this is my main/fave among the jaws. complicated playstyle as involves balancing between moving to pick up the fave via loot (retrieval, quick turnaround) and moving in and then whacking an enemy with a melee attack that returns the favorite to your hand (retrieval, brutalize, ripped from the flesh). it feels like playing chess having to figure out moves ahead of time for optimal performance. some initiative issues too if you're like me and generally like going 1st every turn. my setup was: tops: disorienting barrage, follow through, center mass, the favorite, extra lift bottoms: close cuts, second wind, power pitch, retrieval, care package losses: the favorite not a fan of double throw as all that excess dmg isnt really needed or worth it as a double loss. stopping power is always a sub out for me. the range 2 is clunky with how the hatchet likes to play (operating in the range 3-4 area). fancy hat i use sometimes when the map is small so i dont need second wind as much.
Bit of a preamble, i have 800 hours on this game, extensively played all classes up to level 9 and i regularly play at +3. As usual, but particularly true for JoTL class, it mostly depends on how many characters you are playing with, what difficulty, and what the group is composed of. Unlike other base game classes, JoTL classes are much more well rounded and is hard to find garbage card because they are much better refined classes. They thrive the best is combination with other JoTL classes in JoTL scenarios, and are designed primarly for that purpose, even if they combo pretty well with the original 6 starting classes. I will start with the assumption that we are describing a group of 4 all JoTL classes. You seem to be primarly focused on the favorite build, which i dont think there's anything necessarily wrong with that. Imo at early stages it's much more beneficial to focus more on multi target abilitites since Demo's early focus is on big dmg rather than smaller multiple attacks as he gain with levels. Favorite build is not the only one, albeit, at higher difficulty seems a very quick solution, with some ceveat though, while you do deal more dmg on a single attack, you need a recovery time, if u cant menage to recover the axe the same turn you kill a guy with it, and at higher difficulty is very hard to one shot monsters, the overall dmg decrease compared to the multi target build. Luckily JoTL classes dont pigeon hole your characters in a single build so you can pretty much mix and match without losing too much combo potential. You dont have to activate the favorite or even go for that specific build, there are so many permanent effect, some good some subpar. In general all the permanent card after lv 1 are for the multi target build. Which in my opinion, is much stronger compared to the favorite build if you play a +0 or +1, there is some diminishing return at higher level, but still pretty damn good. Favorites takes 3 turns to gain value, nothing wrong with that, since it becomes exponentially more valuable, but you are basically delaying your dmg by 1 turn since your avarage attack is of 3. As you said, In terms of item you can either start with goggles or strinding boots but, definately power potion over stamina. Stamina potion, expecially if you go for the favorite build can get value only at the 3rd cycle of your characters (at the end of the first cycle you have 8 cards, you burned 1 card with the pause and the favorite, so next cycle you have 8 card, not the best moment to use stamina) at that point the scenario is already won or lost if you play below +2. Power potion on the other hand, expecially used at the fist turn in combination with disorienting barrage, fancy hat and goggles can dish out an avarage (at lv 1) of 10,5 dmg with muddle to boot, a much more important condition if you are playing with red guard, expecially given the abundance of ranged character at the start of JoTL campaign, all in the starting room of the scenario, typically the hardest room. Remember, muddle force ranged character to stay at melee range. if you are playing Shield spike with red guard even more reason to focus early on multi target build. on the specific cards: Stopping power bottom - is an insanely powerful card and very well worth the burn, i suggest you to read that card more closely, you immobilize every hex ADJACENT to the hexes you move trough, you can immobilize an entire room with that card. Double Throw - used mostly for the bottom, this is a situational card most used on specific scenario, is akin to Level of Demolitionist, is a card you put out in specific scenario like boss fights or those pesky inanimate object scenarios. you generally dont really need to go for a double burn, or a burn at all just for an elite at any difficulty, and i'd argue that early bosseses is better if you dont play with that card anyway above +1. Tumors are very methodical fights, it's all about control, unless you try to go for the lucky crit (which, i dont think is a good idea), it's hardly worth it. the top is comparable with disorienting barrage in terms of overall dmg and scope of the card, but it's a burn and dont apply any condition, but it has a better range. Fancy hat - is overall a great enabler, the very low iniative is mandatory in certain situation and makes disorienting barrage a beast, remember, your avarage attack is of 3, with this card combination you are gonna deal 3 turns worth of dmg in 1 turn. Disorienting Barrage - This card is a beast when paired with fancy hat for an explosive turn 1 as explained previously, even at higher level, because is one of the few cards that you can seriously improve via enchantment. Moreover is one of the few so much needed muddle applier. as you level up your perk deck it's almost an assured wind generator aswell, a very important elements at higher hatchet level.
