Claws Of Power Best starter deck
Chapter 1 six on one bar — the board the roster post actually taught, plus Jack Fusion.
There is no official five-slot loadout screen in the patch notes. “Deck” means the cats you bring and the order you spend dried fish. This starter board uses only Chapter 1 names plus the fusion item. It is the practical twin of Best cats for beginners.
The bar
- Blue Fatty — first fish that is not a panic Jack. He is the wall A Qiang hides behind.
- Bacon Jack × N — fill the lane in a wave, not a drip. You are building fusion fuel and a cheap second body.
- A Qiang — once Fatty exists. Never first.
- Xiao Fu — as soon as he unlocks. He is the knockback that stops the enemy Fatty-equivalent from walking in.
- Wu Ji or Big Ju — stun if something must be interrupted; Ju if the fight is a grind and you need eat-heal.
- Jack Fusion Device on the item bar — cash the Jacks when three or more are alive. Guide: Jack Fusion Device.
That is not a 4-2-1-1 riddle. It is tank, swarm, carry, shove, answer, button.
How to spend the first two minutes of a fight
Hold. Let fish build. Send Fatty + two Jacks + A Qiang together. If they win the first clash, send Xiao Fu to shove the leftover heavy. If they lose, you spent too far forward — read Getting Started again instead of swapping the whole bar.
Garrison Whistle (Shop unlock, August 26) is the first item to add after fusion. Freeze wounded Fatty/Ju so the next wave lands on them. Charge Horn is optional and easy to misuse. Clockwork Mouse is for when they are already on your doorstep.
First gear, not a legendary forge
- HP/ATK on Jacks if you plan to fuse (developer example).
- Extra slot on Xiaofu and Big Orange after August 23 — put the next piece there.
- Clone Shovel from Stage 7 on whoever actually lands hits (Xiao Fu, fused Hero, later Solo).
- Midas Touch can wait until Hard Mode. It does not clear Chapter 1 faster than a living Fatty.
What this board is not
It is not a hidden-companion requirement. Cook is a Chapter 1 bonus if you find the corner. It is not Masashi/Chi Wulang — those are mid-campaign greed. It is not “four melee tanks, two ranged, one support, one flex.” That sentence was old-wiki filler.
When Solo or White drops, Solo replaces A Qiang on clump maps; White sits behind a melee-heavy version of this bar. Xuebao’s −1 cost is a fish-curve upgrade, not a reason to delete Fatty.
Practice target
Play this board through the rearranged Chapters 1–2, pick up Clone Shovel at 7, find Cook’s corner, and stop to read How to Beat Level 30 when the trickle stops working. Then open S-tier cats before you chase Chi Wulang gear.
Use the Deck Builder only to remember names. It will not simulate knockback or fusion scaling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fast answers to the questions players ask most.
Is this an official starter deck?
No. It is the Chapter 1 six arranged using the developer’s own role copy and the Jack Fusion post.
How many Jacks should I fuse?
As many as are alive. HP and attack scale with sacrifices. One Jack is a bad fusion.
Do I need hidden cats for a starter board?
No. Cook is a bonus from a Chapter 1 secret. Jimmy and Spring Roll are map hunts.
When do I add Midas Touch?
After the campaign, in Hard Mode, where gold is the point. It is not a Chapter 1 clear tool.