Table of Contents
Welcome to The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to The Bazaar – your one-stop resource for mastering this fast-paced, free-to-play gem. Whether you’re learning hero synergies, optimizing daily runs, or defending your Prestige, we’ve packed this guide with battle-tested strategies, hidden mechanics, and rookie mistakes to avoid.
What is the Bazaar & How to Play it?
The Bazaar is a fast-paced deck-building strategy game blending elements of auto-battlers, card games, and economic decision-making. This guide cuts through the noise to deliver actionable advice for new players, covering mechanics, heroes, and strategies to dominate both Normal and Ranked modes.
Open Beta Launch: March 5, 2025
Signup Link: https://playthebazaar.com/signup
Download Link: https://playthebazaar.com/download
Here, at bazaar-builds.net, we focus on showcasing the best Builds, Guides, & News! You can also join our Discord!
Heroes in the Bazaar
» Vanessa (Free Hero)
Vanessa is all about aggression and delivering massive damage.
Her primary strategy centers on having multiple (small) weapons to overwhelm opponents with relentless attacks. For example, Cannonade, many smaller weapons can trigger multiple times, maximizing damage output.
Additionally, there’s a distinct sub-archetype where Vanessa builds around a single, powerful weapon—focusing on bolstering it with upgrades and support items like the Sniper Rifle and Silencer to create an unstoppable force.
- Vanessa Builds
- Primordial Depth Charge Vanessa 10 Win Build #536 Legend – krowz March 18, 2025
- Infernal Greatsword Vanessa 10 Win Build #22 Legend – Kripparrian March 17, 2025
- Crow’s Nest Vanessa 10 Win Build – Doraragion March 17, 2025
- Flagship Vanessa 10 Win Build – MittsEnd March 16, 2025
- Poison Burn Vanessa 10 Win Build #22 Legend – Kripparrian March 15, 2025
» Pygmalien (Unlockable with In-Game Currency)
Pygmalien focuses on bulking up to become an impenetrable barrier, using healing, shielding, and health-boosting items like Lemonade Stand to transform into an immovable object. He also mastered the Bazaar’s economy by leveraging the Business Card and hoarding cheap items early to benefit from the Loupe. His win condition is to transition into high-impact items like the Globe, ensuring daily a steady influx of gold.
- Pygmalien Builds
- Fiery Lemonade Stand Pygmalien 10 Win Build – HoveringBanana March 18, 2025
- Matchbox Pygmalien 10 Win Build – shurkou March 18, 2025
- Yo-Yo Pygmalien 10 Win Build #1017 Legend – Tenchi March 18, 2025
- Burst Pygmalien 10 Win Build – HoveringBanana March 16, 2025
- Burst Pygmalien 10 Win Build #1051 Legend – Tenchi March 16, 2025
» Dooley (Unlockable with In-Game Currency)
Dooley’s strategy centers on triggering massive chain reactions using his unique item, the Core. There are six different cores, each designed to buff items to its right and occasionally activate its own ability, while speeding up when specific items to its left are triggered. Additionally, Dooley leverages Friends—quirky, pun-named robot companions with various effects—with the Companion Core particularly enhancing builds that include many of them.
- Armored Core – Focus on Shield Items
- Companion Core – Focus on Friend Items
- Critical Core – Focus on Crit Items
- Ignition Core – Focus on Burn Items
- The Core – Focus on Core Damage
- Weaponized Core – Focus on Weapon Damage
- Dooley Builds
- Burn Dooley 10 Win Build – SpicyManny March 18, 2025
- Burst Dooley 10 Win Build – MrFruit March 17, 2025
- Control Dooley 10 Win Build #29 Legend – Retromation March 17, 2025
- Burst Burn Dooley 10 Win Build #349 Legend – Trynet March 17, 2025
- No Items Bought 10 Win Dooley Build – Game Plan March 17, 2025
» Mak, Stelle & Jules (Locked)
Those are 3 heroes not yet able to play. Mak is expected to launch with the 1.0 Version
Day Structure & Key Mechanics in the Bazaar
Prestige: Starts at 20. Losing PvP reduces Prestige by the day number (e.g., losing on Day 3 costs 3 Prestige). At 0 Prestige, you get one Resurrection Event (choose a powerful boost) before the run ends.Daily Flow:
Hours 1–5: Visit vendors, tackle events, or fight monsters.
