Core mechanism
Embarkation effects fire when a run sets out or enters the relevant combat state. War Horn currently grants a permanent maximum Bullet Attack increase on Embarkation, while Executioner's Axe provides Physical Damage growth. The Fool adds one extra Embarkation trigger, and Reversed Fool repeats them when dismantling an Embarkation relic.
Best Hunter to start with
Current starting point
Jenny
Jenny is the most direct Hunter to test Embarkation plus dismantle because her route already treats unwanted weapon-room drops as an economy. The best Hunter for pure Embarkation damage is Needs Testing.
Evidence boundary
These pages use the current Planner data and patch records. Any strength claim without a public damage test is marked Needs Testing.
Recommended weapons, skills, relics, and Tarot
Weapons
Vintage Musket
Reliable physical family; the standard first pick.
Test this item in Planner
Ember Spark
Fire family; builds Ignition.
Test this item in PlannerSkills
Simple Modification
Feeds the dismantle economy.
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Scrap Recycling
Tacks a component stipend onto every [Waste to Treasure] proc. On its own it is pocket change, but stacked with [Simple Modification] and crafting costs, the recycling loop starts funding both your damage and your economy.
Test this item in PlannerRelics
War Horn
Since patch 1.0.466, Embarkation gives a permanent max Bullet Attack increase. It remains relevant in current patch 1.0.479; verify the in-game tooltip before committing.
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Executioner's Axe
Since patch 1.0.466, normal Physical Damage growth from Embarkation is doubled. It remains relevant in current patch 1.0.479; verify the in-game tooltip before committing.
Test this item in PlannerTarot
The Fool · Upright
Your [Embarkation] effects trigger 1 additional time.
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The Fool · Reversed
Dismantling an [Embarkation] relic triggers all your [Embarkation] effects twice.
Test this item in PlannerHow to start early
Keep a weapon that clears the first rooms before adding a second Embarkation relic. War Horn and Executioner's Axe are current data anchors; the weapon element still decides whether the rest of the loadout can use the gain.
Mid-run conditions
Add The Fool when multiple Embarkation effects are already present. Use Reversed Fool only when dismantling an Embarkation relic has a clear return; patch 1.0.466 caps it at ten triggers per stage.
When the core item does not appear
If War Horn or Executioner's Axe never appears, keep Jenny's bomb and dismantle route with direct weapon, Battle Skill, or survival support. Do not spend the run protecting an Embarkation plan with no trigger.
Boss and room-clear performance
Permanent Bullet Attack or Physical growth has time to matter in a boss fight, and Book of Pilgrimage can connect Ultimate to Embarkation effects. The actual damage curve after trigger caps is Needs Testing.
Embarkation itself is a start-of-run engine, so crowd performance depends on the weapon and bomb coverage you attach to it. Jenny's bomb route gives the clearest current room fallback.
Common mispicks and conflicts
War Horn is no longer the old temporary Fire Rate and Reload Speed burst from before 1.0.466. Reversed Fool is capped, duplicate Embarkation effects can consume slots, and a delayed permanent bonus cannot replace room coverage.
Patches that changed this route
Patch 1.0.466 reworked War Horn, buffed Executioner's Axe, capped Reversed Fool and several other triggers, and changed Book of Pilgrimage. Patch 1.0.479 is the current review point; use the current tooltips rather than old burst descriptions.