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| Thread: Duel of Champions: Newcomer Guide ~ 16/05/14 ~ |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 · NEXT» |
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted May 07, 2013 11:42 AM |
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Edited by Corribus at 22:53, 17 Aug 2017.
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Duel of Champions: Newcomer Guide ~ 16/05/14 ~
Duel of Champions is an amazingly fun game and rather easy to get into, however there are a few things you should know for your beginning to be as smooth and painless as possible. If you play for the fun of it then good for you but if you plan to become a good player there are a few things you should know.
(Note added by Corribus 8-17-17: This game has been shut down)
1) Which faction should I choose?
If you ask me, go with the one that best suits your gaming style. In the long run it will not matter but in the beginning you will be tied to that single faction and everything will revolve around it if you want to progress. Inferno lacks in hp but has high attack, discard and area of effect attacks, Necro lacks in attack but has good hp, life drain and infect, Haven lacks in attack but has good hp, healing and protections. There are three more factions which you can unlock later, stronghold and sanctuary. Stronghold is fast and offensive with good hp and sanctuary lacks in stats but has a wealth of tactical skills and its units come with great synergy. Academy is tough, resistant and levels up their magic faster than others. Also supports milling.
2) There are so many card sets, where to focus?
Starting with the implementation of base set 2, a new expansion is introduced and along with that two crucial changes: First, you can only gain seals from achievements(if you are a free player). Second, new expansions will be available for gold 2-3 weeks after their release but will of course be more expensive than the base set. My recommendation is to start with base set 2. It is a good mix of the older sets with many solid cards to serve as the base of your deck and it is considerably cheaper too. It will help new players advance faster and build more reliable decks.
3) So what packs/boxes/starter factions should I get? / How can I tell what sets each covers?
As stated above, base set 2 packs are your best bet. Avoid premade decks unless you absolutely want to switch factions. They are overpriced and you'll need more cards than they offer to be competitive. Make sure that you can support the new deck with good cards of your own.
If you are a paying customer, I would recommend that you buy a box for seals. Bang, lots of packs in one go! Also, AVOID PREMIUM PACKS! Same cards, higher price, only some of them will.. sparkle.
4) Where do I get gold or seals?
You can only gain seals from achievements or by investing actual money in the game. Gold is far more plentiful, you get it by leveling up, achievements, daily rewards/quests and of course by playing ranked matches, whether you win or lose. Winning gives you more, naturally.
You may also be interested in those redeem codes. Be warned that they may be outdated, let me know if any of them do not work anymore.
M3R1-XMAS-2YOU-FROM-D3VS
A3D-WER-Q8E-DF2-E4J
TH4NK5FBF4N5
5ORRY54TURD4Y
WE-ARE-NO-TROLLS
THANK5-4-THE-F4CEBOOK-LUV
D4nke-fur-4lle
MMDOC-H4S-THE-B3ST-FANS
HAPPY-BIRTHDAY-DOC
5) I have heard that this game is pay to win.
False, I am a high tier player and never had to pay a single dime. Some free players have even managed to hit 1500 between 30-50 level! Those who spend real money have no guarantee they will get what they want nor will they get any special advantage over those who do not pay. They will advance faster but you'll catch up sooner or later. Sadly the game has plenty of grinding but the newly added altar of wishes allows you to get specific cards you were missing.
6) Are the cards listed somewhere?
mmdocking.com has the card list along with filters by set, card type, rarity and faction  Check the deck section too, some of the decks may inspire you.
7) After playing a bit I feel that the game is about luck, not skill. Even the packs you buy are utterly random!
Randomness is a big part of the game but the fun of it is making do with what you have. Especially in the beginning you will have to be resourceful as you won't have an optimal deck and you will be missing some of the good cards. But luck over skill? Not really. Deckbuilding and learning how to play properly are absolutely crucial skills.
9) So how do I build a solid deck?
First suggestion is keep your cards minimal. A deck must have 1 hero, 8 events and at least 50 cards that can be unit/spell/fortune. Try not to go above 59-60 cards if you want to have good odds of drawing the combinations you want. Usually about 30 units and 20 fortunes/spells do the trick. Do not overextend your stats, a deck with 6 might, 4 magic and 5 fortune (abbreviated as 6/4/5) is bad by design. If you spend too many turns raising your stats you will not be able to draw or use your hero special(if he has any). Also be careful about summoning high level units, they are easily killed or returned to your hand. Usual stat combinations are 4/4/2, 3/6/1, 6/3/1, 5/4/1 etc, experiment a bit.
