Gloomhaven: Mercenary Pack – Hail, Cranky Enchanter
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A knock at the door, she looks up from her grimoire, sighs. She doesn't want you. But when she accepts, you understand why all the other mercenaries seem like amateurs.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT
An antisocial mage with immense power
Hail, Irritable Enchanter is the new playable mercenary for Gloomhaven, designed by Isaac Childres. A character born for solo campaigns, with a personality that perfectly reflects her role: grumpy, incredibly powerful, and absolutely uninterested in socializing. Every one of her cards exudes annoyance and raw magic.
At the table, you manage Hail's growing irritation as a resource: the more annoyed she gets, the more devastating her arcane abilities become. Build your deck, transform frustration into destructive spells, and discover why this enchanter lives in isolation: no one could endure so much concentrated power in one person. It's a class that rewards timing, mental resource management, and the ability to tolerate a terrible attitude.
What they say abroad
Hail represents everything we love about Gloomhaven mercenaries: unique mechanics, strong personality, narrative power.
— FroGames
A class designed to shine in solo play, without compromise.
— FroGames
Gloomhaven: Mercenary Pack – Hail, Irritable Enchanter
Hail is specifically designed for solo play. It's not an adaptation: it's her natural habitat. The entire design revolves around the experience of total control and deep personal resource management, without the need to balance group dynamics. The experience is complete and intentional.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsYour arcane arsenal
What you'll find in the mercenary pack
Unique ability deck
Cards that transform irritation into devastating magic. Each ability scales with your growing annoyance: the more irked you are, the harder you hit.
Hail miniature
The mercenary figure, ready for the board. Recognizable design, poses that accurately convey her character: arms crossed, icy gaze.
Character sheet
Tracks health, experience, and especially irritation level. The beating heart of the mechanic: manage this resource or end up exhausted.
Tokens and markers
Markers for persistent spells, special conditions, and power levels. Everything needed to manage Hail's complex arcane effects.
After a few scenarios, you'll have learned that the worst attitude often hides the deadliest character. Hail never disappoints. She only gets annoyed.
A five-part campaign
What happens when you play Hail
Not the rules. The experience.
Reluctant Recruitment
You unlock Hail after completing a certain scenario. She doesn't seem happy. Her starting deck is deliberately frustrating: powerful but expensive abilities, mechanics that punish you if you play impulsively. You immediately understand that this is not a class for beginners.
The First Arcane Explosion
You accumulate irritation for three turns, carefully managing health and positioning. Then you play the combo: three cards in sequence, chained effects, the board is cleared. Hail's power is not constant; it's explosive. And you understand that this is her way of playing.
Managing the Limit
Mid-campaign, tougher scenarios. You have to balance: too much irritation and Hail loses effectiveness, too little and you lack power. Every card becomes an existential choice. You learn to read the scenario three turns ahead, to plan like a chess player.
The Legendary Level
You unlock a high-level card. It's absurd. You read the effect twice because it can't be true. It is. You play it in the next scenario and it literally changes the rules of combat. Hail doesn't follow conventions; she rewrites them when she needs to.
The Nightmare Finale
Final boss. You've built the perfect deck, you know every interaction, every timing. Hail enters, sets up her spells, and dismantles the enemy with surgical precision. In the end, she returns to her cottage. You close the box knowing you've played one of the most complex and rewarding classes in the system.
How to play
The flow of each turn with Hail
Hail follows Gloomhaven's standard rules, but with an additional resource to manage: irritation.
Like any Gloomhaven mercenary: one card for the top action, one for the bottom. But with Hail, you also have to consider how much it costs you in terms of irritation.
Some actions increase your level of annoyance. The more irritated you are, the stronger certain spells become. But exceeding the critical threshold penalizes you. It's a constant balance.
Movement, attack, persistent spells. Hail excels at field control and concentrated arcane damage bursts. Each turn builds towards the next big moment.
End of turn: retrieve cards, evaluate your hand, decide whether to accumulate more irritation or unleash it in a devastating explosion. Hail thrives on setup and payoff.
Why she's different from the others
Six mechanics that make the difference
Irritation as a resource
It's not flavor: it's the character's engine. You accumulate irritation with certain actions, and turn it into massive arcane enhancements. But exceeding the limit weakens you. It's a resource that requires mastery.
Explosive burst damage
Hail is not a constant class. She's a ticking time bomb. You prepare for three turns, then clear half a room in a single round. Timing is everything: misanticipate and you waste potential.
Steep learning curve
She's not a mercenary for Gloomhaven beginners. She requires deep knowledge of mechanics, scenario reading, multi-turn planning. But when you master her, she's among the most rewarding classes.
Tactical control
Persistent spells, carefully designed areas of effect, critical positioning. Hail transforms the board into an arcane chessboard where every square counts.
Narrative scaling
The further you advance in the campaign, the more absurd cards you unlock. Hail grows in power more noticeably than other mercenaries: the gap between level 1 and level 9 is abyssal.
Strong personality
Every card, every illustration, every ability name exudes her character. You're not just playing a class: you're role-playing a character with a precise and consistent identity.
How it ends
How you win and how you lose
Hail follows Gloomhaven scenario objectives, but her playstyle requires specific approaches.
Victory
- Complete the scenario objective before your hand runs out
- Manage irritation and health long enough to land decisive combos
- Use field control to neutralize the most dangerous enemies before they reach you
Defeat
- Health drops to zero from unmitigated damage
- Accumulate too much irritation and lose effectiveness at critical moments
- Mistime combos and find yourself without resources against the boss
Hail doesn't forgive mistakes. But when you learn to master irritation as a weapon, she becomes one of the deepest tactical experiences in all of Gloomhaven.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Gloomhaven: Mercenary Pack – Hail, Irritable Enchanter
Do I need the Gloomhaven base game to use Hail?
Yes, it's mandatory. Hail is a mercenary pack: it only contains the character and her cards. You need the base Gloomhaven (or Frosthaven, where compatible) to play scenarios, use enemies, and access the full campaign system.
Can I use Hail in a multiplayer campaign?
Technically yes, but it's designed for solo play. Many of her mechanics shine when you have total control of the pace and no need for coordination. In multiplayer, it works, but loses some of its identity.
How difficult is she compared to other mercenaries?
Very. Hail requires prior experience with Gloomhaven: you need a good understanding of the card system, timing, and resource management. She's not for those playing their first campaign. But if you've already completed a class, Hail offers a superior technical challenge.
What do I unlock by completing the campaign with Hail?
You follow the normal Gloomhaven progression: gain experience, unlock higher-level cards, get items, and discover new scenarios. Hail also has specific narrative interactions tied to her character, enriching the story of your campaign.
Is it available in English?
This edition is in English. The mercenary pack contains cards with text (abilities, effects), so knowledge of English is necessary. If you already play Gloomhaven in English, you'll have no problems: the language is consistent with the base game.
Gloomhaven: Mercenary Pack – Hail, Irritable Enchanter is the expansion that introduces a new playable class for solo campaigns. Designed by Isaac Childres and published by Cephalofair Games, Hail transforms irritation into arcane power through an advanced resource management system. For 1 player, ages 14+, duration 30-120 minutes per scenario. Includes miniature, unique ability deck, character board, and tokens. Requires Gloomhaven base or Frosthaven. Available on FroGames.it.
Gloomhaven: Mercenary Pack – Hail, Cranky Enchanter
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