path: root/content/soothsinger.md

+++
title = 'Soothsinger Analysis'
date = 2024-01-18T11:24:19-05:00
type = 'analysis'
draft = false
+++

The Soothsinger is a top-tier support class, but she also wields a top-tier attack modifier deck, making her capable of disabling enemies while simultaneously dishing out immense amounts of damage. This guide provides a card-by-card analysis to give new Soothsingers insight into what this class is capable of.

![Soothsinger](gh-soothsinger.png)

Where the Mindthief has augments, the Soothsinger has songs, and on these songs her greatest powers hinge. Your songs are persistent sustains with powerful effects --- you should always have one in play. Here are a few minor notes (heh) on various rules and strategies concerning your songs:

 * You are not considered an ally of yourself. Many songs affect "all allies," which unfortunately leaves you out. While most of your party-buffing songs perform better with larger party sizes, this is especially true when the effects are ally-only.
 * You may move a song to the discard pile whenever you choose, and this can be at the end of a round immediately before you short or long rest. If you have concerns about your small 9 card hand size, choosing to pick your song back up to get yourself a hand with an even number of cards can stretch your playtime by a round.
 * You are able to long rest with your supporting output via your songs unabated. Especially if you choose Melody and Harmony at level 5, it would behoove you to take the long rest option every rest cycle: you don't pick up the songs in play until initiative 99 after your allies have already taken their turns and reaped the benefits, so long resting does not preclude supporting the party. The 2 healing per rest enables you to forego healing potions, allowing you to invest your gold and small item carrying capacity into items like stamina potions that actually increase your support output. Finally, long resting gives you a turn in which you don't expend cards, helping you (and your songs) to reliably stick around until the end of the scenario.
 * As long as you have a song in play you gain an XP every round (including when you long rest), resulting in very fast leveling. As such, this guide won't take the XP provided by abilities into consideration during card analysis.

## Cards

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

### Level 1 and X

![Call to Action](gh-call-to-action.png)

An excellent 1st level card, Call to Action embodies the essence of the support Soothsinger: your allies are your weapon.

**Top:** Strengthen _all_ allies, regardless of range. Especially when going late in the initiative order, this can set your team up for a killer (and I mean killer) next round as your allies plan out their massive AOE attacks with full knowledge that they will have advantage. Of course, this action performs better the more allies you have.

**Bottom:** Great damage for level 1, and enough range to make it work even without the benefit of moving this round. The late initiative also gives your ally a chance to get into position for this melee attack. It unfortunately uses your ally's attack modifier deck, so as yours outpaces theirs this ability starts to wane. However, if you happen across some summoning items, it may remain relevant well into your career.

**Initiative:** Usefully slow.

**Verdict:** While Call to Action may not make the cut all the way up to level 9, it will serve you well for the first few levels.

![Defensive Ditty](gh-defensive-ditty.png)

An all-around solid 1st level defensive card.

**Top:** The whole party are now tanks. You will get better defensive options later on, but a passive shield 1? Yes please.

**Bottom:** Prevent one (though only one) instance of damage this round, coupled with the initiative to pull it off. While this is highly dependant on the positioning of your allies and the actions of your enemies, by the time you are ready to take your turn you will know whether or not one of your allies within range 2 will be clobbered later in the round. If you choose your cards such that you would be happy playing either top or bottom, this can come in clutch. But if you're banking on this ability preventing major damage only to have the monsters heal on their turn, you'll find yourself moving 2.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** Your best defensive option before level 4.

![Marching Beat](gh-marching-beat.png)

High movement for yourself or an ally.

**Top:** Excellent for repositioning an ally, and the allies who typically need it are the ones that will struggle to beat this initiative. This is definitely niche, but depending on party composition it can be quite useful.

**Bottom:** A solid move 4 with an enhancement slot. Not much to hate, but for this class, kinda ho-hum.

**Initiative:** The fast end of moderate. Not great relative to other options in this class.

**Verdict:** You may choose to bring this card for very specific scenarios and party compositions, but it probably won't be a staple in most hands.

![Power Ballad](gh-power-ballad.png)

An effective 1st level offensive card.

**Top:** All allies +1 attack, but only once per turn. This won't help multi-attacks or AOE attacks beyond the first hex, but for large parties with many summons, it can add up to a sizable damage boost. Compare to the 9th level Captivating Performance.

**Bottom:** Move and strengthen. The positioning requirements are a bit stringent, but with your initiative you likely know how many allies you will be able to reach at the time that you select this card. The enhancement slots are tempting, but this is a card that doesn't keep up as you level, so I'd recommend against it.

**Initiative:** The kind of fast that you'll come to expect with this class.

**Verdict:** Your go-to offensive song at early levels, but it loses its shine as +1 damage once per turn becomes less impactful.

