strategy tips

Gloomhaven: Decaying Crypt

David Skelector Actual Play, Boardgame, Fantasy, gloomhaven, Legacy ,

The thing with dead people is that there’s so, soooo many of them. You just can’t take a wrong turn without stumbling upon a crypt. I mean, could they not just disappear or something? If at least they could stay dead dead but then, do they ever? They don’t! The stinking wretches just keep going on… Living Bones, Living Corpses, even Living Spirits. Living Spirit… What the hell does that even mean? Oh well, as long as I can hit them with my axe…

Scenario 6

Goal: Reveal M tile, Kill all revealed monsters

Team: Brute (lvl 4), Elementalist (lvl 5), Soothsinger (lvl 4)

Set difficulty: 3

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The soothsinger’s melody is so angst-filled that even the dead feel depressed…

The soothsinger’s immediate crippling chorus gives us time to prepare. I push the lone living corpse to get it in a perfect cluster for the elementalist’ next attack:

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Soothsinger: “I’ve got first kill! I’ve got first kill!”

We mostly ignore the zombies living corpses that are oozing disgusting fluids everywhere since the elementalist’s ice-spiked them.

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Three more living bones and three living spririts behind in the next room.

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I jump in the middle of the living spirits to slash them with a devastating hack while the elementalist attacks the living bones with a (successful, yay!) chain-lightning.

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Elementalist: “Could you help us finish those, please?” Brute: “I can’t hear ya! There’s too much moanin’ and singin’!”
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Brute: “For the Blood God!”

As I open the next door, a living spirit, a particularly dreadful one, blasts me with a necrotic ray that stuns me. That’s bad. Every damn monster in the room wants a piece of me. When I regain my senses, bleeding from many wounds, I lift my axe one last time and slay a living corpse before falling down on my knees. At least, the Blood God is pleased.

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Elementalist: “Noisy, you’re still here?” Soothsinger: *Hit living bones with his lute* “Yes!”

With so many monsters left, the situation looks dire. But then the elementalist quickly kills 2 living spirits with a spell and then turns his attention to  the stronger one:

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And make it explode!

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soothsinger, 5 rounds later: “I swear, this thing won’t f**cking die!”
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soothsinger: “Unless…”
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(bottom) “Get into this trap will you!”

Frantic lute-playing Victory Tune!

  • We did not reveal the other part of the crypt as there was no need
  • I burned through my cards waaaay too fast this time
  • the lvl 5 elementalist has been very, very efficient and saved the day
  • the soothsinger swamped the monsters in curses, we felt almost invicible, no kidding

Gloomhaven: Ruinous Rift

David Skelector Actual Play, Fantasy, gloomhaven ,

Chronicles of Borborygm the Brute

We must close the rift says Ghost-lady.

-Yah?

-It’s a hole in the fabric of the universe.

-…

-Evil creatures could cross to this world through it.

-Will I get paid?

-I.. I’ll find a way to make it worthwhile to you…

-I’m in!

Scenario 27

Goal: Protect Hail for 10 turns

Team: Brute (lvl 4), Elementalist (lvl 5), Soothsinger (lvl 4)

Set difficulty: 3

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(turn 2) Lets stir up the hornet’s nest…
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(turn 3) Is that it?
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(turn 4) ahh now we’re talking
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(turn 5) sun demon 2x damage OUCH!
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(turn 6) arent’ we a bit crowded now?
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(turn 7) dumbass flame demon puts a trap
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(turn 8) Brute: piercing battle-axe (huh?)
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(turn 9) Brute: “the Blood God is pleased, last round for me!”
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(turn 10) soothsinger: “crippling chorus for the win!“
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Elementalist: “I’ll jump head first into the spike trap and see what happens…”
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Soothsinger: *singing*” The demons are sucked in! Everyone’s dyin’. But me, I’m still standin’!”

Frantic lute-playing victory tune!

  • should not have put gold coins, the demons are spawns
  • the soothsinger’s crowd control did a lot for the last few rounds
  • the elementalist was unlucky again with his chain-lightning, needs eagle-eye goggle?
  • the elementalist commited suicide (sort-of) to help the soothsinger’s Life Goal…
  • we did a good job to protect Hail, she was attacked one time (or two?) and did not took any damage with the help of the soothsinger’s disorienting dirge

Gloomhaven: Forgotten Crypt

David Skelector Actual Play, Boardgame, Fantasy, gloomhaven ,

The Chronicles of Borborygm the Brute.

Okay scribbler, do your thing.

I left my tribe… What? Yeah Okay Fine. I was kicked out of my tribe- longstorydontask- and now I give strength of my arms for payment. I am Mer-Cy-Na-Ry. Got that?

