Welcome back to another exciting episode of BATTLES WITH BUST! Today, we’re diving head-first into episode 690, where BUST takes on The Bazaar as Vanessa, aiming to ride the tides of the aquatic meta—this time, with a spotlight on the pufferfish poison build. If you’re a fan of inventive strategies, unpredictable turns, and want to learn tips for conquering The Bazaar as Vanessa, this game play summary is for you!
The Opening Moves: Setting Up an Aquatic Foundation
From the outset, BUST steers clear of the repetitive weapon-based strategy, focusing instead on more nuanced aquatic synergies. Early picks like frontal shielding lay a solid defensive foundation, poised to synergize with aquatic favorites such as Pearl. While options like artillery spotter or arms dealer offer tactical versatility, BUST’s choice foreshadows a defensive, shield-backed approach—a prime setup for building towards poison.
Early rounds always bring a mix of calculated risks and luck. Despite initial worries about weak damage output and the infamous RNG of early item shops (hello, overheal haste and the always-dreaded Mandela encounters), BUST scores an overheal haste pickup. This lucky hit injects momentum into the nascent aquatic build, providing much-needed sustain and hope for victory over early PvE challenges.
Fishing for Direction: Poison Payoff & Pufferfish Dreams
As the run unfolds, BUST’s keen eye stops at crucial items like beach ball, jellyfish, and the prized seaweed—all essential cogs in a potential poison machine. Early damage is hard to come by, and the aquatic ecosystem initially struggles to convert shield and regen into meaningful offense.
That shifts with the appearance of the jellyfish, a significant source of haste, and eventually the pufferfish itself. It’s a turning point. For Vanessa, leveraging aquatic synergies to turbocharge the pufferfish with multiple hastes is the go-to path for any poison-centric build—especially with jellyfish and beach ball on board. Despite missing the coveted shot glasses combo this run (the real engine for explosive poison damage), BUST expertly adapts, fashioning a potent tempo deck out of what’s available.
Building Up: Scaling, Shields, and the PvE Gauntlet
With Pearl and supporting items offering sustained shields and healing, Vanessa’s early-game weaknesses are mitigated, albeit at the cost of offensive punch. The pufferfish, freshly attained, gets every possible activation from jellyfish and dive weights, launching chunks of poison at enemy boards. Ingenuity and adaptation are on full display as BUST cycles through clamra, experimenting with positioning, activator placements, and tool items like holsters and salt claw to maximize potential for explosive turns.
Strategically, the deck isn’t just about splashing poison. BUST’s classic combo of slowing opposing threats with clamra early, hasting one’s own team, and layering shields with Pearl proves to be a strong foundation—allowing for control wins and stalling out damage-focused enemy builds. BUST’s candor about struggles (including missing key actives and suffering early PvE losses) serves as valuable insight for Bazaar players trying to pilot similar aquatic builds.
The Mid-to-Late Game Struggle: Key Upgrades and Synergy Chasing
What stands out in BUST’s run is the honest grind for synergy. Figurehead never shows, and damage sources remain thin outside the signature pufferfish. Despite that, careful upgrades to jellyfish, Yeti Crab, and dive weights keep Vanessa in contention, pushing up to seven wins—a solid accomplishment given the slow start and competitive PvE battles. The beach ball is eventually outclassed, and tactical swaps bring old salt claw into the fold, though his contribution remains limited until the dream shot glasses synergy appears.
By the game’s final phases, the poison build is streamlined: pearls for shields and burn, dive weights for haste, jellyfish (or swapped alternatives) to guarantee starter tempo, and pufferfish as the main damage engine. Occasional experimentation with burn via upgrades and skill tweaks highlights the constant search for the most efficient activation cycle and damage output.
Key Takeaways: Optimizing the Pufferfish Poison Strategy
- Pufferfish is the Core, Haste is the Fuel: Maximize activations using jellyfish, dive weights, and, when available, shot glasses for rapid poison ramp-up.
- Pearl Provides Consistency: Shields and healing are critical to buying time for poison stacks to wear down opponents.
- Adapt When Core Synergies Don’t Show: Holsters, clamra, and old salt claw can serve as worthy experiment targets if your perfect items are MIA.
- Don’t Ignore PvE Rounds: Early stumbles can slow momentum, but clever item swaps and strategic upgrades can still turn the tide mid- to late-game.
- Shot Glasses—Don’t Rely On It, But Celebrate It: Its absence is always felt, but mastery comes from squeezing every ounce of value out of what you find.
Final Thoughts: Pufferfish Build Lessons from BATTLES WITH BUST #690
This episode is a testament to creative deckbuilding, strategic flexibility, and the importance of adapting to your item RNG. While the dream Vanessa poison deck is anchored by pufferfish, shot glasses, and figurehead, BUST demonstrates that with persistence and smart choices, you can build a resilient, high-win aquatic deck—even when luck is against you.
If you’re ready to make your mark in The Bazaar with Vanessa’s pufferfish poison build, remember these lessons from BATTLES WITH BUST #690, and watch your poison stacks swell with every turn!