Summoner's Gambit First Strike Build

Build identity

This is the practical First Strike (先攻) run plan for Summoner’s Gambit players who want consistent campaign clears and a clean bridge into Ascension. The identity is simple: draft and fuse until you field two to three First Strike attackers with delete-level damage, score them in one coordinated dump, and seat them so early kills free boss damage. System theory lives on First Strike, Score Control, and Boss Walkthrough. This page is the checklist you run node by node.

If you are brand new to energy math, spend one run on Beginner Builds first. First Strike builds punish sloppy overflow more than slow growth decks do.

Core package

Must-haves

• 2–3 creatures with First Strike (fused or natural).
• Attack high enough to delete pack members (community targets often ~25+).
• A hand that can hide one card and dump the rest under the soft energy cap.
• Seats that let the first actions hit the pack, then the boss.

Nice-to-haves

• Damage reduction / HP supports that keep openers alive after they swing.
• One timing potion for fights where the dump is tight—Items Potions.
• Runes that stabilize draws or energy—Items Runes.

Avoid

• Random clutter that breaks score packets.
• Fusing away your only First Strike carrier before a replacement exists.
• Front-loading five vanity units with no open plan.

Route plan

1. Opening rewards — prioritize attack, survivability, and any First Strike keyword. Reroll or restart only if your class opener is completely dead (see class notes).
2. Early shops — take shop routes when possible; shops and monster drops are the main First Strike faucet.
3. Mid-run fusion — park a high-attack body + First Strike carrier, then merge when copies exist (Card Fusion).
4. Hand hygiene — discard junk via events when available; keep costs that assemble known packets (Score Control).
5. Finale — enter the boss with the package ready; do not “find First Strike” on the node itself.

Class variants

• Noble Serpent — best teacher for tidy dumps; default recommendation for first clear.
• Child of the Forest — grow attack into delete range, import First Strike via fusion later.
• Lord of Shadows — First Strike plus disruption; respect variance and overflow.
• King of the Wilds — aggressive deletes; cut summons before energy backlash, not after.

Relative class strength still moves—cross-check Classes Tier List after patches listed on Updates.

Fight macro

Before each important fight:

1. List costs; choose the hold card.
2. Confirm the dump includes First Strike bodies.
3. Seat deletes where range is legal (Formation).
4. Summon the dump under the soft cap (Energy Overflow, Tools).
5. Retarget remaining actions onto the boss.

If the open fails, autopsy with the Boss Walkthrough failure list before greedier drafts.

Ascension and PvP pivot

For Ascension, shrink the package further—fewer cards, same First Strike count, stricter score control. For Async PvP, keep First Strike but add a flexible mid seat and do not assume mirrored humans will present a PvE pack script.

Progress checklist

• First Strike count ≥ 2
• Attack thresholds feel like real deletes
• Hand can score a full dump with one hold
• Seats tested on a mid boss before the finale
• Overflow accidents near zero for three fights
• Potion / rune support identified

When every box is checked, push the campaign climax, then climb. When boxes stay empty, return to Getting Started and Beginner Builds instead of forcing the archetype.

This build exists because Summoner’s Gambit rewards early deletes. Build the deletes on purpose.