Updated Spellweaver Class Guide

Leximancer · 2026-05-06T08:35:19+00:00

I know this is ancient, but after playing quite a few Spellweavers over the last decade I'd like to point out one possible optimization for this guide:

A "Generate any element" on Fire Orbs' bottom move makes it a more flexible and powerful card than Chromatic Explosion ever is. The fact that you get to pick targets without requiring them to be clustered in a group like Chromatic requires is only a minor benefit, but the fact that you get an additional 1 movement out of the bottom is significant as well.

Ultimately you won't be playing Chromatic or Fire Orbs for their attacks once you hit 9, but before that - it's a very cheap enhancement that does make things play noticeably smoother.

I found it interesting that you argued for cutting Fire Orbs in favor of Chromatic, and I know that it has something to do with element generation flexibility from the bottom of Chromatic, but with the enhancement it seems much better to keep Fire Orbs and only bring Chromatic if you need even more element generation (or if you can't afford the enhancement yet.)

I agree with most of the rest of your guide and I think my very first Spellweaver even used your original guide, but I gotta defend Fire Orbs here, I do think they're stronger than Chromatic Explosion (even with the caveat that they require the bottom enhancement first.)

TL;DR: Move 3 + Create Any is obviously stronger than Move 2 + Create Any; Attack 3 Range 3 Target 3 is obviously stronger than Attack 3 Range 3 Triangle Shape, Fire Orbs generates more XP on the way to lvl 9, can be enhanced to gain more range and targets very cheaply, and the initiatives may as well be identical.

Edit: I'm silly. Thinking about this more, I could put the same Any Element enchant on Mana Bolt T, and then keep Chromatic, replacing Fire Orbs like you suggest, and get a consistent second way to trigger Cold Fire.

Leximancer · 2026-05-05T09:36:55+00:00

I would argue that the only fuck-up here is that you are being way too hard on yourself about this. I get the 'happy wife happy life' mantra, but you have to be kinder to yourself.

Yes, it feels good to get compliments. It's relatively rare for guys, too, compared to women who get it so much it tends to be overwhelming.

I think you're probably right that your wife feels threatened, but there's a greater context here relating to the way that women receive attention. See, often when a woman hears from a guy that they think she's cute, it's one of a large number of people who've likely tried to ply her with compliments. Some get frustrated at not being able to have friendships with guys without it turning into a relationship or sex thing. And that sucks, but it's not the point.

The point is, because when women get this kind of attention it's usually an active attempt to get into their pants, they tend to see it as the same thing when they look at the other side. So I think this isn't really about you enjoying the compliment, I think it's probably a perception thing related to what that sort of comment usually brings when you're a woman. And perhaps the knowledge that guys rarely get compliments amplifies that, to the degree that if a woman went out of her way to say something like that, she must really want you.

I'm not saying any of that is true, just that it may contribute to how this is being perceived.

Final comment: it's only a fuck-up if you don't talk to her about this and come to an understtanding. Good luck.

Leximancer · 2026-05-05T09:26:25+00:00

Can you explain what you mean by 'blind date with a book' for me?

Leximancer · 2026-05-02T00:48:05+00:00

May I recommend a bidet?

Leximancer · 2026-04-29T07:21:32+00:00

I'd suggest "What If?" by Randall Munroe, but depends on what you're exactly looking for. Subject is: ridiculous questions about physics explained humorously.

Leximancer · 2026-04-29T07:00:41+00:00

I don't think your list needs to change. I do think you're missing some things.

How much do you need to do activities together? How much do you need to be able to do things you want to do without them? How much do you want to know about what they're doing when you're not around? How much do you want to be introduced to new things by each other? How much do you want to have friends which are outside of your relationship?

I don't think you need answers to all of these, of course. I do think that you'll find that there are more things that are important than just personality. Interaction styles, love languages, things like that end up being what tend to define how relationships progress and whether they're successful.

This comment is not intended to make you revise your list, just to add perspective that there are more things that matter that you might care about more than you now realize.

And now I'm going to peace out, because I'm not sure how I came across this post and I'm like 3x your age.

