Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
#darkestdungeon #butcherscircus #PlagueDoctorForLife
Showcase one of teams named by Red Hook. This video shows 5 win matches.
The Usual Suspects is a ,,damage-stress" team, here are roles of characters:
1st: Crusader (damage trinkets) - damage dealer
2nd: Highwayman (damage trinkets) - damage dealer
3rd: Plague doctor (accuracy trinket + stress trinket) - stress dealer
4th: Vestal (accuracy trinket + stun trinket) - healer
PROS:
1) Great damage output
2) Great stress output
3) Great healing potential
4) 2 stunners
5) 2 disruptors
CONS:
1) Marks are a menace
2) Stuns are a menace
3) Stress is a menace
The Usual Suspects is a damage team, that combines also stress and little bit of DoT. You have 3 healers, 2 stunners and 2 disruptors. Sadly this team is vulnerable against mark and stress teams.
I tried to play a few strategies, like „the finishers“, „full stress“, „support Crusader“ and „mix damage + stress“. I tried both variantions of Highwayman (bandit / gunslinger), the bandit version is better choice. And Plague doctor (stress / DoT), the DoT variantion is optimal for playing.
My advice: Start with Highwayman for opening the riposte. Next use one of your stunners (Crusader / Vestal), lastly Plague doctor for applying DoT / stress.
When you start the Darkest Dungeon campaign (after the „Old road“ section with Reynauld and Dismas), you will recieve 2 other characters - Plague doctor and Vestal. Before proceeding to the 1st Ruin dungeon, you can only create a team with Crusader, Highwayman, Plague doctor and Vestal, and most players take only 2 legendary variantions = „The Usual Suspects“ [VES-PD-HIGH-CRS] or „Red Hook” [PD-VES-HIGH-CRS]. Both are the great starting teams, that you can create. But how these two can stand in Butcher’s Circus?
If you understand these characters and give them good setup (trinkets + skills), you can beat even harder opponents. It’s not an easy task to survive with all characters, but it’s possible. Mark teams are a big menace, nice that you have 3 healers, but nobody can clear marks or stuns. The team’s great advantage is in stunners and Highwayman - thanks to his riposting the opponent will have trouble to attack you directly, while you can make disruption on his side. This time I got two darkest players, one defeated me sadly. And lots of novice players.
My conclusion - if you make a good setup and play the obvious strategies (mix damage + stress/DoT), you have great chance to win the match. My rating will be same as for a similiar team [Red Hook], because of advantages, possibilites and players.
Rating: 3/5
Music: The Dark Side of the Moon - Legends never die
I don't claim any rights to the song. All rights belongs to the international (swiss-german-danish-swedish) symphonic metal band The Dark Side of the Moon!
#darkestdungeon #butcherscircus #PlagueDoctorForLife
Showcase one of teams named by Red Hook. This video shows 5 win matches.
The Usual Suspects is a ,,damage-stress" team, here are roles of characters:
1st: Crusader (damage trinkets) - damage dealer
2nd: Highwayman (damage trinkets) - damage dealer
3rd: Plague doctor (accuracy trinket + stress trinket) - stress dealer
4th: Vestal (accuracy trinket + stun trinket) - healer
PROS:
1) Great damage output
2) Great stress output
3) Great healing potential
4) 2 stunners
5) 2 disruptors
CONS:
1) Marks are a menace
2) Stuns are a menace
3) Stress is a menace
The Usual Suspects is a damage team, that combines also stress and little bit of DoT. You have 3 healers, 2 stunners and 2 disruptors. Sadly this team is vulnerable against mark and stress teams.
I tried to play a few strategies, like „the finishers“, „full stress“, „support Crusader“ and „mix damage + stress“. I tried both variantions of Highwayman (bandit / gunslinger), the bandit version is better choice. And Plague doctor (stress / DoT), the DoT variantion is optimal for playing.
My advice: Start with Highwayman for opening the riposte. Next use one of your stunners (Crusader / Vestal), lastly Plague doctor for applying DoT / stress.
When you start the Darkest Dungeon campaign (after the „Old road“ section with Reynauld and Dismas), you will recieve 2 other characters - Plague doctor and Vestal. Before proceeding to the 1st Ruin dungeon, you can only create a team with Crusader, Highwayman, Plague doctor and Vestal, and most players take only 2 legendary variantions = „The Usual Suspects“ [VES-PD-HIGH-CRS] or „Red Hook” [PD-VES-HIGH-CRS]. Both are the great starting teams, that you can create. But how these two can stand in Butcher’s Circus?
If you understand these characters and give them good setup (trinkets + skills), you can beat even harder opponents. It’s not an easy task to survive with all characters, but it’s possible. Mark teams are a big menace, nice that you have 3 healers, but nobody can clear marks or stuns. The team’s great advantage is in stunners and Highwayman - thanks to his riposting the opponent will have trouble to attack you directly, while you can make disruption on his side. This time I got two darkest players, one defeated me sadly. And lots of novice players.
My conclusion - if you make a good setup and play the obvious strategies (mix damage + stress/DoT), you have great chance to win the match. My rating will be same as for a similiar team [Red Hook], because of advantages, possibilites and players.
Rating: 3/5
Music: The Dark Side of the Moon - Legends never die
I don't claim any rights to the song. All rights belongs to the international (swiss-german-danish-swedish) symphonic metal band The Dark Side of the Moon!
