If you want to survive the escalating Cycles in StellaWare’s new chill deckbuilding roguelike, your starting loadout is the first thing you need to optimize. Players asking how to unlock all starter decks Glass Hand usually realize early on that the default setup won't carry them through higher Ascension Progression levels. The game features five distinct starting loadouts, each dictating a completely different rhythm—from clean sequencing to heavy Progress pushing.
In this guide, we break down all starter decks Glass Hand has to offer, detailing exactly how to unlock them, which passive Modules synergize best, and how to pilot them past the toughest Boss Nodes. Glass Hand is designed around a deceptively simple premise: instead of playing cards one at a time, you build a queue and execute it as a full sequence. Order matters. Every card you add pushes the combo multiplier higher. But if you are trying to brute-force your way through the late game using only the default loadout, you are playing a losing game.
Why Unlocking All Starter Decks Glass Hand Changes Your Runs
Glass Hand operates on a strict roguelike loop: you clear Nodes, visit the Shop, survive Boss Nodes, and collect passive Modules that reshape how your deck plays. The default deck teaches you the basics of left-to-right queue execution, but it lacks the specialized economy or Glass scaling required for the late game.
The game's soft Frutiger Aero-inspired visual style—complete with animated UI, watery shaders, and ambient music—can lull you into a false sense of security. But the pressure rises quickly. Cycle upkeep increases, and Boss Nodes test whether your deck can keep up with massive Progress checks. Unlocking the alternate decks allows you to bypass the early-game struggle by starting with specialized engines. Whether you want to focus on hoarding Money to buy out the Shop or pushing the Glass combo system to its absolute limit, your choice of starter deck dictates your entire routing strategy.
How to Unlock All Starter Decks Glass Hand
StellaWare tied the deck unlocks to specific in-game achievements that force you to master different mechanics. You cannot simply grind runs; you have to execute specific strategies to earn these loadouts.
Here are the exact unlock conditions for the five decks:
- The Standard Queue: Unlocked by default. Focuses on clean sequencing and basic Progress.
- The Minted Prism: Clear Cycle 2 with 500+ Money in the bank. Focuses on economy and Shop visits.
- The Tidal Push: Defeat the first Boss Node in under 3 turns. Focuses on heavy Progress and aggro scaling.
- The Shattered Edge: Play 10 Glass cards in a single run. Focuses on pushing the Glass system harder.
- The Deep Reflection: Win a run on Ascension Level 1. Focuses on Energy manipulation and late-game scaling.
If you are struggling to unlock The Minted Prism, avoid the Shop entirely during Cycle 1 and Cycle 2. Rely purely on your base cards to clear Nodes so you can hoard the 500+ Money required. For The Shattered Edge, prioritize drafting any Glass card you see, even if it bloats your deck temporarily, just to hit the 10 Glass Cards quota.
Breakdown of All Starter Decks Glass Hand: Playstyles & Strategies
Understanding the unlock conditions is only half the battle. Piloting these decks requires a deep understanding of their unique rhythms and resource management.
The Standard Queue (Clean Sequencing)
The default deck is exactly what it sounds like: a balanced mix of Progress and Energy cards designed to teach you clean sequencing. Your goal is to build a steady, reliable left-to-right queue without relying on gimmicks.
Because it lacks a specialized engine, The Standard Queue requires you to pivot based on the passive Modules you find after the first Boss Node. If you drop an economy Module, pivot to Shop routing. If you drop a combo Module, start drafting Glass cards. It is the most flexible deck, but also the most reliant on RNG to scale into higher Ascension levels.
The Minted Prism (Focus on Money)
StellaWare balanced the economy in Glass Hand around a simple truth: Money solves problems. The Minted Prism starts with economy-generating cards that allow you to outpace Cycle upkeep purely through wealth.
Your strategy with The Minted Prism is aggressive Shop routing. By hoarding currency early, you can buy out the Shop node, stacking passive Modules that boost your queue without spending Energy. The Economy Engine of this deck relies on visiting Shops for 45% of your total Node choices, ensuring that your Passive Modules (making up the other 55% of your power budget) do the heavy lifting during Boss Nodes.
