Gloomhaven Starting Classes Guide 2021

Gloomhaven has been a hit since it took over the roleplaying genre of games after its release in 2017. It’s arguably the best RPG board game ever made. Part of that success can be attributed to the range and depth that each class has. This guide will give an overview of each starting class in Gloomhaven, starting cards, and perks. 

6 Gloomhaven Starter Classes

• Brute
• Spellweaver
• Tinkerer
• Cragheart
• Mindthief
• Scoundrel

Some of the fun in Gloomhaven is discovering things on your own, so I should mention this guide will contain spoilers for the classes including information on the level 1 cards and perks.

General Starting Class Information

Each class includes:

• A miniature
• Character mat
• Deck of Ability Cards
• Attack modifier adjustment cards

You will also choose one personal quest. Since there is so much variation in the possible builds in your group, building an effective character will be different based on the situation.  Be sure to take your circumstances into account when going over the character classes.

2 Player Games

Putting a little extra thought into class choice in a 2 player game is worth it. In a 2 player game, each player must pull their weight, whereas in a 4-5 player game someone lagging behind can be carried. On top of that, when you play solo it’s good to choose a couple of characters that work well together.

With that in mind, I’m going to list off some class combinations that work well together and some that are a little harder to play with 2 players.

In general, the Tinkerer will be handicapped since healing isn’t exceptional in 2 player parties. Any combination I didn’t list will be somewhere in between.

Gloomhaven Starting Class Guides

Brute

Between the 6 Gloomhaven starter classes, the Brute is your classic tank starting class. However, he can be played as a damage dealer if you prefer to focus less on damage mitigation.

Tanking abilities in smaller group play are less worthwhile so in groups less than 4 it’s best to just throw out a ton of damage instead of tanking. This is an easier class to play for someone less savvy to building characters. Check out the full Brute guide here.

Brute Starting Card Summary

Brute Perks Summary

These class perks are pretty widely considered to be some of the worst in the game. There are very few damage increases in the selection. The perk options that are there are mostly just inconsistent. Despite the overall bad perk selection, this doesn’t take away from how good the class is as a whole.

Tinkerer

Tinkerer is the support healer of the Gloomhaven starting classes. A good size hand of 12 cards gives her a ton of stamina and the ability to take lots of card losses.

Mostly she will be played ranged but due to her stamina and healing can take some melee hits if needed. Focus on a damage-dealing build if your group is less than 4. Going full healer on a group of 4 can be really good. Check out the full Tinkerer guide here.

Tinkerer Starting Card Summary

Tinkerer Perks Summary

The Tinkerers perks focus on adding extra cards to the deck which is good for this class. Grab some cards that have the replace or remove effects to control your deck.

Spellweaver

The Spellweaver is a mage style class that does a good amount of AoE ranged damage. She is kind of a glass cannon with her low health and easy exhaustion.

Positioning correctly before throwing out damage is key. There is a little room to play support but it isn’t a core element of the class. The small hand size of 8 can lead to low stamina but Reviving Ether fixes this.

Spellweaver Starting Card Summary

Spellweaver Perks Summary

Spellweavers perks specialize in element generation and adding cards. Again, grab perks for this class that remove or replace cards to control deck size. The element generation perks can be great if you can grab some that work well with your team. Check out the full Spellweaver guide here.

Scoundrel

The Scoundrel is a rogue type character with a focus on single target attacks. It is a great character combo for melee teams since it has a fair amount of adjacency bonuses.

Stamina is a problem with a hand size of 9 cards and no way to get them back. So you’ll want to minimize card losses.

Scoundrel Starting Card Summary

Scoundrel Perks Summary

This class has the best starting perks. Damage dealing perks are plentiful which is great for the Scoundrel class. She can also manage to remove all the negative attack modifiers with perks which is only 2 other characters in the game can do.

Cragheart

The Cragheart excels at versatility. This class’s combination of health, support cards, and ranged attacks give it options to be played in many different ways. It also has a hand of 11 which is pretty good for stamina. However, it doesn’t excel at tanking or support as the Brute and Tinkerer do. It also is the only starting class to put out collateral damage which makes it dangerous around the low hp scoundrel or Mindthief. 

It can put out a lot of ranged damage, excels against high shielded enemies, and does best in 3-4 player groups. Check out the full Cragheart guide here.

Cragheart Starting Card Summary

Cragheart Perks Summary

This perk selection is about average. Lots of chances to add cards but few to remove them means your modifier deck will probably get a little bloated. You also have an option to generate earth and wind which can be helpful.

Also, take everything before the “Add one -2 card and two +2 cards”. This will actually reduce the effectiveness of your deck later.

Mindthief

The Mindthief is a mostly melee damage dealer, although there is a lot of versatility to the way she can be played.

She has a hand of 10 which is in the middle of the starter classes but she has low hp which can make it difficult to get up close and personal with the enemies. Check out the full Mindthief guide here.

Mindthief Starting Card Summary

Mindthief Perks Summary

Behind the Scoundrel, the Mindthief is right up there for the best starting character perks. You can build a damage-dealing deck with disables.

As with all of the other classes, be sure to grab those remove/replace perks to keep the deck light.

Hopefully, all this information will help you along in your first adventure in Gloomhaven. Be sure to check out the in-depth guides for each class if you want some more detail on how to build an effective character and what options there are with each.

Frequently Asked Questions