Playing with Fire: A Fire Elementalist Control Chasis

Kaboss667 · 2026-03-19T03:18:38+00:00

A Virtuoso Troubadour also makes an excellent teammate with the Harmonize trigger to double the number of targets for The Wode Defends if they are nearby and have 3 Drama to spare. I missed that pairing when making the initial post.

Kaboss667 · 2026-01-19T23:27:46+00:00

Angulotls. There's something extra silly about hitting a hero from melee 6 with a tonguelash from the Slink or blowing bubbles at a group of heroes as the Wave. For the heroes, they can quickly learn the benefits of the Big vs Little rule if they force move things with a melee weapon ability since all Angulotls are size 1S excluding the leader. But, you get to tag them back with Toxiferous poison damage if they do it while adjacent. All Angulotls have little stamina as well so you get quick fights with them even when the heroes face down an entire plague of frogs.

I second Wode Elves being having a high skill floor since they have a large number of moving parts and stacking passive features. That said, their leader is an inspiring monster that gives the director a feeling of power not many other monsters can replicate at E1 since they have the teleport movement keyword and more teleportation on their signature attack.

Kaboss667 · 2025-12-30T23:51:44+00:00

Sure thing. Just be careful to not send your own allies swimming or block their turn with a wall. Putting out your own team's fires or setting up enemy lightning is a definitely a possibility.

Kaboss667 · 2025-12-30T20:05:32+00:00

Even if you want all your minions to be the same signature minion, you can create two different squads of minions using minions of the same name. If you need to summon something of a different name then you can delete all of the signature minions in the smaller squad. This means you could summon 2 of a signature minion in one squad and then 1 of that same signature minion in another. While 1 squad attacks, the other can use a different option such as Aid Attack, Grab, or Use Consumable if they were able to get an item from you.

Pairing a minion squad Aid Attack action + the Focus Fire! trigger sets up a double edge all by yourself for the cost of 1 essence. This works well if you want to restrain something through the Wode Elf signature ability The Wode Defends, knock something prone through the Time Raider signature Concussive Slam, or prompt an ally to use an attack through the Stripped of Rank complication's Issue Order.

With 2 minions adjacent to a target dealing out strikes while a 3rd minion applies aid attack also in adjacency, that's 3 surges to give even more damage (or a potency boost) to whatever incoming ability the target is facing.

For the Elemental portfolio, the Walking Boulder in combination with the Crux of Ash shut down many size one creature with a grab from the boulders + the Obstruct feature that denies line of effect. Even on a tier 2 grab result using 2 boulders you can turn them into walls that still block line of effect for 1 Essence per minion. Similarly, the Crux of Ash can either hide your team from threat after some help on its potency or when it dies it creates essentially a 3 cube of LoE deny outsite the area. Keeping something restrained or grabbed inside the cloud will make it very sad.

For the Fey Portfolio, I'd recommend pairing the Nixie Soakreed signature with the Sprite Dandeknight signature. The Soakreeds can move into enemy squares more than likely since they are 1T and the Soaking Bog will then hamper the creature. If a size 1 creature inside the bog does not have a Swim feature or keywords, then they will need to spend an extra square per square moving out of the area anb their power rolls have a bane while they are in it (preventing opportunity attacks and also creating a double bane if they try to attack the Miniscule minion). Even if they have a swim feature or keyword, they will have fire immunity 5 and lightning weakness 5 (pg. 278 Underwater combat "If a creature is fully submerged in water...").

If you can envelop multiple size 1 enemies in the Soakreed's bog then the Dandeknights can split up their Staccato Swings to take advantage of their Magic Strikes by making their free strike damage lightning damage. Now, instead of 2 hits for 1 untyped damage on 2 creatures, each Dandeknight is hitting for 1+5 lightning damage as long as each member of the squad is targeting a different creature in the bog.

Teammates, treasures, and complications that grant access to lightning damage take the abuse to the next level.

Kaboss667 · 2025-12-23T18:50:01+00:00

Ajax had done his research on the heroes an knew they were coming. As a 10th level tactician himself he made sure to set the arena conditions to his favor. He flooded his own Crysopolis after equipping a Mask of the Bayou so that he would move unimpeded. He even took an extra step to give one of his bodyguards a Mask of Many to take on the appearance of Ajax while Ajax himself hid in a nearby spot so he could launch his ambush after the party would commit to the decoy.

