Bending darkness to its will, the Nightshroud uses invisibility to get close and deal devastating damage to enemies. This sneaky denizen of the night creates opportunities to strike and avoid getting hit at all costs. This guide has everything you need to mold the darkness to your will with the Nightshroud.
Attack unseen and deal heavy damage to enemies before slinking back into the darkness with the Nightshroud. See our Gloomhaven Nightshroud guide to learn how.
Nightshroud Overview
The Nightshroud is a character with little health and stamina but a master of attacking unaware enemies unseen. Using invisibility and some high-damage combos, the Nightshroud is an excellent character to have with you in larger parties.
The Nightshroud slinks around, poking enemies with damage and occasionally dealing the finishing blow. It may have low stamina, but it’s a force to be reckoned with when played correctly. Inflicting status effects on enemies while dealing damage leaves enemies wide open for party members to defeat.
Nightshroud Card Overview
The Nightshroud has a small total card pool of 28 cards, with 12 level 1 cards to choose from. Its stamina and movement are its most prominent issues, as there aren’t a lot of great movement effects among the cards available.
The cards focus on creating dark mana and utilizing that mana to chain deadly combos to deal burst damage. There are a few cards that allow the Nightshroud to go invisible and deal extra damage while invisible. These combos make it difficult for enemies to touch the Nightshroud while it has free reign of the room.
Starting Cards
Cloak of Shade has an excellent initiative score of 13. The top deals one damage and generates dark mana. The bottom lets you move three, but if you use dark mana, you can go INVISIBLE and gain an XP. INVISIBLE is the Nightshroud’s best friend so this card is very helpful. Despite its underwhelming top damage, generating dark mana will go a long way.
Spirit of the Night has a high initiative score of 84, which makes its effects even better. The top deals three damage or kills a normal enemy and grants an XP at the cost of dark mana. The bottom is a loss that generates dark mana, grants an XP, and lets you move six spaces. This card is beneficial for clearing rooms, and the movement is excellent.
Black Knives has decent effects, but not really for the Nightshroud. The top is a loss that lets you add two damage at a range of three to your following four attack actions while you are INVISIBLE. The bottom deals two damage, inflicts MUDDLE, and grants an XP. The initiative score of 44 also doesn’t help this card’s case.
Enervating Wound has an excellent top effect that you won’t use very often because it’s a loss, and the bottom is also great. Still, it doesn’t generate mana, which you’ll sorely need. The top is a loss that deals four damage, inflicts WOUND, heals you for four points, generates dark mana, and grants an XP. The bottom lets you move four spaces.
Dark Cloud’s top deals three damage and applies CURSE, while the bottom applies MUDDLE to all adjacent enemies and generates dark mana. The damage is decent, and CURSE is helpful. The bottom generates mana, which you want, but doesn’t give you movement. This card is best when you’re invisible, but it can still be handy otherwise.
Concealed Dominance has fantastic effects, but at the same time, you may not be able to afford the double loss. The top deals for damage, while using dark mana expands the range to six hexes and grants two XP. The bottom lets you move four while using mana lets you move to any unoccupied hex through open doors. They have excellent effects, but they don’t generate mana, and they are both losses.
Empowering Void is a handy card to have. The top deals two damage, while using mana doubles the value of your movement abilities for this turn and grants an XP. The bottom lets you move two spaces and double the value of all attacks this turn, also granting an XP if you use mana. The bottom can be used for devastating damage and has a great initiative score of 21.
Dancing Shadows’ top lets you move three and deal one damage. The bottom makes all attacks targeting you this round gain Disadvantage and generates dark mana. The top is almost wasted on movement with low damage. The bottom, while generating dark mana, doesn’t offer movement. The initiative score of 9 is one of the lowest in the game, making this card slightly better.
Silent Force’s top deals three damage but can deal two extra and grant an XP if you are INVISIBLE. The bottom lets you move six and loot one, but it’s a loss. The top can deal significant damage when you’re INVISIBLE, which you’ll want to be for most of the game. The bottom has excellent effects, but you may not be able to afford the loss. Overall, though, it’s a very good card.
