Coal Dandy's World Guide

Coal is a decent distractor and support Toon whose 4-star Movement Speed and Stamina give her genuine potential in the distractor role when used correctly. Her stats are identical to Flutter's, but her Active Ability, Scout, takes a different approach: rather than aiding personal survival, it highlights all items on the map for every player for 10 seconds with a 30-second cooldown. This makes Coal strongest in team-oriented play, where the information benefits multiple teammates simultaneously. Her Scout ability is similar to Pebble's Passive Ability, Fetch, though Pebble's highlights nearby items only for himself constantly, while Coal's is temporary but visible to everyone in the run.

Scout has particular synergy with Toons who need specific items. Coal can help Sprout, Blot, Ginger, and Teagan locate Tapes, assist Cosmo and Bassie in finding Health Kits and Bandages, and generally speed up item collection during Events. The optimal timing for Scout is not always at the start of a floor; on dangerous floors or during Blackouts, teammates may not pay attention to the highlights. Using Scout during the middle-to-end of a floor ensures no items or Tapes have been missed, which is especially beneficial for Sprout and Teagan players who may have overlooked pickups. Coal's Scout also highlights Boxes o' Chocolates and Gumballs, which are larger and easier to spot once revealed, making them prime targets for coordinated pickup.

Coal is typically outclassed by other Toons in competitive play. Flutter is generally considered a better distractor, and Pebble contributes more to item-finding since his highlights are persistent and do not require players to memorize locations within a 10-second window. The information overload from Scout often results in players either missing the bark notification or failing to notice relevant items among the clutter. Additionally, because items are revealed to all players, public lobbies can devolve into resource-fighting, making Coal less effective outside coordinated groups. Sprouts, Gingers, and Teagans who already navigate the entire map generally prefer Pebble over Coal, since Pebble does not require memory of item locations after the highlight fades. However, Coal remains valuable for teams that communicate and can act on the 10-second window efficiently.

One notable quirk of Scout is that it highlights Twisted Rodger as a normal capsule, even when he is active. The capsule indicator clips through his lower body, and this is intentional behavior designed to trick players into waking him up. Players should be aware of this when using Scout on floors where Twisted Rodger may appear.

For trinket loadouts focused on distraction, Dog Plush is the core pick, boosting Coal's walk speed to 19.3. Pair it with Speedy Shoes to out-walk fast Twisteds and loop Twisted Pebble at 20.2 walk speed, or with Clown Horn or Ribbon Spool to outrun nearly all Twisteds during Panic Mode at 21.2 walk and 30.3 run speed. The Clown Horn and Ribbon Spool combinations work best when duo-distracting with another player. Vanity Mirror provides the highest sprint ceiling at 35.75 run speed during Panic Mode. Train Whistle nullifies the Slow debuff, making Twisted Vee and Ichor Leaks significantly easier to handle. Scrapbook is a situational pick when most players in your run have 3-star Stealth, allowing Coal to distract without other Toons pulling aggro away from her. Peppermint Icing offers a bit of extra Stamina to sustain longer distraction runs against persistent Twisteds.

For extraction-focused builds, Magnifying Glass compensates for Coal's 2-star Extraction Speed (0.85) and Skill Check (67 skill check size), pairing well with Vee's Remote for faster floor progression, especially when other teammates also carry Vee's Remote. Participation Award speeds up Machine completion by maximizing Skill Check extraction, though it leaves Coal with a near 1-star Window Size (29.8 average, 27.21 with Tech Savvy). Thinking Cap increases Skill Check size for players who struggle with precision. Mime Makeup prevents attracting Twisteds when missing a Skill Check and is particularly helpful for completing Dyle's Floor. Train Whistle also fits extraction builds by preventing Twisted Finn from slowing Coal during Machine work.

For ability-focused support builds, Ghost Snakes In A Can reduces Scout's cooldown to 25 seconds, and stacking Sweet Charm on top brings it down further to approximately 22.6 seconds. This combination allows Coal to provide near-constant item visibility across multiple phases of a floor. Note that item-highlighting trinkets like Memory Locket, Research Map, and Common Event Trinkets are redundant on Coal since Scout already reveals items, so players should avoid wasting a trinket slot on these. Coal's low Extraction Speed means she should generally leave Machine work to dedicated extractors and focus on her strengths: scouting items, distracting Twisteds with her mobility, and supporting the team with timely ability activations.

In terms of team composition, Coal pairs well with dedicated extractors like Tisha and Flyte who benefit from knowing item locations without having to search themselves. She also complements healers like Cosmo and Bassie, whose effectiveness depends on having a steady supply of Health Kits and Bandages that Scout can locate. When running with a Sprout or Teagan, coordinate your Scout timing to match when they are actively searching for Tapes rather than extracting Machines. In public lobbies where communication is limited, Coal's value drops noticeably because teammates may fight over revealed items or fail to act during the highlight window. For this reason, Coal is at her best in private lobbies or with coordinated groups who can capitalize on the information she provides.