Smith, the angry alcoholic alien, is the third and latest character added to Griftlands, and he has a very unique playstyle in both battle and negotiation encounters. Smith's deck archetypes aren't as straightforward as Rook or Sal, and mastering his synergies might take some time. But, after learning how to play this character, he is really powerful and fun to play.
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Unlike other characters in the game and even most other roguelikes, Smith has a lot of survivability and healing at his disposal. Knowing the best cards available to this character lets you know what synergies you can build around, and how to utilize them best for successful runs.
Fame
Smith's negotiation decks are more powerful with hostility options, but the Renown synergies for diplomacy can be really powerful if you get the right pieces for it. There are many cards that add to your Renown, and many that take advantage of it.
The best card for this archetype is Fame, which gets more powerful each time you draw it if you have Renown. The best upgrade option for this card is Planned Fame since it increases its base damage. Encounters usually don't take long enough for the Boosted Fame version to outperform the alternative.
Hammer Down
Smith can take great advantage of the Power effect, and in combination with Adrenaline, he can deal massive amounts of damage with only a few cards. The most notable card that supports this synergy is Hammer Down, which is boosted twice as much with Power and Adrenaline.
The Pale upgraded version feels much better than the Boosted version in most circumstances, as you can play more cards to buff it, with one extra action that you can spend in your Hammer Down turn.
Braggart
Another great diplomacy card for hybrid or pacifist negotiation decks for Smith is Braggart. This card seems expensive at first glance, but it fills your hand with 0-cost Brag cards, which are basic diplomacy cards that deal more damage if you have at least one Renown.
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If you have a few other 0-cost cards in your deck and can play them before Braggart, the Boosted version can give you more powerful options. Otherwise, the Pale option allows you to play a 1-cost card and empty your hand a bit before playing Braggart — giving you the most value possible.
Certainty
Smith is the most resilient and tanky character in Griftlands, and he even has cards that deal damage to himself in order to gain other benefits. For any deck that plans on taking advantage of this feature, or has synergy with Adrenaline effects, Certainty is a powerful ability card.
With this ability card in play, each time you gain defense, you also get stacks of Adrenaline, empowering your attacks significantly. With the Initial Certainty upgrade, you always start the combat with this card in your hand.
All Out
Hostility cards have the most powerful synergies for any negotiation encounter as Smith. He takes advantage of playing recklessly, and even damaging and destroying his own arguments. All Out will make you more susceptible to incoming damage with the defenseless keyword (which can actually be a good thing with some of Smith's synergies) and in return will discount the cost of two cards in your hand.
Discount is a powerful effect in any card game, and Griftlands is not an exception. The Boosted All Out version can discount three cards, giving you more options — especially if you have a deck with high-cost cards.
Soothing Concoctions
Drinking is another powerful battle archetype for Smith. He can drink different beverages and use the empty bottles to activate other cards that synergize with them. In combination with his other survivability cards, Soothing Concoctions can lead to a strong hybrid deck with a lot of healing and Drink synergies.
As this is a really expensive ability card, the Pale version that costs one less action is usually the better option for most decks. But if you are running some low-cost cards to play in your initial turn alongside this card, or you are worried that you might not draw it in time, the Initial Soothing Concoctions is viable as well.
Tempt
Smith can destroy his own arguments, split them, or damage them with a lot of different negotiation cards. This might sound impractical at first but with strong support cards such as Tempt, you would try to destroy as many of your arguments as you can. A 0-cost card that deals this amount of damage can be overpowered, and in the right deck, Tempt can carry your negotiation encounters.
Based on the state of your deck, both upgraded versions are powerful. The Boosted version deals a ridiculous amount of damage if you have enough synergies to discount it as soon as possible, and the Pale version can go into the more hybrid decks that are not solely focused on damaging your own arguments.
Kra'deshi Cup
There are a lot of cards with the Drink keyword available to Smith, but none of them are as strong as Kra'deshi Cup for this battle archetype. This card just takes one spot in your starting deck, but as you play it, thanks to the chain effect, it goes back into your draw pile and you can play it again in a few turns.
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This card can give you a lot of empty bottles to work with if you have enough synergies, and it can even draw you two extra cards at its final step. Resource generation, card draw, and support for one of the strongest keywords for Smith — this card has it all.
Inner Rage
The best negotiation card for Smith — if you are not running a purely diplomatic deck — is Inner Rage. This card will make all your hostility cards play twice, and it can be extremely powerful. Drawing Inner Rage alongside a few other hostility cards often means the end of the encounter.
The second version of this card also gives you three Dominance, making your hostility cards even more powerful. But most negotiation encounters will be over before you even reach that point.
Masochist
If Certainty seems too safe and boring, then Masochist is the ability card for you. Alongside Moxy synergies that help you heal during the battle, Masochist can create really powerful moments when you deal a bunch of damage to yourself and play a powerful finisher card such as Hammer Down.
Playing this self-damage synergy is the most challenging archetype for Smith, but it's also the most rewarding. Boosted Masochist can create more exciting moments with tons of Adrenaline and extra damage, but like most ability cards, the Initial version is the safer choice for upgrading Masochist.
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