Skip to main content

Advanced Strategies

Once you can consistently clear standard runs, the real game begins. Curse levels, the Endless Finale, and targeted meta-progression are what separate casual players from high-level pushers.

Curse Levels​

Each completed run lets you increase the Curse level for subsequent runs. Higher Curse means tougher enemies, faster scaling, and more punishing boss waves. The rewards scale to match: more Shards, better relic drops, and access to rarer unit drafts.

Curse Level 3 is where most players hit their first real wall. Enemy health scaling outpaces your unit upgrades unless you are using both the daytime resource upgrades and the nightly Tavern Promotions.

The Hybrid Upgrade System​

After Patch 15 removed resource-based upgrades and Patch 16 brought them back alongside the Coin-based Tavern system, the game now runs on a dual-progression model:

  • Daytime: Spend ingots, books, and other gathered resources to upgrade specific units at their buildings.
  • Nighttime: Spend Coins at the Tavern to promote units during the nightly ceremony.

Both paths are mandatory. Players who rely on only one system hit a scaling wall around Day 8 to 10. Your units need the combined stat boosts from both paths to handle Curse Level 3+ enemy health pools.

RNG Mitigation: The Wizard and Scientist​

Random drops and draft luck become unacceptable at Curse Level 5 and above. The Wizard and Scientist NPCs let you remove randomness from your runs entirely.

  • Wizard: Sacrifice a relic at the end of a week. It is permanently available for purchase at the Castle in all future runs.
  • Scientist: Sacrifice a unit during a run. It is permanently available for immediate drafting in all future runs.

After 10 to 15 sacrifice cycles, you can start every run with your ideal relic loadout and preferred unit composition, no RNG required.

tip

Prioritize sacrificing your best defensive relic first (like Sky Shield or Frost Arrows). A reliable Day 1 defensive loadout lets you survive longer, which gives you more time to find offensive upgrades organically.

The Endless Finale​

The final day of a standard run converts into an endless horde mode. Waves keep coming with escalating difficulty, testing the absolute ceiling of your build.

Surviving the Endless Finale is the primary way to generate large quantities of Shards. The longer you survive, the more you earn. Reaching specific survival thresholds rewards Super Metal, the rarest crafting material in the game.

Preparing for the Finale​

  • Max out both upgrade paths (daytime resources and nighttime Promotions) before the final day.
  • Pre-load your composition using the Wizard and Scientist loop so you are not relying on what you found during the run.
  • Stack faction traits. A full 6-unit faction bonus (like Nature's 20% movement speed or Barbarian's 30% health) gives your entire army a significant edge during the scaling waves.

Super Metal​

Super Metal is the end-game crafting material. You earn it by:

  • Surviving deep into the Endless Finale.
  • Trading a large volume of ingots or books at a specific world building (once per run).

Super Metal unlocks the highest-tier equipment and permanent upgrades. This is the final resource sink for fully optimized economies.

Key Late-Game Compositions​

The Sustain Tank​

Draft Nature faction units and stack the Thorns + Rejuvenate combo. Pair with a Vampire carrying Pierce relics. The Vampire heals on hit while Thorns returns damage to attackers, creating a frontline that gets harder to kill the more enemies pile up.

The Burst Mage​

Draft Desert faction units for the 10% cooldown reduction. Stack additional CDR relics on the Marksman and Druid. The Marksman handles bosses while the Druid keeps the team alive with frequent healing casts.

The Siege Line​

For ranged boss-heavy maps, build multiple Trebuchets and draft Dwarven faction units for the 30% range bonus. Your siege weapons out-range everything, including the Dragon, while your melee frontline holds the lane.