I started playing Frosthaven with my tabletop group recently, and I chose the Blinkblade for my first character. I started Gloomhaven with a Tinkerer, and I’m a big fan of the Quatryl tinker-gnome-esque feel in general. They also tend to be somewhat more complex and varied characters in my experience, so that’s a big plus as well.
Goals
I’m not an optimizer to begin with, but I do set myself some guiding principles and goals for each character. For Blinkblade, this was mostly about the class and getting deep into it.
- As always, my first priority is to try out the Special Thing about the character that I connect with most strongly. In this case, that’s time tokens and fast/slow cycles. Which means I’m not really looking for a Slowblade build, and although it would be of interest if I took a second character with this class, I’m not even really looking for a Novablade, fun though it sounds.
- This is my first Frosthaven character, so I want to advance quickly. That means looting and experience point generation are high-value for this character, especially at lower levels.
Perks
For a first character, you can take 8 level perks, 6 checkmark perks, and 2 mastery perks, which means you run out of steam with 2 perks remaining. For me, the missing pair are almost certainly going to be two non-attack modifier perks.
My plan, then, is:
- 2 x -1 (time token) – Level 2/Checkmarks 1
- 2 x Rolling +2 Regen – Level 3/Checkmarks 2
- 3 x Replace +0 with Rolling +2 on Next attack – Level 4/5/Checkmarks 3
- 1 x Prevent Immobilize – Checkmarks 4
- 2 x Replace -1 with +0 Wound – Mastery 1/2
- 1 x Replace 2 x +1 with 2 x +2 – Level 6
- 1 x Remove -2 – Checkmarks 5
- 2 x Replace -1 with +1 – Level 7/Checkmarks 6
- 2 x Replace +0 with +1 Immobilize – Level 8/9
This leaves “During short rest spend an item to recover a spent item” and “Move 3 at the start of first turn of each scenario”, neither of which feel all that critical to the build I expect to end up with.
Level 1 Cards
Twin Strike is so good. The top is a great Fast pick with an XP point and a couple of attacks to help draw those two critical -1 (time token) modifiers. The top move even helps with one of the masteries
Meanwhile, the bottom is good at both Fast and Slow speeds, so it’s got room to grow into a secondary role at some point.
Temporal Displacement is an easy pickup, at least for me. A top Fast move + loot is fantastic, but even a Slow loot makes for a good time when loot tokens are getting thick on the ground. I’ve been tempted to get the Thief’s Hood just to make this card better.
And then on top of that, the bottom is an attack, adding another opportunity to draw the time token modifier, and the 3 range on the Fast side means it’s handy when working on that “never be targeted” mastery. Not bad!
The one drawback here is a bad initiative spread, but honestly that’s not the end of the world.
Like Twin Strike, Blurry Jab has a solid Fast top, with a wound (which goes nicely with the next card) instead of a double attack.
It hurts to use the bottom on this card, but to be honest it’s the best Fast bottom in the level 1 set, so it gets regular use, particularly in scenarios where monsters are getting healed on a regular basis (thus removing the wound).
And the Slow side is no slouch; auto-damage is at best a utility for the class and certainly not a focus for this build, but an extra point of damage to a high-armor low-hp monster still helps.
Sand in the Hourglass has an insanely good Fast top, but to be honest I seldom use it. I’m working on more Slow turns with the top, but even then it’s few and far between for now.
Instead, this card’s bottom gets regular play on Slow turns, helping to offset the damage and statuses the Blinkblade likes to self-inflict.
Using a time token for the Fast bottom ability tends to be a tough pill to swallow, but it still feels nice to have a mini-Nova in your back pocket.
Experimental Adjustment’s top may feel bad to use, but the Fast invisibility makes the Blinkblade the kind of stealthy assassin we deserve. A decently quick initiative also means you don’t have to supplement it with another card most of the time – though I’d mention that I have gotten caught fully visible when several demons on the map all pulled their sub-10 abilities, so be careful. And honestly, get used to hurting yourself with this class. It’s a thing.
The Fast bottom move + loot is great as a backup when Temporal Displacement is on cooldown, and once you have the Prevent Immobilize perk, the Slow part of this bottom is one of our better move options.
Sap Speed doesn’t feel all that powerful, but advantage makes a big difference, never mind the the +1 attack, 2 targets, AND XP when playing it Fast. That’s a winner for my purposes.
The bottom of the card isn’t fantastic, and I don’t think I’ve ever played it for the bottom, Fast OR Slow. It does grant a little Slowblade flavour in Slow mode, if you’re hankering for that sort of thing.
