Common Rules Mistakes New Players Make in Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven is deep, tactical, and incredibly rewarding—but it also has a lot of rules that are easy to misinterpret or forget, especially for new players. Even groups that read the rulebook carefully often discover they’ve been playing something slightly off for a few scenarios before a “wait… that’s not right” moment happens.

Here’s a spoiler-free rundown of the most common rules mistakes new players make—and what the rules actually say.

1. Confusing Discard vs Lost Cards

Many beginners think that all cards you play are gone until you rest—but that’s not true.

• Cards you play go to your discard pile (and can be recovered on a long or short rest).
• Cards designated as Lost (marked with the “burn” icon) are gone for the scenario.
• Default actions (Attack 2/Move 2) still count as playing that card.

2. Misusing Damage Prevention

New players often misunderstand how damage avoidance works:

You can lose one card from hand or two cards from your discard to avoid one instance of damage from any source. This includes damage from monsters, traps, etc.

3. Thinking Monsters Always Move & Attack

Monsters act based on what is actually on their ability card:

• If the monster’s card includes Move, it moves.
• If it includes Attack, it attacks.
• If it includes both, it does both (first move then attack, or vice-versa, depending on card text).

4. Not Applying Line of Sight Correctly

Line of sight affects whether an attack can be made, not how monsters pick focus (the target they try to reach and attack).

• Players often assume monsters need line of sight before selecting a focus.
• Actually, focus is determined by the shortest path to any hex where the monster could attack, including line of sight from that hex, not at the monster’s starting position.

5. Forgetting Advantage/Disadvantage Rules

Advantage and disadvantage in Gloomhaven apply to the attack modifier deck, and people often misinterpret how they interact with non-modifier cards like bless/curse cards.

6. Not Using Default Actions When Useful

Each card you select gives you two possible halves:

• You may use one top action and one bottom action
• If either half isn’t helpful, you can replace it with a default action
  • Default top: Attack 2
  • Default bottom: Move 2

7. Miscalculating Scenario Level

Especially when using rulebooks or apps, players sometimes forget how scenario levels are calculated:

• Scenario level is generally the average level of the party / 2, rounded up.
• Difficulty modifiers (Easy/Normal/Hard) can adjust that further.

8. Overlooking How Traps Work

Traps aren’t always just hit-point damage:

• Some traps impose statuses (stun, poison, wound) instead of or in addition to damage.
• Not all traps on the board do damage—some just apply a negative effect.

9. Misunderstanding Loot & Rewards Timing

Many groups forget that:

• Loot tokens aren’t awarded until after scenario completion.
• Treasure gained during a scenario is separate from scenario goals.

Tips to Avoid Mistakes

Here are quick habits to adopt:

• Read a rule twice before you start — subtle wording matters.
• Use a bookmark/callout cheat sheet during your first few games.
• Don’t assume mechanics work like other board games — Gloomhaven has its own logic.

Final Thought

Everybody makes these mistakes—even experienced groups! The key is to notice them, correct them, and then use them to your advantage. With a bit of practice, these rules become second-nature.