Okay so nobody wants lone Inox, too troublesomy they say, so I found lil’ fellows to be reaver-band with. One a Quaetryl, his name Noisy Lucky-Charm. The other, a Savvas, name  Rainbow Poof.

No, not true names you dimwit. Names I give. Suitable names.

Now understand that is first mission for me. One day I be Hero-Chief. But before that, lots of work, lots of killing and many scars to appease the Blood God .

But now first mission is us three walking with Ghost-Lady to bone-collecting place. She wants to find a magic censer that someone stupidly left there because they’re dead.

We have to protect Ghost-Lady , her dead means a bad name for us, the lil’ fellows tell me. Best way to do it? Kill everything in the way!

Scenario 19

Goal: Protect Hail

Team: Brute (lvl 4), Elementalist (lvl 4), Soothsinger (lvl 4)

Set difficulty: 2

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Where’s the Elementalist? Huh. Could you wait a moment please?
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Brute: “Pssstt… I’ll rush forward and skewer the 2 gloomy-stabbies with one thrust!” Cultist: “We’re right there, we can hear you…”
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Soothsinger: dliiiing dliiiing dliiiing “two coins for me”
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Soothsinger: “and two moooore!” Brute: “wut? leave some for Borborygm you lil’ bugger!”

Rainbow Poof opens the third room and wants to roast his foes with lightning but all  he gets is a feeble spark (3 curses for his Chain-Lightning!).We all laughed at that, everybody, except annoyed Rainbow Poof…

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Soothsinger to Hail: “Don’t worry, I’m here!” *adjusts his lute*

As me and Rainbow Poof fight Dead-Fleshies,  Ghost-Lady is a little behind and  followed close by the non-living. Noisy Lucky-Charm says he will protect her: “I will change tempo suddenly and the monsters will be immobilized”. I mean, what the hell, but it worked…

I push a dead-fleshy into a trap as Rainbow Poof blasts the other with magic and the way is clear for the altar room.

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Soothsinger: “there’s too many of them!” Brute: “the Blood God will be pleased”

My battle-axe cuts great chunks of dead flesh and Rainbow Poof joins the fun as fire spews forth from his fingers toward the baddies.

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Hail finally gets to the altar and takes Stonecrusher’s censer

Frantic lute-playing Victory Tune!

  • this escort mission was a lot of fun, nice change of pace
  • the soothsinger stacked our decks with bless cards and cursed the monster’s: incredibly useful
  • I did A LOT of damage with those bless and could kill elite living-corpses easily
  • his main song, his level 4 card, gives disadvantage to all attacks from the monsters, that’s amazingly strong
  • at one point we considered doing more vs the monsters behind but we didn’t (except the soothsinger a little) and it proved unnecessary
  • I have to be exhausted for my new Life Goal, I did it but we had to block Hail for 2 rounds (to get the treasure too)
  • the soothsinger looted 9 coins the greedy bastard :p

Gloomhaven: Frozen Hollow

David Skelector Actual Play, Boardgame, Fantasy, gloomhaven ,

As the Cragheart and I are discussing our upcoming retirement, it came to our attention that we will be remembered mostly as thieves and murderers. In a last-ditch effort to help our successors disentangle the mess we’ve created, we thought it would be a good idea to finally get some advice. Or rather, a sage in town will give us information if we go retrieve some kind of magic orb for her. So here we are, at the frozen hollow…

Scenario 14

Goal: Kill all monsters

Team: Cragheart (lvl 6), Elementalist (lvl 4), Spellweaver (lvl 6)

Set difficulty: 4

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I remembered the hounds (from the diamond mine) to be faster that I could ever be and planned my actions accordingly but, maybe those are a little stiff from the cold or something, they weren’t fast at all.

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Spellweaver: “Get up you lazy mutts, my plan depends on it!”

We had to get to them, how inconvenient. Well a Chromatic Explosion ought to wake them up a little! The Elementalist gleefully syphon away elements to craft his own powerful magic and he too blast away.

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The Cragheart bullies the hounds a little while I try my newly acquired Living Torch on those hard-to-hit living spirits. My attack is blessed by the gods and one wraith disappears permanently and the other is damaged.

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Cragheart: “RaaAaah, you icicles will serve the purpose of my battle goal nicely!”

Our tanky Cragheart left us with two hounds as he gets further in the lair. One hound, that just wouldn’t die (damn curses), savaged the hell out of me before the Elementalist finally killed the vicious beast.

