Building Your Cross The Ages Deck: Strategy and Card Choices

Once you grasp the rules, the next step is building a deck that can execute your strategy. In Cross The Ages, a well-crafted deck balances raw power, elemental diversity, and synergy between cards. Here we’ll cover deck-building basics and some strategic considerations, including how to effectively use rare vs common cards in your collection.

Deck Composition 101 – Arena

A Cross The Ages – Arena deck consists of 30 cards – specifically 29 regular cards plus 1 leader card. You can include any mix of creature (battle) cards and a few field cards, but there’s an important constraint: the total combined power of all cards in your deck cannot exceed 15,000​. Every card has a Power value (printed on the card) which contributes to this cap. Think of it like a point-buy system or mana curve in other games: you can’t just stuff your deck with only the highest-power behemoths, or you’ll go over the limit. This rule forces meaningful choices – do you include a couple of 600-power legends, balanced out by some 300-power commons? Or a swath of mid-power cards around 500 each? There’s no single right answer, but generally you want to maximize overall power without exceeding 15,000, and ensure you have enough cards of varying costs to fill all 30 slots.

Leader Card: One of your 30 cards will be marked as the Leader. This will always appear in your opening hand (which is 5 cards at the start of the duel) and carries your chosen special ability. The leader’s element and stats count like any other card in deck-building terms, but choosing which card should lead is a strategic call. Often, players pick a card with solid power and an ability that complements their deck’s theme. For example, if you have a deck focused on aggressive capturing, you might choose a leader ability that boosts attack power or lets you capture in a special way. Remember, any card can serve as leader with any ability you’ve unlocked – you aren’t restricted to a pre-set roster of heroes. So when building your deck, consider which card would perform well if guaranteed in your opening hand and what ability would best support your game plan. Don’t worry too much about the leader being a liability – as noted, losing your leader card in battle doesn’t make you lose the game outright​, though you do lose access to its ability after it’s gone.

Battle Cards vs Field Cards: Most cards in your deck will be battle cards, the ones you play onto the board to fight. However, it’s wise to include a few field cards as well, as they are cheaper. Field cards don’t sit on the board but instead create lasting effects (like elemental buffs, debuffs, or other modifiers). They can turn the tide by powering up your whole team or weakening the enemy, and since playing them doesn’t end your turn​, they combo nicely into your flow of play. Field cards also don’t take up your precious board cells, meaning they’re pure value when used correctly. A common beginner deck might run, say, 3 field cards and 27 creatures, but you can adjust based on what field effects you have available. Just don’t neglect them entirely – a well-timed field effect can be game-winning (imagine boosting all your Fire cards’ power just as you go on a capturing spree).

Rarity: Rare vs Common Cards

Cross the Ages cards come in various rarities (common, uncommon, rare, epic, etc.), and naturally the rarer cards tend to have higher power or unique abilities. However, rare does not automatically mean “must-play,” especially given the 15,000 power deck limit. Here’s how to think about rare vs common usage:

• Raw Power vs Numbers: High-rarity cards might have, for example, 700 power – formidable pieces on the board – but including them in your deck takes a big chunk of your power budget. By contrast, a common card of 450 power uses much less of the total budget, but gives you two separate cards to play. More cards means more board presence and flexibility. If your strategy relies on swarming the board or creating multiple affinities, those extra bodies from lower-power cards can be more valuable than a single big monster. On the other hand, a rare heavy-hitter can flip almost any card it touches and might even withstand attacks thanks to its strength. Balance is key: try to include a few heavy hitters (rare or high-power) to anchor your deck, then fill out the rest with mid-to-lower power cards that support them.
• Deck Consistency: Having a deck full of only one-of-a-kind super rare cards might sound strong, but it could lead to inconsistent draws or awkward hands (and likely bust the 15k limit). Common and uncommon cards provide the backbone of most decks – they’re the reliable troops that fill your curve and ensure you can always make a play. Rare cards often work best as complements, not the entire strategy. A good rule for new deck-builders is to start with a core of reliable cards (many of which will be common rarity), then sprinkle in a few rares to elevate the deck’s power ceiling.
• Cost and Accessibility: Practically speaking, if you’re new, you might not have a lot of high-rarity cards yet. The good news is you can absolutely compete with a primarily common deck. The game gives you “training” cards and rotating weekly cards to use even before you collect many of your own. Focus on learning positioning and combos with those – you might be surprised that a clever strategy with commons can beat a misplayed deck of legendaries. As you earn or open new rare cards, slot them in and test how they perform, but always keep an eye on how they affect your overall deck balance.

Elemental Synergy in Deck Building

In a game so defined by elements, your deck’s element composition is crucial. You could take a mono-element approach – for instance, an all Fire deck – which means you’ll consistently get the advantage against two elements (i.e. Light and Life) but consistently suffer against two others (Earth and Water, in Fire’s case). More commonly, successful decks in Cross the Ages include a mix of elements to cover each other’s weaknesses and to enable affinity/trinity formation. In fact, the official recommendation is to include cards of different elements to give yourself a variety of options in matches.

