@heavy_euro_bro 6d ago

Deep Dive: Gloomhaven Opening Strategies

After 40+ plays of Gloomhaven I’ve identified what I think are the three viable opening lines. Would love community input.

Opening A: Engine Rush — Prioritize income generation in rounds 1-2, even at the cost of early points. You’re betting on compound growth.

Opening B: Opportunistic — No fixed plan. React to what’s available and draft accordingly. High skill ceiling but inconsistent.

Opening C: Point Slam — Grab early scoring opportunities. Forces opponents to respond to your pace.

I’ve tracked my win rates: A wins 55% of the time in 3-player, B wins 60% in 4-player, C almost never works above 2-player. Thoughts?

652 views · 3 replies

@ResourceMgr 5d ago

Opening A is consensus best for a reason. The math on compound growth in this game is brutal — falling behind on engine by even one round puts you in a hole that's almost impossible to dig out of.

@midweightMaven 5d ago

I'm a B player through and through. The randomness of the card market means the "correct" engine varies game to game. Flexibility is king.

@thinkingAP 5d ago

The real answer is "it depends on the table." If you're playing against three A-type players, the engine pieces get drafted faster and B becomes correct. Metagaming matters.