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A Song of Ice and Fire and Boulders

Meanwhile, the Cragheart has astutely created a blocus with boulders, but he took a few big hits nonetheless. I hurry myself to patch him up and also summon my Burning Avatar to melt those dangerous frost demons.

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Once again Craggy is on the move and he opens the final area, revealing 2 hounds, 1 Elite frost demon and 4 living spirits.

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He manages to slay 3 living spirits, but the hounds attack him and are relentless.

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Cragheart: “Must… Lay… Down…”

Well it’s up to the squishy duo to finish the damn thing, isn’t it? The 3 remaining monsters offers me a straight line for my Impaling Eruption, killing the hound and softening up the frost demon, and yet more with a Flame Strike.

The living spirit is impervious to my attacks but the Elementalist jumps in and Chain-Lightn… 

-No, no, wait, says he, I can’t do that… I need time to loot the treasure!

Halfassed Chain Lightning!

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With only one monster left, it’s now officially time for treasure-hunting! It takes a while, as the Elementalist has to step into a stun-trap to get it while being pursued (albeit slowly)  by the frost demon. As for me, I’m smoking a cigarette in the back, of course.

Victory!

  • We played this scenario at hard difficulty (by mistake) and we managed to win. Now, we’ll see how it goes with 2 new characters next session…
  • Hounds and Frosties have retaliate, better to have good ranged attacks (or a lot of hp)
  • Living spirits with 3 or 4 shield (but low hp) can be hard to deal with. I used my piercing bow with the first 2. Fortunately, the Cragheart was here for the 4 in last room.
  • Speaking of which, the Cragheart was an all-around efficient and versatile character, in Math’s hands at least. We’ll miss him.

Gloomhaven: Temple of the Elements

David Skelector Actual Play, Fantasy, gloomhaven ,

Killing the Colorless in the Temple of the Eclipse has boosted our confidence and we’d decided to try our luck at retrieving a powerful artifact from yet another temple.

Scenario 22

Goal: Destroy the 4 altars

Team: Cragheart (lvl 5), Elementalist (lvl 3), Spellweaver (lvl 5)

Set difficulty: 3

The altars are as far to each other as possible and each one gives strength to the temple’s demonic guardians (with 4 altars: +4 hp, +4 att, +2 mov, +2 range). As if demons weren’t dangerous enough…

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But demons aren’t the only inhabitants, there are pesky cultists too.

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If they’re not very dangerous by themselves, we can’t leave them alive as they can quickly fill the place with an army of summoned living bones. However, with the situation mostly in control in the center, I decide to open a first altar room. And if that isn’t 2 Flame Demons, right there!? Even more powerful than usual with the altars’ power. Well dammit, I hurl fire orbs at them and I’m not messing around: piercing bow, eagle-eye goggles, minor power potion; with a satisfying result (6 and 8 to FDs and 5 to altar).

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Spellweaver: “Burn FLAME DEMON! Huh, as long as it works I guess…”

I lose 2 hp because of the annoying ranged retaliate, which bypasses my frost armor. The Cragheart throws a boulder and finish one Flame Demon. He kills the remaining cultists with the Elementalist, who then moved to open the treasure chest but all he got is a magical explosion in his face.

The two then go to the next (upper left) room while I finished cleaning the room I’m in. They find a lone but dangerous (very rangy) Wind Demon. The Cragheart deals with it, as the Elementalist briefly helps me in the third room occupied by a Frost Demon.

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There’s two Earth Demons in the last room. The Elementalist is exhausted but the Cragheart is fooling around to get more xp. I indulge him before finally destroying the last altar.

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The artifact is retrieved and… is sad. No, really, it is. But it’s not our fault (this time!) as it has been corrupted by evil, and being kinda sentient, well, it knows it… So, uh, that’s not very useful to us but, hey…

Victory!

  • The cultists must be dealt with as quick as possible.
  • The demons are not numerous but very lethal in this scenario, cards to prevent damage are incredibly useful.
  • Splitting the party is necessary at some point.
  • I brought 2 AoE (out of 4) and it was enough.

Gloomhaven: Temple of the Eclipse – second attempt

David Skelector Actual Play, Boardgame, Fantasy, gloomhaven ,

We’ve recently avenged our defeat at the hand of the city’s guards military’s lackeys. Triumphant, we now aim at correcting another setback, less our reputation stays tarnished forever…

Scenario 81

Goal: Kill the Colorless

Team: Cragheart (lvl 5), Elementalist (lvl 3), Spellweaver (lvl 5)

Set difficulty: 3

Taking out the demons… Huh, can’t remember for the life of me what we did exactly in the first room. I know we took our time, like 4 rounds, but without spending “loss” cards and we rested before opening next room’s door, knowing what we’d find behind.

