path: root/content/berserker.md

+++
title = 'Berserker Analysis'
date = 2024-07-10T09:36:35-04:00
type = 'analysis'
draft = false
+++

The Berserker is a versatile damage dealing class, capable of both the best single-target damage in the game as well as incredible area-of-effect damage. She will regularly sacrifice her own health to deal damage, but she has abilities that allow her to survive even at low health.

![Berserker](gh-berserker.png)

You have a moderate 10 card hand size which can support several losses over each scenario. You also have the health pool of a tank, but do not be fooled: you will spend this health to deal immense damage, not to soak up monster damage like the typical tank. A regular theme throughout your build will be that you can lose health to boost your damage or gain some other benefit, so losing health merely by being clobbered by the monsters is a loss of damage dealing potential. Therefore, if another party member is even moderately suited to tank, then don't let that honor fall to you due to your health pool.

There are two main builds for the Berserker: an AOE build, and a retaliate build. There is furthermore a set of level 1 cards that make for a fantastic boss slaying combo, but these don't need to be built around so much as slotted in when a boss scenario arises.

## Cards

We start by surveying all of the cards available to the Berserker.

### Level 1 and X

![Blood Pact](gh-blood-pact.png)

A terrible 1st level card, but Blood Pact rises in importance over the course of your career.

**Top:** Attack 6 is pretty good, but halving your health is pretty bad. While this could be viable when you're already at low health, I've never used this action.

**Bottom:** As you level up you gain increasingly incredible options for AOE damage (see Burning Hatred at level 7). The +1 increases in value as AOE becomes more prevalent in your hand, and the 1 damage at the start of your turns becomes less of a nuisance as your health pool expands.

**Initiative:** Usefully slow.

**Verdict:** I attempted to make use of this card starting at level 6, but wasn't able to get the most out of it until level 7. Mileage may vary.

![Bounce Back](gh-bounce-back.png)

A solid card that, with the right enhancement, may earn a spot in your hand all the way to retirement.

**Top:** You have the initiative to make full use of this retaliate, and it may prove useful against high shield enemies. As always the risk with retaliate is that your enemies might surprise you by either not attacking or attacking at range, so make sure that the card you pair this with has both a viable top and bottom, otherwise you could end up wasting a turn.

**Bottom:** Move 3, heal 1 with an enhancement dot. That dot should become a strengthen as soon as you can afford it: you have access to incredible single target damage (see Resolute Stand and Glass Hammer), and nothing is worse than drawing a null on one of those losses. And that strengthen will pay dividends as you gain AOE abilities. Oh, and the healing is useful for stuff too, like clearing poison and wound.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** A decent card without the enhancement, and a core card with it.

![Cauterize](gh-cauterize.png)

Solid level 1 fire generation.

**Top:** This makes for a great opener. Get those wounds to start whittling down some high-health or high-shield enemies, and make fire so that you can consume it on round 2. Positioning is quite flexible, so this pairs nicely with non-movement bottoms like Blood Pact, or when opening the door into a new room.

**Bottom:** I've never used this loss.

**Initiative:** Bad.

**Verdict:** You may bench this card once you have access to better fire generation, but at early levels this is your go-to source of flames.

![Dazing Wound](gh-dazing-wound.png)

A solid source of stuns.

**Top:** Suffer some damage to stun an enemy. By the time you play this card you'll know whether the damage suffered will be worth it.

**Bottom:** Move 4 is great, and at level 1 is exceeded only by Strength in Agony.

**Initiative:** Most heavy-hitting enemies are slower than this, so you can likely make that stun count.

**Verdict:** You have three sources of stuns: This card, Unbridled Power, and Numb the Pain. Dazing Wound has superior initiative, whereas Numb the Pain has a stun on bottom, and Unbridled Power does not require sacrificing health. I'd recommend only taking one of these three, and if that one is Unbridled Power, then quite frankly you're a pansy.

![Defiance of Death](gh-defiance-of-death.png)

Your payout for being at low health, and your safety net for pushing the low-health envelope.

**Top:** 5 damage is great at level 1, though this ability will be upstaged as you level up.

**Bottom:** This incredible loss will make you not die while you go toe-to-toe against a boss. There is a fantastic boss-slayer combo of which this is a component.

**Initiative:** Meh.

**Verdict:** This card very quickly wanes in importance for regular scenarios, but should be brought back when facing bosses.

![From the Brink](gh-from-the-brink.png)

The heal card.

**Top:** Get back to full health. Yes, please. Just make sure that you have a way to clear poison (_cough cough_ Bounce Back _cough cough_) first.

**Bottom:** Decent movement, and while push 1 isn't the easiest for knocking a monster into a trap, it has its moments. Altogether a useful ability while waiting to pop the top.

