This is not the old card
v0.111 removes Expect a Fight's hand-based Energy identity. The new beta version costs 3 Energy and gains 15(16) Block plus 5(8) Block for every point of Strength. That is a much clearer card, but it is also much more demanding.
It wants an Ironclad deck that has already found Strength and needs a large defensive turn. It does not want to be the first speculative piece of a Strength deck.
The numbers that matter
| Strength | Base Block | Upgraded Block |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 15 | 16 |
| 1 | 20 | 24 |
| 2 | 25 | 32 |
| 3 | 30 | 40 |
| 4 | 35 | 48 |
The table is why the card changes character so quickly. At zero Strength, three Energy for 15 Block can leave a hand unable to do anything else. At three Strength, 30 Block is enough to buy a serious turn, and the upgrade's eight-per-Strength scaling becomes meaningful.
The correct time to take it
Take Expect a Fight when all three statements are true:
- Strength is reliable. A real source is already in the deck or can be produced in time for the fights that matter.
- A single large Block turn matters. The upcoming elite, boss, or multi-hit pattern has a threshold this card can cross.
- Three Energy is available. The deck does not lose the whole turn by playing its defense.
That last point is easy to ignore. A 35-Block card is less impressive if it prevents the player from using the attack, draw, or debuff that stops the next turn from becoming worse.
Strength is a resource, not a promise
Ironclad often sees a Strength card and starts drafting as if every later hand will be full of it. Resist that. The card's output is based on the Strength you have when it is played, not the eventual fantasy ceiling.
Before taking it, check the next two fights. If the Strength source is slow, the deck may need cheaper Block first. If Demon Form is the only source, the deck has to survive the setup turn and then find Expect a Fight at the right time. If Strength comes down early and consistently, the card becomes much easier to justify.
Campfire decision
The upgrade is excellent in a deck already living at two or more Strength. It adds one base Block and raises the per-Strength bonus from five to eight. With three Strength, that is a jump from 30 to 40 Block.
Do not upgrade it automatically. A campfire may instead need to improve an early attack, a draw card, or the Strength source itself. The best upgrade is the one that changes the next dangerous floor, not the one with the prettiest high-roll arithmetic.
When to pass
Pass or delay it when:
- the deck has no reliable Strength yet;
- the immediate problem is killing enemies before they act;
- the deck already has expensive cards and weak Energy;
- the next fights punish a slow three-Energy turn; or
- a cheaper defensive card would make more hands playable.
Expect a Fight is a good example of a card that becomes impressive after the run has earned it. Draft it after the Strength plan is real, then use it to turn that plan into time, health, and another turn to win.
