Overview
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name (EN) | Ride the Bus |
| Name (JP) | ライド・ザ・バス |
| Rarity | Common |
| Cost | $6 |
| Effect | +1 Mult per hand played without scoring a Face card. Resets to +0 when a Face card is scored |
| Unlock | Available from the start (no unlock required) |
| Trigger Type | On score |
| Overall Tier | A (S in Abandoned Deck) |
Rating & Analysis
Ride the Bus is a consecutive-trigger growth Joker — each hand played without a scoring Face card adds +1 Mult permanently, but scoring any Face card (J/Q/K) resets it to 0. +1 per hand looks modest, but a clean Ante 8 run accumulates +30–50 Mult — exceptional for a Common $6 card.
The dream pairing is Abandoned Deck (no face cards in deck): Ride the Bus grows freely without ever risking a reset. In standard decks, the trick is to keep face cards held and play non-face hands (e.g., Flush of low cards while holding Kings). Pairs with Baron and Reserved Parking for the held-face economy.
Blueprint / Brainstorm copying Ride the Bus doubles to +2 per hand. Critical caveat: Pareidolia (all cards count as Face cards) makes every hand reset Ride the Bus — never combine. Tier lists rate Ride the Bus S in Abandoned Deck builds, A elsewhere.
Good Joker Synergies
| Joker | Why |
|---|---|
| Blueprint / Brainstorm | Copy +Mult — double effect. |
| Fortune Teller / Constellation | +Mult / xMult parallel scaling. |
| DNA | Duplicate non-face cards into the deck — stable Ride the Bus triggers. |
| Erosion | +4 Mult per missing card — pairs well with Abandoned Deck. |
| Fibonacci | +Mult on A/2/3/5/8 — number-axis synergy. |
| Pareidolia | Don't combine — all cards count as Face = permanent reset. |
Recommended Builds
| Build | Core Loop | Target Consumables |
|---|---|---|
| Abandoned Deck setup | No face cards = unlimited Ride the Bus growth | Any |
| Face-avoidance | Standard deck, keep faces held | Enhancement Tarots |
| Blueprint stacking | Ride the Bus + Blueprint = +2 per hand | Black Hole / The Soul |
| DNA + number axis | DNA duplicates non-faces into deck | Enhancement Tarots |
Tips & Usage
- Abandoned Deck → grab Ride the Bus immediately, top pickup priority.
- Standard deck → keep J/Q/K in hand, play non-face cards (works with Baron / Reserved Parking).
- Pareidolia → sell on sight to protect Ride the Bus.
- Blueprint to its right doubles +Mult per hand — long-term ceiling rises.
- Combine with xMult Jokers (Canio / Triboulet) for compound +Mult × xMult damage.
Caveats
- Scoring a Face card resets to 0 — one Face hand wipes accumulated growth.
- Pareidolia conflicts catastrophically — sell immediately if drawn.
- Standard deck requires face-avoidance technique — beginner-unfriendly.
- Perishable Ride the Bus is risky — growth stalls on expiry.
- Early Ante +Mult is small; mid-late Ante is the payoff.