Bullistic
Intro: Admittedly amongst my favorite monsters in the game, I do have a soft spot for Bullistic, but I also think as far as fury starters go, it is not quite as powerful as Angeroo. Bullistic’s trait rewards it for using its horn moves as often as possible and for being in combat with multiple opponents, but its stats lack the defenses to last in such a fight without help.
Stats:
Offense: 4 strike, 4 brawn. This is what you are looking for in your physical attackers. The magic and Talent might as well not be around in all honesty, but at least them being low lets you have high stats where you’re more likely to use them. A, it’s clear what your focus is, doesn’t waste the points Angeroo does which is nice.
Defense: 6 hp is very nice, you’re gonna be in the middle of the action and this will be very helpful. The 9 in both your defenses is a let down though. D-, you’re not a tank, hit hard and look for a healer.
Utility: 7 speed, like every other monster so far. It’s got the speed to get where it wants to be, and to get there before most opponents. B, You don’t get the support moves to let this shine.
Trait: Longhorned hits any opponents next to whoever you’re hitting for Grade+Brawn damage. At level 1, this is 5, but at grade 5, this should be 10. Scaling damage is nice, but setting up situations where this will work out might take some work.
Starting Moves: You’re going to be using enrage to boost your damage, ferocious strike to hit for maximum damage and horn strike for mystic affinity monsters and when you can activate your ability
Enrage: S, Boosts your damage output, and makes longhorned stronger. Only ditch it for another power up move.
Ferocious strike: A, 1d8 at grade 1 is pretty good, and lets you be the powerhouse bull you want to be.
Horn strike: A, lets you use your trait, lets you hit mystics very hard. A perfect complimentary move for ferocious strike. Only replace this for another horn move.
Grade 1 moves:
Offense: Ferocious Assault offers a ranged move for Bullistic, and is definitely worth picking up. Savage Horn is a horn move that causes bleed, which is all you can really ask for in this grade.
Ferocious Assault: A+, a ranged option is always good, especially for a monster like Bullistic who doesn’t get many. The damage eventually does become too low to use eventually, but it will work just fine until grade 3, maybe even 4.
Savage Horn: S, this move is very threatening. Replace horn strike with this. It’s a little less damage, but the threat to bleed is very good.
Defense:
Mindless Rage: D, Loses that pesky mystic weakness and doubles your resistance to basic monsters. You already have some surprises for mystics and you don’t need the help in all honesty. It’ll save you a little health, but you’re still going to be taking hits even from the monsters it protects you from.
Utility:
Overwhelm: D, unreliable. If you outnumber a monster you’re winning anyways and don’t need this.
Grade 2 moves: Bullistic really struggles to find a good move this grade.
Offense: Our friend Furious Charge from the Amphare review is back and far less useful here. Heedless strike does great damage in exchange for an effect. Puncture is a damage boost to your horn attack, but no bleed makes this not as useful or easy to build around as Savage horn.
Furious Charge: C, You can’t get the full damage for this move with Bullistic, meaning it’s honestly not the best move. At best you might get 12 damage once in a fight.
Heedless Strike: B, it’s good damage and you’re disoriented after. If you have a way to deal with disorientation, pick this up for sure. If you don’t, consider this carefully.
Puncture: B, it’s a damage boost over horn strike. If you didn’t take savage horn last grade, I highly recommend picking this up. If you did take savage horn, it’s a toss up which is better. Personally, I prefer the bleed chance.
Red Line:
Defense:
Utility: War Zone is an amazing move, and you’re gonna be able to use it often. Red Line is an option for more damage, you have the hp to lose by using this, but that doesn’t mean you want to be losing it.
War Zone: S, you boost melee damage done by allies. This will incentivize allies to join you in melee damage, and you do amazingly in big brawls.
Red Line: B, a good engage move, which will boost your damage at the cost of some health.
Grade 3 Moves: Really there’s only two movs worth considering.
Offense: Bloodied Breath is a ranged move with decent damage once you’re at half health and access to poison, which lets you hit multiple opponents. Ire Strike is a melee damage with more consistent decent damage. Your horn moves this grade are coverage moves with very low damage and some decent effects.
Bloodied Breath: S, this is the move that scales best this grade. You will be getting hit a lot, so getting to half health isn’t too difficult. Being able to hit multiple opponents however, is very fun.
Ire Strike: B,it’s the most damage you can do consistently in this grade.
Searing Horn: F, Unless your character is built around status effects, don’t do this.
Stone Horn: F, hey it’s savage horn with a different type. You actually usually prefer basic coverage though.
Defense:
Combat Focus: F, You’re using an attack to dodge an attack on a monster built to fight multiple enemies. Please stop.
Utility:
Grade 4 Moves: finally, good options.
Offense: Every single option is an attack this time around and 4 of them are legitimately worth considering for your build.
Counter Attack: A, Now I know what you’re thinking. This doesn’t have Angry or Haste, wouldn’t Angeroo just be way better as a response attacker? Yes. It’s still a free attack though, so consider it.
Lightning Rush: D, Hey, it’s that trap move on Amphare’s review. You have more health and deal less damage with it. You’re in a better position to use it than Amphare, but… why would you want to?
Monstrous Horn: S, A high damage move which activates your trait and its Mystics hard. Have fun.
