The Forged is a Logic/Fire deck focused on structures that appear explosively throughout the battlefield. It excels at quickly building numerous structures near the summoner, creating an "explosive presence." However, once established, these structures struggle to move swiftly, relying on various strategic tricks to compensate for their immobility.
The Forged has two very distinct strategies: one offensive and one defensive. When it wants to attack, it can push its summoner forward and quickly approach the other summoner, building structures along the path with the goal of reaching the opponent's summoner and building several units close by to apply heavy pressure.
But The Forged can also play an almost opposite strategy. When building units, the summoner can deal a lot of damage and use that as defense while poking the opponent with ranged units. It has a few structures and tricks to win the ranged war. In addition, it can use the power of logic to build units with several upgrades that can provide an economic advantage.
These two opposite strategies must be used by The Forged depending on the matchup. In some cases, the aggressive strategy is stronger; in others, a defensive approach is necessary.
In either case, despite the high structure composition of the faction, much of its power comes from access to numerous movement and positional tricks.
The Inventor is an unconventional summoner. While a combat unit, it does not attack directly but instead builds structures that produce flames to damage other cards. This key ability is versatile - used offensively to clear a path and apply pressure or defensively to punish aggressive advances.
Offensively, the Inventor can move close to the opponent's summoner, building units next to them for significant damage each turn. If opponents attempt to block or move away, the Inventor can remove obstacles with damage-dealing structures and continue threatening the summoner. However, the Inventor’s low health makes it vulnerable to counterattacks if it advances too far without support.
Defensively, the Inventor can exploit loose formations by surrounding them with structures and inflicting heavy damage during the attack phase. Diving on the Inventor without a clear plan is often disastrous for opponents.
The Inventor's "Forged in Flames" ability also provides significant damage output for The Forged. Positioned close to the battlefield, this ability helps win attrition battles by adding 2 to 3 damage per turn. Only the most economically resilient factions can withstand this consistent damage. Most opponents will attempt to either prevent the Inventor from utilizing this ability or punish it for being too close. A key objective is to keep the Inventor near the battlefield but safe. One of The Forged's major weaknesses is if the Inventor becomes too wounded, rendering the "Forged in Flames" ability unusable, which significantly hinders its ability to win long-term attrition wars.
The Ember Cog serves as both a tank and a versatile tool. Its diagonal attack provides multiple avenues of offense, making it hard for opponents to create effective blocks or gates. With solid health and consistent damage, it’s generally the safest unit to summon. Combined with the Inventor, its diagonal attack allows for significant pressure on the opponent's summoner. Opponents must maintain perfect horizontal placement to stop it, but The Forged is adept at breaking through defenses to create new opportunities.
The Blastforge Cog is the melee powerhouse of The Forged, posing the biggest common threat. In tandem with the Inventor’s diagonal builds and Forged in Flames, it effectively deals 4 damage - enough to eliminate most common units. It’s also crucial for punishing defensive strategies, as Shockwave triggers can disrupt block formations. Keep Blastforge Cogs ready to shatter these defenses, but be aware that Shockwave affects your own units as well.
The Mag Cog is a versatile unit for poking and assassination. Offensively, it excels in reaching distant targets with its ability for double attacks on a flank. On defense, its hit-and-hide capability forces opponents to play aggressively. While it has weak damage, its ability often ensures at least two attacks before it’s taken out. In fast-paced attrition battles, it may be best reserved for targeting summoners or finishing low-health units.
The Sentry Cog is a unique unit that cannot move, making it risky to build unless you ensure it cannot be easily ignored. If opponents are forced to spend resources to counter it, the Sentry Cog becomes extremely efficient, delivering free damage every turn. Its Preemptive Fire ability deals damage in all directions, adding up quickly, especially given its 3 life for just 1 cost. You should build a Sentry Cog whenever you can ensure the opponent cannot simply bypass it.
The Workshop is The Forged's epic event - a powerful structure that adds +1 to all adjacent units, including the summoner. This bonus accumulates over time, and multiple Workshops can even stack, making its forces formidable. Typically, opponents are forced to either move away or destroy the Workshop to counter its influence.
The Workshop embodies The Forged’s strategy: if the opponent fights on its terms, The Forged will prevail. However, if they can evade its structures, The Forged will struggle. Building Workshops is crucial, but only when you can force the opponent to fight near it and protect it from easy destruction. If a Workshop adds +1 to two units in a turn and the opponent spends 3 damage to destroy it, it has already paid off. While setting up is important, don't hesitate to use it in suboptimal situations if needed.
