'Discard' archetype for Silent

Archetype summary

Trigger powerful effects by discarding your cards.

When to pivot to 'Discard' archetype

Ideally, when you find Tough Bandages or Tingsha.

Drafting solid discard cards like Acrobatics, Dagger Throw and Tools of the Trade early is never a bad idea, and it helps justify picking up Reflex or Tactician when they get offered since you already have a means of triggering them.

Star items

skill

Calculated Gamble

B-

Discard your hand, then draw that many cards.
Exhaust.

skill

Reflex

E+

Unplayable.
If this card is discarded from your hand, draw 2 cards.

skill

Tactician

E+

Unplayable.
If this card is discarded from your hand, gain .

skill

Prepared

Draw 1 card.
Discard 1 card.

skill

Acrobatics

B-

Draw 3 cards.
Discard 1 card.

power

Tools of the Trade

B+

At the start of your turn, draw 1 card and discard 1 card.

Tough Bandages

uncommon

Whenever you discard a card during your turn, gain 3 Block.

Tingsha

rare

Whenever you discard a card during your turn, deal 3 damage to a random enemy for each card discarded.

C+

This deck revolves around discarding cards that benefit from discards. Tactician and Reflex are unplayable but grant powerful effects for free if they are discarded. This turns what is usually a negative action into a positive, leading to high value.

As for relics, Tough Bandages and Tingsha can help cover your defence or damage respectively, meaning the rest of your draft can primarily focus on what you are missing. It's much harder to find these by chance, so I tend to fully commit only after finding one.

Support items

attack

Dagger Throw

B-

Deal 9 damage.
Draw 1 card.
Discard 1 card.

skill

Prepared

Draw 1 card.
Discard 1 card.

skill

Acrobatics

B-

Draw 3 cards.
Discard 1 card.

skill

Survivor

B+

Gain 8 Block.
Discard a card.

power

Well-Laid Plans

S-

At the end of your turn, Retain up to 1 card.

Letter Opener

uncommon

Every time you play 3 Skills in a single turn, deal 5 damage to ALL enemies.

There are plenty of ways to discard with the Silent. Calculated Gamble is one of the best for this deck, but there are other sources that work fine too and are bundled with some useful effect.

Well-Laid Plans is very handy if you don't have Tools of the Trade, since it allows you to always discard your Reflex and Tactician - there's nothing worse than a turn where you are holding these cards and have no way to discard them.

'Discard' archetype weaknesses

The damage output for this deck can be quite low despite the high number of cards played, making the Time Eater and The Heart difficult encounters. Piercing Wail can help defensively with both of these encounters for just one card, so make sure to pick it up if you see it. Finisher and Flechetters can also provide some big damage numbers in a single card, especially if you have Strength.