Wrath Strike: B, For those who decided to ignore the trait and go for more pure damage, it’s a good choice. This is the most damage this grade, and unlike other times when I say you have better damage options later, there are very legitimate reasons to have this be your strongest attack on the build.
Grade 5:
Offense: Diamond Strike is a coverage move against wind. This isn’t pokemon though, so you do fine against wind already. Frenzy lets you hit multiple enemies. Vex strike is your strongest one on one move.
Diamond Strike: B-, it’s a coverage move with decent damage. If your team struggles with wind and no one wants a stone affinity, go ahead and take it.
Frenzy: A+, you’re going to be around multiple enemies a lot, and hitting them all is really nice. It would be rated higher if your utility moves weren’t amazing.
Vex Strike: B, Great damage. If you’re a 1v1 Bullistic, take it.
Defense:
Utility: While your moves are good this grade, this is where you want to be looking, and the reason taking wrath strike last grade wasn’t a wasted slot.
Unstoppable: S, this is everything you want as a physical attacker right here. +2 to your accuracy, your damage and your speed.
Paragon: S, you still get bonuses to your accuracy and speed from unstoppable, and 20 hp.
Sample builds
Bruiser Bullistic:
8/6/10/2/9/7 5/1
Longhorn, Brawny, Fierce Anatomy (Horn), Brutal, Critical (Devestate)
Paragon, Bloodied Breath(Defiant Upgrade), War Zone, Monstrous Horn (intense Upgrade)
Notes: This is my most recommended Bullistic build. HP and Protection buffs let it stand in melee, it will still get hit often, but it is possible to avoid some hits. Strike you need. Paragon is a great move to start with or to use when you need a boost, it gives you health, accuracy and makes it more likely you dodge something. War Zone is the other move you want to consider using to buff, this one makes allies a lot stronger over time. You’ll want to use bloodied breath once you’re below half health, already used paragon and can hit multiple people with it. Monstrous horn is your main attack.
Damage Bullistic:
8/6/9/2/9/8 5/1
Longhorn, Concentrative, Brawny, Brutal, Critical (Devestate)
Unstoppable, Bloodied Breath (intense upgrade), Counter Attack, Heedless Strike (defiant upgrade)
Notes: Concentrative is here to let you use Heedless strike whenever you want. The strategy here is simple. Set up with unstoppable. Use Heedless strike on your turn. Use counter attack on enemy turns. Once you’re below half health, switch to using Bloodied Breath on your turn. My biggest issue with this build is it’s very hard to squeeze a horn move in here, and without one, you’re not really using Bullistic’s unique trait. If this bothers you, keep savage horn or puncture over Heedless Strike
Support Bullistic:
7/6/9/2/9/9 5/1
Longhorn, Brawny, Heroic, Exemplary, Brutal
Paragon, War Zone, Monstrous Horn/Counter Attack, Combat Focus/Bloodied Breath
Notes: Yes, I gave Combat Focus an F. No, I’m not changing it. Paragon is a boost to survivability and accuracy, War zone is how you play your role, giving boosts to other melee fighters. The choice between Monstrous Horn and counter attack is a tough one and ultimately comes down to how active a support role you want to be. Monstrous horn does more damage, can activate your trait and makes you more threatening, but counter attack will punish enemies for trying to hit you and thus may make you survive longer. I would personally prefer Monstrous horn, to play a more active support, but it should be noted you will become a better support the longer a fight goes. That’s also the only reason combat focus is here. Combat focus is basically a protect, here to keep you safe for a turn from too much damage while your war zone grows stronger. My problem with this is you could be dealing that +1 damage by… hitting things. Bloodied Breath is mostly for poison if you took monstrous horn and for late damage if you took counter attack.
Traits:
Brawny (you’re a physical attacker)
Fierce Anatomy (Horn) You should probably have a horn attack, so use this to boost it. Especially since it will probably be your main attack.
Concentrative: Taking this early means free Heedless strikes, which is pretty awesome.
Critical: (Cripple) Bullistic actually has quite a few effect moves that you can use this with. Bloodied Breath can poison and you can burn or bleed depending on your horn moves.
Technique Upgrades:
Just go for damage, unless you wanna go for a very gimmicky build (In Bullistic’s case, an effect causing build is a very gimmicky thing you can make work by being a scoundrel)
Stat boosts:
Strike: You’re a physical attacker, this is your most common roll.
Health: You’re a physical attacker still, so you can’t exactly avoid taking hits.
Speed: Crucial for a support build, useful for others.
Defenses: To take less hits. You start too low to really dodge.
Magic: Don’t do this. There isn’t a single move in Bullistic’s movepool that uses it.You’d have to mentor in a move for a monster that starts with 2 magic. I’m not saying it’s impossible, just VERY unoptimal play. (That said, if someone manages to get a fire breathing bullistic build to work, lemme know :p)
Notes: So anything you have that boosts damage, accuracy, survivability or grit is going to obviously help out. As a scoundrel, there is fun to be had with bloodied breath and the horn moves, but there are better monsters for a full status effect build. One thing I do heavily recommend is using Bullistic as a mount or to pull the group’s vehicle of choice (you may have to take size increase for your gm to allow that based on what your vehicle is) Also if you can mentor Mountain’s Fury onto your Bullistic, it’s a massive boost to dammage and survivability so keep that in mind when building.