The Barricade serves as the Inventor’s shield. The Inventor often moves towards the action, but with only 10 life and no inherent defenses, it relies on other units for protection. The Barricade allows the Inventor to advance, attack, and immediately build a defensive structure.
This is especially valuable during an opponent’s counterattack. After removing an enemy unit, covering that spot with a Barricade provides crucial defense - an established powerful tactic in Summoner Wars. However, since the Barricade cannot move, ensure it doesn’t obstruct the Inventor's path on the following turn.
The Forge’s biggest trick is the Modular Upgrade, despite its apparent subtlety. It allows for many creative plays. One key advantage is turning gates into vulnerable spots for opponents: any gate can be swapped with a unit, and vice versa. After a unit attacks, you can swap it with a gate, protecting it from a counterattack.
Modular Upgrade allows for double attacks on a single flank, helps reposition gates strategically, and makes Sentry Cogs harder to ignore. It can also reposition Workshops to support more units in a turn. Overall, Modular Upgrade is full of small but impactful tricks and is almost always worth its cost.
Coolant is a simpler event, but it is almost always worthwhile. It grants a structure +1 life, and even preventing just 1 damage is useful - particularly for units like Ember Cog, Blastforge Cog, and champions. Coolant's impact may not be game-changing, so if you need magic, don’t hesitate to discard it. However, if you don’t need magic, it’s usually safe to play it on a unit you plan to move that turn. There are additional small benefits, such as preventing engagement damage, but generally, it is a reliable, low-risk event.
Sprocket may be the most summoned champion despite its 5-cost price, for one reason - it fits perfectly with The Forge's aggressive plan. The Inventor wants to chase the opponent’s summoner when played aggressively and apply a lot of pressure. Once the opponent’s summoner's health is low, Sprocket is the perfect assassin. You can summon this champion with your summoner and immediately force it toward its target for the perfect kill. This is The Forge’s final threat. Even when not summoned by the Inventor or in other turns, its ability to move and then force gives it great mobility, making it an excellent assassin, especially when combined with The Forge’s many tricks. If the job isn’t assassination, then other cards are generally a better use of The Forge's magic.
While Sprocket is designed for assassination, Hellmaw focuses on economic strength. As an economy-based champion, Hellmaw allows The Forged to excel in attrition battles. The ability to recycle cards is incredibly valuable. The ideal play involves using a low-health unit or structure, attacking with it, and then using Smelt Down to deny the opponent magic while returning the unit to your deck. Additionally, this opens up space for other units to attack, especially ranged units. Hellmaw is best in slow-paced games, where recycling damaged structures can provide a significant advantage.
Although most factions make frequent use of cheap champions, The Forge is an exception. Its synergy is so strong that even spending 3 magic on a champion like Titan can be hard to justify. Unlike other 3-cost champions, Titan’s timing is often tricky. Its ability is powerful, but its stats are underwhelming, and it has a significant drawback. If you can activate its ability every turn, it can be valuable- allowing you to optimize the use of Workshops, Sentry Cogs, and perform clever unit maneuvers. However, since Titan's ability only affects adjacent units, positioning can be challenging. Unless you have a specific plan for Titan, it’s often better to invest in Ember Cogs and Blastforge Cogs instead.
The Forged is an unusual and versatile deck. Despite its focus on static structures, it is a highly complex faction with numerous tricks and strategic options. It is ideal for players who enjoy a slow, methodical playstyle with a variety of tools, but not for those seeking a straightforward experience.
Depending on the match, The Forged can be played either with extreme aggression, almost recklessly, or with a more deliberate, calculated approach. Regardless of the strategy, it always creates a complex machine with many intricate moving parts. Despite this elaborate setup, the Inventor remains a central component - though in an unconventional way. Its low health and lack of innate defensive tools make it challenging to keep alive, but the Inventor’s abilities are among the strongest in the game, often feeling almost unfair despite its vulnerabilities.
This faction isn’t suited for players looking for a purely aggressive or defensive, economic approach. Instead, The Forged offers a complex, varied, and intricate experience.
Deciding what "machine" to build and how to construct it across the map are critical strategic decisions that must be made early in the match. After that, it’s about executing the tactical plays and utilizing the numerous tricks that The Forged demands.
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