by Zwerg
Illustration: Seth Kumpf
About this article
Hero Spotlight is an intended series of strategy articles, which will focus on our brave heroes of Mice & Mystics. Each article will discuss a hero’s strengths, weaknesses and potential party roles. In addition, I share my thoughts on abilities, equipment items and synergies with other heroes.
I focus on game mechanics and do not discuss story elements, particular chapters or character development from a narrative point-of-view. Just for fun (and hopefully discussions) I use a rating system. Our first mouse in the spotlight: Filch, the scamp.
Rating system
All ratings are based on the hero in spotlight, only. One mouse’s garbage is another mouse’s treasure!
Simply cheese-tastic! A hero ability never to forget; a specific character strength; an ability card you will be able to use frequently and to great effect or an item of great value, which supports the strengths of your hero and greatly benefits the mice.
Tasty! A hero commonly useful ability; an ability card, which can be a great addition after selecting primary ability cards; or an item, which can be utilised to good effect.
Mediocre! A situationally useful hero ability, a rarely useable ability card or an item for the backpack.
Rotten! A poor hero ability, an ability card hardly worth six cheese tokens or an item to be traded for cheese immediately.
Hero overview
Illustration: John Ariosa
Attribute values
Moving an average of 5 spaces per turn, Filch is the fastest mouse in the game. Mobility is an invaluable skill in M&M, since game tiles tend to be small and rarely span more than 5 spaces from the heroes’ starting point to minions. Being able to move far commonly allows Filch to assassinate ranged minions, which might be out of reach for slower party members. In addition, his speed aids in utilizing his starting dagger. After all, rats continuously climb the initiative ladder throughout an encounter, and Filch’s effectiveness is at the highest when he acts prior to a minion. Having a high speed thus commonly allows a first round attack before any advantage is lost.
Filch has average values for Battle, Defense and Life. Whilst he won’t be smacking large minions in a way the mice warriors can, the little scamp can enter melee combat without having to fear immediate capture. Filch’s low Lore value is largely irrelevant to him, although it prevents the use of scrolls and comes into play during specific chapters.
Abilities
Pilfer is Filch’s way of generating cheese by defeating minions. Since Filch will rarely attack with a large number of dice, he is most efficient when attacking weaker minions. Filch’s cheese-stealing ability really shines when encountering rats. Filch provides a rare option of cheese-wheel control for the heroes, which can be invaluable!
Prehensile Tail is an incredibly flavourful ability with minor benefits regarding game mechanics. Being able to equip three daggers simultaneously allows use of the Knife Strike ability card (see Ability Cards). Moreover, Filch could equip a two-pawed weapon and dagger at the same time, which enhances versatility. Finally, future expansions may further improve Prehensile Tail by offering additional two-pawed weapons useable by Filch.
Starting equipment
Filch’s starting equipment is arguably the weakest of all mice. The dagger’s benefit applies only situationally and is entirely luck-dependent. Equipped with his Dagger, Filch is far less valuable as a combatant when his initiative card is drawn late. Moreover, ambush encounter cards and rats reduce the likelihood of having extended time on top of the initiative track. Filch therefore requires an alternative weapon to increase reliability and consistency in combat.
However, the dagger suits a playing style very fitting to this highly mobile character. If Filch is high on the initiative track, he benefits from racing into melee. Whenever Filch attacks a minion lower on the initiative track, the minion rolls one fewer defense die. Not only does this significantly increase Filch’s chance of defeating a minion, but also reduces the chance of a minion adding cheese to the cheese wheel by 33% (Spiders, Vurst) to 100% (Roaches). A quick strike is particularly useful when facing rats. Being able to steal cheese from the cheese wheel can truly turn a game in favour of our beloved mice.
Ability cards
Dodge
Cost:
Dodge is a great ability to enhance Filch’s mobility! It has some potential to be used offensively to provide two extra spaces of movement to the scamp, which will allow him to cross nearly any distance and still being able to perform another action.
Predominantly, Dodge is a defensive ability, which allows Filch to escape attacking minions. Given the slow movement of minions (1-3 spaces), Dodge can be easily applied to escape the clutches of Vanestra’s forces. The subsequent benefit of avoiding attack rolls (and potential cheese-wheel advancement) is obvious. An important aspect of Dodge is its potential of being used multiple times per round. If no other mice use abilities during minion turns, Filch could play Dodge once per minion initiative card and thus elude rat warriors, roaches and spiders alike.
