Balance Problem Matchups (Prioritized)
Generated: July 01, 2026. Run python3 scripts/analyze_difficulty.py --sector all --problems to refresh.
Ranked by severity score. Pacing bugs and Family-tier starter violations rank highest.
Built-deck investigate = progression doesn't close the gap (median build variant). Harsh gear checks = 0% win in ≤10 turns with a tier-entry build (may be intentional for burst elites/bosses). Fragile = tier clear depends on drawing a specific totem — the floor (no-totem) build variant loses badly while median/ceiling are healthy.
| Rank | Sev | Sector | Lens | Enemy | Tier | Player | Win% | Turns | Verdict | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | energy | starter | Nuclear Physicist | MidTier | The Nuclear Engineer | 60% | 81.6 | pacing_bug | Fix enemy pacing — trim block/heal or add damage |
| 2 | 70 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | Grid Controller (GRID-CTRL) | MegaCorp | The Grid Operator | 1% | 6.5 | investigate | Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets |
| 3 | 70 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | Grid Controller (GRID-CTRL) | MegaCorp | The Wildcatter | 1% | 4.5 | investigate | Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets |
| 4 | 70 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | Repair Relay (RELAY-7) | MegaCorp | The Grid Operator | 0% | 4.7 | investigate | Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets |
| 5 | 70 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | Repair Relay (RELAY-7) | MegaCorp | The Wildcatter | 0% | 3.0 | investigate | Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets |
| 6 | 62 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | Repair Relay (RELAY-7) | MegaCorp | The Nuclear Engineer | 18% | 4.7 | investigate | Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets |
| 7 | 49 | healthcare | built_tier_entry_MidTier | The Regional CEO (The Heavy Hitter) (boss) | MidTier | The Plague Doctor | 100% | 5.5 | fragile | Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. The Golden Handcuffs) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG |
| 8 | 47 | ai | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | The Singularity (SING-∞) (boss) | MegaCorp | The Hacker | 89% | 21.9 | fragile | Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Coffee Machine) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG |
| 9 | 46.5 | healthcare | starter | Mom & Pop (Owners) (boss) | Family | The Hustler | 0% | 6.5 | investigate | Family-tier violation — tune enemy HP/deck or starter power |
| 10 | 46 | healthcare | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | Surgical Unit (SURG-X1) | MegaCorp | The Plague Doctor | 80% | 6.7 | fragile | Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Cursed Doll) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG |
| 11 | 45.675 | healthcare | starter | Mom & Pop (Owners) (boss) | Family | The Nurse | 0% | 5.7 | investigate | Family-tier violation — tune enemy HP/deck or starter power |
| 12 | 45 | ai | built_tier_entry_MidTier | VP of Engineering (boss) | MidTier | The Hacker | 0% | 7.7 | harsh_gear_check | Review if 0% in <10t is intentional; tune shop/relics if not |
| 13 | 45 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | The Grid Nexus (NEXUS-∞) (boss) | MegaCorp | The Grid Operator | 0% | 5.8 | harsh_gear_check | Review if 0% in <10t is intentional; tune shop/relics if not |
| 14 | 45 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | The Grid Nexus (NEXUS-∞) (boss) | MegaCorp | The Wildcatter | 0% | 3.2 | harsh_gear_check | Review if 0% in <10t is intentional; tune shop/relics if not |
| 15 | 45 | healthcare | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | The Core Mind (CORE-∞) (boss) | MegaCorp | The Hustler | 0% | 5.8 | harsh_gear_check | Review if 0% in <10t is intentional; tune shop/relics if not |
| 16 | 44.25 | ai | starter | Mom & Pop Founders (boss) | Family | The Hacker | 0% | 4.2 | investigate | Family-tier violation — tune enemy HP/deck or starter power |
| 17 | 40 | ai | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | Protocol Handler (PROTO-CTRL) | MegaCorp | The Venture Capitalist | 66% | 10.1 | fragile | Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. The Actuarial Table) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG |
| 18 | 40 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | Fuel Extractor (FUEL-3) | MegaCorp | The Nuclear Engineer | 52% | 5.4 | fragile | Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Neural Network Weight) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG |
