Shiv Build
Shiv decks win by turning many small attacks into meaningful damage through synergy, relic scaling, and repeated trigger effects.
"Best for players who enjoy fast turns, card spam, and proactive tempo."
Shiv decks win by turning many small attacks into meaningful damage through synergy, relic scaling, and repeated trigger effects.
Core plan Generate shivs, play many attacks per turn, and convert quantity into damage, block, or scaling.
Strengths
- Explosive turns
- Strong relic synergy
- Great at multi-trigger scaling
Weaknesses
- Can be relic-reliant
- Low raw damage without support
- Can run out of cards
We categorize resources into Core, Support, and Payoff. A build becomes "real" only when these three layers synchronize.
Core Cards
Primary enablers that define this mechanic's direction.
Assassinate
Innate. Deal 10 damage. Apply 1 Vulnerable. Exhaust.
Backstab
Innate. Deal 11 damage. Exhaust.
Beat Down
Play 3 random Attacks from your Discard Pile.
Blade Dance
Add 3 Shivs into your Hand. Exhaust.
Dagger Throw
Deal 9 damage. Draw 1 card. Discard 1 card.
Dramatic Entrance
Innate. Deal 11 damage to ALL enemies. Exhaust.
Envenom
Whenever an Attack deals unblocked damage, apply 1 Poison.
Hidden Daggers
Discard 2 cards. Add 2 Shivs into your Hand.
Knife Trap
Play every Shiv in your Exhaust Pile on the enemy.
Memento Mori
Deal 8 damage. Deals 4 additional damage for each card discarded this turn.
Outbreak
Every 3 times you apply Poison, deal 11 damage to ALL enemies.
Poisoned Stab
Deal 6 damage. Apply 3 Poison.
Shadow Step
Discard your Hand. Next turn, Attacks deal double damage.
Storm Of Steel
Discard your Hand. Add 1 Shiv into your Hand for each card discarded.
The Hunt
Deal 10 damage. If Fatal, gain an additional card reward. Exhaust.
Support Cards
Stability tools that ensure consistency and survival.
Flash Of Steel
Deal 5 damage. Draw 1 card.
Grand Finale
Can only be played if there are no cards in your Draw Pile. Deal 50 damage to ALL enemies.
Impatience
If you have no Attacks in your Hand, draw 2 cards.
Mind Blast
Innate. Deal damage equal to the number of cards in your Draw Pile.
Murder
Deal 1 damage. Deals 1 additional damage for each card drawn this combat.
Nostalgia
The first Attack or Skill you play each turn is placed on top of your Draw Pile.
Predator
Deal 15 damage. Next turn, draw 2 cards.
Secret Weapon
Put an Attack from your Draw Pile into your Hand.
Seeker Strike
Deal 6 damage. Choose 1 of 3 cards in your Draw Pile to add into your Hand.
Speedster
Whenever you draw a card during your turn, deal 2 damage to ALL enemies.
Payoff Cards
The 'win conditions' that convert setup into overwhelming power.
Blade Of Ink
This turn, whenever you play an Attack, gain 2 Strength this turn.
Calamity
Whenever you play an Attack, add a random Attack into your Hand.
Knockdown
Deal 10 damage. The enemy takes double damage from other players this turn.
Panache
Every time you play 5 cards in a single turn, deal 10 damage to ALL enemies.
Serpent Form
Whenever you play a card, deal 4 damage to a random enemy.
Sneaky
Sly. Whenever another player attacks an enemy, gain 1 Block.
Strangle
Deal 8 damage. Whenever you play a card this turn, the enemy loses 2 HP.
Tracking
Weak enemies take double damage from Attacks.
Niche & Situational
Additional cards that synergize under specific conditions.
Accuracy
Shivs deal 4 additional damage.
Bolas
Deal 3 damage. At the start of your next turn, return this to your Hand.
Cloak And Dagger
Gain 6 Block. Add 1 Shiv into your Hand.
Dagger Spray
Deal 4 damage to ALL enemies twice.
Dash
Gain 10 Block. Deal 10 damage.
Echoing Slash
Deal 10 damage to ALL enemies. Repeat this effect for each enemy killed.
Fan Of Knives
Shivs now hit ALL enemies. Add 4 Shivs into your Hand.
Finisher
Deal 6 damage for each Attack already played this turn.
Fisticuffs
Deal 7 damage. Gain Block equal to damage dealt.
Flechettes
Deal 5 damage for each Skill in your Hand.
Flick Flack
Sly. Deal 7 damage to ALL enemies.
Follow Through
Deal 6 damage to ALL enemies. If the last card you played this turn was a Skill, apply 1 Weak to ALL enemies.
Gang Up
Deal 5 damage. Deals 5 additional damage for each time another player has attacked the enemy this turn.
Gold Axe
Deal damage equal to the number of cards played this combat.
Hand Of Greed
Deal 20 damage. If Fatal, gain 20 Gold.
Infinite Blades
At the start of your turn, add 1 Shiv into your Hand.
Intercept
Gain 9 Block. Redirect all incoming attacks that would be dealt to another player this turn to you.
Jackpot
Deal 25 damage. Add 3 random 0 cards into your Hand.
Leading Strike
Deal 7 damage. Add 1 Shiv into your Hand.