The Tidal Push (Heavy Progress)
For players who hate stalling, The Tidal Push is pure aggro. It starts with heavy Progress cards that consume massive amounts of Energy but clear early Nodes in a single turn.
The challenge with The Tidal Push is Energy starvation. Because your cards are so expensive, you cannot build long, satisfying card queues. You are relying on short, brutal sequences. To survive past Cycle 3, you must prioritize routing toward Energy upgrades and drafting low-cost utility cards to balance out your heavy hitters.
The Shattered Edge (Pushing the Glass System Harder)
Glass cards extend your queue past the normal Energy limit, helping you build stronger turns, but they have strict placement rules. The Shattered Edge deck is built entirely around this high-risk, high-reward Glass combo system.
The deck starts with the signature Fragile Multiplier card. Placement rules dictate that a Glass card must follow a Progress card in the queue. If you misplay and place the Fragile Multiplier incorrectly, the sequence shatters, leaving you with zero output for the turn. However, if sequenced correctly, the combo multiplier scales exponentially from left to right, allowing you to one-shot Boss Nodes that would otherwise end your run.
The Deep Reflection (Ascension Scaling)
Locked behind an Ascension Level 1 victory, The Deep Reflection is the game's advanced deck. It focuses on Energy manipulation, allowing you to stall turns and build massive, game-ending queues.
This deck is uniquely equipped to handle the modifiers introduced in higher Ascension Progression levels. It starts slow, often taking damage during the first few turns of a Node, but scales infinitely as the queue extends. You must draft defensive utility cards to survive the early setup turns before executing your sequence.
Best Modules for All Starter Decks Glass Hand
Passive Modules are the backbone of any successful run in Glass Hand. Defeating Boss Nodes earns you these permanent upgrades, and pairing the right Module with the right starter deck is the key to victory.
For The Minted Prism, look for the Golden Abacus. It grants bonus combo multipliers based on your current Money, turning your hoarded wealth into direct Progress.
For The Shattered Edge, the Prismatic Lens is mandatory. It removes the placement rules for your first Glass card each turn, drastically reducing the risk of your sequence shattering.
For The Standard Queue and The Deep Reflection, prioritize the Ambient Battery. When you hit a Shop node, you might hesitate to drop 500 Money on a single Passive Module, but the Ambient Battery refunds 1 Energy for every 3 cards in your queue. This allows you to extend your sequence infinitely, pushing your combo multiplier to the max and turning a modest hand into a massive payoff.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can you beat Ascension Level 10 with the default deck? A: Yes, but it is heavily reliant on RNG. You need to secure high-tier passive Modules early to compensate for the deck's lack of built-in scaling. Switching to The Deep Reflection or The Shattered Edge makes high Ascension runs significantly more consistent.
Q: What is the fastest way to farm Money for The Minted Prism unlock? A: Play The Standard Queue on Ascension Level 0. Avoid all Shop nodes in Cycle 1 and Cycle 2, and draft cards that generate flat Money rather than Progress. You should hit the 500+ Money requirement just before the Cycle 2 Boss Node.
Q: How do Glass cards work in the queue? A: Glass cards do not cost Energy, allowing you to extend your queue beyond your normal limits. However, they must be placed according to strict rules (usually immediately following a Progress card). If a Glass card is placed illegally, the queue shatters, and the turn ends immediately.
Q: Are there hidden starter decks in Glass Hand? A: As of the launch build, there are exactly five starter decks. StellaWare has hinted at post-launch content, but currently, unlocking The Deep Reflection is the final progression milestone for loadouts.
The Verdict
Glass Hand elevates the deckbuilding roguelike genre by turning card play into a puzzle of sequencing and flow. Brute-forcing the game with the default deck will only get you so far. By unlocking and mastering the distinct rhythms of the alternate loadouts—especially the economy-driven Minted Prism and the high-risk Shattered Edge—you transition from merely surviving the Cycles to completely breaking the game's combo multiplier. Stop ignoring the unlock conditions, route your runs intentionally, and let the queue do the work.