![Singing Arrow](gh-singing-arrow.png)

Simple and easy to overlook, but your first card that truly levels with you.

**Top:** Curses are powerful at preventing obscene amounts of damage (a null does not prevent status effects, though). And what's better, as monsters level up, the damage prevented by them pulling a curse increases as well.

**Bottom:** The base one attack doesn't look like much, and wound is hardly a consolation (unless you need it to soften up a high-shield enemy). But with your attack modifier deck, as you level that base 1 becomes comparable to a base 3 or 4 on many other classes.

**Initiative:** Usefully slow, and the ranged abilities make this card flexible with regards to positioning. But if enemies are clustered nicely for the top action at the beginning of the round then you may want to pair this with a fast card so that you can take advantage of the situation.

**Verdict:** This card will be useful for most of your career.

![Song of Speed](gh-song-of-speed.png)

A card that is highly dependant on party composition --- either an amazing song which your party will beg you to play every scenario, or rubbish.

**Top:** +1 Move and +1 Range alleviates positioning hardships for your allies considerably. Depending on how much your allies struggle in that regard, this song can be a godsend. For a party with a lot of ranged attacks this can be your go-to song for most of your career. But with melee allies who already have adequate movement this song ranks below the other level 1 options.

**Bottom:** Muddling all enemies within a considerable range can prevent quite a bit of damage, but you won't know if they're even attacking when you select this card. This ability will be upstaged by level 4.

**Initiative:** The aptly named Song of Speed has the speediest initiative for the class.

**Verdict:** Take or bench this card based on how much your allies need the positioning help from the song. For some party compositions this will be vital, but if they don't beg you for it then don't take it.

![Throw Voice](gh-throw-voice.png)

Your bread and butter crowd control. Too bad the bottom and initiative are so lackluster.

**Top:** This disarm AOE will save your team again and again, and that additional hex enhancement is well worth the investment. Disarms level with you in that they will prevent larger amounts of damage the higher the level of your enemies, so don't be surprised if this card earns a spot in your hand even at level 9.

**Bottom:** I almost decided to use this loss once to send two enemies into traps, but ended up disarming them with the top instead. For a class with so many potent bottom abilities and such a small hand limit, this bottom loss is not likely to see much playtime.

**Initiative:** Not good. You will want to pair this card with something faster or slower.

**Verdict:** Of the level 1 and X cards, this is the one that received the most playtime for me. Slap that additional hex on the top as soon as you can afford it and your allies will forget what it's like to take damage.

![Tuning the Outcome](gh-tuning-the-outcome.png)

Decent movement with a curse thrown in for when enemies are nearby, or a bless when they aren't.

**Top:** This bless only affects adjacent allies, but since it's on top, you can likely position yourself to maximise its effects. Beware that not all allies benefit equally from blesses: you in particular have such low bases on your attacks and such a good modifier deck that often pulling a bless turns your base 1 attack into a 2, whereas your modifiers could have bumped it up to a 4 or more.

**Bottom:** Move 3 with a curse, excellent! This is a smaller move than many others that you have access to (though you may choose to enhance it), but the curse at range makes it easily rank ahead of the move 4 options also available at early levels.

**Initiative:** Usefully slow.

**Verdict:** Until you acquire larger move cards at levels 2 and 5, this is how you will want to get around.

![Warding Dagger](gh-warding-dagger.png)

The first all-around dud for this class.

**Top:** A base 3 melee attack that pins. Quite frankly, you have better things to do with your turn. Now, if you are in a position where the best you can do is a melee attack, then don't feel bad about it --- your attack modifier deck makes even a base 2 melee attack quite potent. But the base 3 is not enough of an improvement to make this card worth taking, and that pin requires quite a bit of fancy footwork to utilize. Now that being said, here is how you could make best use of this ability: Go slowly by pairing it with something like Tuning the Outcome, and use the movement on that card to get into melee range of a melee enemy who has already taken its turn this round. Use Warding Dagger to do some damage and pin. Next round go fast with something like Power Ballad and move out of melee range. As long as none of your allies blunder into arm's reach of the pinned monster, and that monster doesn't surprise everyone by drawing a ranged attack (or healing, or summoning), you've achieved the best that this melee pin can do for you by wasting that monster's attack.

**Bottom:** Not terrible as far as losses go, but with your 9 card hand you can't afford it. Also, the poor initiative means that you'll need to pair this with something faster to make those shields actually do anything.

**Initiative:** Terrible.

**Verdict:** One of only a few cards for this class that are simply not good.

![Nimble Knife](gh-nimble-knife.png)

A well-balanced card for early levels.

