The Charismatic Song is the best Party Leader in the Here to Slay base game. It adds 1 to every roll you make for a Hero’s effect, and that’s the roll you make most often. The Divine Arrow is second, and The Shadow Claw is last.
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We’ve played Here to Slay a few times, which isn’t enough to rank leaders on feel. So this ranking is built on two things anyone can check: the odds of two dice, and how many of each card type are in the 115-card deck.
| Rank | Party Leader | Class | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Charismatic Song | Bard | Each time you roll to use a Hero card’s effect, +1 to your roll. |
| 2 | The Divine Arrow | Ranger | Each time you roll to ATTACK a Monster card, +1 to your roll. |
| 3 | The Protecting Horn | Guardian | Each time you play a Modifier card on a roll, +1 or -1 to that roll. |
| 4 | The Fist of Reason | Fighter | Each time you roll to CHALLENGE, +2 to your roll. |
| 5 | The Cloaked Sage | Wizard | Each time you play a Magic card, DRAW a card. |
| 6 | The Shadow Claw | Thief | Once per turn on your turn, you may spend an action point to pull a card from another player’s hand. |
The skill text is as printed on the cards, which you can see on the publisher’s product page.
What +1 on Two Dice Is Worth
A +1 is bigger than it sounds. The whole ranking rests on this table.
| You need | Chance with no bonus | Chance with +1 | Chance with +2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 or higher | 72% | 83% | 92% |
| 7 or higher | 58% | 72% | 83% |
| 8 or higher | 42% | 58% | 72% |
| 9 or higher | 28% | 42% | 58% |
| 10 or higher | 17% | 28% | 42% |
On a roll that needs 8 or higher, +1 moves you from failing most of the time to succeeding most of the time. That’s a 16-point jump, from 42% to 58%.
1. The Charismatic Song Helps the Roll You Make Most
The Charismatic Song gives +1 every time you roll for a Hero’s effect. Heroes are 48 of the 115 cards in the deck, about 42%, so they’re what you’ll draw and play more than anything else.
The skill has no limit. It works on every Hero roll, every turn, for the whole game. A Hero that needs an 8 becomes a Hero that needs a 7.
It also helps whichever way you’re trying to win, because you roll for Heroes all game.
2. The Divine Arrow Is the Monster Hunter
The Divine Arrow gives +1 on every Monster attack. Slaying three Monsters is one of the two ways to win, and each attack costs two of your three action points, so a failed attack is the most expensive miss in the game.
Most Monsters in the base game are slain on 8 or higher. With this leader that’s a 58% shot, up from 42%.
The tempting pick: The Divine Arrow, because slaying Monsters is the obvious way to win.
Why it’s second: you make far fewer Monster attacks than Hero rolls. The Song’s bonus applies many more times over a game.
3. The Protecting Horn Makes Every Modifier Stronger
“Is The Protecting Horn any good?” Yes, and it’s the most flexible leader. Each time you play a Modifier card, you add or subtract 1 more.
There are 25 Modifier cards in the deck, about 22% of it, so you’ll hold them often. A +2 becomes a +3. A -4 becomes a -5. And Modifiers can be played on any player’s roll, so the Horn works on your attacks and against everyone else’s.
It ranks third because it needs a card in hand to do anything. The two leaders above work with no cards at all.
4. The Fist of Reason Wins Challenges
The Fist of Reason adds 2 to your roll when you challenge. In a Challenge both players roll two dice and the challenger wins ties.
We ran the numbers. A normal challenger wins about 56% of the time. With +2, it’s about 76%.
Worth knowing: the bonus only matters when you’re holding one of the deck’s 14 Challenge cards. That’s about 12% of the deck, so there will be stretches where this leader does nothing.
5. The Cloaked Sage Needs Magic Cards
The Cloaked Sage draws you a card each time you play a Magic card. Playing a card and drawing a card each cost one action point, so in effect your Magic cards replace themselves.
The problem is supply. Only 13 of the 115 cards are Magic, about 11%. When you draw them, the Sage is good. When you don’t, you have a leader with no skill.
6. The Shadow Claw Costs You an Action
The Shadow Claw lets you spend an action point, once per turn, to pull a card from another player’s hand. It’s the only base leader whose skill costs action points.
Drawing from the deck costs the same one point. The Claw’s edge is that it also takes a card away from an opponent. It ranks last because the other five skills cost nothing to use.
It also can’t be used in two-player games. The rulebook says so directly.
The Expansion Party Leaders
Each class expansion adds two leaders. We haven’t played these packs, so we’re listing the skills without ranking them against the base six.
| Party Leader | Class | Expansion | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Piercing Howl | Warrior | Warriors & Druids | Each time you roll, +1 to your roll for each Item card equipped to a Hero card in your Party. |
| The Noble Shaman | Druid | Warriors & Druids | Once per turn on each player’s turn, you may choose any player’s roll. -1 to that roll. |
| The Raging Manticore | Berserker | Berserkers & Necromancers | Each time you SLAY a Monster card, DRAW 2 cards. |
| The Gnawing Dread | Necromancer | Berserkers & Necromancers | Once per turn on your turn, you may spend 2 action points to search the discard pile for a card and add it to your hand. |
On paper, The Piercing Howl stands out. It applies to every roll you make, and it grows with each Item you equip. Both leaders come in Warriors & Druids, the pack our Here to Slay expansions ranked guide recommends first. The other two are in Berserkers & Necromancers.
How to Choose at the Table
Your Party Leader’s class counts toward a full party and toward class requirements on Monsters. So the pick isn’t only about the skill.
- If you get first pick, take The Charismatic Song.
- If the face-up Monsters need a Ranger, The Divine Arrow covers the requirement and the roll.
- If you’re dealt Modifier cards in your opening five, The Protecting Horn is live from turn one.
- In a two-player game, cross off The Shadow Claw.
For how leaders fit into a turn, see our Here to Slay rules guide. Our Here to Slay review covers the game as a whole.
Choosing between this and the same publisher’s other big card game? See Here to Slay vs Unstable Unicorns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best Party Leader in Here to Slay?
The Charismatic Song, the Bard leader. It adds 1 to every Hero effect roll, which is the most common roll in the game. On a roll needing 8 or higher, that raises your chance from 42% to 58%.
How many Party Leaders are in Here to Slay?
Six in the base game, one for each class: Fighter, Bard, Guardian, Ranger, Thief and Wizard. The two class expansions add four more.
Does the Party Leader count as a Hero?
No. A Party Leader isn’t a Hero card, so it doesn’t count toward a Monster’s “any Hero” requirement. Its class does count toward class requirements and toward a full party.
Can a Party Leader be stolen or destroyed?
No. The rules say Party Leaders can’t be sacrificed, destroyed, stolen or returned to your hand. Items can’t be equipped to them either.
Why can’t you use The Shadow Claw with 2 players?
The rulebook bans it in two-player games and doesn’t give a reason. Its skill pulls a card from another player’s hand, and at two players that would always be the same person.
Can you use a Party Leader’s skill more than once per turn?
Yes, unless the card says “once per turn.” Most leader skills trigger every time their condition is met. The Shadow Claw is the base leader limited to once per turn.
How do you choose Party Leaders?
Each player picks one at setup. The rules suggest rolling to decide who picks first. Whoever picks last takes the first turn.