I picked up Massive Chalice on Steam a couple of weeks ago, and while I’ve enjoyed my time with it so far, there currently isn’t much information on the tactical value of the game’s classes. So, with two complete games under my belt – one on Normal mode and one on Hard mode, each with different meta strategies – I feel that I’m at least somewhat qualified to offer advice on how to use each class. I’ll be updating this as I get better acquainted with the stat application of the hybrid classes and complete my brutal mode attempt.
Basic Notes on Pure and Hybrid Classes:
Each class tree derives their standard attack damage from
one of the three attack stats. Hunters gain theirs from Dexterity, Caberjacks
use Strength, and Alchemists use Intelligence. As such, each class is most effective at a different point in the unit's life. Hunters are strongest when they are young, Caberjacks are strongest in their prime, and Alchemists are strongest as old folks. The pure classes all have the
highest base values in each of their core stats compared to the hybrids, so
they are typically the strongest standard attackers of their families – or in
the case of the Alchemist, the strongest bomber. However, the hybrid classes
all have secondary utilities that mitigate the weaknesses of the pure classes.
They also typically have an elevated secondary stat that sees use through one
of their abilities. So, if for example you have a Hunter family that is passing
on the Brainy trait which raises Intelligence, if you changed the family class
to Trickshot the Brainy children would have more damaging Flask Shots. I am
still testing which abilities derive their damage from the secondary stats, so
expect me to update the hybrid class entries over time.
Hunter
Pros:
+ The best single target damage of the three Hunter classes
+ High Accuracy
+ Valuable throughout the game, especially early game
Cons:
- No AoE damage
- Low Health
- Struggles against high evasion units
This is easily the most valuable class for the early game
when most enemies have low evasion and attack at melee range. Single-target DPS
and “safe” scouting via Stealth Move are the Hunter classes' claim to fame, but
neither hybrid performs either of these functions better than the original class. It has the highest Dexterity score in the game and access to
a 100+50% damage ranged double-attack in Follow Up making it the most effective single
target damage dealer of the Hunter family.
Though they have underwhelming health and defenses,
effective use of their Stealth Move ability coupled with careful movement can
remove the dangers of engaging enemies. Most importantly, resist the urge to
attack with your Hunters before your other units. Though they will often be at
the front of your vanguard due to their scouting capabilities, they cannot
fight groups of enemies and therefore need to only engage enemies individually,
or when their hardier allies stand between them and the Cadence.
Generally, you should attempt to advance using Stealth Move
making sure to use only a single action, have your other units follow closely
behind them, then stealth move a second time to keep them in front of your
forces. When they spot the enemy, keep them in position until your other allies
can safely advance into position and draw any retaliatory fire. In short:
travel as a pack and strike as one.
Recommended Abilities:
2 – Follow Up, 4 – Put It Down, 6 – Depends, 8 – Dead Eye,
10 – Chalk One Up
Each ability in the tree offers the choice between superior
offensive capabilities and better scouting. However, because of the efficacy of Stealth Move, you should almost
unflinchingly choose the offensive abilities, especially if you want the class
to retain its damage capabilities into the endgame.
Lvl 2: Follow Up
It helps finish off targets that
can’t quite be killed by a single shot. Nothing else to it. Use liberally.
Lvl 4: Put It Down
Put It Down, allows you to score
one hit kills against Bulwarks on Hard Mode and under with Follow Up. This is
an extremely valuable utility that allows the class to circumvent its one major
counter throughout the early game. It also greatly speeds up killing Twitchers
and Cradles which the class otherwise struggles to take down on its own. Honed
Hearing on the other hand, while useful for scouting behind obstacles, leaves
the class too dependent on its allies and critical hits to score kills. It is
also rendered mostly redundant by Flarrow at level 6.
