Pyke
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Good (6.5/10)
High Investment Required
Epic Relics
Pyke is a high-risk, high-reward champion whose effectiveness is heavily gated behind deep constellation investment. While he offers an incredibly satisfying board-clear loop, he is often viewed as an 'investment sink' because he requires significant resources to achieve consistency that other champions possess at base levels. At full power, he is a premier aggressive choice, but the path to get there is more demanding than most of the roster.
The Aggro Swarm (Optimal C6)
Critical for providing Overwhelm to the entire Lurker board, ensuring that massive stat growth translates into direct Nexus damage.
Synergizes with the naturally bloated deck sizes required for drafting Lurker units, providing a massive global stat aura to the board.
Protects key units from removal, forcing the AI to engage in combat trades where Pyke's superior stats can dominate.
Strategy
At maximum investment, the objective shifts away from playing the Pyke champion card and toward overwhelming the board with free-summoned followers. This build focuses on passive global buffs that reward high-unit drafting and wide boards. Use early attacks to scale and allow the automated summons from the 6-star power to finish the game.
The Board Wipe (Standard/Mid-Investment)
Enables Pyke to strike on summon, contributing to his level-up condition and allowing him to begin his board-clearing chain immediately.
Increases the density of Pyke cards in the deck, which improves the probability of triggering a Lurk proc with his specific champion effects.- Provides the necessary keyword coverage to ensure Pyke and his summoned followers can end games before the opponent can outscale.
Strategy
This strategy centers on Pyke's ability to chain-kill the enemy board. Focus on using spells and specific units to guarantee Pyke is on top of the deck before an attack. Once leveled, Pyke acts as a reset button for the opponent's development.
Other Relic Options
Provides Challenger and shuffles 'Death from Below' into the deck. Useful for pre-C6 consistency, though often replaced by passive auras at higher star levels.
Offers extra rerolls to assist in drafting a pure Lurker/Unit deck, which is vital for maintaining high Lurk trigger rates.
A niche choice for speedrunning, used specifically to tutor 'Snapjaw Swarm' to the hand for immediate off-turn attack pressure.
Pyke's specific 'Deadly Harpoon' relic is often considered a secondary choice compared to global power relics once the 6-star power is unlocked. Passive buffs that affect the whole board generally outperform relics that only enhance the Pyke champion card itself.
Constellation
Pyke has one of the most polarizing constellations in the game. His power is heavily back-loaded, with the first three stars often feeling incomplete. Significant investment into the minor nodes—specifically those that grant the Lurker subtype to followers and support champions—is mandatory for a fluid experience.
Abyssal Might
Lurking grants an extra +0|+1.
Phantom Haul
+1 Starting Mana. Round Start: If you have the attack token, summon an ephemeral Sharkling.
Abyssal Might II
Lurking grants an extra +1|+1.
Lie in Wait
Allies everywhere that cost 3 or less are Lurkers and have Lurk.Review
The definitive turning point for the champion. This power provides the baseline consistency required to make drafting viable, as it ensures that the majority of units found during an adventure will contribute to stat growth rather than diluting the deck.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.
Death From Everywhere
Your spells everywhere have Lurk. When a card Lurks, if it's a follower, summon it attacking; otherwise, draw it.Review
Transforms the playstyle by automating the summoning process. By allowing spells to trigger Lurk and immediately summoning units that are lurked, this power effectively eliminates the need to actually play the Pyke champion card, turning the deck into a self-piloting aggressive engine.
Gameplay Tips
- Aggressive Drafting and Cutting
To maintain maximum consistency, prioritize removing every non-Lurker spell from the starting deck as early as possible. Before reaching the 6-star power, every spell in the deck represents a significant risk of failing to proc Lurk, which can stall your momentum entirely.
- Managing Attack Priority at C6
When utilizing the 6-star power, ensure you play 'Bloodbait' after your attack has concluded rather than before. This prevents the spell from consuming the free-summon effect on a less impactful unit and ensures your next turn start is optimized.
- Leveraging Barrier Synergies
Minor constellation nodes that grant Barrier to 'Snapjaw Swarm' and other tokens are critical defensive tools. These allow for 'free' attacks that trigger Lurk procs without risking your board presence, enabling Pyke to scale his stats safely even against high-attack enemies.
- Piloting the Support Package
Unless you have the specific constellation upgrade that grants support champions the Lurker subtype, prioritize drafting support champions with the lowest possible mana costs. This minimizes their impact on your hand and allows you to focus resources on your core Lurker units.
- Combat-Based Leveling
Pyke levels up based on damage dealt by Pyke allies. Using relics like Stalker's Blade allows Pyke to strike on summon, which counts toward this total and can often trigger his level-up mid-combat, immediately enabling his board-clearing passive.