Deck
More actions
This article needs verification. (Specific reason: In the current client, confirm whether deck building still requires a trainer unlock; the exact rune-copy and deck-size limits; slug behavior; the Combat Decks window name and default key; Utility Bar unlock conditions; linked-equipment restrictions; and the Focus, delay, and equipment rules for swapping decks during combat.)
Help verify this page. You do not need to edit anything.
See the talk page for details.
A deck is a saved combat setup that determines which active skills, spells, and eligible consumables can appear on the Combat Bar. It can also remember a Combat Bar layout and link equipment to the setup. New characters begin with a usable arrangement, so deck building can be learned gradually rather than at sword point.
The game renamed combat cards from glyphs to runes in Release 154. Older instructions and established SotAwiki page titles still use glyph; on this page, rune means the current combat-card interface unless historical wording is being discussed.[1]
Opening and creating a deck
The official Player Instructions describe Y as the default key for the Combat Decks window, although personal bindings can differ. After opening the window, create or select a deck, add learned active skills from the available-rune list, arrange the Combat Bar, and equip the finished deck.[2]
Innate skills are passive and do not occupy deck space. A rune must represent a learned active skill or another eligible action or item before it can be used from the bar.
Locked and unlocked runes
Decks can use locked slots, unlocked slots, or a mixture of both:
| Arrangement | Behavior | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Locked | One chosen rune stays assigned to a particular slot and returns there after its cooldown. | Actions that should always be in the same place |
| Unlocked | Copies are dealt from the deck into eligible open slots, where they remain temporarily until used, combined, discarded, or expired. | Dynamic reuse, stacking, and combos |
| Mixed | Some slots stay fixed while other slots draw from the deck. | Keeping essential actions predictable while retaining dynamic options |
Matching unlocked runes can be stacked for a stronger or more efficient activation where supported. Compatible different runes can form combo runes. Locked runes trade those dynamic behaviors for dependable placement.[2]
Slot assignment
An unlocked rune can be associated with one or more preferred Combat Bar slots. When it is dealt, the interface tries a preferred open slot before another eligible position. Multiple rune types can prefer the same position, allowing a player to keep a family of actions—such as healing—under one familiar key without locking that slot to a single skill.[2]
Preferred assignment is not the same as locking. A locked rune permanently occupies its chosen slot between uses; an assigned unlocked rune is still drawn dynamically.
Equipment and swapping
The deck interface can associate equipment with a deck so selecting the setup also equips its saved weapon and armor arrangement, provided those items remain available. This is useful when changing between melee, ranged, magic, or specialized resistance setups.[2]
Decks must be equipped before use. They can be created and edited outside combat. The current exact restrictions, delay, Focus cost, and equipment behavior when swapping during combat remain part of this page's verification request; follow the client warning and deck-window controls when they differ from older instructions.
Building a dependable deck
- Lock emergency, movement, or frequently targeted actions when predictable placement matters more than dynamic reuse.
- Use unlocked slots for skills intended to stack or combine.
- Avoid filling a deck with so many unrelated runes that its important actions rarely appear.
- Test resource use as well as damage. A deck that empties Focus early may perform poorly over a long encounter.
- Check weapon, armor, reagent, target, and range requirements before blaming the deck when a rune cannot activate.
- Save distinct equipment links only when changing decks should also change worn gear.
These are planning principles rather than a universal build. Deck Examples is reserved for practical configurations once its current-interface verification is complete.
The Combat Bar is the in-combat row controlled by the equipped deck. The separate Utility Bar holds eligible non-combat skills and items and remains available outside combat. Glyph and Combat Glyph explain the historical names retained by existing wiki pages; the current interface calls those combat cards runes.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Catnip Games, “Combat cards are called runes everywhere”, September 27, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Shroud of the Avatar Player Instructions, Decks and Deck Building section; retrieved November 1, 2026.