Similarly, Filch could combine an offensive ability with Dodge. A favourite of mine is a first round strike, in which Filch uses his high mobility and Energy Rush to attack two opponents lower on the initiative track. During the minion’s turn, he uses Dodge to prevent being trapped and isolated from his companions. Note that even an adjacent minion will move in to Filch’s space during its turn, thus fulfilling the requirements to use Dodge.
Finally, Dodge could help other party members. You could move into a space with a wounded mouse and heroically make Filch the target of a minion strike. You could help in providing bonuses for your furry fellows by, for example, moving into Tilda’s space when wounded, in order to provide an additional attack die to the healer.
The potential uses for this card are simply numerous! Dodge is a reasonably priced lifesaver no scamp should go without!
Keen Eye
Increasing the likelihood of a successful search from 50% to over 83% is not to be underestimated. If you consider unsuccessful searches as the most disappointing outcomes or simply love fresh loot more than attacking minions, this card might be for you. You can make a living as party equipper, selling items to your fellow mice for cheese – which, in turn, will allow you to keep using Keen Eye. While it may be flavourful, Keen Eye is held back by the existence of Find. I consider Find superior, since it helps avoiding treacheries and allows cherry-picking of items. Find still provides situational uses, such as in rooms with special searches and is thus worthy of selecting if you have a large stack of cheese to spend.
Energy Rush
Filch’s primary offensive ability! Given the high cost of two cheese tokens, I recommend a situational use of this ability. As a cheese-loving thief, Filch could quickly conduct a cost-benefit analysis: In general, investing two cheese tokens should result in defeating at least one minion (which would generate a cheese for Filch). As such, I rarely use this ability to inflict one wound on a tough minion (Spider or Vurst). Not only could a stronger melee mouse, such as Nez, be more suitable for such an attack, but also the high defensive value of said minions could add cheese to the cheese-wheel and accordingly be beneficial to Vanestra.
This is not a strict guideline, of course. If a tough minion is on its last hit point, go for it! If you need a search action (or a second attempt) to find a hugely important item, go for it! If you need a second scurry action to escape a dangerous current, go for it! Options are numerous, indeed.
I think the best application of Energy Rush is when attacking minions lower on the initiative track (assuming Filch’s starting dagger as equipped weapon). Rat Warriors and Roaches are fantastic targets for the furry scamp, who can quickly decimate Vanestra’s forces, steal some cheese and possibly even turn back the cheese-wheel! Simply a tremendous ability card, which I recommend to select very early!
Find
Hero abilities in M&M tend to improve a character’s versatility, i.e. she/ he won’t necessarily become stronger in a particular area but better suited to handle a variety of tasks. Character improvement in a traditional RPG sense (such as having higher attack strength) is predominantly based on a mouse’s equipment. Consequently, Find can be an amazing asset to any mice party early on. Want that third dagger for Filch? Additional armour for Tilda, Collin or Nez? A better ranged weapon? A particular scroll? Having Find at your disposal effectively allows searching the equivalent of three tiles in one go! And if you still don’t like anything, don’t forget that you can trade for one cheese token. Aside from being able to pick one card out of three to select the best available, Find acts as a wonderful safety blanket against nasty treacheries. Fear the Abduction treachery card? Use Find and fear no more!
On the downside, Find is costly. Two cheese won’t come easy for Filch, who only generates cheese by stealing it from minions. As such, you may have to rely on your group to share their cheese with you. This should not be a problem, since it benefits your party and is highly flavourful, unless you play the game with “Me first, me second and me third!”- players. I highly recommend finding this ability card and selecting it early on.
Glad to avoid THAT card!
First Aid
Filch’s high mobility could turn him into Tilda’s second in charge. M&M will put you in positions that benefit from a secondary healer. However, these situations rarely occur, and I found the cost of 2 cheese tokens hardly worthwhile. While First Aid does not require an action, it denies you to play another ability card on your turn. As such, there are usually better things to do with Filch’s cheese. After all, you could use the same cheese to play Energy Rush, thus addressing the cause of the problem (minions) rather than its effect (wounds), pass the cheese to Tilda for more powerful healing, Find party items, help a fellow mouse to level up and so on.
