Overview
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name (EN) | Hiker |
| Name (JP) | ハイカー |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Cost | $5 |
| Effect | Played cards permanently gain +5 Chips when scored |
| Unlock | Available from the start (no unlock required) |
| Trigger Type | On score |
| Overall Tier | S |
Rating & Analysis
Hiker permanently grants +5 Chips to each scored card. With 5 cards scoring per hand, you accumulate +25 chips per round. Over a long run, individual cards reach +50, +100, +200 chips — the entire deck's chip baseline rises exponentially, anchoring late-Ante damage.
The dream pairings are retrigger Jokers — Sock and Buskin (face-card retrigger), Mime (held-in-hand retrigger), and Hanging Chad (3× first scored card). Each retrigger reapplies +5 chips, so one retrigger → +10 chips per card. Add Red Seal (self-retrigger) and you reach +15 chips per card per hand. DNA duplicates Hiker-enhanced cards into the deck for compound stacking.
Special decks (Erratic, Checkered) skewed toward specific cards let Hiker concentrate +chips on a small subset. Tier lists rate Hiker S. The $5 cost is a steal; buy on sight.
Good Joker Synergies
| Joker | Why |
|---|---|
| Sock and Buskin | Face cards retrigger — Hiker +5 fires twice per face. |
| Mime | Held-card retrigger — combines with sealed cards for big chip stacks. |
| DNA | Permanent card duplication — Hiker-enhanced copies multiply. |
| Hanging Chad | First scored card fires 3× — +15 chips per hand. |
| Blueprint / Brainstorm | Copy Hiker — +10 chips per scored card. |
| Plasma Deck | Balanced Chips/Mult formula amplifies +chips exponentially. |
Recommended Builds
| Build | Core Loop | Target Consumables |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent +chips stack | Solo Hiker for long-term chip accumulation | Enhancement Tarots |
| Retrigger combo | Sock and Buskin / Mime / Hanging Chad multiply +chips | Enhancement Tarots |
| DNA + Hiker | Duplicate enhanced cards for compound stacking | DNA-supporting hands |
| Plasma Deck setup | Balanced formula amplifies +chips | Black Hole |
Tips & Usage
- Pick up early — Ante 1–2 is ideal for maximum cumulative growth.
- Each card's +5 chips is permanent for the run — long games compound the value.
- Pair with retriggers (Sock and Buskin / Mime / Hanging Chad) for explosive stacking.
- DNA duplication means Hiker-enhanced cards spawn enhanced copies.
- Blueprint to Hiker's right doubles per-card +chips to +10.
Caveats
- Early Ante chip gains are small; mid-late Ante is the payoff.
- Only scored cards gain +5 — non-scoring played cards don't count.
- Perishable Hiker is risky — front-load the chip stacking before expiry.
- Stone cards score normally and are valid Hiker targets.
- Without xMult support, additive +chips alone caps in mid-Ante.