Hour 6: PvP battle. Winning progresses your run; losing reduces Prestige by the day number (e.g., losing on Day 3 costs 3 Prestige).
Monster Fights: Avoid losing—defeat grants gold, XP, and items. Prioritize easier early monsters to avoid falling behind.
Leveling Up:
Earn XP from fights. Leveling unlocks skill choices (e.g., crit boosts, shop rerolls). Early levels focus on survivability.
Items & Skills in the Bazaar
Tiers: Bronze (Day 1), Silver (Day 2), Gold (Day 5), Diamond (Day 8). Higher tiers unlock stronger effects.
Item Types:
Weapons: Deal direct damage (e.g., Brass Knuckles).
Burn/Poison: Burn deals ramping damage (halved by shields); poison bypasses shields.
Shield/Heal: Shield acts as extra health; heal restores HP and reduces poison/burn stacks.
Skills: Passive upgrades (e.g., “leftmost item gains crit”). Stack skills infinitely for synergies.
Item Sizes: Small (1 slot), Medium (2 slots), Large (3 slots). Manage board space to optimize DPS.
Understanding Normal Mode vs. Ranked Mode
» Normal - Free Play
In The Bazaar, your ultimate objective is to achieve 10 wins!
This milestone is crucial for progressing in the game, as it unlocks exciting opportunities. If you’re playing in Normal Mode, successfully reaching 10 wins will reward you with a coveted Ranked Mode ticket.
This ticket allows you to enter the competitive Ranked Mode, where you can showcase your skills.
» Ranked - Win Prizes
Playing in Ranked Mode requires either 100 Gems or one Ranked Mode ticket, which you can obtain by achieving 10 wins in Normal Mode.
In Ranked Mode, you will still aim for 10 wins, but there are also thresholds for partial rewards:
- 4 wins = 1 chests
- 7 wins = 2 chests
- 10 wins = 3 chests
These chests provide valuable loot such as hero skins, card backs, rugs, and more.
Other than that, the modes are identical; tho we assume your games will be more challenging in Ranked as other players tend to play harder.
How ranking works in the Bazaar
Here’s a breakdown of how it works:
- Less than 4 Wins: You’ll receive -1 rank point.
- 4-6 Wins: You break even with 0 rank points.
- 7-9 Wins: You gain 1 rank point, increasing in rank.
- 10 Wins: You earn 2 rank points, maximizing your advancement.
Keywords in the Bazaar
- Crit Chance
- Looking to maximize your damage? Crit Chance determines the possibility that an item with a cooldown will land a critical hit, doubling its effects, whether it’s damage, healing, shielding, or even status effects like burn and poison.
- Charge
- If you need to use an item quickly, the Charge mechanic comes in handy! It allows you to instantly advance an item’s cooldown, making it available for use right away.
- Freeze
- Beware of Freeze! When an item is frozen, it won’t charge or activate, so keep your strategy in mind to avoid getting your items stuck.
- Lifesteal
- Lifesteal allows you to regain health based on the damage you deal. Remember, this doesn’t count as healing, so it’s a powerful way to stay alive in battle.
- Multicast
- Want to make a big impact? The Multicast feature lets you use an item multiple times at once, amplifying its effects dramatically.
- Upgrade
- Upgrading your items is key to enhancing their capabilities. By increasing an item’s tier, you improve its effectiveness and overall value, making it even more powerful in your arsenal.
- Ammo
- Ammo is essential for item functionality. When an item runs out of ammo, it stops charging, but don’t worry—you’ll get a refill after each fight!
- Haste
- Items with Haste are your go-to for speed. They charge at twice the normal rate, allowing for quicker use in critical moments.
- Slow
- Items that are affected by Slow will charge at half the speed, potentially putting you at a disadvantage. Keep this in mind when planning your tactics.
- Burn
- Burn is a persistent hazard, dealing damage to players twice every second. However, every time it deals damage, that damage decreases by one, so keep an eye on it.
- Shield
- Shields are your first line of defense! They block incoming damage and are particularly useful as they also reduce burn damage by 50%—just remember that poison ignores them.
- Heals
- Heals are vital for recovery! This mechanic restores your health up to its maximum and can cleanse one poison and burn effect, giving you a fresh start.
