Demolitionist class guide and strategy for Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion

[@MandatoryQuest]

Become a Patreon - patreon.com/mandatoryquest Grab some merch - mandatoryquest.com Thanks all for watching hope you find the info useful :)

[@maxmustermann-zx9yq]

Would disagree on the bigger one, on 4 players you can easily open with it on any room getting 6 enemies, at that point you get yourself strength potion, goggles and your attack deck will be already busted so you're looking at a 40 to 50 dmg burn

[@mastercloud977]

I have found a good deal of success with windup. I play the board game version of JOTL. Although it does suck to burn the top half of a card, usually I have found it's worth it because it makes your next attack much more powerful. Especially once you have things like eagle eye goggles and good attack modifier deck, and cards with multiple attacks on them, (one-two punch, drill fist) you can really do a lot of single or multi target damage output. Also it's good if you dont have another top action you can do for a turn because youre just moving somewhere.

[@Kwprules]

Love the change for top of mech suit. It's hard to use a persistent loss as a 9-card class, but if you use mech suit at the end of your first rest cycle, you're essentially taking a rest for free-you get all your cards back and you burn a card-so it's the same stamina (plus or minus a turn) as if you were a 10-card class.

[@MandatoryQuest]

It has made the card much more playable all round, as with the old version I could see people not even running the card at all.

[@jannickdepoilly3586]

Is there a link to a printable version of the updated Mech Suit card for the physical game?

[@MandatoryQuest]

@@jannickdepoilly3586 not currently, I did ask around and it's unlikely an official one will ever be made but this exists drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/16wSfzvrSlpbGY8l4eWn8dnHjDUF7A2_e/1MmO5_9QtEVZwuxMxi-HkSjDulQohh3DY/1kSKGdmHg79nhmUxFF0ZeUwYr8iezJqpc?sort=13&direction=a

[@PurpleTrapezoidProds]

@@MandatoryQuest is this an official Frosthaven conversion for Demo? It’s definitely something worth noting, because there are a lot of great changes here

[@MandatoryQuest]

@@PurpleTrapezoidProds Yes they are all official changes made by Isaac and the GH team to improve her outside of Jaws, so that would also apply to Frosthaven.

[@michaeledmonds4849]

Can't wait for the animation for Mech Suit

[@christopherjkramer]

Bottom of wholesale destruction is not a burn (I didn't notice that the first time either). Gives it nice flexibility to make those choices through different rest cycles.

[@MandatoryQuest]

Good point it feels like it would be, but actually gives you a lot of one turn flexibility with some of the top destroy actions.

[@christopherjkramer]

@@MandatoryQuest Totally. And 2 free XP to help hit those battle goals if you haven't maxed out perks (not that the demo has any problem getting XP)

[@deonwyner]

My outlook on this class changed when starting on high prosperity with bonus perks. The attack modifier deck is insane and really makes something like Drill Fist worth it. Easily ended my playthrough with Demo having most DPS

[@MandatoryQuest]

Yeah this character ramps up super hard.

[@kellinwinslow1988]

Just for fun I combined this character with Cragheart and the Sawbones. Using the Sawbones I gave the Mech Suit a sheild of 3 and immunity to all status effects. Then with Cragheart making obstacles I blew them up pretty often. Maybe toss in a Spellweaver for rear attacks or crowd control,and making elements,and you have a very good team. They carried me quite far on hard difficulty.

[@feelingudYT]

thx for your awesome guides!!

[@MandatoryQuest]

Thanks for watching :)

[@chaslyndrilling7380]

I honestly love the new top of rubble just because of the extra move. This character has abysmal move and having any extra is always a good thing. I never used rubble in the board game but now I feel I'd actually used it.

[@MandatoryQuest]

I have found it very useful. I just wish there were more obstacles!

[@chaslyndrilling7380]

@@MandatoryQuest obstacle build crag has found its perfect match

[@michaeledmonds4849]

I wasn't taking Lobbed Charge, but now I want to...didnt' think about the "toss it behind them, then shove them into it" tactic.

[@MandatoryQuest]

Might still be a bit weak, but will function very similar to windup if you can get the push. Also has some enemy focus control potential. Bottom is a decent last room all in burn too I've found.

[@michaeledmonds4849]

@@MandatoryQuest I took out 2 high shield shamans by lobbing this between them and the RG, then the RG pulled them into it.

[@MandatoryQuest]

@@michaeledmonds4849 yeah good 1st scenario card for sure!

[@Asian_Movie_Enthusiast]

I loved playing with this character. Very diverse set of abilities and at later levels I was dishing out some significant damage. I played with Hatchet and Red Guard. The three of us killed the final boss in less than 2 attack turns.

[@MandatoryQuest]

Nice, yes she gets a very steady increase of power as she levels, maybe the most of any Jaws character. I always like the idea of toolbox characters, but my main concern for her is playing outside of Jaws. Jaws did such a good job of bringing out her strengths.

[@maxmustermann-zx9yq]

had the opposite experience in my party: all the characters having their own fun thing at low levels (red gaurd becoming the invincible, tanky, spikey hedgehog, hatched going nuts on single target dps, one shotting bosses, mage making monsters draw curses and masterminding the whole group) ... and then there's this character: situational effects with high setup to get something like doing 2 damage to 2-3 monsters

[@thearchivist250]

Love this hero. I haven’t even played Jaws of the Lion. I downloaded the DLC and slotted her into my main campaign. Potentially interesting synergy with Craig with all the obstacles. She’s more fun than most of the base Gloomhaven characters.

