Do people like the Crusader?

[Lucid]

I seem to not have much use for him. I like the vestal more in ruins and grave robber plague doctor combo. I'm wondering if I'm using the crusader wrong?

[RopeDrink]

Originally posted by No One:

The blight is weak because it makes dagger throw hit as hard as lunge. Also if used on bosses she puts out insane damage with lunge.

The bonuses to Lunge + Dagger against Blight (and/or Mark) certainly warrant mention, especially if using things like PD/GR to Grenade/Dagger combo -- but unless you're throwing a dagger at R4 specifically, which Lunge can't reach, then Lunge still wins at +40% base | +20% v Blight, compared to -10% base | +20%, beyond lack of reach.

Lunge is even more accurate (until the first dagger +ACC buff, which makes it equal), and they have the exact same crit - but yes, for all intents and purposes - being able to self-synergize or combo a stronger R4 dagger throw is noteworthy, even though it can be pretty unnecessary most of the time, much like using a Mark to improve a Sniper Shot when something like unmarked Hound Rush + Sniper Shot will often be more than enough.

Anyway, regardless of the nitty-gritty, Dagger is a perfectly fine button, even without the additional mods, some of which coast on GR being obnoxiously fast and accurate straight off the coach, in a game where a lot of the R4 enemies can't stomach an unimproved dagger most of the time (eg. spiders, courtiers, bandits, etc), with one crit from the highest-crit hero one-shotting the most common R4's very easily.

The only reason GR fell out of favor with me, even after the damage nerfs (replaced by Mark/Blight synergies), is the fact they swapped Shadow Fade's stun for stealth. Back in the day, Lunge hit even harder, and if the fight lasted any longer (typically with dead back-ranks and one or two front-rank stragglers), your back-move contributed to stun/sustain cycles.

Now, even though they neutered it for Mark/Blight combo, you're still better off lobbing an R4 Dagger or throwing an instantaneous unbuffed Lunge into R3 rather than worrying about Blight/Mark, but the bonuses certainly shouldn't be ignored or overlooked.

[Skinny Pete]

Originally posted by RopeDrink:

Originally posted by Skinny Pete:

True, the blight is weak

The blight is weak simply because Dart and Vapour are the only two targetable single-button blight skills in the game that can hit ANY target on demand (and from most/all positions to boot), something that Plague Doctors and Abominations simply can't do.

And this simple fact is why I usually have the Darts on the bar, even though it just objectively isn't very good. Much like weak attacks like Nervous Stab, it gives you a versatile finisher from any normal position against any normal enemy position.

A 1-3 hp or whatever attack against any position you want against a nearly dead enemy (and before they get to attack) is better than a 96 hp monster King Kamehameha crit from a Leper after the enemy has got in its pre-mortem attack.

[RopeDrink]

Precisely. Everyone may have harder-hitting or more potent blights, but the majority lack the reach, speed, accuracy, or crit -- but hey, PD can deal 2x6p3 (from R4-3 to R4-3 only), and with one ST front-rank alternative (so that blight takes up 50% of her buttons) -- so, let's take a moment to completely forget what every other blight button offers every other position and range.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Once more, it all harks back to the Crusaders. I roll my eyes every time he's compared to Jester or Vestal, neither of which can fill both jobs, with one having a stun + healing (but no mobility or soothe), the other having mobility and soothe (but no stun or healing), both dealing less overall damage, and both demanding R4/R3 to provide that sustain. They are the absolute best at healing and soothing, no doubt about it, but that has a different value compared to one hero in one slot doing practically everything you could ever need solo.

Healing, soothing, stunning, repositioning on-demand (depending on front or back), with second-highest baseline damage and health, not giving a damn who's in the team or what position they prefer. One way or another, CRU is going to contribute, and because he has everything, it's one of the few cases where having him pop up as your last turn isn't so bad.

Deciding between stunning a foe who acted, fixing shuffles/surprises or finishing off whatever survived in R4/R3/R2 via Lance, softening up the front with high baseline damage or AoE, healing some intake, or soothing + healing + raising the torch all at once. The only time he can't meaningfully contribute is when the fight is practically won, everyone is fully sustained, the torch is maxed, and he's stuck holding the back-rank purse with no target to Lance - in which case, congratulations, because you don't need anything anyway.

There isn't a single save where I don't have at least 3-4 Crusaders. It won't matter what else arrives on the coach - CRU can help cover any gaps that the others may have.

[akoskosos]

I really like him. Nice damage, a stun and can stress heal/heal, specially with proper trinkets.
When I go to a dungeon which is at least Medium, I make sure that I have:
* 1 full healer (Vestal in base game) or two guys who can heal
* 1 guy who can stress heal
Crusader is more than enough for stress healing, a good alternative for jester, specially if you sometimes stall a fight to heal up. A frontline stress healer also enables you to bring a backline guy which can target enemy backlines with big damage (vestal+jester mostly relies on the frontline to deal real damage to the enemy backline which is usually the nastiest part).

You can also start crusader at rank 3 or 4 and make sure that you start with a holy lance which is huge damage. But if you go that way, crusader will need an accuracy trinket to make holy lance reliable.

tldr: good stress healer option, good off-heal, can start with holy lance/can go back to position after shuffle with holy lance, likes to punch undeads and has a stun.

[Skinny Pete]

Originally posted by RopeDrink:

There isn't a single save where I don't have at least 3-4 Crusaders. It won't matter what else arrives on the coach - CRU can help cover any gaps that the others may have.

As with most bread and butter heroes, I generally have 3. One buffed for Ruins (often Reynauld himself), one general purpose CRU, and one designated for a DD level (usually 1), with something like Eldritch/Beast buffs, who doesn't otherwise get used once leveled and buffed up.

I do the reserve thing for a core group of DD heroes because I always play with Crimson Court turned on, but I want a core of uninfected heroes. I have gone in with cursed heroes, but I really don't like unpredictability in the DD, plus even worse, having to waste an inventory slot on Blood.

CRU is particularly good for DD1 for shuffle resistance and as an off-stress-healer, and it's nice when the Horror actually sets you up for Holy Lance instead of inconveniencing you. Thanks dummy!

[Yourbestfiend]

I use crusaders to great effect cause they do steady damage and don't need to be babied by the parties healer. Stack him with damage or stun trinkets and let him have fun in the front