| 19 | 38 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | The Grid Nexus (NEXUS-∞) (boss) | MegaCorp | The Nuclear Engineer | 42% | 6.2 | fragile | Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Neural Network Weight) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG |
| 20 | 37 | energy | built_tier_entry_MegaCorp | Reactor Core (CORE-X1) | MegaCorp | The Nuclear Engineer | 39% | 4.4 | fragile | Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Neural Network Weight) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG |
By category
Pacing bugs (fix first) (1)
- Energy Nuclear Physicist vs The Nuclear Engineer (starter, 60% win, 82t) — Fix enemy pacing — trim block/heal or add damage
Built-deck underpowered (5)
- Energy Grid Controller (GRID-CTRL) vs The Grid Operator (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 1% win, 7t) — Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets
- Energy Grid Controller (GRID-CTRL) vs The Wildcatter (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 1% win, 4t) — Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets
- Energy Repair Relay (RELAY-7) vs The Grid Operator (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 0% win, 5t) — Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets
- Energy Repair Relay (RELAY-7) vs The Wildcatter (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 0% win, 3t) — Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets
- Energy Repair Relay (RELAY-7) vs The Nuclear Engineer (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 18% win, 5t) — Raise shop/reward quality or tune enemy HP/deck — built deck should clear defensive targets
Fragile matchups (totem-dependent) (7)
- Healthcare The Regional CEO (The Heavy Hitter) vs The Plague Doctor (built_tier_entry_MidTier, 100% win, 5t) — Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. The Golden Handcuffs) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG
- Ai The Singularity (SING-∞) vs The Hacker (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 89% win, 22t) — Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Coffee Machine) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG
- Healthcare Surgical Unit (SURG-X1) vs The Plague Doctor (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 80% win, 7t) — Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Cursed Doll) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG
- Ai Protocol Handler (PROTO-CTRL) vs The Venture Capitalist (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 66% win, 10t) — Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. The Actuarial Table) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG
- Energy Fuel Extractor (FUEL-3) vs The Nuclear Engineer (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 52% win, 5t) — Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Neural Network Weight) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG
- Energy The Grid Nexus (NEXUS-∞) vs The Nuclear Engineer (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 42% win, 6t) — Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Neural Network Weight) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG
- Energy Reactor Core (CORE-X1) vs The Nuclear Engineer (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 39% win, 4t) — Tier clear depends on drawing a totem (e.g. Neural Network Weight) — no-totem run loses badly; consider a damage/HP floor independent of totem RNG
Family-tier starter violations (3)
- Healthcare Mom & Pop (Owners) vs The Hustler (starter, 0% win, 6t) — Family-tier violation — tune enemy HP/deck or starter power
- Healthcare Mom & Pop (Owners) vs The Nurse (starter, 0% win, 6t) — Family-tier violation — tune enemy HP/deck or starter power
- Ai Mom & Pop Founders vs The Hacker (starter, 0% win, 4t) — Family-tier violation — tune enemy HP/deck or starter power
Harsh gear checks (review intent) (4)
- Ai VP of Engineering vs The Hacker (built_tier_entry_MidTier, 0% win, 8t) — Review if 0% in <10t is intentional; tune shop/relics if not
- Energy The Grid Nexus (NEXUS-∞) vs The Grid Operator (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 0% win, 6t) — Review if 0% in <10t is intentional; tune shop/relics if not
- Energy The Grid Nexus (NEXUS-∞) vs The Wildcatter (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 0% win, 3t) — Review if 0% in <10t is intentional; tune shop/relics if not
- Healthcare The Core Mind (CORE-∞) vs The Hustler (built_tier_entry_MegaCorp, 0% win, 6t) — Review if 0% in <10t is intentional; tune shop/relics if not