Hex, burn and poison
Damage over time that ignores armor, and the heroes who deliver it.
Armored enemies can absorb a huge amount of normal damage. Status damage ignores armor, which makes it a clean answer to armored enemies. Just check where they stand: Hex and Ignite go to the back, so use Venom Vial for an armored front like the Golem’s Vault.
The three damage statuses
| Status | Damage | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexed | 2 per stack, each round | 2 rounds, refreshed by each new Hex | Hex |
| Burning | 1, then 2, then 3, growing each round | Until death or cleansed | Ignite |
| Poisoned | 1 per stack, each round | The rest of the battle | Venom Vial |
The heroes
- Warlock has Hex from level 1, and at level 3, Agony makes each Hex tick hit 1 harder than the last, as long as the Hex keeps being refreshed. It also heals itself with Drain Life.
- Pyromancer has Hex from level 1, and Ignite at level 3 sets the back-most enemy that isn’t already burning on fire.
The trinket
Venom Vial adds a Poisoned stack with each damaging attack from the wearer. Put it on a hero who attacks often to build up stacks quickly.
How to use it
Hex stacks across different heroes. Each different hexer adds a stack, up to three. So Warlock and Pyromancer together do double the Hex damage of either one alone.
Hex targets the back. Both Hex and Ignite go for enemies at the back, so they tend to pick off fragile casters first. Remember this if your main problem is a big monster at the front.
These teams want time. Status damage builds up over rounds, so it needs a sturdy front line to give it those rounds.
Know the counters. Cleansing removes these statuses. Enemy healers can also keep up with low amounts of status damage, so don’t count on it alone. And when an enemy team uses these statuses on you, Paladin’s Purify and the Holy Water trinket are your answers.