Three Marks advanced tips: combos, spells and monster AI
Once you know the basics, Three Marks is about stacking small advantages: one more point of edge, one more step on the result, one more spark or scar at the right time. This page shows the strongest combos, how to handle Slow spells, and exactly how the monsters choose their moves, so you can see them coming.
If you are new, read beginner tips and dice and damage first.
Stack your edge, then your steps
A strike gets better in two separate ways, and they add up:
- Edge (before the roll): accuracy boosts and lower target defenses. From edge +1 you never miss; at +2 you crit on a 5 or 6.
- Steps (after the roll): Exposed and the Quick's trait each move a graze to a hit, or a hit to a crit.
Example with a Quick: on one turn, the Quick plays Mark on a monster. Exposed stays until the monster is struck. On your next turn, the Quick strikes it. It gets +1 step from Exposed, and +1 step from its trait, because Exposed counts as an affliction. A graze becomes a crit. Your Voice can do the same job in one turn: Name Them first, then the Quick strikes.
| Raise your edge | Raise the result |
|---|---|
| Accuracy mark (+1, permanent) | Exposed: Mark, Nick, Flick, Name Them, Three Notes |
| Pair Up, Focused (+1 accuracy for the hero) | Quick's trait vs afflicted or flanked targets |
| Quiet Chord (+1 accuracy for the protected ally) | |
| Shaken on the defense you aim at: Warn Them (Guard), Feint (Reflex), Verse Tap, Headbutt, Mind Tap (Will) |
Exposed is used up by the next strike on the target, even a miss. So make sure your best strike comes right after it.
Shaken from a normal hit ends after the monsters' next turn. So use it in the same turn: let one hero shake the target, then let another hero strike that defense.
Flanking with the Quick
A target is flanked once a non-Quick hero in your front rank has landed a graze or better on it this turn. Then:
- Every Quick strike on it is one step better.
- Between Them (Reflex 4) can be played on it.
- Finish and Killing Line only care about afflictions, not flanking. Put an effect on the target first: Nick or Mark on an earlier turn, or an ally's card earlier in the same turn.
So the Quick should almost always act last in a turn, after your Warden or Scarred.
Scar timing for the Scarred
- Take the Blow gives 2 scars and Body +2. Play it in a turn where you expect to be hit: the Body boost protects you, and the hits give even more scars.
- Crash (3 scars, Body 7) is usually the best spend. On a crit it does 10 damage.
- Last Scar prints 2 per scar, so save it for 4 or 5 scars (8 or 10 printed).
- A strike on the Scarred gives a scar only if it does damage. A graze that armor soaks to 0 gives none.
Slow spells: when to cast them
Last Word (Will 7) and Three Notes (Will 6, also Shaken and Exposed) wait until the Voice's next action. The monsters get a whole turn to break them.
- Prepare them from the back rank, where close fighters cannot reach the Voice.
- A Cover from your Warden makes your back-rank heroes untargetable through the Warden's next action. Play it in the same turn to protect the caster against ranged monsters too.
- Pick a target that will still be reachable next turn. If the target is Out, or hidden by an enemy Cover, when the spell resolves, the spell does nothing. A Down target can still be struck, and a graze or better takes it Out.
- The notes are paid when you play the card. A broken spell loses them.
Breaking enemy spells
Only Voice monsters can prepare Slow spells. On the trail that is the Lantern Moth at The Belfry. When it shows Slow: Last Word:
- A hit or a crit on the moth breaks it. A graze does not.
- Counterverse (2 notes) or Snuff (1 spark) breaks it with no roll at all.
- Bringing the moth Down breaks it too.
Use the round-30 rule
If a battle reaches the end of round 30, the side with more total life on its standing heroes wins, and a tie goes to the monsters. The round counter shows the rounds left from round 25. In a long fight, healing and rescues count: a hero who is Down adds nothing to your total.
How the monsters choose
Each monster picks its move from a fixed list. It takes the first thing on the list that it can do:
| Order | What the monster does | Message you may see |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Resolves its own prepared spell | Completing a prepared spell. |
| 2 | Rescues a Down ally (front-rank allies first) | Rescuing a fallen ally. |
| 3 | Breaks your prepared spell, with Counterverse or Snuff, or with a strike that hits at least half the time | Interrupting a spell. |
| 4 | Strikes a hero it can bring Down (or take Out) at least half the time. Down heroes come first. | Finishing a vulnerable target. |
| 5 | Heals an ally with 3 life or less | Healing a wounded ally. |
| 6 | Steps forward if it cannot strike anyone | Returning to the front. |
| 7 | Plays Wall, Cover or Challenge when an ally is at 3 life or less, or you have a spell waiting, and it helps | Protecting the company. |
| 8 | Plays Quiet Chord, Shared Heat or Mark to help an ally who has not acted yet | Preparing a team attack. |
| 9 | Builds scars or sparks when its best strike card is too expensive | Building power for a stronger card. |
| 10 | Plays a big strike card | Committing a powerful card. |
| 11 | Sets up a hit for a Quick ally who acts next | Creating an opening for Quick. |
| 12 | Makes the strike with the most expected damage | Attacking a reachable target. |
| 13 | Uses a Worn card on an armored target | Wearing down armor. |
| 14 | Plays another help card | Helping the company. |
| 15 | Makes a basic strike, or steps forward, or else waits | Waiting for an opening. |
What this means for you:
- Leave a monster Down and it will be rescued. Rescue is near the top of the list. Take Down monsters Out in the same turn.
- Your Down heroes are in danger. A monster that can take a Down hero Out will usually do it before anything else. Rescue on your next turn, or keep your heroes' life above the danger line.
- A prepared spell draws fire. Expect the monsters to strike your caster. That is also a way to pull strikes away from a hurt hero.
- Low-life monsters get protected and healed. When a monster drops to 3 or less, expect Wall, Cover, Challenge or a heal.
Monsters act in order of their place in the line, front rank first.
See also
- Beginner tips
- The trail: all five battles
- All 60 cards
- Effects and conditions
- For more turn-by-turn planning, try the Two Cards poker guide.
- Play Three Marks on the portal.