Neutralize
Deal 3 damage. Apply 1 Weak.
Omnislice
Deal 8 damage. Damage ALL other enemies equal to the damage dealt.
Phantom Blades
Shivs gain Retain. The first Shiv you play each turn deals 9 additional damage.
Pinpoint
Deal 17 damage. Costs 1 less for each Skill played this turn.
Pounce
Deal 12 damage. The next Skill you play costs 0 .
Precise Cut
Deal 13 damage. Deals 2 less damage for each other card in your Hand.
Rend
Deal 15 damage. Deals 5 additional damage for each unique debuff on the enemy.
Ricochet
Sly. Deal 3 damage to a random enemy 4 times.
Rolling Boulder
At the start of your turn, deal 5 damage to ALL enemies and increase this damage by 5.
Salvo
Deal 12 damage. Retain your Hand this turn.
Skewer
Deal 7 damage X times.
Slice
Deal 6 damage.
Splash
Choose 1 of 3 random Attacks from another character to add into your Hand. It's free to play this turn.
Strike Silent
Deal 6 damage.
Sucker Punch
Deal 8 damage. Apply 1 Weak.
Suppress
Innate. Deal 11 damage. Apply 3 Weak.
Tag Team
Deal 11 damage. The next Attack another player plays on the enemy is played an extra time.
The Bomb
At the end of 3 turns, deal 40 damage to ALL enemies.
The Gambit
Gain 50 Block. If you take unblocked attack damage this combat, die.
Thrumming Hatchet
Deal 11 damage. At the start of your next turn, return this to your Hand.
Ultimate Strike
Deal 14 damage.
Up My Sleeve
Add 3 Shivs into your Hand. Reduce this card's cost by 1.
Volley
Deal 10 damage to a random enemy X times.
Synergistic Relics
Passive items that amplify this build's ceiling.
Art of War
If you do not play any Attacks during your turn, gain an additional next turn.
Crossbow
At the start of your turn, add a random Attack into your Hand. It costs 0 this turn.
Daughter of the Wind
Whenever you play an Attack, gain 1 Block.
Gnarled Hammer
Upon pickup, Enchant up to 3 Attacks with Sharp 3.
Helical Dart
Whenever you play a Shiv, gain 1 Dexterity this turn.
History Course
At the start of your turn, play a copy of your last played Attack or Skill.
Kunai
Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, gain 1 Dexterity.
Kusarigama
Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, deal 6 damage to a random enemy.
Miniature Cannon
Upgraded Attacks deal 3 additional damage.
Molten Egg
Whenever you add an Attack card to your Deck, Upgrade it. Mr. Struggles · Colorless Event At the start of your turn, deal damage equal to the turn number to ALL enemies.
Music Box
Create an Ethereal copy of the first Attack you play each turn.
Mystic Lighter
Enchanted Attacks deal 9 additional damage.
Ninja Scroll
At the start of each combat, add 3 Shivs into your Hand.
Nunchaku
Every time you play 10 Attacks, gain .
Ornamental Fan
Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, gain 4 Block.
Pen Nib
Every 10th Attack you play deals double damage.
Punch Dagger
Upon pickup, Enchant an Attack with Momentum 5.
Rainbow Ring
The first time you play an Attack, Skill, and Power each turn, gain 1 Strength and 1 Dexterity.
Razor Tooth
Every time you play an Attack or Skill, Upgrade it for the remainder of combat.
Ripple Basin
If you did not play any Attacks during your turn, gain 4 Block.
Royal Stamp
Upon pickup, choose an Attack or Skill in your Deck to Enchant with Royally Approved.
Shuriken
Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, gain 1 Strength.
The Boot
Whenever you would deal 4 or less unblocked attack damage, increase it to 5.
Toy Box
Upon pickup, obtain 4 Wax Relics. Every 3 combats, your left-most Wax Relic will melt away. Tri-Boomerang · Colorless Ancient Choose 3 Attacks in your Deck. Enchant them with Instinct.
Whetstone
Upon pickup, Upgrade 2 random Attacks.
Strategic Potions
Emergency tools to bridge gaps in difficult elite matchups.
Attack Potion
Choose 1 of 3 random Attack cards to add into your Hand. It's free to play this turn.
Beetle Juice
Enemy's attacks deal 30% less damage for the next 4 turns.
Cunning Potion
Add 3 Upgraded Shivs into your Hand.
Gigantification Potion
The next Attack you play deals triple damage.
Orobic Acid
Add a random Attack, Skill, and Power into your Hand. They're free to play this turn.
Pro Tip: Balance your shell
"If your deck only has payoffs, it's a glass cannon that will misfire. If it only has support, you'll eventually be out-scaled. Look for the Golden Ratio between establishment, consistency, and victory."
Build FAQ
What is the core idea behind Shiv Build?
The goal is to identify the mechanic that actually wins fights, then build around enough support pieces to make that plan reliable.
Do I need every core card to make Shiv Build work?
No. In Early Access, most builds are better understood as directions rather than exact decklists. What matters most is whether you have enough engine, support, and payoff to make the build coherent.
Why does this page separate core, support, and payoff?
Because a strong build is not just a list of good cards. Core pieces enable the mechanic, support pieces keep the build consistent, and payoff pieces convert that setup into real combat power.