Smoke Step’s top lets you move one space and deal two damage, but at the cost of mana, you can move three spaces, deal four damage, and gain an XP. The bottom lets you move one space and generates dark mana. The low initiative score of 28 is good, but the top may only be helpful in certain situations. The bottom does both things you want it to, but with only one movement, you’re limited.
Doomed Breeze’s top deals one damage at a range of three, adds MUDDLE, generates dark mana, and grants an XP. The bottom lets you move three spaces and applies CURSE to an adjacent enemy. This card can be powerful in conjunction with other cards, and the 15 initiative score is excellent.
Wings of the Night has a decent top and a lacking bottom, but the initiative score makes it great for setting up plays. The top deals one damage and grants INVISIBLE. The bottom lets you move two spaces before your subsequent four attack actions, but it’s a loss. The bottom is good for solving your movement problems, but you can’t afford another loss as a Nightshroud.
Level 2
Prepare for the Kill’s top deals two damage, and generates dark mana. Its bottom lets you move two and generate dark mana. I’d recommend using this card throughout the entire game. The initiative score of 7 is impressive, and both the top and bottom generate mana.
Soulfire’s top deals one damage at a range of three and inflicts WOUND. If you are INVISIBLE when you play it, you can add STUN and gain an XP. The bottom deals six damage six and applies CURSE, which is decent, but it’s a bottom and a loss.
I’d recommend taking Prepare to Kill at level 2 simply because of its mana generation and movement. It has excellent initiative, and neither the top nor the bottom is a loss. You can replace Dancing Shadows as it wasn’t very useful.
Level 3
Armor of the Night’s top deals four damage while using dark mana heals you for four points. The bottom provides one Shield to your character and generates dark mana. This card has a decent top because four damage is decent, while you may need to heal on the odd occasion, depending on whether your party has a healer.
Terror Blade’s top deals three damage and can PUSH an enemy three spaces. The bottom lets you move four spaces and gives all attacks targeting you this round Disadvantage. The top’s push can help you out in certain situations if there are traps nearby, but the four movement on the bottom makes this card a good choice.
This choice depends somewhat on your play style and your party because healing can be helpful sometimes if there isn’t a healer in your party, but Terror Blade’s bottom movement effect is helpful to your Nightshroud. I’d recommend taking Terror Blade and replacing Enervating Wound since the movement is the same, and the top isn’t a loss.
Level 4
Grim Substance does many things you’d want it to, but lacks movement. The top deals two damage and grants you INVISIBLE, but if you are already invisible, it adds two damage to that and grants you an XP. The bottom allows you to loot one, and it generates dark mana. Overall, a valuable card for most situations.
Nightfall depends on other characters to improve it, but it’s not worth it most of the time. The top generates dark mana at the end of your subsequent three turns where dark mana is not strong, but it’s a loss. The bottom allows you to move three spaces and deal two damage. If you have light mana, you can add one damage, generate dark mana, and gain an XP.
Grim Substance wins this round by a landslide. It is practical and can be added to your combos. Nightfall’s top loss and light mana dependency drive its value down. You can replace Dark Cloud with Grim Substance. Neither offers movement, but Grim Substance makes you INVISIBLE.
Level 5
Black Arrow’s top deals four damage at a range of four, grants an XP and adds MUDDLE and CURSE. The bottom grants you INVISIBLE, and, at the cost of dark mana, you can deal three damage at a range of three while gaining an XP. For a non-loss card, this is almost a dream.
Claws of the Night’s top deals two damage and inflicts POISON to two targets in front of you, while using mana of any type will grant it one extra damage, generate dark mana, and grant one XP. The bottom lets you deal two damage to all adjacent enemies on your next four turns while you are INVISIBLE as the final part of the action you perform.
Black Arrow wins because of the variety of ways it can be used. It deals solid damage and grants INVISIBLE and mana. You can replace Terror Blade with Black Arrow. While Terror Blade has movement, Black Arrow can do ranged damage.
