Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion - Ultimate Red Guard Guide

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Come and watch me play Magic The Gathering: Arena!! The BEST decks to beat the meta!! kzbin.info/door/XFLYWi1sEIbgSb-kYvssJg

[@thealmightysarlaac7084]

DUDE!!! My son plays the Red Guard and was looking for a video like this....he is a theory crafter and appreciates you sharing your knowledge....you have made his day with this video!.....You Rock

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Awesome, let me know how it goes!

[@mltamarlin]

Thank you! So useful! Two comments: First, the benefit of some cards changes a lot if you are playing with just two players vs four. Cards that enhance all your allies are less useful. Second, there is often a big difference between attack and damage. It is sometimes very useful to damage enemies without attacking them, and then cards that do damage are important.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

true

[@Angeljux]

The "end of the next turn" tip was great. I was playing it wrong. Thanks!

[@neuralnetgames6540]

No problem happy to help!

[@strangenoise7651]

You seem like such a nice wholesome dude. Thanks for the info! I just ordered Gloomhaven and can’t wait to play.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Thanks so much! You are going to love it, such a great game!

[@CelloBassett]

Yessss, I was just looking for this on your channel last night and was sad it wasn’t there 😂😂🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@neuralnetgames6540]

lol little late, but better late than never! Hope it helps!

[@stefanodamiano8454]

My view on Fierce Brilliance changed, great stuff, thanks!

[@mickeymyers13]

What a great video, mate. Rich with great info. Thanks, man 🙏🏼

[@PRwellness]

You do the best guides for this game, you should make some longer more in-depth guides for each class where you go more into the combos.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

At some point I may do that but it will most likely be without as much editing as already it takes me a heck of a lot of time to edit. I may start a pattern where I would do unedited videos going way more in depth. Is that something you would be interested in?

[@neuralnetgames6540]

And thank you for the compliment!

[@lightpunch3154]

1000th subscriber here I think! Great and helpful content,love it!

[@neuralnetgames6540]

I finally made it!!! and thanks for watching!

[@sullen1]

Such a nice and detailed analysis on Red Guard! Looking forward to watching your take on Voidwarden ^^

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Thanks so much!

[@danyxandro]

I used Flame Shroud top a lot in OG Gloomhaven to melt those Fire Demons and Living Spirits just using pulls (bypassing retaliate some times)

[@RichardMaassen]

I find your analysis really helpful. More insight than in several other guides I read. Especially on Fierce Brilliance - never realized the potential!

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Thanks, much appreciated!!

[@chantz888]

This is the class I’m playing right now. Really looking forward to watching this video.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Thanks and enjoy. Hope the guide helps!

[@frederikklarname149]

Thanks for the Fierce Brilliance clarification!

[@neuralnetgames6540]

No problem hope it helped!

[@michaelhebert6328]

It would be great if you could do a short video on suggestions for what order you tend to lose cards throughout a scenario play

[@MatevzZerovec]

This was very insightful, thank you!!

[@lygas5]

really good video!!! cheers for the shield spikes!!

[@suma5939]

liked and subscribed. awesome video and super helpful! i am at level 5 and i am so hooked on this game :) cheers!

[@neuralnetgames6540]

So glad I can be helpful and welcome to the channel!

[@garytimeless7251]

thank you :-) this helps me a lot. greez from Germany

[@DidierPilon]

Hi, big fan. I find it weird that your assessment of shield spike only considered it in the context of spending all your ressources to make it better. Maybe it’s because normal difficulty JOTL is just super easy, but I found myself setting it up first turn of every scenario from level 1 to 7 (we finished at level 7) and getting amazing value out of it. I felt that once per rest cycle I would really lean into it with the chain Mail. And do about 12-20 damage with it, depending on the level. Assuming 3 rest cycles per scenario, that’s already good value. Then I would play the cc style, disarming, immobilizing, etc. You get hit once in a while and it adds extra damage through their shield, but it was just gravy. Still great value from 1 card.