**Initiative:** Fairly quick.

**Verdict:** As you level up the difference between being at death's door and at full health becomes more pronounced, and the value of this card increases. At low levels only bring this for boss fights, but at high levels this becomes incredibly important.

![Furious Aid](gh-furious-aid.png)

Not the heal card you're looking for.

**Top:** If you're looking to drop some coin on enhancements, then this could get it.

**Bottom:** Healing yourself 3 is nice, but at the cost of not moving? No thank you. Also, what's that range for? Are you supposed to be a support berserker? What even is that?

**Initiative:** Bad.

**Verdict:** I've never taken this card, but I'd understand doing so if I was desperate for cash.

![Growing Rage](gh-growing-rage.png)

Your slowest card at level 1.

**Top:** Persistent losses do count toward this, so if you play the Blood Pact loss on turn one then this is a base 2 attack already. But this action isn't the reason why you'll take this card.

**Bottom:** Move 3 is solid, and you'll regularly be able to make use of that attack. But this action isn't the reason why you'll take this card.

**Initiative:** This nice slow initiative is the reason why you take this card. When you gain access to AOE attacks, you'll want to use this card for its initiative to wade into the middle of a horde after they've all taken their turns, then decimate them with your AOE attack. You then can go early the next round and mop up any survivors.

**Verdict:** This card might not make the cut all the way to level 9, but it quietly might just be the most painful card to leave behind when the time to cut it comes.

![Glass Hammer](gh-glass-hammer.png)

Boss Killer, part 1.

**Top:** Baby your health pool as much as you can in getting to the boss (or get yourself to full with From the Brink), then pop this. Just make sure that you have a method of not dying while at 1 hp (Defiance of Death).

**Bottom:** Move 3 is okay.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** Take this when facing a boss, but bench it otherwise.

![Resolute Stand](gh-resolute-stand.png)

Boss Killer, part 2.

**Top:** Play this the turn after Glass Hammer to maximize its effect.

**Bottom:** This is a contender for a strengthen enhancement alongside of Bounce Back. If you're flush with cash you may choose to add strengthen to both, but otherwise I think that Bounce Back has the edge: The heal 1 on Bounce Back is more important for clearing poison and wound than the retaliate, and Bounce Back gives you move 3 out of the gate whereas Resolute Stand requires an additional enhancement. While Resolute Stand has superior initiative, in my opinion the difference isn't pronounced enough to overcome its other shortcomings.

**Initiative:** Your fastest at level 1.

**Verdict:** Take this when facing a boss, but bench it otherwise.

![Strength in Agony](gh-strength-in-agony.png)

One of three main contenders for a jump enhancement.

**Top:** Okay damage for level 1, and if your target is at low health, suffering 2 damage to ensure that you finish it off can be a bargain.

**Bottom:** Up to 7 movement at level 1? Fantastic! And it accepts a jump enhancement, even better! I would recommend adding jump to this card, Break the Chains at level 2, or Flurry of Axes at level 4.

**Initiative:** Bad.

**Verdict:** If you choose to enhance it, then this is your favorite move card. Otherwise, bench it.

![Numb the Pain](gh-numb-the-pain.png)

Another contender for stunning.

**Top:** 3 damage is mediocre, and suffering 2 damage for 1 shield only helps if you're about to be clobbered by 3 or more enemies, which hopefully shouldn't happen very often. Furthermore, the initiative is rather poor for shielding, so I can't see using this top very often (and indeed I've never used it).

**Bottom:** A stun with a move on bottom? Now we're talking!

**Initiative:** Poor.

**Verdict:** You don't need a stun in your hand, but having one can be useful. I'd take either this one or Dazing Wound.

![Unbridled Power](gh-unbridled-power.png)

The lilly-livered stun.

**Top:** Are you a tiny baby only playing at being a berserker? Then this source of stuns is for you! No, seriously, the initiative sucks, the bottom sucks, your other stuns are so much better, and this one only exists for players who can't stomach the self-damaging mechanic.

**Bottom:** This persistent loss at first sounds like it can exploit From the Brink, Resolute Stand, and Glass Hammer to make you able to deal level 9 damage at level 1, but the fact that your maximum hit point value remains the same for the purpose of all ability effects makes this much more difficult to pull off. The best you can do is be level 1 (i.e., 10 max hp), play this card and get your allies to dump healing on you until you're at 26 hp, then play Resolute Stand for 16 damage (maximum hp is still 10, current is 26, difference then is 16), and then Glass Hammer for 26 damage. The only flaw in this plan is where you'll get the 16 points of healing at level 1. This just isn't a tactic that's worth playing.

**Initiative**: Terrible.

**Verdict**: Pass.

### Level 2

![Break the Chains](gh-break-the-chains.png)

Your upgraded ranged attack, and an alternative candidate for a jump enhancement.