Power Leak can be a tough card to love, but 2 x 4 damage plus a point of XP is still an absolute banger when you’re facing high-health monsters.
Given the number of escape scenarios in the early campaign, the bottom here is also a reasonably good option for end-of-scenario hijinx, though I can’t really imagine the case where I’d use the Slow version.
For me, Drive Recharge’s top has exactly one purpose: to get the 7 x Fast mastery. It’s a little bit more Nova, particularly if you itemize and build for it, but that’s not really what I’m doing with this character. As a side note, it’s a little hard to swallow ANY Lost ability that doesn’t grant XP.
The bottom, however, is an all-around winner. Healing for 2 is always good, and if you can get that Regen up before Power Leak, you barely even feel the Poison status.
Kinetic Transfer is a great, Fast or Slow, Top or Bottom…but it’s not a standout card. Push 3 is the signature here, and it’s very powerful indeed, assuming you know you need pushes. Also, it doesn’t grant XP, loot, or time tokens, which is a downer for me specifically.
Still, a good card to have in the pool, for those times when I want a Push, auto-damage, or even just a change of pace for a week.
Like Kinetic Transfer, Hit and Run is…fine. But even less so? Again, a decent card when something specific comes up – working on a mastery (in this case, Never be Targeted), for example, but in general this doesn’t have a place in my hand.
I recently played a scenario that made me angry at myself for not having read the top part. Shield on Slow turns might be handy, but Jump on all moves is an absolute monster in certain scenarios. Will be keeping an eye out for those.
The bottom here, particularly on Slow turns, could be amazing, but I don’t tend to pack the card to begin with, as I’m not really the Crowd Control character for our table.
Cascading Reaction is mostly funny to look at. I’d never use the top’s Slow version, but I could imagine a moment where I was confident we were closing in on victory and I just wanted to end with a flourish. Frosthaven has so far been almost entirely a skin-of-the-teeth exercise for our group, however, so even that’s not attractive.
The bottom’s not bad, it’s just not special. 3 move on a Slow turn is fine? And the Fast turn is too situational to trust.
Borrowed Time is for low initiative. That’s it. So it’s not worth it for me. I guess 3 XP is nice? But the way I’m playing ol’ Blinky – blades in faces, always under half health like some sort of pint-sized techno-lightning, I can’t bring Lost cards that aren’t fantastic front to back, particularly if they’re liable to piss my tablemates off otherwise.
Level 1 Turn Pairs
While I mix things up a lot, this roughly captures the way I play these cards together most of the time.
Only for Fast turns: Move a LONG ways, get an XP, and hit things. It’s a simple plan, and it works. Plus, the opposite number can generate a wound and pierce armor, which is just…<chef’s kiss>
Another Fast turn combo, this one for opening doors and otherwise being a Timey Wimey Roguey Rogue. Step into a whole pile of trouble and unleash auto-damage havoc. Make sure allies are well away, of course. And have an escape option ready!
Yet another Fast turn combo! This time it’s about planting and smacking. Get those 4-point hits out, and follow up with a 3-point ranged SURPRISE. Kind of wish the bottom of TD was different? But you cain’t always git…
A reasonable slow turn when I’m “tanking”, or invisible. 99 initiative is GREAT for invis, and having a 2-hex smack when I’m already in the fray is Just Fine.
I can’t say I’ve played this that often, but if you’re bringing Sand anyways (which I am!), using its Top and Overdrive’s Bottom on a slow turn isn’t terrible. Just need to be generating wounds…which I’m working on.
Level 2
This first pair of upgrades is an honest to goodness doozy.
Systems Reboot would make the time token mastery a LOT easier to get, for one thing. Playing Drive Recharge twice to get a total of four time tokens means you only need to pull the time token modifier one time in 6 turns, which is, frankly, very possible.
It’s the bottom, however, that really got my attention. There’s so much going on here. Gloomhaven has the Cure potion, Blinkblade has…this. PLUS a move ability, PLUS a Slowblade favourite? Bonkers.
The problem with System Reboot, however, is simple: No XP. And its opposite number goes to the wall for XP – XP on top, XP on bottom. XP on BOTTOM. I’m sold. Move 3 + Ward Self is just a bonus, to be honest. And like I’ve said, I’m used to the masochism; it doesn’t bug me anymore. This card becomes the Top Pick for the 10th card in the pool, barring other circumstances
Level 3
Whereas level 2’s cards are a tough choice, both of these feel a bit skippable.
Double Time seems like a decent replacement for Sap Speed or even Twin Strike, but it’s not a great card for Slow turns, and as I’ve said, I’m not a huge fan of lost cards for this character.
