I'm nearing 500 hours on StS and I still have so much to learn. Approaching it as a deckbuilder can definitely be a noob-trap - anyone who has played MTG or similar is very tempted to build into archetypes instead of understanding that you have to deal with the problems at hand with the solutions you are given, because you can't force the game to give you what you want. Taking a "will be good later" pick is nearly always a problem, often because it reduces your chances of reaching "later".
Funnily enough a really thin deck can also be a problem. If you have 15 cards and Nemesis adds 5 burns, you're in trouble without a way to handle that. Instead of thin or fat, the best way to think of it IMO is consistency (draw and exhaust help this).
I really like how each Act tests different strengths and exposes different weaknesses. A20 is tough but rewarding.
I completely agree with this, although as new advice "thin your deck" is good advice because new players don't remove strikes nearly enough, and the "too thin" problems only really hurt when you're doing act 4 and on higher ascensions.
On lower ascensions you get far fewer status cards added, and if you're a new player you probably don't have act 4 unlocked.
Yes definitely. "Remove cards" and "you don't need to take a card every time" are both good early tips.
There's definitely a lot of depth that you have to unlock over time. I sometimes watch Jorbs on YouTube as background noise and he'll often think over a single turn for 15 minutes or more. I don't have that patience.
Funnily enough a really thin deck can also be a problem. If you have 15 cards and Nemesis adds 5 burns, you're in trouble without a way to handle that. Instead of thin or fat, the best way to think of it IMO is consistency (draw and exhaust help this).
I really like how each Act tests different strengths and exposes different weaknesses. A20 is tough but rewarding.