BATTLES WITH BUST Episode #687: Welcome back, Bazaar fans! Today, BUST brings you a deep-dive gameplay session focused on the potent and strategic “Toxic Vat” build with Mac in The Bazaar. If you love seeing creative, high-level gameplay and want actionable tips for using the Toxic Vat with Mac, this guide—straight from Episode 687 of BATTLES WITH BUST—will help you stack up wins and have more fun. Whether you’re a veteran or new to The Bazaar, you’ll learn lot about building, upgrading, and executing a powerful poison-based strategy.
The Bazaar Strategy: Building the Toxic Vat
BUST kicks things off in BATTLES WITH BUST #687 by picking Mac, with an eye toward eventually switching to Vanessa after unlocking her expansion. However, before moving on, he’s determined to leverage his growing synergy with Mac—especially around Toxic Vat strategies and reagent stacking.
The early choices center on strong scaling items. Instead of typical gold-start items, BUST selects the Toxic Philosopher Stone—a key enabler in poison builds thanks to its instant poison-regen synergy. Combined with items like the cauldron and retort (which boost poison and burn output), this sets the stage for a relentless stacking approach.
Early-Game Item Synergies and Upgrades
Early runs through shops focus on medium items that can turbocharge reagent production. BUST picks up essentials like cauldrons and thorables, always keeping an eye on maximizing economy and board presence. The hunt is for anything that enables steady transmute potential—potion distillery, distillery upgrades, and items that can quickly become toxic or enhanced.
Facing tough opponents like Dooley, BUST demonstrates how even an early setback isn’t disastrous with Mac. Losing early simply means refining your board, grabbing more upgrades, and looking for game-changing key words like “reagent” and “toxic” on small items.
Transitioning to Toxic Vat Dominance
As the rounds progress, the gameplay pivots around upgrading the Philosopher Stone and fitting in the retort for constant transmutation potential. But the real star turns up in the hefty impact of the Vat of Acid. Although not immediately overpowering, the Vat gains immense value with upgrades—especially once keywords and cooldown reduction tools are added. By adding items that synergize with poison (like the Boro Stone for regen-on-poison action) and balancing the board for synergy, the Toxic Vat morphs into the build’s centerpiece.
Shop strategies start to focus heavily on finding, affording, and equipping items like energy potions and scales, which reduce cooldowns and enable faster, more aggressive poison ticks. BUST carefully manages inventory space, sometimes sacrificing early-game powerhouses like cauldrons for essential late-game tools.
Endgame Setup: Cooldown Reduction and Survival
From the midgame onward, BUST hammers home a lesson vital for late Bazaar rounds—speed rules. The push from seven to ten wins is where builds make or break. The key? Cooldown reduction and invulnerability. The synergy stack now features not just the diamond-upgraded toxic vat, but also key items like Scales and Hourglass (when available), as well as Energy Potion and Momento Mori for execution and survivability.
This “control” build approach doesn’t just rush damage, but focuses on not dying—outlasting opponents with poison, stacking invulnerability to survive big hits, and carefully managing activations so BUST’s own powerful effects land first. Invulnerability Potion, for instance, offers several seconds of safety for the poison to tick down and seal victories.
Why the Toxic Vat Build Works
- Flexible Scaling: Early Philosopher Stone and quick-to-upgrade cauldrons or retorts keep poison scaling from the start.
- Synergy Chaining: Items like Scales and Hourglass cut down on cooldowns, making sure the Vat activates before threats materialize.
- Board Management: BUST stresses the importance of board flexibility—sometimes running five items for Large Appetites, other times stacking up to optimize survivability.
- Smart Transmutation: Use every available chance to add, upgrade, or enchant items to feed into the core poison strategy.
- Defensive Outs: Invulnerability and Momento Mori let you cheat death and finish games on your terms, especially against burst or control-heavy foes.
Lessons from BUST: Going from 7 to 10 Wins
A major takeaway from this episode is the razor’s edge skill jump required to break past the seven-win barrier. Success demands anticipating deadly one-shot builds, dodging freeze traps, and being prepared for opponents with instant activation setups. According to BUST, always prioritize cooldown reduction, survivability, and ways to squeeze out one more round of poison or burn when it matters.
Final Thoughts: Adapt and Win with Toxic Vat
With smart upgrades, tactical inventory moves, and a heavy focus on control, the Toxic Vat Mac build can take you far in The Bazaar’s late game. BUST’s Episode #687 deep-dive is packed with real-time analysis, humor, and high-level play, making it a must-watch (and must-read!) for any fan looking to master poison, burn, and strategic flexibility in The Bazaar. Don’t miss out—try these tips in your next matches and see how far you can go!
Thanks for joining BUST on another epic BATTLES WITH BUST. Want more strategies and highlights? Subscribe to his channel and keep climbing The Bazaar’s competitive ladder!