If you’ve come across the Hieroglyph Voucher in Balatro and are unsure what it does, you’re in the right place. It stumped me, and my heart sank when I realized the full extent of what it did. Let’s avoid the same mistake happening to you.
Early games of Balatro are understandably a lot to take in. Jokers, Card Enhancements, Planets, Spectral modifiers, etc. But Balatro’s Hieroglyph Shop Voucher is a perfect example of how a simple misunderstanding can bring a run crumbling down. I took this the first time it appeared, having a vague idea of what it would do, and it didn’t help.
With greater understanding, I now know Hieroglyph’s full value and worth. Let me pass this knowledge on.
What Does Hieroglyph Voucher Do In Balatro?
Buying the Hieroglyph Voucher reduces your Ante by one, but you have one fewer Hand for every subsequent Blind you come up against from this point on.
-1 Ante Explained
When you start a game of Balatro, you are immediately on Ante One of eight. If you beat the Boss Blind—after the Small and Big Blind—you progress to Ante Two, and so on.
Let’s say you’ve beaten the Small Blind on Ante Four. You go to the Shop and purchase Hieroglyph, and your Ante counter now changes to Ante Three. You have gone back a whole Ante!
-1 Hand Explained
The default Hands you start with is usually four. Different Decks can change this, but by and large, you’re going to start with four. A Hand is the amount of times you’re allowed to submit cards in exchange for a score.
So, if you buy Hieroglyph and have four Hands available, this tally goes down to three. You now only have three chances to score points for any Blind you come up against.
Should You Use -1 Ante -1 Hand Hieroglyph Voucher in Balatro?
Hieroglyph should only be procured if you have an extremely effective strategy and you’re obliterating every Blind with a single hand.
The Voucher is designed so that if your setup is OP, you get another Ante to make it even stronger. If you’re already destroying Blinds in one or two goes, losing a Hand won’t affect you.
You can also try Hieroglpyh if you’re struggling and desperately need something to turn your run around. This is very risky, and losing a Hand could sign your death sentence. The Paint Brush (+1 Hand Size) and Palette (+1 Hand Size again) Shop Vouchers are incredible additions to your arsenal if you can get them.
They negate the consequence of losing a Hand and can give you a clean reset. I pick and choose my Hieroglyph usage—mainly for those OP runs—but it’s a great tool to be more powerful and take your run into Endless Mode.
How often do you take Hieroglyph in Balatro? Are there any other scenarios you’d suggest buying the Voucher I haven’t already outlined?
Improve your Balatro sense with even more handy tips and guides: How to unlock the Throwback, Astronomer, and Hit The Road Jokers, as well as how to beat The Plant Boss Blind, and what the Blank Voucher does.
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