# Video: Strong Defend Teams
**URL:** https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141
**Category:** Community Content
**Created:** [May 21, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141 "2016-05-21T16:08:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tacet](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Tacet)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/1 "2016-05-21T16:08:38Z")
Hello everyone! Today I go over some defend builds to consider using for the start of version 2.0. The next update will make defend wins important to your overall weekly 15 to 1 rank as well as extra rewards on the global leaderboard. I will go over defend builds again a week or so after the 2.0 update to see what defend teams are returning the highest win rates at the top of the leaderboard. I would highly recommend consider incorporating Queen Mab or the 1st base mythic troop into your defend team soon after 2.0.
Also, redeem code. š Hopefully that will help with defending some too.
Feel free to comment other strong defend builds in the comments. I mostly just went over my favorites and ones that I have seen to be effective.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMHbpQNzUTQ)
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### Author:  [@TaliaParks](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TaliaParks)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/2 "2016-05-21T16:31:31Z")
Iām posting this before watching the video (canāt at the moment), but the single best performing Defense Team I have is;
Knight Coronet\*\*\*
Wolf Knight\*\*\*
Griffon Knight\*\*\*
Lance Knight\*\*\*
Swordās Edge Banner (Yellow/Blue)
It wins 80% of the time, and I wish I knew why.
EDIT: Iād like to add the reason to my confusion is that Lance Knight is wasted mostly. The only contribution he gives is Team Bonuses and Water Link. Maybe he becomes a difference maker once the others start to fall.
* * *
Next best, at around 65%, is;
Shadow-Hunter\*
Behemoth\*\*\*
Valkyrie\*\*\*
Druid\*\*\*
Adana Banner (Red/Yellow)
* * *
I find the AI works better with less colours or if you heavily skew the team to use a single colour. It better focuses the AIās habits.
Also, always have a good Skull damage-dealer up front, as the AI will take Skulls over anything else.
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### Author:  [@Ozball](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Ozball)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/3 "2016-05-21T16:32:00Z")
Nice video!
My one comment is on the #3 deck for Newer Players. The Warhound does do a lot of attack reduction at mythic with full magic kingdoms, at lower levels itās not so much. Going on Epic Rarirty (one ascend) and no magic kingdoms, heāll only be reducing Attack by 8, which will definitely help, but particularly when going up again base legendary or better troops they will still be doing ok damage, after a cast, and it would take 2 or more to reduce them to almost 0.
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### Author:  [@Tacet](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Tacet)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/4 "2016-05-21T16:33:54Z")
Yeah, lowered level Warhound doesnāt do nearly as much, but it does enough for stoneskin in first slot. Warhound would reduce an enemyās attack by half or more. That single cast reduced by an additional 50% is around 2-4 damage, if that.
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### Author:  [@Ozball](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Ozball)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/5 "2016-05-21T16:37:26Z")
The other thing is, at lower levels itās a lot harder to get the Tier 3 traits active, so itās a lot less likely that a lower level player will have more than 1 or 2 available to them over all of their troops, and unless theyāre using the same troops on offense, they might not have the Arcanes to spare to trait up a pure defense team. Iām currently level 91 and I only just got my first Tier 3 trait today. Obviously it will depend on how much people are willing to farm, and I might be on the low end of that tier. But farming is also a bit harder at lower levels as well.
Just some thoughts.
EDIT: Just rewatching the lower level teams, and my points above do affect Thrallās usefulness since his Magic Link is at Tier 3, and he doesnāt get as much use outside of being summoned I donāt think? Though only 1 arcane to trait, so not horrible at least.
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### Author:  [@Gouki](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Gouki)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/6 "2016-05-21T16:42:29Z")
I support defense teams with Mercy!
So easy to trap to feed my invades with yellow^^
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### Author:  [@Malkav](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Malkav)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/7 "2016-05-21T16:48:04Z")
5 out of 5 pink poodles š© š© š© š© š©
Thank you. I really enjoy your videos, Tacet. Not only are they helpful, but they provide a focal point for discussion about particular concepts: defend teams, in this case.
I am currently running:
_Knight Coronet_
_The Great Maw_
_Carnex_
_Bone Dragon_
**Dark Banner**
I am sure it could be better, but I like the combination and have had decent results.
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### Author:  [@TaliaParks](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TaliaParks)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/8 "2016-05-21T16:52:43Z")
@Malkav
The issue I see with your Defense team is that itās mostly high Mana costs, with Bone Dragon Mana-blocked. On offense, a faster team would dominate you.
