Jeweled Mask turns one Power into an opening-hand card that costs nothing for the combat. That can erase the usual setup cost of an expensive engine. It can also fetch the wrong Power at exactly the wrong time.
v0.111 makes the result easier to control. The relic now prefers non-Innate Powers and selects an Innate Power only when every Power in the deck is Innate.
What the relic does at combat start
The current base text puts a random Power from your draw pile into your hand and makes it free to play for the combat. Two details are easy to miss.
First, the card is moved into your hand. You see one more useful card immediately instead of waiting to draw it. Second, the discount lasts for the combat, not merely the opening turn. If turn one demands defense, you can hold the Power and play it later at zero cost, subject to ordinary hand constraints.
The v0.111 filter sits on top of that effect:
- Look for eligible non-Innate Powers.
- Choose randomly from that group.
- Use an Innate Power only if the deck's entire Power pool is Innate.
This prevents the relic from spending its pull on a Power that was already meant to begin in your opening hand while another non-Innate option waits in the deck.
The simple pool math
If the Mask has four eligible non-Innate Powers to choose from and the selection is uniform, a specific one has a one-in-four chance. Add a fifth and that chance falls to one in five. Remove a weak option and each remaining card becomes more likely.
That does not mean a smaller pool is always better. Two excellent Powers can be a stronger deck than one excellent Power and no backup plan, even though the Mask becomes less deterministic. Evaluate the card first, then charge it a small consistency cost for widening the pool.
| Pool shape | Opening behavior |
|---|---|
| One eligible non-Innate Power | Predictable pull |
| Several Powers with the same job | Less predictable card, similar result |
| One premium Power plus weak alternatives | High variance and real dilution |
| Only Innate Powers | The Mask can select from the Innate group |
Cards that do the same job soften randomness. If either of two Powers provides enough scaling for the boss, you may not care which one arrives. A mixed pool of offense, defense, and niche utility asks you to adapt more often.
Drafting after you find the Mask
Do not auto-skip every later Power. A new card deserves a place when its ordinary deck value exceeds the consistency you lose.
Before taking one, imagine it being the Mask hit in the next elite. Would the free play improve that fight? Would you be content to draw the old premium Power naturally? Does the newcomer solve a matchup the current pool cannot?
Energy cost also changes under the relic. An expensive Power may be awkward when drawn normally yet outstanding as the free opening selection. That upside is real, though you still need a plan for combats where the Mask chooses something else.
Card removal can improve the pool when a weak Power has outlived its purpose, but do not ignore starter cards and curses that damage every hand. The Mask fixes one opening setup card. It does not clean the rest of the deck for you.
Innate Powers after v0.111
An Innate Power already pays for consistency by occupying an opening-hand slot. The new rule lets Jeweled Mask search past it for a non-Innate Power, which usually makes the two mechanics cooperate better.
There is still a hand-size cost. Several Innate cards, the Mask pull, and other start-of-combat effects can crowd the first hand. Check whether you have enough defensive access after all the setup arrives. A free Power is less helpful when the rest of the opening hand cannot answer enemy intent.
If every Power is Innate, the relic is not blank. The patch notes explicitly preserve an Innate selection in that case. The outcome may be less exciting because those cards were already built to appear early, but the free-for-combat discount can still matter.
Before the next elite
Open the deck and count eligible non-Innate Powers. Mark which hits are excellent, acceptable, or awkward in the upcoming fight. If too many are awkward, stop drafting speculative Powers and strengthen ordinary turns.
The v0.111 enemy breakpoint guide helps identify what the next encounter actually asks from the opening hand. Jeweled Mask is at its best when every possible pull has a job, even if only one is the dream result.