**Top:** Compared to Warding Dagger, this is more in-line with what you should be doing with this class. To be clear, fighting in melee reflects poorly on your positioning, but cursing an enemy and blessing an ally are excellent consolations.

**Bottom:** Move 4 is solid at early levels.

**Initiative:** Fast enough.

**Verdict:** Depending on how high of a level you start at you may skip over this card completely, but at early levels it is quite viable.

![Unending Chant](gh-unending-chant.png)

Mediocre utility at low levels.

**Top:** Prior to level 4, this may be necessary if you want to fill the enemy modifier deck with curses. But we can't really afford the loss, and this tactic will be obsoleted come level 4 anyway.

**Bottom:** Small movement with a small shield bonus. This is certainly better than taking the standard move 2, but with that initiative you'll have to pair this with a faster card if you intend for that shield to actually do anything.

**Initiative:** Terrible.

**Verdict:** I have never used this card and can't recommend it above the other level 1 options.

![Wistful Wounding](gh-wistful-wounding.png)

The loot card.

**Top:** Alas, if only wounds stacked in some way! This is an effect that looks better than it actually is. Unless this is your party's only way to deal with high-shield enemies, you're better off with Power Ballad.

**Bottom:** This is the Soothsinger's only loot ability. While a lesser class would just loot 1 and that's it, you get to attack at incredible (and enhanceable) range and earn XP while you're at it.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** You may not have room in your hand to take this card on every mission, but depending on scenario objectives and how strapped for cash you are, Wistful Wounding should always be considered.

### Level 2

![Change Tempo](gh-change-tempo.png)

Your go-last-positioning option.

**Top:** For a melee enemy who isn't yet in melee range, immobilize can be as good as stun. But depending on party composition you may have a hard time pulling this off: summons don't understand the finer stratagems of positioning, and don't expect your melee allies to waste their turns by hanging back out of melee range.

**Bottom:** The second largest move for this class, and with an enhancement slot to boot. Add jump here and this enables some really nice combos as you level. Or get winged shoes. Those are cheaper.

**Initiative:** The slowest for the class. Perfect for going after the monsters and getting into an otherwise precarious position, then doing your AOE thing early next turn while still escaping unscathed.

**Verdict:** This is an understated card that sets up many high level combos oh so very nicely.

![Soothing Lullaby](gh-soothing-lullaby.png)

The only heal card until level 8.

**Top:** A passive heal 1 for every ally (but sadly not for you). This is the answer to wound and poison, though don't expect the heal 1 to make too big of an impact on your allies' health pools.

**Bottom:** A straightforward heal at range, useful at any level. Consider enhancing with strengthen or bless.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** Compare this card to Tranquil Trill at Level 8. Trill heals 2 while Lullaby heals 1 (point for Trill). Trill's bottom requires very specific positioning while Lullaby's bottom is almost always useful (point for Lullaby). With initiatives that are almost identical, I wouldn't feel bad at all picking up Lullaby.

### Level 3

![Crippling Chorus](gh-crippling-chorus.png)

Your first stun, but its cost is dear.

**Top:** A loss to stun the whole room. That's a powerful move, but a steep price to pay for a panic button.

**Bottom:** Mediocre movement, but the disarm permits you to enter melee range of a (lone) enemy without risking damage. This could serve similar positioning purposes as Change Tempo.

**Initiative:** Almost slow enough to be useful, but don't count on going after the monsters.

**Verdict:** A good choice if you want that panic button as an option, with an enhanceable move and disarm for when the stuns aren't necessary.

![Echoing Aria](gh-echoing-aria.png)

Retaliate and shield. Unfortunately not at the same time.

**Top:** This gives us some interesting options. Normally retaliate isn't a great mechanic since it requires getting hit to use, but remember that it triggers even on a null! With all the curses you pump into the monster deck (even more next level), you could increase your damage output via this retaliate without seriously hazarding your allies. It would mean laying off on the disarms, but if you make liberal use of the bottoms of Defensive Ditty, Song of Speed, and Unending Chant (while continuing to pour forth curses), you can still keep your allies safe. I couldn't quite make this strategy work, but millage may vary.

**Bottom:** Those shields would synergize with the retaliate song super well! But wait, they're both on the same card. Unfortunately, this is only a marginal improvement on the other shielding abilities in your arsenal.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** I took Aria on my first play through, but in retrospect I'd either skip it or invest more heavily into building around it.

### Level 4

![Disorienting Dirge](gh-disorienting-dirge.png)

A one-card combo which obsoletes several prior cards and boosts your defensive capabilities considerably.

