The relic is not the decision
“Take more elites” is good advice only after a deck has the ability to survive them. On A10, the cost of an unsupported elite is rarely just the fight. It is the two ordinary fights afterward, the campfire that becomes a forced rest, and the shop you reach with no health to spend aggressively.
Route for the run in front of you, not the relic count from a previous win.
The five-part green light
An elite route becomes attractive when most of these are true:
- Damage: You can create pressure without needing the best possible draw.
- Defense: One bad turn does not immediately turn the fight into a potion-only survival line.
- Health: You have enough buffer to leave the fight weaker than you entered and still play the map.
- Support: A potion, campfire, shop, or reasonable exit makes the line more forgiving.
- Reward use: A relic now would change how you can route or build afterward.
You do not need perfection. You need enough evidence that the fight advances the run instead of merely making it exciting.
Read the map after the elite
Many routing errors come from stopping the analysis at the elite icon. Trace the path through the next few nodes. An elite followed by a campfire or a safe branch can be a calculated risk. An elite followed by more hard fights with no recovery may be a decline even if the deck wins the first fight.
| Map shape | Typical read |
|---|---|
| Elite, then campfire or shop | More room to spend health for a relic |
| Elite, then another forced hard fight | Demand a stronger deck or potion buffer |
| Elite with a late exit | Check whether the deck can survive the entire branch |
| Safe route with several rewards first | A good way to earn an elite later |
The goal is not to avoid danger. It is to place danger where the map lets you recover from normal variance.
Give each potion a job
A potion is part of the route, not an ornament. Before choosing the elite, say what the potion does: cover the first-cycle defense gap, finish an enemy before its next turn, preserve health for the campfire, or stabilize a multi-enemy opening.
If you cannot describe the job, do not count the potion as permission to take the route. Conversely, if you can, using it is often correct. The relic and the saved health are permanent value; an unused potion is not.
When to turn around
Decline or reroute when the deck cannot answer a known pressure, when health is already a constraint, or when the path offers no way to repair the damage afterward. This is not “playing scared.” It is recognizing that an elite is only profitable if you are still allowed to make meaningful choices after it.
The safer route can also be active preparation: card rewards for front-loaded damage, a shop for removal or potions, and a campfire upgrade can turn the next elite into the right risk.
A useful post-run review
When an elite route fails, do not write “bad luck.” Finish this sentence instead:
I took the elite before my deck had ______.
The blank might be immediate damage, reliable Block, potion support, health, or a recovery node. That answer improves the next map decision far more than memorizing the result of one fight.
For a broader difficulty review, see the A10 win-rate guide. For a specific next-act planning method, use the Act 2 generalist deck guide.
FAQ
How many elites should I take on A10?
There is no universal number. Take the elites the deck, health total, potions, and map can support; skip those that turn the next several rooms into survival gambling.
Should I use a potion in an elite fight?
Use it when it preserves meaningful health, wins the fight, enables an upgrade instead of rest, or keeps the route viable. Saving it for an imaginary perfect moment is often worse.
Is one campfire enough before an elite?
It helps, but the rest of the path matters. Check the deck's immediate output and the recovery or exits after the elite as well.