Lvl 6: Either (Pref: Flarrow)
Blinding Shot and Flarrow are both
great abilities, so the decision largely depends on whether your Hunter was
cursed with low movement. If so, take Flarrow, so that they can scout without
having to physically move in front of your forces or remain in stealth. If they
have high movement, then Blinding Shot is preferable as it allows them to shut
down clustered enemies for a turn while your other units move into position. If
your Hunter has neutral speed, then choose whichever you prefer.
Lvl 8: Deadeye
Deadeye extends the Hunter’s vision
and attack ranges making them both better scouts and safer attackers. The
latter utility also circumvents the need to take Shoot and Scoot since if your
positioning is good and our Hunters attack from enemies from a distance (as
they should), you will never need to reposition after hitting the enemy.
Lvl 10: Chalk One Up
This is the most underwhelming
final ability in the game, especially on Hunters. However, it is extremely valuable during the
final battle when the bonus can stack over an extended period of time.
Trickshot (Hunter + Alchemist)
Pros:
+ AoE damage in Flask Shot
+ Effective against Cradles
+ Can deploy AoE potions at long range
Cons:
- Single target damage is not as high as Hunters (for
multiple reasons)
- AoE damage cannot be aimed freely like the Alchemist’s
Trickshots are more support oriented Hunters. You could
theoretically build one as a normal Hunter with an AoE attack instead of Follow
Up, but the lowered damage output due to the reduced Dex rarely makes this a
wise decision. Generally, you should use them as Shoot Items to keep your frontline units
healthy, and Flask Shot to help clean up packs of Seeds for your heavier
hitters.
Make no mistake, the class can be a decent attacker, but the limits of
Flask Shot and reduced offensive capabilities make hybridization or full
support better alternatives. I personally prefer having exactly one Trickshot
in my vanguard, especially during the final battle, but your mileage may vary.
Recommended Abilities:
2 – Flask Shot, 4 – Extra Items, 6 – Shoot Items, 8 – Dead
Eye, 10 – Chalk One Up
2:
Flask Shot
This ability is slightly
underwhelming. It almost invariably inflicts about 10% less damage than a
standard attack, but the AoE it has can help soften up clustered enemies. But
at the same time, the AoE cannot be aimed independently –the main shot has to
hit a targetable enemy and the AoE will always surround the target in a
square. In general, the ability is less useful than the Alchemist’s flasks and
generally won’t see much use, except when killing the Seeds that spawn after
killing a Cradle. And even then, once Advanced Seeds with superior evasion
begin to spawn the ability becomes even less reliable as a means of killing or
even hitting targets. So, I would not recommend making a Trickshot early on.
4: Extra
Items
I prefer Extra Items, since pure
Hunters are better damage dealers and Extra Items extends the utility of Shoot
Items at level 6 and makes for a more flexible unit. But, Put it Down can be
combined with Flask Shot to launch a powerful AoE (under very limited circumstances, of course).
6: Shoot Items
Most of the class’ value comes from
the ability Shoot Items, so taking this ability is an absolute necessity.
Blinding Shot is good and assists with the class’ support focus, but the AoE
heal from shoot items is almost always preferred on the higher difficulties
since it allows you to get your entire vanguard back in fighting shape while
freeing up your Alchemists to take the Acid Solution (which is a very good
ability). Note however that like Flask Shot the ability has to hit a target and
cannot be freely aimed like the Alchemist’s Throw Flask ability.
8: Dead Eye
Crop Duster is absolutely terrible
and can be used against you by the enemies, so Deadeye wins by default.
However, it’s worth noting that Dead Eye improves the class’ relatively
lackluster scouting capabilities and, as with the Hunter, makes attacking with
it even safer.
10: Chalk One Up
Like
the Hunter, it doesn’t help all that much except during the endgame battle.
Enforcer (Hunter + Caberjack)
Pros:
+ Can knockback enemies
+ Potentially has decent health
Cons:
- Ineffective at long range
- Movement reliant
- Possibly the worst class in the game
Usage:
This is the class I have used the least and am still working
out the eccentricities of, so expect this particular section to get updated
over time. I think that Point Blank
Shot and Knockback Arrow derive their power from the unit’s Strength stat. If
this is true, then the class can actually be a decent attacker if it has a strength
boosting trait. If not, then this is exclusively a utility class.
