Perhaps the coolest part of Impact Gameworks’ roguelike dungeon-crawler, Tangledeep, is the flexibility of the game’s jobs and abilities. Certainly, it is the highlight of the game for Lead Developer Andrew Aversa, who told us in an interview, “if there’s one thing I’m truly proud of it’s the job system.” What begins as a rudimentary class system quickly becomes a complex and rewarding buffet of abilities. Players can mix and match these different abilities to suit their playstyle.
I mentioned in my review of Tangledeep that combining the Hunter and Sword Dancer abilities produced awesome results. It achieves a perfect balance of ranged and melee attacks and I’ve yet to find a more satisfying combination in the game. Here are two brutally effective ability combinations for the Hunter/Sword Dancer hybrid.
It’s All About Evasion
The best way to avoid damage is to not get hit, right? Fortunately, the Hunter/Sword Dancer combination is all about not getting hit. Hunters are great for getting the hell out of the way and attacking from distance. Sword Dancers specialize in parrying and utilizing small spaces. Hold the Moon, for example, is an ability that disables an enemy, rooting them to the ground. This lets the player move a couple spaces away presenting a golden opportunity for a ranged attack. Preferably a Hunter ability like Ice Missile, which can encase enemies in ice.
While they’re stuck in ice, why not launch the Hunter’s Hail of Arrows? This attack takes two turns to land, but deals massive area-of-effect damage.
The Lunge, the Riposte, the Range
One of the Sword Dancer’s passive abilities, Unconscious Riposte, is a guaranteed counter-attack after the player successfully parries an attack. Parrying is a matter of luck, really. However, you can increase your chance for success through certain abilities, like Dust in the Wind or Thundering Lion (which Aversa says might be his “favorite ability in the whole game”). These abilities are especially versatile because they can be used before combat begins. This frees you up to lay waste to your opponent once the battle begins.
So, let’s say a hostile enemy is coming in to attack. You set up Dust in the Wind and bide your time until they’re two squares away, out of melee range. You lunge in with Sword Dancer’s Wild Horse ability, landing the first blow. If you’re lucky, you immediately parry their attack and land a counter. On your next turn, you either use Hold the Moon to disable and create a bit of distance, or you use the Hunter’s Grappling Hook ability to pull yourself further away.
In any case, you’re now safely out of harm’s way once more. Plus you’ve already landed two attacks with nary a scratch on your person. You’re in great position to take advantage of the Hunter’s ranged prowess through abilities or normal attacks. You’re welcome.
You can buy Tangledeep on Steam and GoG, right now, and test out these combos for yourself. Feel free to share your own invincible builds in the the comments below.