**Top:** Disadvantage makes your enemies pull curses much more regularly. And even if the monster deck is void of curses, disadvantage ends up averaging north of -1 to all monster attacks. This obsoletes Defensive Ditty. It also notably benefits you (affecting all enemy attacks) whereas Ditty does not (only gives shields to allies). It also isn't countered by monsters with pierce.

**Bottom:** Curse all enemies and bless all allies in the room. This can fill the monster deck with curses in one fell swoop while simultaneously boosting ally damage output. It can be tricky to get the positioning just right, but that's where a late Change Tempo the previous round comes in. Pair with some crowd control such as Throw Voice, and you may even emerge from this stunt unscathed. Remember that there can only be a maximum of 10 curses in the monster deck at a time, so if you're too good at what you do then you may find yourself obsoleting your other cursing options (in a good way). Also, regarding the blesses, see the note on Tuning the Outcome. Some allies (and yourself via your summons) may not appreciate being blessed when their modifier deck is filled with +2s, 3s, and 4s, which for base 1 attacks (which you'll be dishing out en mass by the end of your career) are better.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** Due to the self-combo (alternate between pumping the monsters with curses with the bottom and cashing in on the curses with the top), some have deemed this the best card in the entire game. I don't disagree, though depending on your allies' defensive capabilities, it's possible that the top will become less important based on party composition.

![Inspiring Anthem](gh-inspiring-anthem.png)

A nice but rather underwhelming incremental improvement over several level 1 options.

**Top:** Like the top of Marching Beat, but one more movement and without the positioning requirement.

**Bottom:** Like the bottom of Call to Action, but one more attack and without the positioning requirement.

**Initiative:** The absolute worst.

**Verdict:** This enables you to provide significant support to party members on the opposite side of the map, which can be useful in certain scenarios. I think that Dirge is more generally useful, though.

### Level 5

![Melody and Harmony](gh-melody-and-harmony.png)

Potentially game-changing, but is it worth it?

**Top:** This is a tough one. You have so many amazing songs that it can be hard to choose just one. This could be your answer. But is it worth the loss with your 9 card hand? Maybe, but you have to be careful to not get exhausted too quickly. In particular, whenever you rest, you should pick one or both songs back up to maintain an even number of cards in your hand. Between that and waiting until late in the game to pop this sustain, this can perform spectacularly well without decreasing your longevity too severely. You could even make Aria workable by putting it alongside Dirge.

**Bottom:** This is actually pretty amazing. Attack 3 is your second highest attack, and just throwing it in at range with a move is sweet. Compare to the bottom of Provoke Terror (Level 6). You won't be disappointed using this ability while waiting to pop the top.

**Initiative:** Usefully slow.

**Verdict:** Either take it or plan on coming back to take it.

![Mobilizing Measure](gh-mobilizing-measure.png)

Your go first and far card.

**Top:** This can be an upgrade over Song of Speed if your allies tend to perform multiple attacks in a round.

**Bottom:** Your biggest movement, with an (expensive) enhancement slot if you want more.

**Initiative:** Excellently fast.

**Verdict:** Up until this point, your only option for decent movement with fast initiative is Nimble Knife, or else pairing Change Tempo with something fast. But most of your fast cards are songs, so if your desired top action doesn't have fast enough of initiative for your purposes (such as Throw Voice or Provoke Terror next level), your options for positioning yourself are limited. This fast initiative high movement card opens up combos with poor initiative top action cards for when you need to position yourself and still go early.

### Level 6

![Provoke Terror](gh-provoke-terror.png)

Your first reusable stun, oh boy!

**Top:** Compare to Throw Voice. The stun is better than disarm because it prevents all the non-attack stuff monsters like to do that really messes you up, like throw up tons of shields or summon a bunch of demons. It also has improved range. If you've liked Throw Voice, you'll love Provoke Terror.

**Bottom:** The only thing better than stunning a monster is killing it, and that's what this bottom action does. And if there's a trap you can push the monster into, that's just icing on the cake.

**Initiative:** Garbage. Ah well, you can't have it all.

**Verdict:** This highly versatile card will serve you well.

![Pull the Strings](gh-pull-the-strings.png)

A reusable way to rearrange monsters via monster mind control.

**Top:** In a scenario filled with traps, this song can be quite useful. It can also move melee monsters back to where they can't make it into range on their turn, thus negating some damage. And finally, for all the AOE effects that you and your allies generate, a little monster rearranging can boost the efficiency of those actions.

**Bottom:** Since the monster making this attack uses the monster modifier deck, this has negative synergy with your cursing abilities. If you choose to forego a curse-heavy build then this is certainly workable, but I doubt it's worth the trade.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** I can't recommend this card above Provoke Terror.

### Level 7

![Booming Proclamation](gh-booming-proclamation.png)

Your best AOE damaging option.

