Combat in turn-based games often revolves around players using skills to attack their opponents and defend against incoming attacks, however, there are a ton of passive factors that can increase or decrease one's chances of success while both going on the offensive and retreating defensively.
These passive additions to one's regular combat tactics can come in many forms, though the best enhance what players are naturally trying to do with their desired build. Due to the complexity and versatility of gameplay in Griftlands, by Canadian indie developer Klei Entertainment, players have a ton of ways to increase their damage potential and survivability.
Battle Grafts grant passive effects to the player that can push one's strategy to new heights, though, the best are the harder-to-find ones, like those of the Rare variety. In Sal's part of the game, players should seek out a few specific ones, and, with some luck, they will be able to install them into the white-haired grifter's skull for excellent battle boons. Out of all of them, there are 4 Rare Battle Grafts that stand out as the best for their ease of use and the power they grant.
4 Bloody Mess
Effects Of The Bloody Mess Battle Graft
- At the start of each turn, apply 1 Bleed to all enemies
Upgraded Version Of The Bloody Mess Battle Graft - Savage Bloody Mess
- At the start of each turn, apply 2 Bleed to all enemies
Why The Bloody Mess Battle Graft Is So Good
The two easiest and most effective builds for Sal in the earlier parts of the game are to use either Combo or Bleed effects, as Sal's starting battle deck has some cards of each that can be built upon and upgraded for greater potency.
Bleed deals 1 damage for each stack of Bleed on a target and gets reduced by half every turn, so being able to stack a ton of Bleed effects onto a foe will result in consistent and reliable damage. This makes it a bit slow to defeat enemies, however, the damage of stacked Bleeds can snowball to take huge chunks out of the target's health bar every turn, which is especially handy against bosses. The Bloody Mess Battle Graft passively enhances all Bleed build-up on one's adversaries, making it ideal for those looking to drain their foes of life essence.
3 Cloister
Effects Of The Cloister Battle Graft
- Deal 2 bonus damage while you have any defense
Upgraded Version Of The Cloister Battle Graft - Boosted Cloister
- Deal 3 bonus damage while you have any defense
Why The Cloister Battle Graft Is So Good
Sometimes the best offense is a solid defense, and that's where the Cloister Battle Graft comes into play. Throughout about half of all turns taken in battle, Sal will be the target of incoming damage (if the player is not accompanied by allies or pets), which means that staying alive requires players to defend themselves often.
However, while defending, it can be tricky to find an opening for an attack, so it can be very useful to boost the damage that one can unleash to make the most out of the few opportunities. The Cloister lets players do so while also increasing their defenses for a well-balanced way to approach any fight. This is especially effective when using cards that hit multiple times, as each strike gets the damage boost.
2 Counter Band
Effects Of The Counter Band Battle Graft
- Whenever you prevent all damage from an attack, gain 2 Combo
Upgraded Version Of The Counter Band Battle Graft - Rival's Counter Band
- Whenever you prevent all damage from an attack, gain 3 Combo
Why The Counter Band Battle Graft Is So Good
Building up Combo can lead to unleashing some of the hardest-hitting attacks that Sal is capable of producing. Not only does Sal's starting battle deck possess a lot of innate ways to build up Combo and use it in straightforward attacks, but there are also a ton of other cards that can be added to this strategy for maximum damage.
For new players looking to figure out how to use Combo-related tactics or veteran grifters seeking an optimal build, the Counter Band can allow players to build up Combo while defending, which means that one can continuously build Combo throughout a battle as long as they have adequate maneuver cards to defend themselves.
1 Clot Hammer
Effects Of The Clot Hammer Battle Graft
- Attacking targets affected by Bleed grants 2 defense
Upgraded Version Of The Clot Hammer Battle Graft - Stone Clot Hammer
- Attacking targets affected by Bleed grants 3 defense
Why The Clot Hammer Battle Graft Is So Good
The Clot Hammer Battle Graft exemplifies the previously mentioned notion of a solid defense being an excellent offense, as it allows Sal to gain defense each time she attacks a target afflicted by Bleed. This works wonderfully, even with only a single Bleed stack on a target, as with enough attacks, Sal can gain enough defense to shrug off most, if not all, incoming damage.
Not only does the Clot Hammer's effect pair well with Bleed tactics, but it also makes attacks that hit multiple times even more powerful by further increasing the amount of defense gained. This stalwart strategy can turn players into stone wall-like warriors who are almost impossible to take down.