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### Author:  [@Ozball](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Ozball)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/9 "2016-05-21T16:54:24Z")
Newer Defend #2 also has issues in that it uses both Dust Devil and Goblinās Tier 3 traits that seem core for the operation of the team.
Newer Defend #4 also uses Tier 3 on Chimera, which also seems core. You mention Impervious on War Sphinx, but I guess that missing out on that wonāt really hurt as much as Arcane.
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### Author:  [@Tacet](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Tacet)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/10 "2016-05-21T16:55:47Z")
Yeah, I tend to think of teams in forms of traits, which newer players tend to not have. Iām not use to the concept of having no traitstones. As soon as I use my hoard of keys when 2.0 goes live, I will basically have everything in the game traitied. xD
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### Author:  [@Malkav](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Malkav)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/11 "2016-05-21T16:56:23Z")
My Idea: Purple pushes Carnex to feed Bone Dragon, Brown pushes The Great Maw devour and then is mana locked to start pushing Bone Dragon.
That is why I organized it that way. Thank you for the comments, even so.
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### Author:  [@Ozball](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Ozball)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/12 "2016-05-21T16:57:18Z")
Yeah I can understand that, I keep trying to plan teams and finding out I donāt have the traits for them to really work \>\< Itās nice seeing the teams that use lower rarities though! Just need less reliance on the higher end traits ^^
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### Author:  [@TaliaParks](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TaliaParks)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/13 "2016-05-21T16:57:44Z")
> [@Malkav](#):
>
> _Knight Coronet_
> _The Great Maw_
> _Carnex_
> _Mercy_
>
> **Sword Banner**
Without butchering your team idea, you could try this setup. This should be a much tougher team to face.
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### Author:  [@Malkav](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Malkav)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/14 "2016-05-21T16:59:32Z")
Thanks. Looks good, but I do not have Mercy traited. I am one of the last holdouts trying to keep the universe from unraveling š¶
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### Author:  [@TaliaParks](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TaliaParks)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/15 "2016-05-21T17:00:16Z")
> [@Malkav](#):
>
> My Idea: Purple pushes Carnex to feed Bone Dragon, Brown pushes The Great Maw devour and then is mana locked to start pushing Bone Dragon.
>
> That is why I organized it that way. Thank you for the comments, even so.
Oh, I didnāt mean to sound negative. Your team is very good and probably is a powerhouse on offense. But you have to take the AIās playing style in account. It struggles with too many high Mana costs because it doesnāt set up combos like you can and it will skip Mana for Skull matches.
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### Author:  [@Malkav](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Malkav)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/16 "2016-05-21T17:06:58Z")
> [@TaliaParks](#):
>
> Oh, I didnāt mean to sound negative.
Goodness, seriously I did not take it amiss. I appreciate the feedback. And you are quite right about being fine on offense, I had some good results. Likely the AI makes a mess.
I have also, surprisingly had good luck with this Monster Mash team. I mentioned something like it before, but this is pretty good unless someone breaks out impervious left and right. It can work early and I have had decent results against higher levels players, too.
_Gorgon\*\*\*_
_Chimera\*\*\*_
_Marsh Raptor\*\*\*_
_Night Terror\*\*\*_
_Monster General (+2 Armor, +2 Life, +1 Magic)_
**Horned Banner (+1 Red Mana, +1 Green Mana)**
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### Author:  [@Rasper](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Rasper)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/17 "2016-05-21T17:09:02Z")
If you want to use Silent One, I find Mercy pairs well. Yellow generation and cures the silence letting it start rebuilding mana faster so you can silence again when the opponentsā start wearing off.
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### Author:  [@TaliaParks](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/TaliaParks)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/18 "2016-05-21T17:09:50Z")
@Malkav
Yes I can see that team doing very well on Defense, people, inexperienced players, will underestimate itās strength due to it having nothing higher than an Ultra Rare. Same thing with my Knight Team, very underestimated but it cycles fast and Knight Coronet is a monster on offense and defense.
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### Author:  [@Tacet](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Tacet)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/19 "2016-05-21T17:14:41Z")
I actually prefer Silent One staying silenced. That way it doesnāt block mana.
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### Author:  [@RiverSong](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/RiverSong)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/video-strong-defend-teams/7141/20 "2016-05-21T22:19:36Z")
Excellent video, @Tacet. Iām sure everyone appreciates the hard work you put into these. I know I certainly do!
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