This post was last updated on February 3rd, 2024
In Gloomhaven Jotl perks are improvements that players can apply to their character’s attack modifier deck.
The attack modifier deck is the mechanic that the game uses to determine the final damage value of an attack, adding an element of chance to whether an attack is more or less effective than its base value.
I’ve explained the function of this deck in my previous article Gloomhaven JotL attack modifier deck if you fancy knowing a bit more about it.
Having an optimized attack modifier deck can, in some cases, dramatically help you during the campaign a.k.a help your b*tt.
And the way to optimize your deck is to make good use of the perks you unlock throughout the game.
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How to obtain Perks?
Players can obtain perks for their characters through the following methods:
- Levelling Up: each time a character levels up, it gains one Perk point; this point can be immediately used to unlock one perk from the character’s unique perk list. Levelling up is the most common way to gain perks.
- Battle Goals: at the beginning of each scenario, players draw two battle goal cards and choose one to keep.
These battle goals are secret objectives that a player can strive to achieve during the scenario. If a player successfully meets the conditions of their battle goal, they receive a checkmark at the end of the scenario.
Once players accumulate three checkmarks, they can unlock a new perk for their character.
How to optimize your Attack Modifier Deck using Perks?
Perks are a crucial part of character progression, as they allow players to customize their decks to better suit their strategies and, most importantly, to mitigate the luck factor during combat.
It’s important to choose perks wisely based on your character’s role in the party.
Each Gloomhaven JotL character has its unique perk list, that reflects the class’s abilities and play style.
Perks typically involve removing negative cards from the attack modifier deck, adding new, more powerful cards, or modifying existing cards in some way.
Optimizing your attack modifier deck using perks involves a strategic approach to selecting perks that enhance your character’s performance in combat.
Let me share with you some strategies to consider when using perks to optimize your attack modifier deck:
- Remove Negative Cards: one of the first steps to optimize your deck is to remove negative modifiers.
This increases the average damage output of your attacks and reduces the chance of a frustrating result when you draw a negative modifier. - Add Positive Cards: after removing the most harmful negative cards, you might want to add positive cards to your deck, starting with the ones that have higher positive values (for example +2 or +3). This not only increases your average damage but also raises the chances of drawing a card that makes your attack stronger.
- Balance Deck Size and Quality: a small deck increases the likelihood of drawing any given card, which can be beneficial if you’ve managed to concentrate high-quality cards in your deck.
However, a deck that’s too small could lead to frequent reshuffles, especially if you draw your “Null” or “x2” card early in the scenario. Find a balance that maintains consistency without making the deck too predictable or too prone to reshuffles.
I’m personally a big fan of small decks as I prefer faster deck cycles. - Add Cards with Status Effects: some perks add cards that apply status effects like poison, wound, or immobilize. These can be very powerful when used correctly, as they can significantly impact the battlefield beyond the raw damage.
- Focus on Synergy: try to choose perks that complement your character’s abilities and role in the party.
For example, if your character often infuses or consumes certain elements for powerful abilities, you might want to prioritize perks that add or modify cards with those elements (Red Guard I’m talking about you fella!).
In the characters’ guide you’re about to read I have activated all the perks as if you reached level 9 and gained all the checkmarks from the battle goals, which is very unlikely.
An immensely useful resource you can use when building an attack modifier deck is the Gloomhaven Perk Calculator.
What Perks to choose for the Hatchet?
The Hatchet is a character specialized in ranged damage and if you decide to pick him, he’ll be your primary source of damage.
Here below you can find a path to unlock this character’s perks to optimize his attack modifier deck.
Hatchet Perks
1 | Remove two -1 cards (x2)
This perk is the best one for him (and for everyone really), so you want to activate it as a priority. Don’t even think of unlocking anything else before this.
By activating this perk twice, you can remove four “-1” cards, which lowers the probability of drawing a negative modifier and increases your deck reliability.
2 | Replace one +0 card with one +2 MUDDLE card
Here you can increase your damage and effect probability without increasing your deck size, which at this point has 16 cards, after having removed 4 cards from the total of 20.
3 | Replace one +0 card with one +1 POISON card
Same as above.
4 | Replace one +1 card with one +3 card (x3)
This perk can be activated up to 3 times and it can even be done right after having removed the negative cards. I chose to activate this perk at this point because I like to have some status effect in my deck, especially if they are as useful as muddle or poison.
5 | Add one +2 WIND card (x2)
I would activate this perk twice (and not the maximum of 3 times) to increase the damage and the possibility of infusing the Wind element, which is very important to trigger some useful effects since the Hatchet is a wind user.
6 | Replace one +0 card with one +1 WOUND card
Same as previously written.
7 | Replace one +0 card with one +1 IMMOBILIZE card
Same as previously written.
8 | Replace one +0 card with one +1 PUSH card
Same as previously written.
9 | Replace one +0 card with one +0 STUN card
You get a Stun effect for free.
10 | Replace one +1 card with one +1 STUN card
You get a Stun effect for free.
11| Add one +2 WIND card
Increases the overall damage.
Number of cards in the deck: 19.
Keep in mind that the order written above could potentially change depending on how you want to build your character.
For example, a Hatchet build that uses the wind element frequently might require you to unlock wind-related perks before any others.
What Perks to choose for the Red Guard?
The Red Guard is a tanky character with both melee and ranged attacks, that can sustain multiple damages, thanks to his shield, and has board control abilities that make him great in whatever situation you’ll find yourself in.
