Welcome back to BATTLES WITH BUST—today we dig into Episode #688, with BUST taking on the latest “The Gang” expansion as Vanessa in The Bazaar. Having spent the past few weeks exploring Mak, BUST is thrilled to be back with Vanessa and ready to both review the new cards and jump into some gameplay. If you’re looking for hands-on, strategic insights about playing The Gang in Vanessa decks, you’re in the right place.
The Gang Expansion: Card-by-Card Review
Before jumping into battle, BUST reviews every new card in the expansion, sharing honest opinions on their strengths, weaknesses, and how well they fit with Vanessa’s playstyle. Here’s his rundown:
- Calico: A versatile, though not exceptional, unit. Works best in wide weapon builds where the crit multiplier can shine, especially alongside Swashbuckle. Still, BUST places it at a B+ rather than a top-tier pick due to limited synergy with Vanessa’s core mechanics.
- Orange Julian: Decent in the early game when scaling weapons before finding your late-game carry. However, its impact drops off sharply as battles progress.
- Mr. Richardson: A supplemental defensive pick that can slot into sustain or friend builds, gaining shield through haste/slow. While handy, it’s rarely the centerpiece of any strategy.
- The Piano & Dive Weights Synergy: Piano combos exceptionally well with Dive Weights. The frequent haste triggers benefit cards like Old Salt Claw, making them viable for burst scaling, although the strategy can struggle to keep pace in the late game.
- Old Salt Claw: The most promising build-around card in the set, powerful when you can trigger “haste” and “slow” effects rapidly. Needs further tuning to become a late-game powerhouse but works well as a fill-in for aquatic or depth charge builds.
- Card Table: Best used when you have a single key friend on the board—multiply its attacking frequency for massive value. Less effective when targeting random friends.
- Captain’s Quarters: Another powerful tool when optimally charging a single, high-impact tool. On diamond rank, it can supercharge tools like Crane or Flamethrower, but struggles if your board gets too cluttered.
- Sea Shadow & Sea Dog Saloon: Both cards offer early-game utility but falter in the late game, lacking the burst or scaling needed for endgame victories.
- Shot Glasses: BUST’s pick for best activator—pairs fantastically with Old Salt Claw and Mr. Richardson, fueling rapid-fire synergy plays thanks to simultaneous haste and slow triggers.
Gameplay Recap: A Rocky Road to Victory
This episode wasn’t all smooth sailing. BUST candidly narrates a streak of early misfortune—suboptimal skills, underwhelming item shops, and runs riddled with awkward Mandela events (which Vanessa decks struggle to utilize). Despite having to settle for less-than-ideal weapons and losing early PvE rounds, perseverance pays off.
Rather than going for a textbook figurehead build, BUST adapts to the situation, building around Cannonade and leveraging synergies like Crit stacking on Pet Rock, Deadly Eye, and Vanessa’s Amulet. Midway through the run, lucky upgrades and careful item placement let BUST stabilize, churning out enough victories to hit the pivotal four-win mark, preserving his LP and keeping the road to Masters alive.
Key Lessons for Vanessa & The Gang Expansion
- Flexibility is Essential: The Gang’s new cards require quick adaptation. Early choices like Orange Julian or Sea Shadow can get you through the midgame, but you must pivot as soon as high-impact tools or weapons appear.
- Crowded Boards Can Backfire: Cards like Piano or Card Table look great but need surgical setup. Tossing too many haste engines on the board risks spreading your bonuses too thin.
- Upgrade Paths Matter: Targeted upgrades (especially for Cannonade, Repeater, and Bolas) saved BUST’s run by turbo-charging endgame damage and leveraging turbo and right-handed synergies.
- Item Shop RNG: The abundance of Mandela references underscores a frustration with Vanessa’s shop RNG—BUST suspects something is amiss with the shop appearance rates, affecting optimal build progression.
Final Thoughts & Takeaways
Despite the disastrous starting conditions, BUST demonstrates that resilience and creative adaptation can turn a bad start into a respectable finish in The Bazaar. The Gang expansion brings a slate of interesting, if sometimes awkward, cards, and while some need more tuning (Old Salt Claw, we’re looking at you), others offer exciting new strategies for Vanessa.
Overall, if you’re diving into The Gang, watch out for the pitfalls of over-relying on early-game cards, plan your upgrades wisely, and be ready to pivot strategies. Most of all—don’t get discouraged by rough starts. With a little ingenuity, you might surprise yourself and your opponents!
BUST signs off reminding everyone to keep experimenting—and maybe, save your 420-unlocked chests for the NFT marketplace. Stay tuned for more BATTLES WITH BUST!