**Top:** This attack serves as an upgrade over Cauterize. Once you unlock good attacks on bottom, why bother with the wounds on Cauterize when you can just drag them in with Break the Chains and finish them off with Fatal Fury (level 3) or Devil Horns (level 6)?

**Bottom:** Up to the same 7 movement as Strength in Agony, albeit with more difficult to satisfy conditions. Consider enhancing with jump.

**Initiative:** Terrible.

**Verdict:** This card merges the best halves of Cauterize and Strength in Agony, giving you more flexibility in what goes in your hand. Unfortunately, the lack of fire generation feels like a downgrade, as is the reduced flexibility of the conditions for the bottom move, as is the degraded initiative. I believe that the flexibility in hand composition can be worth these trade-offs, but if you're starting at level 4 or higher then you should consider making Flurry of Axes your jump card.

![Reckless Offensive](gh-reckless-offensive.png)

A core component of the retaliate build, and solid damage otherwise.

**Top:** A multi-target attack 4 is great. Compare to Devil Horns at level 6. You don't get the fire generation, but I'd consider the increased attack and the wound to be about equivalent, and the relaxed positioning requirements make the self-damage worth it in my opinion. This is great value for level 2.

**Bottom:** The boosted enemy damage toward yourself can be a hard pill to swallow when you clearly want them to attack you so as to trigger the retaliation. But in terms of trading health for damage, it's a mere sacrifice of 1 health for 2 retaliation damage, which is actually quite good. Furthermore, when paired with a certain card next level, you can deal some incredible retaliate damage.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** Take if you want to try out the retaliate build. Otherwise, only take if you don't want to jump-enhance Break the Chains.

### Level 3

![Fatal Fury](gh-fatal-fury.png)

Your reusable execute and good damage on bottom.

**Top:** Berserker has tiny brain, and this too much word. Essentially, you may execute a normal enemy when you're both at low health. This actually comes up quite frequently, and is a great way to take out low health, high shield enemies like Flame Demons. It's also a fire producer, and while you won't be gaining new fire consumers for a few levels, it's nice to maintain options for when you decide to cut Cauterize.

**Bottom:** Attack, move, attack. Ideally you finish off an adjacent enemy with the first attack, step onto his coin, and start chipping away on the next enemy in line with the second attack.

**Initiative:** Poor.

**Verdict:** The top execute is your best option for dealing with high-shield enemies before level 6, while the bottom is a nice money maker.

![Spiked Armor](gh-spiked-armor.png)

The second core component of the retaliate build, with a bottom that behaves similarly to Fatal Fury (albeit without the money-making potential).

**Top:** This can result in some incredible retaliate damage. Play this with the bottom of Resolute Stand while Reckless Offensive is in play and you get retaliate 7. And if you use a certain 2-retaliate item you'll push the retaliate to 11 for a single attack (yes, item abilities count). Of course, the normal considerations regarding the fickleness of retaliation apply, so make sure your alternate play is viable. Which, as far as this card is concerned, it likely is.

**Bottom:** Move 2, attack 2 all adjacent enemies. Compared to Fatal Fury, this has the potential to add up to quite a bit more damage. However, the positioning requirements are a bit more stringent in that Fatal Fury could be used to attack the same enemy twice, whereas Spiked Armor only shines when you wade into a group of enemies.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** Essential for the retaliate build, but in my opinion Fatal Fury has the edge otherwise.

### Level 4

![Flurry of Axes](gh-flurry-of-axes.png)

Your epic moment of glory.

**Top:** Ever step into a room full of monsters and think, "wouldn't it be easier if they all just... blew away?" This is how you do that. Attack 4 may not look like a ton, but it's an enormous AOE. Besides, once your health pool and party composition support Blood Pact that becomes attack 5, and sprinkle a power potion or two on it and you'll be cookin'.

**Bottom:** A luxurious move 5 pairs very nicely with a top loss, and what's more, you get an enhancement dot to boot. Along with Strength in Agony and Break the Chains, this is your third candidate for a jump enhancement. The only wrinkle is that when it comes time to pop the top loss, you kind of want to use your jump to get to the optimal position for hitting as many monsters as you can. This is still possible through going late the turn you jump, stamina potioning back Flurry, and popping the loss early the next turn. The benefit is that you get to cut both Strength in Agony and Break the Chains, but at the expense that your blaze of glory costs yet another consumable.

**Initiative:** Decent.

**Verdict:** You want to kill stuff, right?

![Shiny Distraction](gh-shiny-distraction.png)

Scoop up all the shinies!

**Top:** I'm not sure why the shield is there, but hey, why not. It's a top loot, and those are very nice.

**Bottom:** This synergizes very well with the strategy of positioning yourself late on one turn, then dealing massive AOE damage early the next. It also fits well in your boss killer combo, though becomes less essential once you add strengthen to one of your movement cards. Finally, the fire generation becomes quite important over the next few levels.

