategies other players have. You can also research other decks, either by studying their cards, effects, or combos, or by playing against them, and see what strengths, weaknesses, or counters they have.
The key to continuous learning is to be curious and humble. You need to seek new information and feedback, and not be afraid to ask questions or seek help. You also need to accept your mistakes and failures, and not be discouraged or arrogant.
Expansions and updates
The final tip for success in Shadows of Eternity is to keep up with the expansions and updates. Expansions and updates are changes or additions to the game, such as new cards, factions, modes, or features, that can affect the game balance, meta, and strategy. The Night Cloaked Deck is a deck that can be affected by the expansions and updates, as it can gain new cards, effects, or combos, or lose old cards, effects, or combos. To keep up with the expansions and updates, you can:
- Follow: The easiest way to keep up with the expansions and updates is to follow the official sources of the game, such as the website, blog, social media, or newsletter, and see what announcements, previews, or teasers they have. You can also follow the unofficial sources of the game, such as the forums, communities, or influencers, and see what opinions, discussions, or speculations they have.
- Explore: The best way to keep up with the expansions and updates is to explore them yourself. You can try the new cards, factions, modes, or features, and see how they work and how they affect the game. You can also experiment with the new cards, factions, modes, or features, and see how they interact and synergize with the Night Cloaked Deck, or how they challenge and counter the Night Cloaked Deck.
- Adapt: The most important way to keep up with the expansions and updates is to adapt to them. You can adjust your strategy and actions according to the new cards, factions, modes, or features, and see how you can use them to your advantage or overcome them. You can also update your deck according to the new cards, factions, modes, or features, and see how you can improve your deck performance or diversity.
Conclusion
The Night Cloaked Deck is a deck that can be fun, challenging, and rewarding to play. It is a deck that can suit different play styles and preferences, as it can be played in different ways and against different opponents. It is a deck that can offer a lot of variety and creativity, as it can create different card combos and synergy, and use different stealth tactics, exploiting weaknesses, and control and manipulation strategies. It is a deck that can also require a lot of skill and practice, as it can be complex and versatile, and need a lot of card draw and resource management, continuous learning, and adaptation to expansions and updates.
If you are looking for a deck that can surprise, disrupt, and outsmart your opponent, then the Night Cloaked Deck might be the deck for you. I hope this article has helped you understand the Night Cloaked Deck better, and inspired you to try it out yourself. Thank you for reading, and good luck in your games!