Dev Download: Nuu

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! This week we’ll be covering how to play each of the heroes in Part the Mistveil, focusing on Booster Draft and Classic Constructed!

Today we are getting up to no good with Nuu, Alluring Desire!

Booster Draft

Part the Mistveil is a dynamic Booster Draft experience, with 30-card decks, the new blue-focused Mystic talent, cloaked equipment to keep the opponent guessing, and the ability to transcend and unlock Inner Chi!

Nuu is the Assassin of the set, using her stealth attacks to banish cards from the opponent’s deck, graveyard, and even the combat chain. She keeps life totals stable through small pockets of life gain and her constant threatening dagger swings until she can overwhelm the opponent by playing their own banished blue cards against them.

Key signals that Nuu is open are red attack reactions like Hiss and Venomous Bite. Nuu’s attacks are slightly under rate compared to the other two heroes, and attack reactions are what she uses to bridge the gap. You won’t always win a game just by simply activating Nuu’s ability, quite often it is a lethal attack reaction that will seal the deal. Keep an eye out for equipment with built-in attack reactions like Arousing Wave and Undertow Stilettos, as these are key for forcing your opponent to defend inefficiently while also triggering the abilities of many stealth cards. Waves of Aqua Marine and Aqua Laps are also strong alternatives.

Aim to pick up around 15+ blues throughout the draft. You’ll want a good mix of red and blue stealth attacks that you can play off the back of a dagger, pitching a blue, and using the one resource floating to back it up with an attack reaction. Desires of Flesh is a premium card to play against Zen as it has a very high chance of triggering. Likewise, Pick to Pieces is a premium card to play against Enigma, as it really messes with their ward gameplan. Lastly, you’ll want 2-4 transcend instants, especially Pass Over, Path Well Traveled, and The Grain that Tips the Scale.

Classic Constructed

Nuu slinks into the Classic Constructed metagame with a menagerie of toys to play with her diverse pool of victims. This does mean she comes with an added level of complexity, as unlike heroes that stick to a central gameplan, Nuu has to adapt drastically between matchups. But once you learn the ins and outs, nobody is safe! Focus on playing the grind game, laying down disruption to keep the opponent at bay while you whittle down their life and deck. Mask of Recurring Nightmares is one of the most powerful tools Nuu has to achieve this outcome, while Flick Knives allows you to set up crazy turns with forced Beckoning Mistblade triggers.

It’s important to note that not every single Majestic is designed to be played in an ultra-Nuu-pile, and you may find yourself quickly overwhelmed with options. Many of these cards are designed with specific matchups in mind, and you should experiment to find out which you need and which you can afford to bench for a rainy day. An easy way to start is with the blue-line build, focusing on 15+ blue stealth attacks like Persuasive Prognosis, Bonds of Agony, and Bonds of Attraction. This build aims to swing Beckoning Mistblades as often as possible, gleaning value from your blues with cards like Looking for a Scrap and Just a Nick.

As an Assassin, Nuu gains access to the nastiest tricks of the trade, such as Leave No Witnesses, Surgical Extraction, and even Codex of Frailty. These disruptive cards are key to slowing the opponent down to your level, where you are poised to win the grind game. Note that your new attack reactions such as Hiss and Venomous Bite, as well as the classic Shred, work on both stealth and contract cards, giving you some much needed ‘oomph’ to push these attacks over the line.

I wish I could say it’s smooth sailing from here on out, but the truth is you should expect a little turbulence, mainly from Warriors and Illusionists. Beckoning Mistblade doesn’t have piercing, which means those grindy Valiant Dynamo decks can be a royal pain in the tail. You can circumvent this with Scale Peeler if your deck is capable of swinging double daggers more often, or another sneaky trick is to let them defend your Beckoning Mistblade with Valiant Dynamo, then slap ‘em with Already Dead and banish those pesky boots into next week! Against Illusionists you’ll want to pack as much ward hate as possible, which comes in the form of both Pick to Pieces and Malign, supported by a cheeky Vambrace of Determination!

Nuu promises a whole new level of mind games, and reframes the way your opponent thinks about defending. Take the time to learn the different niche ways in which she weaves victory into her tale, often not through the most straightforward option, but by finding that one loose thread and tugging it until the entire tapestry tears in half.

If you’re interested in taking Nuu for a spin casually at your local Armory or just among friends but don’t want to commit to expensive Legendaries just yet, try out our Budget Decklist below!