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Die! You moderately inconvenient demons!
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Spellweaver (for the seventh time): “Now, remember what we said. We jump over them.” Elementalist: “Not even a lil’ chain-lightning?” SW: “No! No attacks! Just jump dammit!”

I used my ride the wind to go all the way up to the 3 ancient artillery. They happily fire in my face but, no worries,  my frost armor deflects the cannon balls! The Cragheart has a moment of self-doubt as for once the Mindthief isn’t there to convince him that he too can move fast…

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Stone Golem: “Give me 4 more rounds and I’ll get you!”

Time to boast!

Spellweaver: “It worked! I told you it would work, didn’t I!

Cragheart: “Yeah, yeah, shut up already.”

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Ahhh we’ll miss the Cragheart’s boulders when he’ll retire…
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Actually, we should be called “colorless”, not him!

Half-remembered Victory!

  • Did I mention that jumping over the stone golems was my idea? :p
  • I  used the bottom of my 5th lvl chromatic explosion to help the Elementalist, but I was sad that I did not play the top (infuse all elements at once)
  • The Elementalist got exhausted  first again, he needs to buy energy drinks!
  • I used the bottom of Frost Armor for the first time and I liked the feeling of not worrying if I’d get attacked.

Gloomhaven: Abandonned Sewers

David Skelector Actual Play, Boardgame, Fantasy, gloomhaven ,

By now we have many adventuring threads open to us but the Mindthief have his own idea what we should do next.  Frowning, he whispers: “abandonned sewers“.

His “enthusiasm” is contagious:

-It sounds like a wonderful place!

-I heard it’s full of riches!

-Let’s skip breakfast and go at once!

Scenario 18

Goal: Kill everything

Cragheart (level 4), Elementalist (level 3), Mindthief (level 4), Spellweaver (level 4)

Difficulty: 2

Entry

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Indeed, a wonderful place…

Those aren’t big fat turds with fangs (sorry Math!), no! They’re Giant Vipers…

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There’s a whole lot of them and oozes in the back.

The vipers aren’t very threatening, they don’t do a lot of damage, but they poison as a basic feature. The oozes, surprisingly, are range attackers, very slow, and they sometimes summon more of their kind (they seem to have a few of those cards in their deck).

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Water and the Cragheart’s boulders stop the spreading of the oozes
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With an Elementalist, a Cragheart and a Spellweaver, numerous, low hp monsters, are easy to deal with…

I open the second door and flings fire orbs at yet more giant vipers, killing the nearest and damaging 2 others. The Mindthief then takes on him to protect me.

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Vipers, oozes and vermlings are all friendly roommates

The Cragheart moves fast (for a plodding rock-person) and throws a devastating boulder attack unstable upheaval, killing 2 vipers and an ooze and damaging some more.

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Cragheart: “Cleaning time!”
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tis’  a boulder attack!
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The Mindthief doesn’t care for his own safety when he has the opportunity to kill his own kind

The Mindthief badly misjudge the ability of his hated foes to deliver damage and pays in blood. I try to help the Mindthief without stealing his kills, with a low damage forked beam, but I picked 2 good attack cards and ended up killing 2 vermlings instead… (sorry Dubs!)

The Cragheart did a LOT in the second room but he’s now near exhaustion.

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The Elementalist is bolder than we thought, or… Elementalist: “cloak of invisibility!”

The third and final room features a cistern in the middle, more vermlings and a strategically-placed Wall of Oozes. The Elementalist begs for elements. When he does it, this can only means….

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Elementalist: “SUPER-CHARGED CHAIN-LIGHTNING!”

He zaps the hell out of the oozes, inflicting a whopping 19 damage (total) to 4 targets!

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Blocking the summons again.

I do an Icy Blast to further soften the oozes, They then try to split but only one have the space. The Mindthief and Cragheart are out but there’s not much left to do at this point, so no worries.

Except for the battle goals…. (Damn, this feature of the game can be annoying at times)

I need to be at 2 hp or less at the end of scenario to succeed. As for the Elementalist, he needs to kill 5 enemies (which I don’t know at this point). I want to be hit by the last remaining ooze. He wants to kill it so he has his last kill. Confusion ensued, bickering and… we both failed our battle goals…

Oh well…

Victory nonetheless!

  • this was an easy one, for a team like ours at least
  • the ooze’s deck was very well-timed for us all along
  • the Mindthief killed 4 vermlings (4/15) for his Life Goal
  • blocking the summoning oozes was super efficient
  • we left a ton of coins on the map
  • the treasure is a nice addition for the Elementalist