gloomhaven
by Samuel James in
Dungeons & Dragons

Welcome to the definitive guide for Gloomhaven, the game that has taken the board game community by storm. This sprawling fantasy epic throws you into a world filled with monsters, magic, and mayhem. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran looking for new strategies or a newcomer setting foot in this daunting universe, this guide is your go-to resource.

Why You Should Read This Guide

  • Expert Analysis: We break down each character’s strengths and weaknesses.
  • Strategic Depth: Learn how to form the best combos and master your game.
  • Character-Specific Guides: From Brute to Beastmaster, we’ve got you covered.

So, sit back and grab your favorite gaming snack. We’re diving deep into the world of Gloomhaven, and you won’t want to miss a thing. What’s next? We’re exploring every character in detail, offering key strategies and combos to elevate your gameplay.

Brute

Ah, the Brute! The muscle of Gloomhaven. If you like being on the front lines, soaking up damage, and dishing it right back, the Brute is your guy. But don’t be fooled; this class is more than just a meat shield.

Character Overview

The Brute is a versatile warrior class that excels in both offense and defense. Equipped with a wide array of powerful abilities, the Brute can switch from tanking to dealing damage effortlessly. He’s the jack-of-all-trades in a game that rewards specialization.

Key Features

  • High Health Pool: Survivability is your middle name.
  • Versatile Abilities: Switch between offense and defense on the fly.
  • Crowd Control: Abilities to stun, push, and immobilize.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
High survivabilityLimited range
Versatile abilitiesHeavy reliance on items
Effective crowd controlNot specialized in any role

Key Strategies

  • Tank and Spank: Use your high health pool to absorb hits while your team deals the damage.
  • Control the Battlefield: Utilize your crowd control abilities to shape enemy movements.
  • Adapt and Overcome: Don’t get stuck in one role. Adapt to the needs of your team.
  • Shield Bash + Leaping Cleave: Stun an enemy and then follow up with a heavy-hitting AoE attack.
  • Provoking Roar + Skewer: Disarm an enemy and then hit multiple foes in a line.

This isn’t a one-trick pony. The Brute can fill many roles depending on what your team needs. Just remember, versatility is your greatest asset. Use it well, and you’ll be the hero your team deserves.

Tinkerer

Meet the Tinkerer, Gloomhaven’s resident inventor and utility expert. If you’re the kind of player who enjoys a Swiss Army knife approach to problem-solving, then the Tinkerer is your perfect match. This class offers a broad toolkit that goes far beyond mere damage dealing.

Character Overview

The Tinkerer is a support class with a twist. From healing abilities to crowd control, the Tinkerer can adapt to almost any situation. This character thrives when you’re thinking two steps ahead, planning not just for yourself but for your entire team.

Key Features

  • Healing Powers: Best in-game healing abilities.
  • Gadgets Galore: From turrets to traps, you’ve got a tool for every job.
  • Crowd Control: Stuns, immobilizes, and more!

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent healingLow direct damage
Versatile toolkitComplex to master
Strong crowd controlLimited self-sustain

Key Strategies

  • Healer Extraordinaire: Keep your teammates in top shape with your powerful healing abilities.
  • Tool Time: Use your traps and gadgets to control the battlefield.
  • Utility Belt: You’re not the main damage dealer. Focus on enabling your teammates to shine.
  • Harmless Contraption + Restorative Mist: Set up a healing turret and then amplify its effects.
  • Ink Bomb + Stun Shot: AOE damage and a stun? Yes, please!

The Tinkerer is all about options. You can heal, you can control, and you can even dish out a bit of damage when needed. The key is to know when to do what. Read the room, adapt your strategy, and watch as your Swiss Army knife of a character turns the tide of battle.

Spellweaver

Welcome to the realm of the Spellweaver, where magic reigns supreme. If you’re drawn to the arcane and get a thrill from wielding powerful spells, then the Spellweaver is your go-to choice. This class is all about high-risk, high-reward gameplay.

