Silent Shiv Build — Blade Dance, Accuracy & Infinite Knives Guide

The Shiv build transforms the Silent into a knife machine gun — once Accuracy and Infinite Blades are set up, you can deal 100+ damage per turn without spending energy on attacks. Zero-cost Shivs mean you spend ALL your energy on block and card draw while enemies die to a thousand cuts. This is the most aggressive Silent archetype and the one most new players gravitate toward after discovering the joy of Blade Dance.

The core insight: Shivs cost 0, so energy is never the bottleneck. Your bottleneck is card draw — you need to find your Shiv generators and Accuracy every fight. Build accordingly.

Build Overview

The Shiv game plan: generate Shivs every turn → scale them with Accuracy and Strength → use After Image for passive block → close fights with Knife Trap or Finisher. After turn 3-4, you’re playing 6+ cards per turn, dealing 60+ damage, gaining 6+ passive Block, and spending 0 energy on attacks.

Shiv Machine Gun

beginnerSilent

Core Cards

Blade Dance

Accuracy

Infinite Blades

After Image

After Image

Knife Trap

Cloak and Dagger

Finisher

Key Relics

ShurikenKunaiWrist BladeNinja ScrollOrnamental FanNunchaku

Strategy

Deploy Infinite Blades turn 1 for passive Shiv generation. Use Blade Dance and Cloak and Dagger for burst Shiv production. Stack Accuracy (2-3 copies) — each makes Shivs deal +6 damage. At 2 Accuracies, each 0-cost Shiv deals 16 damage. With After Image, each Shiv grants 1 Block — playing 6 cards per turn = 6 free Block. Close boss fights with Knife Trap (replays all Shivs from Exhaust pile) or Finisher (bonus damage per attack played).

Core Cards — Building the Knife Factory

S-Tier: Shiv Generators

Blade Dance Blade Dance (Common Skill, 1 energy) — Add 3 Shivs to hand (4 upgraded). Exhausts. The backbone of the Shiv deck. For 1 energy, you get 3 zero-cost attacks dealing 4 damage each (12 total unupgraded). With two Accuracies (+12 damage each), each Shiv deals 28 damage — 3 Shivs = 84 damage for 1 energy. Take 2-3 copies. Upgrade adds 1 more Shiv (25% more output).

Infinite Blades (Uncommon Power, 1 energy) — At the start of each turn, add 1 Shiv to your hand. Upgrade: becomes Innate (starts in your opening hand). This guarantees one Shiv every single turn. In a 10-turn boss fight: 10 free Shivs = 40 base damage (160+ with Accuracy scaling). Take 1-2 copies.

Cloak and Dagger (Common Skill, 1 energy) — Gain 6 Block + add 1 Shiv (2 upgraded). The perfect Shiv card because it provides both defense and offense. In Act 1, the Block is essential for survival. In Act 3, the Block stacks with After Image for layered defense. Take 2-3 copies.

Storm of Steel (Rare Skill, 0 energy) — Discard your hand and replace each card with a Shiv. The ultimate reload button. With a full hand (7 cards): 7 Shivs for 0 energy. With Well-Laid Plans to hold key cards before discarding, this becomes a controlled nuke. Upgrade makes Shivs upgraded (+50% damage).

S-Tier: Damage Scaling

Accuracy Accuracy (Uncommon Power, 1 energy) — Shivs deal +4 damage (+6 upgraded). This is the most important scaling card in the deck. Stack 2-3 copies to make each zero-cost Shiv hit like a truck:

• 1 Accuracy: Shiv = 8 damage (×3 = 24 per Blade Dance)
• 2 Accuracies: Shiv = 14 damage (×3 = 42 per Blade Dance)
• 3 Accuracies: Shiv = 20 damage (×3 = 60 per Blade Dance)

Upgrade all copies. Each upgrade is +2 damage per Shiv, which compounds across every Shiv you play all game.

Critically important: Without Accuracy, Shivs deal 4 damage each — barely more than a Strike. Accuracy IS the build. Don’t play Shivs without at least one Accuracy in play unless you have to.

Knife Trap Knife Trap (Rare Skill, 2 energy) — Play every Shiv from your Exhaust pile. Upgraded: upgrades each Shiv before playing it. This is the ULTIMATE boss killer. After a long fight where you’ve exhausted 10+ Shivs (from Blade Dances), Knife Trap replays ALL of them for free. At 10 Shivs with 2 Accuracies: 10 × 16 = 160 damage. Boss dead.

