Mix up the gearlocs and take up a new boss each time to get the challenge of this game. However, for new players you should be taking Picket, Patches and Ghillie; these simple characters allow the tank, healer and ranger strategies which will feel familiar for even for new players to the game.

As this game is vastly asymmetrical I will mention a few generic strategies and then focus on the strengths / themes of the various key characters:

During the game:

Watch Your Health: In the fight you need to watch that you aren’t going to get exhausted and knocked out of the fight. However the more important choices come between the fight – yes, up the attacks / defence / specials but don’t neglect your health. This is a common mistake and when enemies start to amass and are stronger you will quickly see that it’s too late!

Start Right: Generally, you will have a couple of melee characters and a ranged unit. Starting off with that in mind is important, and use the starting position to go after a key opponent. Usually you will group together to take out the most challenging opponent in one or two rounds to avoid their attack kicking in. If you get through the round with four weak, but alive opponents then you will suffer all four attacks!

Poison: Speaking of the dangerous opponents, there are none more so than a poison based attack. The flying creatures are tricky to handle but normally can be killed quickly. The poison creatures, with range attack, striking the weakest players – they are lethal. Once hit, you suffer 2 damage and then 1 subsequent damage. All poison is true damage (no shields!) and if it hits the weakest, it won’t take long for this to finish them off!

Next Bad Guy: Watch out though, as you kill off some opponents you know what’s coming next! If that opponent is difficult to handle / brings another poison attack then it can change who you focus on in the first turn!

Beasts / Machines: Get the beasts or machines onto the board quickly – these little characters have low health and often take the brunt of the damage on the weakest player – keeping you guys alive! They also deal out a couple of turns of additional damage.

Characters:

Patches: The medic of the team, patches will focus on getting some healing dice on the go. Once that’s in place, I tend to bring the attack dice and then the defence dice. There are other tricks in patches specialty dice, but having built a medic you will need to get into the fight – especially if you are only playing as three players.

Picket: The tank of the team; get the defence dice rolling so that you can use that shield bash as often as you can. It’s probably the best back up plan of all characters as it often helps take down the strongest of opponents (stacking dice over multiple turns). Of the special dice; that option to add one shield and then one attack to the locked dice is a significant boost!

Nugget: Build up your slingshot – you are the mixed use character, but your biggest ability is to weigh in on the ranged opponent who has a lot of health. One big attack from that slingshot might take out the Goblin King’s throne or even a high level flying creature!

Ghillie: Ranger, with great abilities to target multiple weak enemies or to summon creatures to the board. Ghillie’s game is played through the special dice – firstly the Wolverine. The Wolverine is the most powerful of the specials and with Hardy special ability it will last a lot of attacks. Once you have this in place, the piercing damage and multiple targets offers you the chance to take out opponents with difficult special powers (shields and flying respectively).

Boomer: Get the bombs working – this means a few special dice, but above all else you will need dexterity. Keep rolling those bomb components and build up the frag grenades. Keep an eye on health though as you can be an easy target for flying creatures.

Tantrum: Build your rage; you will be throwing yourself in the deep end with each hit taken and given boosting your special abilities. That will mean you need some health and a plentiful number of attacks!

Tink: The builder / controller; you will build your game out of the machines you control. Focus on getting one to the table and making it powerful. The second is much less important but watch out, because a few defence dice may be needed as monsters rush the machine and then move on to you!

Good Luck!