Ascended Brawler

The Ascended Brawler is a cultist, blessed by his Eldritch god. Like his aspiring counterpart, he will use his Rend for the New God ability every turn, applying strong bleed, and will use Stumbling Scratch if pushed to the back. This enemy can be encountered on the first expedition in the Darkest Dungeon.

Strategy
The Ascended Brawler's tactics are identical to those of their standard counterparts - the main difference is in the severity of the bleed they inflict, and their increased base damage (especially against targets who have been marked with the Ascended Witch's Fate's Reveal). Keep in mind that Brawlers are ten times more likely to attack a marked target - kill the witches as quickly as possible, and try to keep the Brawlers stunned.

Trivia
The gold coloring of the Ascended Brawler's claws and mask was used for all Cultist Brawlers when the game was in Early Access, and is still the color used in the sprite model. After the game was fully released Cultist Brawler's equipment became a dull grey, reserving the gold coloring for the Cultists exclusive to the final levels.

The Skill "Rend for the New God" is a reference to Warhammer 40,000's popular tagline of "Blood for the Blood God, skulls for the skull throne," a tribute fanatics say to their patron Khorne, who demands blood and death constantly. He cares little for who wins, as long as it is shed.