**Initiative:** The fastest for this class.

**Verdict:** This is your money maker, and is a good fire producer. If you have more fire consumers than producers at this point then you should take it.

### Level 5

![Final Fight](gh-final-fight.png)

An upgrade for Growing Rage.

**Top:** You have a lot of losses that you love to play, but your hand size is only 10. If you embrace the candle-burning-on-both-ends mentality, then I can't imagine a finer way to go than using your final turn before becoming exhausted to execute whatever monster has the most health.

**Bottom:** Persistent losses count, so if you play Blood Pact on your first turn then this is a move 1 already, and it only improves from there. The fire consumption should be easy enough to satisfy, too. If you decide to invest in boots of striding or the better versions thereof, then I could see considering this card as a candidate for a jump enhancement instead of those already mentioned.

**Initiative:** The slowest for this class.

**Verdict:** The problem with this card is that it's bottom-only until the end of the game, and that bottom isn't very good until after you've lost a few cards. If you have a reckless loss-slinging play style, then this card is very good for you. If not, then move along.

![Seeing Red](gh-seeing-red.png)

Blood Pact's level 5 companion.

**Top:** Attack 4 is just okay, and the shield is good too I guess, but if you take this card, then do so for the bottom.

**Bottom:** This is like Blood Pact, but conditional rather than painful. Wait to pop the loss until you're down to the requisite hp.

**Initiative:** Good.

**Verdict:** You already get a large AOE in Flurry of Axes, and you'll have access to a slightly smaller but reusable AOE in Burning Hatred at level 7. If you have been making good use of your AOE attacks and are prepared to double down on them, then this card is for you. I chose to go back for the other level 4 card on my play through, but in retrospect could go either way.

### Level 6

![Devil Horns](gh-devil-horns.png)

Your AOE setup for next level's Burning Hatred.

**Top:** Soften up a group of monsters with this while generating fire, then next turn consume the fire and finish them and those behind them with Burning Hatred. If you plan to take Burning Hatred, then you should also take Devil Horns.

**Bottom:** A very solid attack 4 on bottom, perfect for pairing with Break the Chains.

**Initiative:** Mediocre.

**Verdict:** If you intend to use Burning Hatred, then you will need fire production and movement on the turn prior. Shiny Distraction doesn't do it. Fatal Fury's condition might not apply. That leaves Cauterize, which hasn't scaled well. Unless you can rely on an item for fire generation or purchase an expensive enhancement, it's time to replace Cauterize with Devil Horns.

![Unstoppable Destruction](gh-unstoppable-destruction.png)

Whether or not you take this card determines what equipment you should use.

**Top:** A more versatile way to deal with shielded enemies than Fatal Fury, but if you take this card do so for the bottom.

**Bottom:** You are a frontliner class, yet your abilities align less with a tank and more with a... well, a berserker. But refreshing your armor and shield and getting some free healing every rest cycle goes a long way to bridging the gap. If you take this card, then you should buy hide armor so that you have a good chance of it being spent such that you can refresh it at the end of every cycle.

**Initiative:** Terrible.

**Verdict:** This card boosts your durability. If you're having trouble surviving, then take it. Especially if your strategy is to get hit on the regular because you're trying the retaliate build, then this card is for you.

### Level 7

![Burning Hatred](gh-burning-hatred.png)

The AOE card to build around.

**Top:** One less attack and one less range than Flurry of Axes, but being reusable makes all the difference. Also, unlike Flurry this is melee up to two hexes away, so no disadvantage to contend with.

**Bottom:** Movement and wounding can be useful too, I guess.

**Initiative:** Bad.

**Verdict:** Take this card, start playing with Blood Pact if you haven't already, and
you'll burn up all your enemies.

![Careless Charge](gh-careless-charge.png)

Your move-on-top card.

**Top:** In Gloomhaven, movement on top is rare, and this is the berserker's sole offering. And boy is it a good one! For a melee enemy push and immobilize can be as good as stun, and with your health pool and healing options the self-incurred wound isn't much to worry about. Just make sure any adjacent allies are of the same opinion.

**Bottom:** Against certain enemies I could understand this being worth the loss. But if you take this card, do so for the top.

**Initiative:** Great.

**Verdict:** This is a fantastic card. Use it to cross a room quickly, or to enter melee range while playing a non-movement bottom with your other card, or even to finagle an enemy into a hard-to-reach trap by combining this card with From the Brink.

### Level 8

![Bone Breaker](gh-bone-breaker.png)

Underwhelming single-target damage.

**Top:** Compare to Devil Horns from two levels ago. Bone Breaker boasts increased single-target damage, but even if Devil Horns only hits two targets, then Bone Breaker has reduced total damage. Same logic applies to the wound: AOE wound is better than single-target. The unique part of Bone Breaker is the immobilize, but it's hard to make good use of immobilize on a melee attack, and the initiative on this card isn't doing you any favors.