Knife Strike
Three attacks instead of one? For the cost of two cheese tokens? Is there any ability card in M&M that sounds more exciting? Goodbye rats, hello cheese! Well, it’s not that simple.
Most of the time, Knife Strike is clearly overshadowed by Energy Rush. Knife Strike offers up to two extra attacks, which sounds amazing. However, these actions are limited to attacks with equipped daggers and knives. By comparison, Energy Rush allows an extra action. Period. You can be flexible and use it to move, search or attack with any weapon you like, including twice with the same weapon. There is only one instance, in which Knife Strike is worth its use: whenever you have three knives/ daggers equipped and face minions with less than three defense dice.
In order to benefit from this ability card, you are essentially required to choose a dagger or knife as your item to carry over between chapters (thus having to discard potentially better items) and then rely on finding another dagger or knife. It can happen, but the odds are not in Filch’s favour (4 daggers/ knives in a search deck of 80+ cards).
If you are lucky enough to find a second (and then third) dagger/ knife, however, you can have a lot of fun with Knife Strike. However, do not mistake Filch for Nez. You will be fantastic against rats and roaches, but don’t think your three attacks will defeat a spider or Vurst easily. After all, you will only roll two attack dice (average of one hit) against three shields (average of one shield). At the same time, the minion will roll nine dice in its three defense rolls, which could be bad news for your group’s cheese wheel.
Consequently, I recommend to not be fooled by the admittedly amazing card’s text and upgrade to this ability card when you have spare cheese and no other ability cards to choose from.
Tail Sweep (Heart of Glorm expansion)
I love this ability card! When used against an isolated foe, Tail Sweep essentially forces a melee minion to skip its turn, since it can only stand up. Since the ability card can be used at any time on your turn, Filch can rush to attack a minion, take a quick detour on his way, and knock one minion down before using his dagger on the other. The downsides of Tail Sweep: it takes up your ability card use for this turn and his ineffective against ranged minions.
Filch moves, knocks down one rat, continues his move and attacks another rat! Figures painted by Michael Jordal
Equipment
Accessories
Ring of Cat Strength
One of Filch’s weaknesses as a melee character is the lack of attack bonus of his daggers. Grab the Ring of Cat Strength, and the scamp will attack with three dice, which can make a huge difference against stronger minions and when being low on the initiative track. If you happen to have this ring and three daggers/ knives, forget anything I wrote about Knife Strike earlier and have fun.
Fickle Amulet
Stopping the cheese-wheel from filling is great, but a 50% chance of having another hit inflicted on you is not. Use it wisely, and this amulet can be tremendous.
One-paw items
Dagger
The search deck contains another dagger, which is exactly the same as Filch’s starting weapon. An extra dagger/ knife on Filch never hurts, so pick I’d pick it up and keep it in the scamp’s backpack, if nothing else.
Slicing Dagger
I love items that benefit other mice as well as your own. Whenever you’re attacking a minion higher on the initiative track, this item is superior to your starting Dagger. Otherwise, it is not.
Throwing Daggers
A ranged weapon with two attack dice is rather poor and inferior to bows. However, it counts as a dagger in case you’re looking to use Knife Strike.
Bone Knife (Heart of Glorm)
The Bone Knife shines when combined with other gear: get a Shifting Cloak to increase your chance of blocking all hits or get two other daggers for Knife Strike and the item is fantastic. But even without it, it’s a good defensive weapon, which will dispatch some of Vanestra’s minions over the course of your campaign.
Swinging Whip
Very flavourful and clearly worth to have it in your backpack – even if it’s just to show that young mouse prince a thing or two! I keep it when I find it but usually discard it at the end of a chapter.
Needle Rapier (Promo)
Extra battle dice are hard to come by for Filch, and this item even offers added defense for when you need it most. Magnificent!
Two-paw items
Spear
It requires two paws and has a 43% probability of being discarded after attacking (assuming three ranged attack dice). I’d take the cheese.
Toothpick
A weapon made for Filch’s Prehensile Tail ability! Rolling cheese now feels even better than before! Assuming two defense dice, you have a 32% chance of rolling a cheese, thus dispatching one minion and obtaining two cheese in the process (one for Pilfer, one for rolling cheese). Combine with Shifting Cloak and Bone Knife and watch minions cower in fear.