For sure a more muti-target build is viable. Personally I just really like the favorite build, though some scenarios definitely require spreading out damage i.e. lots of smaller enemies. One of my friends I played through the board game version with actually played very much like you described and did very well. I think the muti-target build does really well with four characters and the favorite build is better for two characters but again it depends on which characters you use. Good point about there being less trash cards in jotl too. I'm currently playing through frosthaven and I've been very happy with the fact that this has gotten even better with level up card choices being quite difficult to make sometimes.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
this is my main/fave among the jaws. complicated playstyle as involves balancing between moving to pick up the fave via loot (retrieval, quick turnaround) and moving in and then whacking an enemy with a melee attack that returns the favorite to your hand (retrieval, brutalize, ripped from the flesh). it feels like playing chess having to figure out moves ahead of time for optimal performance. some initiative issues too if you're like me and generally like going 1st every turn. my setup was:
tops: disorienting barrage, follow through, center mass, the favorite, extra lift
bottoms: close cuts, second wind, power pitch, retrieval, care package
losses: the favorite
not a fan of double throw as all that excess dmg isnt really needed or worth it as a double loss. stopping power is always a sub out for me. the range 2 is clunky with how the hatchet likes to play (operating in the range 3-4 area). fancy hat i use sometimes when the map is small so i dont need second wind as much.
Bit of a preamble, i have 800 hours on this game, extensively played all classes up to level 9 and i regularly play at +3.
As usual, but particularly true for JoTL class, it mostly depends on how many characters you are playing with, what difficulty, and what the group is composed of. Unlike other base game classes, JoTL classes are much more well rounded and is hard to find garbage card because they are much better refined classes. They thrive the best is combination with other JoTL classes in JoTL scenarios, and are designed primarly for that purpose, even if they combo pretty well with the original 6 starting classes. I will start with the assumption that we are describing a group of 4 all JoTL classes.
You seem to be primarly focused on the favorite build, which i dont think there's anything necessarily wrong with that. Imo at early stages it's much more beneficial to focus more on multi target abilitites since Demo's early focus is on big dmg rather than smaller multiple attacks as he gain with levels. Favorite build is not the only one, albeit, at higher difficulty seems a very quick solution, with some ceveat though, while you do deal more dmg on a single attack, you need a recovery time, if u cant menage to recover the axe the same turn you kill a guy with it, and at higher difficulty is very hard to one shot monsters, the overall dmg decrease compared to the multi target build. Luckily JoTL classes dont pigeon hole your characters in a single build so you can pretty much mix and match without losing too much combo potential. You dont have to activate the favorite or even go for that specific build, there are so many permanent effect, some good some subpar. In general all the permanent card after lv 1 are for the multi target build. Which in my opinion, is much stronger compared to the favorite build if you play a +0 or +1, there is some diminishing return at higher level, but still pretty damn good. Favorites takes 3 turns to gain value, nothing wrong with that, since it becomes exponentially more valuable, but you are basically delaying your dmg by 1 turn since your avarage attack is of 3.
As you said, In terms of item you can either start with goggles or strinding boots but, definately power potion over stamina. Stamina potion, expecially if you go for the favorite build can get value only at the 3rd cycle of your characters (at the end of the first cycle you have 8 cards, you burned 1 card with the pause and the favorite, so next cycle you have 8 card, not the best moment to use stamina) at that point the scenario is already won or lost if you play below +2. Power potion on the other hand, expecially used at the fist turn in combination with disorienting barrage, fancy hat and goggles can dish out an avarage (at lv 1) of 10,5 dmg with muddle to boot, a much more important condition if you are playing with red guard, expecially given the abundance of ranged character at the start of JoTL campaign, all in the starting room of the scenario, typically the hardest room. Remember, muddle force ranged character to stay at melee range. if you are playing Shield spike with red guard even more reason to focus early on multi target build.
on the specific cards:
Stopping power bottom - is an insanely powerful card and very well worth the burn, i suggest you to read that card more closely, you immobilize every hex ADJACENT to the hexes you move trough, you can immobilize an entire room with that card.
Double Throw - used mostly for the bottom, this is a situational card most used on specific scenario, is akin to Level of Demolitionist, is a card you put out in specific scenario like boss fights or those pesky inanimate object scenarios. you generally dont really need to go for a double burn, or a burn at all just for an elite at any difficulty, and i'd argue that early bosseses is better if you dont play with that card anyway above +1. Tumors are very methodical fights, it's all about control, unless you try to go for the lucky crit (which, i dont think is a good idea), it's hardly worth it. the top is comparable with disorienting barrage in terms of overall dmg and scope of the card, but it's a burn and dont apply any condition, but it has a better range.
Fancy hat - is overall a great enabler, the very low iniative is mandatory in certain situation and makes disorienting barrage a beast, remember, your avarage attack is of 3, with this card combination you are gonna deal 3 turns worth of dmg in 1 turn.
Disorienting Barrage - This card is a beast when paired with fancy hat for an explosive turn 1 as explained previously, even at higher level, because is one of the few cards that you can seriously improve via enchantment. Moreover is one of the few so much needed muddle applier. as you level up your perk deck it's almost an assured wind generator aswell, a very important elements at higher hatchet level.
For sure a more muti-target build is viable. Personally I just really like the favorite build, though some scenarios definitely require spreading out damage i.e. lots of smaller enemies. One of my friends I played through the board game version with actually played very much like you described and did very well. I think the muti-target build does really well with four characters and the favorite build is better for two characters but again it depends on which characters you use. Good point about there being less trash cards in jotl too. I'm currently playing through frosthaven and I've been very happy with the fact that this has gotten even better with level up card choices being quite difficult to make sometimes.