Character Overview

The Spellweaver is Gloomhaven’s primary spellcasting class. With a focus on elemental magic, she can unleash devastating attacks, but at the cost of limited card availability. Mastering this class involves a fine balance between risk and reward.

Key Features

  • Elemental Magic: Leverage elements to empower your spells.
  • High Damage: Capable of devastating AoE attacks.
  • Reviving Ether: Unique ability to recover lost cards.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
High AoE damageFragile
Elemental synergyLimited longevity
Card recoveryRequires planning

Key Strategies

  • Elemental Juggling: Time your spells to create and use elements effectively.
  • Burst Damage: Save your powerful spells for crucial moments.
  • Resource Management: Use Reviving Ether wisely to maximize your longevity.
  • Fire Orbs + Mana Bolt: Use Fire Orbs to deal AoE damage and create a Fire element, then follow up with an empowered Mana Bolt.
  • Cold Fire + Reviving Ether: Freeze and burn enemies with Cold Fire, then refresh your spent cards with Reviving Ether.

The Spellweaver is not for the faint of heart. She requires careful planning and a good understanding of elemental interactions. But if you play your cards right (pun intended), you’ll be an elemental force to be reckoned with.

Scoundrel

Step into the shadows with the Scoundrel, Gloomhaven’s master of stealth and dirty tricks. If you enjoy a gameplay style that revolves around high single-target damage and exploiting enemy weaknesses, then the Scoundrel is your kind of character.

Character Overview

The Scoundrel is a rogue-like class, specialized in dealing massive damage to isolated targets. She thrives when she can pick off enemies one by one, especially when catching them off guard. This class is all about positioning and timing.

Key Features

  • High Single-Target Damage: Aim for the weak spots.
  • Mobility: Dart in and out of combat with ease.
  • Loot Abilities: Get rich or die tryin’.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent single-target damagePoor AoE capabilities
Great mobilityReliant on positioning
Loot-focused abilitiesLimited self-sustain

Key Strategies

  • Pick Your Battles: Choose isolated targets for maximum damage output.
  • Hit and Run: Use your high mobility to engage and disengage at will.
  • Loot Like a Pro: Don’t forget to use your loot abilities to gather resources.
  • Backstab + Smoke Bomb: Use Backstab for high damage, then disappear with Smoke Bomb.
  • Single Out + Quick Hands: Mark a target for extra damage, then swiftly eliminate them.

The Scoundrel is all about seizing the opportunity. Whether it’s picking off a straggling enemy or nabbing that treasure chest, timing and positioning are everything. Master those, and you’ll be the rogue hero every party needs.

Cragheart

Welcome to the rugged world of the Cragheart, a class that’s as tough as the rocks it manipulates. If you enjoy a blend of tanking, area control, and a bit of damage on the side, then the Cragheart will feel like home.

Character Overview

The Cragheart is a unique blend of a tank and a ranged damage dealer, with a sprinkle of support. This class controls the battlefield by manipulating obstacles and terrain, making it a strategic choice for those who love to think ahead.

Key Features

  • Terrain Manipulation: Create and destroy obstacles at will.
  • Ranged Attacks: Who says tanks can’t hit from a distance?
  • Self-Sustain: Built like a rock, hard to break.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Versatile playstyleComplex to master
Strong area controlLimited mobility
Self-sustainFriendly fire risk

Key Strategies

  • Control the Space: Use obstacles to funnel enemies or protect allies.
  • Long-Range Tank: Use your ranged attacks to contribute even when you’re not on the front lines.
  • Sustain is Key: Leverage your self-sustain abilities to stay in the fight longer.
  • Rock Slide + Rumbling Advance: Create obstacles and then use them to deal damage as you move.
  • Dirt Tornado + Backup Ammunition: Apply a broad area of effect and then double the fun with extra ranged attacks.

The Cragheart offers a different take on the tank archetype, blending offense and defense in a unique package. It’s not just about soaking damage; it’s about shaping the battlefield to your advantage.

