In my opinion, one of the appealing factors that make TEPPEN a unique experience is the deck-building aspect in this game.
Deck-building is crucial in TEPPEN and it can determine on how you'll fare against specific match-ups. Let's face it, there are certain match-ups that are either great or terrible against another, but that's what's fun about this game in my opinion. The game encourages you to experiment with the myriad of cards the game provides to you.
This is where you will spend most of the time when building new Decks.
The Deck builder.
However, just like in every other card game, deck building is also bound with a set of rules.
In this segment, I will be discussing some of the rules that you need to know when it comes to deck-building and tips on how to utilize these rules to your advantage.
Rule#1: You can only have a maximum of 30 cards.
Whatever cards you put, keep in mind that you can only have a maximum of 30 cards. Nothing more, nothing less.
Rule#1.5: You can only create up to 50 Decks.
Self explanatory.
Rule#1.8: A single Hero Art can only be equipped per Deck.
Also, self explanatory.
Rule#2: Each card has a color attribute.
Just like Heroes, every card in the game has a specific color attribute, which cater to the playstyle of that particular color. Choose the cards of that specific color to build on.
Rule#2.5: Each card has its own Rarity.
That's right! Rarity. Just like every other card games, each card has a particular rarity and in this game, there are four; namely Common, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. For every deck, you can only have three copies of a non-Legendary card of a certain type, but can only have a copy of a specific Legendary card. Reason? Balancing, of course.
Rule#3: Max MP Cost is affected by the number of Attributes you put in a deck.
Remember how you'll need MP to play cards or Actions? Yep. The way you build your deck can greatly affect the overall max MP of your Deck. There are things to keep in mind when it comes to building a deck; the color of your Hero and the cards that you put in your deck. Having a dual-colored deck with end you with 5 Max MP as opposed to 10, while a tri-colored deck ends you up with only 3 MP, so keep those in mind. Your Hero is also counted to the color attribute count when building a deck, however. For example, when you build a deck with a red-colored Hero filled with black-colored cards, your MP would end up with 5 MP since your Hero is different to the cards it possess. It's a nice balancing act to ensure no color would end up overpowered in some way when utilizing different colored cards.
Rule#4: Some cards would end up unusable on a mixed deck.
An interesting feature this game's deck builder have is that it warns you about the potential cards that may end up become dead in your Deck. Unless you have an interesting tech strat to get it out, you better balance out the Deck to the things you only need.
Rule#5: Synergy is important when building a Deck.
Here is the tricky part. What makes a successful Deck all comes down to how you build a theme around that particular Deck. Deck-building based on a particular strategy is nothing new as it's already evident in certain popular card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic the Gathering. TEPPEN is no different. There are certain cards that synergizes with another set of cards, so keep in mind about the effect of each card for maximum effectiveness. Speaking of keeping in mind about the effects of each card...
Rule#6: Read each card carefully.
Certain cards need to meet certain requirements in order to become usable or become a lot more useful, so it's important to understand the intricacies of each one to ensure the victory you want to achieve.
Rule#7: Never rely too much on the Deck Builder.
If you are a veteran when it comes to card games, this is actually a no-brainer. However, if you are a newbie and just here to see about some of the potential strategies you can use in future battles, then give this one a whirl. Just don't depend too much on it.
Rule#8: Watch the TEPPEN Channel for some card advice.
There's a thing in this game known as the TEPPEN Channel where you can watch certain replays of some random matches across the world. From there, you can view how the battle unfolded as well as the decks they used at the time. This place can be a nifty feature for anyone who wants to do some net-decking and having a difficult time building Decks.
Rule#9: Ask fellow players for advice.
Despite the game having a relatively small player base compared to other card games (in my opinion), TEPPEN has grown to be a competitive one and tons of content creators have since dedicated their time to make such content. If you are ever lost, feel free to watch some of their videos or ask for advice.
And most importantly...
Rule#10: Never be afraid to fail.
TEPPEN is not a casual game and it requires tons of trial and error to make the right combination of strategies. Whether you like to overwhelm your opponents or just stall for time, such effective strategies aren't made overnight and it will most likely fail you than help you win in most cases. While it can be discouraging, you can serve as a leeway to find more effective strategies in dealing with even bigger threats. If you are still having doubts in using your newly-formed deck against other live players, try using the Deck you concocted against an AI-controlled opponent for the lolz and see how it fare.
Adjust. Battle. Adjust. Learn each card. Adjust again. Battle and win. Rinse and repeat until you're satisfied with your Deck. And that is what makes TEPPEN so much fun in my opinion. It's not just about the cards you have in your Deck, but how you want to approach a given scenario can make battles a lot more satisfying.
Before you go ahead and try to build your own Deck, feel free to know some of the more important details when it comes to Deck-building.
1. The maximum MP of a certain Deck during a battle. It can be affected by the number of card attributes in your Deck. Two colors would make it five while three colors would make it three.
2. The number of color attributes that you have in your current Deck.
3. Total Deck size. Only 30 cards per deck.
4. Number of Unit cards. There's no limit on how much you can add them to a Deck.
5. Number of Action cards. Same principles apply to Unit cards where you can put as much as you want for as long as it meets the Deck limit and card copy restrictions.
And finally, the Deck builder also has a variety of functions which makes Deck-building a lot easier.
New Deck - Exactly what it says on the tin. Build a Deck from scratch.
Copy Deck - Copy an existing Deck and make a new slot for it.
Scan QR Code - As what it says, you can scan QR codes from pre-made Decks. Keep in mind that it doesn't make you automatically own the cards within them. You still need to get them from packs or craft them by spending Souls (which I would be discussing in a future article should this series becomes popular enough, that is)
Auto Edit - Recommended for newbies. Helps you build a certain deck based on your existing card pool. Also a great feature for experimentation, but that's just me.
And that's wraps up for today's edition of TEPPEN for Dummies. If you have other strategies in mind when it comes to building the most amazing Deck you can ever come across, feel free to let me know down in the comments.
For a lot less convoluted explanation, or if you want a direct answer, feel free to visit the TEPPEN Wiki website.
That said, have a nice day! :)
