Tahm Kench: Cruel growth and Sentinel’s Plate

Cruel Experiments turns healthy unit plays into Overwhelm and Impact, with the star power rewarding damage they survive. Sentinel's Plate adds bigger survival gains to the champion, while Chosen by the Stars supplies a clear ten-Power target for Challenger and Regeneration.

It's his most popular trio in 10★ clears and guide builds. Players strongly support the damage-growth core but debate its tempo against extra mana. Compared with the existing Rare-relic guide, this build gives played allies their own offensive keywords instead of depending on the champion’s Overwhelm aura.

Cruel Experiments

When you play an ally with at least two Health, deal one to it and grant Overwhelm and Impact. Surviving damage activates the star-power stat gain. It is a Play condition, so a unit summoned by another effect does not automatically receive these keywords.

Sentinel's Plate

The carrier starts with Barrier and gains +3|+3 plus a random keyword when it survives damage. Use repeatable, survivable hits to grow, rather than assuming every removal spell leaves a chance to gain stats. Barrier is temporary protection, not permanent immunity.

Chosen by the Stars

Fated rewards targeting the champion once each round; Augment rewards created-card plays. At ten Power, Challenger, Overwhelm and Regeneration become active. Regeneration heals at Round End, so it cannot rescue a lethal hit during the round.

Level 30 and three Epic slot upgrades equip this trio.

Keep affordable units and Tahm Kench when your opening can support him. Develop healthy units into Cruel’s small hit, then use the resulting stats to make favorable trades. Check encounter rules that punish damaged units before committing a wide injured board.

Once the champion arrives, use his generated Capture spell on targets whose damage he can survive. Capturing removes a blocker and provides a discounted copy through the two-star power, but losing the captor can release Capture enemies. Watch current Health before every Capture and block; the stat reward comes only after survival.

Bayou Brunch can move an ally’s stats onto a lasting attacker. When Chosen’s ten-Power threshold is active, use Challenger to choose manageable combat and let Round End healing restore the champion for the next turn. Clear blockers and attack rather than spending forever increasing already sufficient stats.

Take early defense, champion discounts, protection and affordable interaction. Spell mana is valuable if you want a Capture every round. Archangel's Staff is a common alternative for that plan.

The Berserker's Buckle replaces Plate with smaller stat gains and no random keyword. The existing build is easier to equip, needing level 25 rather than three Epic slots. A Titanic starting-mana setup is a separate tempo option; do not count stats gained after entry toward a Game Start threshold.

Three-star Glutton for Punishment II grants +2|+2 to an ally that survives damage. Two-star Long-Term Contract supplies starting mana and discounted copies of Capture units. This champion currently has three main star powers in the site’s data; the build does not require an invented six-star upgrade.

• Warwick’s relic on Tahm Kench by u/Brookus95, 2024-11-12, 102 points (observed 14 Oct 2026).
• Cruel Experiments and Tahm builds by u/sorasprocket, 2025-08-17, 42 points (observed 14 Oct 2026).
• Sentinel’s Plate recommendations by u/I_dont-get_the-joke, 2026-07-11, 52 points (observed 14 Oct 2026).
• Player-voted builds, local snapshot collected 13 Oct 2026.
• Champion guide builds and recorded clears, local snapshot collected 13 Oct 2026.
• Champion mechanics and level rewards, local data checked 14 Oct 2026.