Mindthief

Prepare to bend reality and minds with the Mindthief, Gloomhaven’s psychic powerhouse. If you’re captivated by manipulating enemies and employing mind games, the Mindthief will tick all your boxes.

Character Overview

The Mindthief is a melee damage dealer with a psychic twist. This class has the unique ability to control enemies, making them act against their own interests. It’s a class that rewards cunning and a deep understanding of enemy behavior.

Key Features

  • Mind Control: Turn enemies into unwitting allies.
  • High Melee Damage: Pack a psychic punch.
  • Augments: Modify your abilities on the fly.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent crowd controlFragile
High single-target damageRequires forethought
Versatile augmentsLimited ranged options

Key Strategies

  • Get Inside Their Heads: Use mind control to neutralize threats or turn enemies against each other.
  • Strike Hard, Strike Fast: Your high melee damage makes you a formidable opponent up close.
  • Adaptive Gameplay: Use augments to adapt to changing battlefield conditions.
  • The Mind’s Weakness + Perverse Edge: Use this augment for increased damage, then stun your target to keep them in place.
  • Scurry + Into the Night: Dash into combat, deal damage, and then become invisible to avoid counterattacks.

The Mindthief is for players who enjoy the psychological aspects of battle. Your ability to control and predict enemy actions will be your greatest asset. Master that, and you’ll be the puppet master of any Gloomhaven campaign.

Sunkeeper

Radiate glory with the Sunkeeper, Gloomhaven’s virtuous champion. If you’re into a gameplay style that mixes tanking, buffing allies, and smiting foes with celestial power, then the Sunkeeper will light your way.

Character Overview

The Sunkeeper is a righteous warrior with a focus on team support and damage mitigation. This class thrives when leading from the front, bolstering allies with buffs while absorbing incoming damage.

Key Features

  • Holy Light: Use light elements to empower your abilities.
  • Team Buffs: Make your allies shine as bright as you do.
  • Front-Line Fighter: Built to take hits and keep going.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent team buffsLimited ranged options
High survivabilityReliant on light element
Versatile playstyleComplexity in resource management

Key Strategies

  • Be the Beacon: Your presence should empower your team. Use buffs wisely to enhance your allies.
  • Light it Up: Manage the light element effectively to fuel your most potent abilities.
  • Hold the Line: With your high survivability, you’re the wall between your enemies and your weaker allies.
  • Hammer Blow + Defensive Stance: Unleash a devastating attack and then shift into a defensive mode to absorb incoming damage.
  • Dazzling Charge + Mobilizing Axiom: Heal your allies while charging into the fray, then give them an extra turn to capitalize on your support.

The Sunkeeper is a class that takes the concept of a “support tank” to celestial heights. You’re not just there to take hits; you’re there to make everyone around you better. Your light doesn’t just shine; it illuminates the path for your entire team.

Quartermaster

Stock up on strategy and supplies with the Quartermaster, Gloomhaven’s ultimate resource manager. If you find joy in optimizing, planning, and ensuring your team is always at its best, the Quartermaster is your go-to class.

Character Overview

The Quartermaster specializes in item and resource management, providing a unique blend of support and utility. This class is perfect for players who love to think several turns ahead and set up combos that pay off big.

Key Features

  • Item Mastery: Get the most out of your inventory.
  • Resource Management: Allocate and optimize for the long game.
  • Strategic Support: Your moves set the stage for future turns.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent resource managementComplexity level
Versatile support optionsLimited direct damage
Long-term planningRequires team coordination

Key Strategies

  • Supply Chain: Keep track of team resources and allocate them efficiently.
  • Strategic Setup: Your actions might not pay off immediately, but they set the stage for bigger things.
  • Be the Backbone: You may not be the star player, but you make everyone better.
  • Scroll of Recall + Reinforced Steel: Use the scroll to refresh an important spent item, then make all your items indestructible for a round.
  • Oversized Pack + Continual Supply: Increase your item carrying capacity and then refill spent items for sustained utility.

The Quartermaster may not be the flashiest class in Gloomhaven, but it’s one of the most rewarding for those who love to think ahead. Proper planning and efficient resource management will turn you into the team’s MVP, even if you’re not always in the spotlight.