I think that this class is supposed to be
used as a close-range archer that leads the charge with your Caberjacks and
cripples enemies that your team can’t deal with immediately while retaining its
safety. Bluntly, it's a Shadowjack that can’t tank, but has
serviceable ranged damage. I don’t think that’s an even trade, but perhaps more
practice with it will prove me wrong.
Recommended Abilities:
2 – Knockback Arrow, 4 – Honed Hearing, 6 – Depends, 8 –
Dead Eye, 10 – Chalk One Up
Lvl 2: Knockback Arrow
This is the single most valuable
ability in the class which is a little sad. It does not inflict much
damage, but the ability to knockback enemies is synonymous with the ability to
incapacitate them, and that is extremely
useful on every difficulty.
Lvl 4: Honed Hearing* (unless Point
Blank Shot is modified by Strength)
Since this class will theoretically
be spending most of its time near the frontlines, Honed Hearing is actually a
pretty valuable ability for it. Point Blank Shot is also inferior to Follow Up
since it has to be at “point blank” range and cannot benefit from Put It Down
(which the class doesn’t have anyway). But, if it scales off of Strength, then
it is absolutely preferable to take on hero with a Strength boosting trait as
it should help the class secure kills against Wrinklers, Bulwarks, and other
difficult enemies.
Lvl 6: Either (Pref. Blinding Shot)
Neither of these abilities are bad,
but they don’t help the class out very much either. Stand Ground makes it a
little bit hardier and immune to knockback, but if you take Shoot ’n Scoot at
level eight, the Enforcer shouldn’t be getting hit often anyway. In contrast,
Blinding Shot helps the class support your other front liners by buying them a
turn of respite against enemies, but since this class will often be doing the
scouting and can’t learn Dead Eye you’ll have to take Honed Hearing to allow it
to spot enemies first.
Lvl 8: Shoot ‘n Scoot
Being at close range with the enemy
without the same defensive capabilities as a Caberjack makes this ability
essential. It won’t save you from Bulwarks if you hide directly behind your
cabers, but it can mitigate incoming melee damage and greatly extend the class’
survivability. It also procs on Knockback Arrow, Point Blank Shot, and
regular attacks (but NOT Blinding Shot), so if you have level 8+ Enforcers
available this ability can greatly impact your ability choices. Fortify, on the
other hand, is damn near worthless unless numerous other heroes in your
vanguard also have the ability. If not, do not ever group your units up as this
makes them vulnerable to stuns from Twitchers and AoE damage from a slew of
other enemies.
Lvl 10: Chalk One Up
This is pretty much useless on this
class since it won’t be scoring many kills (unless you deliberately last hit
with it like mad for some inexplicable reason).
Caberjack
Pros:
+ Can knockback enemies
+ High Health
+ Decent Damage
Cons:
- Vulnerable to ranged attacks
- Poor at fighting groups without Boneshell Armor
Usage:
Caberjacks are the backbone of your vanguard. Their superior
health and ability to knockback enemies make them effective at maintaining
aggro and avoiding damage respectively. Typically, when advancing keep your
Caberjacks in front with stealthed Hunters behind them for fire support. This
way the Caberjack can draw out targets for your Hunters to pick off and tank
anything they don’t finish off. You don’t actually need more than one Caberjack
in your vanguard, but avoiding them entirely makes hardy melee attackers
difficult to control.
Also, despite being the burliest members of your team,
their lack of a ranged attack makes it somewhat difficult to pick up kills with
them during the early game, so you will have to actively feed one of them
enemies to get the relic in a timely manner. It’s a solid class in every sense
of the word, but still needs a solid team to shine.
