Phantasmal Gardener

The Phantasmal Gardener is a spectral elite dwelling in the Underdocks, characterized by its defensive ability that grants Block the first time it takes damage each turn. This mechanic heavily penalizes decks that rely on many small hits, as only the first attack triggers the Block gain and subsequent attacks must chew through that armor before dealing real damage. The Gardener forces players to rethink their approach and prioritize large single hits over chip damage.

In addition to its reactive Block, the Phantasmal Gardener deals consistent damage through ghostly attacks that can apply debuffs. The fight becomes a puzzle of sequencing: you want to lead with your weakest attack to trigger the Block, then follow up with your heaviest hitter to punch through the armor. Alternatively, damage sources that bypass Block entirely, such as poison, circumvent the mechanic completely.

Heavy Strike and Bludgeon are perfect for this fight since one large hit after triggering the Block can deal massive effective damage. The relic Pen Nib doubles every tenth attack's damage, which can obliterate the Gardener's Block in a single swing. A Strength Potion amplifies your big attacks to punch through even large Block values. Deadly Poison and Doom ignore Block entirely, making indirect damage strategies extremely effective against this elite.

The Silent dominates this encounter with poison completely sidestepping the Block mechanic. The Ironclad's heavy single-hit attacks like Bludgeon naturally counter the Gardener's strategy. The Defect should prioritize Dark Orbs over Lightning here, as a single large Dark Orb evoke deals damage in one hit rather than spreading it across multiple small Lightning strikes. The Regent's high-damage Star abilities also pair well against this Block-focused enemy in the Underdocks.