Finisher (Uncommon Attack, 1 energy) — Deal 6 damage + 3 damage for each attack played this turn (upgraded: 9 + 4). After a Shiv chain where you play 3 Blade Dances + 9 Shivs = 12 attacks, a Finisher+ deals 9 + 48 = 57 damage. For 1 energy. Synergy with Storm of Steel (discard hand = more attacks played = bigger Finisher).

A-Tier: Defense

After Image After Image (Rare Power, 1 energy) — Gain 1 Block every time you play a card. With 6+ cards per turn: 6+ passive Block per turn. At 10 cards: 10 Block. This is the Silent’s answer to the Shiv deck’s defensive needs — it turns offense into defense automatically. Take 1-2 copies. Stacks — two copies = 2 Block per card.

Footwork (Uncommon Power, 1 energy) — Gain 2/3 Dexterity. Every Cloak and Dagger improves. Every Defend improves. With 3 Dexterity, Survive blocks 11, Cloak blocks 12. Take 1-2 copies — you can never have too much Dexterity in a Shiv deck.

Piercing Wail (Common Skill, 1 energy) — ALL enemies lose 6/8 Strength for 1 turn. Against multi-hit enemies (Book of Stabbing, Heart), this blocks 24-48 damage. Premium defensive card in any Silent build.

B-Tier: Support

Well-Laid Plans (Uncommon Power, 1/0 energy) — Retain 1/2 cards at end of turn. Hold Accuracy for the right moment, or Knife Trap for the kill turn. Essential consistency tool. Upgrade immediately (1→2 retained cards).

Expose (Uncommon Skill, 1 energy) — Remove all Block and Artifact, apply Vulnerable. Critical against high-block enemies. Vulnerable is a 1.5× multiplier on ALL your Shivs — one Expose can double your effective damage output against a blocking enemy.

Relic Priority

Run-Defining

• Wrist Blade: 0-cost attacks deal +4 damage. Every Shiv is a 0-cost attack. Every Shiv now deals 8 base damage (20+ with Accuracy). This single relic doubles Shiv damage.
• Shuriken: Gain 1 Strength after playing 3 attacks in a turn. In a Shiv deck, you play 6+ attacks per turn — this triggers 2+ times per turn, permanently. At 6 Strength, every Shiv deals +6 damage.
• Kunai: Gain 1 Dexterity after playing 3 attacks per turn. Identical trigger to Shuriken. At 6 Dexterity, every Defend blocks 11. With After Image, you’re immortal.

High Impact

• Ninja Scroll: Start each combat with 3 Shivs in hand. Guarantees immediate pressure. With Accuracy already in play (Bottled), those 3 Shivs deal 48 damage.
• Ornamental Fan: Gain 4 Block after playing 3 attacks per turn. Stacks with After Image — at 6 attacks/turn, you gain 8 from Fan + 6 from After Image = 14 passive Block.
• Nunchaku: After playing 10 attacks, gain 1 Energy. In a Shiv deck, you hit 10 attacks by turn 2. Free energy every turn.
• Helical Dart: Every 4th attack deals +8 damage. With 12+ attacks/turn: 3 triggers = 24 bonus damage/turn.

Nice to Have

• Pen Nib: Every 10th attack deals double damage. Time it so a big Finisher or a Shiv chain gets the doubler.
• Bag of Marbles: Apply 1 Vulnerable to ALL enemies at combat start. Your turn-1 Shivs deal +50% damage.
• Molten Egg: All Attacks added are automatically upgraded. Upgraded Shivs deal 6 base damage (instead of 4). Worth 50% more damage.

Act-by-Act Strategy

Act 1 — Build the Foundation

Card pick priority:

1. Blade Dance — Always take. Best common in the game for this build.
2. Cloak and Dagger — Block + Shiv. Essential.
3. Dagger Throw — Deal 9, draw 1, discard 1. Good early damage + cycle.
4. Poison Stab — 6 damage + 3 poison. Bridges damage until Shivs scale.
5. Accuracy — Take 1 copy. Wait for Shiv generators before taking more.

