Dev Download: Kayo

There’s only one rule if you ever come across a Brute in a cage.

Don’t stick your hands through the bars.

The young stable cleaner had forgotten this very simple rule, which is why he now found himself pinned to the side of Kayo’s cage, missing an arm, two legs, and half a face.

Picking a shard of bone from between his fangs, Kayo dropped the corpse and blearily peered out of his prison, head still swimming with whatever the fight-masters had pumped him with. He could just about make out the dusty brick walls, patches of dirt-caked straw, and pools of hot sand littering the chamber.

He had already lost count of how many days had passed in this wretched cage, only being released to battle creatures much larger than himself. The time he didn’t spend locked up he spent fighting for his life, as ugly onlookers screeched in a language he didn’t quite understand. He licked the stump that used to be his left arm in anguish.

Escape was futile. Every attempt he made only resulted in harsh punishment. Kayo sank to his knees, grunting with frustration. At least today he had snagged himself a tasty treat. He picked at the remains of the stable boy, and to his astonishment, a set of keys fell out of the boy’s shredded pocket. Kayo glanced around to make sure he was alone, and hastily snatched up the keys, fumbling them into the lock.

Clink. The door of the cage swung open.

A bloodsoaked grin quietly spread across Kayo’s swamp-coloured face. Not such a dumb animal now.

Welcome to Dev Download, where we share red hot tips and tricks fresh from the game devs at Legend Story Studios so you can pick up a deck and play like a pro! Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be covering how to play each of the heroes in Heavy Hitters, focusing on Booster Draft and Classic Constructed!

Today, we are taking on the world single-handedly with Kayo, Armed and Dangerous!

Booster Draft

Heavy Hitters has a very dynamic limited style, featuring both multiple heroes of the same class and hybrid cards that are shared amongst them.

Kayo is a wild young Brute who has lost his arm and his sanity in the arena. He can only use a single one-handed weapon, but losing a limb hasn't made him any less dangerous! Like a wounded animal he is reckless and unpredictable, becoming fierce when cornered. This is reflected in his hero ability to create Might tokens from discarding, as well as his passive ability to buff his attack action cards while they are in non-combat zones. This particular ability is very useful for winning clashes or effects that require you to discard a card with 6 or more power.

Key signals that Kayo is open are high impact red and yellow attacks like Wild Ride and Bare Fangs, which present either extra damage or go again while allowing Kayo to make Might tokens between turns. Kayo also makes incredibly great use of 5-power cards that Rhinar players will typically pass along. These are especially useful if they're blue and defend for 3, as they add consistency and flexibility to your deck to offset your non-blocking cards and random draw/discards.

Kayo is an aggressive hero that can push out massive amounts of damage, and the ceiling is highest when your first attack has go again. Load up on cards that make Agility tokens so you can keep swinging with multiple attacks turn after turn while your opponent struggles to defend. Windups are an excellent inclusion for both turning on your Mandible Claw and making more Might tokens, and Clash attacks are awesome all-rounders that are great in almost every situation.

Classic Constructed

Over the ages many philosophers have asked the same question regarding life, the universe, and existence: "When is Brute getting another blue 6-power?"

The answer is right here, right now, and it's not just one blue six - it's ALL the blue sixes! Kayo unlocks a treasure trove in the Brute card pool that have been gathering dust, unlocking several playstyles to suit all the different Brute players out there. The easiest place to start is with a consistent midrange build packed full of blue 5-power 3-defense cards, relying on Bloodrush Bellow spike turns to deal a clean 12-13 damage off three cards. But this isn't the only thing that Kayo holds in the palm of his hand...

If you enjoy high-rolling the ever-loving hell out of your opponents, Kayo offers a high-risk, high-reward, go-wide strategy. This build plays the draw/discard cards mentioned above like Wild Ride and Bare Fangs, as well as cards like Pulping and Savage Feast. Your power cards are Berserk and Beast Within, which let you break the rules and potentially draw a truckload of attacks. Take whatever the opponent throws at you, then hit back even harder! 5-power attacks like Enlightened Strike and Ravenous Rabble slot in perfectly, and you always have Scabskin Leathers as a last resort if you find yourself without any go again!

Those who prefer a slower value-based gameplan may want to try out the formidable Cast Bones! This is an incredibly powerful card but requires some building around. As nice as it is to have access to all these bombs like Bloodrush Bellow or Berserk, playing too many of them is the easiest way to shoot yourself in the foot (or... arm?). This version of Kayo runs three copies of Cast Bones and dedicates the remaining 57 cards entirely to 6-power attacks to ensure maximum consistency. It's an insanely reliable strategy, especially when combined with cards like Command and Conquer or Swing Big.

Kayo has a variety of tools to make sure he can keep doing his thing without pesky interference. No Fear is one of the best cards you can bring against decks that aim to disrupt your hand or arsenal, protecting your precious resources while also preventing damage! It's also a cheeky way to survive being intimidated. Send Packing is perfect for messing with aggro decks and combo decks alike, while Smashing Performance gets rid of problematic Mechanologist toys. If a hero accumulates too much Gold it's also a great way to redistribute wealth!

Kayo is an incredibly versatile creature, with a layer of consistency that the other Brutes could only dream of! Spend some time trying out different builds to figure out which one best suits you or your local metagame, then grind games until you've ironed out the ultimate deck. Brute is expected to be a pretty strong choice during this upcoming Road to Nationals season, so if you're keen to give the class a try, why not start with Yuki Lee Bender's Battle Hardened-winning decklist.

Meat's back on the menu, and Kayo is ready to take your order!