FAQ/Walkthrough - Guide for Orcs Must Die! 2
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__________________________________________ / ORCS MUST DIE! 2 - FAQ/Walkthrough v1.00 \ \__________________________________________/ Author: Matthew Halverson, aka Edalborez or Seravi Edalborez Steam ID: Edalborez ___________________ / TABLE OF CONTENTS \ ========================================================= \___________________/ *Ctrl+F the (section number) to jump to a section* == (1.0) Introduction == (2.0) Version History == (3.0) Features / Differences from Orcs Must Die! == (4.0) Characters == (5.0) Controls and Terms == (6.0) Walkthrough -- (6.1) Frequently Asked Questions -- (6.2) General Tactics -- (6.3) High Scoring and Combos -- (6.4) Story -- (6.4.01) The Edge -- (6.4.02) Tunnels -- (6.4.03) Chasm -- (6.4.04) The Crossing -- (6.4.05) Big Valleys -- (6.4.06) Hidden Gulch -- (6.4.07) Precipice -- (6.4.08) Servant Entrance -- (6.4.09) Passages -- (6.4.10) Corridors -- (6.4.11) Upstairs Downstairs -- (6.4.12) Crunch -- (6.4.13) Mirror Image -- (6.4.14) Wind Up -- (6.4.15) Twisted Halls -- (6.5) Classic -- (6.5.01) Twin Halls -- (6.5.02) Lunch Break -- (6.5.03) Sludge Hole -- (6.5.04) Chaos Chamber -- (6.5.05) The Arena -- (6.5.06) The Library -- (6.5.07) Hard Climb -- (6.5.08) The Squeeze -- (6.5.09) Stairs of Doom -- (6.5.10) Finale -- (6.6) Endless -- (6.7) DLC: Fire & Water -- (6.7.1) Traffic Jammed -- (6.7.2) Double Decker -- (6.7.3) The West Wing -- (6.8) Weekly Challenge == (7.0) Spellbook -- (7.1) Traps -- (7.1.01) Acid Sprayer -- (7.1.02) Archer Guardian -- (7.1.03) Arrow Wall -- (7.1.04) Autoballista -- (7.1.05) Barricade -- (7.1.06) Bear Trap -- (7.1.07) Boom Barrel -- (7.1.08) Boom Barrel Dispenser -- (7.1.09) Boulder Chute -- (7.1.10) Brimstone -- (7.1.11) Coinforge -- (7.1.12) Dart Spitter *DLC* -- (7.1.13) Decoy -- (7.1.14) Dwarf Guardian -- (7.1.15) Floor Portal *DLC* -- (7.1.16) Floor Scorcher -- (7.1.17) Grinder -- (7.1.18) Haymaker -- (7.1.19) Healing Well -- (7.1.20) Ice Vent -- (7.1.21) Mana Well -- (7.1.22) Paladin Guardian -- (7.1.23) Pounder -- (7.1.24) Push Trap -- (7.1.25) Shock Zapper -- (7.1.26) Spike Trap -- (7.1.27) Spore Mushrooms -- (7.1.28) Spring Trap -- (7.1.29) Steam Trap -- (7.1.30) Swinging Mace -- (7.1.31) Tar -- (7.1.32) Void Wall -- (7.1.33) Wall Blades -- (7.1.34) Web Spinner *DLC* -- (7.2) Weapons -- (7.2.01) Alchemist's Satchel -- (7.2.02) Bladestaff -- (7.2.03) Bone Amulet -- (7.2.04) Blunderbuss -- (7.2.05) Crossbow -- (7.2.06) Dwarven Hammer -- (7.2.07) Flame Bracers -- (7.2.08) Ice Amulet -- (7.2.09) Polymorph Ring -- (7.2.10) Ring of Lightning -- (7.2.11) Sceptre of Domination -- (7.2.12) Vampiric Gauntlets -- (7.2.13) Wind Belt -- (7.3) Trinkets -- (7.3.01) Berserker Trinket -- (7.3.02) Defense Trinket -- (7.3.03) Freedom Trinket -- (7.3.04) Healing Trinket -- (7.3.05) Mana Rage Trinket -- (7.3.06) Rift Defender Trinket -- (7.3.07) Scavenger Trinket -- (7.3.08) Trap Reset Trinket -- (7.4) Vanity -- (7.5) Environmental Traps -- (7.5.01) Pits, Lava, and Acid -- (7.5.02) Minecart -- (7.5.03) Minecart (Lava) -- (7.5.04) Hanging Bomb -- (7.5.05) Portals -- (7.5.06) Chandelier -- (7.5.07) Rolling Log -- (7.5.08) Boiling Oil -- (7.5.09) Preset Traps == (8.0) Enemies -- (8.1) Orcs -- (8.2) Kobolds -- (8.3) Ogres -- (8.4) Gnolls -- (8.5) Elementals -- (8.6) Trolls -- (8.7) Fliers -- (8.8) Mages == (9.0) Wave Data *Incomplete* -- (9.1) Story (War Mage, single) -- (9.2) Story (War Mage, co-op) -- (9.3) Story (Nightmare, single) -- (9.4) Story (Nightmare, co-op) -- (9.5) Classic (War Mage, single) -- (9.6) Classic (War Mage, co-op) -- (9.7) Classic (Nightmare, single) -- (9.8) Classic (Nightmare, co-op) -- (9.9) DLC: Fire and Water (War Mage, single) -- (9.10) DLC: Fire and Water (War Mage, co-op) -- (9.11) DLC: Fire and Water (Nightmare, single) -- (9.12) DLC: Fire and Water (Nightmare, co-op) == (10.0) Copyright / Contact Info =============================================================================== ============================== (1.0) INTRODUCTION ============================= =============================================================================== Orcs Must Die! is a half-tower defense, half-action game developed by Robot Entertainment. It was released on October 5th, 2011 for the Xbox Live Arcade and on October 12th, 2011 for PC. Orcs Must Die!, despite the simple premise, was and is a very unique experience. The gameplay's pacing is quick compared to many tower defense games, but only enough to create a challenge. Orcs Must Die! 2 was released on July 30th, 2012 for the PC only. The basic flow of gameplay is very similar to the original, but the sequel adds many new features. Examples include 2 player cooperative play, an Endless mode, the ability to refund trap upgrades, and more. PC owners of Orcs Must Die! also have access to 10 Classic levels from the original game. I intend for this guide to be a springboard for new players looking for tips, but veterans may also find the enemy wave data and trap analyses to be of use as they are updated. =============================================================================== ============================ (2.0) VERSION HISTORY ============================ =============================================================================== v1.00: (September xx, 2012) -First version -Differences, Characters, and Controls and Terms are complete -Walkthrough created for Story levels. -General Tactics and High Scoring / Combos need expansion -DLC: Fire and Water additions noted and DLC level walkthrough complete -Spellbook has unlock requirements and skull costs. Analyses and hard data like range, effect radius, and combo effects need expansion -Enemies mostly complete. Missing a few rift point and movement values -Wave Data for DLC: Fire and Water (War Mage, single) complete. A handful of (Nightmare, single) & (War Mage, single) levels for Story/Classic also done Next version: -Complete spellbook analyses -Complete walkthrough for Classic and all Nightmare levels Long term: -Wave data =============================================================================== ============= (3.0) FEATURES / DIFFERENCES FROM ORCS MUST DIE! ================ =============================================================================== -15 Story levels, 10 Endless levels (5 are reused Story levels), and 10 Classic levels (available to owners of Orcs Must Die! on Steam). Story and Classic levels can be played on Apprentice (Easy), War Mage (Normal), or Nightmare (Hard, unlocked after completing all levels on War Mage). Additionally, DLC chapters have been announced. The first, Fire and Water adds 3 regular levels and 3 endless levels. -31 Traps, 13 Weapons, 8 Trinkets, and 4 costumes per character. The first DLC, Fire and Water, added 3 additional traps. -You can play any level on any difficulty either solo or with a friend. At this time, there is no online matchmaking so you must invite or be invited by friends and social group members on Steam. -As with the first game, the 5 skulls you earn for completing a level are only awarded the first time you achieve a certain rating. IE: If you earn 4 skulls on a level and then earn 5 skulls on a replay, you would only earn 1 extra skull. In OMD!2, however, you also earn bonus skulls for certain conditions, the most basic of which is simply completing a level. You are guaranteed 1 skull for completing any level, and will often earn many more. -2 playable characters: The War Mage and the Sorceress. Each has access to the majority of the trap and weapon selection with a few unique items. The War Mage has equal health and mana, while the Sorceress has more mana and less health by comparison. Each gains a unique movement ability (Double Jump and Feather Fall, respectively) after completing the final Story level. -The Spellbook has been considerably updated. First, all skulls you have earned can be refunded at any time as often as you want with no cost. Second, Each trap and weapon has 3 levels of upgrades (improving damage, reset time, or other factors), 2 unique (and mutually exclusive) upgrades, and some special upgrades allowing traps to be placed on an additional type of surface (for example, placing a wall trap on the ceiling). Finally, trinkets and costumes have been added, trinkets providing a passive and active enhancement. Every trap and weapon from the original OMD! returns. -Weavers from the first game have been removed, but most of their enhancements have been carried over to weapon, trap, and trinket upgrades. This trades the coin investment per level to an investment in loadout slots and skulls. -Nightmare mode offers one "Go break" before the first wave starts, unlike the first game where the wave started the moment you exited the Spellbook. -Rifts and how they heal players have been altered; rifts in the mines don't provide any healing, and fortress rifts only restore health at a slower rate than in the original. Some strategies that abused mana regeneration next to the rift in the original are no longer possible. -Fall damage has been removed for players. -Wall trap placement is a little more lenient; some sloped walls can be used (facing at an up/down angle), and most staircases allow wall traps to be placed diagonally, level to the slope. -"Physics" traps have more force; the Steam Trap in the first game was a casual push upwards, while in this game it's practically a Spring Trap that points upwards. Many effects put enemies into "ragdoll" states. =============================================================================== =============== (4.0) CHARACTERS - The War Mage, The Sorceress ================ =============================================================================== You have a choice of two playable characters: The male War Mage and the female Sorceress. When you select a character, you will be prompted to enter a name. This won't appear anywhere except on your main menu and is only used to identify your character's profile. Each character you create has their skulls and level completion statistics logged separately; if you wish to play a War Mage after starting as the Sorceress you will need to make a second profile. You can switch between characters at any time from the main menu. Both characters control exactly the same, only differing in base health, base mana, a small pool of unique items (3 traps, 2 weapons), and their extra movement ability obtained after completing Story mode. Characters walk at ~2.5 tiles/second and run at ~3.3 tiles/second. Characters regenerate ~5 mana per second naturally. The War Mage has balanced health and mana, 100 each. He starts with: -Blunderbuss: A shotgun-like weapon with grenade secondary fire. -Arrow Wall: A wall trap that shoots arrows -Tar: A floor trap that slows down enemies stepping on it He can unlock: -Dwarven Hammer: A strong melee weapon with a whirlwind mode secondary. -Healing Well: A wall trap that restores health And for completing Story he earns: -Double Jump: Press Jump in mid-air to jump again. Must be used while rising. The Sorceress has less health and more mana in comparison to the War Mage; approximately 70 health and 130 mana. She starts with: -Sceptre of Domination: A wand that shoots energy. Primary can be charged for larger and more damaging shots. Secondary charms enemies for a while. -Acid Sprayer: A wall trap that sprays acid at enemies -Ice Vent: A floor trap that freezes enemies that step on it She can unlock: -Polymorph Ring: Primary transforms one enemy into another random enemy, a potion, a chicken, or a coin. Secondary turns you into an Ogre, draining mana while you do so. -Mana Well: A wall trap that restores mana And for completing Story she earns: -Feather Fall: Press Jump while in mid-air to glide, slowing your descent while active. Jump can be held to glide longer. Can be performed at any point during a jump, and multiple times in the same jump. =============================================================================== ========================== (5.0) CONTROLS AND TERMS =========================== =============================================================================== -Controls- The default controls are pretty satisfactory, but you are free to remap just about everything to up to 2 different keys or use a gamepad as a controller. Controls assume a standard QWERTY keyboard. Move Forward - W / Up arrow Move Backward - S / Down arrow Strafe Left - A / Left arrow Strafe Right - D / Right arrow Sprint - Left Shift / Right Shift Jump - Space Primary Attack - Mouse 1 (left click) Secondary Attack* - Mouse 2 (right click) Zoom - Mouse 3 (mouse wheel click) Previous Loadout - Mouse wheel up Next Loadout - Mouse wheel down Push-to-Talk - Mouse 4 Action - E Rotate gear - R Large map toggle - M Bloodmap toggle - L Go - G Spellbook - B Pause Menu - Esc Loadout 1 through 10 - 1 through 10 Toggle Loadout Type** - Tab *When holding a trap, secondary switches to Loadout 1 **If holding a weapon/trinket, switches to last used trap and vice-versa. Other things in options that may not be clear: Gameplay > Gear UI -Flat makes the next/previous loadout selection cycle through the whole bar. -Split makes the next/previous loadout selection only cycle through (weapons and trinkets) and (traps). Use Toggle Loadout Type (default: Tab) to switch between the two, or select loadout slots directly (default: 1-10) Gameplay > Space after load -If "Yes", the loading screen will prompt you to press Spacebar to continue. -If "No", the loading screen will automatically progress to the level. Sound > Scenario Dialogue -Turns on/off the dialogue at the beginning of Story levels. Does not affect other voiceovers during gameplay. -Terms- -"Official" Terms Rift: The "tower" part of tower defense. Some levels have multiple rifts, but they share the same total of Rift Points. If this number reaches zero, you lose the level. Dying will subtract 3 points, and enemies who reach the rift subtract 1 to 10 points each, depending on size. In the mines, these look like large doors. In the fortresses, these like like large blue-white balls of energy, and restore health when nearby. Spawns/Doors: Enemies come out of here and head for the rifts. You can see their path between waves represented by Wisps. Wisps: Blue streaks of light that travel from the orc spawns to the player rifts. Shows the route enemies will take to the rift. Careful observation of the wisps and how they change with Barricade placement can help decide how and where you should set your traps. Coin: Currency used to create traps during levels. You start with a certain amount at the beginning of each level, earn a certain amount from each enemy killed, and some enemies drop coins that can be picked up for extra cash. Traps can be refunded between waves, usually at full price. Does not carry over from one level to the next. Go Break: A period in which no enemies will appear, can be used to set up or sell traps and look around the level. Granted at the start of each level and usually every 3 waves thereafter. On Nightmare difficulty you only get the first Go Break. Skulls: Earned for completing levels. These can be spent to buy or upgrade traps in the Spellbook. See also: "Base Skulls" and "Bonus Skulls". Base Skulls: Refers to the 5 skulls seen on the level selection screen. These cannot be earned more than once, but you can retry the level as many times as needed to earn all 5. See also: "5 skulls". 