Do NOT take early: Infinite Blades without any Shiv generators, multiple Accuracies without Shivs, Storm of Steel before you have card draw.

Elite strategy:

• Sentries (Favorable): Cloak and Dagger provides block while Shivs apply pressure.
• Lagavulin (Medium): Stack Blade Dances during sleep phase. Wake-up turn: play all Shivs.
• Gremlin Nob (DAngerous): Most Shiv cards are Skills. Bring pure Attacks (Dagger Throw, Quick Slash).

Act 2 — Scale Up

Priority:

1. Add Infinite Blades (passive Shiv engine)
2. Stack Accuracy (2-3 copies) — hunt at shops
3. Add After Image for passive block engine
4. Upgrade Accuracy at every campfire
5. Remove Strikes at shops — Shivs are your damage now

Elite strategy:

• Tri-Slavers (Medium): Shivs focus one enemy at a time. Blade Dance for Burst.
• Book of Stabbing (Hard): Piercing Wail essential. After Image + Shivs outrace the multi-hits.
• Gremlin Leader (Favorable): Shivs kill minions, minion deaths = cards from Leader’s AI disruption. Fan of Knives premium here.

Act 3 — Perfected Execution

Your deck should have: 2-3 Blade Dances, 1-2 Infinite Blades, 2-3 Cloak and Daggers, 2-3 Accuracies, 1-2 After Images, 1 Knife Trap.

Card picks:

1. Knife Trap — Boss killer. Take on sight.
2. Finisher — Damage payoff. Take 1 copy.
3. Fan of Knives — AoE Shivs. Essential for multi-fights.
4. Storm of Steel — Reload for long fights.

• Time Eater (Hard): 12-card limit hurts. Make every Shiv count. Accuracy must be maxed. Use Finisher (1 card = massive damage) instead of Shiv chains.
• Awakened One (Medium): Powers (Accuracy, After Image) are punished. Play minimal Powers in phase 1.
• Donu & Deca (Favorable): Fan of Knives hits both. Focus Donu (buffs Strength). Shivs + Finisher.

Act 4 — The Heart

Beat of Death (2 damage per card) IS the Shiv deck’s nemesis — every Shiv costs 2 HP. Counter:

1. After Image: 1 Block per card offsets Beat of Death (net: -1 HP per card instead of -2)
2. Footwork: higher Block per Cloak and Dagger
3. Piercing Wail on turn 3 (67-nuke) reduces damage by 12+ per hit
4. Wraith Form: 3 Intangible turns = survive the Burst phase

Upgrade Priority

1. Accuracy (+4→+6 per Shiv): 50% more damage per copy. Stacking upgrades.
2. Blade Dance (3→4 Shivs): 33% more Shivs. More attacks, more triggers.
3. Infinite Blades (adds Innate): Guaranteed turn 1. Sets up engine immediately.
4. After Image (1→2 energy→1): Cheaper setup. Play it earlier.
5. Knife Trap (upgrades Shivs before replay): +50% damage on the Finisher.

Key Tips

1. Accuracy IS the build. Without Accuracy, Shivs deal 4 damage each. With 3 Accuracies, Shivs deal 22 each. This is a 5.5× difference. Hunt Accuracy aggressively.

2. Remove Strikes. Every Strike you draw could have been a Blade Dance or Cloak and Dagger. Shivs are your damage cards — Strikes are just dead draws.

3. Keep the deck lean. 25-30 cards maximum. Every non-Shiv card dilutes your Blade Dance and Accuracy draws.

4. Time Eater is the nemesis. The 12-card-per-turn limit destroys Shiv decks. Save Finisher and Knife Trap for this fight. Make each card play count.

5. Avoid anti-synergy relics: Velvet Choker (6 cards/turn max = Shiv deck dies), Dead Branch (floods deck with random cards), Strange Spoon (Shivs on later cycles are dead draws).

Cards to AVOID

• Catalyst, Noxious Fumes: Poison archetype. Zero value in Shiv deck unless you’re hybridizing.
• Grand Finale: Requires precise deck counting. Shiv spam doesn’t count cards.
• Concentrate: Discard synergy. Different build.
• Setup: Too slow. Shiv deck wants to play cards, not set them up.
• Phantasmal Killer: 2 energy for double damage next turn. Too slow — Shivs deal damage NOW.