Kripp's Aquatic Vanessa Build

Core Synergies

• Catfish is the primary early game win condition with its solid Poison scaling.
• • Fishing Rod is a reliable source of targeted Haste during the first few days.
  • By far one of the strongest Small Enchanted starting items (with a scaling enchant).
• Seaweed provides powerful sustain for any build that can't out-scale or burst you down.
• Beach Ball is the go-to Aquatic Haste enabler, and is more than serviceable until better options are found.
• Pearl is generally the fastest looping Aquatic available, providing a substantial amount of triggers.
• • If you happen to find multiples with Fishing Rod, it's absolutely worth using more!
• IllusoRay may be slow but is worth using early on for the triggers, assuming you can enable its Multicast.
• Life Preserver can win Day 1-3 PvP fights, but does occupy valuable board space, so consider your options carefully.

Tips & Tricks

• Focus on Aquatic quantity to take advantage of early game triggers and defensive items like Sea Shell.
• Clamera, Jellyfish, and Yeti Crab are priority pickups for later use, but are also reasonable slot-ins in the meantime.
• • Powder Horn can be worth holding as well, to eventually become a band-aid support item in the mid game.
• Ambergris is always worth purchasing early on. It's a fantastic source of income for Aquatic builds.
• • Pay attention when shopping, as you'll often be able to make several "free" purchases when factoring in Value gain of Ambergris.
• Fishing Net, Shovel, and Cove are all optional Economy pickups. Fishing Rod is always the top priority.
• Star Chart is almost always worth grabbing to unlock The Docks' XP event.

Common Filler Items

• Barrel
• Chum
• Coral
• Coral Armor
• Narwhal
• Piranha
• Zoarcid

There are three primary win conditions that define most Aquatic builds. While it's possible to include more than one, the most efficient setups should pick whichever one is the best fit for the board.

Core Synergies

• Pufferfish is a powerful Poison engine, best utilized when you have applicable skills or additional Cooldown Reduction.
• Sharkray can be a bit slow, but has the inherent scaling to be able to eventually reach one-shot thresholds.
• Elemental Depth Charge has a few extra hoops to jump through, but is typically the most impactful once it finally goes off.
• • Yeti Crab is a must for its Freeze/Poison combo scaling synergy.
  • Additional Ammo is highly recommended, either via skills or Gunpowder. Powder Horn can help temporarily, but should be replaced ASAP.
• Jellyfish is a single-slot Haste enabler that provides an insane number of triggers for Pufferfish or Sharkray.
• • It's generally best placed adjacent to Pufferfish and Pearl.
• Figurehead provides an excellent amount of Cooldown Reduction across the board, but does require upgrades to remain relevant later on.
• Turtle Shell can be worth considering, particularly alongside an enchanted Pearl (or multiples) to get more value out of the scaling.
• • Generally speaking, you're still better off with a defensive enchant on your win condition, as it's hard to justify the Medium slot.
• Dive Weights can be a great inclusion with additional Ammo, or in a faster/burstier setup. Be cautious if you aim to scale in longer fights.
• Zoarcid is a situational pick, particularly if you have fast Burn triggers to continuously Charge it.
• Water Wheel can salvage the build during the mid game if you haven't got a proper Haste setup, but its Large size makes it inefficient for the late game.

Tips & Tricks

• It's very important to carefully manage your board space. While many Medium Aquatics are appealing, having too many can drastically slow your engine.
• • Prioritize fast and efficient Small items in order to maximize your Charge/Haste/scaling triggers.
• Wanted Poster is a nice source of XP if you have space for it. Astrolabe can substitute for Star Chart in case you didn't find it.

Mid Game Filler Items

• Diving Helmet
• Dock Lines
• Mr. Richardson
• Old Saltclaw
• Torpedo

Tips & Tricks

• Aquatic builds can be fully assembled as early as the mid game. Afterwards, it comes down to fine tuning, either with upgrades or skills/enchantment combos.
• Shipwreck is pretty much an auto-include with any Aquatic setup. It's rare, but is by far the most reliable way to take the build to the next level.
• Strong skills can make a massive difference to your late game potential (ex. Toxic Flame with Elemental Depth Charge).
• Prioritize Shielded/Restorative enchantments on your win condition (or scaling items). This helps drastically when it comes to late game sustain.