[@shorgoth]

Shieldspike is INSANE, the more you can stack armor cards and auras in the group and items to gain armor the better it is. If you build your team around that card the redguard can be both your highest dps and take all enemies attack, his super small initiative numbers make him prettymuch the target all the time.

[@OrbitImagination]

How does that work with it being a one time use card, though? Could you go a bit more in depth?

[@grampadeal]

@@OrbitImagination It's a one-time use, but if you look at it, it's a persistent bonus card, meaning, it doesn't expire or run out. As soon as it's activated, it remains active until you choose to move it to the lost pile. There's not really a reason to ever do so for the Red Guard, but it is an option nonetheless (like Hatchet's 'The Favorite' card. Basically you can activate Shield Spikes on your first turn, then ensure Red Guard has shield values every time he's attacked and he'll continually cause enemies to damage themselves throughout the entire scenario. It's pretty powerful.

[@OrbitImagination]

@grampadeal OK now I gotta go watch a whole video about this card

[@normanvandermolen3294]

Thank you! Very detailed guide, helped me out a lot!

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Glad it helped and thanks for watching!

[@KyryloChubatyi]

Marvelous guide, only voidwarden left... waiting

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Will have it out in less than a month!

[@asemhabashi8651]

Excellent guide. Thank you!

[@ploeki15]

Hey, sorry if I am late to the party, but can someone clarify the rules for shield spikes? We are playing in German and the rules leave too much room for interpretation imo. Does shield spikes only trigger once per scenario, i.e., that it only damages one enemy once when I choose to activate it? Or does it rather stay active and whenever I have shield, the incoming attacks are damaged for the shield amount? If shield spikes only triggers once per scenario, it would be borderline useless to lose a card to deal damage that is (at least in the early levels) less than a basic 2 attack, but if it remains active for each incoming attack I feel as if it were too strong. 🙈

[@antoinevaillancourt1466]

I have a question. When a monster wants to move while he's on the sand devil, does he leave the devil by moving freely, or does the devil follow his movements constantly? This card has a lot of text, but I don't think it explains everything.

[@royernest1487]

I have a question for shield spikes. It has the infinite symbol, does it mean it stays in the active pile throughout the game with the same ability but lose the card from round usage?

[@Mr.Technically]

Yep

[@arbalist23]

Cant wait to use these tips on my next game.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Let me know how it goes and thanks for watching!

[@RobertS122]

It was extremely helpful, thank you!

[@Crosier5961]

Love your guides. I just wish you would better go over what cards to remove for each card added.

[@zarles1]

Awesome, thanks! I think you forgot about the chain mail that grants +1 shield for the entire round. I managed to stack up 5 shield in a round on level 2 (upper ability shield + 1, lower ability shield +3 lost, chain armor +1) plus two shields as hand items to absorb crits. If you're well positioned you can clear half the room with this combo. Of course, fighting these pesky ranged combatants makes it a lot harder. So maybe just go for shield spikes when you're facing a lot of close combat enemies.

[@yongweitan9507]

Waiting for my copy of Jaws, and I can't wait to start as a Red Guard!

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Good choice!

[@TheMexicanSuperman1]

I'm confused why at 27:28, you say that disarm lasts for two turns? Doesn't it come off their next turn? So if they go later in the round that they were disarmed, wouldn't it just come off? Then next round they get a new turn, unless you were able to go before them?

[@Kwprules]

Disarm, muddle, strengthen, immobilize, and stun will expire only if you've taken a complete turn affected by that status. So you start with that status, take your turn, and then your status expires. That means if you get the status *during* your turn, it doesn't expire that turn, because you didn't start your turn with that status. This is why the common wisdom is that bottom strengthens are very powerful, because you can strengthen yourself, make a strengthened attack, and still have strengthen for next turn. This is rarely relevant when giving other monsters statuses, though, because they rarely gain status effects during their turn. That's what makes this card so powerful--if they gain disarm during their move, it affects them next round too.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Kell is 100% right. Happens on their turn so the disarm stays on until end of next turn!

