Cinderscale
Intro: Here we have a very powerful mixed attacker, and a pretty awesome looking monster. As the first fire affinity monster and the first monster with an optional trait I’ll be reviewing, there’s plenty of new things to explore.
Traits:
Many Headed: This might be the best trait in the game. (competing with Armed) You count as two monsters when outnumbering. This means you’ll be outnumbering more often than not. That means a +1 to melee attacks for everyone outnumbering. Your team will love you, but you do need to get into melee for this and you don’t always WANT to be in that situation, but more on that later.
Slither: You can ignore rough terrain or anything that impedes movement. This is situational, but very useful when you do need it.
Stats:
Offense: 4/4 in accuracies, 3 in brawn and 2 in talent. You’re going to be landing hits pretty often, and get to choose which defense you want to attack. You lack damage, so finding a way to fix that is going to be big, but luckily you’re fire affinity and a snake so poison and burn are not too hard to run into. A+, the ability to mixed attack is great.
Defense: 5/10/9 means you’re a little frail on the special side but overall pretty standard. D, you’re not a tank.
Utility: 6 speed is common, you have access to slither which makes this more useful though. C.
Starting moves:
Fire Breath: D, 2 damage in a cone is not ideal. The possible burn does make this worth keeping for a bit though.
Searing Bite: A, a melee move that lets you use your many headed trait, and can burn. This is your go to move this grade.
Tail Strike: B-, this is your coverage move. It doesn’t hit water particularly hard unfortunately.
Grade 1 moves:
Offense: Heat Wave is pretty good if you have 2 or less allies, I am working under the assumption that is the case. If you do have more allies, don’t take this. Venomous bite is a great coverage move.
Heat Wave: A, For the cost of 1 grit, you can use this move to hit everything within 10 feet for 1d6 damage.
Venomous Bite: A, A coverage move with a great effect. Pick this up if you have the space for it, you can find a use for it for a while.
Defense:
Utility: Binding Tail is very situational. Ignite is a free burn.
Binding Tail: D-, if you need to use this instead of just grabbing, then you don’t have the brawn to be grappling. It might help, but the enemy is probably going to break free next turn.
Ignite: S, I love this move. You burn your opponent. They break free on a 7+. The only downside is there’s a massive upgrade in Heat vision next grade.
Grade 2 moves: You have some great moves at your disposal this grade. This is the first monster covered so far where every move is a viable option.
Offense: Cinder strike is a damage boost with a good effect. Double Strike is great with your accuracy. Flame Assault’s got less damage than Cinder strike but works off burning.
Cinder Strike: A+, Great damage, good effect.
Double Strike: S-, Amazing damage. If you picked up ignite last grade, then you have a reliable burn already.
Flame Assault: A+, decent damage, the most reliable effect attack so far, a good middle ground between ignite and Cinder Strike
Defense:
Utility: Cauterize heals you every time you get hit and makes you immune to burns and poison. The only reason I don’t yell at you to take it is the other amazing moves you have access to this grade. Heat Vision lets you burn from afar, anything you can see you can burn.
Cauterize: A, this is a great move, the only weakness is your low talent and your relatively frail defenses, making this not as effective as it could be.
Heat Vision: S-, It’s an upgrade to Ignite from last grade. The only real weakness is no damage.
Grade 3 moves:
Offense: Burning Toxin acts as a great step up from Cinder Strike/Flame Assault, Erupt is a great step up from heat wave, Scorching Breath is a ranged effect move.
Burning Toxin: S+, 33% chance to burn and poison. With the right build you can boost this to 66% but even without it, use it a few times for the effect and that damage skyrockets.
Erupt: A+, The most damage you have access to. It lowers defences.
Scorching breath: A-, ranged effect moves are great.
Defense:
Utility: Haste lets you do two response atacks. The big problem being you don’t have any. Hypnotic Gaze can sleep opponents.
Haste: B, If you’ve been keeping up with the reviews, you’ll know I think this is a great move if you have a response attack. You don’t YET but next grade you can pick up a great one.
Hypnotic Gaze: A, you can sleep opponents with this really easily.
Grade 4:
Offense: Incendiary strike is your damage move, Monstrous bite is a good coverage move. Triple Strike is the actual best damage you can get.
Incendiary Strike: B-, Good damage, fire affinity. The safest move this grade, but won’t scale well.
Monstrous Bite: B-, coverage move with decent damage.
Triple Strike: S+, with max accuray build,you can consistently do 3d8+brawn damage so definitely pick this up.
Defense:
Utility:
Combust: B-, You’ll get to do damage and a chance to burn when you’re hit. This is pretty nice.
Fire Purge: C, So you hurt yourself to remove status effects. It’s a good move if you need it.
Grade 5:
Offense: Devasation Breath can be pretty crazy if you hit multiple people with it, and it does great ranged damage. Fire Power does good ranged damage with a chance to burn and is much more reliable. Swift Strike lets you sneak an extra hit in. Raze is an upgrade to Erupt.
Devestation Breath: A+, HYPER BEAM!!! Seriously though, good damage, some range, a chance to hit more than one person. It’s an amazing move, but there is some other options.
Fire Power: A+, Your best damage option, burns on a crit.
Swift Strike: A, Utility attacks are great.
Raze: S+, Just burn everything and deal 2d8 damage, spend a grit to boost the range and just burn more everything..
Defense:
Utility:
True Flame: Boosts your Talent and your Brawn to very strong levels.
Sample Builds:
Effect Fighter Cinderscale:
5/6/10/6/10/6 3/3
Many Headed, Slither, Brutal, Critical: Cripple, Talented
Raze(Chain Reaction Upgrade), Triple Strike (Intense upgrade), Burning Toxin(aftermath upgrade)/Hypnotic gaze, Heat Vision
Notes: Heat Vision is for burning opponents far away. Raze burns opponents nearby. Burning Toxin poisons opponents in melee and Triple strike is for when you just wanna deal some damage.
Mixed attack Cinderscale:
6/6/10/6/9/6 4/3
Many Headed, Slither, Brawny, Talented, Brutal
Swift Strike, Triple Strike, Burning Toxin, Heat Vision
Note: Swift Strike, followed by Triple Strike does some great damage, heat vision is for a sure burn against ranged opponents and Burning Toxin is here for the effects.
Notes: Cinderscale is built around dealing effects, anything you can do to boost that is good. Outside of that, damage, accuracy, everything I usually say. If you can add a way to cause bleed, get it, it’s the one big effect you’re missing, but overall Cinderscale has a perfectly good moveset as is, and already has all the support it could want.