Card-Based Trials of Fire - card-based tactics in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world

Kaivokz · Jun 26, 2021

Lacrymas said:
I just saw this on GOG and thought it looked pretty good, like Gloomhaven with less of a budget. Does this game feature a campaign? I.e. does it have an end?

The campaigns do end (unless you play endless or boss rush). The world/lore is pretty interesting, but I found the stories themselves uncompelling and bare-bones.

Lacrymas · Jun 26, 2021

Kaivokz said:
Lacrymas said:

I just saw this on GOG and thought it looked pretty good, like Gloomhaven with less of a budget. Does this game feature a campaign? I.e. does it have an end?

Click to expand...

The campaigns do end (unless you play endless or boss rush). The world/lore is pretty interesting, but I found the stories themselves uncompelling and bare-bones.

Eh, I don't care if they are bare-bones, I just need a goal to work towards.

Lacrymas · Jun 26, 2021

I bought it and played through the combat tutorial. I see a lot of potential. It's good they took the "movement costs resources" aspect of Gloomhaven. Gloomhaven takes away resources when you AoE loot too, though, which is also genius. It's a tactical RPG in which the abilities are cards, just like Gloomhaven. The idea is very inventive, I'd say, and it works very well in the context of an RPG with unique heroes.

Lacrymas · Jun 27, 2021

So, is there a point in playing on hard instead of the other harder mode (cataclysm?)? I decided to do the water gem quest and the enemies couldn't even penetrate my armor in the first 2 battles. Does it get harder or should I just switch to the hardest mode right away? Also, are the battles always 3v3? It seems limiting.

Lacrymas · Jun 27, 2021

I answered my own questions -

That was certainly an experience. It does get harder and it isn't limited to 3v3. The last mob combo-struck my elementalist for 7 (!) damage. I would've defeated them on my next turn probably, but alas.

Bara · Jun 27, 2021

Finally released on gog

Dickie · Jun 28, 2021

Lacrymas said:
It does get harder and it isn't limited to 3v3.

I think the most enemies I've seen in a fight was around 15. I need to get back to playing this game to see if they've made harpies any easier, but I remember just a handful of those things absolutely annihilating my parties.

Lacrymas · Jun 29, 2021

This is the only game where mobs don't get out of cover and rush you so you can have a nice conga line of pin cushions to shoot at. The mobs wait for you to get close enough for them to get to you and attack. Age of Wonders 3 does this somewhat too, but you can bait the mobs by ending your turn one hex away from their movement "border". I got annihilated by the ratling sorcerer yesterday because of this. I moved my warrior near them (after taking out the two ranged mobs), they bunched up on her and destroyed her with combo attacks and spells before she could build up defense stacks (we were also exhausted and she had 2 malus cards as well). Very good game, I'm having fun getting eaten alive at the start of an adventure.

Lacrymas · Jul 3, 2021

So, having beaten the Water Gem quest on normal after a few tries on hard, I have come to the conclusion that this is one of the best card-based games ever made. I really can't think of something to criticize in the gameplay department. Maaaaybe that you get legendaries and epic items a bit too fast, but it's such a minor thing it's petty to even mention. Better quality items aren't even an automatic equip, sometimes you don't want to fill your deck with cards which don't contribute to the build you are going for. You don't get the feeling the RNG screws you over unlike some other roguelikes I know (*cough* Stone Soup, Gloomhaven to a limited extent *cough*)

All I can say is, go play this game. If you were on the fence about it, stop being on that fence and embrace the cult of Trials of Fire. This thread should also be moved to general RPG, it's an RPG with cards.

LizardWizard · Jul 9, 2021

Lacrymas said:
You don't get the feeling the RNG screws you over unlike some other roguelikes I know (*cough* Stone Soup, Gloomhaven to a limited extent *cough*)

I don't know about that, there are some bullshit random early fights like a group of charred mystics.

But yeah, the game is good. It could certainly be better though

Bara · Jul 25, 2021

Got through Water Gem just fine on normal but man I keep losing to the final Boss of God Hunter.

Tips would be appreciated I assume I really should swap to the other select able party members instead of continuing to use the same starting three for that one.

Kaivokz · Jul 25, 2021

You can do everything with the base three; they’re some of the strongest and easiest heroes.

How are you losing? edit- just to clarify, I didn’t mean this in a derogatory sense, but literally, as in: what is killing you? what are you lacking to succeed?

Lacrymas · Jul 25, 2021

In my experience, having too many cards in your deck is the deadliest killer. It makes for a very unfocused build where you are constantly drawing random cards which don't synergise with the other random cards in your hand atm. The honing mechanic is there for a reason, an item being of a higher quality isn't automatically better than the one you have equipped right now.

Lacrymas · Aug 11, 2021

Third place, baby -

This quest forces you to think about the last battle and it's definitely easier with a Warlord instead of the Elementalist. Elementalist kind of doesn't bring anything to the table and you want your Warrior to stack defense as much as possible to mitigate the huge damage the last boss does. Debuffs like defenseless are also invaluable.

Bara · Aug 19, 2021

Kaivokz said:
How are you losing? edit- just to clarify, I didn’t mean this in a derogatory sense, but literally, as in: what is killing you? what are you lacking to succeed?

At the time I was losing a lot due to the immunity shifts and card draw going poorly in my favor but was just able to beat it.

Swapped hunter to the alchemist guy for potion creation and made the mage a magic melee hybrid so I could ensure I'd have something to damage the boss with no matter the immunity.

The crazed power buff adding 0-4 at random to damage and the alchemist power that maximized all effects to ensure +4 at all times was the real work horse for that fight though.

Kaivokz · Aug 20, 2021

Alchemist is very strong, I usually make him my primary deck just because metamorphosis is powerful/fun. The broken strategy I used to beat highest difficulty was to put repeat results on the wizard girl, then metamorphosis an entire hand. Stack damage buffs up on both alchemist and wizardess, prioritize draw cards and willpower cards (they can be turned into damage with metamorphosis). 3rd person was optional but I went either of the two supporty characters and used them as willpower farms. Occultist is great for her +damage for a turn card.

Learning the game mechanics means a lot though, esp. if you’re not using broken strategies. Combo attacks, what order to discard in, etc.

One tip I think is very useful is to save one card on your first turn (play two) unless you absolutely need it to get in cover vs ranged enemies; you can have a four card hand to initiate combat on the second turn.

Mulligans are also very useful, and can be used after draws, so you can get a bigger hand and if it’s all bad, maximize your chance of getting something better with a mulligan.