Recommended Abilities:
2 – Charge, 4 – Rebound, 6 – Prime Target, 8 – Stand Ground, 10 – Kill Rage
Lvl 2:
Charge
This ability is more versatile than
it looks. It’s the only compensation Caberjacks have for lacking ranged
attacks, but if you Charge the farthest enemy you can see, then – assuming the
Caberjack is in front of your vanguard – this will often expose them to an
unmanageable amount of enemy fire. Instead, this ability is best used to
strategically incapacitate lines of enemies just out of reach by knocking them
into each other. Later in the game, when you have Boneshell Armor and the Rebound
or Stand Ground abilities, you can afford to Charge more liberally.
Lvl 4: Rebound
Rebound knocks back enemies who
attack the Caberjack at melee range and passively grants knockback immunity and
extra melee defense. Fury increases the Caberjack’s damage output for a few
turns after taking damage and increases in strength each time the Caberjack is
struck. Fury sounds useful since it can send the Caberjack’s damage output from
decent to fantastic, but it takes around three or four stacks of Fury for an
appreciable damage boost. Unless you’re fighting Seeds with Boneshell armor and
the Stand Ground perk, by then your Caberjack will just barely be alive and
should pull back to heal. Rebound is therefore preferred since it flatly
increases the Caberjack’s survivability, often saves you turns stunning
enemies, and helps space and group enemy units for Alchemists to bomb. In
short, Rebound is always useful while Fury is situational.
Lvl 6: Prime Target
Prime Target is not a great ability
and you’ll probably never use it if your Hunters are stealthed and unit
positioning is sound, but the alternative ability, Log Jam, is outright
worthless. The ability hits groups of enemies surrounding the Caberjack for
less damage than a normal attack (which is already a little low). However, you
cannot move and use this ability, meaning the Caberjack has to be perfectly
positioned after their first move – severely limiting its range. What’s more,
the scenario in which multiple enemies melee attack a single unit from multiple
angles almost never occurs anyway (especially not with Rebound). And finally,
Caberjacks can already incapacitate several enemies in this rare scenario with
knockback, which always takes them out of the fight, circumventing the value of
Log Jam. The ability is only slightly useful
if you take Fury and Stand Ground
Lvl 8: Stand Ground
Stand Ground grants a health boost
and knockback immunity. Fortify increases the defense of allies adjacent to the
Caberjack. Since your non-Caberjacks should never
be standing next to each other this, choice seems like a no-brainer. However,
if you have two Caberjacks with Fortify and Rebound, you can keep them paired
up for an extremely sturdy wall. I prefer to just wear Boneshell armor, but
it’s an option if you have a tanking fetish.
Lvl 10: Kill Rage
Every time the Caberjack kills an
enemy it can act one more time. This ability makes Fury somewhat viable,
however, what isn’t stated in the in-game text is that every attack
the Caberjack launches has increasingly reduced accuracy. This penalty coupled
with the Caberjack’s limited attack range makes it almost impossible to score
more than two additional kills with the ability. It’s not amazing, but it’s a
nice perk nonetheless, if only for a positioning tool.
Shadowjack
Pros:
+ Better offense and identical defense to the normal
Caberjack
+ Stealth Move enables safe transitions in and out of combat
+ Can scout effectively with Honed Hearing, Stealth Move,
and superior defenses
Cons:
- Cannot Charge
Usage:
These are my favorite Caberjacks. The lack of Charge makes
it more difficult for the class to stay in front of your other units. However, with
Stealth Move they can keep in step with your Hunters, and allow you to set up
devastating timing attacks against the Cadence with Sneak Attack. Unlike the
normal Caberjacks, Shadowjacks can function as both offensive powerhouses and
sturdy tanks, so even after revealing themselves, if any enemies remain they
can easily stay on the frontlines and survive whatever else remains.
