Initiative Is a Cost You Choose
In Gloomhaven, a player’s turn order is set by an initiative number printed on one of the two ability cards they choose for the round. Lower numbers act earlier. That means choosing a card is not just choosing what your character can do: it also helps determine when the character gets to do it.
A powerful attack may be tempting, but if its initiative number means acting late, enemies could move or strike first. Choosing a quicker card can let a character get into position, hit before an enemy acts, or avoid being caught in the wrong place—even if that means giving up a more forceful option that round. The best choice depends on what the board is about to demand, not simply which ability looks strongest.
A Plan Made Before the Turn Begins
Players select their cards before the round’s order is known. Once the initiative numbers are revealed, everyone can see who acts first, but it is too late to swap in a different plan. A player who expected to go early might instead have to watch an enemy move first; a late turn, meanwhile, can sometimes be useful if it lets the character act after enemies have advanced.
That makes timing a tactical resource rather than a fixed character trait. Each round asks players to weigh what they want to accomplish against when they need to accomplish it. A strong ability is not automatically the right play if its timing leaves the team exposed, and a weaker move can be valuable when acting first changes the situation.