**Top:** Attack 1 may not look like much, but with your modifier deck, especially by level 7, it's powerful. Also observe Disorienting Dirge, which has an AOE that is expanded by one compared to Proclamation (this inequality can be rectified by a certain prosperity 4 item). A good combo would be to hop into the middle of a room full of enemies with a jump-enhanced Change Tempo, then next turn Dirge them and Boom them.

**Bottom:** Very situational, but on occation this could add up to a fair amount of damage.

**Initiative:** Terrible.

**Verdict:** If you've mastered getting into the middle of things for Dirge, you'll have fun following it up with Booming Proclamation. Just make sure that you have an exit strategy (several items come to mind) or you might get beat up.

![Nightmare Serenade](gh-nightmare-serenade.png)

Your upgrade to Singing Arrow.

**Top:** Your song options are so powerful by now that I can't imagine it would be worth swapping one of them out just to keep the monster deck topped up with curses.

**Bottom:** Like Singing Arrow, but with damage. Remember that if you kill the monster then the curse does not apply. But don't let that turn you away from this card! If accidentally killing monsters is your biggest problem, then you're doing well.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** If you are proficient at jumping into the fray with Dirge, then your Dirges are probably effective enough that you don't need the curses from this card and you'd be better off with the Dirge-Proclamation combo. But if not, then Serenade wins out as being a way to curse and flip your modifier deck from safer positioning.

### Level 8

![Commanding Presence](gh-commanding-presence.png)

Your tanky ally is your weapon! Though not a particularly potent weapon.

**Top:** One ally can attack all adjacent enemies --- base 2. For your attack modifier deck that would be great, but for the typical tank, this pales in comparison to what you've already achieved with Booming Proclamation a level ago. Maybe if you have a summoning item and your summoned ally manages to survive to get into a hairy position (and you have the unique capacity to make this happen), then this could be viable. But even then, Proclamation covers a greater area, so you may still have trouble being as effective with this card as with the other.

**Bottom:** This is effectively an upgraded version of the bottom of Throw Voice, complete with it being a loss card. If this results in most of the 7 targeted enemies moving into stun traps while also achieving your strategic positioning purposes, then maybe. But in the vast majority of circumstances I can't imagine this being worth the action let alone the loss.

**Initiative:** Terrible.

**Verdict:** Skip.

![Tranquil Trill](gh-tranquil-trill.png)

The upgraded version of Soothing Lullaby, albeit with a harder to use bottom action.

**Top:** Doubles the healing output of Lullaby. If you held off until now on taking a healing card, then take this one. But if you already have Lullaby, then the extra healing isn't enough to warrant an upgrade.

**Bottom:** Disarms are good, but disarming adjacent enemies without any movement is difficult to set up.

**Initiative:** Fast.

**Verdict:** A good support class like yours should have an answer to poison and wound in her arsenal, so you need either Trill or Lullaby. Trill is better than Lullaby in terms of healing output, but not by enough that I'd wait until level 8 before picking up a healing option. Besides, there are fantastic cards from levels 5 and 7 that you've been forced to pass by, so don't hesitate to go back for one of those.

### Level 9

![Captivating Performance](gh-captivating-performance.png)

The capstone support build card.

**Top:** This reads like only a marginal upgrade to Power Ballad, but don't be fooled --- in a party with many AOE attacks, this can easily be several times as potent as Ballad. It's like everybody (but you) gets to use a power potion every round. This is the go-to offensive song in your repertoire.

**Bottom:** A very flexible 3 target stun. It may not have the range of Provoke Terror, but it's far easier to make maximal use of since the targets don't have to be clustered. Also compare to Crippling Chorus, which is lost to stun all enemies within the same range. While Performance is limited to 3 targets and positioning is trickier due to being a bottom action, not being a loss more than makes up for these shortcomings. If you have enjoyed getting in the middle of things with Dirge, then Performance the following turn gives your allies more time to mop things up.

**Initiative:** Borderline fast, but don't rely on it too heavily.

**Verdict:** Great crowd control and an even better song. Take it.

![Shadow Puppets](gh-shadow-puppets.png)

Your only way to move as a top action. Otherwise pretty mediocre.

**Top:** In Gloomhaven, moves on top are rare, and this one has a built-in jump. Depending on your luck at positioning yourself for your many potent bottom abilities, this top move might be the boost you need. Unfortunately, that's the high point of the card. Your enemies wasting curses in attacking each other is less than ideal, so avoid using that feature unless you have yet to curse them.

**Bottom:** An upgrade over the bottom of the level 1 Call to Action.

**Initiative:** Terrible.

**Verdict:** Give the move and jump on top some careful consideration. Depending on what cards you've taken up to this point, your deck might be very imbalanced with many potent bottom actions and not enough to do on top. I am confident in saying that Captivating Performance is the better card in a vacuum, but for some builds Shadow Puppets may round things out in a more satisfying way.

