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Tactician

Playstyle: Balanced · Complexity: 5/6 · Season 2

Who is this character?

A commander: stockpile Tactical Advantage and buy exactly the answer you need.

How to play Tactician

If after roll 1 5× Star for Higher Ground! are reachable. Keep 5× Star and reroll all dice not needed, aiming at Higher Ground! (5 dice). If fewer than 5 matching dice remain after roll 1, switch to Exploit. Higher Ground! deals a documented 12 damage and applies Targeted/Constrict/Targeted/Constrict, so the 5 committed dice stay on the table.

Early game: Saber Strike / Profiteer as the baseline, use the starting Tactical Advantage.

Mid game: Combine Strategic Approach / Flank to keep Constrict up consistently.

If after roll 1 a large straight for Exploit are reachable. Keep a large straight and reroll all dice not needed, aiming at Exploit (5 dice). If fewer than 5 matching dice remain after roll 1, switch to Higher Ground!. Exploit deals a documented 9 damage and applies Constrict/Tactical Advantage/Constrict, so the 5 committed dice stay on the table.

Constrict + enemy combo heroes = poison: every reroll beyond the first costs them 1 CP.

Crumbling TA away on trifles and entering the enemy burst turn without a 4-token reserve.

Putting targeted on a nearly dead target instead of the one with the most health left.

Strengths

  • Tactical Advantage is universal currency: CP, rerolls, cards, targeted, protect
  • Profiteer grants an ENTIRE second attack phase
  • Higher Ground!: 12 damage + targeted + constrict + a full TA stock

Weaknesses

  • Saber Strike is the weakest core attack of the season (4–6)
  • Needs 2–3 turns of economy before the toolbox carries

Key attacks

  • Saber Strike
    Standard route

    Reliable damage route for turns without special setup.

    Take it as soon as 3× ⚔ Saber is mostly on the table after roll 1 (98% across all three rolls): safe damage beats rerolling working dice for a harder route.

    3× ⚔ Saber · 4 damage

  • Carpet Bomb
    Control

    Control route: damage plus an effect against the opponent's next turn.

    Worth it when the opponent is hunting their strong route next turn (49% across all three rolls): the effect beats a few extra damage points there.

    2× ⚔ Saber + 2× ★ Medal · 2 damage · All opponents

  • Profiteer
    Standard route

    Reliable damage route for turns without special setup.

    Take it as soon as 1× ⚔ Saber + 3× 🚩 Flag is mostly on the table after roll 1 (72% across all three rolls): safe damage beats rerolling working dice for a harder route.

    1× ⚔ Saber + 3× 🚩 Flag · about 5 damage

  • Strategic Approach
    Control

    Control route: damage plus an effect against the opponent's next turn.

    Worth it when the opponent is hunting their strong route next turn (32% across all three rolls): the effect beats a few extra damage points there.

    3× ⚔ Saber + 2× ★ Medal · 7 damage · constrict

  • Flank
    Burst

    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) · 6 damage

  • Maneuver
    Burst

    High single-turn damage that locks several dice.

    Only go for it when at most one symbol of 4× ★ Medal is missing after roll 1 (10% across all three rolls); otherwise you give up an already safe route.

    4× ★ Medal · 5 damage

  • Exploit
    Control

    Control route: damage plus an effect against the opponent's next turn.

    Worth it when the opponent is hunting their strong route next turn (25% across all three rolls): the effect beats a few extra damage points there.

    Large straight (5 in a row) · 9 damage · constrict

  • Higher Ground!
    Finisher

    Ultimate: the board's highest damage value with the hardest requirement.

    Do not force 5× ★ Medal (1% across all three rolls): only when the requirement is reachable after roll 1 is giving up the safe route worth it.

    5× ★ Medal · 12 damage · targeted, constrict

Key statuses & resources

  • Tactical Advantage: Start 2, max 5 (ultimate: 6). Exchange rate: 1 = 1 CP or 1 reroll, 3 = 1 card or targeted on a foe, 4 = protect or a status transfer. Maneuver +5, the Profiteer flag +4, Flank +1, Exploit +2, Countermeasures per medal. Rerolls towards straights/4× targets first; targeted (3 TA) once the focus target is set; protect (4 TA) before enemy burst turns.
  • Tactical Advantage: positive; start 2, cap 5 (6 right after the ultimate); tokens do not expire and are only consumed when redeeming the thresholds 1, 3 or 4.
  • Constrict: negative, single stack, triggered by Strategic Approach, Exploit and Higher Ground!; it applies in the next enemy roll phase (every roll beyond the first costs 1 CP) and is discarded afterwards.
  • Tactical Advantage starts at 2 and stocks up to 5 (6 right after Higher Ground!). Thresholds: 1 = 1 CP or 1 reroll, 3 = 1 card or Targeted, 4 = protect or a status transfer. From 4 tokens it pays to keep the reserve for protect; exploit Targeted immediately after the ultimate for the +2 bonus.
  • Tactical Advantage: Maneuver +5, the Profiteer flag +4, Flank +1, Exploit +2, Countermeasures per medal.
  • Tactical Advantage: Rerolls towards straights/4× targets first; targeted (3 TA) once the focus target is set; protect (4 TA) before enemy burst turns.

