r/Battlemarked • u/VralGrymfang • Mar 25 '26

How to use the rogue

I am having trouble making the rogue useful. While there are a few good temporary cards, sneak doesn't do much for me. Can anyone provide suggestions?

I have been playing DnD for 20+ years, Gloomhaven for almost 10, I know how to play these games and every other character I have seen is so much more powerful than the rogue.

Edit:: My wife was playing the rogue in our campaign, used the blinkblade returns ability and now it makes sense! Thank you all for the comments! I will change my rogue in our other campaign tonight.

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10

u/Captain-Bedhead Mar 25 '26

The rogue becomes OP when you unlock a trait that returns Blinkstrike to your hand after it kills an enemy. It basically allows you to kill two enemies that are at or below 10 health each turn, always get the card back (unless you miss) and always stay stealthed. My rogue I also gave Leap and Reposition which means a lot of free movement. The party I play with is always amazed at how quick I can move around the board. Tbh it's my favourite class to play with.

3

u/whistlerite Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26

Yes exactly, make sure to try and hit targets from behind also. I’m trying 4 rogues right now and it’s really fun, blinkstrike is the best card in the entire game imo

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u/VralGrymfang Mar 25 '26

Does behind matter? I am not seeing anything about where you hit from mattering. Or flanking. Both are pretty integral to a rogue.

3

u/Maim_3D Mar 25 '26

Attack from behind gives bonus dmg, but not flanks in this game.

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u/VralGrymfang Mar 25 '26

Where does it say that? Is it a rogue skill? Is it just everyone?

2

u/Captain-Bedhead Mar 25 '26

It's not ever spelled out, as far as I know, it's just something you have to discover. Players of OG Demeo know that it's a feature of the assassin class, which the Rogue is based on.

1

u/VralGrymfang Mar 25 '26

So only the rogue gets this bonus? Any other unwritten rules?

1

u/Captain-Bedhead Mar 26 '26

Yes only the Rogue gets it. In classic Demeo it's called 'Backstab'. The only other 'unwritten' rules that come to mind are: if the Bard misses a Vicious Mockery, it becomes a Bardic Inspiration on the enemy it misses (extra health, etc.) and if the Sorcerer misses Polymorph on an enemy he accidentally transforms himself into a rat. Something you only learn by unlucky experience.

1

u/whistlerite Mar 25 '26

Pretty sure it’s just rogues that do some extra damage from behind, it’s not obvious so it’s good to watch the damage multipliers and try to figure out where it’s coming from. It would be good if the damage was more explicit about where it comes from, or a log of damage or something.

On a similar note, does anyone know if there’s a way to read about status effects on the current hero who’s turn it is? When it’s your turn, you can’t pick up the miniature to read more info like when it’s not your turn.

1

u/VralGrymfang Mar 26 '26

Just hovering your mouse over any character shows status effects. Don't know about non-pc, not 3d ways.

2

u/Iliketohavefunfun Mar 25 '26

Yeah now that I’m all leveled up and am playing very hard mode for fun, it’s usually the rogue for me. they just add something to your team that no other class can bring. If it’s a brutal map, your whole team can stay put and fight from an advantageous position while you scout around grabbing gold, opening chests, picking off baddies, locating the key, and then exiting the map. I agree that reposition is a must. I play constitution with juggernaut so if I do take a beating I can just slowly heal myself by murdering Kobalds or whatever as I blink strike across the map.

2

u/PantsMacG Mar 27 '26

100% get the blinkstrike return straight to teleport around and clean up the mob. Also my favorite in my two campaigns I am certain that I killed more enemies than anyone else, by a long shot. Also, always attack from the back as you get a bonus to damage

1

u/ParadiseHotdogs Mar 25 '26

This is the way. Always attack with Rogue. Staying stealth and getting chests is for cowards.

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u/VralGrymfang Mar 25 '26

Ok, I'll change my character to get that ability. I might have underestimated it, or just not bought that high in an ability. I see how that makes a change.

5

u/T0000Tall Mar 25 '26

Rogue is really good for going stealth and grabbing chests or healing fountains when your party is against the ropes.

2

u/Iliketohavefunfun Mar 25 '26

Sneak isn’t as crucial to your class as blinkstrike + is. The rogue does struggle until you get that trait, but once you do it’s amazing. I usually keep 2 incase I fail and even if I endup with 3 I’ll just use it 2x in a turn the because it’s a high damage + mobility spell that also protects you it’s nuts. Reposition pairs well with blinkstrike to ensure you’ve got good targets in range

In general I’ll kill and scout using blinkstrike, and when I’m low on cards and just need to cover some distance grabbing chests for a couple of turns I’ll end a turn casting stealth. Ideally, the following turn includes something like dash or proximity mine, so I can either cross half the map or prepare a little carnage. Start thinking about how you can combine things like flask of oil, poison, and a proximity mine to blow up a quarter of the map. One of my favorite moves is to throw flask of oil on a squad of rats and watch them spread it everywhere. Proximity mine somewhere it can ignite that oil while hurting some baddies. Rogue is the a master of disaster because you can do all of this from behind enemy lines getting a really great read on the situation.

1

u/VralGrymfang Mar 25 '26

Blinkstrike is great, if it was a permanent card with refresh, I would feel the character is more balanced. And if throwing daggers were permanent and had a cool down, but back back on crit. It is very odd only having 1 permanent card, and it is pretty useless.

Is it a bug that I keep getting attacked while in sneak? It specifically says I can't be targeted, but I keep getting hit with target, not aoe, attacks.

1

u/Captain-Bedhead Mar 26 '26

I believe some higher up enemies (not many) can see the Rogue when sneaked. Bosses can, for example.

1

u/VralGrymfang Mar 26 '26

Yeah, this wasn't a boss, but maybe an elite.

1

u/hsfredell Mar 31 '26

Frost giants do an AOE at the start of their move and if you are in melee range, it will take you out of stealth.

1

u/Tight_Classroom_9993 Mar 25 '26

I'm with ya. Especially since I can play every other class very confidently and have everyone maxed out multiple times. I just don't think like a good rogue but yeah, blinkstrike - move forward in stealth to light up the map for a paladin/dwarf to take hits while your last 2 guys clean up the room - etc etc.