Think Gaming Blog: posts tagged Beginner's Guide

How to Beat Every Elite in Slay the Spire: The Board Game

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:17:30 +0100

In this video, I go over how to approach and beat Elite encounters in Slay the Spire: The Board Game. Elites can be some of the most dangerous enemies in a run, but also some of the most rewarding, so knowing when to take them on and how to prepare is key. I talk through general strategy, common mistakes, and what to prioritise in your deck. Hopefully this helps you approach Elites more confidently and get more consistent results in your runs.

Augmentations Guide: Difficulty Modifiers Explained • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:04:45 +0100

In this video, I go over Arvan’s Adventurous Achievements, the official list of difficulty modifiers released by Chip Theory Games for The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era. I break down each augmentation, explain how it works, share some reasoning behind the design where relevant, and give my overall thoughts on how these modifiers might change the feel and challenge of the game. Whether you’re looking for a tougher experience or just curious how these official variants work, I hope this guide helps.

Complete Beginner’s Guide to Elder Scrolls: BotSE • Gameplay & Strategy • How to Play Solo on Expert

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 22:03:07 +0100

In this video, I share a complete beginner’s guide to The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, focused on helping new players understand how to build strong characters, plan ahead, and make good decisions during the early days of a campaign.

I talk through character creation, the foundations of a solid build, how to plan your stats and skill lines, useful synergies, which starting characters I generally recommend, and examples of pure Stamina and pure Magicka builds. I also cover town action priorities, how to get stronger efficiently, how to approach your first day’s town encounter, where to go on the overland map and why, and what matters most when choosing your direction. From there, I walk through a Day 2 conflict encounter with real examples for each starting character and skill line, look at how to delve safely and effectively, and explain practical ways to deal with enemy skills and avoid common mistakes.

I hope that this guide gives new solo players a strong foundation and makes your first Expert campaigns feel far more manageable, and just helps you have more fun with your game or gaming group!

BotSE Helper: The Best Companion App for The Elder Scrolls

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:22:39 +0100

In this video, I take a look at Botse Helper – a fan-made companion app for The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era that ended up being far more feature-rich than I expected. It includes a full knowledge base, a campaign tracker, build tools, a province atlas with built-in voiceover, a setup randomiser, enemy movement helper, card database, and a bunch of other genuinely useful tools for both new and experienced players. I just wanted to give it a proper shout-out, walk through what it offers, and hopefully help more people discover a resource that makes learning and playing the game so much easier.

How long does it take to set up The Elder Scrolls: BotSE?

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 20:00:00 +0100

One of my subscribers recently asked how long it actually takes to set up The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era. I’ve always said around 10–15 minutes… but I’ve never properly tested it. So, out of curiosity (and as a little “scientific experiment”), I filmed the entire setup (raw and unedited) from opening the box to being ready to play. No cuts, no time skips, just the real setup experience in real time. Let’s see how long it actually takes!

Every Enemy Skill Explained • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 05 May 2025 21:00:00 +0100

Enemy skills in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era can be deceptively simple on the surface, but a lot of them have tricky timing or edge cases that can easily trip you up. I made this video because I kept seeing the same confusion come up during my own games, especially around things like Bane, Fear, or Stalwart. Some of these skills are much more brutal in solo than in a group, and others just have odd little rules that aren’t obvious until you’ve had to deal with them mid-battle.

In the video, I go through every enemy skill currently in the game, one by one, and explain how they actually work. I give examples where it makes sense, clarify things like when the effect triggers, and share a few of my own impressions from playing against them. This isn’t a strategy guide – it’s more of a reference video for understanding what these effects really do, especially if you’re still learning the game or just want to double-check a specific rule.