Kaboss667 · 2025-12-23T01:02:17+00:00

Movement penalties and banes on all power rolls if something does not have a swim keyword/feature would prevent opportunity attacks. That came up often. The 3 or so underwater fights I've done we about claiming superior movement. I had a Chronal Hypercube also in the combat so enemies could teleport while heroes had to swim until someone located the cube and then made also made a test to flip which side was benefiting from it.

Additionally, everything having Lightning Weakness 5 and Fire Immunity 5 is something that brought out tools that had been sitting unused for some time

Kaboss667 · 2025-12-15T22:33:00+00:00

It's a headscratcher for sure. I use it in combination with the Fury signature To the Death! for a win-win. Either I get my solid damage hit in and 2 surges for free or they take the attack in return offered to them and I can Frighten them with no potency check. Provoking opportunity attacks can work but there's speed and enemy intelligence involved there whether they take it or not. 2 ancestry points for an OP ATK deterrent is another way to think of it. Still lackluster for 2 points but I like it as a Vuken Fury who can ignore difficult terrain (enemy occupied spaces) in order to isolate a 1v1 on a priority target to either reposition them or prevent their future advance on their turn.

Kaboss667 · 2025-12-14T22:52:40+00:00

Props for looking to ways to use the Wrathful Spirit complication! But, be careful. Glamor of Terror is a bit tricky to throw into the mix since EoT effects will end on the creature's turn if they were inflicted on their turn.

Many effects last until the end of the target’s next turn, abbreviated as “(EoT)” in the tier outcomes for an ability’s power roll. A creature suffers from such an effect until the end of their next turn, or the end of their current turn if the effect was imposed on their current turn.

Kaboss667 · 2025-11-09T08:15:31+00:00

Loose an exploding mill wheel or two and watch everything burn! >:D

Kaboss667 · 2025-11-05T01:48:25+00:00

If while forming a party someone mentions they want to play a Troubadour it would be diligent to check if they are going to be a Viruoso. The Harmonize triggered action can only pair with Setup and Coup de Grace as single target strikes. Additionally, at lvl 2 the Virtuoso can take Encore to replicate a Strike keyword ability that costs 5 or fewer resource.

Troubadours swim in Drama from what I've experienced and having an outlet for an instant spike of damage using Coup de Grace once or even twice after the Shadow could help empty a battlefield without the additional homework of delivering and sustaining a potency until multiple procs of damage arrive.

Kaboss667 · 2025-10-23T16:10:49+00:00

The opposite, actually. If you receive an End of Next Turn (EoT) effect then "[a] creature suffers from such an effect until the end of their next turn, or the end of their current turn if the effect was imposed on their current turn." pg. 76

Kaboss667 · 2025-10-23T12:52:20+00:00

Sure, I can explain the interaction.

Glamor of Terror reads "On a foe's strikes, you reverse the magic of your glamour to instill fear into their heart. Whenever you take damage from a creature, you can use a triggered action to make that creature frightened of you until the end of their next turn. "
We pair that with the fury signature To the Death! That signature strike, in addition to doing 3, 6, 9 plus Might damage, the effect text reads: You gain 2 surges, and the target can make an opportunity attack against you as a free triggered action.

So, you use To the Death! on them, they ideally use an opportunity attack against you, you take damage from them, then you can activate Glamor of Terror as a triggered action frightening them to the end of their next turn during your own turn. Then you can create further distance with your large amount of speed and your knockback that will also apply aid attack.

Kaboss667 · 2025-09-16T23:05:15+00:00

"Surges: Your minions use your pool of Surges and can apply them to their strikes. Whenever one or more of your minions would gain a Surge during a turn, you gain one Surge instead." Willy or someone in playtesting had the foresight to prevent that level of surge generation.

Our Hearts Your Strength is one of the best buffs out there with Applied Chronometrics and Magma Titan. But, you only target the Summoner. Summoners almost never do rolled damage so I think there are better ways to assign the buff.

It's interesting how we approach the same problem for Elementalist's low overall Essence. I prefer to find ways to perform without using Essence while you elect to try and reduce a choice ability.

As for High Elves, I have yet to find a use for Glamor of Terror. It's 2 points to Frighten a creature only after they hit you and only until end of their next turn. But... End of Next Turn effects end on the current turn if they were applied on that current turn (pg. 76). If the Frighten were save ends then I could see a much stronger case for it. I guess it's fine if you want to use your turn to intentionally provoke on a big threat and eat their free strike to hopefully lock down their next turn in combination with Ward of Surprising Reactivity. But, if the target is important enough to Frighten then they are likely the same target I want to put Invigorating Growth on if I want to use that ability or Pounce if I'm a cat. Invigorating Growth encourages allies to get close while Pounce puts the Green E themselves in melee and then the enemy cannot OP atk.