With that
said, the lack of an innate knockback ability means that they require Ramcap
Cabers or Relics to retain their crowd control functionality, but even without
it, they can pick up kills consistently enough with Sneak Attack and Put it
Down to mitigate (though not eliminate) the need for knockback crowd control. Bear
in mind, that the relatively limited mobility of Shadowjacks makes movement
boosting traits far more useful to them than the other Caberjack classes.
Recommended Abilities:
2 – Stealth Move, 4 – Rebound, 6 – Sneak Attack, 8 – Stand
Ground, 10 – Kill Rage
Lvl 2:
Stealth Move
A great ability that grants the
class its unique functionality. It’s identical to the hunters’ stealth move
ability, but because these are melee units, they can sneak behind enemy lines
and pounce on soft enemies like Lapses and Wrinklers before they become a
problem.
Lvl 4: Rebound
The choice here is between Rebound
and Put it Down. Both abilities are great, but since Shadowjacks have access to
Sneak Attack and can’t double attack like Hunters, they can’t use Put it Down
effectively. So, Rebound is preferred for the much needed knockback capability.
Lvl 6: Sneak Attack
As was already mentioned, Log Jam is
absolutely worthless and Sneak Attack is amazing, so this isn’t much of a
choice. It’s worth noting however, that Sneak Attack takes a bit of effort to
get mileage out of and encourages playing the game more slowly, so if that’s
not your bag, then you may not appreciate either ability. Also, I think the
strength of this ability scales with Dexterity, but I have yet to test this
theory. If so, then Nimble Shadowjacks
could likely OHKO most of the game’s enemies with this ability.
Lvl 8: Stand Ground
Stand Ground helps deal with
Twitchers which would otherwise be a knockback nightmare due to Shadowjacks
generally being close to your other units. Honed Hearing on the other hand
helps Shadowjacks scout, if for some reason you don’t have a Hunter with Flarrow or
Honed Hearing to do it instead. Since this class is more of a direct tank and
damage dealer, I prefer Stand Ground.
Lvl 10: Kill Rage
It’s a little worse than the
Caberjack version since Stealth Move and Sneak Attack takes 2 moves to use and
Shadowjacks have slightly less base Strength than normal Caberjacks. It’s still
decent, but it doesn’t affect the class very much.
Blastcapper
Pros:
+ Exploding Caber helps clean up Seeds
+ Multiple DoT abilities
+ Highly versatile
Cons:
- No defensive abilities
- Slightly weaker offensively than normal Caberjacks
Usage:
Blastcappers are supporting Caberjacks. They don’t hit as
hard as either of the other two classes, but they come with the Exploding Caber
ability which allows them to hit every enemy adjacent to their target with a
100% accurate explosion that scales with Intelligence. This ability doesn’t do
much damage without the Brainy trait, but the flawless accuracy makes it
extremely effective at cleaning up Cradles and the Seeds they spawn. Blastcappers
can also carry two items to adjust to whatever the engagement calls for and
have two different DoT attacks to passively support the Vanguard while keeping
enemies under control with knockback.
Their only major downside is their lack
of defensive abilities. Without Rebound or Stand Ground, they have to rely on
their items to stay healthy. Other than that, the class is pretty decent. If
you need a second Caberjack, Blastcappers are the best complimentary class.
Recommended Abilities:
2 – Charge, 4 – Extra Item, 6 – Acid Solution, 8 – Either
(pref. Beebound), 10 – Kill Rage
Lvl 2: Charge
Their reduced defenses, damage, and
vulnerability to knockback greatly limits the ability’s usefulness. However, it
is still an effective way to knockback enemies, making it a welcome ability
regardless.
Lvl 4:
Extra Item
Fury without any defensive
abilities is too risky to be useful. Extra Item on the other hand is one of the
most powerful abilities in the game. Even though Blastcappers can’t pass items
to other units as well as Trickshots or Alchemists, the ability to carry two
stat augments at once is far too valuable to ignore. Under most circumstances,
you’ll want Wünderpants and an Ultralixir, but if you have a dedicated ranged
support unit, then you can take a Vitaliband instead of the Wünderpants to
improve the Blastcapper’s durability. Once again, this isn’t really a choice.