Summoner

Unleash your magical menagerie with the Summoner, Gloomhaven’s master of conjuration. If you’re fascinated by the idea of controlling a host of minions to do your bidding, then the Summoner is your dream come true.

Character Overview

The Summoner is a unique class focused on calling forth a variety of creatures to aid in battle. Each summon serves a specific role, from dealing damage to soaking up hits, giving the Summoner unparalleled tactical depth.

Key Features

  • Summon Minions: A variety of creatures to suit every situation.
  • Strategic Depth: Each summon offers new tactical options.
  • Team Support: Your minions can support in ways you can’t.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Tactical versatilityComplexity
Team supportFragility
High damage potentialRequires advance planning

Key Strategies

  • Summon Smart: Not all minions are suitable for every scenario. Choose wisely.
  • Tactical Deployment: Position your summons to maximize their utility.
  • Plan Ahead: Your minions take a turn to summon; make sure you’re setting up for future success.
  • Shadow Wolves + Bonded Might: Summon multiple wolves and then boost their attack power.
  • Void Eaters + Conjured Aid: Summon a void eater to absorb hits, then heal it to keep it in the game.

The Summoner offers a completely different Gloomhaven experience. You’re not just a hero; you’re a commander, directing a team of summoned allies. It’s like playing chess, where each piece has its own unique abilities and roles.

Nightshroud

Step into the enigmatic world of the Nightshroud, Gloomhaven’s elusive shadow mage. If you’re intrigued by stealth, assassination, and manipulating darkness, this class will captivate you.

Character Overview

The Nightshroud is a specialized class that thrives on utilizing dark elements to execute powerful attacks. Designed for players who like a strategic yet bursty playstyle, this class offers a unique set of challenges and rewards.

Key Features

  • Darkness Affinity: Harness the power of the dark element.
  • Stealth Abilities: Become invisible to evade or prepare devastating attacks.
  • High Burst Damage: When you strike, you strike hard.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent burst damageReliant on dark element
Stealth mechanicsLimited team support
Element manipulationComplexity in resource management

Key Strategies

  • Shadow Play: Maintain a supply of dark elements to fuel your most powerful abilities.
  • Strike from the Shadows: Use your invisibility to set up devastating ambushes.
  • Burst is Best: Your damage comes in spikes. Time them well to eliminate key threats.
  • Cloak of Shade + Grim Sustenance: Become invisible and then unleash a powerful, life-draining attack.
  • Eclipsing Skies + Black Knife: Generate a dark element and then capitalize with a multi-target assassination.

Special Section: Nightshroud Combos

  • Shadow Kill + Consuming Void: This combo allows you to eliminate a normal enemy in one turn, provided you have a dark element handy.
  • Eternal Night + Soulfire: Keep the dark element flowing and then use it to immobilize and damage multiple enemies.

The Nightshroud offers a gameplay experience filled with cunning and deadly precision. Mastering this class is all about understanding the flow of dark elements and executing your strategies at the perfect moment.

Plagueherald

Unleash pandemonium with the Plagueherald, Gloomhaven’s harbinger of doom and disease. If you revel in debilitating your foes with status effects and area control, then the Plagueherald is your twisted cup of tea.

Character Overview

The Plagueherald is a unique class that focuses on applying negative conditions to enemies. From poison to curses, this class excels at weakening foes over time, making them easy pickings for your allies.

Key Features

  • Status Effects: A walking arsenal of debuffs.
  • Area Control: Shape the battlefield with poisonous clouds and traps.
  • Team Synergy: You make everyone else’s job easier.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent debuffsLow direct damage
Strong area controlSquishy
High team synergyComplexity

Key Strategies

  • Debuff Central: Your primary role is to debilitate enemies. Focus on that.
  • Set the Stage: Use your area control to manipulate enemy movement.
  • Team Player: You may not be the star, but you’re the supporting act that everyone needs.
  • Stinging Cloud + Virulent Strain: Create a poisonous area and then spread the poison to other enemies.
  • Paralyzing Bite + Epidemic: Immobilize a target and then spread the condition to others.

