Across the Obelisk Beginners Guide (General Tips and Boss Fight)

Simple guide for Across the obelisk act I

This guide is intended to help new players with some game mechanics and how they work, as well as giving some tips on how to defeat Ylmer.

I will try to keep it as short as possible.

• In the game’s setting menu there is an option to enable the extended tooltips, I suggest to enable it on the first runs, it provide additional information of each game effect that ease to understand them. You can disable it afterwards.
• Hero/monster speed is one of the key stats in the game, speed determines the turn order “showed in the top character bar”, acting before enemies it’s a big advantage and should be exploited. Cards like Piercing Howl or Rupture slow enemies, use them. Any card that provides “Faste/Haste” bonus should be a priority (like chant of initiative).
• The energy to cast cards is keep between rounds, so energy management should be take into account. Don’t spend always all the energy every round. Track your deck cards and turn order. (for example using block cards in the last hero in the round it’s a waste of energy)
• Check enemy resitances/immunities, ALWAYS. Don’t waste a fireball onto a fireimp or bleeding cards on trunkies. (enemy resistances are quite relevant in this game, seriously)
• EVENT ROLLS, they can be quite punishing. Read the possible outcomes of the event and consider your current party status and decks, it’s not mandatory to roll, almost all events have options that don’t require rolls. Don’t feel forced to roll, bad roll can have consequences that can ruin a run.
• Try different paths, you will se diferent enemies with diferent stats/decks/resistances, and further in the game you can pick the path that fits your party/decks.
• Corruptions are difficult, but have outstanding rewards. They are tempting but I would suggest to skip them in the early runs.
• At the end of each run you get hero perk points, unlocked new cards and a reward chest. After the first couple of runs starting decks can be heavily improved easily. A single area of effect heal or dispel can be a game changer in early runs. Also keep in mind that you can cash in till 3 chest in a single run.
• Divination unlocks all the cards that are shown. It’s a great way to unlock cards at early game, use it.

Ylmer can be a thoght boss in the first runs, but once you know him it can be beaten with almost any deck.

• Try to reach him with your party above 50% of health, if you are below 80% I suggest to rest before combat. (it’s a roguelike so sometimes you will have a bad run)
• DON’T attack Ylmer if he have Thorns! He removes the thorns himself so you can hit him the next turn. Atack the minions or save energy (if i recall correctly is on the turns 2, 4 and 6)
• Seems that he heals himself for a lot, but after turn 6 there are no more Thorns or heals.
• I usually kill the dryad and then the trunkie, keep energy balanced and poke him when there are no thorns. At turn 4 kill the small trunkies that summon. Protect from the dead ray from turn 5-6 and after it go full dmg to him, youn should be able to kill him before turn 10. Insulate and courage are very useful for mitigate ylmer death ray damage.
• If you still have issues ignore him totally till turn 7, kill the adds and protect your party. Then go full dmg on him after turn 6.

• Deck space, this can be counter-intuitive if you are not used to cardgames, try to keep the deck as “slim” as possible. Every card that you add to your deck decrease the chances that your god/combo cards pop up. Don’t feel forced to pick a reward card in every combat. And remove cards don’t fit your build/strategy
• At least for me half of the fun it’s try new crazy decks/comps, play with 2 priests, convert the mage in a energy batery for the party, use the priest as shadow dmg, etc…

I hope this helps.