Steampunk Hold Deck
“Every turn you survive, the clock ticks further in your favor.”
Steampunk Hold Strategy
Clock is a patient value deck that wins by outlasting the opponent. Growing units get permanently tougher every turn they live, Countdown creatures like Sparkwright deliver a delayed burst of damage and cards, and Reap punishes trades by drawing you extra resources whenever a unit dies nearby.
How the Deck Plays
Think a turn or two ahead — track your Countdown timers and hold up defensive plays like Temporal Ward rather than racing.
- Early game: Trade defensively and get a Growing unit down as soon as possible so it starts accumulating stats.
- Mid game: Protect your Countdown units and Growing threats from removal; use Reap-triggering trades to keep your hand full.
- Late game: Let Countdown payoffs like Sparkwright's delayed burn swing the game, then close with an oversized Growing finisher such as Boiler King.
Key Mechanics
Steampunk Hold is built around 3 core keywords:
- GROWING
- COUNTDOWN
- REAP
Countdown cards don't do anything the turn you play them — they trigger automatically a set number of your turns later, so plan around the payoff instead of expecting it immediately.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Exceptional at winning long, grindy games
- Countdown and Growing generate value with zero further investment
- Reap turns even losing a trade into card advantage
Weaknesses
- Slow starts can lose to dedicated aggro before the plan comes online
- Countdown effects can be disrupted by removing the unit first
- Needs patience — misplays from racing tend to backfire
Recommended Strategy
Survive the early exchanges with efficient blockers, let your Growing and Countdown effects build up, then close with the value you've stockpiled.
Win condition: Grind through the midgame until Countdown payoffs and oversized Growing threats like Boiler King simply outsize whatever the opponent has left.