Here below you can find a path to unlock this character’s perks to optimize his attack modifier deck.
Red Guard Perks
1 | Remove two -1 cards
This perk is the best one for him (and for everyone really), so you want to activate it as a priority. Don’t even think of unlocking anything else before this.
By activating this perk, you can remove two “-1” cards, which lowers the probability of drawing a negative modifier and increases your deck reliability.
2 | Replace one -1 card with one +1 card (x2)
Compared to the Hatchet perks that remove the -1 cards, here you can only replace them with +1 cards, therefore you don’t get the advantage of making your deck thinner; it’s still a good perk to activate at lower levels though to make your deck more consistent.
3 | Remove one -2 card and one +1 card
That annoying -2 card gets removed at the expense of one +1 card; I think it’s worth it since you get rid of a big malus and the price to pay is just an average +1 card.
4 | Remove four +0 cards
This advantage makes your deck extremely swingy, but it also increases the chances of drawing positive modifiers and thus gives the deck a boost in terms of damage.
5 | Replace one +0 card with one +1 WOUND card
Very good perk to boost your damage, get a status effect and get rid of a useless +0 card.
6 | Replace one +0 card with one +1 IMMOBILIZE card
Same as above
7 | Replace one +1 card with one +2 FIRE card (x2)
Depending on how you’re building your character, this can be a good choice to increase the attack and get another element card in your deck.
8 | Replace one +1 card with one +2 LIGHT card (x2)
Same as above; feel free to swap this perk with the one above based on the character’s build.
9 | Add one +1 FIRE/LIGHT card (x2)
This boosts your overall damage and gets you both elements.
10 | Add one +1 SHIELD card (x2)
Same as above but instead of the element it gives you more shield, which isn’t exciting as there are better ways of gaining shields.
Number of cards in the deck: 16.
Keep in mind that the order written above could potentially change depending on how you want to build your character.
What Perks to choose for the Demolitionist?
The Demolitionist is a selfish damage dealer character, specialized in using area of effect (AOE) attacks to damage multiple enemies.
He can become very powerful thanks to the amazing set of perks that allows you to get rid of all the negative modifiers and gain many +2 modifiers cards.
Here below you can find a path to unlock this character’s perks to optimize his attack modifier deck.
Demolitionist Perks
1 | Remove two -1 cards
This perk is the best one for him (and for everyone really), so you want to activate it as a priority. Don’t even think of unlocking anything else before this.
By activating this perk, you can remove four “-1” cards, which lowers the probability of drawing a negative modifier and increases your deck reliability.
2 | Replace one -1 card with one +0 POISON card
Good perk that removes a negative card with a neutral +0 card with poison effect.
3 | Remove one -2 card and one +1 card
The -2 card gets removed at the expense of one average +1 card; This also helps in making your deck thinner.
4 | Remove four +0 cards
This advantage makes your deck extremely swingy, but it also increases the chances of drawing positive modifiers and thus gives the deck a boost in terms of damage.
5 | Replace one +0 card with one +2 MUDDLE card (x2)
Very good perk to boost your damage, get a status effect and get rid of a useless +0 card.
6 | Replace one +1 card with one +2 EARTH card (x2)
This gives you a small boost in damage and adds a new way of infusing the earth element.
7 | Replace one +1 card with one +2 FIRE card (x2)
Same as above with the fire element. These 2 perks can be exchangeable based on which element you find more useful.
8 | Add one +2 card (x2)
This perk gives you a boost to your damage and increases the amount of +2 cards in your deck.
I left this perk almost at the very end because it’ll reduce the chances of drawing the other +2 cards which are better than this vanilla version.
You could even avoid activating this perk.
9 | Add one +0 All adjacent enemies suffer 1 damage card
Really bad perk, I would avoid activating it.
Number of cards in the deck: 12.
Keep in mind that the order written above could potentially change depending on how you want to build your character.
What Perks to choose for the Voidwarden?
The Voidwarden is a support class specialized in debuffing enemies by afflicting negative status and in crowd control thanks to her useful abilities.
Here below you can find a path to unlock this character’s perks to optimize his attack modifier deck.
Voidwarden Perks
1 | Remove two -1 cards
You should know the gist at this point.
By activating this perk, you can remove two “-1” cards, which lowers the probability of drawing a negative modifier and increases your deck reliability.
2 | Replace one -1 card with one +0 HEAL 1 (Ally) card (x2)
This is an amazing perk that lets you replace a negative card with another one that can heal allies; extremely useful considering her abilities.
3 | Remove one -2 card
The -2 card gets removed and your deck becomes thinner.
4 | Replace one +0 card with one +1 DARK card (x2)
Very good perk to boost your damage, infuse the dark element and get rid of a useless +0 card.
5 | Replace one +0 card with one +1 ICE card (x2)
Very good perk to boost your damage, infuse the ice element and get rid of a useless +0 card.
6 | Add one +1 HEAL 1 (Ally) card (x3)
More healing cards are always welcome, at the price of making your attack modifier deck bigger.
7 | Add one +1 CURSE card (x2)
A great perk to increase the overall damage that also adds an amazing condition that’s always useful during the campaign.
8 | Add one +3 card
This would have been better on a stronger damage dealer, but it’s always nice to have such a high-damage boost in the deck anyway.
9 | Add one +1 POISON card
A perk that increases the damage a bit and adds a status effect, that’s almost always useful. I wouldn’t probably activate this perk anyway.
Number of cards in the deck: 23.
Keep in mind that the order written above could potentially change depending on how you want to build your character.
Peace.