**Bottom:** Until next level, this is your only option for ranged damage on bottom. The unique part of this attack is that it removes flying from a target, which at best drops it into a trap, or at least forces it to navigate obstacles in order to reach you. Kind of situational, but the situation does arise.

**Initiative:** Bad.

**Verdict:** Skip.

![Vengeful Barrage](gh-vengeful-barrage.png)

Solid movement with a boost to your non-Burning-Hatred AOE abilities.

**Top:** This could be a viable component in a retaliate build, but since it triggers on any sources of damage, make sure you aren't fighting a room full of ranged enemies when you play it.

**Bottom:** Move 4 is solid, and another source of +1 damage can be great for your many AOE abilities. Too bad it consumes fire, making it incompatible with the fire-boosted Burning Hatred. If you're swimming in cash then this could be yet another viable alternative for a jump enhancement.

**Initiative:** Bad.

**Verdict:** Consider taking for an AOE build. I went back for Careless Charge on my play through, though.

### Level 9

![Immortality](gh-immortality.png)

The capstone retaliate card.

**Top:** Negating 5 instances of damage can be quite a bit if it's from Rending Drakes, but is a bit less impressive if it's all from Virmlings and Forest Imps. Wait to pop it until you're about to wade into a room of heavy hitting baddies, then retaliate against them without fear of going down yourself.

**Bottom:** Shield paired with retaliate is what you've been waiting for. Play this alongside Spiked Armor for the initiative and added retaliate bonus.

**Initiative:** Poor, but you'll be using Spiked Armor's initiative anyway.

**Verdict:** Take it for the retaliate build, skip otherwise.

![The Maw of Madness](gh-the-maw-of-madness.png)

The berserker's heal card.

**Top:** Finally, a heal card that synergizes well with what you do best: killing stuff!

**Bottom:** A flexible amount of ranged damage. Especially if you've been focusing on an AOE build, you may be lacking on heavy single-target damage. Here is where you can burst down a monster of your choosing with up to attack 8.

**Initiative:** Excellent.

**Verdict:** An awesome card. Take it.

## Builds

### AOE Build

This build focuses on maximizing AOE damage.

<img src="gh-blood-pact.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-bounce-back.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-from-the-brink.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-fatal-fury.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-flurry-of-axes.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-seeing-red.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-devil-horns.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-burning-hatred.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-vengeful-barrage.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-the-maw-of-madness.png" width=200 height=300>

Your level 2 unlock can be Break the Chains (not pictured), which is replaced by The Maw of Madness once you reach level 9.

You have two persistent loss +1 damage cards: Blood Pact and Seeing Red. I'd recommend playing Blood Pact on your first turn, and Seeing Red as soon as you dip below half health. After that, you have a few killer combos:

#### The Burning Hatred Combo

 1. If fire is present from the previous round, move with Vengeful Barrage and attack with Devil Horns. Otherwise, move with your strengthen enhanced Bounce Back.
 2. Attack with Burning Hatred, then mop up any survivors with Fatal Fury.

#### The Flurry of Axes Combo

 1. Move with your strengthen enhanced Bounce Back and attack with something that makes fire (Fatal Fury or Devil Horns).
 2. Move with Vengeful Barrage and kill everything with a strengthened Flurry of Axes. Considering your 2 persistent losses, that's a base 7 attack before factoring in power potions.

### Retaliate Build

This build focuses on maximizing retaliate damage.

<img src="gh-bounce-back.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-from-the-brink.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-resolute-stand.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-reckless-offensive.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-spiked-armor.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-shiny-distraction.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-devil-horns.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-unstoppable-destruction.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-careless-charge.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-immortality.png" width=200 height=300>

Your level 5 unlock can be Final Fight (not pictured), which is replaced by Immortality once you reach level 9.

Play Reckless Offensive on your first turn. Then you have two big retaliate turns in your arsenal:

 1. Top of Bounce Back, bottom of Resolute Stand for 5 retaliation.
 2. Top of Spiked Armor, bottom of Immortality (consuming fire) for 8 retaliation.

As with the AOE build, Devil Horns is the best high-level fire generator, which you'll need for Immortality. Careless Charge pairs nicely with Unstoppable Destruction as a way to do something useful on your last turn before a rest and clearing the self-inflicted wound before it hurts you.