## Builds

### Support Build

This build prioritizes support cards over damage, but can still dish it out when needed.

<img src="gh-throw-voice.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-change-tempo.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-crippling-chorus.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-disorienting-dirge.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-mobilizing-measure.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-provoke-terror.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-nightmare-serenade.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-tranquil-trill.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-captivating-performance.png" width=200 height=300>

 * Throw Voice (top): crowd control
 * Change Tempo (bottom): movement
 * Crippling Chorus (bottom): move and crowd control
 * Disorienting Dirge (top & bottom): defensive song and buff/debuff
 * Mobilizing Measure (bottom): fast movement
 * Provoke Terror (top & bottom): crowd control and single target attack
 * Nightmare Serenade (bottom): debuff and AOE attack. Could be exchanged for Booming Proclamation depending on play style.
 * Tranquil Trill (top): healing song
 * Captivating Performance (top & bottom): offensive song and crowd control

This support build excels at shutting down enemies so that your allies can focus exclusively on dealing damage without having to worry about their hit points. While you will not be dealing damage every turn, that's fine, at least with larger parties. But if you have a 2 character party then you may want to consider a different build.

The biggest drawback with this build is the imbalance between useful top and bottom actions. You get 7 great bottom actions, yet only 5 on top, 3 of which are songs. It is optimal for action efficiency to play a song once every other rest cycle (the turn after you pick one up to maintain an even hand size), but even if you cycle them more frequently than that, you will want to use stamina potions to keep your output of useful top actions going, then prioritize losing bottom-only cards like Serenade when you long rest.

#### Dirge-Boom Combos

If you choose to take Booming Proclamation in exchange for Nightmare Serenade, then you can pull off some pretty gutsy (but totally safe, I swear!) combos. The Dirge-Boom combo is very flexible and can be utilized as mentioned in the card-by-card analysis, but can also be stretched over several turns. Here's the melee enemy version:

 1. Go late with Change Tempo. Select a very precarious hex in the middle of a room of as many menacing baddies as possible. Fear them not, for they cannot hurt you. Move using a jump-enhanced Mobilizing Measure (or Winged Shoes) and immobilize using Change Tempo.
 2. Go fast with Dirge and pump 'em with curses, then Boom and push those immobilized monsters out of melee range.
 3. Go fast with Performance and stun those that are still within your 3 hex range, then use Provoke Terror on those that you had pushed farther than that. Stamina potion back one of your songs (but only for its initiative).
 4. Now it's time to reunite with your allies. Go fast with the song you retrieved the previous round. Move with Crippling Chorus back toward your allies, disarming an enemy that they haven't yet dealt with (if applicable).

This is the ranged enemy version:

 1. Go late with Change Tempo. Select a precarious hex as in the melee enemy version. Move with a jump-enhanced Change Tempo (or Winged Shoes) and use crowd control such as Throw Voice or Provoke Terror.
 2. Go fast with Dirge, and pump 'em with curses. Use your other crowd control card (Throw Voice or Provoke Terror) to catch those you missed the previous round.
 3. Go fast with Captivating Performance and stun 'em. Boom them, pushing them to clear a path back toward your allies.
 4. Now it's time to reunite with your allies. Go fast with Mobilizing Measure, and get behind friendly lines!

In either of the above sequences, if you have the Cloak of Invisibility and there are still a bunch of enemies by the time you're running low on cards, use it to take a long rest and then keep the combo going.

### Damage Build

This build prioritizes damage over support, but your songs and crowd control abilities are still there for when you need them.

<img src="gh-throw-voice.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-change-tempo.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-soothing-lullaby.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-disorienting-dirge.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-melody-and-harmony.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-provoke-terror.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-booming-proclamation.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-nightmare-serenade.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-shadow-puppets.png" width=200 height=300>

 * Throw Voice (top): crowd control. You still want to survive, right?
 * Change Tempo (bottom): movement
 * Soothing Lullaby (top & bottom): heals
 * Disorienting Dirge (top & bottom): defensive song and buff/debuff
 * Melody and Harmony (top & bottom): utility and move with a single target attack
 * Provoke Terror (top & bottom): crowd control and single target attack
 * Booming Proclamation (top): AOE attack
 * Nightmare Serenade (bottom): debuff and AOE attack
 * Shadow Puppets (top & bottom): movement and attack

This damage build gives you many flexible options which synergize nicely to make liberal use of your modifier deck. Make sure you grab as many summoning items as you can find to boost your damage even more. Your hand will also be fairly well balanced, meaning that you won't be running out of useful top actions.