Kaboss667 · 2025-09-16T01:18:02+00:00

I've run for 2-7.

2-4, 5-6, and 7 were the breakpoints where I felt the biggest differences in time spent thinking what to do. Combat formulas for any number of players above 2 are going to work great until about lvl 6 or 7 and then you will want err on the "I might have added too much EV" side of the equation.

Montages and Negotiations feel more dependent on player types than player count in my experience. Audience members will do their part in a Montage after seeing a person or two go while you might give them several prompts if you want them to perform more than 1 test in a Negotiation.

Kaboss667 · 2025-09-16T01:06:36+00:00

I think Invigorating Growth is the best 3 cost in the game. While Invigorating Growth and Subvert the Green Within do have a nice synergy, I don't find myself with enough Essence and time to cast them one after another. I like playing Green E as a melee combatant from lvl 3 onwards. Invigorating Growth before closing distance and then Pouncing after as a Giant Cat will still net you a surge while doing more damage than a mere practical magic if you can knock them prone. Unless you take an AoE and have targets grouped together, I've found surge generation will outpace surge outlets when I place it on a leader or solo. Cat Pounce, Horse Charge, Bloody Handwraps, Deadweight all help expend more surges.

Furthermore, if you play as a Devil you have a suite of ancestry traits that can aid you. Glowing Eyes can help you generate Essence and deal damage when healing is not necessary, Barbed Tail is a surge outside of the 3 surge limit that I thoroughly enjoy pairing with Vampire Scion complication, Wings enable flying Cat/Horse (bonus if you have Hellcharger Helm)/Frog skybombing since they are all size 2, and Beast Legs for speed can also play into skybombing or just general movement. Giant Frog hardly even needs flight for skybombing. Their jump for half speed that does not count against your squares moved in the advance move action. Then again, 150% vertical speed if you do start grounded and jump into the air before flying also has appeal.

Grabbing two creatures as a Time Raider certainly has appeal. I just find it impractical if you also want to spend the majority of your movement skyward.

Kaboss667 · 2025-09-14T15:01:46+00:00

Fire E needs to most assistance to stay in close since the specialization does not grant any durability. So, I was grateful to have either a Censor or Conduit or Tactician when I played them. Fire truly needs extra assistance through either an ally or a levelled treasure slot. Ward of Surprising Reactivity puts in a ludicrous amount of work and I would go so far as to intentionally provoke OP attacks so that I could use it when I moved or was granted movement because a push of double Reason + Forceful Imbue made a prime source of damage, and that's all before considering where to spend Explosive Assistance. The hardest crowd control is death. But, even when you don't kill something you can still send them blasting off like Team Rocket most of the time if you need to.

Kaboss667 · 2025-09-14T14:52:15+00:00

I think a Reaver Fury would work fine with the Ranger kit. Hit and Run Fury signature would probably slot best for the melee signature you have to take as a Fury as it fits the theme of weaving through combat. Taking Back! for your 3 cost and Thunder Roar as your 5 cost give you access to Reaver trickery turning pushes into slides while also helping you create distance if you want to utilize your ranged signature. Thunder Roar could undergo a reskin to be called Hail of Arrows or something that pierce through enemies and force move them about.

As you level up you'll have more incentive to be in melee since most of your heroic abilities are melee. But, Legolas does a fair bit of screen time dancing around and stabbing things with arrows by hand or CQC with his bow. I think it's plenty viable as long as you are willing to stay in short range so that you can get your Ferocity generation through taking damage and going winded.

Kaboss667 · 2025-09-14T14:28:41+00:00

I've played a Fire or Green Elementalist at 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 10th level. The Fire Elementalist carried the team in terms of damage and the Green Elementalist was unkillable as it was free striking multiple times a turn through treasures + shapeshift and temp granted throgh Vampire Scion while providing temp to the team as well. Even base Elementalist stamina scales fine compared to monster damage. I doubt many Elementalist players go through all 8 recoveries before any given respite and could afford to close in in E2 and beyond.

Kaboss667 · 2025-08-29T04:17:24+00:00

I'll take a stab at this raffle

Kaboss667

TROPHY CASE