The Plagueherald is not for players who want to be in the spotlight. You’re the puppet master, pulling strings from the shadows. Your debuffs set up your team for the kill, and your area control can turn the tide of any battle.

Berserker

Unchain your inner beast with the Berserker, Gloomhaven’s relentless fury incarnate. If you live for the thrill of close-quarters combat and thrive when you’re teetering on the edge, the Berserker will fuel your adrenaline.

Character Overview

The Berserker is a melee damage dealer that thrives on risk and reward. The lower your health, the more devastating your attacks become. This class is all about toeing the line between power and peril.

Key Features

  • Risk and Reward: More damage as your health drops.
  • Melee Specialist: Up close and personal is how you like it.
  • Self-Sustain: Abilities to heal and stay in the fight.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
High damage potentialRisky playstyle
Good self-sustainLimited ranged options
Thrives under pressureRequires careful management

Key Strategies

  • Live on the Edge: Your power grows as your health diminishes. Use this to your advantage.
  • Sustain and Gain: Utilize your self-healing abilities to maintain that sweet spot of high risk and high reward.
  • Smash, Don’t Dash: You’re not built for hit-and-run; you’re built for smashing faces.
  • Blood Pact + Resolute Stand: Lower your health for a damage boost and then unleash a devastating attack.
  • Break the Chains + Fatal Fury: Clear adjacent enemies and then focus on a single target for massive damage.

The Berserker is a class for those who love to walk the tightrope of danger. Your abilities push you to the limit, but the payoff is oh-so-sweet. Master the art of risk and reward, and you’ll become an unstoppable force on any Gloomhaven battlefield.

Soothsinger

Strike a chord with the Soothsinger, Gloomhaven’s melodic maestro. If you love the idea of supporting your team through the power of song, casting buffs, and debuffs like a rockstar, then the Soothsinger will be music to your ears.

Character Overview

The Soothsinger is a unique support class focused on enhancing allies and hindering enemies through a repertoire of songs and melodies. Versatility is the name of the game, as you adapt your playlist to the needs of your team.

Key Features

  • Songs and Melodies: A unique set of buffs and debuffs.
  • High Versatility: Adapt your strategy to fit the situation.
  • Crowd Control: From immobilization to disarmament, you control the flow.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent team buffsLow direct damage
High versatilityComplexity
Effective crowd controlLimited self-sustain

Key Strategies

  • Set the Tempo: Choose your songs based on team needs and battlefield conditions.
  • Control the Crowd: Use your crowd control abilities to manipulate enemy actions.
  • Adapt and Overcome: Your versatility makes you a wildcard. Use it to your advantage.
  • Echoing Aria + Provoke Terror: Enhance your allies’ attacks and then disarm enemies to mitigate damage.
  • Soothing Lullaby + Wistful Wounding: Heal your team over time while applying a persistent wound effect to enemies.

The Soothsinger is the ultimate team player. Your role isn’t about stealing the spotlight; it’s about setting the stage for everyone else to shine. With your melodies, you’ll turn the tide of battle and have your allies singing your praises.

Doomstalker

Take aim with the Doomstalker, Gloomhaven’s lethal marksman. If you enjoy tactical positioning and precision strikes from a distance, the Doomstalker will be your deadly companion.

Character Overview

The Doomstalker is a ranged damage dealer with a unique mechanic: the ability to “doom” enemies, marking them for various effects. Whether you’re looking for high single-target damage or specialized crowd control, this class offers a unique skill set.

