Drop Duchy: How to Use the Executioner Card in Extreme Mode

To beat Extreme Mode in Drop Duchy, draft the Executioner card early and place it in central grid positions to eliminate dense, high-health enemy clusters before they fill your board. While defensive cards slow grid expansion, the Executioner delivers high burst damage across an area, providing the offensive output needed to handle scaling enemy spawns and boss waves.

Core Deck Synergies

Because the Executioner requires significant resource investment, combine it with cards that shorten its downtime, boost energy, or maximize its strike area.

Synergy Focus	Effect on Executioner	Strategic Value
Cooldown Reduction	Reduces downtime between activations	Essential for sustaining damage during prolonged boss encounters
Enemy Grouping	Pulls targets into the hit zone	Maximizes area-of-effect damage per activation
Resource Generation	Supplies additional energy	Ensures you can afford deployment when high-density waves appear

Grid Placement and Positioning

Maximizing the Executioner requires clear grid space and central positioning to prevent wasted damage zones.

Center-Grid Placement: Place the unit in middle rows and columns. Corner positioning limits coverage and causes area attacks to overlap with empty space.
Anticipatory Setup: Deploy the Executioner early in your turn sequence so you can trigger its ability immediately when a wave spawns.
Targeting High-Density Waves: Save the active charge for large enemy groups or boss targets rather than spending energy on single, low-threat units.

Energy Costs and Board Management

Relying exclusively on the Executioner creates vulnerabilities due to its high energy cost and long cooldown. Balance your deck with low-cost units to clear minor spawns while saving energy for heavy waves. Additionally, maintain open board tiles near active zones; packing your grid too tightly prevents deploying the Executioner when an emergency room-clear is required.