When building your deck, consider the following elemental strategies:

• Affinity Pairs: If you have favourite combos, try to include at least those pairs of elements in your deck. For example, if you love the synergy between Air and Light (just as an example affinity), make sure to include a few cards of each so that in a match, the odds of drawing both and placing them together are high. There’s no use having a potential combo if you only put one card of one element – you’d never realize the combo. Redundancy helps; include multiple of an element if it’s critical to your plan.
• Trinity Trios: Similarly, if you plan to shoot for a Trinity combo (three specific elements), your deck should be built around that. Say the Trinity you want is Earth-Darkness-Water (again, for example) – load your deck with a healthy number of Earth, Darkness, and Water cards. A balanced deck might have 2-3 elements it primarily focuses on which are trinity-linked, plus a splash of others for flexibility. Remember: you can only have 30 cards, which usually isn’t enough to evenly cover all 7 elements. It’s okay (even strategic) to not include every element. Specialize in a set of synergistic elements rather than trying to be a master of all.
• Counter-Tech: Some decks include a “tech” card of a certain element purely to counter a popular strategy. For instance, if a lot of opponents are running Light-heavy decks, you might include an extra Darkness card (since Darkness has advantage over Light) to have a solid counter ready. Think of these as insurance policies – they might not be core to your strategy, but when you face that specific matchup, you’ll be glad you packed them.
• Field Card Elements: Don’t forget your field cards have elements too. A field card of a given element will often boost that element or set the board’s element to it, so it synergizes best if you also run creatures of that same element. For example, running a “Water Field” card in a deck that has no Water creatures makes little sense. Align your fields with your overall element strategy. If you have a multi-element deck, you might include a field for each main element in your deck to ensure you can empower any of your troops when needed.

Constructing a Cohesive Strategy

When picking the 30 cards, always ask: How will my deck win? Is it by overwhelming the board with moderate units and steadily outscoring the opponent? Is it by forming a quick Trinity and racking up points? Or perhaps by playing defensively, then turning the tables with one huge chain-capture turn? Your deck should be built to execute that game plan.

Some broad archetypes emerging in Cross The Ages gameplay include:

• Aggro Capture Decks: These decks use mostly medium-to-high power cards of a couple of elements that have clear advantage over common opposing elements. They aim to capture enemy cards as quickly as possible, even at the cost of exposing themselves to counter-captures. If you go this route, load up on power and advantage – e.g., Fire and Air might give aggressive coverage. Pick a leader ability that helps attacking. Commons with decent power are absolutely fine here because you want to keep playing threats every turn.
• Combo/ Trinity Decks: Here the idea is to set up affinities and trinities for exponential gains. You might include cards specifically because they have synergy, like slightly weaker cards that gain huge buffs when paired. For example, maybe there’s a common card that is low power on its own but becomes monstrous when next to a certain other card – that could be worth including for a combo deck. This strategy might include more field cards too, to ensure your combos stay protected (e.g., a field that shields an element could keep your combo pieces safe). A mix of rarities works; just ensure the pieces interact beneficially.
• Control and Counter: A control-oriented deck might use a wider array of elements and focus on denying the opponent points. Such a deck might not rush for early captures, instead playing in spots that are hard for the opponent to reach (like corners or edges) to establish a presence, then reacting to the opponent’s moves. High-chain cards (often rares) fit here – you lie in wait and then strike to flip multiple cards later in the game. If you have field cards that reduce enemy power or alter their elements to disadvantage them, those are great for control decks. In terms of deck building, control decks tend to include answers: one or two cards tailored to break affinities, a card that can quickly remove a high-power enemy, etc. This means a more diverse set of elements and card effects. Just watch your total power; you still need enough strength to actually win captures when the time comes.

Deck Building Tips and Traps

• Stay Under 15,000 Power: It sounds obvious, but double-check your deck power total. If you’re at 15,100, you’ll have to cut something. Don’t try to cheat it – the game won’t let you play if you’re over the limit. It’s often better to be a few points under to give yourself breathing room if you swap in a slightly stronger card later.
• Maintain a Smooth Curve: Ensure you have a range of power values. If all your top cards are super high power, you might struggle to play efficiently (you could end up with a hand of cards that are overkill in many situations). If all are very low, you might not be able to capture when needed. A mix allows you to choose the right tool at the right time.
• Don’t Overload on One Element: Unless you have a clear mono-element strategy, avoid putting, say, 20 Fire cards in your deck. You’ll become too predictable and easily countered by Water in this case. Plus, you’ll miss out on affinities – since affinities require two different but linked elements, too much of one type means fewer combo opportunities.
• Include at Least 2-3 Field Cards: New players sometimes run none, focusing only on creatures. But field cards can be game-changers. Even a common field that boosts your favourite element can set up captures that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. And with no turn-ending drawback​, it’s essentially free value.
• Use Commons to Fill Gaps: If you have 12,600 power spent on your core 25 cards, you have 2,400 left for the last 5 cards – that’s an average of 480 per card. This is where commons shine. Don’t worry that these last cards seem “weak” – they serve an important role as cheap deploys, affinity linkers, or simply extra captures for points. Many a game is won because a lowly 450-power card snuck in a capture for 2 points that pushed the player to victory.
• Revise After Real Matches: After a few games with your deck, identify the dead weight. If you consistently never play a card, consider replacing it. Maybe that rare card’s ability sounded good on paper but never found a right moment – swap it for something more generally useful. Your deck should be a living project.

With a solid deck in hand, you’re ready to take on opponents. But winning also requires smart in-game decisions. In our next installment, we’ll explore tactical positioning and board control – the art of outmaneuvering your opponent on the 4×4 battlefield.