Key Features

  • Doom Mechanic: Mark enemies for various debilitating or damaging effects.
  • Ranged Precision: Long-range attacks with high damage potential.
  • Tactical Gameplay: Positioning and timing are critical.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
High single-target damageLimited AoE capabilities
Excellent crowd controlRequires tactical positioning
Unique Doom mechanicComplexity level

Key Strategies

  • Mark for Death: Use your doom abilities wisely to control the battlefield or eliminate key targets.
  • Stay Back: You’re a sniper, not a brawler. Keep your distance.
  • Tactical Positioning: Your effectiveness depends on your location. Choose it carefully.
  • Rain of Arrows + Expose: Place a trap with Rain of Arrows and then mark an enemy with Expose to force them into it.
  • Detonation + Wild Command: Doom an enemy with Detonation and then use Wild Command to force them into a group, triggering an explosion.

Special Section: Doomstalker Combos

  • Multi-Pronged Assault + Frightening Curse: Use this combo to apply multiple dooms at once, giving you more tactical options.
  • Camouflage + Press the Attack: Become invisible to get the perfect position, then unleash a devastating long-range attack.

The Doomstalker offers a unique take on the ranged damage dealer archetype. Your doom abilities give you a level of control and versatility that few other classes can match. Master the art of the doom, and you’ll be the sniper that every team wants but no enemy sees coming.

Sawbones

Scalpel? Check. Bandages? Check. Tactical acumen? Double-check. Meet the Sawbones, Gloomhaven’s indispensable field medic. If you get a kick out of keeping your team in fighting shape while dabbling in frontline combat, then the Sawbones will be your go-to class.

Character Overview

The Sawbones is a support class with a combat twist. While primarily focused on healing and condition removal, this class also has some capabilities for damage and control, making it a versatile choice for any team.

Key Features

  • Healing Expertise: Top-tier healing and condition removal.
  • Frontline Capabilities: Not just a medic, but also a soldier.
  • Tactical Support: Abilities that enhance positioning and strategy.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent healingLimited damage output
VersatilityRequires good positioning
Tactical optionsComplexity level

Key Strategies

  • Field Medic: Your primary role is to keep the team healthy. Don’t get distracted.
  • Adapt and React: You can switch between support and combat roles as the situation demands.
  • Positional Play: Use your tactical abilities to help allies get into or out of tight spots.
  • First Aid + Hold the Line: Heal an ally and then provide them with a defensive boost for incoming attacks.
  • Syringe + Euthanize: Remove a condition from an ally and then deal a powerful strike to a weakened enemy.

The Sawbones offers a balanced mix of support and combat roles. You’re the backbone of your team, patching up wounds one moment and taking potshots the next. Mastering this class means knowing when to heal, when to fight, and when to do a bit of both.

Elementalist

Ignite your imagination with the Elementalist, Gloomhaven’s elemental wonder. If you’re fascinated by harnessing the raw forces of nature and enjoy a high-risk, high-reward playstyle, then the Elementalist will light up your game.

Character Overview

The Elementalist is a complex spellcasting class with a focus on manipulating various elements to cast powerful spells. This class requires a deep understanding of elemental interactions and precise timing to unleash its full potential.

Key Features

  • Elemental Manipulation: Harness and combine elements for various effects.
  • High Burst Damage: Capable of devastating AoE and single-target attacks.
  • Elemental Infusion: Fuel your abilities by infusing the battlefield with elements.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
High AoE damageFragility
Elemental versatilityComplexity
Burst damage potentialResource management

Key Strategies

  • Elemental Mastery: Your effectiveness is tied to your ability to manipulate elements. Make it your focus.
  • Bursty Business: Time your elemental combos for devastating burst attacks.
  • Adaptive Strategy: The battlefield is your palette; adapt your elemental choices as it changes.
  • Simulacrum + Elemental Aid: Create an elemental copy of yourself, then use Elemental Aid to spread its effects more broadly.
  • Boiling Arc + Ice Spikes: Use Boiling Arc to generate Fire and Earth, then capitalize with an empowered Ice Spikes.

The Elementalist is a class for those who love complexity and explosive moments. Mastering this class is like becoming a conductor in an elemental symphony, where each note is a burst of raw elemental power.

Diviner

Peer into the future and shape destiny with the Diviner, Gloomhaven’s mysterious seer. If you’re drawn to the unknown and enjoy manipulating fate and time, then the Diviner is the class that’ll have you hooked.