5 skulls: Clearing a level without losing any rift points and within a par time (varies between levels) earns 5 base skulls, displayed on the level select screen. Also earns certain bonus skulls. Bonus Skulls: Awarded for certain conditions at the end of levels. Simply winning a level earns at least one, enemies sometimes drop skulls that can be picked up, and more are earned for career kill milestones, earning 5 skulls, and more. Difficulty: -War Mage: "Normal" difficulty. -Apprentice: "Easy" difficulty. Has fewer, slower enemies and Go Breaks every wave. Can only earn 2 skulls (shared with War Mage) -Nightmare: "Hard" difficulty. Enemies are stronger and tougher, Go Breaks are removed except for before Wave 1, and the break between waves is only 3 seconds long. Unlock by completing the campaign on Apprentice or War Mage. War Mage: Depends on context -The male playable character. ("The War Mage") -The "normal" difficulty level. ("War Mage difficulty") Level: (in the context of trap levels) Weapons and traps have 3 levels of upgrades. The spellbook and loadout bar reflect upgrade levels: level 1 has a bronze border, 2 silver, and 3 gold. A shield in the upper right indicates a Unique and a gear in the lower right indicates a Special upgrade. Level 0 traps are unupgraded versions. High Scoring: Playing with the goal of earning a high amount of points. The highest scores in a given level may or may not also earn 5-skulls. See the High Scoring section. Combo: Earned when multiple traps hit an enemy as they die. Combos increase Coin earned when killing enemies, and are invaluable for high scores. A "Combo x#" bubble will appear over enemies' heads when killed. Killstreak: Earned when killing multiple enemies around the same time. Earns some bonus Coin and score, but not as much as a Combo. "Killstreak x#" will appear on the left side of the screen. Combo Effects: See the High Scoring and Combos section for more detail. -Slow: Makes enemies move at 50% speed and deal 25% less damage. Sometimes called Snare to be distinct from other slowing effects. Tar has a similar effect but is counted separately. -Chill: Makes enemies move at 33% speed. Chilled enemies have a blue tint. -Freeze: Enemies cannot move or attack, and take increased damage. Frozen enemies are encased in a chunk of ice. *Note that Freeze removes Burn and Stun. -Burn: Makes enemies move at 66% speed and take damage over time. Burned enemies will panic and be covered in flames. *Note that Burn removes Chill and Freeze. -Bleed: Makes enemies take damage over time. Enemies have a red aura. *Note that Bleed is removed by the effect of the Coinforge trap. -Stun: Enemies cannot move or attack. Stunned enemies look dizzied. Damage Types: Some enemies take more or less damage from certain types of damaging effects. -Ice (Ice Amulet) -Fire (Floor Scorcher, Flame Bracers, etc) -Poison (Acid Sprayer, Alchemist's Satchel, etc) -Explosive (Boom Barrels, Blunderbuss secondary, etc) -Lightning (Shock Zapper, Ring of Lightning, etc) *The following 3 need additional verification* -Crushing -Piercing -Slashing -Shorthand or game slang Killbox: Refers to a trap-concentrated area where a player plans on killing a large amount of enemies. Usually set up at a chokepoint to target the largest amount of enemies with the lowest amount of traps. Chokepoint: An area where a potentially large group of enemies can be funneled into a less-wider area. Some levels have "natural" chokepoints; others can be created or enhanced with Barricades. Kite/Kiting: Drawing an enemy's attention and leading it around with the intent to delay or slow it down, as if flying a kite. Players can generally only hold the attention of 1-3 enemies at a time and enemies will lose interest if the player is too far away. Physics/Ragdoll: Refers to traps and effects focusing on throwing around enemies helplessly rather than dealing damage. Examples include the Push Trap and Wind Belt. Heavy enemies are only ragdolled by certain effects. Checkerboarding: Placing floor traps in a checker pattern, repeating in any given direction ___ ___ | A | B | A = one type of floor trap |___|___| B = 2nd type of floor trap, or nothing | B | A | |___|___| The purpose of checkerboarding is to maximize the area you can cover with minimal coin. Sometimes enemies can trigger 2 traps next to each other at once by walking between them. This can result in wasting a trap's reset timer. =============================================================================== ============================== (6.0) WALKTHROUGH ============================== =============================================================================== ---------------------- (6.1) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ----------------------- Q: How do I get 5 skulls? / Why am I only getting 4 skulls? A: Look at the "Stats" page after completing a level. It breaks down the base skull distribution like so: -Rift Points remaining: More skulls awarded for not losing rift points. 4 base skulls awarded for losing 0 rift points. -Par Time: Completing the level within the par time awards 1 base skull. The starting Go Break does not count against you, but Go Breaks after do count. Pausing (Esc) will freeze the timer. Note that dying subtracts 3 rift points and the Rift Defender Trinket does not make it easier to get 5 skulls. In short: don't die, note the par time (turn on the timer display in Options), and don't let any enemies in. Q: How do I unlock (X)? A: If the item has a skull cost, it can only be bought with skulls. If the item has a shield icon, you must complete a certain level to unlock it. Hovering your mouse cursor over the shield tells you the requirements. Q: Is the difficulty curve designed around co-op? A: No. Waves are different between single player and co-op. Levels that defend against multiple directions at once are more common than in the original Orcs Must Die!, but single player is far from impossible. Q: Can I use 2 Sorceresses / 2 War Mages in co-op? A: Yes. Q: How are traps and coin split in co-op? A: -In single-player, you can eventually use up to 10 loadout slots. -In co-op, each player can only have 6 maximum, for a total of 12. You can both choose a copy of the same item, but diversity is recommended. -Starting coin is divided evenly in 2 for both players. -Coin given for killing enemies is split in 2, rounded down, and given to both players, regardless of who killed. -Pickup Coins only award coin to the player who picked it up. Same applies to\ pickup Bonus Skulls. -Trinkets only apply their passive effects to the holder but actives apply to both players, if applicable. Q: Can I play Classic / DLC co-op if only one of us has the content? A: No, both players need the appropriate content to play co-op. --------------------------- (6.2) GENERAL TACTICS ----------------------------- The 3 most important tips that I can stress for a new player: 1: HELP YOUR TRAPS KILL ENEMIES! The player exists for a reason: your traps will rarely be enough to stop every enemy by themselves. Even when they can, assisting your trap kills helps earn higher combos, which award more Coin to place more traps. Bring a weapon you can always rely on, like the starting weapon or the Crossbow, and maybe a heavy-hitting magic weapon. 2: DON'T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE YOUR LOADOUT! Bring different items if you need to. The Spellbook has a refund feature for a reason. Many items you can only buy with skulls are surprisingly useful and can be purchased at any time, such as Brimstone and Decoys. 3: DON'T BE TOO PROUD FOR APPRENTICE DIFFICULTY! Some levels can be very difficult for first-timers and veterans alike. Beating a level even on Apprentice will earn unlocks, which can greatly help you on a retry. Don't feel bad about lowering the difficulty. It's there for a reason and you can always try again later. -Take a few minutes to study a level's layout before starting. Look for potential chokepoints and take note of the rift locations, enemy spawns, and the "wisp" trail showing the enemy path. -The "wisps" showing the enemy route are, for the most part, very accurate. If the wisps show that enemies will ignore a closer rift to run towards a farther one, they will. Take that into account when setting up traps. -Don't be discouraged if you don't 5-skull or even complete a level on your first try. As you play a level more, it should gradually become easier. -Some enemies have audio cues when they appear, such as Ogres grunting and elementals making a gong-like sound. Get into the habit of recognizing which sounds match which enemies, and prepare accordingly when they spawn. -Areas where you can set up a floor, wall, and ceiling trap at the same spot tend to make good killboxes. -Generally, the further your killbox(es) are from your rift, the better. If you set up right next to your rift and any enemies survive, they will likely get through. Give yourself enough space to deal with any survivors. -Don't take too many of any single kind of weapon or trap. As a general rule, don't bring more than 2 Guardians and 2-3 wall, floor, or ceiling traps. Traps that don't take up tile space (like Decoys) or can go 2 different surfaces (like Floor Scorchers) don't have to strictly follow this. -If you want to farm for skulls, pick an easy level you can beat quickly, like The Edge, and try to 5-skull it without getting hit. -When Barricades are available, see where you can block the Orcs' path and make them go a longer way. This can save you a lot of Coin; rather than making two killboxes, Barricade one side and just make one killbox! *For more on Barricades, see the appropriate section in the Spellbook* -In co-op, coordinate your loadout with your partner's. Try not to bring the same trap twice, and consider how much Coin each of you needs to spend to create your desired killbox. Giving one person expensive traps and the other cheap traps will leave the first with too little and the other with too much. -Any strategy that works in single player tends to work just as well co-op. One person can hold a killbox while the other is free to kill potential threats and provide general support where needed. ----------------------- (6.3) HIGH SCORING AND COMBOS ------------------------- First, and most importantly: 1: A HIGH SCORE DOES NOT ALWAYS GET 5 SKULLS 2: 5 SKULLS DOES NOT ALWAYS GET A HIGH SCORE As discussed earlier, 5-skulls only depends on 2 things: not losing any rift points and finishing under a certain par time. High scores and combos do not directly relate to 5-skull play. *If you're a brand-new player, feel free to skip this section for now until *you get more comfortable with general gameplay. Simply put, the highest scores are those that can get the largest number of high combos in a given level. Many other factors also give score, such as killstreaks, rift points, and player/trap kills, but combos are the biggest contribution to a high score. See the table below: ______________________________________________________________ | Combat Kill 50 / 100 (Nightmare) | | Trap/Minion Kill 100 / 200 (Nightmare) | | Rift Points Remaining 100 per Rift Point | | Rift Bonus | | All Rift Points Remaining 10,000 | | 99%-75% Rift Points Remaining 5,000 | | 74%-50% Rift Points Remaining 2,500 | | Completion Time +/- 1 point per second | | over/under par time | | Combo x3 200 | | Combo x4 400 | | Combo x5 800 | | Combo x6 1,600 | | Combo x7 3,200 | | Combo x8 6,400 | | Combo x9 12,800 | | Combo x10 25,600 | | ...etc ...x2 | | Kill Streaks *Unknown at this time* | | | | Skull Score - Awarded with certain bonus skulls | | Untouchable 50,000 per player | | *5-skull without taking damage* | | Every 5 waves reached (Endless) 10,000 per player | | *Stops counting after wave 100* | | Trapless 50,000 per player | | *Complete a level without Traps or Guardians* | | Money Score Total unspent Coin = score| |______________________________________________________________| Each Combo is worth twice as many points as the one that came before it. Earning just one Combo x10 is worth as much as 128 Combo x3's or 512 combat kills. And a x11 is worth twice as much as that. And that's just from one enemy; there's hundreds more in any level to kill and combo. Combos also make enemy kills worth slightly more Coin; a Light Orc Warrior, usually worth 10 coin, who is killed by a Combo x4 will instead give 14 coin. Combo xN adds a N0% coin bonus, rounded down. So then, what is a combo? Combos occurs when an enemy is killed by multiple different traps, weapons, and/or effects within a short time. For example: An Orc is hit and killed by the Crossbow, Spike Trap, and Acid Sprayer at around the same time. Crossbow (x1) Spike Trap (x2) Acid Sprayer (x3) Total combo: x3 However, there are ways to get higher combos than simply hitting with 10 different weapons and traps. Some upgrades add extra effects that also count towards higher combos. For example, if we add a Bleed effect to Spike Trap: Crossbow (x1) Spike Trap (x2) +Bleed (x3) Acid Sprayer (x4) Total combo: x4 Let's also add the Crossbow's "sometimes set enemies on fire" and the Acid Sprayer's "briefly slows targets" Crossbow (x1) +Burn (x2) Spike Trap (x3) +Bleed (x4) Acid Sprayer (x5) +Slow (x6) Total combo: x6 Some general guidelines for combos: -Weapons only count towards combos once, regardless of whether primary and/or secondary was used. Example: Blunderbuss primary fire and grenades count the "Blunderbuss" combo point only once. -Weapon effects that generate a combo effect are counted separately. Example: Crossbow primary + secondary = "Crossbow" combo point + "Stun" combo point. -Combo effects like Burn and Bleed are only counted once, even if multiple sources can give it. -Most damaging effects only grant a combo point for 1-2 seconds. -Ragdolled enemies are a special case: combo points are "remembered" as long as an enemy stays ragdolled. When the enemy hits the ground and stands up, all combo points for that enemy are immediately cancelled. -Combo effects like Burn and Bleed last as long as the effect lasts. -If a weapon or trap applies damage and a combo effect, both are counted separately. For example, Flame Bracers deal damage and inflict Burn. The combo point for Burn will last longer than the damage combo point. -Some Combo effects overwrite each other; chill + burn results in x1, not x2. Combo Effects: See the High Scoring and Combos section for more detail. -Slow: Makes enemies move at 50% speed and deal 25% less damage. Sometimes called Snare to be distinct from other slowing effects. Tar has a similar effect but is counted separately. -Chill: Makes enemies move at 33% speed. Chilled enemies have a blue tint. -Freeze: Enemies cannot move or attack, and take increased damage. Frozen enemies are encased in a chunk of ice. *Note that Freeze removes Burn and Stun. -Burn: Makes enemies move at 66% speed and take damage over time. Burned enemies will panic and be covered in flames. *Note that Burn removes Chill and Freeze. -Bleed: Makes enemies take damage over time. Enemies have a red aura. *Note that Bleed is removed by the effect of the Coinforge trap. -Stun: Enemies cannot move or attack. Stunned enemies look dizzied. ------------------------------ (6.4.00) STORY --------------------------------- *If you see an unfamiliar term, refer the Controls and Terms section* Walkthrough strategies will not have exact loadout instructions. Rather, I advise a few notable traps and setups and allow the player to use their own discretion for other slots. Additionally, the Story walkthrough is designed so that players can follow it even on the first playthrough. No need to grind for skulls unless you want to, this was all done on a fresh War Mage and Sorceress profile with no repeating levels, playing Classic, Endless, or DLC. -Key: Level type: Mines or Fortress. Starting Coin: Coin available from Wave 1. Split in two for co-op Rift Points: Number of rift points. Halved for Nightmare, rounded down Coin Bonus: At the end of (certain waves), extra coin is granted Enemies: Types of enemies. See the Wave Data section for more information Enemies (NM): Types of enemies for Nightmare. *Note Enemies assume single-player. Co-op sometimes has different enemies. *See Wave Data section when co-op is updated Waves: Number of waves Par Time: Completing the level under this time awards 1 base skull Advisory: Notes about when spawns activate, specific doors that certain enemies appear from, and rifts each spawn will target, if notable. Initial: Strategy for a first-time playthrough, mainly accounting for items that are not available until completing later