Understanding the Seven Classes in Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle

One of the most intriguing aspects of Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle is that it categorizes decks into seven classes. Unlike some other card games, such as Magic the Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh!, it’s impossible to mix and match them, so it’s fundamental to understand the strengths of each class.

For those who play the original mobile game, this detail is no surprise. Though Champion’s Battle has a fresh anime paint all over it, the game is fundamentally the same as far as the card duels are concerned. With 20 defense points to each player and no possibility to get over this limit, your goal is to get your opponent to 0.

However, in the decks’ synergies can change a lot from one class to another, making the way you play it fundamentally different. But newcomers don’t need to worry too much, as the game includes a deck code system. By defeating new adversaries, the player gets a sort of recipe on how to make their deck. Those are helpful for players to get some balanced decks when they aren’t daring to make their own decks.

As such, the school grounds offer a perfect place to familiarize yourself with the basics of each class and get your first decks for them. By defeating the NPCs, the player will get new cards and money to buy even more. Stores are available at multiple spots, and each vendor offers different cards and cosmetic items.

When we talk about the decks, the classes are the most fundamental aspect since each has abilities that the others don’t. There are seven classes: Dragoncraft, Forestcraft, Swordcraft, Runecraft, Shadowcraft, Bloodcraft, and Havencraft. Some cards are neutral, the only kind that can mix with the others. Using decks of various classes in duels is a great way to gain experience, and each class also has a level, granting better cards by sticking with one of them enough to power them up.

The very first deck, the player, gets is a basic Dragoncraft one. Focused on offense, this is a class with powerful follower cards. Though the deck tends to have high costs, some cards generate extra play-point orbs. And once the player has seven or more play points, they enter Overflow, making the cards even more powerful or giving them special abilities.

Forestcraft goes on the opposite trend, with low-cost cards. By repeatedly playing multiple followers and spells in a single turn, the player can enhance their cards’ effects. The token 1/1 Fairies that cost only one play point are a great example of cards built for this strategy.

Swordcraft can also be built around a similar mob mentality as its basic cards are ally summoners. A follower may summon another, rapidly filling the area. The deck also divides followers into commander and officer cards, and cards may have special skills related to these categories. For that reason, exploiting the synergy between those two categories is a fundamental strategy.

Runecraft focuses on spell cards, having even its followers associated with them. Effects include drawing extra cards, gaining benefits thanks to the number of spells played, and the Spellboost. The last one is the gimmick of the Runecraft deck, and it means the cards in the player’s hand are powered up every time they play a spell. Spellboosting makes summoning spells generate extra tokens, high-cost cards reduce the required play points, and damage spells hit harder.

Shadowcraft cards often have powers related to death. For example, they may bane enemies from play or activate effects as their last words for dying on the field. In addition, some cards may generate Shadow Counters, adding Necromancy effects to followers and spells. By spending some of those counters, the cards have extra effects. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to make a Necromancy not activate, so the player should have extra caution when picking those cards if they want to save those counters.

Bloodcraft plays around with the player’s defense. Cards will often cause harm to their owner, so it’s necessary to manage them carefully. The player will activate Vengeance effects by getting to 10 defense points, powering up followers, and making spells stronger.

Last but not least is Havencraft, which I’d personally classify as the hardest of them. Composed of many Countdown amulets, this class depends on timing to generate its effects. Instead of instantly activating spells and summoners, many of the cards are about future effects. As a result, it’s a deck that can be way too vulnerable for a while and hit hard way too late for a comeback. However, some cards may reduce the countdowns, making it easier to deal with the class disadvantages.

Hopefully, this general outlook on the classes is enough to help you get started on Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle. However, there’s a lot more to explore as you delve deeper into building decks and using others’.

Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle will release on Nintendo Switch on August 10. A demo is currently available on the eShop, and it’s possible to transfer your save to the full game.