- Poison
- Poison is another persistent threat, dealing damage to players every second. It’s sneaky, so be sure to manage it effectively!
- Regeneration
- Regeneration adds a steady boost to your health, restoring a set amount each second. It’s a great way to maintain your health over time.
Cheatsheet for Leveling Up in The Bazaar
In the graphic below, you’ll find a visual guide summarizing the most effective methods for gaining experience, optimizing your gameplay, and mastering the art of leveling in The Bazaar. Whether you’re a new player or looking to refine your skills, this cheatsheet will equip you with the knowledge you need to thrive in the competitive landscape of The Bazaar. Let’s dive in! [Source: Ornerok on Reddit]
How does Matchmaking in the Bazaar work?
In The Bazaar, matchmaking works through a ghost system. Each time you queue, you fight a randomly selected ghost from another player who played on the same day as you. Win or lose, your ghost then replaces the one you just fought.
Ghosts are stored globally, meaning you can battle opponents from anywhere. However, there are separate ghost pools for ranked and normal matches.
Matching players with similar daily win records could be abused if players intentionally lose to secure easier matches later, undermining the incentive to play for tempo.
How do Ghosts work in the Bazaar?
Ghosts in Ranked vs. Normal Matches
First things first: ghosts from ranked games only appear in ranked matches, and ghosts from normal games only show up in normal matches. This separation ensures that the competitive balance and integrity of each game mode are maintained.
Your Ghost Replaces the One You Play Against
Here’s an interesting thing: when you play against a ghost—whether you win or lose—your own ghost takes their place. That means no one else will ever play against the same ghost you just faced.
Prize Pass & Subscriptions in the Bazaar
» Prize Pass
- Paid track costs $10
- Earn XP towards levels on the Prize Pass via Challenges and Play in both normal and ranked play
- Ranked Tickets available on all Free levels
- New “Mysteries of the Deep” Card Expansion now available for Vanessa in the Prize Pass
- New “Frozen Assets” Card Expansion now available for Pygmalien in the Prize Pass
- Note that unearned Expansions become available for Gems after the current Season
» Subscriptions
- Subscription costs $10
- Bonus XP towards the Prize Pass
- Bonus Chests
- Monthly exclusive cosmetics
How likely is it to get 10 Wins in the Bazaar?
The results from the simulation paint a clearer picture of win distributions.
Only 10% of runs achieved gold, while a huge 66% of matches ended at bronze or below. Additionally, around 60% of the runs that made it to 10 wins did so with merely 1 prestige point remaining, illustrating just how critical decision-making and board strength are in achieving significant wins. These findings suggest that identifying solid gameplay strategies dramatically enhances your chances of success.
| Wins | % of Runs | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0.68% | unfortunate run |
| 1 | 3.51% | |
| 2 | 7.36% | |
| 3 | 11.98% | 23.53% |
| 4 | 14.63% | bronze run |
| 5 | 14.73% | |
| 6 | 13.14% | 42.51% |
| 7 | 10.58% | silver run |
| 8 | 7.89% | |
| 9 | 5.56% | 24.03% |
| 10 | 9.93% | gold run, 9.93% |
There can be only one enchantment per item
In the Bazaar, Enchantments are indeed quite rare, but it’s a unique situation where you could, in theory, get 2 Enchantments for one item.
The only problem: The Bazaar doesn’t let you do this. The new enchantment replaces the old one.
While this is a situation that should hopefully only happen once, it’s really annoying when this happens. It can significantly affect your gameplay and strategy.
Draw equals win in the Bazaar
While in theory it seems unlikely, but there are multiple ways to draw (and therefore get a win in the Bazaar
- Both players get 0 Health simultaneously
- Both players survive the storm by healing or shielding
Right clicking on a Item in the Bazaar
If you right-click on an enemy’s item during a fight, the game will pause and display a larger image of that item. This feature allows you to closely examine the item’s details, effects, and attributes. Note that the pause may have a slight delay.
Click the Spacebar in the Bazaar
With Heroes like Pygmalien, I open and close my inventory every few seconds in the Bazaar, but there is a little trick to do that more effectively!
Instead of manually navigating through menus, using the spacebar provides an instant peek into your arsenal, saving you time and allowing you to focus more on the gameplay.