Character Overview

The Diviner is a support class with a unique focus on foresight, prediction, and manipulation. This class offers a wide range of abilities, from rearranging decks to altering the battlefield layout.

Key Features

  • Foresight: Peek into enemy and player decks to shape upcoming actions.
  • Rift Abilities: Manipulate the battlefield in strange and beneficial ways.
  • Temporal Tricks: Affect time itself to give your team an edge.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Excellent utilityLimited direct damage
High versatilityComplexity level
Unique abilitiesRequires strategic planning

Key Strategies

  • Know the Unknown: Use your foresight abilities to plan for future rounds.
  • Rift Runner: Create rifts at strategic locations to benefit your team or hinder enemies.
  • Time Bender: Use your temporal abilities to give your team extra actions or to delay enemy plans.
  • Dimensional Transfer + Seal Their Fate: Create a rift to move allies or enemies, then seal it to apply a negative condition.
  • Precognition + Temporal Displacement: Look into the future to rearrange an enemy deck, then manipulate time to delay their most dangerous actions.

The Diviner is like playing 4D chess; you’re not just reacting to the board in front of you, but also to future possibilities. Mastering this class involves thinking several steps ahead and manipulating the game in ways that most other classes can’t even imagine.

Eclipse

Step beyond the veil with the Eclipse, Gloomhaven’s enigmatic assassin. If you’re captivated by stealth, high-risk maneuvers, and game-changing abilities, then the Eclipse will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Character Overview

The Eclipse is a specialized class focused on high-risk, high-reward gameplay. Equipped with the ability to become invisible and perform devastating attacks, this class is all about timing and execution.

Key Features

  • Stealth Mechanics: Go invisible to set up your deadly strikes.
  • High Burst Damage: When you hit, it’s a game-changer.
  • Unique Abilities: Capabilities that can alter the rules of the game.

Strengths and Weaknesses

StrengthsWeaknesses
Incredible burst damageFragility
Stealth capabilitiesLimited versatility
Game-changing abilitiesRequires precise timing

Key Strategies

  • Strike from the Shadows: Use your invisibility to get into position for a devastating attack.
  • One and Done: You’re all about burst damage. Make each strike count.
  • Rule Breaker: Some of your abilities can fundamentally alter gameplay. Use them wisely.
  • Silent Force + Blackout: Go invisible with Silent Force, then unleash a devastating Blackout attack on multiple enemies.
  • Shadow Ambush + Spirit of the Night: Use Shadow Ambush to set up an attack, then activate Spirit of the Night for a massive damage boost.

The Eclipse is not a class for the faint of heart or the indecisive. It requires a keen understanding of timing, positioning, and game mechanics. But if you can master these aspects, you’ll be the mysterious force that tips any Gloomhaven campaign in your favor.

Conclusion: Choose Your Path Wisely

You’ve journeyed through the diverse and complex world of Gloomhaven classes. Each offers a unique blend of mechanics, strategies, and playstyles, ensuring that every adventure is a new challenge.

The Big Takeaways

  • Diversity: There’s a class for every playstyle, from the straightforward Brute to the complex Elementalist.
  • Synergy: Understanding how your class fits into a team is crucial. You’re part of a larger machine.
  • Mastery: Each class has its own learning curve. The more you play, the more effective you become.

Final Tips for Class Selection

  • Know Thyself: Choose a class that resonates with your preferred playstyle.
  • Team Dynamics: Consider how your class will interact with others in your party.
  • Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try something new. The joy of Gloomhaven is in mastering its many complexities.

Thank you for diving into this ultimate guide to Gloomhaven classes. We hope this exploration has illuminated your path and enriched your understanding of this incredible game. Now, go forth and conquer, adventurers!

Samuel James is a passionate writer with a love for MMO and ARPG games. When he's not busy exploring virtual worlds, he enjoys taking his dog for long walks and writing detailed gaming guides for XPGoblin. He also loves watching sci-fi films, with a particular fondness for the works of Stanley Kubrick and Ridley Scott.
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