levels. Later Story levels won't feature this; most relevant items are obtained by then. Upgraded: Strategy for a retry that assumes the player has free access to any trap/weapon required, if not also fully upgraded. Nightmare: Special notes for Nightmare difficulty, if it is considerably different from War Mage strategy. -- (6.4.01) The Edge -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 4000 Rift Points: 20 Coin Bonus: 1500 (1/2), 1800 (3) Enemies: Light/Medium Orc Warrior Enemies (NM): Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Gnoll Grenadier Waves: 4 Par Time: 5:00 Advisory: None Initial: Nothing fancy here, just cover the area close to the orc spawn with your wall and floor traps. You can also pull back to the cliff and use the minecart in your setup. Upgraded: The area next to the spawn with the low ceiling makes for a good killbox (with ceiling traps), but otherwise the same as Initial. Nightmare: Only significant change is the addition of Gnoll Grenadiers, who like to keep their distance from you. -- (6.4.02) Tunnels -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 4000 Rift Points: 20 Coin Bonus: 1000 (1), 1500 (2), 1800 (3), 2000 (4) Enemies: Light/Medium Orc Warrior, Earth Elemental Enemies (NM): Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Earth Elemental Waves: 5 Par Time: 6:00 Advisory: East spawn opens on wave 2. Initial: Set up on the upper level with wall/floor traps, ceiling if you have any yet. Kill enemies as soon as possible. If large groups make it to the lower level, retreat to the rift and fight the rest there. You can also set up under the Boulder Chute to handle all enemies in one place, but you'll want to attack them as they spawn and then run back to the bridge if you use this approach. When Earth Elementals appear, hit them with Blunderbuss grenades or full-charge Sceptre shots depending on your character. If needed, you can kite the Earth Elementals, but the Earthlings they crumble into will ignore you and run for the rift. Upgraded: With Barricades, you can block off most of the ramp and force both spawns to come down one side. Use the corners and Barricades to group enemies up and set up low ceiling and close-range wall traps, like Grinders and Haymakers. You can also tighten the bridge chokepoint near the Boulder Chute. With Feather Fall or Double Jump, you can cross the gap between the west and east walkways near the enemy spawns. Nightmare: No significant changes. -- (6.4.03) Chasm -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 3600 Rift Points: 20 Coin Bonus: 1500 (1), 1800 (2), 2000 (3/4) Enemies: Light/Medium Orc Warrior, Kobold Runner Enemies (NM): Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Kobold Runner, Gnoll Hunter Waves: 5 Par Time: 5:30 Advisory: East spawn opens on wave 2. Initial: I strongly advise using the wall Push Trap with extra range. This can cover most of the cliff-side, making the hordes of Orcs much easier to handle. You can also use the Minecart to help whichever side needs an extra hand. Shoot the minecart switch to change its path. Kobold Runners ignore you and only care about getting to the rift. They're fast enough to avoid most traps, so keep your eye out for them and try to kill them yourself. Upgraded: Not much change. You can use Barricades to make the Bridge a 1-tile chokepoint to make Kobolds easier to handle. The cliff walls are big enough to support Void Walls, so physics traps and Wind Belt can be effective. If you can handle the Kobolds, anything works. Nightmare: Gnoll Hunters are added, but otherwise no significant changes. -- (6.4.04) The Crossing -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 4000 Rift Points: 20 Coin Bonus: 1200 (1/2/4/5), 3000 (3/6) Enemies: Light/Medium Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner, Earth Elemental Enemies (NM): Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner, Earth Elemental, Gnoll Hunter, Ogre Waves: 7 Par Time: 9:00 Advisory: West spawn activates on wave 2. Kobolds only appear from east. Initial: Again, I advise using the Push Trap for the top level, but you can also use the newly-obtained Spring Trap on both levels to toss enemies off the edge. Checkerboard your Springs at first; fill the gaps with either more Spring Traps or Tar/Ice Vents. Most enemies on the west side just land on the east bridge, but they will often go the long way around, back through their spawns. Keep the minecart on whichever side needs the most attention, but the bottom will probably need it more than the top. Upgraded: The recommendation for Push and Spring Traps still applies here. There are no low ceilings and only the top level walkway has walls, so options are otherwise limited. Due to the minecart tracks, Barricades aren't effective. The Sorceress can use Feather Fall to jump from the top level to the bottom. Nightmare: Tougher enemies, otherwise no significant changes. -- (6.4.05) Big Valleys -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 4000 Rift Points: 25 Coin Bonus: 2000 (1/2/4/5/7), 4000 (3/6) Enemies: Light/Medium Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner/Sapper, Earth Elemental Enemies (NM): Waves: 8 Par Time: Advisory: Wave 1 only goes west. East rift opens on wave 2. Sappers come at the beginning of most waves starting with wave 2. Initial: Refund your skulls; physics traps won't be useful here. Instead, Brimstone is highly recommended. Upgrade it to level 3 if possible. There's a large number of pre-set Barricades that create chokepoints on each of the 3 sides, but if you want to keep them you'll have to be quick about killing Sappers. Placing Brimstone and long-range Wall traps at the left/right side corners thins out those sides, but the center Barricades will usually break. Barricades block the rift, so this can buy you a little time if a few enemies make it past your defenses. If you have to choose between enemies at the rift and enemies in your killbox, try to go for the rift-side enemies. By this point you should have a decent amount of practice against Earth Elementals, but they come in greater numbers than previous levels. As the War Mage, Blunderbuss grenades and Arrow Walls will be your best option. Kite if you need to to preserve mana. As the Sorceress, charming them works especially well if you have the "extra damage to charmed enemies" Unique on your Sceptre. A full-charge shot while charmed should kill Elementals in a single hit. Upgraded: With Barricades, you can finish blocking 2 sides and focus on the third as your killbox. You'll still need to defend against Sappers, but you'll also be able to replace the weaker preset Barricades with your own if they are destroyed. With enough coin, you can funnel into one of the low ceiling areas to abuse ceiling traps. The corners near the rift are also large enough for Void Walls. The War Mage can Double Jump onto the lava Minecart track if you start from on top of a Barricade, but the only use of this is to be out of reach from melee. Nightmare: -- (6.4.06) Hidden Gulch -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 4000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: 1000 (1/2/4/5/7/8), 2500 (3/6) Enemies: Light/Medium Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc Kobold Runner/Sapper, Earth Elemental, Bilebat Enemies (NM): Waves: 9 Par Time: 17:00 Advisory: Fliers start from wave 2. Initial: Refund skulls again if you need to; level 3 Barricades are highly recommended, with "reduced damage" Unique if you can afford it. Brimstone is also still useful for anti-Kobold purposes. There are 4 pre-set Archer Guardians, 2 at each half, that can help handle fliers and ground enemies, but they won't survive too many fliers. Use 3 Barricades to block the left or right path and 2 more to block the center ramp. You can choose to set this up at the north half or the south half; south half gives you more time to thin out fliers, Sappers, and other enemies, but is very close to the rift. You should be able to make the par time even from the south, so I recommend that. Either way, make your killbox on the left/right, whichever you didn't block. For the first wave you probably won't have the coin to set traps unless you skip the 2 center Barricades at first. Eventually you want to have a funnel set up at the exit of your killbox. Shortening a 3-tile wide hall into a 1-tile wide point may not seem like much, but it really does help. See diagram: |__ __ __ __ / / = Ramp-side wall | | | |/ A = Archer Guardian, on raised platform A |__|__|__|/ B = Barricade funnel | | | |/ |__|__|__|/ Enemies coming from the north group together in the | | | |/ 1-tile space left by the Barricade, making area of __|__|__|__|/ effect attacks like Blunderbuss grenades and charged | | |B |B |/ Sceptre more effective. |__|__|__|/ Upgraded: The above strategy works perfectly well on subsequent playthroughs. There are a few high ceilings and you can add your own Guardians. The side walls can support Void Walls. The War Mage can Double Jump up to the center ramps and Archer platforms from ground level. From the center ramps, Double Jump and Feather Fall can be used to jump to the Archer platforms. Nightmare: -- (6.4.07) Precipice -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 6000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: 2000 (1/2/4/5/7/8), 4500 (3), 5500 (6) Enemies: Light/Medium Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner, Ogre, Earth Elemental, Bilebat Enemies (NM): Waves: 9 Par Time: 18:30 Advisory: West ground and flier spawns open on wave 2. Initial: Upgrade your new Haymakers as high as you can. Take the "stun" Unique if you want to, but prioritize more damage over stun. Dwarf Guardians are also useful here. If you're using the War Mage, Blunderbuss with "knocks down heavy enemies" Unique can be a big help against the Ogres. My preferred approach is to make your killbox at the low ceiling areas just ahead of each spawn. The default position of the minecart travels between both of the ground spawns and is especially potent on the east side. With Haymakers, Arrow Wall/Acid Sprayer, and your floor trap of choice should either wipe out or make a large impact on enemy groups. Funnel barricades (into the minecart track for the east side) are also recommended. The West side will probably be the more difficult one to handle, so prioritize Dwarves there. An alternatate approach is to set up near the rift, Barricading one side and setting up on the other. If you place them diagonally, you only need 3 touching corner-to-corner, using the wood pillars as a guideline. This is a much safer approach and allows you to only focus your coin into one area, but be careful not to ignore the fliers. Near the end of wave 8, 2 Ogres will come from each side. You may lose some Guardians if you have them at the forward killboxes. Wave 9 has lots of fliers. Upgraded: The same 2 strategies still apply. Archer Guardians will be much better suited for simultaneous killbox/flier duty than Dwarves. Weapons like the Ice Amulet make fliers easier to handle as well. Nightmare: The additions of Gnolls and Sappers make using Barricades more challenging. I would recommend the alternate strategy next to the rift, but be vigilant to protect your Barricades and Guardians. -- (6.4.08) Servant Entrance -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 6000 Rift Points: 25 Coin Bonus: 1000 (1/2), 1500 (3), 1200 (4/5/7/8), 1800 (6) Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner/Sapper, Gnoll Hunter, Ogre Enemies (NM): Waves: 9 Par Time: 13:30 Advisory: North spawn opens on wave 2. Initial: You can skip Barricades for this level, so refund if you need to. Recommended: Arrow Wall/Acid Sprayer, Haymakers, Brimstone South of the north door, there are 2 staircases that lead up to a 4x2 tile section of floor with a low ceiling. Set up your killbox on the east staircase. Space is limited, so there's not much more to add to it. Guardians, Decoys, and Boom Barrels can be added on top of floor tiles. You can repeat this killbox on the west staircase if you're overflowing with coin. Par time can be an issue if you wait for the south door enemies to get to the killbox. Shoot the chandeliers if needed, and don't wait for the south enemies. Upgraded: Archer Guardians at the bottom of the stairs, firing up into the killbox is effective. The raised platform between the two staircases can also be used, but Crossbow Orcs will stop to shoot. Nightmare: -- (6.4.09) Passages -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 6000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: 2000 (1/2), 3500 (3), 2400 (4), 2000 (5/7/8/10/11), 4500 (6/9) Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner/Sapper, Earth Elemental, Gnoll Hunter, Ogre, Troll Enemies (NM): Waves: 12 Par Time: 23:00 Advisory: Sappers usually travel along the upper level. East door opens on wave 2. Northwest door opens on wave 3. Initial: Ice Amulet will be helpful for virtually all future levels; frozen enemies take much more damag, making it especially good on bosses. Bring level 3 Barricades, Haymakers, and floor/wall traps of choice. You don't need to use Barricades on wave 1, but eventually you want to block the left and right side staircases. You can block each side with 2 if you place them on the "catwalk" area. Block the east side on wave 2 and west side wave 3. The lower area under the Boiling Oil pot makes for a good killbox. Use funnel barricading when you have the coin. Add Guardians as well. Upgraded: Add Archer Guardians. Nightmare: -- (6.4.10) Corridors -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 5000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner, Earth Lord, Gnoll Hunter, Ogre, Troll, Hellbat, Fire Babies Enemies (NM): Waves: 12 Par Time: 23:00 Advisory: For the first 3 waves, enemies only come from the North spawn. Southeast spawn opens wave 4. Southwest spawn opens on wave 5. Fliers only spawn from the north. *From this point on, "Initial" will no longer be listed* Upgraded: Recommended to bring Barricades, Archer Guardians, and Haymakers. The north walkway has no low ceilings and limited wall space. 