Alchemist
Playstyle: Balanced · Complexity: 5/6 · Singles
Who is this character?
A brew engineer: load Potions onto abilities and drain them at the right moment – the best roll-fixing in the game.
How to play Alchemist
If after roll 1 5× Crucible for Chemical Trip! are reachable. Keep 5× Crucible and reroll all dice not needed, aiming at Chemical Trip! (5 dice). If fewer than 5 matching dice remain after roll 1, switch to Potion Overload. Chemical Trip! deals a documented 10 damage, so the 5 committed dice stay on the table.
Early game: Hermetics for healing and potion build-up, Transmute as base pressure.
Mid game: Boost Transmute/Chain Reaction with potion bonuses, take straights when available.
If after roll 1 1× Solution + 3× Crucible for Potion Overload are reachable. Keep 1× Solution + 3× Crucible and reroll all dice not needed, aiming at Potion Overload (4 dice). If fewer than 4 matching dice remain after roll 1, switch to Chemical Trip!. Potion Overload deals a documented 7 damage, so the 4 committed dice stay on the table.
Set Toxification (Poison, up to 3 stacks at 1/upkeep) early – over 10 rounds that is 10+ free damage.
Rerolls cost tempo: use them for 4× crucible chases, not to turn a 6 into a 7.
Burning all potions as rerolls and entering the burst turn with empty slots.
Attaching Punchify to abilities you never activate – potions only fire with their own ability.
Strengths
- The Lab (passive): 1 Potion every upkeep; every Potion = a reroll any time
- Punchify: +2 per potion on attacks (up to 6 on the board)
- Catalyst: 6 undefendable + 1 potion of ALL four types
- Chemical Trip!: 10 + up to 3 potions instantly = up to 16
Weaknesses
- Passivation prevents nothing itself – only Bolsterate potions block (2 each, max 2)
- Every reroll eats a potion: dice bad luck drains the engine
Key attacks
- TransmuteStandard route
Reliable damage route for turns without special setup.
Take it as soon as 3× 🧪 Solution + 2× ⚗ Composition is mostly on the table after roll 1 (63% across all three rolls): safe damage beats rerolling working dice for a harder route.
3× 🧪 Solution + 2× ⚗ Composition · 6 damage
- HermeticsHealing
Healing instead of damage this turn.
Only take it once you have taken enough damage for the healing to land in full – at full health the turn is wasted.
3× ⚗ Composition · healing: 2 damage
- Potion OverloadBurst
High single-turn damage that locks several dice.
Only go for it when at most one symbol of 1× 🧪 Solution + 3× ▽ Crucible is missing after roll 1 (24% across all three rolls); otherwise you give up an already safe route.
1× 🧪 Solution + 3× ▽ Crucible · 7 damage
- DiffusionBurst
High single-turn damage that locks several dice.
Only go for it when at most one symbol of Small straight (4 in a row) is missing after roll 1 (59% across all three rolls); otherwise you give up an already safe route.
Small straight (4 in a row) · 7 damage
- CatalystBurst
High single-turn damage that locks several dice.
Only go for it when at most one symbol of 4× ▽ Crucible is missing after roll 1 (10% across all three rolls); otherwise you give up an already safe route.
4× ▽ Crucible · 6 damage
- Chain ReactionBurst
High single-turn damage that locks several dice.
Only go for it when at most one symbol of 4× 🧪 Solution + 1× ▽ Crucible is missing after roll 1 (50% across all three rolls); otherwise you give up an already safe route.
4× 🧪 Solution + 1× ▽ Crucible · 6 damage
- Chemical Trip!Finisher
Ultimate: the board's highest damage value with the hardest requirement.
Do not force 5× ▽ Crucible (1% across all three rolls): only when the requirement is reachable after roll 1 is giving up the safe route worth it.
5× ▽ Crucible · 10 damage
Key statuses & resources
- Potions: Four types with board limits: Punchify (6, offense-only, +2 damage), Bolsterate (2, defense-only, prevent 2), Cleansitude (3, anywhere, remove a status or heal 1), Toxification (1, anywhere, inflict Poison). Potions only fire with the ability they are attached to. The Lab every upkeep, Hermetics +3, Potion Overload +2, Diffusion +1–2, Catalyst all 4, Passivation per crucible, ultimate +4. Stack Punchify on Transmute/Potion Overload (6+2+2 = 10); ALWAYS keep both Bolsterates on the defense; any potion is a reroll in a pinch.
- Potions (positive): board limit 6; Punchify potions add +2 damage per potion spent, offense only.
- Poison (negative) is the recorded opposing status.
- Do not hoard potions past the board limit of 6; from 4 potions spending pays on any route of 6+ damage.
- Potions: The Lab every upkeep, Hermetics +3, Potion Overload +2, Diffusion +1–2, Catalyst all 4, Passivation per crucible, ultimate +4.
- Potions: Stack Punchify on Transmute/Potion Overload (6+2+2 = 10); ALWAYS keep both Bolsterates on the defense; any potion is a reroll in a pinch.
How you defend
Passivation: 5 dice – attaches 1 potion per crucible, prevents nothing itself; the Bolsterates attached there block 2 each. With 2 Bolsterates a plannable 4-point prevention.
Dice & symbols
Works well with
- Cursed Pirate
Cursed Pirate adds the attack denial that Alchemist lacks.
- Shadow Thief
Shadow Thief adds the attack avoidance that Alchemist lacks.
- Moon Elf
Moon Elf adds the attack denial that Alchemist lacks.
Good matchups
- Pyromancer
Pyromancer lands ~6 damage per turn once Fire Mastery is up – more than Alchemist heals back.
- Cursed Pirate
Cursed Pirate lands ~5 damage per turn off Cursed Doubloons without a long ramp – more than Alchemist heals back.
- Gunslinger
Gunslinger lands spikes up to 10 damage once Reload is up – more than Alchemist heals back.
Tough matchups
- Storm
Storm pushes damage through that Alchemist barely stops with Passivation.
- Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange pushes damage through that Alchemist barely stops with Passivation.
- Huntress
Huntress keeps Alchemist tied up with Bleed, and Alchemist already needs tight rolls.