Abilities & board

Health: 50 · Starting CP: 2

Dice symbols

⚔ Saber · 3/6 (faces 1, 2, 3)🚩 Flag · 2/6 (faces 4, 5)★ Medal · 1/6 (faces 6)

Level I abilities

  • Saber Strike
    Normal
    Dice requirement:
    3× ⚔ Saber
    Damage/healing:
    4 damage
  • Carpet Bomb
    Collateral
    Area
    Dice requirement:
    2× ⚔ Saber + 2× ★ Medal
    Damage/healing:
    2 damage
    Key effects:
    All opponents
  • Profiteer
    Normal
    Dice requirement:
    1× ⚔ Saber + 3× 🚩 Flag
    Damage/healing:
    about 5 damage
  • Strategic Approach
    Normal
    Dice requirement:
    3× ⚔ Saber + 2× ★ Medal
    Damage/healing:
    7 damage
    Key effects:
    constrict
  • Flank
    Normal
    Dice requirement:
    Small straight (4 in a row)
    Damage/healing:
    6 damage
  • Maneuver
    Undefendable
    Dice requirement:
    4× ★ Medal
    Damage/healing:
    5 damage
  • Exploit
    Normal
    Dice requirement:
    Large straight (5 in a row)
    Damage/healing:
    9 damage
    Key effects:
    constrict

Ultimate

  • Higher Ground!
    Ultimate
    Dice requirement:
    5× ★ Medal
    Damage/healing:
    12 damage
    Key effects:
    targeted, constrict

Defense

Countermeasures The defense roll is made whenever you are attacked. On average it prevents about 1.3 damage. The prevention depends on the roll. Countermeasures: 4 dice – prevent 1 per flag (~1.3 on average), retaliate 1 per 2 sabers, gain 1 TA per medal.

Special mechanics

  • Tactical Advantage economy
    Token mechanic
    Start 2, cap 5 (6 after the ultimate). Spend tiers: 1 = 1 CP or 1 reroll, 3 = 1 card or Targeted, 4 = protect or a status transfer. Maneuver delivers 5 at once, Countermeasures about 0.7 per defense on average. · Maximum: 5
  • Targeted mark
    Board mechanic
    Targeted sits once on exactly one target and raises EVERY attack against it by 2 - including teammates' attacks. Source: Higher Ground! (about 1.3%) or 3 Tactical Advantage. · Maximum: 1
  • Profiteer bonus phase
    Mechanic
    Profiteer (1 saber + 3 flags, about 71.6%) appends an entire second attack phase and refills up to 4 Tactical Advantage in the process.

Resources

  • Tactical AdvantageStart 2, max 5 (ultimate: 6). Exchange rate: 1 = 1 CP or 1 reroll, 3 = 1 card or targeted on a foe, 4 = protect or a status transfer. · Maneuver +5, the Profiteer flag +4, Flank +1, Exploit +2, Countermeasures per medal. · Rerolls towards straights/4× targets first; targeted (3 TA) once the focus target is set; protect (4 TA) before enemy burst turns.

Upgrades & cards

What changes?

  • Saber Strike
    Level II
    • Damage: 5 damage instead of 4 damage
    • Dice requirement: 4× ⚔ Saber instead of 3× ⚔ Saber
  • Saber Strike
    Level III
    • Damage: 6 damage instead of 4 damage
    • Dice requirement: 5× ⚔ Saber instead of 3× ⚔ Saber

Hero-specific cards

Not sufficiently verified

This summary follows the current rules revision (2022 leaflet V2); older printings may differ.

Works well with

  • Barbarian

    Barbarian adds the healing that Tactician lacks.

  • Cursed Pirate

    Cursed Pirate adds the attack denial that Tactician lacks.

  • Monk

    Monk takes over damage and fills the open team role.

Good matchups

  • Headless Horseman

    Headless Horseman lands spikes up to 14 damage off Dreadful without a long ramp – and Tactician has little to absorb it.

  • Black Panther

    Tactician keeps Black Panther tied up with Constrict and Targeted, and Black Panther already needs tight rolls.

  • Captain Marvel

    Captain Marvel lands ~6 damage per turn off Cosmic Ray without a long ramp – and Tactician has little to absorb it.

Tough matchups

  • Wolverine

    Wolverine keeps Tactician tied up with Alpha, many of Tactician's effects get cancelled that way.

  • Barbarian

    Barbarian keeps Tactician tied up with Concussion and Stun, many of Tactician's effects get cancelled that way.

  • Necromancer

    Necromancer keeps Tactician tied up with Decrep Ify, many of Tactician's effects get cancelled that way.

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