Every role and class, explained
A team in Town of Duels is built from four lines, and every deck needs 2 to 6 characters in each one. No single line can take over your team, so knowing what each role does is the heart of deck building.
Front line
Roles in this line: Tank, Defender.
Guard Defender
Enemies cannot attack allies next to this Guard while the Guard is in their attack range. They have to deal with it first.
Where to place it: Stand it beside your most valuable character, on the side enemies come from.
Watch out: It only protects neighbours, so keep your team close together.
Best known: Tharos Worldroot.
Sentinel Tank
The first hit it takes each turn is reduced by 2. Weak attacks barely hurt it, so use it to absorb small hits.
Where to place it: Front line, in the path of enemy characters.
Watch out: Only the first hit each turn is reduced, so several attackers still wear it down.
Best known: Selenara Moon Empress.
Paladin Tank
Heals itself for 3 with its ability, so it can stay on the front line far longer than most.
Where to place it: Front line. Pull it back a step if it gets low, then heal.
Watch out: Healing uses an action and 2 stamina it could have spent attacking.
Best known: Aurelia Dawn Eternal.
Fencer Defender
Deals +1 return damage when attacked. Enemies get hurt for hitting it.
Where to place it: In front of your important characters, where the enemy wants to go.
Watch out: It is at its best when attacked, so it wants enemies to come to it.
Best known: Sabine Scarlet Maestra.
Monk Tank
Heals itself for 2 and regains 1 stamina, so it can look after itself for a long time.
Where to place it: Front line, or on a side alone.
Watch out: Healing uses an action it could have spent attacking.
Best known: Prayersteel Monk.
Spellbreaker Defender
Takes 1 less damage from spells, so it holds up well when enemies rely on magic.
Where to place it: Front line against spell-heavy enemies.
Watch out: It has no extra protection against normal duels.
Best known: Nerissa Tide Oracle.
Fighters
Roles in this line: Attacker, Bruiser, Assassin.
Knight Bruiser
A solid front-line fighter. When it strikes the enemy leader it heals 1, so it keeps going deep in enemy territory.
Where to place it: March it down the middle toward the enemy base.
Watch out: It has no special defence, so choose duels you can survive.
Best known: Vaelor Last Star.
Duelist Attacker
Deals +1 damage when it starts the duel, so always attack first rather than waiting.
Where to place it: Move next to a target and attack in the same turn.
Watch out: The bonus is only for duels it starts, not when it is attacked.
Best known: Liora Sunspear.
Assassin Assassin
Enters disguised, and its first duel deals +2 damage. Save that first strike for a valuable target.
Where to place it: Move it quietly until a strong target is next to it.
Watch out: Low health. It usually cannot survive a fair fight after the first strike.
Best known: Assassin.
Shadowblade Assassin
Recovers 2 health every time it defeats an enemy in a duel. Pick off weak enemies to stay healthy.
Where to place it: Flanks of the board, hunting wounded or fragile targets.
Watch out: It needs the kill to heal, so do not attack anything it cannot finish.
Best known: Morrigane Crow Queen.
Cultist Attacker
A cheap, aggressive fighter. Even its death slows the enemy down.
Where to place it: Send it into a crowd of enemies.
Watch out: It does little alone, so follow it with stronger allies.
Best known: Cultist.
Zealot Attacker
Deals +1 damage in duels but takes 1 extra damage after each one. Use it for big, decisive trades.
Where to place it: Send it at your most important target.
Watch out: Every duel hurts it, so it wears down fast without a healer.
Best known: Seraphine Violet Pyre.
Werewolf Attacker
A big, heavy hitter that wins most duels outright.
Where to place it: Straight at the enemy front line.
Watch out: It takes 1 extra damage after each duel, so count your health.
Best known: Werewolf.
Berserker Attacker
Deals +1 damage once it drops below half health, so it hits hardest when it is nearly beaten.
Where to place it: Front line. Do not heal it to full if the bonus helps you.
Watch out: Being low on health is risky, since one bad duel ends it.
Best known: Malakar Ember Tyrant.
Vampire Bruiser
Heals 1 after surviving a duel, so it keeps itself healthy by fighting every turn.
Where to place it: Front line, in constant combat.
Watch out: It must survive the duel to heal, so check the return damage first.
Best known: Oberon Thornking.
Executioner Assassin
Deals +2 damage to enemies at 3 health or less, so it finishes wounded targets.
Where to place it: Just behind your fighters, ready to step in for the kill.
Watch out: Its bonus needs a wounded target, so let allies hit first.