Also, observe the current meta and what decks are being used. If you lose too much to the popular decks then you should rethink your approach and try to find a more effective combination. Some decks are naturally stronger or weaker against others, take advantage of that. Keep your eyes open for potential counters, some cards have more than one uses.
10) There are so many players that have been grinding for months and months before I joined. How much chance to I stand against them?
Not much. That's what the ranking is for, better players move higher up so they will not bother you often. Sadly the matchmaking is not very accurate but higher tiers get more gold rewards so higher level players have no reason to farm gold at a low ranking.
11) What about the tournaments? Think I should join?
Currently there are two tournaments, jackpot and swiss. Neither is recommended for a newcomer. Jackpot requires consecutive wins to reach your goal so a deck that isn't consistent will fare badly - a loss will take away what your last victory gained. Swiss is even worse, it comes with a timer of 7 mins per duel and you may be paired with opponent of ANY level. At least the higher lvl players move up in jackpot and you will usually face lower levels in your first few games but in swiss you face 3 opponents and they can be anything. If you really want to okay swiss just use your free tickets, do not buy any!
11) Do all heroes appear in all sets?
No, you should check mmdocking about which hero appears in which set. You can also get heroes through altar of wishes. Their price in wildcards depends on how recent their set is or if they are special achievement heroes.
12) What can I do if an opponent lets his turns pass with the hope I'll get bored and surrender? / Where do I report bots?
Sometimes you will face dishonourable players who will flame you or use such cheap tricks like waiting out their turns till you decide to surrender. You should know that their turn will end after 2 mins so all they can do is delay. Don't let them ruin your experience, whether you let them win or not be sure to take a screenshot and report them so that others won't have to face the same situation. [Same goes for bots. If you see a Belias using his special and ending turn without doing anything else - that is a bot.] To report a player or a bot go here and fill in the form. PC, Duel of Champions, Category: General/Feedback/Suggestions. Please do not post any names in this thread.
[THE FOLLOWING QUESTION IS A RELIC OF THE PAST, BACK WHEN WE HAD ELO. IT MIGHT STILL BE USEFUL TO KNOW HOWEVER ]
13) How do I reach 1500? What deck should I use?
For starters, you do not need to play one of the top 5 decks to get there. Plenty of heroes have made it to 1500, including less popular choices like Shaar 4/4/1, Crag Hack 5/0/2, Kat 4/0/4 or Cassandra 3/2/5. The meta is in a state of constant flux and the power of a deck varies, even during periods where there have been no balance patches. You also do not need to be 100+ level, some people have made it there between 30-50 level without spending any money. That said you need a solid deck that will have good odds versus most of the popular decks of the meta and one that you know like the back of your hand. You should know at any given moment what combos you can use and the odds of drawing a card you want. Participating in swiss with tickets from daily rewards will help you get cards you want, along with its associated achievements. After you get your desired hero/cards, you can focus on climbing. The climb between 1400-1500 is slow, with plenty of 1000+ players where wins come easily but losses will easily cost you 25-30 elo. You'd better be prepared against the all-too-common rushes and play with a focused, clear head. Avoid switching decks, specializing works better and builds up your commitment.
PS, TOURNAMENTS NO LONGER GIVE RANKING POINTS
INTERESTING TOPICS FROM THE OFFICIAL BOARDS
Some important doc topics that may interest you. They were originally posted in the official ubisoft forum, all credit goes to their respective authors
http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/803455-0-to-1500-in-Ten-Days-What-I-Learned-and-How-You-Can-Do-It-Too! - by EnlightenedOwl
Deck Archetypes - by Amity45
Guide/Discussion about possible OverPowered cards and how to deal with them! - by Psychobabble.au
Fairly Accurate? JP Tier ELOs - by H4ml3t42
http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/794244-How-to-farm-gold-at-Jackpot-tournaments-by-mathematician-%29 - by Qzin89
If you have further questions ask away, I may have forgotten a few things Remember, this is a general guide so don't ask for specialized counters and such.
