Hunter decision guide
How to plan a two-actor combat loop for Long Tong
Long Tong fights through two overlapping timelines. Amber keeps the companion attacking and applying a stacking effect, while Destroy Them! creates a limited Fury window that accelerates and strengthens that companion.
Vintage Musket defines the first elemental reference, but later weapon choices also shape companion damage, Transmutation opportunities, and bullet follow-ups. Evaluate the hunter and companion as one event chain without pretending every companion state is always active.
Choose between breath, flame, and Fury
Upgrade branches can increase direct breath damage, make the stacking flame expose enemies, add attacks during Fury, trigger the current weapon's Transmutation, group enemies, or keep flame stacks from expiring. Direct hits, persistent stacks, and burst windows are different damage schedules and should not be valued as one number.
- Breath branches reward frequent companion attacks.
- Flame branches reward maintaining stacks on the same targets.
- Fury branches reward timing the active skill around a meaningful fight.
Let the weapon support both actors
The companion references main- or current-weapon damage in several effects, while later bullet branches reward shooting enemies already affected by flame. A weapon can therefore support the companion through element, Transmutation, bullet cadence, or Battle Skill scaling. Compare which link is reliable in your chosen branch.
Track companion states and defensive trades
Fury duration, flame stacks, random extra breaths, cooldown resets, low-health interception, and shots against affected enemies belong in the conditional ledger. If the companion becomes dormant after protecting the hunter, its offensive contribution changes until reactivated. Modeling that trade prevents a survival branch from being counted as uninterrupted damage.