2 strategies can work here. First, you can make a Barricade funnel at the archway just north of the Rift, using the walls and Archers for the horde. This has a tendancy to get overwhelmed by larger enemies and fliers, though. Another option is to set a Coinforge right at the north spawn. With long-range wall traps, Floor Scorchers, Guardians, and/or Decoys you can abuse the Coinforge's "extra damage" Unique to brute-force the enemies as you keep them standing on the Coinforge with Paladins or Decoys. Space the Decoys enough that enemies won't hit more than 1 at a time. Set more as you go. With 2 Barricades, you can block off one of the 2 south hallways. Use the 3x3 tile area (with plenty of wall and ceiling space) and Guardians as you see fit; nothing should survive this way once the killbox is strong enough. If a wave doesn't end after all enemies are dead, don't panic. There's a long "mini-break" time on some waves when the next set of enemies is coming from the opposite direction. If you end up with ~10 seconds or more of no enemies, it means you're killing very efficiently. Nightmare: -- (6.4.11) Upstairs Downstairs -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 7000 Rift Points: 40 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner/Sapper, Fire/Frost Ogre Enemies (NM): Waves: 12 Par Time: 14:30 Advisory: For the first 3 waves, enemies ignore the bottom rift. South spawn opens on wave 2. Upgraded: Recommended: High-ceiling trap, Decoy, Grinder, and Archers. The best way to handle this level is to make your killboxes at the spawns. Any enemies that survive will either take the long path to the top rift, with a lot of space to catch up to them, or the bottom rift, where you should be most of the time. Boulder Chutes are a decent option for the ceiling here, if you have the loadout space. Place Grinders on the walls right next to the spawn. For the floor, Tar (War Mage) or Steam Traps work well, and you shouldn't need much more than the 3x2 tile area for them. Flame Bracers (after completing the level) or Ring of Lightning secondary at the doors is also effective here. If Kobolds survive the killboxes, prioritize killing them over anything else. The War Mage can Double Jump to the "catwalk" area near the bottom rift. Nightmare: -- (6.4.12) Crunch -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 6000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner, Earth Lord, Gnoll Hunter, Ogre, Fire/Frost Ogre, Troll, Frostbat Enemies (NM): Waves: 12 Par Time: 27:00 Advisory: South door opens on wave 2. West and East doors open on wave 4. Fliers begin on wave 5. Upgraded: Recommended: Archers, Barricade, Decoy, long-range wall trap. For the first 2 waves, you should kill most of the enemies yourself as they come out of the doors. Coinforge with extra damage is helpful for this phase, if you also plan to use it later. Eventually, make a setup like this on both sides of the rift: _________________ A // \ A // D \ A _// B |_____ | | B _ West/East | * | B|_| Spawn RIFT | * | _____ / = Stairs | * | | * = Acid/Lava A| * | | A = Archer groups A | * | _____/ B = Barricades ____/ | X | D = Decoy | | Place your floor traps and long-range wall traps as you get enough coin to do so. You can eventually expand in the low ceiling area marked "X" on the map or inside the West/East spawn area, but most of your firepower should be focused around the Decoy area. Don't forget about the central "pillar" near the Barricades; this is a great spot for Arrow Walls, Acid Sprayers, Shock Zappers, or Boom Barrel Dispensers. The group of Archers away from the stairs should prioritize fliers, but you may have to assist them. If you don't have enough coin to add to both sides at once, it's usually better to make one side strong and help more with your weapons on the opposite side. The War Mage can Double Jump across the acid/lava gaps. The Sorceress can also do this, but not from a lower elevation to a higher elevation. Nightmare: -- (6.4.13) Mirror Image -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 7000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner, Ogre, Troll, Swamp Troll Enemies (NM): Waves: 9 Par Time: 9:30 Advisory: West/East doors open on wave x. Only Trolls and Kobolds spawn from West/East doors. Kobolds go straight under the center of the map and go up the stairs opposite of their spawn. Upgraded: On the north/south side of the rift, set up like this: __________ / North/South enemies / from this direction | B ____ | B B/ / = "stairs" | | B = Barricade |//////| __| |__ The Barricades are set so the enemies have to hug the wall to approach your rift, slowing them down slightly and allowing use of short-range wall traps. Haymakers recommended for the ceiling and Archers. On wave 3, jump down to the area underneath the rift and place 5 Archers. These should be enough to kill most or all Kobolds by themselves. Prioritize the Trolls when they show up; they climb the stairs relatively quickly. Nightmare: -- (6.4.14) Wind Up -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 10000 Rift Points: 25 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner/Sapper, Gnoll Hunter, Fire Ogre, Cyclops Mage, Hobgoblin Shaman Enemies (NM): Waves: 12 Par Time: 16:30 Advisory: East spawn opens on wave 2. South spawn opens on wave 3. Upgraded: 3 killboxes for this level. Barricades not recommended except for funnel use. Try not to spend all of your coin on the first killbox on wave 1; the East/South spawns will need more attention. North/top spawn: The "corner" next to the portal is a good spot. Haymakers and your floor/wall traps of choice. Guardians aren't recommended for this location as Cyclops Mages will stop to shoot at them from outside the killbox range. East/middle spawn: 3x3 tile area at the top of the stairs. Again, Haymakers and floor/walls of choice. Archers at the bottom of the stairs can be used also. South/bottom spawn: Set up inside the archway, hitting enemies before they reach the stairs. Haymakers and floor/walls of choice. Focus more on the East and South spawns. Enemies that survive the North killbox walk a long way before they get to the rift, so you have plenty of time to intercept them if needed. Nightmare: -- (6.4.15) Twisted Halls -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 10000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner, Earth Elemental/Lord, Gnoll Hunter, Ogre, Troll, Swamp Troll, Cyclops Mage, Hobgoblin Shaman, Thunderbat Enemies (NM): Waves: 12 Par Time: 16:30 Advisory: Fliers begin spawning on wave 3, and aim for the rift opposite of their spawn (North fliers go to south rift and vice-versa) The doors closer to the rift staircase open on wave 4. Upgraded: Warning: Twisted Halls is arguably the toughest level in the game. To 5-skull it, you will have to be very mobile and assist in killing large enemies and fliers. Ground killbox: Repeat this on both sides of the rift _________ / HH //// / XB //// / = Stairs | X B //// B = Barricade | B_______ H = Haymaker+floor traps |D | A = Archer squad (optional) | | X = Funnel/snaking Barricades (optional, later waves) | | D = Decoy (optional) |AA | | |__ | Rift this way When choosing wall/floor traps, keep in mind that this needs to be able to take down large enemies most of the way while also ensuring no Kobolds survive. Sorceresses may want to bring the Polymorph Ring, especially for Earth Lords. Anti-air: 2 approaches to dealing with fliers once wave 3 starts. 1 - You can try handling the fliers by yourself, without traps or Guardians. Ice Amulet and Crossbow/Sceptre/Vampiric Gauntlets are recommended. You can use Decoys to slow down fliers and bunch them up for Ice Amulet or Flame Bracers. 2 - With some specific placement, Archers + a Decoy can handle most of the fliers. The placement is such that the chain lightning from Thunderbats won't chain onto the Archers. For this reason, it's better to add more Archers than to make a second Decoy here. Add more Archers as the waves go by, but start with 3 per side. _______ ___/F F\ F = pot of fire D \ x and () = Rift "platform" x x AA | (Rift) A | A = Archers x x | D = Decoy ___ / \_______/ In general, just keep a close eye on your mini-map and help each side when necessary. Gnolls can be especially persistant about killing your Archers. Nightmare: Fire Babies start spawning from wave 1, so either a single Archer for each side or your personal contribution will be needed for fliers. ------------------------------ (6.5.00) CLASSIC ------------------------------- *Only available if you own the original Orcs Must Die! on Steam *To play co-op, both players must have the appropriate content Walkthroughs will generally assume you have Barricades available -- (6.5.01) Twin Halls -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 5000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Ogre Enemies (NM): Waves: 9 Par Time: 17:00 Advisory: East spawn opens on wave 2. Upgraded: For those who haven't played the first OMD!, this was the first level where Barricades could be used. It should be no surprise when I say: Barricade one side, trap the other. 2 Barricades should be enough. Use the low ceiling area just before the rift on the non-Barricade side. If for some reason you hate Barricades Nightmare: -- (6.5.02) Lunch Break -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: Rift Points: Coin Bonus: Enemies: Enemies (NM): Waves: Par Time: Advisory: Upgraded: Nightmare: -- (6.5.03) Sludge Hole -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: Rift Points: Coin Bonus: Enemies: Enemies (NM): Waves: Par Time: Advisory: Upgraded: Nightmare: -- (6.5.04) Chaos Chamber -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: Rift Points: Coin Bonus: Enemies: Enemies (NM): Waves: Par Time: Advisory: Upgraded: Nightmare: -- (6.5.05) The Arena -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: Rift Points: Coin Bonus: Enemies: Enemies (NM): Waves: Par Time: Advisory: Upgraded: Nightmare: -- (6.5.06) The Library -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: Rift Points: Coin Bonus: Enemies: Enemies (NM): Waves: Par Time: Advisory: Upgraded: Nightmare: -- (6.5.07) Hard Climb -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: Rift Points: Coin Bonus: Enemies: Enemies (NM): Waves: Par Time: Advisory: Upgraded: Nightmare: -- (6.5.08) The Squeeze -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: Rift Points: Coin Bonus: Enemies: Enemies (NM): Waves: Par Time: Advisory: Upgraded: Nightmare: -- (6.5.09) Stairs of Doom -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: Rift Points: Coin Bonus: Enemies: Enemies (NM): Waves: Par Time: Advisory: Upgraded: Nightmare: -- (6.5.10) Finale -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: Rift Points: Coin Bonus: Enemies: Enemies (NM): Waves: Par Time: Advisory: Upgraded: Nightmare: -------------------------------- (6.6) ENDLESS -------------------------------- In Endless Mode, you keep fighting wave after wave of enemies until you lose all of your rift points. Go Breaks are given every 3 waves, but after Wave 25 the game shifts to Nightmare rules: no Go Breaks, and the time between waves is reduced to 3 seconds. Completing wave 1 awards 1 base skull and wave 40 awards 5. After wave 10, enemies become stronger and more duable after every wave. Endless requires a different mindset compared to most regular levels. Enemies eventually become durable enough to survive most damaging killboxes, so physics traps in combination with pitfalls or Void Walls are a popular strategy, as are Spore Mushrooms and Floor Portals. Note that Spored or charmed enemies don't seem to keep their strength bonuses from later waves. Coin bonuses after each wave are not awarded in Endless, and coin awarded for enemy kills gradually decreases as the waves progress. However, every 5 waves spawn a golden ogre named Mr. Moneybags. There's no rift point penalty for letting him through and he won't attack, but killing him drops a 1200 coin. Endless has 101 unique waves for each map. The 102nd wave and every one after just repeats the 101st wave while making the enemies more and more powerful. Despite that the game says all enemies appear in Endless, some maps don't allow for flying enemies. This will be noted below. Earning at least one skull on an Endless map unlocks the next, and completing Story unlocks all of them. -- Tunnels -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 5000 Rift Points: 20 Flying enemies: No -- Hidden Gulch -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 6000 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: Yes -- Precipice -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 8000 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: Yes -- Crunch -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 12000 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: Yes -- Wind Up -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 10000 Rift Points: 25 Flying enemies: No -- Crossfire -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 6000 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: No -- Close Cliffs -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 8000 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: No -- The Quarry -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 8000 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: No -- Caldera -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 12000 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: No -- King of the Hill -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 14000 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: Yes -- The Library -- *Requires Fire and Water DLC* Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 7500 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: No -- The Crossing -- *Requires Fire and Water DLC* Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 7000 Rift Points: 20 Flying enemies: No -- The West Wing -- *Requires Fire and Water DLC* Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 8000 Rift Points: 30 Flying enemies: Yes -------------------------- (6.7) DLC: FIRE AND WATER -------------------------- *To play co-op, both players must have the appropriate content* Walkthroughs will generally assume you have Barricades available -- (6.7.1) Traffic Jammed -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 4000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Kobold Runner, Fire Elemental/Lord Enemies (NM): Waves: 9 Par Time: Advisory: Enemies go for the rift farther from their spawn. Upgraded: The middle of the level is a good place for a single 2-way killbox. Haymakers are recommended as always, and Barricade funnel mazes slow enemies considerably here. Soften up Fire Lords/Elementals, as they are likely to choke up your killbox. You could also choose to make killboxes in the hallways leading to the middle, either instead of or in addition to the middle one. Fire-based traps and weapons aren't recommended. Ice Amulet, despite not freezing them, deals high damage to Fire Lords and Elementals. Nightmare: More Fire Lords and tougher Orcs spawn earlier. Virtually the same. -- (6.7.2) Double Decker -- Level type: Mines Starting Coin: 6000 Rift Points: 25 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Crossbow Orc, Gnoll Hunter, Ogre, Waterling Enemies (NM): Waves: 9 Par Time: 13:00 Advisory: North spawn opens on wave 2. Upgraded: Push Traps, Void Walls, Spring Traps, and the Wind Belt are very well suited to this level. The whole north cliff face covered in Push Traps will take care of all non-Ogres, while the south "S" before the minecarts is perfect for lots of Void Walls. Weapons that hold enemies in one place, like Vampiric Gauntlets, Crossbow, or Sceptre are good complements to the Wind Belt. Nightmare: -- (6.7.3) The West Wing -- Level type: Fortress Starting Coin: 8000 Rift Points: 30 Coin Bonus: Enemies: Light/Medium/Heavy Orc Warrior, Kobold Runner, Frostbat, Thunderbat, Fire Elemental/Lord, Waterling Enemies (NM): Waves: 11 Par Time: 24:30 Advisory: Enemies walk straight; south enemies go to north rift, north enemies go to east rift. Fliers start from wave 2. North spawn opens on wave 3. Fliers from the south only. Upgraded: Barricade chokepoint next to the rift: |/////| |AAAAA| | | / = Stairs |S | A = Archers | | S = Floor Scorcher, facing south __|HB |__ H = Haymaker + Grinder + floor trap B // B = Barricade N XXX B // X = Optional Barricades to slow down enemies (later waves) __ B _/ N = North/west enemies, heading east | | S = South enemies, heading north | S | Due to the wide area of the space leading to the killbox, Dart Spitters can be effective. Dwarves can be used in addition to Archers. Immobilizing weapons (Crossbow, Vampiric Gauntlets) recommended. Par Time can be an issue on this map. Try to kill Waterlings and Fire Elemental/Lords quickly, as Firelings and bigger Waters move faster. Using the optional Barricade positions allows you to place more Grinders (or other close-range wall traps). Nightmare: --------------------------- (6.8) WEEKLY CHALLENGE ---------------------------- Beginning on August 17th, 2012 Robot Entertainment began to release weekly challenges, with a new one available every following Friday. Each challenge is available until the next one begins (7 days) and forces players to tackle a certain level with an enforced loadout and character. Each map gives a free chance to earn more skulls every week, and some can prove to be difficult. Due to the nature of the event, this guide won't cover how to deal with each. Instead, the list of previous challenges will be chronicled. Weekly Challenge levels limit what you can bring, but levels are otherwise exact copies of their appropriate map on War Mage difficulty. Enemy waves, rift points, initial coin, and coin bonuses are all identical. Upgrades to spellbook items are pre-set, and do not reflect those of your own spellbook upgrades. Characters will always be in their default outfit, and Double Jump