Varfa strategy

[CalvinHobbes]

I've made a few attempts with Varfa, so far with no success. Worse, unlike with the other heroes, I don't seem to be getting much further with subsequent attempts and I'm not learning any new tricks.

For me this hero seems to be too dependent on luck. The traps are interesting but they have to appear at the right time and in the right position, which rarely happens. Their effects aren't very powerful given their expense. They only time I found them particularly useless is when I got the "traps start off armed" attribute, but that is of course random and I've only seen it once.

I would appreciate any tips people have on how to win with Varfa.

[slothwerks]

The feedback I got from some of the testers was that Varfa is actually *easier* than most of the other heroes, especially at high NG+. Having Orhu actually helps smooth out some of the RNG, because he's another source of damage soaking early on, and can get you out of some tough situations. He also provides you with another 'out' with his level up abilities, if you end up with an unfavorable board.

I use the traps quite frequently, especially Explosive Trap (the barrel). Tiles like Lure or any tile that can Push (eg: Disengage) can be really useful for manipulating the board and forcing enemies into traps.

Bleed is a really powerful effect, especially against bosses. Anything that helps you stall in battle to get through Orhu's cooldown or to wait for Bleed to stack is also really strong. The Forest Charm (item which summons Treant Betrayer) can be really useful for soaking damage.

Timing Orhu's level ups to take advantage of the health thats restored is also worthwhile.

[CalvinHobbes]

Originally posted by slothwerks:

The feedback I got from some of the testers was that Varfa is actually *easier* than most of the other heroes, especially at high NG+. Having Orhu actually helps smooth out some of the RNG, because he's another source of damage soaking early on, and can get you out of some tough situations. He also provides you with another 'out' with his level up abilities, if you end up with an unfavorable board.

I use the traps quite frequently, especially Explosive Trap (the barrel). Tiles like Lure or any tile that can Push (eg: Disengage) can be really useful for manipulating the board and forcing enemies into traps.

Bleed is a really powerful effect, especially against bosses. Anything that helps you stall in battle to get through Orhu's cooldown or to wait for Bleed to stack is also really strong. The Forest Charm (item which summons Treant Betrayer) can be really useful for soaking damage.

Timing Orhu's level ups to take advantage of the health thats restored is also worthwhile.

Thanks for the help. It seems I wasn't using all the options available to me. I'll give it another try.

[CalvinHobbes]

Those strategy tips were enough so that my next attempt was successful. As suggested I don't think I was using Orhu properly and I wasn't taking enough advantage of bleed.

I found some items to be extremely powerful. My favourite was the item that heals you and Orhu and arms all traps for a cost of only two gold. Also the bow that does 6 piercing and removes the cool downs of Orhu's skills when the target is killed was very useful.

Varfa was very fun to play once I got the hang of things.

[Lykurgos]

Offering +1 input.

I have completed the standard runs with all the other heroes, and then acquired Varfa. I succeeded on my first run with Varfa. Within that run I did not use a single trap. I had one in my deck, and sometimes others appeared due to random adds, but I did not ever arm a trap.

What dissuaded me from using traps is their complexity and trigger requirements. They appeared to require conditions that would be challenging to achieve in many instances or to achieve in an efficient / effective way to enjoy good payback. That said, this may make them an excellent mechanic for a more challenging run, so overall they are an interesting and welcome feature.

My approach with Varfa was usually to get the minion all 3 abilities as soon as possible. I had two items in the deck that buffed Varfa's base attack once depleted, and another than refreshed all the minion abilities. These together with lots of direct damage abilities & a few direct damage items enable me to complete the standard run in relative ease. Varfa is the first hero that I completed a run with on the first try!