I think it has to do with the item chance nerf. I have been experiencing the same thing and lack of potions is definitely a contributing factor. Even at 800% item chance the loot is noticably less then the 400% cap in the last version. To make matters worse, less potions means it takes longer to raise your item chance.
Yowza. I mean, I appreciate that there's no longer a runaway point around round 225 where the game becomes extremely easy, but it also means around round 200 the game is basically shutting down single decks.
Well, yeah of course it got much harder due to the itemdrop change but i personally appreciate it.
Right now, the TD feels rather new, you have to try new things, new tactics and can't run the same builds that worked 95% of the time before.
Know whats annoying? If you play pure green and have to restart 10 times and always, the first item reroll gets a friggn Handbag!
But well, i do know for sure, that single Decks are absolutely possible and viable, but hero pick matters much more early on then before.
Before it was like: Wanna do daily? Well get the horadric mage! Fast strong items and then just let it run.
Wanna try to get a highscore? Take the knight!
Now it is like:
Want to go single Metro? Jester!
Want to go single Black? Horadric!
Want to go green? Get rekt! Knight time.
Why different heroes?
Metro needs luck to generate money faster to get to scarface.
Black needs rather strong items fast, in addition to the Greed Acos, it works out rather fine.
Well, green got badass starting towers, push dmg and dande can carry easy 20 waves right off the bat (excluding fast units and challange)
If you got loan shark, try to go instant holgar if you got the level for it... wonder how that works out.
Or if you go for Black Widow right away, if thats even possible... should be a nice exp bonus if you manage to kill the waves... i mean 2exp/kill is an INCREDIBLE boost...
Now, having a 10k scoreboard time is quite a good thing. even 5k. But before the update everything below 20k wasn't even competetive.
So yes, i appreciate the changes and try to get used to them. OF course it does mean to fail quite often. But thats the fun with mazebert, it always changes. The random spawn do have much more impact then before. What tower you get too... There are more possible options to get to the late game, besides Holgar meadfactory...
Funny, for Darkness I've been decided between Prince Lycaon (Critical) and Windemare (Speed). I lost most of my unlocks a month back from switching phones.