Monster Train 2 Beginner Guide: Win Your First Run

This guide walks you through your first successful run in Monster Train 2. You’ll learn how to pick a clan, build a focused deck, upgrade your champion, and manage your pyre health so you can reach and defeat the final boss. No prior experience with the first game is needed—just a willingness to learn from each run.

What You’ll Need

• A copy of Monster Train 2 (any platform).
• Basic familiarity with card game concepts (cards, mana, units, spells).
• Patience—expect to lose a few runs before your first win.

Step-by-Step

1. Choose your starting clan combo. For beginners, pick Hellhorned (aggressive, straightforward) as your primary clan and Awoken (healing and buffs) as your secondary. This combo gives you strong attackers and ways to keep them alive. Avoid the more complex clans like Umbra or Stygian Guard until you understand the basics.
2. Understand the three floors. Your train has three floors where you place units and spells. Enemies climb from the bottom floor upward. Your goal is to kill them before they reach the top and damage your pyre. Place your main tank and damage dealers on the bottom floor to intercept enemies early, and keep a backup unit on the middle floor in case the bottom falls.
3. Pick your champion and upgrade them immediately. At the start of each run, you choose a champion (e.g., the Hellhorned Prince). After every boss fight (including the first one), you get to upgrade the champion. Always take an upgrade that increases their attack or health, or gives them a useful ability like multistrike (attacking multiple times). A strong champion can carry you through the early rings.
4. Build a focused deck—don’t add every card. After battles, you’re offered a choice of cards. Only take cards that fit your strategy. For a Hellhorned/Awoken run, look for units with high attack, spells that deal direct damage, and healing spells. Avoid taking cards that don’t help your win condition. Aim for a deck of about 20-25 cards by the end, not 40.
5. Prioritize unit upgrades over spells. In the first few rings, spend your gold on upgrading your main units (e.g., +attack, +health, or multistrike) rather than buying random cards. Upgraded units are more reliable than situational spells. You can also duplicate your best unit at certain events—do that if you have a strong tank or damage dealer.
6. Manage your pyre health carefully. You start with 100 pyre health. If it hits 0, you lose. Don’t be afraid to take some damage early, but avoid taking unnecessary damage. If a battle is going badly, consider sacrificing a unit to save pyre health—units can be revived, but pyre health cannot be restored easily (unless you find a specific relic).
7. Use spells at the right time. Spells can be played on any floor. Use direct damage spells to finish off a tough enemy that’s about to reach the top. Healing spells are best used on your tank before they die, not after. Buff spells (like +attack) are most effective when played on a unit that attacks multiple times.
8. Prepare for the Seraph boss. The final boss is Seraph, and it has two phases. In phase one, it deals heavy damage to your top floor. In phase two, it gains a new ability (varies by which Seraph you face). Before the final battle, make sure your units are upgraded, your deck has a mix of damage and healing, and you have at least one strong unit on each floor. Save your best spells for the boss.
9. Use the map to plan ahead. After each battle, you see a map with branching paths. Some nodes are battles, some are events, some are merchants. For a beginner, prioritize battles (to get more cards and upgrades) and merchants (to upgrade units). Avoid elite battles (marked with a skull) until you’re comfortable, as they are much harder.
10. Learn from every loss. When you die, review what went wrong. Did you lack healing? Did your units die too fast? Did you spread your upgrades too thin? Adjust your next run accordingly. The game’s meta-progression (unlocking new cards and relics) also makes you stronger over time, so even losses contribute to future wins.

Common Mistakes

• Adding too many cards. A bloated deck means you draw weak cards when you need strong ones. Be selective.
• Ignoring floor placement. Placing all your units on the top floor leaves the bottom undefended, letting enemies climb fast. Always have a presence on the bottom.
• Not upgrading your champion. Your champion is your strongest asset. Skipping upgrades makes them fall behind enemy scaling.
• Spending gold on random cards instead of upgrades. Upgrades are permanent and often more impactful than a single new card.
• Using spells too early. Playing a damage spell on a weak enemy when a stronger one is coming is a waste. Save spells for when they matter.

Tips

• Focus on one or two main damage dealers and protect them with tanks.
• Look for cards that grant “multistrike”—it doubles your damage output.
• Healing spells are great, but preventing damage with shields or killing enemies faster is often better.
• Don’t be afraid to skip a card reward if none fit your deck.
• Use the “rest” option at a fire (if available) to heal your pyre, but only if you’re low—it costs a turn.

Troubleshooting

• You keep dying on the third or fourth ring. This usually means your units are too weak. Spend gold on upgrades, and consider taking fewer cards to increase consistency.
• Your pyre is at 20 health by mid-game. You’re taking too much damage. Try to kill enemies faster or place a stronger tank on the bottom floor. Also, consider taking a healing spell.
• You can’t beat the final boss. Make sure you have a plan for both phases. Save your strongest spells and abilities for the second phase. If you have a unit with high health, put it on the top floor to soak damage.
• You feel like you have no good cards. Check your clan combination—some synergies are stronger than others. Also, use the “reroll” option at card rewards (if you have the currency) to see better options.
• You’re not sure which upgrade to pick. Generally, attack increases are better than health increases early on, because killing enemies faster prevents damage. Multistrike is almost always excellent.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long does a run take? A full run takes about 30-45 minutes, depending on how much you deliberate.
2. Can I change my clan combo mid-run? No, you choose at the start and stick with it. You can unlock more clans by playing.
3. What does “reform” mean? Some cards or relics can reform a dead unit, bringing it back to life with reduced stats. It’s useful for keeping your key units alive.
4. Is there a difference between the three Seraphs? Yes, each Seraph has a different second-phase ability. The game tells you which one you’ll face before the final battle, so you can prepare.
5. Should I always take the elite battle? No. Elite battles are harder and give better rewards, but if you’re low on health, skip them. Survival is more important.
6. How do I unlock more cards? You unlock new cards and relics by completing runs and earning experience. Losing still gives you some progress.

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