To any person who's having trouble finishing the game normally, don't give up, it's really easier than it looks.
It really seems like the key is to prepare for the act you're in without thinking too far ahead.
Better finish it and die on the next than die later, than to be prepared for the last boss and die earlier.
Find a good path with a good amount of bonfires, 1 or 2 elite (3, 4 if you feel quite prepared for them), maybe a shop or 2 if you're looking for some cards/relics and then balance enemies and events depending on what you need or which path seems safest/better for the "level" you think you have.
And just get used to the different enemies. "What do I need to counter them".
Lots and lots of "decks" (not builds/archetypes, just your cards depending on what happened)
Can actually kill every boss correctly. Its not really about luck/bad luck depending on who you fight, especially as you see the boss as soon as you begin an act. And you know all the Elites and enemies after a while, that doesn't change.
So it's good to not only 100% focus on something that can be countered by a specific boss. If it is, then you got it wrong and you need to adjust.
Got my first win today! Thanks to everyone that has helped, this thread really did help me along the way.
It was with Ironclad which surprised me as I thought I'd do it first with the derelict. I got the relic that allows you to keep your hand and used that along with a card that gains 40 block, a card to double any attack or power card and a card to deal block as damage as well as cards to deal damage when block was built. It all synergised nicely and I managed to beat the time eater!
Now to try and get a win with the others!
Sorey in advance if nothing I write here was usefull for you ha ha. I just thought I might give some encouragement/advice as I went from "how can you finish every act ?" To getting ascension 20 with the Silent. I used to think it was the hardest character... until I understood how to play it more efficiently.
Pick a few damaging card (no skills except if too amazing to pass on) if you plan to fight Elites.
Before boss try to have a good balance between attack and defense. For the Silent, look for "attacksx3=bonus relics" like shuriken, kunai, fan, anythibg that gives energy bonus, card draw, poison or discard bonus and work around that while keeping a good balance (with more blocking cards overall when you get farther, pure damage is only useful if interracting with very important relics. Having good card draw can help you quickly get to good powers or cards and block cards.
I thought at first that Silent relic was bad but it can actually prepare some amazing first turns.
If you can get 1-3 backstab, it can make the beginning of battles really easier and this, the rest too. I would sugges to not especially focus on one thing.
For exemple if you get some shiv making decks, don't especially go all in ln that with accuracy... same with poison. Try to roughly remember hardest hurdles in each acts and project your current situation to see if uou could make it as you are.
Maybe you need a shop dor an extra relic or sell a completely useless card, or more bonfire for very important upgrades, or just dig...
Events that steal HP to give special cars can save runs where you lack some block cards or have the right relic (egg for example to upgrade all the cards at once when receiving them).
Anything that makes dexterity is good because you'll be blocking using lots of cards. Finding the "upgrade all steike and defend" event is cool for all the defend upgrades. Strikes are usually better out of the deck replaced by a few better damage card like backstab.
Careful with weird cards that seem to combo well if you don't have ways to control your deck.
For Defect. If you can get damaging cards that also creates orbs, you habe a good beginning. More focus is always really good (bias cognition early in quick battle and midway for boss except if you can counter the bad effect with an artefact. Glacier is amazing. Some card draw is important to have bigger chance to access block or an important attack when needed. "Seek" is very good to quickly get important cards. Hologram can be nice to quickly replay a very good card like Glacier for extra block if in the discard pile.
I feel like I'm forgetting too much but if you play smart it can really be easy to win on basic difficulty. It's really a matter of balance and prepare for the next hard battle(s). And if you get a card that works for a fight soon AND for the endgame, score !
I'm not sure I'm good at advice lol.
The fourth character should be hitting beta today for anyone on PC.
Do you how much time it took for previous characters to get "final" after the beta ?
I'm eager to try it on Switch.
I already have 265 hours on the game >~>.