Summary
When it comes to progressing through aBalatrorun, nothing kills the fun more than a perfectly evilboss blindto counteract all the previous synergies. Sometimes it’s just poor luck, like a club-based debuff killing a club run, and other times the player is tasked with taking down a mountainous challenge that proves troublesome regardless of their build.
It is very hard to predict how to prepare for certain boss blinds, as if the player invests too much into one hand type or suit, their run can quickly be over in a matter of a few hands, thanks to perfectly unlucky RNG or a particularly taxing blind that is just too much to overcome.When it comes to tough boss blinds inBalatro,few are more frustrating to come up against than these.
10The Water
Worse Than Drowning
Nothing puts a damper on a good run more than being forced into single-hand types for an entire round.BeatingThe Waterblindtakes precise planning and well-thought-out decision-making to find the best scenarios for each hand type and ensure the player still has enough left to finish it off.
The tricky part comes from the existing build and the prior Joker pickups. Maybe the shop offered plenty of straight modifiers or synergies, but now only one can be played, so make it count and make it big.
9The Plant
The Royalty Reduced To Peasantry
Face cards hold incredibly high chip value even without a large number of modifiers. They can be used to win blinds in a single hand if enoughface-oriented tarot cardsand Joker buffs are in play. However, having all those buffs wiped clean byThe Plantblind really stings, and forces players to use hands that may be more than awkward to score high with.
A good strategy for this blind is to play for straight hands with cards like the Crazy Joker, as the insane multiplier more than makes up for the lack of base chips in play and any buffs that may exist on the face cards. Careful planning and a broad deck will help overcome this hurdle, but it can end more than a few runs.
8The Needle
Sharp And Straight To The Point
Thread the eye and go all in. It’s a simple gamble and a careful calculation that will make the difference between either victory or a crushing loss.The Needleblind can be incredibly easy, given the access to discards and all of the Jokers/modifiers that allow players to build up the perfect high-scoring one-shot.
However, if the player has a more ramp-style deck that requires a few hands to get going, missing the mark is almost certain. Big chip additions and high base multipliers are the best choice here, and it is worth having this boss in mind as, if it comes up, it is best to be prepared for the worst.
7Cerulean Bell
The Ringing That Never Stops
A finisher boss, and for good reason, theCerulean Bellblind will sound out long after being defeated. The trouble comes from a lack of control over what hands to play. If a super-buffed ace is pulled into the hand, that four-of-a-kind either becomes a must-play or a complete rethink.
Thankfully, as a finisher blind, it’s hidden behind seven other antes, so by that point, the player should have plenty of tools to take it down. That being said, it is still best to be flexible and smart in case things go south at the end of a long run.
6The Mouth
Choose Wisely Or Face The Consequences
Picking up Planet and Tarot cards to level up specific hand types is not a new strategy, and high-level hands can be agreat way of making it through the early antes. But when a run locks into a specific blind, likeThe Mouth,if the player’s straight isn’t good enough, or they can’t pull off some high-quality pairs, then it all comes crumbling down.
Now it’s not as restrictive as some other boss blinds, but it certainly causes some problems when overloading into one type of hand, especially when it can arrive as early as the second ante and cause all kinds of problems.
5The Flint
Half The Fun, Double The Challenge
It’s tough and hits damn hard.The Flintcan be a slow run-ender that has players pulling out all the stops to get through. The dual downside of both multiplier and chip debuffs hurts a wide range of Jokers and builds, especially as it’s the base stats that are affected.
CertainJokers can be highly effective, like the Triboulet, which mitigates some of the issues this boss causes. Aside from that, make use of all the hands possible and go for Jokers that ramp up throughout the rounds.
4The Fish
Just Keep Swimming
The Fishbrings a whole new meaning to the term “blind.” Not having a clue what cards are going to be played makes this blind almost pure luck. There are some caveats to that statement, of course, as if the player has destroyed certain cards and has astrong enough deck, they may still be able to get through with no trouble.
However, this blind can be a difficult one to take down for more specific deck types, e.g. those with a focus on straights or flushes. A couple of pair buffs and Jokers, and this boss becomes trivial, but in many cases, it’s over before it even begins.
3Verdant Leaf
It Hurts To Say Goodbye But Hurts More To Keep Them Around
By the time players hit ante eight, every individual buff and Joker counts. By that point, their deck will be powerful and built up around specific combos and sets of modifers that have proven powerful enough to take down all the previous bosses.
Yet, defeatingVerdant Leafcomes with a price. The player must sell one of their beloved Jokers if they are to have a chance at taking it down, as there is simply no way of defeating it with a deck of basic cards. The small addition to this is that the player may then pick up a temporary Joker in its place to compensate for some of the lost power.
2The Pillar
Remember What You Did
Play the cards carefully, in the most literal sense. As players can see which bosses are upcoming, it is worth keeping in mind which cards have been played and which powerful ones are best to keep until they faceThe Pillar.
This is a great opportunity tounleash some Spectral cards, giving a much-needed boost over the finish line. While facing this boss in the earlier antes isn’t so hard, later on, when the entire deck is buffed to the nines and every decision and card has value, that’s when the real pain and hair-pulling begins.
1The Eye
One And Done, So No Doubles Here
If The Mouth felt tricky,The Eyecan be outright impossible. Having to switch between hand types with successive plays makes this be one of the most restrictive and challenging bosses in the entire game.
Even if the blind begins with a strong straight, if the player does not discard into a decent follow-up, they may be forced to play some far weaker hands like a single pair or even a high card, just to keep up with the demanded variety.
