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Spells and Relics

The spell system and relic loop are the two mechanics that separate players who hit a wall at Curse Level 3 from players who push past it. Both systems reward long-term investment across multiple runs.

The Spell System​

Introduced in Patch 15, the spell system adds 18 distinct spells that dramatically change how you approach both combat and economy.

How Spells Work​

You always start a run with two spells:

  • Combat spell: Determined by your chosen Hero.
  • Economy spell: Determined by your chosen Kingdom.

Spells are cast using the C key by default. From your second run onward, spells are available without needing to build the Church first. The Church still matters because assigning a worker to pray generates Faith, which you need to cast spells repeatedly.

Spell Categories​

Combat spells range from direct damage (fireballs, lightning strikes) to utility (shields, unit buffs). Economy spells cover resource generation, worker speed boosts, and building cost reductions.

tip

Hero Rickard's combat spell was changed to "Battle Cry" in Patch 16. It makes all units attack 20% faster. If you are drafting Rickard, build around a high-volume attack speed composition to get maximum value from it.

Relics​

Relics are equippable items that modify your units' combat behavior. Each unit has a standard combat relic slot plus a dedicated targeting item slot (added in Patch 15).

Key Relic Interactions​

  • Pierce + Thorns on the Vampire: The Vampire already self-heals on hit. Adding Pierce increases damage output, and Thorns returns damage to attackers, creating a self-sustaining tank that gets harder to kill the more enemies attack it.
  • Cooldown Reduction on the Marksman: The Marksman's active ability is its biggest damage source. Stacking CDR relics lets it fire off abilities more frequently, turning it into a boss-killing machine.
  • Cooldown Reduction on the Druid: Same principle. The Druid's healing ability keeps your frontline alive. More casts per fight means more survivability.
info

Identical relics do not stack on the same unit. Spread duplicate relics across your roster instead of stacking them on one carry.

The Wizard and Scientist Loop​

This is the most important meta-progression system in the game, and most players do not discover it until they have already hit a progression wall.

The Wizard​

At the end of an in-game week, you can turn in a specific relic to the Wizard. You lose that relic for the rest of the current run, but it permanently unlocks for instant purchase at the Castle in all future runs.

This means you can pre-build your entire relic loadout before Day 1 on every subsequent run, completely bypassing early-game RNG.

The Scientist​

The Scientist works the same way, but for units. Turn in a high-tier unit during a run, and it permanently unlocks for immediate drafting in all future runs.

Why This Matters​

At Curse Level 5 and above, you cannot afford to rely on random drops and draft luck. The Wizard and Scientist loop lets you walk into every run with a predetermined build. This is the definitive end-game strategy.

  1. Run a normal game. Find a strong relic or unit.
  2. Sacrifice it to the Wizard or Scientist before the week ends.
  3. Every future run starts with that option available for purchase at the Castle.
  4. Repeat until your Day 1 loadout can handle the highest Curse levels.
warning

The sacrifice is permanent for the current run. Do not hand over your best relic on Day 3 if you still need it to survive Nights 4 through 7. Time your sacrifices for the end of a week when you are already in a strong position.