### Cursing Build

This build explores the maximum utilization of curses. Your enemies will defeat themselves while flailing ineffectually against your allies.

<img src="gh-singing-arrow.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-change-tempo.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-echoing-aria.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-disorienting-dirge.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-melody-and-harmony.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-provoke-terror.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-nightmare-serenade.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-tranquil-trill.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-captivating-performance.png" width=200 height=300>

 * Singing Arrow (top): curses!
 * Change Tempo (bottom): movement
 * Echoing Aria (top & bottom): curse utilization and defense
 * Disorienting Dirge (top & bottom): curse utilization and buff/curse
 * Melody and Harmony (top & bottom): utility and move with a single target attack
 * Provoke Terror (top & bottom): crowd control and single target attack
 * Nightmare Serenade (bottom): curses and AOE attack
 * Tranquil Trill (top): healing song
 * Captivating Performance (bottom): crowd control

What makes this build click is to keep the enemy modifier deck full of curses, then let them draw nulls and get retaliated against by Aria. Before a key battle pop the top of Melody and Harmony, then use Dirge defensively to keep the heat off of your allies. If your allies get too beat up you can swap Trill in for Aria, and don't hesitate to make frequent use of Provoke Terror and Captivating Performance for stuns.

### Summoning Build (AKA the How To Use The Cards That Don't Fit Into The Other Builds Build)

There are several summoning items in the game, one of which is unlocked by prosperity. This build becomes more viable the more summons you have.

<img src="gh-call-to-action.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-throw-voice.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-crippling-chorus.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-disorienting-dirge.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-inspiring-anthem.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-mobilizing-measure.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-pull-the-strings.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-commanding-presence.png" width=200 height=300>
<img src="gh-shadow-puppets.png" width=200 height=300>

 * Call to Action (top & bottom): damage boost
 * Throw Voice (top): crowd control
 * Crippling Chorus (bottom): move and crowd control
 * Disorienting Dirge (top & bottom): defensive song and buff/debuff
 * Inspiring Anthem (top & bottom): summons movement and attack
 * Mobilizing Measure (top & bottom): movement song and early initiative movement
 * Pull the Strings (top): crowd control song
 * Commanding Presence (top): damage
 * Shadow Puppets (top & bottom): movement and attack

The level 2 unlock (not pictured) can be Lullaby, which you only take with you on missions with lots of wound or poison.

This build hinges on using your allies to deal damage. Your primary song will be Pull the Strings, which you use to maximize the effectiveness of your crowd control abilities (Throw Voice and Crippling Chorus) and your heavy damage ability, Commanding Presence. You may also use Pull the Strings for damage negation by maneuvering monsters into positions where they cannot reach your allies, preferably onto traps. Also remember that disarmed enemies can still move on their turns, which can be a boon for setting up positioning dependent abilities like the top of Commanding Presence.

Be sure to summon allies on a turn when you go slowly, such as initiative 85, right before you play the top of Call to Action (or bottom if you need immediate base 4 damage). Then go quickly the next round (at initiative 6 with Mobilizing Measure for example) so that your summoned allies can get some good attacks in before the monsters have a chance to react.

Remember that you can choose to omit so-called "beneficial" parts of actions. For example, when playing Dirge you may use the bottom ability to curse the monsters, yet omit the bless portion so as to avoid diluting your modifier deck with blesses via your summons. Certain allies who otherwise would have gotten blessed may become grumpy, but it's an option.

## Perks

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

You have the best perks in the game. Here are some recommendations on what to prioritize:

 1. Remove negatives in any order (Remove two -1 cards, remove one -2 card, replace one -1 card with one +0 STUN card). With your low-base attacks, drawing one of these cards can be as bad as a null.
 2. Add the rolling modifiers (add three rolling +1 cards, add two rolling CURSE cards). These provide a large bang for your buck in terms of output.
 3. Upgrade high-impact modifiers (replace two +1 cards with one +4 card, replace one +0 card with one +3 MUDDLE card). These are the cards you ideally want to draw at the end of a long chain of rolling modifiers.
 4. Apply the rest in order of your favorite status effects, breaking ties with whatever provides the best attack modifier bonus.

## Items

Here we cover the most noteworthy items unlocked by prosperity. Be ye warned: spoilers await.

### Prosperity 1

{{< figure src="gh-002-winged-shoes.png" alt="Winged Shoes" width=200 height=300 >}}

Until level 9, jumping requires either an expensive enhancement or Winged Shoes. I'd recommend freeing up your feet for better footwear once you can afford the enhancement, but until then the winged shoes will get you where you need to go.