Lvl 6: Acid Solution
Acid Solution inflicts around 6
damage per turn to any enemy unit hit by the Blastcapper. This greatly improves
the utility value of Exploding Caber by allowing it to passively soften any
units it hits. The alternative ability, Prime Target, suffers for the same
reason as Fury and likewise shouldn’t be taken on any difficulty above Normal.
Lvl 8: Either (pref. Fortify)
Both of these are support
abilities, but their usefulness changes depending on how you use your
Blastcapper. Beebound causes the Blastcapper to retaliate against melee attacks
with BEEEES! that inflict damage and spread to other nearby units over time
(including allies). So, if you use them like normal Caberjacks and keep them in
front of your other units, then Beebound is preferred since the bees help them
deal with groups of nearby enemies. But if you tend to keep them around your
other units, then Fortify is better because it lets them support their allies.
At level 10 when they get Kill Rage, Fortify becomes even more reliable since
the Blastcapper can exercise guerilla tactics to stay near their allies after
attacking. I like BEEEEEEZ!, so I prefer Beebound, though Fortify is generally
the better ability (and thus gets the recommendation).
Lvl 10: Kill Rage
Blastcappers don’t pick up many
kills, so this isn’t that useful on them. But as was already mentioned, if you
took Fortify it can serve as a valuable positioning tool. It just helps cement
the class’ already great versatility.
Alchemist
Pros:
+ Decent Evasion
+ Enemy evasion-agnostic AoE attacks
+ Can throw Potions for AoE heals
+ AoE damage
+ Can attack twice
Cons:
- Very limited usefulness until level 10
- Even at level 10, the class has finite usefulness in
combat
- Low melee damage
- Extremely vulnerable during the early stages of the game
- Outclassed by Boomstrikers in every way.
Usage:
According to the Steam forums, Alchemists are the most
underutilized and least understood class in the game. Essentially, they are
glass nukes. They don’t hit exceptionally hard, have low melee damage,
defenses, and movement, and only have five attacks per engagement until they
reach level ten. However, their explosive flasks hit everything within a two
tile radius from the explosion’s epicenter making them the only class tree with
an adjustable ranged AoE attack. They are also the only class type that can
throw items from a distance over obstacles making them decent clerics as well.
Alas,
even though the aforementioned capabilities are both good, the cons of the
class still heavily outweigh its pros and still make it difficult to justify
keeping one on a team – especially when Boomstrikers can do everything
Alchemists do, but better. Your general strategy should be to keep them behind
your Caberjacks until the enemies group up, then blast them all at once for Real Soviet Damage. They aren’t great units, but there are definitely worse out
there.
Recommended Abilities:
2 – Free Throw, 4 – Extra Item Slot, 6 – Throw Items, 8 –
Bees in a Bottle, 10 – Mad Bomber
Lvl 2: Free Throw
This is the staple ability of the
class. It allows Alchemists to use one flask without consuming an action.
Practically speaking, the five flask limit prevents you from doing any killing
spree shenanigans, so it’s best used when you need to attack and do other
things like throw flasks or reposition in the same turn. Easily the best
ability in the Alchemist’s arsenal.
Lvl 4: Extra Item Slot
Extra Item Slot grants Alchemists
some much needed versatility by either letting them improving their stats, heal
units or do both simultaneously. The Spirit of the Dart Falcon extends their
flask throwing distance, but also shrinks their flasks’ AoE and limits their
clerical functionality. Both abilities are good, but Alchemists usually need
the second item slot more .