[@TheMexicanSuperman1]

I totally misread the card. I thought it was a disarm given prior to their turn not one in the middle of their turn. That's what my confusion was

[@CaseW0Lf]

@@neuralnetgames6540 But this means, if the enemy gets disarmed by a pull effect from the Red Guard, it would last for one round, right? Only if it gets by applied by enemies own movent, it would last for the next round as well, or am I getting sth. wrong?

[@neuralnetgames6540]

@@CaseW0Lf yep if you pull them in on your turn only 1 round because it lasts until the end of their next turn!

[@iriee]

hey, you always say that shield spike will be viable later with some item. Can you tell me when and which item? I still don't know if I should go the shield spike way or just don't focus on it, but I am afraid that I am pissed by the cards I chose during level ups later..

[@Yadayadayada117]

A buddy and I wil play 4 characters for 2 weeks then randomly roll 4 more. I got the red guard and he got Sawbones as one of his. Holy cow. With the constant shield the Doc can give is a boat load of damage over scenarios. With items and cards he would retaliate for 3-9 damage every turn. Level 9 Guard, by the way. You are correct, as well. Level 8 and 9 cards make shield spikes incredible. We play on level 7 so it is also needed against those damn flame demons. 5 shield and they retaliate at range. Those and night demons are the worst.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Nice, I like switching it up like that!

[@dccnightowl]

Yay! Thank you, Lord Gloomhaven!

[@neuralnetgames6540]

hahaha legit laughed at this! You playing Red Guard currently?

[@dccnightowl]

@@neuralnetgames6540 Currently playing Red Guard with my friend as Demo. I have watched all of your content but was definitely awaiting this guide. Happy to learn that Shield Spikes is not a card I should be fretting about bringing with me until later in the campaign. As always, your research, knowledge, and personality make for entertaining and digestible content.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

@@dccnightowl Thanks so much! Always appreciate your comments!

[@christophermcclure1318]

Stupendous video - thank you! A basic question, please: If push/pull are included in a SINGLE ability within an action (i.e. not as a standalone ability separated by a dotted line), do you have to apply that part (i.e. the push/pull effect) of the single ability, or can you treat it as if it was separated by a dotted line and choose not to use it? I'm looking at RG's Flaming Sickle and Shield of the Desert as examples of push/pull effects not separated by a dotted line, but connected to a single ability within an action. NB: does the fact that Push is available ONLY if an element is consumed, change whether or not applying the effect is optional (if, indeed, it is) - as on Shield of the Desert? Thanks in advance!

[@cabby007]

Flame shroud is very strong, put it on and pull enemies to you and deal an extra 2 damage, very useful.

[@daleheyer]

also, you can pop flame shroud and then be the character to be near spawn points. i always play it first now.

[@intheorigin0728]

Only a few scenarios in, but I’ve found throwing on flame shrouds then dancing around enemies a really cool tactics. Move towards a group, then away, then use swift strength’s multi-pull to repeatedly burn them is just pure fun. I do miss the repeatable move 4, though.

[@marieking5969]

I’ve done two games of JOTL so far and I think I’ve been using immobilize wrong. Like I’d immobilize it close to me to keep it away from the hatchet (only party member). Did get close to dying the first game because of that haha

[@marcopritoni7182]

Very useful. Thanks

[@danielshanks8297]

Still working through Jaws and Gloom, not ready to crossbreed, but would you consider making a guide for Red Guard in Gloomhaven (good party comps, etc.?) or lemme pick your brain in a year when I’m finally done with both? 😂

[@neuralnetgames6540]

I might make one but probably not in the really near future. Feel free to pick my brain when you need to!

[@terminatorakhil]

Hey, are you planning to make a guide for voidwarden??

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Yep, it will be one of my next two guides. Was supposed to be out already but had a few other vids to do first!