[@MandatoryQuest]

Also the coolest looking character hands down with the mech suit!

[@sandys6553]

For comparison of hand sizes, the demo's 9 card isn't much of a disadvantage. The hatchet and redguard each start with 10, but always lose 1 for the favorite and shield spikes. After their first rest, they all have 8 cards. Playing to exhaustion only nets the demo 1 less turn.

[@MandatoryQuest]

That's fair, but when a lot of your "big" effects are all burns at level 1 it's rough compared to both of those. Especially the hatchet who can happily not play another burn the whole scenario after the favourite.

[@michaeledmonds4849]

Deck full of pretty much all +2s also might be why all those multi-attack actions seem to cap at Att 2.

[@MandatoryQuest]

Yeah for sure, they were very worried about her having insane output with the buffs and strengthen too.

[@gulthor]

@@MandatoryQuest Yeah - obviously for very early play, it's a concern, but as you were discussing One-Two Punch, I was surprised you kept bringing up drawing negative modifiers as a concern. Anecdotal, of course, but Wind-Up into One-Two Punch is an absolute power play, especially if you set up Strengthen that turn or the turn before.

[@Kwprules]

Also something to note-it doesn't look like the bottom of Wholesale Destruction actually is a loss.

[@MandatoryQuest]

No I totally just inferred that as it feels like a loss! It makes the card way more flexible actually.

[@saahilherrero9945]

Really love the video, having played Jaws all the way through I agree with most of the video. However, there is something I think is a bit overlooked for card choices. Level 5+ Spoilers In the guide, you suggest skipping Drill Fist, Micro Missiles, and Wholesale Destruction. While it seems that these cards don't do much damage, they actually do insane damage. By Level 7, I would say that on average you have around 10 or 11 perks. With 11 perks, the deck has 10 cards, 7 of which are +2s. This means that iwth Drill Fist you usually do around 10 damage, micro missiles around 16, and wholesale around 13. I feel like the perks were a bit overlooked when choosing cards

[@MandatoryQuest]

I did mention the perks at a few points in the video, but yes some very fair points there. I probably didn't take that into account enough with those cards you mentioned. I still stick by my choices for the most part though.

[@saahilherrero9945]

@@MandatoryQuest Also just realized re-watching the video, you mention that the bottom of wholesale is a burn, but it is actually a persistent non-loss

[@MandatoryQuest]

@@saahilherrero9945 yep sorry I completely inferred that due to what it does. Was a bit late in the evening when I did the level 9s. It makes the card very useful actually.

[@michaeledmonds4849]

Drill Fist, w/ the "+1 to all melee attacks this round" bottom, and Windup would be a big set of hits, but is close to magic Xmas tree land.

[@MandatoryQuest]

Yep kind of a trap I think.

[@2154blaze]

I have a question about lobbed charge card, so i need to start adjacent to the enemy first and then move around or is just that need to finish my move adjacent to an enemy?

[@sandys6553]

The new Nowhere to Run (level 3) looks like it can fun with Voidwarden's level 5.

[@MandatoryQuest]

I'm more excited for the weird build streams with the demo than playing her on deadly. I want to unleash her with the Cragheart for full obstacle fun.

[@markusjagering7449]

I guess Wing up top could be a good preparation before opening a new room. But still it's not worth it for me.

[@anthonyc4951]

Thanks for another good video. However I noticed that in your deadly Jaws play through, you have chosen the opposite cards at level 6 & 7 as compared to what you have listed in your guide. Have you changed your thoughts on the build or is it just for your play through?

[@MandatoryQuest]

I was pretty 50/50 on those cards at those levels anyway, but yes I think deadly has influenced my decisions a little bit. In particular Drill First bottom has actually been very useful with all the shield on those Black Sludges.

[@michaeledmonds4849]

There is one Jaws scenario where Collateral Damage top would make it almost an insta-win IIRC, but odds are stacked way against you being level 9 when you get to it. (I may also be mistaking an object w/ HP for a stationary boss...)

[@michaeledmonds4849]

OMG if you could have both Level 9s and setup the bottom of Wholesale and then use bottom of Collateral :)

[@MandatoryQuest]

I know right gotta be some house rules mods made for digital now lol

[@Markusthurmanius]

Knock out the support is pretty good against the first boss in jaws.

[@MandatoryQuest]

Yeah there are a few abilities like that in Jaws. Very good for the scenarios inside that campaign, but outside of it kinda meh. Demo even with the change might be the worst for that at level 1 with Knock out and Level.

[@TheVlad1616]

Similar to summons (hp and damage) I never understood why they didn’t use “x” for trap damage on cards. That’d at least let them scale up as you progress to make them more viable long term.

[@MandatoryQuest]

It could be because it doesn't scale well with difficulty. It would mean those cards are insane damage potentially if you play on increased scenario level.

[@TheVlad1616]

@@MandatoryQuest the exact formulas may be hard, or complicated, but it does make many of these cards useless/weak once you get past level 1-2.

[@MandatoryQuest]

@@TheVlad1616 I totally agree, traps have always been hard to balance and it feels like they always just aired on the side of caution with them. In my opinion just the fact you have to usually take a whole turn to play them, then a turn to trigger them often makes them weak too. With all the general power level nerfs coming in Frosthaven though who knows perhaps it will be traps time to shine!

[@michaeledmonds4849]

For some reason I thought Rubble top was a burn, so didn't take it. Oops

[@MandatoryQuest]

It's still a bit meh, a lot of this character is :(