Long Bow
A regular attack with this bow is just as good as the scamp’s dagger (average one hit), and a great weapon against centipedes and spiders. A great secondary weapon for those instances in which Filch cannot move or would be mad to enter melee! Recommended.
Accurate Bow
It is similar to the Long Bow and comes with a ‘wow’ effect in one in six rolls. Less consistent against large minions.
Head gear
Lucky Skullcap
Wonderful protection against a powerful attack! If this were a solo game, Lucky Skullcap would be a brilliant escape card. It is not, however, and Maginos profits greatly from increasing his Lore value. If the mystic is not in your group, Tilda and Collin could benefit more than Filch would, since it would grant access to scrolls requiring a high Lore value.
Body gear
Shifting Cloak
The scamp’s best defensive option! One additional, permanent defense die is amazing as it is, and the cloak’s effect allows for a rare out of turn movement without requiring an ability card. Once you have this item, you can rush into the fray of rats and roaches. You are likely to block attacks (average one hit from Rat Warriors, Elite Rats and Roaches vs one shield) and can escape easily. Note that you can use the cloak’s property even if you share a space with multiple minions, since you are not ‘moving’ out of the space. You can even combine the item with your Dodge ability card to fool Vanestra’s minions and protect your fellow mice: shift only one space, which makes Filch the closest mouse, and then use dodge to elude pursuing minions. My favourite item for Filch!
Combining item & ability card: Filch moves in to attack a rat (left). After the rat attacks (middle), Filch uses the cloak to shift and eludes the other rat via Dodge (right).
Tattered Threads of Reason (Promo)
This item could justify an entire article. Its value will largely depend on the other mice in your group and ability cards available to Filch. I list my favourites (and my rating for the Tattered Threads of Reason for a specific ability card) below.
Backslash
A far less versatile, but cheaper alternative to Energy Rush.
Battle Squeak
This can greatly increase Filch’s success against larger minions. Too bad it cannot be combined with Energy Rush or Knife Strike!
Feint
Cannot be used in conjunction with Dodge, but if you have two weapons, you might not need to Dodge. I would only use it when having a solid chance to succeed with the attack – which is mainly the case when roaches come to close to Filch. Don’t forget that an unsuccessful use of Feint will increase the chance of filling the cheese-wheel, since minions will defend and then attack on their turn.
Preemptive Shot
An ability card played outside of anyone’s turn! Worth thinking about if you have a bow!
Resolve
A very good ability if you happen to have the Bone Knife or Toothpick.
Single use items
Whiskerfroth Elixir
One condition I never like on a mobile character like Finch is being webbed. The elixir is a way out of that – and much more. Don’t forget that you can pass it on to help out your fellow mice.
Arrow of Truth (Heart of Glorm)
Similar to the Fungus Bits, the arrow encourages you to save it for a large minion or boss. It requires a bow, which generally makes it slightly less useful and denies you a chance of rolling cheese.
Fungus Bits (Heart of Glorm)
Discard before attack, roll die, +1 for each number on die (1-3) battle
This item gives you a fair chance to battle minions with high defensive values.
Lore Rune (Heart of Glorm)
No reason to trade this for cheese unless every mouse in your group has obtained all available ability cards.
Synergies with Filch’s companions
Collin
Give Order can benefit the group by maximizing Filch’s potential as cheese-wheel controller. I recommend listening to the prince – especially when you can attack a rat lower on the initiative track than you are.
Battle Leader seems counterintuitive, since you want Filch to be high on the initiative track. However, on rare occasions (e.g. Filch on top of initiative, Collin second), you could get multiple attacks before the minions get to act.
Maginos
Filch’s battle is usually rather low. Having Meeps distract your targets helps to overcome this.
This rat warrior has zero defence dice.
Tilda
Fortify can help Filch (and his group) tremendously when he has gear equipped, which relies on defending successfully (see Equipment).
Since this post took some time to write (yay for long commutes to work!), I would like to know whether there is sufficient interest for me to keep going and shine the spotlight on other mice. I appreciate any comments and answers in the poll below.
Thanks for reading!
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