Relay Rivals crew guide: build the best six-card crew
Your crew is the six cards you take into battle. A good crew has a tough robot in front, a robot that shoots from far away, an answer to groups, an answer to flying robots and a cheap card or two. Start with the Balanced crew idea, then swap one card at a time to fit the rival you face.
How to change your crew
- Choose Build your crew on the title card, or in a battle briefing.
- At the top you see YOUR SIX CARDS, in Slot 1 to Slot 6. Choose a slot.
- Below you see ALL 12 CARDS. Choose the card you want in that slot.
- If that card is already in your crew, the two cards swap places.
Your crew is saved by itself. You can also choose one of the three Crew ideas to fill all six slots at once. Slot 1 is card key 1 in battle, slot 2 is key 2, and so on, so the order matters if you play with a keyboard.
When you come from a briefing, the button at the top says Review battle plan and takes you back to it.
The three crew ideas
| Crew idea | Cards | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Balanced | Boltling pair, Shield Cart, Rivet Ranger, Broom Bot, Anchor Pad, Pulse Net | Every battle. This is also the crew you start with |
| Fast pressure | Boltling pair, Rivet Ranger, Spring Jumper, Kite Drone, Pop Rocket, Pulse Net | Fast attacks and quick wins |
| Heavy support | Shield Cart, Rivet Ranger, Anchor Pad, Drill Walker, Repair Beetle, Decoy Beacon | Slow, strong pushes against rivals that defend |
The campaign's own tips often say "Try the Balanced crew". It has a tank, a shooter, a sweeper, a defender that hits flyers and two cheap cards. Its total cost is 17 charge.
What a good crew needs
| Job | Cards that do it |
|---|---|
| A tough robot in front | Shield Cart, Drill Walker |
| A robot that shoots from far | Rivet Ranger, Kite Drone |
| An answer to groups | Broom Bot, Pop Rocket |
| An answer to flying robots | Rivet Ranger, Anchor Pad, Kite Drone, Pop Rocket |
| A cheap card to fill gaps | Boltling pair, Pulse Net, Decoy Beacon |
| A way to break the turret fast | Drill Walker |
The crew room gives you a hint too: "Try a tough robot, a ranged robot and an answer to groups." If you have no Rivet Ranger, Anchor Pad or Kite Drone, it says: "Bring a Ranger, Anchor Pad or Drone to stop flying rivals."
Count your charge
You gain one charge per second, and you can hold ten. A crew full of 4- and 5-cost cards is strong, but slow to play. A crew full of 2-cost cards is quick, but fragile. Most good crews have at least two cards that cost 2 or 3.
| Cost | Cards |
|---|---|
| 2 | Boltling pair, Pulse Net, Decoy Beacon |
| 3 | Rivet Ranger, Broom Bot, Anchor Pad, Spring Jumper, Repair Beetle |
| 4 | Shield Cart, Kite Drone, Pop Rocket |
| 5 | Drill Walker |
Crews for each kind of rival
Look at the rival crew in the briefing before you start. Then change one or two cards.
| The rival brings | Add to your crew |
|---|---|
| Boltling pairs | Broom Bot |
| Kite Drones | Rivet Ranger and Anchor Pad (or your own Kite Drone) |
| Repair Beetles | Rivet Ranger, to hit the beetles from far away |
| Pop Rockets | Cheap cards, so you can spread out over two lanes |
| Drill Walkers | Anchor Pad near your turret, plus Rangers |
| Decoy Beacons | A spare Rivet Ranger to clear them |
| Shield Carts | Drill Walker, or Pulse Net to hold them back |
Each rival also has a style. A Signal keeper fights for the relay, a Lane sprinter rushes the side lanes and a Workshop warden defends. See rival styles for crews against each style.
Sample crews to try
These are ideas, not rules. Try them in a practice battle first.
| Crew | Cards | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Relay grabber | Boltling pair, Shield Cart, Rivet Ranger, Broom Bot, Anchor Pad, Kite Drone | Take the middle early with Boltlings, then push from the forward pad |
| Turret breaker | Shield Cart, Rivet Ranger, Drill Walker, Repair Beetle, Boltling pair, Anchor Pad | Shield Cart and Drill Walker walk together, the beetle repairs them, the Ranger covers |
| Flyer stopper | Rivet Ranger, Anchor Pad, Kite Drone, Shield Cart, Broom Bot, Boltling pair | Three answers to flyers for battles in Sky Garden |
Which crew is used where?
| Mode | Crew |
|---|---|
| Campaign battles | Your saved crew |
| Practice battles | Your saved crew |
| Learn by playing | The Balanced crew, always |
| Daily relay | A set crew for the day. You cannot change it |