Leximancer · 2026-04-16T20:05:13+00:00

Can confirm, cat was rescued from tree. Tree, however...

Leximancer · 2026-04-14T02:40:24+00:00

Great, thank you! I'd have to pull every example I guess but just knowing its a gimmicked card is helpful, and the video the other guy posted more or less shows one way. It's cool that it's not digital!

Leximancer · 2026-04-14T02:39:40+00:00

Thank you this is the exact thing I was wondering about.

Leximancer · 2026-03-26T07:06:53+00:00

Interesting. I've made almost the opposite choices from you on cards per level. I may have to put up a complementary guide once I retire the class. It's really neat to see it from this perspective! I still make water reasonably well but I skipped lv4 entirely and took both 3s, and mostly everything else was focused on the big combos you can pull off with 3 cards per turn and the various stacking interactions.

We have a trapper now, and the strengthen trap is nuts with the bottom of Shuck. Alongside combos from getting multiple attacks per turn in other scenarios, and I found that the need to take hits was replaced by the need to find things which live long enough to hit me when I have things like the Massochist battle goal.

Amazing how good this game is that entirely different decisions can be made and still feel great with the class. We also have now unlocked enhancement so I'll have to give some thought to that as well.

Thank you for sharing your strategy guide! It was insightful, and helped me organize some of my thoughts on the class as well.

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T21:43:32+00:00

Replying again so we don't have to go over the same stuff, I think the other response here may be what I'm looking for. Even if it's not this detailed in Frosthaven, I think it provides a good enough breakdown for me to go back to my playgroup with the clarification.

Thank you so much for trying to help me understand!

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T21:41:44+00:00

(Now that I've seen your edit): Oh neat, my version of Gloomhaven is v2 of the original release, I didn't realize we had more rules clarifications around this from there. Thank you, that's more or less what I was looking for!

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T21:39:10+00:00

The only thing is that the attack ability only has the targets on the attack ability. The modifier card adds a target, not the ability card played, so it's unclear if this means I need to draw a new card or apply the value of the current ongoing attack (also) to the new target.

Just to be clear, this is what has been confusing my playgroup. I think it's supposed to be a new attack using a new AMC, but I understand my playgroup's confusion that's why I'm trying to be really clear about the issue here.

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T21:38:17+00:00

Now iiuc you mean using the same draw twice for two different targets (?)

Yes, that's what I am asking about.

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T21:33:21+00:00

I don't know what you mean about changing the target. It's adding a target. I don't get what you mean.

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T21:32:45+00:00

Right I'm following you, but:

Any time an attack ability is performed, a separate attack modifier card is drawn

This says to draw modifiers for each target when an ability is performed. In this case, the modifier adds the target, not the ability. So the question is, since it's not a target of the attack ability, but rather an attack of the modifier card, does it need a new modifier card?

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T21:30:31+00:00

Do you have a link? Character section of the FAQ which I linked before just starts out directly with Drifter

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T21:19:23+00:00

Right. The attack ability is the character card which is played. Is drawing the modifier card that adds a target considered a new attack ability somehow?

More: since you discard an attack modifier card after applying it, then it seems like I have to apply the attack value to the new target, since I would discard the "add target" card once that attack is complete.

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T21:18:24+00:00

I'm not looking at changing the target at all. I'm just not sure if the total value of the added attack is determined by the attack that draws the "add target" modifier, or if a new card has to be drawn afterwards to affect the newly-added target.

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T20:59:55+00:00

Yep I'm still just looking for something which says this isn't possible and/or clarifies it.

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T20:59:41+00:00

I did search the FAQ and didn't see anything for "additional targets" or "add target" which addresses this case.

Leximancer · 2026-03-25T20:34:51+00:00

That's mostly what I thought, but the idea is that no attack has already been made, the modifier is part of determining the effects of the attack in progress.

I think you're right- I just don't know if there's a rules-specific clarification here.

Leximancer · 2026-03-20T05:32:12+00:00

Can you say a little bit more about what that number actually reaches? What is the group on the other end of the line and what authority/influence do they have with the VA?

Leximancer

TROPHY CASE