In the Common grade, the first stage you encounter in Total War, you should simply deploy your two strongest teams. While players previously favored a mix of attack and magic decks, this season and last, some adventurers have been breaking through the Rare grade using attack and defense decks. Magic decks were clearly weak last season, and since this season began right after Dong-young's release, it may have simply taken time for players to research the new meta.

From the Rare grade onward, where three teams are required, the standard structure of attack, magic, and defense decks takes shape. For attack decks, since the release of Seon-ran, the lineup typically includes Seon-ran, Awakened Dellons, Karl Heron, and Awakened Orca, with Lu Bu and Landgrid competing for the final spot. While Lu Bu was preferred last season, Landgrid is the starter this season, likely because players are focusing more on countering defense decks.

Magic decks have seen significant changes. Awakened Dong-young has joined the Seven Knights Re:BIRTH lineup, bringing exceptional utility. Melcure has also returned to the starting lineup after a long absence to synergize with Dong-young, and Omok is seeing play for the support provided by their guardian spirit. Dong-young's 'Extreme Poison,' Melcure's 'Stun' and 'Magic Backflow,' and Omok's guardian spirit have emerged as the key components. Pets for magic decks are split between Yu and Irin.

With Dong-young and Melcure favored, the popularity of former magic deck staples Awakened Skuld and Milia has waned. While they still offer the clear advantage of using speed to secure the first turn and restrict enemy skills, the constant pressure applied by Dong-young and Melcure gives them the edge. Of course, depending on your hero's growth status, they remain viable picks, as confirmed by current gameplay.

For defense decks, top-tier users are trending toward using Gelidus instead of Rudy. The strategy involves placing Landgrid alone in the front row, with three universal types and Awakened Klemis in the back. While Rudy offers more durability, Gelidus is increasingly preferred for his ability to create variables and contribute some firepower. However, if he is not at 6-transcendence, his power may be lacking, in which case Rudy remains a solid alternative.

Let's look at the Unique grade, where the real competition for Legend rank begins. This is the stage where managing your win rate is most critical. As we pass the mid-season mark, top-tier adventurers have already reached Legend and are now competing for rankings. Of course, most adventurers are likely still striving to boost their win rates in the Unique grade to reach Legend.

The Unique grade doesn't differ much from the Rare grade. For attack decks, Awakened Dellons, Awakened Seon-ran, Awakened Orca, Karl Heron, and Landgrid remain the favorites. It has been a long time since Zeo became the standard pet for attack decks, as using Zeo consistently yields a higher win rate than Irin.

Magic decks also feature Awakened Dong-young and Melcure as starters, alongside Reginleif, Omok, Freya, and Yu. There have been some shifts in positioning; recent Total War matches frequently show an offensive formation with Freya in the front row, moving away from the old trend of relying solely on Freya's individual damage. For defense decks, the best combination appears to be Awakened Aris, Awakened Klemis, Gelidus, Landgrid, and Phalanus.

Instant-death decks have changed. While the trend of using Juri to block revivals with 'Soul Annihilation' continues this season, Awakened Knox has replaced Aquila as a starter. As the first 'Common' Legend to receive an awakening, Knox has seen his overall abilities enhanced. His Ascension skill, which provides cooldown reduction for allies, instant death, and enemy buff removal, is rated higher than Aquila's. Since Aquila and Knox share the same passive, Aquila has been pushed out to make room for Knox.

Let's examine the combinations in the top-tier Legend grade. In this grade, where you must field five teams, the composition changes significantly depending on the season. This season, magic decks—widely considered to have the widest hero pool—are being favored for all five teams.

Splitting the magic decks is a logical move. While they may have been pushed out of the first team, there are simply too many heroes with potential for magic decks to ignore. Milia, with her magic vulnerability passive, and Skuld, who can increase enemy cooldowns when using skills on magic-vulnerable targets, are prime examples. These two anchor the second magic team, making up the fifth team in the Legend grade, with God-tier Sylvesta—often criticized for being slightly underwhelming—deployed as the core damage dealer.

Yeonhee fills the remaining spot, and Teo is mixed into the magic deck for his utility in removing turn-based buffs. While adding Teo means sacrificing the 5-person effect of Milio's 'Magic Bond,' it seems players have concluded that Teo is more useful than forcing another magic-type hero into the slot. For pets, players use either Cri to boost effect accuracy and attack, or Yeonji.

This covers the main decks for the current Total War season. As for alternatives, in defense decks, Rudy can replace Gelidus—a combination still frequently encountered. If your Dong-young is not sufficiently leveled, you might consider a combination using Awakened Skuld and Milia mixed with Juri. This is a viable option even when deploying five teams in the Legend grade.

We have also observed magic decks that utilize both Awakened Dong-young and Awakened Skuld. You can think of this as re-integrating the Milia-Skuld combination in place of Melcure and Omok. Given Dong-young's superior utility, this combination is also highly effective. Of course, when using Awakened Skuld, it is advantageous to focus more on speed.