The main problem with this build is that it centers on retaliation, which is inherently situational: It is excellent against many low damage dealing melee enemies, but falls apart against ranged enemies or small numbers of high damage dealing baddies. As such, it is vital to be able to pivot and do something other than deal heavy retaliation damage. And in your case, you can do quite nicely:

 * Bounce Back and Resolute Stand: If you haven't enhanced them and foresee issues before the scenario even begins, then you may want to trade them out for other level 1 cards.
 * Reckless Offensive: This card really holds its own for the top action, so use that.
 * Spiked Armor: Similarly, this card has an amazing bottom action.
 * Immortality: While this action loses its appeal when not retaliating, it is nonetheless excellent for playing a more traditional tank role.

### The Boss Killer

<img src="gh-defiance-of-death.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-from-the-brink.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-glass-hammer.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-resolute-stand.png" width=200 height=300>

This combo of level 1 cards should be merged into your build for boss fights. Make sure you have a method of granting advantage (strengthen enhanced Bounce Back or Shiny Distraction), otherwise you risk whiffing on Glass Hammer.

 1. Prepare by playing the Defiance of Death sustain.
 2. If you're not at high health, play the From the Brink loss. Otherwise hang on to it.
 3. Gain advantage with strengthen or some other means, and reduce yourself to 1 hp with Glass Hammer, taking the boss down a notch as well.
 4. Finish the boss off with Resolute Stand.
 5. If somehow the boss survived and you haven't already played From the Brink, play it now and finish the fight.

### Low-Health Payout

Several of your cards take effect only when you are below a certain health threshold. Some players choose to limit themselves to half hp to take advantage of these payouts, but is it worth it?

<img src="gh-growing-rage.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-defiance-of-death.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-break-the-chains.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-fatal-fury.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-seeing-red.png" width=200 height=300>

 * Growing Rage gives attack 2 when below half hp, which paired with a decent move 3 is a very pleasant payout. However, the core reason why one would use this card is for the initiative, so I would treat the bonus attack as nothing more than a happy accident rather than something to try to force.
 * Defiance of Death is similar to Growing Rage in that it grants +2 attack when below half health, but this time on the top rather than bottom. As you level up your average attack modifier becomes larger, so adding to an existing attack rather than granting an additional attack becomes less valuable. This card is even less of a reason to limit your health than Growing Rage.
 * Break the Chains grants +2 move when below half hp. This is nice, but as with Growing Rage is hardly worth trying to force.
 * Fatal Fury grants an execute when you are at low health. Depending on your target's shields, this can absolutely be worth purposefully losing health for. Unlike the others in this section, Fatal Fury doesn't need you to be below half hp, but rather be missing over double the health of your target. As such, you do not have a specific health threshold to try to maintain until you know the health of what you want to kill.
 * Seeing Red is a persistent loss to grant +1 to all attacks while below half health. If you have AOE attacks, this can add up to an incredible amount of damage in a hurry - but only if you make those attacks while at low health! Oh, and the top gives a shield with the same condition. Nice, but not worthy.

In conclusion, I would only recommend going out of your way to maintain low health for builds that use the persistent loss on Seeing Red. Fatal Fury is spectacular, but seeing as it does not have a set threshold but rather is determined based on the health of your target, don't refuse healing nor invite damage just on account of potentially making this card more applicable. And regarding Growing Rage, Defiance of Death, and Break the Chains (and the top of Seeing Red), the payout is so small relative to the value of having a large health pool (as will be discussed in the next section) that you should not limit yourself to half health on account of those.

### Health Trading

You have quite a few cards that involve a health-trading mechanic in which you sacrifice some amount of your own health to gain a benefit (often damage). As such, if you take many of these cards then you should attempt to maintain a large health pool that you can then draw upon to fuel your actions.

<img src="gh-blood-pact.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-dazing-wound.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-strength-in-agony.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-glass-hammer.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-numb-the-pain.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-reckless-offensive.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-flurry-of-axes.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-unstoppable-destruction.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-the-maw-of-madness.png" width=200 height=300>