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H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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The_Polyglot
Promising
Supreme Hero
channeling capybara energy
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posted May 07, 2013 12:06 PM |
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Nice guide, had this been up a few days ago, I wouldn't have had to pester Joonas quite so much.  I'd suggest a QP if it were possible.
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Friend-shaped
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted May 07, 2013 12:26 PM |
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Glad to be of help.
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H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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esvath
Known Hero
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posted May 07, 2013 05:41 PM |
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Thanks Elvin, finally I know what OTK is 
Also, the last code is apparently not working?
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted May 07, 2013 05:52 PM |
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Who knows. If anyone else reports trying it and seeing no results I'm taking it off from the list.
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H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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Hayven
Famous Hero
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posted May 07, 2013 06:30 PM |
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OMM... are you sure that
5ORRY54TURD4Y and
MER1-XM4S-2YOU-FROM-D3VS really work?
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted May 07, 2013 06:33 PM |
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They did for me but it is possible they have grown inactive. Still, I think poly used them successfully.
____________
H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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The_Polyglot
Promising
Supreme Hero
channeling capybara energy
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posted May 07, 2013 06:39 PM |
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I did, though I dunno what cards they got me, apart from some creepy Santa skellies from the Xmas code.
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Friend-shaped
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esvath
Known Hero
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posted May 08, 2013 01:09 AM |
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I used the codes and they worked except the last one.
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VOKIALBG
Honorable
Legendary Hero
First in line
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posted May 08, 2013 08:17 AM |
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QP applied to Elvin!
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted May 08, 2013 01:49 PM |
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Thanks
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H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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Vindicator
Supreme Hero
Right Back Extraordinaire
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posted May 08, 2013 11:15 PM |
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I'm kind of confused at to the three stats that you can increase when it's your hero's turn (might, magic and destiny I think?). What do they do and what should you prioritize with them?
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted May 09, 2013 12:28 AM |
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They are simply the requirement for the cards you play. Prison for instance is a fortune card that requires 5 fortune to play. Firebolt is magic and requires 1 magic to play. Units require strength, for instance a sea elf requires 3 might to play.
Since I met a dishonourable guy who let his 2 min turns pass hoping I'd get bored and surrender, I'm adding a report solution. Don't let those sad nolifers waste the game for those who enjoy it.
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H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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Dave_Jame
Promising
Legendary Hero
I'm Faceless, not Brainless.
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posted May 09, 2013 09:39 PM |
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OMG Elvin I love you
Just for fun I look at the codes and I was not sure if I i used "WE-ARE-NO-TROLLS" so I tried it and it worked.
And here is the reason I love you
I got one of the 5 last cards from the base set I was missing in it:-D.
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted May 09, 2013 09:53 PM |
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I love you too 
____________
H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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The_Polyglot
Promising
Supreme Hero
channeling capybara energy
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posted May 09, 2013 10:13 PM |
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How does a Swiss tournament work exactly? I mean, what happens when the time runs out, how is the winner determined?
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Friend-shaped
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Dave_Jame
Promising
Legendary Hero
I'm Faceless, not Brainless.
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posted May 09, 2013 10:31 PM |
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The player whose time runs out is skipped and the player who still has time must kill him in this time to win (Or so I think, I was only once in this situation and my oponent left when he had no time left)
If both run out of time the duel ends in a draw.
BTW
The break points are related to how well did your oponents ended up.
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The_Polyglot
Promising
Supreme Hero
channeling capybara energy
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posted May 09, 2013 10:36 PM |
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So it's not worth gaming the system? That's nice
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Friend-shaped
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Elvin
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Endless Revival
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posted May 09, 2013 10:50 PM |
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If your timer runs out you simply lose. But 7 mins is a long time if you have some experience with the game.
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H5 is still alive and kicking, join us in the Duel Map discord server!
Map also hosted on Moddb
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RMZ1989
Supreme Hero
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posted May 10, 2013 12:50 PM |
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Hi guys, I am new here(kind of), been stalking these forums for past few years. 
I must say that I love your work and commitment to these Heroes forums Elvin. Your posts are great.
About the redeem codes, all of the codes work, I activated them in the last week, they just work strangely. Try to use them multiple times if they don't work at first, or try using different code then go back to the one that wasn't working, it worked for me that way.
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