Summary
- Protect all 3 floors, not just the first, to win the match.
- Use instant damage cards on enemy support to avoid healers.
- Choose card synergy over rarity; enhance deck weaknesses wisely.
Monster Train 2 is not just a deck builder; it's one of the best deck builders to come around in a long time. The original game was already a treasure that many players still play to this day, but Monster Train 2 gives players the same concept with a lot more polish. Addictive and entertaining games such as Monster Train are why some end up more obscure.
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However, both new and returning players can still learn a thing or two before going into the game. Here is a compiled list of tips and tricks for players to keep in mind for many early runs of what might be one of their new best roguelike gems.
7 Prepare the Next Line of Defense
Don’t Get Tunnel Vision from Protecting the First Floor
- It's okay to lose a floor to win the match.
- Sacrifice to protect the Pyre.
Many players will try to protect the first floor a lot harder than they should. The problem with this mentality is that the first floor is going to take the full force of every enemy unit that comes onto the train.
Players should prepare for units on this floor to fall. Seeing a red X on a unit and trying to work around it may give a unit one more turn to stick around, but players need to look at all 3 levels as a single playing field. Bolstering a unit on the second floor can mean more damage dealt to stop enemies from reaching the pyre rather than keeping a weaker unit who’s at death's door.
6 Use Instant Damage Cards On Glassy Enemies
Healers Will Undo a Lot of Players' Efforts, Focus on Squashing Them
- Target enemy support.
- Utilize direct damage cards.
Players may want to get rid of the biggest and most scary monsters first so less damage comes their way. However, if there is a healer among their ranks, players will have a longer time dealing with the big guys in front. Players will have access to cards that can deal instant damage and can sometimes come with a buff. A good example is Firestarter.
Firestarter is great for applying Pyregel, but they can instead be used to instantly deal 1 damage to finish off an enemy support unit. Taking down these glassy support units will be far more beneficial than stacking Pyregel on the big frontliners.
The sooner you deal with enemy supporters, the less benefits they provide.
5 Rarer Isn’t Always Better
Purple Is Usually a Solid Pick, But Not Always
- Look for deck synergy above face value.
- Sometimes choosing blue is better for the deck.
When players draft a new card, they may see a purple among blues and instantly want to go with the rarer card. However, taking a card for its rarity rather than how well it synergizes is not always the best course of action. Normally, a purple card will be a better pick than a blue, and a lot of times it will be the smartest choice to make.
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However, seeing a card that will work so much better with what the deck currently is for the run should not be overlooked. Players should take their time and really think on what card will be best for the run’s current deck, rather than trying to build a deck of just face value.
4 Enhance Based on The Run’s Weakest Link
Enhancements Are Precious; Don’t Waste Them
- Look for the areas your deck is weak in during combat.
- Use Enhancements to patch over those weak points.
All roguelikes need a good power-up system, and Monster Train has Enhancements. Enhancements can be really amazing, and players may want to take the ones they feel will give them the benefits they like the most. However, players should instead take care to see what elements they tend to struggle in and use Enhancements to reduce those areas. If players find themselves thinking they need more units for each level, getting more pits will help cover this weak area.
If players have lots of cards in their hands each turn, they will want an Enhancement that lets them play more cards each turn. Taking an Enhancement for something you are not struggling with will lead to a surplus and waste the value of what another could have brought to the table.
3 Chart a Course With Great Consideration
Don’t Be Swayed by a Single Location’s Benefits
- Look at the entire track’s value.
- Look for what you need more than what you want.
Whenever players complete combat and need to select a track to follow, inspect everything on both sides and take the side that offers the most value. This might seem obvious, but seeing an Empyrean Well, when you have a good card can really sway a player into a bad choice. This might seem complex at first, but players will get the hand of it.
If the other track has Pyre Remains, a Merchant, some extra gold, and a Light Forge, then that track offers more value towards a more successful run. Learning from runs and developing strategies is the key to success.
2 Build Champion Synergies
Build Around the Champion, or Build Into Them
- Some Champions are worth building a deck around.
- Others can be built for a massive power play when needed.
Champions are one of the most powerful cards a player can put into action, and players will want to upgrade them to make them as powerful as possible. However, synergy is far more powerful than face value in Monster Train 2. When it comes time to upgrade the Champion in the deck, players will want to consider what their current deck is like. If the deck has a lot of a specific mechanic going on, they will want their Champion to synergize with that mechanic to bring the most out of that mechanic.
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On the flip side, if players have easy access to advancing a unit, they can upgrade a champ to fly out to the front and have buffs stack onto them to decimate a troublesome enemy. Building around or into a Champion can allow players to have some extremely powerful players in a run. This is what makes the Banished a great starting clan to learn with.
1 Trials Can Be Good or Bad
Don’t Turn Every Trial On, and Don’t Ignore Them Entirely
- Weigh both the risk and the reward.
- You can be riskier while at full health.
Trials can offer some extra rewards to a run, and this can help give players progress into a more powerful deck sooner. However, players that get in over their heads can see their Pyre taking a lot of unnecessary damage. Players should weigh if a trial might cause them too much damage and risk coming back to bite them.
However, players with a full Pyre of health should definitely pursue a more risky approach, as the option to heal up their Pyre can come up. Healing the pyre just to have the health restored is definitely worth the extra reward.
Monster Train 2
- Released
- May 21, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Shiny Shoe
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Roguelike, Digital Card Game
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