Level 6
Swallowed by Fear’s top deals two damage. Additionally, you can kill one elite or normal enemy at the cost of one dark mana and another mana of any element. The bottom lets you move three spaces and PUSH all adjacent enemies two spaces.
Unseen Dread’s top deals three damage, grants an XP and generates dark mana. The bottom lets you move six with JUMP. It’s not a bad card, especially because of the movement.
Swallowed by Fear allows you to kill an elite enemy right as you enter a room, and it’s not a loss. So you can keep reusing the effect as long as you have the mana to back it up. You can take out Empowering Void because, although it can double your damage, Swallowed by Fear lets you kill an elite enemy.
Level 7
Eyes of the Night’s top gives you Advantage on all your attacks, lets you attack INVISIBLE enemies, and grants two XP, but it’s a loss. The bottom allows you to move five spaces and lets you use light mana to MUDDLE all adjacent enemies, generate dark mana, and gain an XP.
Quiet Frenzy’s top deals three damage. If you are INVISIBLE, you deal an extra two damage and gain an XP, and if you use dark mana, you can add an extra three damage and an XP. The bottom deals three damage and lets you move three spaces.
Silent Force is getting replaced at this level by Quiet Frenzy. Quiet Frenzy is an upgrade of Silent Force, and the conditions can lead to some significant damage.
Level 8
Gloom Darts’ top effect deals three damage at a range of four, adds POISON and CURSE, and lets you target three enemies and gain an XP if you use dark mana. The bottom lets you move three and generate dark mana.
Lurking Ruin‘s top deals five damage, adds POISON, MUDDLE, and WOUND if you are INVISIBLE in addition to an XP. The bottom lets you move three spaces and applies INVISIBLE to your character.
You can choose Lurking Rain or Gloom Darts at level 8, but I’d recommend Lurking Rain. You can replace Cloak of Shade as the mana requirement isn’t so high at this stage, and you just need to be INVISIBLE to chain most of your combos.
Level 9
Angel of Death’s top deal four damage to all adjacent enemies. Using dark mana, you can kill all normal targets instead and gain two XP. The bottom lets you move five spaces with JUMP, kill one adjacent normal enemy, and gain an XP using one dark mana.
Voice of the Night’s top is a loss that adds STUN to your subsequent five attacks while you’re INVISIBLE. The bottom lets you move two spaces and deals two damage. You can also sacrifice dark mana to gain INVISIBLE, generate dark mana, and gain an XP.
Voice of the Night is good and would be an excellent choice at lower levels, but it’s outclassed by Angel of Death. Angel of Death replaces Spirit of the Night because it is better in every single way. It’s a direct upgrade, dealing damage and letting you move while killing enemies at the same time.
Nightshroud Perks
Perks power up your character and allow them to deal more damage than usual. They can help you eliminate negative modifier cards as you level up. There are some that you should focus on getting first, which include:
- Remove two -1 cards (take it twice)
- Replace one -1 dark mana card with one +1 dark mana card (take twice)
- Remove four +0 cards
- Ignore negative scenario effects and add two +1 cards
You can choose the other perks in any order you like:
- Add one -1 dark mana card (available twice)
- Add one INVISIBLE card
- Add three MUDDLE cards
- Add two Heal +1 cards
- Add two CURSE cards
- Add one ADD TARGET card
Nightshroud Enhancements
Enhancements let you power up your character’s abilities throughout the game to make up for a card’s weakness or to make it overpowered. The most important ones for this build are:
- +1 move on Prepare for the Kill
- +1 move on Smoke Step
Nightshroud Items
Items can be found during scenarios or bought in town for gold. There are some essential items that help the Nightshroud feel much easier to play:
- Cloak of Invisibility
- Minor Stamina Potion
- Boots of Striding
Final Thoughts
The Nightshroud is a devious character that relies on its ability to turn invisible, often to sneak around and deal large amounts of damage to enemies. While movement and stamina may be a problem, the Nightshroud has some killing moves that make moving unnecessary. So you can quickly kill your way through scenarios.
References:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Gloomhaven/comments/6kibja/eclipse_some_call_it_moon_class_class_10_guide/