and Feather Fall can't be used. 1) August 17th, 2012 - Flip 'Em Off Character: War Mage -Blunderbuss level 2 -Spring Trap level 1, sometimes flips heavy enemies Level: The Crossing 2) August 24th, 2012 - Fire Valley Character: War Mage -Flame Bracers level 2, fire wall lasts longer -Brimstone level 3 -Arrow Wall level 2, fire arrows -Floor Scorcher level 2 -Archer Guardian level 3, fire arrows Level: Big Valleys 3) August 31st, 2012 - Trap-less Bra Character: Sorceress -Sceptre of Domination level 0, larger radius -Ice Amulet level 1 Level: The Edge 4) September 7th, 2012 - Dance For Me Character: Sorceress -Sceptre of Domination level 3, extra damage to charmed -Spore Mushrooms level 3, stronger kobolds Level: Servant Entrance 5) September 14th, 2012 - Traps Are So Cool Character: War Mage -Bladestaff level 2, shielding -Barricade level 2, reduced damage -Haymaker level 2, more force -Tar level 3 -Arrow Wall level 3 Level: Passages =============================================================================== ======== (7.0) SPELLBOOK - Traps, Weapons, Trinkets, and Vanity items ========= =============================================================================== From the top page of the spellbook, you can access My Gear and the 4 item categories. You can also refund you skulls at no cost as often as you want. "My Gear" shows all of the spellbook items you currently have unlocked and their coin costs. You can drag around item icons to swap places with another item, allowing you to put often-used traps and weapons in convenient spots. Total skull cost to max out spellbook: 1651 + (108 DLC) Most traps have a size of 1 "tile". Examples include Haymakers, Tar, and Acid Sprayers. Only a handful of traps are larger or smaller: -1/4th tile: Bear Trap, Autoballista -2x2 tiles: Void Wall, Boulder Chute -3x1 tiles: Swinging Mace -3x3 tiles: Coinforge -Free placement*: Archer Guardian, Paladin Guardian, Dwarf Guardian, Decoy, Boom Barrel *Can be placed on top of "tile" floor traps Guardian Limit: You are allowed to have any combination of up to 25 Archer Guardians, Paladin Guardians, Dwarf Guardians, and Autoballistas. Dead Guardians continue to count towards the limit of 25, but are revived at full health at each Go Break. Since Nightmare doesn't have Go Breaks, dead Guardians are permanent on that difficulty. Here's an "at-a-glance" look at unlock requirements for all spellbook items: TRAPS Acid Sprayer Default (Sorceress) Archer Guardian Story: Passages Arrow Wall Default (War Mage) Autoballista Buy (13 skulls) Barricade Story: Big Valleys Bear Trap Story: Crunch Boom Barrel Buy (3 skulls) Boom Barrel Dispenser Story: Corridors Boulder Chute Story: Precipice Brimstone Buy (7 skulls) Coinforge Buy (5 skulls) Dart Spitter DLC: Fire and Water Decoy Buy (11 skulls) Dwarf Guardian Story: The Crossing Floor Portal DLc: Fire and Water Floor Scorcher Buy (16 skulls) Grinder Buy (12 skulls) Haymaker Story: Hidden Gulch Healing Well Buy (12 skulls, War Mage) Ice Vent Default (Sorceress) Mana Well Buy (12 skulls, Sorceress) Paladin Guardian Buy (12 skulls) Pounder Buy (10 skulls) Push Trap Buy (8 skulls) Shock Zapper Story: Mirror Image Spike Trap Story: The Edge Spore Mushrooms Buy (15 skulls) Spring Trap Story: Chasm Steam Trap Buy (6 skulls) Swinging Mace Buy (14 skulls) Tar Default (War Mage) Void Wall Story: Wind Up Wall Blades Buy (14 skulls) Web Spinner DLC: Fire and Water WEAPONS Alchemist's Satchel Buy (14 skulls) Bladestaff Buy (8 skulls) Bone Amulet Buy (12 skulls) Blunderbuss Default (War Mage) Crossbow Buy (8 skulls) Dwarven Hammer Buy (13 skulls, War Mage) Flame Bracers Story: Upstairs Downstairs Ice Amulet Story: Servant Entrance Polymorph Ring Buy (13 skulls, Sorceress) Ring of Lightning Buy (12 skulls) Sceptre of Domination Default (Sorceress) Vampiric Gauntlets Buy (14 skulls) Wind Belt Buy (10 skulls) TRINKETS Berserker Trinket Buy (10 skulls) Defense Trinket Buy (5 skulls) Freedom Trinket Buy (7 skulls) Healing Trinket Story: Tunnels Mana Rage Trinket Buy (13 skulls) Rift Defender Trinket Buy (12 skulls) Scavenger Trinket Buy (9 skulls) Trap Reset Trinket Buy (11 skulls) VANITY WAR MAGE Miner Default Classic Order Story: War Mage Knight of the Order Story: Nightmare Orc Slayer Buy (50 skulls) VANITY SORCERESS Exiled Default Classic Order Story: War Mage Knight of the Order Story: Nightmare Summertime Buy (50 skulls) ------------------------------- (7.1.00) Traps -------------------------------- -Key (for ambiguous entries): Trigger Range: Tile range in which the trap will automatically trigger. "Manual" means the trap does not activate automatically. "Step" means the trap activates when stepped on (Floor Traps) Effect Range: Tile range in which the trap's effect will hit enemies, if different from Trigger range. Reset Time: *Accuracy within ~1 second* -- (7.1.01) Acid Sprayer -- "Sprays acid when enemies pass by; resets after firing" How to obtain: Default (Sorceress) Type: Wall Trap Coin cost: 600 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Acid deals additional damage Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Acid shoots out further (3 tile range increases to 4) Unique 2: Acid briefly slows targets (+Slow effect) Trigger Range: 3 tiles Effect Range: 3 tiles Reset Time: 12 seconds Other: -Deals Poison damage Acid Sprayer is the Sorceress's basic long-range wall trap. Its combination of decent damage with a 3 tile range makes it suitable for a variety of levels. Unlike its Arrow Wall cousin, the Acid Sprayer fires continuously while active, leaving no room for enemies to sneak through. Additionally, its 4 tile range Unique upgrade allows it to cover some wider hallways that the Shock Zapper and Arrow Wall cannot. Its damage output is a bit lower than either though, and does very low damage to Trolls. The Unique of choice depends on the map. Use slow when you don't need the increase in range, and vice-versa when you do. -- (7.1.02) Archer Guardian -- "Fires arrows at distant enemies" How to obtain: Story: Passages Type: Guardian Coin cost: 750 Size: Free placement Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/5/11 Level 1/2/3 effect: Archers cost 650/575/500 to place. Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Arrows sometimes set targets on fire (adds Burn effect) Unique 2: Archers regenerate health Trigger Range: ~7 tile radius Effect Range: 1 enemy Reset Time: See Other Other: -Fires arrows in volleys of 3 over 2 seconds -After firing a volley, waits ~1 second before the next -When Unique 1 flaming arrows trigger, applies Burn and does not apply arrow's combo point Archers are the cheapest and usually the most reliable of the 4 Guardians. They make good contributions to killboxes at a distance and can handle most fliers if you use enough of them. They are very vulnerable to Gnolls, dying in 2 or 3 hits, so make sure you can protect them. Aside from killing Gnolls directly, you can use Decoys to help your Archers for a few seconds. When positioning Archers, note that their arrows can be blocked by you, traps, and other Guardians. Placing them in a line (horizontal or diagonal) or in staggered rows is best. Regenerating Archers are the safest option, but in most levels flaming arrows are usually more efficient. Keep in mind that the Archer has to survive to be able to regenerate, which mostly just helps against fliers and stray Crossbow Orc shots. Make sure to protect them on Nightmare difficulty, as dead Archers are dead for the rest of the level and continue to count against the Guardian Limit. Archers are highly discouraged in Endless. -- (7.1.03) Arrow Wall -- "Fires a volley of arrows at enemies that pass; resets after firing" How to obtain: Default (War Mage) Type: Wall Trap (+Ceiling Trap) Coin cost: 600 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Arrows do additional damage Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Arrows sometimes set enemies on fire (+Burn effect) Unique 2: Arrows sometimes chills enemies, reducing their movement speed (+Chill effect) Special skulls: 11 Special: Arrow Walls can now be placed on ceiling Trigger Range: 3 tiles Effect Range: ~7 tiles Reset Time: 12 seconds Other: -Fire 4 waves of arrows over 2 seconds -Arrows sometimes ragdoll light-weight enemies The Arrow Wall is the War Mage's basic long-range wall trap. It boasts good damage, a decent reset time, and elemental-themed Unique upgrades. This makes it a good wall trap for combos. It's a bit more potent on large enemies, since more arrows will hit. Arrow Walls are more damaging to a horde of enemies if you can make them fire parallel to their path, as the arrows extend farther than their 3 tile trigger range. Example: Example A Example B _____________ _____________ \ AW AW \ E = Enemies, going east then south E AW| E | AW = Arrow Wall _______ | _______ | | | | | | | | | In Example A, the first enemy to trigger the Arrow Wall will also cause it to shoot other enemies coming down the path to the west. In Example B, the arrows tend to only hit the first few enemies in a group. The right Arrow Wall has slightly better positioning. Of course, this applies more to offensive capability than combo utility. As a ceiling trap, they are somewhat useful. Compared to the Shock Zapper, another 3-range, 1-tile ceiling trap, it is much cheaper to use. But ceiling Arrow Walls suffer from the lack of parallel firing, as illustrated above. Low ceiling traps like the Haymaker tend to be more useful, so I only advise using Arrow Walls as a ceiling trap if you need extra loadout space or for high ceiling areas. Fire arrows are usually better for both comboing and general utility, but the extra movement speed reduction from chill is sometimes more beneficial. -- (7.1.04) Autoballista -- "Automatically attacks the enemy; limited arc of fire" How to obtain: Buy (13 skulls) Type: Ceiling Trap (+Wall Trap, +Guardian) Coin cost: 1000 Size: 1/4th tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Autoballista fires faster (from 16 seconds to 14/12/10) Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Autoballista attack breifly stuns enemies Unique 2: Autoballista range increased (from ~8 tiles to ~11 tiles) Special skulls: 12 Special: Autoballista can now be placed on walls Trigger Range: 180 degree arc, ~8 tile radius Effect Range: 1 enemy, but can hit others Reset Time: 16 seconds Other: -Counts towards Guardian limit -Shots can hit multiple enemies No, that's not a typo. Autoballistas do count as Guardians. Keep in mind that while they fire slower and cost more than other Guardians, they cannot die. Additionally, they have a very large attack range. When placing Autoballistas, be sure to consider their large firing arc. Having them face the enemy spawns seems logical, but consider this | E | E = enemies | | A = Autoballista, facing north |B A | B = Autoballista, facing east | | R = rift | R | A is only getting one shot at the enemies in front of it. Any enemies that run through it won't get hit. B, on the other hand, gets to shoot enemies along the entire lane. Essentially, you want the front of your Autoballista to be facing as much enemy pathway as possible, and the back to be facing floors, walls, and corners that won't see much, if any, enemy traffic. For Uniques: the range is already good so only take it if you don't want enemies to be stunned, for whatever reason. -- (7.1.05) Barricade -- "Obstacle that blocks the enemy's path" How to obtain: Story: Big Valleys Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 900 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Barricade cost reduced to 800/700/600 Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Barricades take reduced damage from attacks Unique 2: Barricades self-repair shortly after taking damage Trigger Range: N/A Effect Range: N/A Reset Time: N/A Other: -Enemies treat the Barricade as a wall, seeking another path -Gnolls can walk over Barricades -If Barricades completely block access to a rift, enemies attack them Barricades are one of the most useful traps in the spellbook, despite the fact that they don't deal damage. Instead of defending your rift from 2 sides, you can block one side with Barricades and force all enemies into one direction. Similarly, you can make wide hallways into chokepoints. For these reasons, Barricades are highly recommended in almost all levels. As soon as you are able, upgrade them to level 3. The less coin you have to spend on Barricades, the more you can spend on traps that focus on damage. Pay close attention to the wisps when using Barricades. If a wisp curves away from a path the Barricade is blocking, your Barricade is usually safe. But if the wisps stop in front of the Barricades, enemies will attack them. Barricades don't have to be fully connected to block off a path; simply being connected from corner-to-corner is enough. This can save you the cost of an extra Barricade here and there if you're willing to experiment. There are also places where Barricades can redirect enemies even if they aren't completely blocking off a path. This is called "Advanced Barricading" by the Orcs community, and is mostly discovered through trial-and-error placement. When using Barricades, be wary of Gnolls and Kobold Sappers. Gnolls act as if they don't exist and walk over them freely. Sappers will attack Barricades if there are no other players, Guardians, Decoys, or charmed enemies nearby, and around 3 are enough to completely destroy one. They will usually destroy more than 1 due to their explosion's radius. One effective way to handle Sappers is to use "dummy Barricades", which is simply putting a single Barricade in a place where Sappers will target it instead of your primary Barricades. It's less costly than replacing main Barricades and, unlike Decoys, won't draw attention from non-Sappers. Note that charmed enemies can cause other enemies to unintentionally damage the Barricades, since their attacks hit an area in front of them. For Uniques, both have their uses. Reduced damage allows Barricades to survive almost twice as many Sappers and also last longer when hit by enemies on accident, making it the Unique of choice for most occasions. For levels without Sappers, self-repairing Barricades can also make a good choice and make using charmed enemies near Barricades a bit less stressful. -- (7.1.06) Bear Trap -- "Stuns and damages an enemy; breaks when triggered" How to obtain: Story: Crunch Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 150 Size: 1/4th tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/6/12 Level 1/2/3 effect: Bear trap damage increased Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Bear trap freezes targets instead of stunning them Unique 2: Bear trap burns targets instead of stunning them Trigger Range: Step Effect Range: 1 enemy Reset Time: N/A, destroyed after triggered Other: Not an often-used trap, since it is destroyed after hitting a single enemy. Despite this, it does trigger fast enough to hit Kobolds and Gnolls, even killing Gnolls in one hit with upgrades. It only knocks the shields off of Orcs that have them, making it less useful against later level hordes. -- (7.1.07) Boom Barrel -- "Blows up when damaged" How to obtain: Buy (3 skulls) Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 200 Size: Free placement Level 1/2/3 skulls: Level 1/2/3 effect: Explosion damage increased Unique skulls: 4 Unique 1: Boom barrels cost reduced to 150 Unique 2: Increases explosion radius Trigger Range: Manual Effect Range: Reset Time: N/A, destroyed after triggered Other: -Can be destroyed by enemies, weapons/traps/Guardians, and "fall damage" -Deals explosive damage As a one-time use trap, Boom Barrels aren't very cost efficient. With the addition of the Boom Barrel Dispenser, its use is even more questionable. Over time, the Dispenser will probably make more than 5 Boom Barrels on its own, making up for its natural cost. That said, Boom Barrels do have advantages over their Dispenser counterpart. It's faster to place multiple Boom Barrels than to wait for a Dispenser to spawn