Too Many Bones: Lab Rats Strategy Guide for Escapists

Quick answer

To win with the Lab Rats in Too Many Bones, lean into their escapist nature: use their high mobility to avoid prolonged engagements, scavenge for gear early, and coordinate with a durable Gearloc who can hold the line. Prioritize skills that enhance movement and evasion over raw damage, and always keep an escape route open.

The Lab Rats are one of the most agile and evasive Gearlocs in Too Many Bones, but their low health and reliance on hit-and-run tactics make them tricky to master. This guide walks you through a step-by-step strategy to maximize their potential, from setup to final boss.

Whether you're new to the Lab Rats or looking to refine your play, these tips will help you avoid common pitfalls and turn their escapist strengths into a winning formula.

Understand the Lab Rats' Playstyle

The Lab Rats excel at avoiding damage and striking when the odds are in their favor. Their skills often revolve around movement, evasion, and opportunistic attacks. Unlike tanky Gearlocs, they can't afford to stand toe-to-toe with Baddies for long.

Their escapist nature means you should always be thinking about how to disengage and reposition. Use their mobility to control the battlefield, picking off weakened enemies and retreating before taking too much damage.

• Focus on skills that boost movement or grant extra evasion.
• Avoid getting surrounded; always leave an exit path.

Choose the Right Skill Tree Path

When leveling up, prioritize skills that enhance survivability and mobility. Skills like 'Scurry' and 'Escape Artist' are invaluable for staying out of harm's way. Damage-boosting skills are useful, but only if you can consistently land hits without exposing yourself.

Consider branching into skills that debuff enemies or grant extra actions. The Lab Rats thrive on flexibility, so having a mix of offensive and defensive options keeps you unpredictable.

• Invest early in evasion and movement skills.
• Pick up at least one skill that allows you to attack and move in the same turn.

Positioning and Movement Tactics

Positioning is everything for the Lab Rats. Stay on the periphery of combat, using ranged attacks or hit-and-run melee strikes. If you're playing with a team, let your tankier allies draw attention while you flank or pick off stragglers.

Always end your turn in a position where you can escape if things go wrong. Use terrain to block line of sight or funnel enemies into chokepoints where you can control the engagement.

• Never end your turn adjacent to more than one enemy if you can help it.
• Use the environment to your advantage; don't fight in open areas.

Gear and Loot Priorities

The Lab Rats benefit greatly from gear that enhances mobility or provides emergency healing. Look for items like boots that increase movement or trinkets that grant extra evasion. Consumables that heal or grant temporary invulnerability can save you in a pinch.

Don't overlook loot that boosts your attack range or grants extra actions. The ability to strike from a distance or get an extra move can be the difference between life and death.

• Prioritize mobility gear over raw damage.
• Keep a healing item in reserve for emergencies.

Coordinating with Your Team

If you're playing with other Gearlocs, communicate your intentions. Let your tank engage first, then swoop in to finish off weakened foes. The Lab Rats are excellent at cleaning up, but they need someone to absorb the initial hits.

Pair well with Gearlocs who can control the battlefield or provide support. A healer or a crowd-control specialist can cover your weaknesses and amplify your strengths.

• Pair with a durable Gearloc who can hold the front line.
• Coordinate your escapes with your team's positioning.

Step-by-Step Lab Rats Strategy

1. Step 1: Assess the Battlefield: At the start of each encounter, identify escape routes, chokepoints, and where enemies are clustered. Plan your first move to avoid being surrounded. Checkpoint: Can you reach a safe position after your first attack?
2. Step 2: Prioritize Evasion Skills: When leveling up, choose skills like 'Scurry' or 'Escape Artist' before damage skills. These keep you alive and enable hit-and-run tactics. Checkpoint: Do you have at least one reliable way to disengage?
3. Step 3: Use Hit-and-Run Attacks: Attack a weakened enemy, then use remaining movement to retreat out of range. Never stay in melee unless you can finish the target this turn. Checkpoint: Did you end your turn outside enemy reach?
4. Step 4: Scavenge for Mobility Gear: Loot bodies and search for items that boost movement or grant extra actions. Avoid heavy armor that slows you down. Checkpoint: Does your gear support your evasive playstyle?
5. Step 5: Coordinate with Allies: Let your tank engage first, then flank or pick off enemies. If you're solo, use terrain to isolate enemies and fight them one at a time. Checkpoint: Is your team drawing fire away from you?
6. Step 6: Save an Escape Card: Keep a skill or item that allows an emergency escape (like a teleport or extra move) for when things go wrong. Don't burn it early. Checkpoint: Do you have a backup plan if surrounded?
7. Step 7: Focus Fire on Key Targets: Use your mobility to reach enemy leaders or ranged attackers. Eliminating them early reduces incoming damage. Checkpoint: Are you targeting the most dangerous enemies first?

Relevant Too Many Bones Products

• Too Many Bones: The Automaton of Shale Gameplay Pack: This gameplay pack adds a new Gearloc, The Automaton of Shale, to your Too Many Bones collection. It includes a character mat, Gearloc chip, skill dice, and stat dice. If you enjoy the Lab Rats' evasive style, The Automaton of Shale offers a different but equally tactical Gearloc to explore, expanding your options for team composition.
• Too Many Bones: Carcass (The Survivalist): Carcass is an ex-chef Gearloc who scavenges and hunts for supplies. He comes with a character mat, Gearloc chip, skill dice, and stat dice. Carcass can complement the Lab Rats by providing a durable front-line presence and resource generation, allowing the Lab Rats to focus on hit-and-run tactics.

Mastering the Lab Rats requires patience and a willingness to play defensively. By following these steps, you'll turn their escapist strengths into a reliable strategy that keeps you one step ahead of the Baddies.