Loop Hero, an innovative game by Four Quarters, has garnered widespread praise for its unique combination of roguelike, deckbuilding, and auto-battler gameplay elements. In Loop Hero, players create their own adventures by placing various tiles on a loop, influencing the challenges faced and the rewards gained. One such tile is the Swamp, which can significantly impact the gameplay experience. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the benefits of using Swamps in Loop Hero and how to integrate them strategically into your loops.
The Swamp Tile: Overview and Effects
The Swamp is a tile that can be placed on the loop in Loop Hero. It has a unique property that affects both the player character and enemies within its boundaries:
- Healing effects are reversed: In a Swamp, any healing effects (e.g., potions or vampirism) are turned into damage for both the player and enemies.
The primary goal of incorporating Swamps into your loop is to leverage their unique effect to gain a strategic advantage in battles, especially against enemies with strong healing capabilities. The Swamp tile can be particularly useful against specific enemy types and in combination with certain character classes.
Using Swamps Strategically
- Countering enemy healing: Some enemy types, such as the Vampire, Blood Golem, and Living Armor, rely on healing effects to regain health during battles. Placing Swamps on the loop can make these encounters more manageable by reversing their healing and causing them to take damage instead.
- Playing as the Rogue: The Rogue is one of the three playable classes in Loop Hero, and it does not rely on healing during battles. Instead, it uses evasion and critical hits to minimize damage taken. This makes the Rogue an ideal candidate for using Swamps effectively, as the reversal of healing effects will not impact the Rogue as much as other classes.
- Combining with the Arsenal card: The Arsenal card provides an additional equipment slot for your hero. When using the Rogue, you can equip an item in the Amulet slot, granting you Magic HP. Magic HP serves as a protective barrier that absorbs damage before affecting your regular HP. Since the Swamp’s healing reversal does not apply to Magic HP, the Rogue can benefit from this strategy.
- Using Swamp synergy with other tiles: Swamps can be strategically combined with other tiles for added benefits. For example, placing a Vampire Mansion next to a Swamp will cause the spawned Vampires to take damage from their vampirism, making them easier to defeat.
- Pairing with the Necromancer class: Although the Necromancer class relies on healing effects to regain health, it can still benefit from the Swamp tile when using the Ancestral Crypt card. This card grants the player 3% of their max HP as healing when an ally skeleton dies. In a Swamp, this healing effect is reversed and damages the player, but it also charges their resurrection bar faster, allowing the Necromancer to resurrect more often.
Precautions When Using Swamps
While Swamps can be a powerful tool in your Loop Hero strategy, it’s essential to be aware of the potential drawbacks:
- Reduced healing for the player: The Swamp’s healing reversal effect can also harm the player. If you rely on healing effects to stay alive, the Swamp may not be the best choice for your loop. Be cautious when placing Swamps and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Enemy adaptations: Some enemies can adapt to the Swamp’s effects, becoming more dangerous. The Swamp Mosquito, for example, gains increased attack speed and damage in Swamps, making them a more formidable foe.
Conclusion
Swamps are a unique and potent tool in Loop Hero, providing players with the ability
to counter enemy healing and gain a strategic advantage in battles. By understanding the Swamp’s effects and integrating it into your loop with careful planning, you can significantly enhance your gameplay experience. Utilize the Swamp to its fullest potential by pairing it with suitable character classes like the Rogue, combining it with synergistic tiles, and leveraging its effects against specific enemy types.
However, it’s crucial to consider the potential drawbacks of using Swamps, such as reduced healing for the player and the risk of more dangerous enemy adaptations. With a well-thought-out strategy, Swamps can be a game-changer in your Loop Hero journey, helping you conquer challenges and achieve victory against the Lich and other formidable foes. Keep experimenting with Swamps and other tiles to find the best combinations and strategies for your playstyle, and embrace the endless possibilities Loop Hero has to offer.