multiples. You can also place Boom Barrels wherever you want on the floor and even inside your killbox, where it can be detonated by other traps. With enough spare coin, it becomes a sort of primary weapon in its own right. Lower cost unique is probably the better choice. Radius shouldn't be much of a concern with manual placement. -- (7.1.08) Boom Barrel Dispenser -- "Automatically creates Boom Barrels" How to obtain: Story: Corridors Type: Wall Trap Coin cost: 1000 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Spawn boom barrels faster (min+max reset time range -5) Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Spawned boom barrels automatically explode near enemies Unique 2: Spawned boom barrels also get all Boom Barrel upgrades Trigger Range: Automatic Effect Range: See other Reset Time: 40-50 seconds Other: -Doesn't spawn Boom Barrels during Go Breaks -Reset time is semi-random, but always within a certain time range -Spawned Boom Barrels take fall damage; falling from a 2 tile height or higher causes them to explode as they hit the ground. From a 1.5 tile height, one Barrel falling on another will make both explode -Barrels roll out at a down-forward angle. From ground-level, barrels land ~1 tile distance from the wall. From 1 tile up, ~2 tiles -Spawned barrels act as level 0 Boom Barrels unless Unique 2 is used A long reset timer makes Boom Barrel Dispensers of limited use as a single wall trap. However, the Boom Barrels they spawn are like any other in that they can be moved to another location. Additionally, you can place the Dispenser above other wall traps and still have it contribute to a killbox. Unique 2 is usually preferred over Unique 1, but it depends on how you want to use the Dispenser. Exploding near enemies isn't as useful in a killbox, as you or your traps can detonate the barrels anyways, but as is more effective as a unmanned "automatic" trap. -- (7.1.09) Boulder Chute -- "Shoot to drop boulders on enemies; resets after firing" How to obtain: Story: Precipice Type: Ceiling trap Coin cost: 800 Size: 2x2 tiles Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/14 Level 1/2/3 effect: Boulder chute reset time reduced (from 20 sec to 17/15/13) Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Boulder chutes sometimes drop coins (worth 100) Unique 2: Boulder chutes sometimes drop bombs Trigger Range: Manual Effect Range: Rocks fall until they hit the floor Reset Time: 20 seconds Other: -More distance between the Boulder Chute and the floor = more damage Boulder Chutes are the cheapest way to cover a 2x2 high ceiling. Its competitors, Arrow Walls and Shock Zappers, cost 2400 and 4000, respectively, to cover the same area. Additionally, there are a rare few ceilings where only Boulder Chutes have enough range to actually use naturally. To help use Boulder Chutes more effectively, it's advised that you put floor traps under it to remind you of its hit area. The rocks don't hit outside of the 2x2 range under it, so it's easy to over or undershoot the distance. One method to automate a Boulder Chute is to make a chain reaction with your other traps, aka a Rube Goldberg device. For example: Steam Traps, Archer Guardians, and the Boulder Chute. As the Steam Trap pushes enemies up into the Chute, the Archers shoot the rising/falling enemies and trigger the Chute. Between the 2 Uniques, there's not a clear superior option. Bombs seem to drop more commonly than coins, for what it's worth. -- (7.1.10) Brimstone -- "Burns enemies; fades out after doing damage; recharges over time" How to obtain: Buy (7 skulls) Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 700 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/6/12 Level 1/2/3 effect: Burns 3/4/5 enemies before running out of heat Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Brimstone heats up faster Unique 2: Enemies set on fire burn longer Trigger Range: Step Effect Range: Same Reset Time: 30 seconds, see Other Other: -Constantly regenerates "charges" for triggering, regenerates 1 charge every 30 seconds. Reset time to maximum varies depending on max charge -Uses 50%/33%/25%/20% of progress bar at level 0/1/2/3 per use -After empty, cannot fire again until it has enough charge for 1 use -Unique 1 speeds up charge rate to 1 charge every 25 seconds Brimstone is one of a few traps that triggers quickly enough to hurt Kobolds (including the Grinder and Shock Zapper) and is the cheapest among them. If you plan on using Brimstone, be sure to upgrade it to level 3 as soon as possible. Because of the way its reset works, Brimstone is less and less effective over time in very high traffic killboxes. "Heats up faster" is preferred over "burns longer". -- (7.1.11) Coinforge -- "Enemies that die on a Coinforge drop more coins" How to obtain: Buy (5 skulls) Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 200 Size: 3x3 tiles Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/5/11 Level 1/2/3 effect: Enemies that die on the Coinforge are worth more coin (from +50% to +55%/+65%/+75%) Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Coinforge effect persists briefly after enemies leave the Coinforge Unique 2: Enemies affected by the Coinforge take additional damage Trigger Range: N/A, always active Effect Range: Step Reset Time: N/A, always active Other: -Coinforge effect removes Bleed -Does not add a combo point -Level 0 coinforge effect raises coin worth by 50% Despite its massive size, the Coinforge is extremely cheap to create. While it reduces the ability to use other floor traps in combination with it, Decoys and Guardians can still go on top of it. Holding a horde of enemies on top of your Coinforge while hitting them with wall/ceiling traps and Guardians will earn a lot of coin, more than enough to make up for its own cost. If desired, you can sell it later and put other floor traps over it. Unique 2 is usually a better option than Unique 1. The Coinforge is large enough that persisting isn't necessary, and dealing more damage helps ensure that you get boosted coin and kill enemies quicker in one swoop. -- (7.1.12) Dart Spitter -- "Spits darts filled with acid; resets after firing How to obtain: DLC: Fire and Water Type: Ceiling Trap Coin cost: 900 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Darts do additional damage Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Darts sometimes freeze enemies Unique 2: Darts sometimes charm enemies Trigger Range: 3x3 range around trap, 2 tiles down Effect Range: Reset Time: 15 seconds Other: -Darts fire at a downward angle; doesn't hit smaller enemies under it -Darts have a chance to ragdoll light enemies -Darts deal Poison damage(?) The Dart Spitter's main strength is its large effect area; it's the only ceiling trap able to hit enemies around it rather than just directly under it. As such, it enjoys greater freedom and synergy alongside other ceiling traps. Dart Spitters don't tend to deal much damage to single targets on their own, so don't rely on them as a standalone trap. No current opinion on Uniques. -- (7.1.13) Decoy -- "Looks oddly like a War Mage; explodes if destroyed by enemies" How to obtain: Buy (11 skulls) Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 700 Size: Free placement Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Decoy health increased Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Decoy will reappear after being destroyed, but no longer explodes Unique 2: Enemies that attack the decoy are chilled and sometimes frozen Trigger Range: N/A Effect Range: Reset Time: Other: -Heals self over time if not being attacked -On death, deals explosive damage to enemies in range -With Unique 2, death also freezes enemies in range Decoys are an extremely cost-efficient way of keeping enemies in one place and are quicker/cheaper than building a Barricade funnel/maze. Placing Decoys in the middle of your killbox is a good way to slow down most enemies, especially if you lack slowing effects like Tar. Unique 1 essentially turns the Decoy into a reusable Guardian that doesn't fight back, which is better than it initially sounds. Rather than replace the same Decoy multiple times, you can just place 1-3 Decoys spaced slightly apart and have them share the burden. Unique 2 (or no Unique) is better when coin isn't a concern and the dead Decoy can be easily replaced; the explosion is sometimes as valuable as the Decoy itself. -- (7.1.14) Dwarf Guardian -- "Throws explosive bombs at enemies" How to obtain: Story: The Crossing Type: Guardian Coin cost: 900 Size: Free placement Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Dwarf attacks do increased damage Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Dwarf bombs sometimes cause targets to bleed Unique 2: Dwarf melee attacks sometimes knock back foes Trigger Range: ~5 tile radius Effect Range: ~1 tile radius (Bombs) Reset Time: See other Other: -Bombs deal explosive damage -Melees when enemies are close Dwarves are usually outclassed by Paladins and Archers, but can work well in combination with them. Durability-wise, Dwarves fall somewhere inbetween Paladins and Archers. Bombs make them a bit more potent against Elementals, but their low rate of fire and inconsistant aim can disappoint as a lone Guardian. Dwarves are short enough that Archer shots go over their heads. Bleeding bombs are the better unique. If your Dwarf is in melee range, they're essentially dead. -- (7.1.15) Floor Portal -- "Teleports enemies back to the start; resets after firing" How to obtain: DLC: Fire and Water Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 1200 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Floor Portals reset faster Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Enemy catches on fire when teleported Unique 2: Enemies sometimes leave coins behind when teleported (worth 20) Trigger Range: Step Effect Range: 1 enemy Reset Time: Other: Floor Portals are unremarkable for regular play but are amazing for Endless. Their reset time is relatively low and it's very easy to get enough coin to force any number of heavy enemies through a killbox again and again. No current opinion on Uniques. Coin drop rate seems fairly common. -- (7.1.16) Floor Scorcher -- "Flips up and burns groups of enemies" How to obtain: Buy (16 skulls) Type: Floor Trap (+Wall Trap) Coin cost: 800 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Floor Scorcher damage increased Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Floor Scorcher burns targets longer Unique 2: Flames cover a larger arc Special skulls: 13 Special: Floor Scorcher can now be placed on walls Trigger Range: Step + 2 tiles in one direction (can rotate) Effect Range: Same Reset Time: Other: -Light enemies standing on top of it can be ragdolled -Deals fire damage and Burns enemies Floor Scorchers have a unique quality among floor traps: horizontal attack area. Being able to attack 2 tiles in front of it allows you to use it "outside" of your killbox, freeing up tile space for other floor traps. No current opinion on Unique. -- (7.1.17) Grinder -- "Sucks in enemies that get too close; runs constantly until it jams" How to obtain: Buy (12 skulls) Type: Wall Trap Coin cost: 1000 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Increased damage; clears jams faster Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Grinder unjams much more quickly Unique 2: Grinder sometimes makes monsters bleed for a short time Trigger Range: N/A, runs constantly Effect Range: 1 tile Reset Time: (does not display on progress bar) Other: -Deals damage constantly to enemies in range when active -After unjamming, becomes active again at 50% "health" -Level 3 unjams after ~20 seconds Grinders are an essential part of high score and comboing as well as a very effective countermeasure against Kobolds. As a standalone trap it jams up quickly so it's best to support it with other traps and weapon effects. Unique 2's bleed is what makes it valuable for combos, but if those precious few seconds while jammed are more important you should use Unique 1. -- (7.1.18) Haymaker -- "Spins and knocks around enemies; resets after firing" How to obtain: Story: Hidden Gulch Type: Ceiling Trap Coin cost: 700 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Haymaker deals more damage Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Haymaker throws enemies with more force Unique 2: Haymaker sometimes stuns heavy enemies (+Stun, heavy only) Trigger Range: 1 and 1/2 tiles down Effect Range: Same Reset Time: Other: -Ragdolls light enemies -Runs for x seconds, continues to reset while active Haymkers are arguably one of the best traps in the game. Its combination of traits (moderate damage, relatively low reset time, relatively cheap, remains active for a while after triggering) allow it to be used in almost any scenario you can think of. A must-have for any level with low ceilings. Unique 1 is usually more harmful than helpful, as enemies can fly in random directions (such as the wrong side of a killbox) and live. Unique 2 is better but can sometimes make combos on heavy enemies more difficult, as it stops them before they step onto the tile under the Haymaker. -- (7.1.19) Healing Well -- "Restores player health; takes time to recharge" How to obtain: Buy (12 skulls, War Mage) Type: Wall Trap Coin cost: 600 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Additional stored health Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Healing Well cost reduced to 400 Unique 2: Healing Well recharges more quickly Trigger Range: Effect Range: Reset Time: Other: -- (7.1.20) Ice Vent -- "Freezes enemies; resets after firing" How to obtain: Default (Sorceress) Type: Floor Trap (+Ceiling Trap) Coin cost: 400 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Ice Vent reset time reduced Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Ice Vent freeze lasts longer (from 3 seconds to 4) Unique 2: Chills enemies after freeze wears off Special skulls: 11 Special: Ice Vent can now be placed on ceiling Trigger Range: Step Effect Range: 1 tile Reset Time: Other: -Base freeze duration of 3 seconds The Ice Vent is, alongside the Steam Trap and Tar, a floor trap that focuses on slowing down enemies rather than killing them. Unlike the other 2, Ice Vent suffers from costing the most coin, firing delay that limits the number and speed of targets it can hit (usually no more than 3 enemies), and the fact that Freeze is a difficult combo effect to synergize with. Longer freeze isn't a dramatically large increase, so you may prefer chill. -- (7.1.21) Mana Well -- "Restores player mana; takes time to recharge" How to obtain: Buy (12 skulls, Sorceress) Type: Wall Trap Coin cost: 1500 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Additional stored mana Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Mana Well cost reduced to 1250 Unique 2: Mana Well recharges faster Trigger Range: Effect Range: Reset Time: Other: -- (7.1.22) Paladin Guardian -- "Sturdy melee Guardians" How to obtain: Buy (12 skulls) Type: Guardian Coin cost: 1200 Size: Free placement Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Paladins have more health Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Paladin attacks sometimes stun targets Unique 2: Paladins slowly regenerate health Trigger Range: Effect Range: Sword attacks ~1/2 tile area in front Reset Time: N/A Other: -Deploys a blue "bubble" shield to repel ranged attacks when idle -Vulnerable to Crushing damage (most heavy enemies) Paladins are expensive but reliable against the basic Orc hordes. With health regeneration, they are usually in no danger of dying and 2-3 can hold back an entire lane of Orcs alone. On War Mage, Paladins can be considered like a more expensive reappearing-Decoy. However, Paladins like to pick the nearest target and pursue it relentlessly, even if the Paladin is too slow to catch it. This can result in them wandering away from their intended position, though they will walk back when their target is dead. Additionally, Paladins can't stand up to most heavy enemies like