Jester (Butcher's Circus)

Combat Skills
(All buffs and debuffs last for 3 rounds unless otherwise specified.)

* Finale is able to kill heroes who are not on Death's Door yet, and without needing to make a Death's Door check, but it must reduce their HP to -1 or lower. Reducing their HP to exactly 0 will not trigger a Deathblow.

Using a Jester
The PvP version of Finale has the ability to bypass Death's Door, meaning that if it puts any enemy unit below 0HP they immediately die, without any regard to their Deathblow resistance. However, if Finale does just enough damage to put them to exactly 0HP, that enemy simply falls to Death's Door like normal. Finale is essentially the reason to run a Jester, so it's best to build around it.

Most Jesters are best placed at position 3 so that they can open with a Battle Ballad which gives a long-lasting ACC buff. Dirk Stab is a basic skill that puts the Jester in position for Finale but also has an oft-overlooked ability to bypass Guards and have a slightly higher Deathblow rate. This lets him contribute to battle significantly as he builds up to a good Finale.

The last skill is dependent on preference. Harvest is great for spreading AoE Bleeds, but Mortal Wound can weaken the enemy's Deathblow resistance to help the Jester or his companions assassinate them. Inspiring Tune can be helpful in defending against single-target Stress attacks. Solo can help set up for a deadly Finale, but since its buffs are not too different from those provided by the rest of the Jesters' skills, it's one of the least-used skills in the repertoire.

Knowing when to use Finale is important if you run a Jester. Use it too early, and you've pointlessly sacrifice most of your Jester's capability for the rest of the battle. Hold it for too long, and you might lose the Jester before you get to unleash it. Ideally, Finale is best used in fragile but problematic targets like the enemy's healers or support units, but if your opponent is expecting you to use Finale they will work to prevent you from doing so by Stunning or moving the Jester or Guarding or healing your intended target. Try to keep at least two possible victims at low health so that the opponent doesn't know which one you intend to go for. The Reaper Shroud will give a sizeable boost to his damage all-around and the raised ACC against low-health units makes Finale a guaranteed hit.

Fighting a Jester
Finale can seriously destroy your momentum if it lands on a vital unit, so do your best to keep the Jester from using it. He has a low Stun and Move resistance - a well-placed Stun can buy you enough time to heal your low-health units, while a knockback effect can keep him out of the front lines and deny use of Finale. The Jester's high DODGE can make him difficult to hit, so pack ACC buffs or Trinkets to ensure that your attacks make their mark. Never pull the enemy Jester forward, as it's an invitation to get one of your heroes killed on the spot.