Monster Train 2 Clans Explained: All 12 Playstyles
Every run starts with the same decision: a primary clan (which supplies your champion) and an allied clan behind it. This page tells you what each of the twelve actually does, what its plan needs, and where to dig deeper — card counts and keywords come straight from the game data.
Two ways to use this page: reading top to bottom gives you the whole roster in five minutes; or jump to a clan you just unlocked, skim its playstyle and signature keywords, then open its hub for the full card list. For how the clans stack up against each other right now, the tier list is the living ranking — this guide is about what each clan is, which changes far less often than where it ranks.
Awoken
Healing supports Rejuvenate triggers; Regen and Spikes reward units that survive repeated hits. Decide which unit receives that support and how the floor will kill large enemies. If your board survives comfortably but leaks tanks, another defensive card is less urgent than a damage source.
42 cards · champions The Sentient and Wyldenten · signature keywords Rejuvenate, Spikes, Regen · open the Awoken hub →
Banished
Movement, Valor and equipment give the Banished several ways to build a carry. Read each Shift and Ascension trigger before moving a unit, then check who becomes the front target on both affected floors. A movement spell can be defense, damage or a trigger enabler depending on the board.
42 cards · champions Fel and Talos · signature keywords Valor, Shift, Melee Weakness · open the Banished hub →
Hellhorned
Choose whether your damage comes from a supported Demon or repeated Imp summons, then draft the protection and summon effects that plan needs. Rage rewards multiple attacks, while Armor can keep a fragile carry alive. An Imp is useful for its trigger even when its printed combat stats are small.
42 cards · champions Hornbreaker Prince and Shardtail Queen · signature keywords Rage, Summon, Armor · open the Hellhorned hub →
Lazarus League
Equipment, Reanimate and experimental units offer several ways to reuse resources. Work out what happens when a unit dies and where its equipment goes before relying on that cycle. Unstable is a specific payoff condition to read carefully, not a general promise that every death is beneficial.
47 cards · champions Baron Grael and Orechi · signature keywords Reanimate, Lifesteal, Unstable · open the Lazarus League hub →
Luna Coven
Mooncycle changes which phase-dependent effects are active. Read Moonlit and Moonshade conditions before committing cards, and check what a phase-changing play enables next. Conduit and spell support can be powerful, but correct ordering matters more than adding a card simply because it mentions the moon.
42 cards · champions Arduhn and Ekka · signature keywords Conduit, Mageblade, Mooncycle · open the Luna Coven hub →
Melting Remnant
Melting Remnant turns deaths into resources through Extinguish, Harvest and Reform. Burnout units have a limited lifetime, so plan how to extend that lifetime or bring them back. Reform requires an effect that performs it: Burnout by itself does not automatically return a dead unit.
42 cards · champions Little Fade and Rector Flicker · signature keywords Burnout, Extinguish, Harvest · open the Melting Remnant hub →
Pyreborne
Dragon's Hoard and Avarice make your economy part of the combat plan. Check whether a payoff needs current Gold, spending or a particular Hoard threshold before shopping. Balance saving for the engine against buying the immediate answer that lets the run reach its next reward.
42 cards · champions Lady Gilda and Lord Fenix · signature keywords Pyregel, Avarice, Cooldown · open the Pyreborne hub →
Railforged
Forge, Smelt and Refined turn cards and machinery into combat resources. Sequence resource generation before the unit or equipment you intend to strengthen, and inspect whether Forge is enabled before spending it. The workshop still needs a way to handle early enemies while its larger payoffs develop.
44 cards · champions Heph and Herzal · signature keywords Burst, Immobile, Armor · open the Railforged hub →
Stygian Guard
Incant units reward spells played on their floor, while Frostbite and spell effects provide other damage routes. Cheap spells can both answer a wave and trigger the board. Keep floor targeting in mind: a spell cast elsewhere may solve an enemy without advancing the Incant floor.
42 cards · champions Solgard the Martyr and Tethys Titansbane · signature keywords Incant, Frostbite, Sap · open the Stygian Guard hub →
Umbra
Morsels feed the front unit, and Gorge rewards that feeding. Position the intended eater correctly and leave room for the food your cards create. A large payoff unit does little without a reliable feeding plan; Ember tools and floor space can be as important as another stat buff.
48 cards · champions Penumbra and Primordium · signature keywords Gorge, Eaten, Emberdrain · open the Umbra hub →
Underlegion
Generated Fun Guys, Propagate and repeated card-play triggers support growing boards. Protect the unit or effect producing the swarm, then check whether your floor needs more bodies, more triggers or stronger attacks. Generated units are part of the plan; they are not all cards you need to draft separately.
42 cards · champions Bolete the Guillotine and Madame Lionsmane · signature keywords Propagate, Decay, Troop · open the Underlegion hub →
Wurmkin
Charged Echoes are a floor resource that can support Inspire, Extract and Egg plans. Keep the generators and consumers on compatible floors. Eggs need their Shell removed before they Hatch; the payoff inherits upgrades and equipment, so a good upgrade can matter before and after hatching.
44 cards · champions Echowright and Spine Chief · signature keywords Hatch, Reap, Inspire · open the Wurmkin hub →
What changes between a primary and allied clan?
The primary clan supplies your champion. Your allied clan broadens the card pool, so its value depends on the jobs your champion and primary cards already cover. The same clan can be a useful ally even when you do not want to build an entire run around its champion.
For example, a carry that already scales its own damage may need Awoken healing or Stygian spell support more than another expensive unit. An equipment plan may instead want the Lazarus League or Railforged card pool. Use the clan combo guide for conditional recommendations, then check the actual draft offers.
Picking your pair
A good pairing covers the primary clan's weakness: stall clans want a finisher, engine clans want early-floor survival, and swarm clans want spells that keep the lanes clear. Test any combination before you commit a run — the deck builder shows the combined card pool, cost curve and keyword overlap for any two clans, and the clan unlock guide covers how to get all 12 clans plus exactly what levelling each one adds to its pool.
Clan questions
Do I need the DLC for all 12 clans?
Railforged requires Destiny of the Railforged. Wurmkin arrived in the accompanying free update; it does not require that purchase. The developer confirms the distinction in its DLC launch announcement. See the full Railforged card list and each clan's unlock requirement.
Which clan should a beginner choose?
Start with an unlocked clan whose key trigger you understand, then choose an ally that fills a gap. Banished makes movement and unit positioning visible early. Learn that interaction in the beginner guide before chasing a tier letter.