Lvl 6: Throw Items
Throw Items is the other extremely
valuable utility of Alchemists and gives them a useful function beyond throwing
their five flasks. Thrown items hit in an AoE as well allowing for AoE heals or
an additional pseudo-flask in the form of a Perilous Core. Once again this
versatility is too great to pass up, but just as before, the Acid Solution is
still great, especially on classes like the Alchemist who usually hit multiple
targets at once. Though even with the Acid Solution, Alchemists are only
usually strong enough to pick off small units like Seeds or previously weakened
foes, it is still great for softening enemies up. So, if you don’t plan on ever
using your Alchemist as a cleric, then it’s still a good choice.
Lvl 8: Bees in a Bottle
Just like Crop Duster, Fertilizer Flask sucks. It creates
tall grass wherever it lands granting improved evasion to any unit that stands
in it. Unfortunately, that includes enemies, and since you won’t ever be
standing in one location for very long in this game, it’s almost never a useful
ability. Bees in a Bottle isn’t much better, since the bees might wander over
to your units, but you can at least stun enemies with another class first to
ensure that the bees hit their mark. Most importantly, however is the fact that
throwing bees doesn’t consume a flask and can damage enemies. So even if you
are out of flasks, your Alchemist can still contribute to the fight without
endangering themselves.
Lvl 10: Mad Bomber
It grants the Alchemist five more
flasks per battle and removes the cooldown on Freethrow. Naturally, this is the
most useful of all the level ten abilities in the game and drastically improves
the class’ combat viability. It’s a shame that they don’t get it five levels
earlier as it would have made them much more effective fighters throughout the
game.
Brewtalist
Pros:
+ Decent survivability
+ Effective at short and mid ranges
+ RANGED AoE KNOCKBACK!!!
+ Can fight without flasks
Cons:
- Not quite durable enough to survive a pack of enemies
(without enemy equipment)
- No long range capabilities
- No movement bonuses
Usage:
Brewtalists are Alchemists that can competently melee
enemies. That is exactly as awesome as it sounds. With the ability to melee
attack, Brewtalists almost never have to worry about running out of flasks, and
their superior health means that they don’t have to waste so much time
positioning.
They are also blessed with knockback flasks that can incapacitate
groups of enemies from a distance, making them one of the best crowd control
units in the game. Though they don’t have access to the Free Throw ability and
thus cannot attack twice in a single turn, the replacement ability Hack and Slash
is the melee equivalent to the Hunter’s Follow-Up ability – which is again,
awesome.
Their one noticeable flaw is their limited movement and only slightly
below average durability. There’s no easy answer to the former, but the latter
can be handily addressed with a Sponge Stone and Unstable Carapace Armor –
whenever an enemy melee attacks the alchemist, they will take retaliatory
explosive damage and heal the alchemist by the damage dealt. Against groups of
enemies like Seeds or Wrinklers, this is horrifyingly effective. But it doesn’t
help fight ranged attackers so caution is still advised.
Recommended Abilities:
2 – Hack and Slash, 4 – Extra Item Slot, 6 – The Acid
Solution, 8 – Blade Storm, 10 – Mad Bomber
Lvl 2:
Hack and Slash
It’s a melee Follow-Up. Even if you
were given another ability to choose from, you would take this ability anyway.
Because Brewtalists lack the Hunter’s Put it Down ability to secure kills
against Bulwarks, it is advised that you take The Acid Solution later down the
line to achieve a similar effect. Also, if it wasn’t obvious, Brewtalists’
melee damage is determined by their Strength stat. So a Brewtalist with Bear
Strength will make Hack and Slash hit like a literal bear.
Lvl 4: Extra Item Slot
Because this is a hybrid class with
multiple capabilities that sits on the front, Extra Item Slot is recommended to
improve multiple functionalities, as opposed to Fury which only raises its
damage output (after getting hit, at that). I recommend using the Vitaliband +
Spongestone combo to extend the class’ survivability, but the Steady Hander and
Wünderpants are also excellent choices.
Lvl 6: The Acid Solution
As was already mentioned, The Acid
Solution makes Hack and Slash much more reliable. It also extends the power of
flasks which this class actually needs since its ranged damage isn’t quite on
par with the other Alchemists. Prime Target is only good with the
aforementioned exploding armor combo, so it’s generally not worth taking.
