Beta-only guide: Compact, Shatter, and the timing rules below refer to v0.108.0 beta. Main-branch players on v0.107.1 still have the prior versions.
Sources: official v0.108.0 patch notes, official Steam news hub, and the community patch thread, where Compact was one of the most debated changes.
Defect's v0.108 changes target two cards that often made difficult fights feel solved by one draw. Compact turned status cards into Fuel while keeping the hand moving. Shatter converted stored Orb value into a large payoff that could be repeated in longer fights. The beta patch did not delete either job, but it made both cards more dependent on the rest of the deck.
The v0.108 Defect changes
| Card or rule | Change | Practical result |
|---|---|---|
| Compact / Fuel | Fuel no longer draws; upgrade grants extra energy | Status cleanup stays, but Compact no longer replaces lost hand quality by itself |
| Shatter | Now Exhausts | Usually one payoff per combat unless copied or returned |
| Momentum Strike | Damage increased to 11(15) | Slightly better front-loaded attack |
| Scrape | Keeps cards temporarily reduced to zero cost | Better interaction with effects such as Pounce |
| Orb vs Doom timing | End-of-turn Orb passives resolve before Doom | Certain lethal-race endings now become wins |
Compact now needs two supporting jobs
Compact still solves a real problem: statuses dilute draws and can make expensive Defect hands collapse. Turning them into Fuel removes dead cards and creates energy. What changed is that Fuel no longer draws a replacement card. An upgraded Fuel gives more energy, but energy is useful only when cards remain to spend it on.
That creates two requirements. First, the deck needs independent draw such as Overclock-style effects, card selection, or a naturally cheap hand that does not run empty. Second, it needs worthwhile energy sinks. A deck full of zero- and one-cost cards can finish a Compact turn with spare energy and nothing useful to play.
Compact is still attractive when
- The upcoming boss or elite adds several dangerous statuses.
- The deck already has draw independent of Fuel.
- Two- and three-cost cards can spend the extra energy.
- Status cards actively power another engine before Compact consumes them.
- Removing the statuses is worth a low-output turn by itself.
Compact is much worse when
- Compact is your only draw plan.
- The deck is already cheap and frequently ends turns with energy.
- You expect one copy to solve every status matchup.
- The first deck cycle is weak and Compact does not transform anything yet.
The community reaction focused heavily on Aeonglass because Compact had become a clean answer to Wither. The card still removes statuses in beta. What it loses is the profit: you no longer turn a hostile hand into both energy and fresh cards without further support.
Shatter becomes a one-cycle card
Shatter now Exhausts after use. In short fights, this can be neutral or even helpful. You trigger the Orb payoff, remove Shatter from later draws, and continue with a cleaner deck. In bosses, the cost is higher if your plan depended on rebuilding Orbs and Shattering repeatedly.
Draft Shatter when one use creates enough tempo to matter. Dark Orb setups, a full Orb row, and phase-specific burst are still valid reasons. Avoid taking it simply because the deck channels Orbs. The question is not whether you have Orbs; it is whether consuming or Evoking them at one chosen moment solves a fight.
If repeated payoff is necessary, build a second route: another Evoke effect, direct scaling, or enough defense to rebuild without relying on Shatter returning. A card that Exhausts can still be excellent when its one play does the job.
Momentum Strike and Scrape improve the fair plan
Momentum Strike's small damage increase helps Defect reach the point where the Orb engine matters. It is not a new archetype, but front-loaded damage has value because every saved turn preserves HP and reduces pressure on slow setup.
Scrape's rules fix is more interesting. It no longer discards cards that are temporarily set to zero cost by global effects. That makes sequencing with Pounce-style cost reduction less punishing. Check temporary cost effects before playing Scrape; the interaction can keep a high-value Skill or attack in hand instead of throwing it away.
New status deck skeleton
| Job | What the deck needs after v0.108 |
|---|---|
| Status generation | Enough payoff to justify adding dead draws |
| Status cleanup | Compact or another reliable conversion/removal effect |
| Draw | Independent cards; do not count Fuel as draw |
| Energy sink | Expensive attacks, Powers, or multi-card turns |
| Boss scaling | Focus, Dark Orb payoff, or another repeatable engine |
| Emergency defense | Frost, Block, or a potion that covers setup turns |
This is a healthier way to think about the archetype. “Status deck” describes the resource loop, but each job still needs a card. Compact handles cleanup and energy. It no longer handles draw as well.
Orb passives resolving before Doom
The rule change matters in narrow but memorable endings. If a Lightning Orb's end-of-turn passive kills the last enemy while self-Doom would also be lethal, the Orb now resolves first and the combat ends in a win. Regen Potion follows the same before-Doom logic for healing.
Do the math before ending the turn. Confirm the passive is an end-of-turn effect, confirm it kills the final enemy, and account for powers or damage modifiers. The patch fixes ordering; it does not make “probably enough” safe.
FAQ
Is Compact unpickable?
No. It still removes statuses and produces energy. It simply needs separate draw and a useful way to spend that energy.
Is Shatter still good?
Yes when one Orb payoff solves the important turn. It is weaker as a repeatable boss engine because it now Exhausts.
Does Orb damage always save you from Doom?
Only when an end-of-turn Orb passive resolves enough damage to end combat before Doom kills you.