[@glenjackson2343]

red guard + soothe singer (shield + retaliate song) + sunkeeper with berserker for boss dps i literally walk at enemies they do little to no damage and hit themselves often 8+ damage per attack (bypassing their shield). soothe and sun help with moving allies around and red guard + sunkeeper feel immortal, walk into a room alone with 10 plus enemies and they kill themselves in 2 turns most of the time. Then any big baddie gets destroyed by berserker. red guard in this setup is S tier without a doubt. his poor movement is fixed by allies he just goes first and shield skills with fast initiative. Also this setup helps keep berserker alive, any mission without a boss he one shots multiple elites. Love red guard, love retaliate and absolutely love shield spikes. you can also skip sand devil and disarm it only makes this strategy slower :)

[@ryanwerry]

Can you give me a list of cards you always take at level 5? I know this could be different for different scenarios but at the moment I have 3 lost cards in my 10 card deck...shield spikes, sand devil, and flame shroud. Thanks!

[@Davila_Designs]

I added plus 1 to my shields so i feel like shield spikes is completely fine. Then on top of that i use sunkeeper's solo item so i feel like its completely viable

[@viesturskokarevics2427]

James, come back with Crimson Scales characters!!! :)

[@darendunking7399]

What if you built red guard with the intent to “ride” the sand devil. Giving you a free move 2 action every turn. This allows you to stack your hand for bottom and top attacks, shield spikes, and heals. You can ride around on your devil dishing out massive damage.

[@darendunking7399]

Sure you would take the initial damage and muddle but if you time it out so you long rest right after or void warden is set to heal you right away you’re set. Also void could potentially move you onto the devil the same round you play it so you don’t need to use a turn to saddle up.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Damn that's actually really interesting! What a great thought; let me get back to you after I take a look and wrap my head around how that could be played.

[@darendunking7399]

@@neuralnetgames6540 I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[@funmaker77]

Use the chimeric Formula to give him defensive stance... Your a MONSTER

[@darkcyb]

Most of these I use, without even watching this video. Except shield spikes, because I don’t get many shields

[@TheGiraffehead]

I'm confused by some of your analysis. You mention level 4 scenarios as mid-level, but you would be level 8 at this time (playing normal), which is when you say you said Shield Spikes is strong again. Not sure if you are mis-speaking or if you meant different numbers. Regardless, I found most of your analysis misses the mark, I don't think you understood the shield spike play style.

[@jgjertsen]

I don't think I ever used Blade Dance. FInished JOTL and I 100% miss Strangling Chain more than any other card.

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Fair enough!

[@iamspamus8784]

Everyone complains about the range two. It's his shtick, so no reason to complain about it. We just need to learn to deal with it. Otherwise, he becomes Angry Face... :) Huh. I think SS is great from the beginning of the game. I would not wait til the end to use it. I forgot which level 8 card I picked. It might have been Prismatic Sickle.

[@iriee]

Hi, Just a beginner here. Very interesting, but could you just do a short summary which cards you take with you at level1 :)

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Watch for my ultimate build series for beginners where I will do exactly that for starting out and every single level!

[@tomrojas2055]

Voidwarden next pretty pleaseeeeee...!!!

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Will have it out in less than a month!

[@trashdog1]

disarm lasts only for the enemy's next turn not two turns. If I had early initiative and disarm an enemy, the enemy would only be disarmed later in the round and be able to attack next round unless someone else was able to disarm the enemy after their turn within the same round.

[@KartonArmadon]

What if the enemy got disarm during his turn?

[@nevets4433]

The lack of a perk to ignore negative item effects really sets Red Guard back in base GH. But items allowing pull do make flame shroud viable

[@Kwprules]

Isaac says you should feel free to add that perk if you bring him to GH--none of the Jaws items have negative effects so it didn't make sense to add it to his sheet.

[@nevets4433]

@@Kwprules that’s true, but we played him as is regardless

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Yeah but the amount of items that can give you shield make Shield Spikes pretty amazing!

[@stevenswanson9519]

GLOMHAVEN XD Good video though :)

[@neuralnetgames6540]

Thanks 😅