Defeating enemies after the Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion DLC is made easy with the Hatchet’s Favorite, a unique ongoing card increasing ranged damage.
Especially when it comes to the early game of Gloomhaven, offense is the best defense. Eliminating enemies swiftly reduces the chance for the AI to inflict massive wounds and debilitating conditions. When it comes to damage, not all classes are made equal in this card-based RPG. With the release of the newest expansion for the digital version of this tabletop game, the Hatchet makes its presence felt with its massive single-target output.
Item choices for this damage-focused class can vary depending on group size, party composition, and personal playstyle. While Potion of Stamina is a powerful pick for any character, a Potion of Power can also be powerful as it can help secure 1-hit kills with the Hatchet’s unique mechanic, The Favorite. The Piercing Bow can also be huge when needing to eliminate a heavily shielded opponent. But as a class-based almost exclusively around damage, players should heavily consider spending their gold on Blessings from the Temple of the Great Oak.
Players new to Gloomhaven may struggle in determining the correct perks to acquire first. With so many options, decision paralysis can be a prevalent factor when leveling up characters. For Hatchet players, these decisions are fairly easy to make. Especially for players spending gold at the Temple of the Great Oak, Consistency is a must choose for the player’s first two perks. Afterwards, the player should choose perks based on what their Guild needs. Mislead, Gouge, and Hack are all large increases to the Hatchet’s damage. Refrain, Stupify, and Numb provide infrequent but welcome crowd control. Players should avoid Gale unless desperate for more Wind infusions, as each point in this perk lowers the probability for a Blessing to be drawn.
Best Starting Cards for the Hatchet in Gloomhaven
Gameplay as the Hatchet class in Gloomhaven revolves around the Hatchet’s The Favorite. Unless desperate for Turn 1 damage because of the encounter’s setup, players should take their turn to use The Favorite (Top) to start their chain of kills. This card gives the Hatchet a one-time +3 to a ranged attack, which also gets doubled by the x2 and blessing modifiers. When an enemy hit by The Favorite’s increased damage dies, the Hatchet can loot The Favorite from the corpse, automatically.
When it comes to card selection the following cards will help players hit the ground running with the Hatchet class.
- The Favorite
- Retrieval
- Close Cuts
- Center Mass
- Stopping Power
- Disorienting Barrage
- Power Pitch
- Second Wind
- Fancy Hat
- Care Package / Double Throw
Double Throw is a powerful class card in Gloomhaven, but new players should beware of its flaws. The card is amazing for chunking the health of powerful elite and boss enemies. When entering a boss fight, players should heavily consider taking it over Care Package. However, both sides of Double Throw are Burned on use, making it inefficient for maintaining stamina throughout an adventure. Players should default to Care Package, swapping it out when they feel the quest warrants the risk of bringing Double Throw.
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is available now for PC.
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