This post is the first in an occasional series looking in depth at the Heroes you can play in Storybook Brawl. I’ll be talking about the good and bad points of each Hero but what I won’t be doing is trying to determine which are the best and worst or creating a definitive hero tier list. Which Hero is best for you depends on your style of play, your relationship with the RNG gods and what you find fun.
Storybook Brawl is currently in early access, so remember that things might have changed between me writing this and you reading it.
Merlin
“When you cast a spell, give a character +2/+1 permanently”
Merlin is one of the eight base heroes made available to all players. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s weak, just that the mechanics are relatively easy for a beginner to grasp. On my tier list I class him as a ‘C’; not good, not dreadful.
As you’d expect, Merlin’s gameplay is all about spells. You want to be casting at least one spell most rounds during the early game. Normally, if you have one gold left and the choice between rerolling your shop or casting a rubbish spell, I’d reroll the shop. With Merlin, I’d cast the spell.
Since you’ll be casting a lot of spells, you’ll also want to buy characters that benefit from this. As you’d expect, many of these are Mages. When you’re planning to buy a character which benefits directly from spell casting and also cast the current spell, remember to buy the character first. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made that mistake!
Merlin’s ability is definitely more useful in the early game. Later on, the value of the +2/+1 buff diminishes, however it’s still a nice little extra when you have characters who benefit directly from spellcasting. And if you can get The Storm King, it’ll all seem worthwhile.
So the obvious build for Merlin is Mages. Keep throwing spells around to boost low level Mages until you can get the real payoff characters at level 5 and 6 (Aon and The Storm King). Upgrade non-Mage level 3 and 4 characters in an attempt to get the appropriate Treasures, then abandon them. Personally I find this strategy difficult to pull off – getting the Mages sufficiently boosted to survive the mid-game is a challenge. I often get tempted to abandon them in favour of my favourite level 4 characters such as Medusa and Broc Lee, ending up with the worst of both worlds.
Characters
These Storybook Brawl characters work well with Merlin:
- Cinder-Ella (level 2 Princess Mage)
Quest: Cast 4 spells. - Wizard’s Familiar (level 2 Animal Mage)
When you cast a spell, I gain +1/+1 permanently - Sleeping Princess (level 3 Good Princess)
I wake up when you cast a spell on me. (+8 Attack) - Spell Weaver (level 3 Evil Mage)
Ranged. When you cast a spell I gain +1 Attack permanently - Aon (level 5 Evil Mage)
When you cast a spell, give your Mages +1 Attack permanently. - Monster Book (level 5 Evil Monster)
Last Breath: cast a random spell - The Storm King (level 6 Mage)
+2/+2 for each spell you have cast this game
Another character that fits in well with a buffing Hero like Merlin is Echowood:
- Echowood (level 6 Treant)
When another one of your characters gains Attack or Health during a brawl, so do I.
Then, of course, there’s Dubly – a character I’d like to see removed from the game.
Spells
Just about any spell is good with Merlin! Cheaper spells actually have a better return since you still get the character buff. However some spells allow you to cast additional spells and these are especially useful:
- Lucky Coin (cost 0)
+1 Gold. You can cast another spell this round. - Mysterious Scroll (cost 1)
Cast another random spell - Healing Potion (cost 1)
You gain +1 Health. You can cast another spell this round. - Potion Of Heroism (cost 1)
Give a character +2 Attack this brawl. You can cast another spell this round. - Drink Me Potion (cost 1)
Roll a shop filled with spells. You can cast another spell this round.
Treasures
If you’re playing Merlin then you really want Merlin’s Hat! Keep upgrading those level 3 characters and pray to the RNG gods.
- Crystal Ball (level 3)
When you cast a spell directly on a character, add a spell to your shop and you can cast another spell this round. - Merlin’s Hat (level 3)
Spells cost you 2 less - Deck Of Many Things (level 4)
At the start of each brawl, cast a random spell. - Forking Rod (level 4)
When you buy a spell that costs 2 or less, cast it twice.
Summary
Merlin is an easy to play Storybook Brawl Hero with a clear strategy: spells, spells, spells! If you get lucky early then he can become very powerful, but if not then the mid-game can be a struggle.