 * Blood Pact top (up to 6 damage / hp): Ideally you use this when you are at 2 hp, and if you do so then this becomes an excellent deal. It's quite difficult to orchestrate, though, and I've never managed to make this happen.
 * Blood Pact bottom (1-3+ damage / hp): With these health trading cards you want to maximize the amount of damage dealt for each damage suffered, so Blood Pact ranges from +1 damage for a single-target attack, to +3 or more for AOE attacks like Devil Horns. That's a pretty good deal.
 * Dazing Wound (stun / 2 hp): For defensive trades like this one, the value is entirely in terms of how much damage is negated. If the monster is about to hit you for at least 3 damage, then it's worth it.
 * Strength in Agony top (2 damage / 2 hp): If this will put the monster over, then it's worth it in terms of damage negation. Otherwise the trade is less glamorous than others on this list.
 * Strength in Agony bottom (1 move / hp): This can absolutely be worth the trade.
 * Glass Hammer (just over 1 damage / hp): Not as great of a ratio as some cards in this list, but you pay a premium for targeted damage. Against the correct enemy (the boss) this is worth it.
 * Numb the Pain (stun / 2 hp): Some as with Dazing Wound.
 * Reckless Offensive top (4 damage / hp): This is a steal of a deal.
 * Reckless Offensive bottom (2 damage / hp): Taking an increase in 1 damage to deal 2 retaliate damage is a decent ratio. Of course, the hidden cost is that it incentivizes you to invite damage rather than avoid it, so you will need to play many retaliates (or shields, but those are harder to come by for you) in order to maintain a good health trade ratio. But on the margin this ability is a solid 2-for-1.
 * Flurry of Axes (# enemies damage / hp): I would recommend playing this card only when you can catch at least 4 enemies in your AOE, and even then only if those 4 are high-priority enemies. Wait until you are facing down a horde of monsters to pop this so that you maximize your damage / hp trade.
 * Unstoppable Destruction (1+ damage / 2 hp): At bare minimum, if you are targeting a single-shield enemy with only a few hp remaining then you may choose to suffer the damage to increase the odds of putting it over. Normally you will want to use this card on high-shield enemies (4+ shields), in which case the ratio starts to become more in-line with some of the better trades on this list.
 * The Maw of Madness (1 damage / hp): As with Strength in Agony and Glass Hammer, the ratio is less than ideal, but you pay a premium for heavy targeted damage. If this eliminates a heavy damage dealing monster, then it can absolutely be worth it.

## Enhancements

### Strengthen (or Bless)

You have a limited number of cards on which a strengthen or bless enhancement may be placed. For both your immense boss-slaying damage and your AOE attacks, these can make a huge impact on your game. Here is the exhaustive list of enhancement candidates:

<img src="gh-bounce-back.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-resolute-stand.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-furious-aid.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-shiny-distraction.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-immortality.png" width=200 height=300>

 * **Bounce Back** (50 gp): This was what I did. It's roughly equivalent to Resolute Stand, but for the reasons outlined in the analysis, I think it has the edge.
 * **Resolute Stand** (50 gp, or 125 gp if 2nd enhancement): This vies with Bounce Back as the best strengthen enhancement.
 * **Furious Aid** (50 gp): Included for completeness. I can't recommend investing in this card.
 * **Shiny Distraction** (125 gp): Since it's on top, strengthen is somewhat less useful unless you intend to pair it with a bottom attack, of which you do have many (Growing Rage, Fatal Fury, Spiked Armor, Final Fight, Devil Horns, Bone Breaker, and The Maw of Madness). Otherwise, consider a bless here.
 * **Immortality** (250 gp): If you take this card over The Maw of Madness it's because you're doing the retaliate build, and that build doesn't care about strengthen nearly as much as the AOE build. But if you have the cash to dump on it, then why not.

### Jump

You've got places to go, monsters to kill. You'll need a jump to get it done, maybe two. Here are, in my opinion, the best jump candidates:

<img src="gh-strength-in-agony.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-break-the-chains.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-flurry-of-axes.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-growing-rage.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-final-fight.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-vengeful-barrage.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-resolute-stand.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-immortality.png" width=200 height=300>

 * **Strength in Agony** (50 gp): Up to 7 movement, and the enhancement is cheap. If you have several cards with a payout for being below a certain health (Fatal Fury, Seeing Red, etc.), then this is an excellent move card to both get to your destination and ensure that you qualify for the bonus.
 * **Break the Chains** (75 gp): Also up to 7 movement, but with more stringent conditions. Unlike Strength in Agony, both halves of this card are quite useful, so Break the Chains may become a regular target for your stamina potions.
 * **Flurry of Axes** (125 gp): Fixed 5 movement, but with a spectacular loss for its other half. If you're going with the AOE build then this or the much more expensive Vengeful Barrage would be optimal.
 * **Growing Rage** (50 gp): Whereas other classes only jump to get over traps, your ideal use case for jump is to land in the middle of a group of monsters. Putting jump on a slow card allows you to move in after the monsters have already gone, then get two rounds of AOE awesomeness in before the monsters go again. But the slowness is both a blessing and a curse: since the monsters go before you, they might step on your desired hex. Growing Rage is also only a move 3, so you'll want Boots of Striding or better to give you the flexibility required to get to a good position.
 * **Final Fight** (150 gp): Growing Rage's big brother. If you have multiple persistent losses that you like to play immediately, then this can be viable (once again, with Boots of Striding). And since you plan to hang on to Final Fight until the end of the scenario anyway, how better to ensure that you enjoy doing so than to make it your favorite move card? The only downside is that it can be hard to stomach the low movement on your first rest cycle. Oh, and that 150 gp price tag too.
 * **Vengeful Barrage** (225 gp): This is a very ideal and very expensive setup to your non-Burning-Hatred AOE attack. I'm not recommending it, this is just an ideal.
 * **Resolute Stand** (50 gp, or 125 gp if 2nd enhancement): This suffers the same dependence on movement items as Growing Rage or Final Fight, but the benefit is that in a single action you can leap into the middle of a group of enemies and strengthen yourself. That's quite the power move.
 * **Immortality** (250 gp, or 325 gp if 2nd enhancement): You need to be exceedingly wealthy to make this worth it, and even then it's only a marginal improvement over the double-enhanced Resolute Stand. But for the same reasons that Resolute Stand would be an incredible play, so would this.

