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Get tips and strategies from two of the ESO community’s top Tales of Tribute players.
We are thrilled to be joined by two of the #ESOFam’s most talented and accomplished Tales of Tribute players, JHart Ellis and PinkApple. Consistently ranked in the top 10 in both the PC NA and EU leaderboards AND the two finalists for the player-run Tales of Tribute World Cup (hosted by Iffy), we reached out to both players to get their thoughts on Tales of Tribute, its future, and their top strategies and tips.
You have both clearly invested a lot of time into Tales of Tribute since High Isle’s launch. What is it about the card game that has captivated you so?
Jhart: Tribute has a fantastic mix of strategy and surprises. Adapting to what flops out on the Tavern and quickly figuring out potential moves keeps your brain engaged, especially given the huge variety of potential Patron selections.
Pink Apple: I really love how vastly different each Tales of Tribute match can play out and end up. Some games are a neck and neck race to 40 Prestige, while I've seen others where both players still have zero Prestige by turn ten! You truly never know how things might play out when you start a match.
How has your impression of ToT changed since its initial announcement and release?
Jhart: I was originally skeptical it would even be playable or that it would be too much like other games. After discovering how it works, it’s remarkably refreshing and unique, and it is by far my favorite card game.
Pink Apple: I don't think I really expected as much complexity and room for strategy as Tales of Tribute actually has. There is so much more to the game than meets the eye, and I am still picking up on new tactics every day.
How has the PvP meta changed since High Isle’s launch in June?
Jhart: There’s definitely a lot more variety of selected decks and upgraded cards in use now. People are making fewer clearly obvious errors and being pickier about which cards they buy from the Tavern.
Pink Apple: I feel like the meta has seen a shift from favoring some of the slower-playing control decks, whose power ramps up over time, to rushing toward 40 Prestige using powerful faster-playing decks like Ansei or Pelin.
What are the key differences between a highly ranked ToT player and a more casual one?
Jhart: Casual play is great–you can just focus on your own deck and try to hit super wombo combo draw-the-whole deck plays. Ranked play is much more focused on being very aware of what your opponent is likely to do and countering that.
Pink Apple: I think that the most competitive players are constantly gauging not only what they want to be doing two-to-three turns from now, but what their opponent wants to be doing during those same turns. The top players have more of a big-picture mentality, whereas a more casual player might be more focused on playing turn by turn.
What is one big mistake you see a lot of new ToT players make early?
Jhart: A lot of players seem to just buy about whatever they can afford, exposing great cards for me to grab the next turn.
Pink Apple: A lot of new players tend to put too much priority on power generation in the early game, which is usually the best time to focus on your economy and improve the quality of your deck. Contract cards like Blackmail or Imprisonment instantly grant you power on purchase, which can be great when you are nearing that 40 prestige or need to kill an enemy agent but do nothing to improve your deck.
Do you have any tips for new ToT players looking to test the Ranked PvP waters?
Jhart: Hop in! Try to predict what your opponent will do and then see if what they actually do ends up benefiting them in the long run.
Pink Apple: My biggest piece of advice is don't be afraid to lose! I still lose ranked matches every day, and it’s through these experiences I see most of my improvement. In the end, the biggest win is becoming a better player.
What combos do you love to draw, or hate to see your opponent draw?
Jhart: Crow combos (Editor’s Note: using cards from the Duke of Crows patron) can be very fun when you have more drawing power than cards in your deck–I call that “critical crow,” and it usually means you’re about to win. Any combo is worth celebrating though since they can be difficult to line up.
Pink Apple: I love that moment when I manage to combo two or more Dreaming Caves together, as it can result in nearly complete control over your deck and draw. As for my opponents, as soon as I see those early turn Duke of Crows combos start flying by, I know that I'm going to be in for a tough match!
Do you have a favorite patron or strategy?
Jhart: Hlaalu is a solid choice. By focusing on cards that acquire additional cards, you can add a lot of weight to your deck that you can start sacrificing with the patron ability when the time is right. It’s risky sacrificing your best cards, but it can be a nice path to 40 Prestige.
Pink Apple: My favorite strategy involves using the Duke of Crows and Red Eagle patrons together. During the early game, I focus on removing as many cards as possible from my deck, even to the point where I will only have four or five cards left to play! At this point, I look to add some strong Crow cards, which are essentially guaranteed to combo every hand I play due to my condensed deck size.
What do you think about the balance changes coming with Update 35?
Jhart: They aren’t crazy changes and should have positive impacts. By making The Armory cost 1 more coin, it takes a lot of the RNG out of the first couple turns, and that should make things a bit more strategic.
Pink Apple: I think Update 35 brings some great changes to the game while addressing a lot of the community's balance concerns. I expect to see these adjustments shake things up a bit for the competitive meta and anticipate a healthy increase in players drafting the Rajhin and Loremaster Celarus decks. I was a bit surprised to see early-game economy powerhouse cards like Luxury Exports and Grand Larceny go without adjustments but am curious to see what impact changes to the other cards will have on them!
Where can folks find your Tales of Tribute content?
Jhart: I’m often streaming Tribute at twitch.tv/jhartellis, and I have additional ESO content at spicyeconomics.com.
Pink Apple: I have a Tales of Tribute-focused Youtube channel which you can find here: PinkAppleYT - YouTube and you can look forward to more Tribute content coming from me on other platforms soon!
Thank you to Pink Apple and Jhart for taking the time to share their tips and strategies with the rest of the ESO Community. If you want to learn more about how to play ToT at the highest level, be sure to check out both their channels. You never know, maybe you’ll face them across the Tribute board yourself someday! Have you given ranked Tales of Tribute a go? Do you have any additional tips for your fellow players? Share your knowledge with us and the rest of the #ESOFam via Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle is now live for PC/Mac and Stadia*, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
*Available only in limited territories.