Lvl 8: Blade Storm
Bladestorm is virtually identical
to Log Jam and is understandably bad. However, since Bees in a Bottle is
totally unnecessary on a class that can melee attack, I prefer to take the
former, regardless. With the exploding Armor combo, it’s capable of wiping out
groups of melee attackers. Either way, this is basically a waste of a level.
Lvl 10: Mad Bomber
Since Brewtalists melee attack,
this ability isn’t nearly as good here as it is on regular Alchemists and
Boomstrikers. But it lets you spam knockback more regularly which is always
great.
Boomstriker
Pros:
+ High AoE damage
+ High accuracy, evasion-agnostic flasks
+ Extremely high movement at later levels
+ High Evasion
+ Can attack multiple times prior to reaching level 10
+ Scales tremendously well with enemy items
+ The most powerful class in the game under ideal
circumstances
Cons:
- Low Defense
- Dependent on high level abilities
- Finite Usefulness due to limited Flasks and low melee
damage
Usage:
Boomstrikers are basically better Alchemists. Their
Precision Flasks hit harder and have better accuracy than normal Alchemist
flasks (albeit with a smaller AoE), they can attack and move up to three times (each!)
in a single turn, accurately target enemies hidden behind obstacles
circumventing the need for a scout, and can deploy smokescreens to hide units
entirely (as opposed to merely raising their evasion).
The class itself has no
unique downsides and outpaces the standard Alchemist in every way. The only
notable downside to the class is its dependency on its last two abilities, Boom
and Zoom and Mad Bomber. Without Boom and Zoom it’s just a stronger, more
accurate Alchemist, so it's still worth making one throughout the early game. Aside from that foible, though, it is easily the most powerful
class in the game.
Recommended Abilities:
2 – Free Throw, 4 – Aerodynamic Flask, 6 – Honed Hearing, 8
– Boom and Zoom, 10 – Mad Bomber
Lvl 2:
Free Throw
It’s identical to the Alchemist version,
except that Boomstriker flasks hit harder in a smaller AoE. I suspect that their
precision flasks have their damage augmented by the Boomstriker’s Dexterity
stat, but I have yet to confirm this. Expect to use this ability frequently
once you get Boom and Zoom and Mad Bomber.
Lvl 4: Aerodynamic Flask
Aerodynamic Flask increases the
range that flasks can be thrown at the cost of shrinking their AoE. This isn’t
actually a bad thing since it lets you target enemies more carefully, though if
you still want the larger AoE you can equip a Boom Slinger for a similar AoE to
standard Alchemist flasks. Not mentioned by the game is that Aerodynamic flask
also improves the accuracy of flask throws. So, not only does this ability
negate the penalty of Boom Slingers, it also lets you use them from a safer
distance. Although this class can
function as a support unit with Extra Item Slot and Throw Items, it is far too
effective of a ranged nuker to compromise with support options. It only needs a
single Steadyhander to be competent, nothing else is necessary.
Lvl 6: Honed Hearing
With Boom and Zoom, this class can
move very far in a single turn. To avoid overextending into enemy territory it
is thus advised that you take Honed Hearing. This ability also allows you to
accurately target enemies in the fog of war behind obstacles. The alternative
ability Throw Items is still good, but since this class should be spending most
of its time attacking, you probably won’t have anything but a Steadyhander
equipped.
Lvl 8: Boom and Zoom
I’ve gushed about the awesomeness
of this ability enough as it is. Choose it. The other ability is Smoke Bomb, which
does not let the unit nuke everything in sight and only protects your units for
a turn. Taste the power. You know you want it.
Lvl 10: Mad Bomber
Mad Bomber + Boom and Zoom turns Boomstrikers into dynamite chucking psychopaths. With the other recommended abilities
and a Boom Slinger, this class can reliably solo most endgame maps on Hard mode
and under. It's kind of amazing.
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