{{< figure src="gh-005-cloak-of-invisibility.png" alt="Cloak of Invisibility" width=200 height=300 >}}

I passed over the Cloak on my play through, but only because both had already been claimed by other party members! If you lean into the get-in-the-middle-of-things strategy, then this can be a lifesaver. Jump into the middle of a crowd with Change Tempo late in initiative. Next turn blast them with Dirge and Boom, then pop the cloak. Take a long rest. Profit.

{{< figure src="gh-013-minor-stamina-potion.png" alt="Minor Stamina Potion" width=200 height=300 >}}

Great for any character, but excellent for you. This gives you an extra turn, which is important for your 9 card hand. It also improves your efficiency if your hand is imbalanced, allowing you to pick Throw Voice and Provoke Terror back up for some more crowd control.

### Prosperity 2

{{< figure src="gh-015-boots-of-speed.png" alt="Boots of Speed" width=200 height=300 >}}

You care more about initiative than most classes. You also have more cards with extreme initiative values than most classes. But sometimes those pesky Night Demons surprise you with 7 initiative when you had counted on going first with 14. These boots are your answer. At other times you hoped to disarm some enemies who end up going only slightly slower than you and aren't even attacking this round. These boots let you disarm them after their turn so that it applies to the next round. You can even use them on your long rest so that your summoned allies can get some hits in on initiative 89 before the Oozes split on initiative 94. You might not use the Boots of Speed every long rest cycle, but when you do, you'll be glad to have them.

{{< figure src="gh-016-cloak-of-pockets.png" alt="Cloak of Pockets" width=200 height=300 >}}

There are so many amazing small items, but a lady of your stature has only so many pockets. Here is your solution. Upgrade from the Cloak of Invisibility when you're ready to buy that extra potion that you wouldn't otherwise be able to carry with you.

{{< figure src="gh-017-empowering-talisman.png" alt="Empowering Talisman" width=200 height=300 >}}

You are limited to only one of each small item, so this stretches your stamina potions or gives your summons another chance. It's pricey compared to buying another small item, so wait on purchasing until you've maxed out your small item capacity.

### Prosperity 4

{{< figure src="gh-031-hawk-helm.png" alt="Hawk Helm" width=200 height=300 >}}

Booming Proclamation has a radius that's one hex narrower than Dirge, but the Hawk Helm evens them up for a super slick combo. Plus it's cheaper than the Talisman if you don't need the small item utilization.

{{< figure src="gh-033-volatile-bomb.png" alt="Volatile Bomb" width=200 height=300 >}}

Once per scenario, the bottom attack of Melody and Harmony or Provoke Terror is now AOE. You're welcome.

{{< figure src="gh-034-major-stamina-potion.png" alt="Major Stamina Potion" width=200 height=300 >}}

Your hand limit is 9 cards, which is an odd number. If you pop this potion sometime before your first rest to get to an even number, then you will have added 2 extra rounds to your longevity.

{{< figure src="gh-035-falcon-figurine.png" alt="Falcon Figurine" width=200 height=300 >}}

For most classes summons aren't worth the investment, but two factors make you uniquely able to maximize their meager abilities: a superb modifier deck to turn that attack base 2 into something great, and the crowd control to keep that falcon alive. Your many abilities that affect all allies notably apply to your summons as well, so the more summoned allies you can put on the board the better. There are other unlockable summoning items that this guide won't cover, and those are similarly useful. It is possible to build an extremely effective Soothsinger entirely around these summoning items. If you collect them all then you may need that Cloak of Pockets.

### Prosperity 5

{{< figure src="gh-042-ring-of-haste.png" alt="Ring of Haste" width=200 height=300 >}}

You have many potent bottom actions, and often you will want to use two of them on the same turn. This item opens up new combos, allowing you to move on the same turn as you use some of your more impressive non-movement bottom actions such as Dirge, Serenade, or Performance. Keep the maintenance of your even hand size in consideration or this stunt may shave a turn from your game.

### Prosperity 6

{{< figure src="gh-043-boots-of-quickness.png" alt="Boots of Quickness" width=200 height=300 >}}

A direct upgrade over Boots of Speed. Only purchase if you think it's necessary.

{{< figure src="gh-045-pendant-of-dark-pacts.png" alt="Pendant of Dark Pacts" width=200 height=300 >}}

If you went the summoning route, then this is the headgear you want to end up with to maximize your small item utilization. Other than the curse this is a direct upgrade over the Empowering Talisman. That curse is annoying, but with all your summoning items and your AOE attacks, it's far less debilitating on you than on a class that excels in high single-target damage. Besides, status effects still apply on a null, so pulling it with the bottom of Singing Arrow, Provoke Terror, or Nightmare Serenade still achieves the desired wounding/pushing/cursing purpose.