## Perks

![Perks Sheet](gh-berserker-perks.png)

You are able to make a very slim, very swingy deck:

 1. Remove two -1 cards and replace one -1 card with one +1 card twice.
 2. Replace one +0 card with one rolling +2 card twice.
 3. Add one +2 fire card twice.
 4. Remove four +0 cards
 5. Add the rest of the rolling modifiers in any order.

Whether or not you need to ignore negative item effects depends on whether or not you took Unstoppable Destruction. If so, then you'll want Hide Armor and that perk. If not, then you'll be happy with a Cloak of Invisibility and won't need that perk.

## Items

Here we cover the most noteworthy items for the analyzed builds. Be ye warned: spoilers await.

### Prosperity 1

<img src="gh-001-boots-of-striding.png" width=200 height=300>

You have good movement, but reaching your enemies is vital for a melee class like yours. If you spec into AOE, then positioning yourself to optimize damage is even more important.

<img src="gh-002-winged-shoes.png" width=200 height=300>

The card analyses above presented many options for jump enhancements, and really, any of them would be good, and all of them would be better. Winged shoes give you the flexibility to get where you need to go with the best movement card to get there.

<img src="gh-003-hide-armor.png" width=200 height=300>

If you took Unstoppable Destruction, then this is the armor for you. You might be able to get away with a higher level upgrade, but then you run the risk of the charges not being exhausted when it comes time to rest.

<img src="gh-005-cloak-of-invisibility.png" width=200 height=300>

If you did not take Unstoppable Destruction, then you'll want the ability to camp under your invisibility cloak for a long rest.

<img src="gh-007-iron-helmet.png" width=200 height=300>

You need to spend your health for boosting damage, not soaking it up with the 2x that the cave bear drew!

<img src="gh-008-heater-shield.png" width=200 height=300>

If you took Unstoppable Destruction, then take a shield to go with it.

<img src="gh-012-minor-healing-potion.png" width=200 height=300>

Your health pool is your currency. A healing potion helps it go farther.

<img src="gh-013-minor-stamina-potion.png" width=200 height=300>

If you added your jump enhancement to Flurry of Axes, then you'll need a stamina potion to get it back for the top loss.

<img src="gh-014-minor-power-potion.png" width=200 height=300>

If you went with the AOE build, then power potions are for you.

### Prosperity 2

<img src="gh-018-battle-axe.png" width=200 height=300>

When enacting the Boss Killer combo, one of your mighty swings can take out a henchman too!

### Prosperity 3

<img src="gh-027-major-healing-potion.png" width=200 height=300>

Upgrade to the minor healing potion.

### Prosperity 4

<img src="gh-031-hawk-helm.png" width=200 height=300>

If both Iron Helmets are taken, then this is an inexpensive alternative that turns the Flurry of Axes range 3 into a range 4.

<img src="gh-034-major-stamina-potion.png" width=200 height=300>

Upgrade to the minor stamina potion.

### Prosperity 5

<img src="gh-037-robes-of-evocation.png" width=200 height=300>

If you went with the AOE build and regularly have an ally willing to lend you an element, then this is yet another +1 to tack onto your AOE explosion.

<img src="gh-041-major-power-potion.png" width=200 height=300>

This is the capstone AOE build item.

### Prosperity 6

<img src="gh-046-spiked-shield.png" width=200 height=300>

This is the capstone retaliate build item.

### Prosperity 7

<img src="gh-054-staff-of-eminence.png" width=200 height=300>

If you're super into optimizing Flurry of Axes, then this will get you there.

<img src="gh-055-super-healing-potion.png" width=200 height=300>

If anyone needs this, it's you.

### **SPOILER ALERT** Other Unlocks **SPOILER ALERT**

<img src="gh-079b-inferno-blade.png" width=200 height=300>

You deal in fire. Especially once you add the fire producing perks to your modifier deck, you'll at times generate fire that you aren't prepared to consume with an ability card. The Inferno Blade ensures that this fire is put to good use.

<img src="gh-117-bloody-axe.png" width=200 height=300>

You'll only have access to this after you've retired a Berserker once, but if it's available, it's a must-have for the AOE build. In particular, Burning Hatred is melee even when it's powered up by flames. You'll be using this item in conjunction with Burning Hatred every rest cycle.