Best known: Gorvath Dragonbone.
Ranged
Roles in this line: Ranged, Mage.
Archer Ranged
Attacks from up to 3 tiles away, so it can hurt melee enemies before they reach it, without being hit back.
Where to place it: Behind your front line, with a clear distance to the enemy.
Watch out: Enemies can only hit back if you are within their reach, so shoot melee characters from 2 or more tiles away. Other ranged characters can still return fire.
Best known: Archer.
Ranger Ranged
Attacks from up to 3 tiles away and deals +1 damage to wounded enemies, so finish targets your allies already hurt.
Where to place it: Behind your front line. Let others hit first, then finish.
Watch out: Enemies can only hit back if you are within their reach, so shoot melee characters from 2 or more tiles away. Other ranged characters can still return fire.
Best known: Ilyss Prism Sovereign.
Witch Mage
Deals 2 damage to any enemy anywhere on the board, every turn, without moving.
Where to place it: Keep it safe on your home rows and fire from there.
Watch out: Fragile. Any enemy that reaches it can defeat it.
Best known: Petal Witch.
Pyromancer Mage
Deals 3 damage to an enemy within 2 tiles. Heavy magic damage, but it needs to be fairly close.
Where to place it: Second row, just behind your fighters.
Watch out: Its range is short, so it can be reached in return.
Best known: Pyromancer.
Support
Roles in this line: Healer, Support, Controller, Scout.
Disguised Scout
A cheap unknown. The enemy cannot see what it is, so it can draw attention or block a tile for very little essence.
Where to place it: Anywhere you need a body. Good for blocking a tile near your leader.
Watch out: Its stats are low, so it loses most straight duels.
Best known: Villager.
Scout Scout
Moving costs it no stamina, so it can walk 2 tiles every turn and still have stamina left to attack.
Where to place it: Run it down an empty side of the board toward the enemy base.
Watch out: Scouts alone do not stop enemies, so do not leave your leader unguarded.
Best known: Azhar Caravan King.
Healer Healer
Heals an adjacent ally for 3 each turn. Keep your best fighter alive through several duels.
Where to place it: One tile behind your front line, right next to whoever is fighting.
Watch out: Fragile and needs to stand close, so protect it.
Best known: Doctor.
Herbalist Healer
A steady support character for keeping your fighters healthy and ready to act.
Where to place it: Just behind the front line, close to your fighters.
Watch out: It is weak in a duel, so do not send it forward alone.
Best known: Nyxara Veil Mother.
Investigator Controller
Enters disguised, then exposes an enemy next to it, so every hit on that enemy deals +1 damage.
Where to place it: Walk it up beside the enemy you want gone.
Watch out: It has low stats, so expose a target and let stronger allies finish it.
Best known: Investigator.
Oracle Controller
A careful planner. Expose an enemy from behind your lines, then let your fighters hit it for +1 damage each.
Where to place it: Mid-board, behind your fighters, within 3 tiles of the fight.
Watch out: Not a duelist, so keep it out of reach.
Best known: Horizon Dreamer.
Medium Support
Returns your cheapest fallen ally to your hand for 2 extra essence. Good for replaying cheap characters.
Where to place it: Safe on your home rows.
Watch out: Needs a fallen ally first, and the extra essence is a real cost.
Best known: Reliquary Medium.
Necromancer Support
Returns your strongest fallen ally to your hand for 2 extra essence. Bring your best character back.
Where to place it: Safe on your home rows.
Watch out: Needs a fallen ally first, and the extra essence is a real cost.
Best known: Necromancer.
Bard Support
Gives an adjacent ally 2 stamina, letting your best fighter act again and again.
Where to place it: Right beside your strongest character.
Watch out: Weak alone, and useless without an ally beside it.
Best known: Lantern Chronicler.
Engineer Support
Gives an adjacent ally a shield that blocks one hit. Protect a fighter right before a big duel.
Where to place it: Beside your front line.
Watch out: Shields do not stack, so spread them around.
Best known: Nova Artificer.
Alchemist Healer
Heals an ally for 3 from up to 2 tiles away, so it can stay further back than other healers.
Where to place it: Two tiles behind your fighters.
Watch out: Fragile, so keep something between it and the enemy.
Best known: Alchemist.
Frostbound Controller
Every duel drains 1 stamina from the enemy, leaving them too tired to move or attack.
Where to place it: Fight enemy attackers to slow them down.
Watch out: It wins by slowing enemies, so it still needs allies to finish them.
Best known: Orinth Time Shepherd.