Make It Count does something I kind of love, which is provide some incredibly wide-ranging utility. Bottom attack? Top self-bless? Multi-target heal? This is a grab bag, but the good kind. And it’s got a solid 81 initiative for Slow turns, which, to me, is where it shines. Still not a direct replacement for any core card, but a great addition to the pool.
Level 4
Level 4 is where things start to feel more, um…specialized? Yes. Specialized.
The Slowblade’s favourite, this card has XP on bottom, which I like, but not much else to recommend it for my particular build.
Now this is what I’m talking about – a card that has XP no matter if it’s fast or slow? And which gets BETTER when I’m fat with time tokens? Yes please!
Will replace Blurry Jab in the core card set.
Level 5
Not quite as straightforward as it seems, but a very interesting pair of cards.
This is a great replacement for Sap Speed on top, and the bottom generates time tokens while STUNNING THE ENEMY. That’s the kind of mozzarella daddy likes.
Obviously, this is the core of the Nova build, and it’s a gut punch not to be able to try it out, but at the same time, I’m not looking to leave my party without DPS, no matter how incredible it might feel to do so.
Level 6
If missing Breakneck Speed is a gut punch, the choice between these cards is major surgery to the reproductive system.
Clearly competes very well with Twin Strike, but even moreso with Reckless Augmentation, which will be rotated out of the core set fro this one.
It’s the top auto-XP that really wins me over, of course. But the triple attack with an incredible bottom doesn’t hurt, plus that bottom delivers some devastating Stand and Fight energy.
The Fast initiative is nice too. 04 isn’t the absolute fastest, but it’s close enough for most circumstances.
I know it looks like I just enjoy plunging knives into my little guy’s nether regions, but you have to believe me, I just want to plunge them into everyone else. The top, fast, is an all-hands attack PLUS wound, which obviously smokes Sand in the face. Even with the self-damage, it’s an easy upgrade.
And the bottom’s no slouch either. A big fat heal with a possible move 2? I’d happily take it…later.
Level 7
Two choices that, at first glance, feel amazing, but…are they? In the end, I expect I’ll go back for the other level 6 card, which will replace Sand.
Piercing is great and all, and so is time token generation, but it feels a bit late for this. I suspect I’d get myself into a lot of trouble trying to use this bottom, even going slow, and the -1 move on the slow half is an extra kick.
I mean. This isn’t terrible? The grant ally 6 move isn’t as crazy as it could be, given I have a Banner Spear ally, and the top attack sounds nice, until you count the cost of that time token, but still. Big damage is fun, and big moves are also fun.
Level 8
I mean. Quantum Uncertainty. COME ON.
Come on now. That top? That bottom? What’s not to love?
You might expect this to replace Experimental Adjustment, but at this point I’m expecting to be looking for a little extra oomph and stealth, so I figure it’ll more likely replace Temporal Displacement
XP on a level 8 card isn’t as attractive to me as in earlier levels. And I kind of hate the top here. The bottom’s ok, but hardly special.
Level 9
To me, both choices here suck out loud. Luckily, there’s a card I wanted a whole lot a few levels back. I expect to finally(!) take Breakneck Speed here. Or maybe Rushed to the End, because sometimes Big Numbers are good.
Why? How is this on-theme?
Ok, move as attack is cool, but I hate level 9 cards with XP on them, and the playing-a-third-card thing just isn’t what I love about the class. I’ll try it when/if I do a Nova.
Recovering two lost cards always sounds good, of course, but not when it involves teleporting to the START OF THE LEVEL. That’s just too situational to be worth it.
Level 9 Turn Combos
While it’s not a guarantee, I expect at level 9 I’ll have at least a few extra fast turns per scenario, which changes the math a little. Still, sometimes the classics are classic for a reason, ya know?
The classic, improved: Move a REALLY long ways and hit things. It’s a simple plan, and it works.
And if you’re feeling saucy, you can put these two in opposite order, go slow, and let the faces come to YOU to get wrecked.
Again with the face-wrecking, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it? Go fast, use Twin Strike bottom to get in close, then Quantum top to break faces. Piercing helps. Don’t go slow with this combo, however.
A dreamier version of the original Experimental Uncertainty – use Experimental bottom to close in, then Knife top to lay out the dommage.
For bonus points, follow up with Sand top somehow. Or, if you’re frisky, Knife top, then loot the dead.
OR heal up and go invisible.
A good combo for off-turns, but best when fast – get out of dodge, shield, up, and nuke from a distance.
In extremis, however, stun everything and murdalize somebody.
The initiative isn’t great, but everything else is pretty good. Best for turns when you’re setting up for a bigger enemy to come.