Elementals, Trolls, and Ogres unless they use the stun Unique, which impairs their longevity unless you take the Healing Trinket. Either way, a dead Paladin in Nightmare is a big loss in coin, so either make sure you can protect them or just leave them behind. Uniques, as covered above, depend on what you're fighting and what you want from your Paladins. Stun is better for big enemies, regeneration for longevity. -- (7.1.23) Pounder -- "Smashes enemies; resets after firing How to obtain: Buy (10 skulls) Type: Ceiling Trap Coin cost: 500 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/14 Level 1/2/3 effect: Pounder deals more damage Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Pounder briefly stuns enemies Unique 2: Trolls and Ogres struck by Pounder sometimes drop coins (worth 100) Trigger Range: 1 and 1/2 tiles down Effect Range: same Reset Time: Other: Except for lower cost, the Pounder is almost universally inferior to Haymakers for general killing power. Pounder does make itself more distinct with its Uniques though; Stun from Pounders affects all enemies, not just heavies like with Haymakers, and extra coin is never a bad thing. In some areas, Haymakers may unintentionally send an enemy in a direction you don't want them to go, skipping past your defenses. Pounders are more preferable in these examples. Stun Unique is preferred. -- (7.1.24) Push Trap -- "Pushes enemies away from the trap; resets after firing" How to obtain: Buy (8 skulls) Type: Wall Trap Coin cost: 300 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Push Trap reset time reduced Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Pushed enemies are briefly stunned Unique 2: Push trap range increases (from 1 tile to 2) Trigger Range: 1 tile Effect Range: Same Reset Time: Other: -Ragdolls light enemies The usefulness of Push Trap varies from level to level, but it truly shines on those with lots of pits to throw enemies into. Very quick reset time and low cost accentuate that strength. Even on levels without pits, you can use some creativity with Barricades to force enemies through a maze of traps again. The extra range Unique makes it much easier to use on some wider hallways. Stun is sometimes more useful as a regular killbox wall trap. -- (7.1.25) Shock Zapper -- "Electricity-flinging turret; adept at frying fliers" How to obtain: Story: Mirror Image Type: Ceiling Trap (+Wall Trap) Coin cost: 1000 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Shock Zapper holds more charge for zapping enemies Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Shock Zapper briefly stuns targets Unique 2: Shock Zapper chains to an additional target but uses more charge per attack Special skulls: 12 Special: Shock Zapper can now be placed on walls Trigger Range: 3 tiles Effect Range: same Reset Time: Other: -Deals Lightning damage -Charge system similar to Brimstone (testing for later version) -- (7.1.26) Spike Trap -- "Does damage when stepped on; resets after firing" How to obtain: Story: The Edge Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 300 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/4/9 Level 1/2/3 effect: Spike Trap resets faster (from 15 secs to xx / xx / xx) Unique skulls: 4 Unique 1: Damaged enemies are briefly slowed Unique 2: Damaged enemies bleed, taking additional damage Trigger Range: Step Effect Range: Same Reset Time: 15 seconds Other: Spike Traps are inexpensive, though not particularly damaging, lending to their usefulness in early levels and for combos alike. Unique choice depends on what you need more for combo effects. Slow is more useful for regular play. -- (7.1.27) Spore Mushrooms -- "Converts the first enemy that steps on it" How to obtain: Buy (15 skulls) Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 1200 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/8/17 Level 1/2/3 effect: Controlled enemies have extra health Unique skulls: 7 Unique 1: Spore Mushrooms reset much faster Unique 2: Kobold Runners converted by spores are extremely dangerous to the enemy (becomes stronger and has more health) Trigger Range: 1 tile Effect Range: 1 enemy Reset Time: Other: -Selling the Spore Mushroom kills any enemy it has converted -Can only convert one enemy at a time, per trap -Does not start resetting until converted enemy has died Spore Mushrooms are difficult to use as a set-and-forget trap, since there's no guarantee on whether you'll get a plain Orc or something better like an Ogre. When used in a more active role, placing it under your desired enemy, it's essentially a "permanent" charm. Great for tough enemies like Ogres and Trolls. Most enemies will stay next to the Spore that converted them, but Gnolls will actively pursue any enemies on the map, making them extra handy as Spore bait. Try to have most or all of your Spores near wherever you plan on being during a level. When the wave ends, sell any used Spores and replace them with fresh ones. You'll get a full-price coin refund when selling them and it's often much faster than waiting for the natural reset time. If you want to keep a certain Spored enemy, don't sell their "used" Spore. "Stronger Kobolds" essentially turns Kobolds into mini-Gnolls. They won't chase enemies they can't see, but they about as fast and tough as Gnolls. Whether you choose it over a quicker reset is largely a matter of personal taste. -- (7.1.28) Spring Trap -- "Throws enemies; resets after firing" How to obtain: Story: Chasm Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 700 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Spring Trap cost reduced to 600/525/450 Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Spring Trap sometimes flips heavier enemies Unique 2: Spring Trap reset time reduced Trigger Range: Step Effect Range: Same Reset Time: Other: -Ragdolls light enemies Spring Traps are essential to Void Wall setups as well as simply flinging enemies into pits. Keep your surroundings in mind when placing Springs; heavies only get flung ~1 tile, but light enemies like Orcs will usually be catapulted 2-3 tiles upwards, which can give them an unintentional shortcut. Unique 1 is virtually required to use this trap, due to the sheer number of levels with heavy enemies. -- (7.1.29) Steam Trap -- "Blasts steam and levitates enemies; resets after firing" How to obtain: Buy (6 skulls) Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 400 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/5/11 Level 1/2/3 effect: Steam Trap cost reduced to 350/300/250 Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Steam Trap chills enemies for a time Unique 2: Steam Trap reset time reduced Trigger Range: 1 tile Effect Range: Same Reset Time: Other: -Ragdolls light enemies -Unique 1 Chill also affects heavy enemies A cheap way to slow down enemies, Steam Trap flings enemies up ~3 tiles when triggered. This has somewhat unique applications, allowing for high walls to be utilized. -- (7.1.30) Swinging Mace -- "Smashes into enemies; constantly in motion" How to obtain: Buy (14 skulls) Type: Ceiling Trap Coin cost: 1500 Size: 3x1 tiles Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/8/16 Level 1/2/3 effect: Swinging Mace damage increased Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Swinging Mace swings faster Unique 2: Swinging Mace stuns enemies it hits Trigger Range: N/A, always active Effect Range: 1 tile down Reset Time: Other: -Ragdolls and tosses light enemies -- (7.1.31) Tar -- "Slows down enemies" How to obtain: Default (War Mage) Type: Floor Trap Coin cost: 450 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Tar trap cost reduced to 400/350/300 Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Enemies move slower (50% slow increases to 66%) Unique 2: Slow persists (2 seconds after stepping off of Tar) Trigger Range: N/A, always active Effect Range: Step Reset Time: N/A Other: -Slow effect, 50% (counted separately from other Slow effects) Tar is one of the best traps in the game due to its combination of low cost, potent effect, and that it's always active. The application is simple: apply generously to killboxes, slowing down enemies in range of your other traps. Fast enemies like Kobolds become slow enough to be caught by any trap and enemies that were already slow now move at a glacial pace. For Uniques, let's consider the average Orc moving at 1 tile per second. Unique 1 makes him take 3 seconds to cross the tar. Unique 2 makes him take 2 seconds to cross tar, then 2 more seconds to cross the tile beyond that. Unique 1 keeps him in one place for longer, whereas Unique 2 lasts a little longer. -- (7.1.32) Void Wall -- "Anything thrown in dies instantly" How to obtain: Story: Wind Up Type: Wall Trap Coin cost: 300 Size: 2x2 tiles Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Increases coin drop chance Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Throwing enemies into the void heals the player Unique 2: Enemies thrown in sometimes return as skeletons to fight for you Trigger Range: N/A Effect Range: N/A Reset Time: N/A Other: -Enemies killed by Void Wall can randomly drop potions or Coin (100) -Potions created by Void Wall kills disappear after 2 minutes -Enemies must be ragdolled and tossed into the Void Wall to be killed; does not trigger automatically -- (7.1.33) Wall Blades -- "Chops enemies apart; resets after firing" How to obtain: Buy (14 skulls) Type: Wall Trap Coin cost: 800 Size: 1 tile Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/8/16 Level 1/2/3 effect: Wall Blades deal increased damage Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Wall Blades breifly cause enemies to bleed Unique 2: Wall Blades reset time reduced Trigger Range: 1 tile Effect Range: Same Reset Time: Other: -- (7.1.34) Web Spinner -- "Sprays webs on enemies; fire will burn the webs off" How to obtain: DLC: Fire and Water Type: Wall Trap (+Ceiling Trap) Coin cost: 900 Size: 1 tile Level 1 / 2 / 3 skulls: 3 / 8 / 16 Level 1 / 2 / 3 effect: Webs slow enemies longer Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Burning webs deal damage Unique 2: Webs weaken enemies, causing them to take increased damage Special skulls: 13 Special: Web Spinner can now be placed on the ceiling Trigger Range: 3 tiles Effect Range: Same Reset Time: Other: Very short reset time, functionally close to Tar on walls. Unique 1 when playing with fire, Unique 2 otherwise. ------------------------------ (7.2.00) Weapons ------------------------------- -- (7.2.01) Alchemist's Satchel -- "Primary: places acid bombs Secondary: remotely detonates them" How to obtain: Buy (14 skulls) Primary mana cost: Secondary mana cost: None Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/8/16 Level 1/2/3 effect: Alchemy bombs have increased damage/area of effect Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Acid bombs slow enemies for a few seconds Unique 2: Acid bombs destroyed by traps or weapons deal additional acid damage over a brief time Other: -Deals poison-type damage -- (7.2.02) Bladestaff -- "Primary: Attack the enemy up close Secondary: Knock enemies away" How to obtain: Buy (8 skulls) Primary mana cost: None Secondary mana cost: Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Bladestaff deals increased damage Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Dealing damage with the bladestaff briefly increases run speed Unique 2: Dealing damage with the bladestaff grants a shielding effect Other: -Secondary deals explosive damage -- (7.2.03) Bone Amulet -- "Primary: Bones of dead orcs explode from the ground doing damage Secondary: Summons bone golem" How to obtain: Buy (12 skulls) Primary mana cost: Secondary mana cost: Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Increases bone golem health and attack damage Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Bone amulet primary attack goes further Unique 2: Bone amulet primary attack deals more damage Other: -Primary deals explosive damage -Bone golem constantly loses health over time -- (7.2.04) Blunderbuss -- "Primary: attack the enemy at a distance Secondary: launch grenades that throw enemies" How to obtain: Default (War Mage) Primary mana cost: None Secondary mana cost: 25 Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/5/11 Level 1/2/3 effect: Blunderbuss grenades deal more damage, cost less mana (mana cost from 25 to xx/xx/20?) Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Primary sometimes causes targets to bleed (+Bleed effect) Unique 2: Primary sometimes knocks back heavy enemies Other: -Primary has a chance to ragdoll light enemies -Unique 2 adds a chance to ragdoll heavy enemies -Secondary ragdolls light enemies -- (7.2.05) Crossbow -- "Primary: Attack the enemy at range Secondary: Launch a stun bomb" How to obtain: Buy (8 skulls) Primary mana cost: None Secondary mana cost: Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Headshots deal extra damage Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Primary attack sometimes sets targets on fire Unique 2: Headshots generate mana Other: -Primary can be held for rapidfire -Rapidfire shots are less accurate -Can only headshot while the aiming reticule is green -- (7.2.06) Dwarven Hammer -- "Primary: attack the enemy up close Secondary: whirlwind mode that drains mana" How to obtain: Buy (13 skulls, War Mage) Primary mana cost: None Secondary mana cost: Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Whirlwind attack does increased damage Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Take less damage while using whirlwind Unique 2: Primary attack stuns enemies (+Stun effect) Other: -Secondary can be held for continuous use. -- (7.2.07) Flame Bracers -- "Primary: Throw fireballs Secondary: Summon a fire wall" How to obtain: Story: Upstairs Downstairs Primary mana cost: ~30 Secondary mana cost: 75 Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/13 Level 1/2/3 effect: Fireballs cost less mana and burn targets longer Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Fire Wall lasts longer (from x seconds to 8 seconds) Unique 2: Fire wall briefly stuns enemies Other: -Fireballs have a small area of effect, around a half tile. -- (7.2.08) Ice Amulet -- "Primary: Freeze enemies at range Secondary: Area frost attack freezes nearby enemies" How to obtain: Story: Servant Entrance Primary mana cost: ~20 Secondary mana cost: 75 Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/14 Level 1/2/3 effect: Adds an additional ice projectile to primary attack Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Enemies frozen by secondary are chilled after they thaw Unique 2: Enemies frozen by secondary take additional damage Other: -Primary shoots 3 ice beams, 1 centered and 1 each left and right -Level 1 / 2 / 3 add an additional beam on each side at progressively further angles to the left/right, to a maximum of 9 projectiles -- (7.2.09) Polymorph Ring -- "Primary: Randomly transforms enemies Secondary: Transform yourself into an ogre" How to obtain: Buy (13 skulls, Sorceress) Primary mana cost: Secondary mana cost: Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Primary attack has less chance for monster transformations, increased chance for chickens Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Secondary transforms you into a frost ogre. Deals ice damage, resists ice, chill, and freeze. Unique 2: Secondary transforms you into a fire ogre. Deals fire damage, resists fire and burn. Other: -Primary can turn enemies into a Coin (100), potion, chicken, or any other enemy (except Mr. Moneybags). -Chickens are considered "friendly", enemies will kill them in one hit. -Larger enemies have less chance of being turned directly into chickens -When an enemy is transformed, it is treated as being the enemy it turns into, not the enemy is used to be (for the purposes of Coin worth, Rift Point worth, and further transformations). -- (7.2.10) Ring of Lightning -- "Primary: Cast chain lightning at enemies Secondary: Summon a storm of lightning" How to obtain: Buy (12 skulls) Primary mana cost: Secondary mana cost: 75 Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/7/15 Level 1/2/3 effect: Primary attack chains to an additional target (1/3) Primary attack mana cost reduced (2) Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Lightning Storm now also chills some enemies Unique 2: Lightning Storm duration increased Other: -Primary initially can hit up to 3 targets, maximum of 5 at level 3. -Secondary has a range of around 1-2 tiles up/down, hits through walls. -- (7.2.11) Sceptre of Domination -- "Primary: Fast ranged attack; can be charged Secondary: Charm an enemy for a time" How to obtain: Default (Sorceress) Primary mana cost: None Secondary mana cost: 45 Level 1/2/3 skulls: 2/5/11 Level 1/2/3 effect: Charm lasts longer and charm death causes more damage Unique skulls: 5 Unique 1: Fully-charged primary attack has a larger radius Unique 2: Primary attack deals extra damage to charmed enemies Other: -Primary full-charge deals explosive damage and ragdolls light enemies. -Primary becomes half-charged in 1 second, full-charged in 2 total. -Enemies who die while charmed explode, dealing damage and stunning other enemies around them. -- (7.2.12) Vampiric Gauntlets -- "Primary: Drains enemy health Secondary: Trades health for mana" How to obtain: Buy (14 skulls) Primary mana cost: Secondary mana cost: Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/8/16 Level 1/2/3 effect: Primary does additional damage and healing Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Enemies are immobilized for a short time (2 seconds after last hit) Unique 2: Secondary health to mana conversion rate improved Other: -Immobilized enemies can still attack enemies in range; does not stun. -Primary has a very small area of effect; hitting multiple enemies at once drains health from all of them. -- (7.2.13) Wind Belt -- "Primary: Throw enemies backwards Secondary: Pick up and drop enemies and objects" How to obtain: Buy (10 skulls) Primary mana cost: Secondary mana cost: Level 1/2/3 skulls: 3/6/14 Level 1/2/3 effect: Primary attack has increased range, increased strength, and decreased mana cost Unique skulls: 6 Unique 1: Picked-up enemies explode when thrown Unique 2: Picked-up enemies take damage while slowly healing the player Other: ------------------------------ (7.3.00) Trinkets ------------------------------ -- (7.3.01) Berserker Trinket-- "Passive: Deal bonus damage when low on health Active: Spend health to activate berserk mode" How to obtain: Buy (10 skulls) Active mana cost: Special 1 skulls: 5 Special 1: Active berserk ability lasts 9 seconds, up from 6 Special 2 skulls: 13 Special 2: Berserk grants 33% damage, up from 25% Other: -Passive only applies to the holder -- (7.3.02) Defense Trinket -- "Passive: Increases player health Active: Shield player from damage" How to obtain: Buy (5 skulls) Active mana cost: Special 1 skulls: 3 Special 1: Reduces damage taken Special 2 skulls: 10 Special 2: Penalty to attack while shielded halved Other: -Passive only applies to the holder -Passive increases maximum health by 50% -- (7.3.03) Freedom Trinket -- "Passive: Resist stuns Active: Break other players out of stun and briefly grants stun immunity" How to obtain: Buy (7 skulls) Active mana cost: Special 1 skulls: 4 Special 1: Passive and active abilities apply to being frozen as well Special 2 skulls: 11 Special 2: Active ability also clears chill and slow effects Other: -Passive only applies to the holder -- (7.3.04) Healing Trinket -- "Passive: Slowly regenerates health Active: Heal self and allies" How to obtain: Story: Tunnels Active mana cost: Special 1 skulls: 4 Special 1: Passive heal rate increased Special 2 skulls: 11 Special 2: Active healing mana cost reduced Other: -Passive only applies to the holder -- (7.3.05) Mana Rage Trinket -- "Passive: Higher mana capacity Active: Mana rage regenerates mana quickly for a short time" How to obtain: Buy (13 skulls) Active mana cost: None Special 1 skulls: 5 Special 1: Increased base mana pool (from +35% to +50%) Special 2 skulls: 15 Special 2: Mana Rage lasts longer Other: -Passive only applies to the holder -- (7.3.06) Rift Defender Trinket -- "Passive: Increases rift points Active: Stun all enemies" How to obtain: Buy (12 skulls) Active mana cost: Special 1 skulls: 5 Special 1: Doubles additional rift points (from +5% to +10%) Special 2 skulls: 14 Special 2: Active ability stun lasts longer (from xx seconds to xx seconds) Other: -Passive rounds down for decimal numbers -Extra rift points do not act as a "buffer" for 5-skull ratings -- (7.3.07) Scavenger Trinket -- "Passive: All enemies have a chance to drop coins Active: All enemies worth extra coin" How to obtain: Buy (9 skulls) Active mana cost: Special 1 skulls: 4 Special 1: Increased chance for coin drops from orcs and kobolds Special 2 skulls: 12 Special 2: Active ability generates extra coin (from +50% to +70%) Other: -Passive only applies to kills the holder contributes to -Enemies drop small coins (20 coin value) -Base active coin bonus is +50% -- (7.3.08) Trap Reset Trinket -- "Passive: Traps reset faster Active: Reset all traps for a mana cost" How to obtain: Buy (11 skulls) Active mana cost: 80 Active reset time: 60 seconds Special 1 skulls: 5 Special 1: Traps reset even faster Special 2 skulls: 14 Special 2: Active ability mana cost reduced (from 80 mana to 50) Other: -Faster reset does not apply to traps with "charges" -Active only restores 1 charge to appropriate traps -Active restores 50% power to Grinders --- (7.4) Vanity --- (For War Mages) Miner: Unlocked by default Classic Order: Complete Story on War Mage difficulty Knight of the Order: Complete Story on Nightmare difficulty Orc Slayer: Purchase with 50 skulls Alienwear: Awarded from a promotional giveaway with Alienware (For Sorceresses) Exiled: Unlocked by default Classic Order: Complete Story on War Mage difficulty Knight of the Order: Complete Story on Nightmare difficulty Summertime: Purchase with 50 skulls Alienwear: Awarded from a promotional giveaway with Alienware --- (7.5.00) Preset Traps --- *Not in the Spellbook, placed in some levels from the start* -- (7.5.01) Pits, Lava, and Acid -- Trigger: Automatic Effect Range: N/A Reset Time: N/A Other: -Kills anything that falls in Functionally, all 3 are the same: push an enemy off a cliff or into lava/acid and they die. Physics traps, normally not very damaging, become lethal when they fling enemies into these areas. -- (7.5.02) Minecart -- Trigger: Automatic Effect Range: Along the mine track Reset Time: N/A Other: -Ragdolls light enemies when hit -Ragdolled enemies cannot be hit -Minecart breaks when it hits a heavy enemy but still deals damage -On some levels, path can be switched by hitting a switch -When it reaches the end of the track, another minecart starts over -Can't lay traps on top of minecart tracks These run automatically in most mine levels. Though you don't have complete control over them, Minecarts are good at defending levels with multiple paths. -- (7.5.03) Minecart (Lava) -- Trigger: Manual Effect Range: Hits the floor under it as it moves Reset Time: ~2 seconds Other: -Lava stream lasts 4 seconds, after which it resets -Burns and deals fire damage These travel slowly on high tracks in some mine areas. When shot, a stream of lava flows down to the floor, burning and damaging enemies. Like regular Minecarts, you don't have total control over when they appear. -- (7.5.04) Hanging Bomb -- Trigger: Manual Effect Range: Area underneath Reset Time: N/A, one-time use Other: -Deals explosive damage Functionally, it's a very large hanging Boom Barrel. -- (7.5.05) Portals -- Trigger: Manual Effect Range: 1 player Reset Time: N/A Other: -Orange portals go to orange portals, green to green -Players always exit the portal with it behind them Portals are used on some maps as a shortcut between 2 faraway locations. Not always useful, but can save a few seconds of running or allow you to battle 2 distant groups of enemies at once. -- (7.5.06) Chandelier -- Trigger: Manual Effect Range: Area underneath Reset Time: N/A, one-time use Other: Deals a decent amount of damage to enemies it hits. -- (7.5.07) Rolling Log -- Trigger: Manual Effect Range: Rolls until it hits a wall Reset Time: N/A, one-time use Other: -Kills any enemy it rolls into Tremendously powerful, but can sometimes roll in odd patterns. Kills even the toughest enemies in one hit, so note where they are and use when needed. -- (7.5.08) Boiling Oil -- Trigger: Manual Effect Range: Area undeneath Reset Time: 8 seconds (4 seconds after pouring) Other: -Pours boiling oil in area under it for 4 seconds -Burns and deals fire damage Like Minecart (Lava), but stationary and in fortress areas. -- (7.5.09) Preset Traps -- Some traps that appear in the spellbook may be pre-placed in the level. These do not gain upgrades from your own spellbook versions and can't be sold. Functionally they are all level 0, unupgraded versions of the trap in question. Preset traps include: Archer Guardian, Barricade, Boom Barrel, Boulder Chute, and Paladin Guardians. =============================================================================== ==================== (8.0) ENEMIES - Behaviors and tactics ==================== =============================================================================== -Key Enemy Name Movement speed: Expressed as the amount of tiles an enemy walks per second Behavior: How the enemy acts in regards to the rifts and player Weight: Light enemies can be ragdolled by trap and weapon effects. Heavy enemies cannot be ragdolled, except by Spring Trap (Unique 1). Note that flying enemies cannot be ragdolled by the Wind Belt. Rift Value: The number of Rift Points deducted when an enemy enters a Rift. Coin Value: Coin given by killing an enemy. Multiplied by Combos. ------------ (8.1) ORCS - Light, Medium, Heavy, and Crossbow Orcs ------------- -- Light, Medium, and Heavy Orc Warriors (aka "Orcs") -- Movement speed: 1 tile/sec Behavior: Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift Weight: Light Rift Value: 1 Coin Value: 10 (Light), 15 (Medium), 20 (Heavy) Sometimes carry shields, which can take one damaging hit before breaking, protecting the Orc carrying it from any damage. -- Crossbow Orc -- Movement speed: 1 tile/sec Behavior: Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift Stays a certain distance away from targets Weight: Light Rift Value: 1 Coin Value: 15 --------------------- (8.2) KOBOLDS - Runners and Sappers --------------------- -- Kobold Runner (aka "Kobolds") -- Movement speed: Fast Behavior: Does not attack unless charmed or rift path is blocked Weight: Light Rift Value: 1 Coin Value: -- Kobold Sapper (aka "Sappers") -- Movement speed: Fast Behavior: Ignores rifts, seeks+attacks player-associated creatures/Barricades Explodes when killed; attacking kills self Weight: Light Rift Value: N/A Coin Value: --------- (8.3) OGRES - Regular, Fire, Frost, Armored, and Moneybags ---------- --Ogre, Fire Ogre, Frost Ogre, and Armored Ogre -- Movement speed: 1 tile/second, increases when pursuing targets Behavior: Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift Resistant to Fire damage and Burn, Vulnerable to Ice (Fire) Resistant to Ice damage and Freeze, Vulnerable to Fire (Frost) Drops Coin (100) when killed Weight: Heavy Rift Value: 5 (Regular, Fire, and Frost), 10 (Armored) Coin Value: 50 (Regular, Fire, and Frost), ?? (Armored) -- Mr. Moneybags -- Movement speed: 1 tile/second Behavior: Does not attack unless rift path is blocked, cannot be charmed Drops Large Coin (1200) when killed Weight: Heavy Rift Value: 0 Coin Value: 0 Interesting quirk in Endless: If a Hobgoblin revives Mr. Moneybags, he drops an additional 1200 coin. --------------------- (8.4) GNOLL - Hunters and Grenadier --------------------- -- Gnoll Hunter -- Movement speed: Fast Behavior: Ignores rifts, seeks and attacks player-associated creatures Drops Coin (100) when killed Weight: Light Rift Value: N/A Coin Value: -- Gnoll Grenadier -- Movement speed: Fast Behavior: Ignores rifts, seeks and attacks player-associated creatures Stays a certain distance away from targets Drops Coin (100) when killed Weight: Light Rift Value: N/A Coin Value: 30 ------------------ (8.5) ELEMENTALS - Earth, Fire, and Water ------------------ -- Earthlings, Earth Elementals, and Earth Lords -- Movement speed: Slightly fast (Earthling) 1 tile/second (Earth Elemental) Slow (Earth Lord) Behavior (All): Cannot be Burned Vulnerable to explosive damage Behavior (Earthling): Does not attack unless charmed or rift path is blocked Behavior (Elem/Lord): Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift Does not generate combos or coin (Elemental) Breaks into 2 Earthlings when killed (Lord) Breaks into 2 Earth Elementals when killed Weight: Light (Earthling) Heavy (Elemental/Lord) Rift Value: 1 (Earthling) 2 (Earth Elemental) 4 (Earth Lord) Coin Value: -- Firelings, Fire Elementals, and Fire Lords *(DLC: Fire and Water) -- Movement speed: Slightly fast (Fireling) 1 tile/second? (Fire Elemental) Slow (Fire Lord) Behavior (All): Cannot be Burned or Frozen Behavior: (Fireling) Ignores rifts, seeks and attacks player-associated creatures When attacking, charges up and explodes, killing self Attack causes Burn for 2 seconds Behavior (Elem/Lord): Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift Does not generate combos or coin (Elemental) Breaks into 2 Firelings when killed (Lord) Breaks into 4 Firelings when killed Vulnerable to Ice damage Weight: Light (Fireling) Heavy (Elemental/Lord) Rift Value: ? (Fireling) 2 (Fire Elemental) 4 (Fire Lord) Coin Value: 20 (Fireling) -- Waterlings, Water Elementals, and Water Lords *(DLC: Fire and Water) -- Movement speed: Slow (Waterling) 1 tile/second? (Water Elemental) Fast (Water Lord) Behavior (All): Vulnerable to Fire damage Takes reduced damage while Frozen Creates a puddle for 15 seconds on death Behavior (Waterling): Does not attack unless charmed or rift path is blocked Seeks out nearby puddles, becomes Elemental on touch Behavior (Elem/Lord): Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift (Elemental) Seeks out nearby puddles, becomes Lord on touch (Lord) Drops Coin (100) when killed Weight: Light (Waterling) Heavy (Elemental/Lord) Rift Value: 1 (Waterling) 2 (Water Elemental) 4 (Water Lord) Coin Value: 20 (Waterling) 30 (Water Elemental) 40 (Water Lord) ----------------- (8.6) TROLLS - Regular, Swamp, and Mountain ----------------- -- Troll, Swamp Troll, and Mountain Troll -- Movement speed: 1 tile/second? (Regular, Swamp) Slow (Mountain) Behavior: Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift Regenerates health, Swamp and Mountain regenerate faster Does not regenerate while Frozen Vulnerable to Fire and Lightning damage Drops Coin (100) when killed Weight: Heavy Rift Value: 5 (Regular and Swamp) 10 (Mountain) Coin Value: --------------------- (8.7) FLIERS - Bats and Fire Babies --------------------- -- Hellbats, Frostbats, Bilebats, and Thunderbats -- Movement speed: 1 tile/second Behavior: Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift Stops when attacking Does not stop attacking until targets in range move or die (Frostbat) Freezes targets (Bilebat) Targets are slowed (Thunderbat) Attack can chain to 2 additional nearby targets Weight: Light Rift Value: 1 Coin Value: 20 -- Fire Babies -- Movement speed: 1 tile/second Behavior: Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift Stops when attacking Does not stop attacking until targets in range move or die Weight: Light Rift Value: 1 Coin Value: --------------- (8.8) MAGES - Cyclops Mage and Hobgoblin Shaman --------------- -- Cyclops Mages -- Movement speed: 1 tile/second Behavior: Attacks player-associated creatures enroute to rift Stops when attacking Does not stop attacking until targets in range move or die Drops Coin (100) when killed Weight: Heavy Rift Value: ??? Coin Value: -- Hobgoblin Shaman -- Movement speed: 1 tile/second Behavior: Does not attack unless charmed or rift path is blocked Revives nearby dead enemies Follows behind other enemies unless only other Shamans remain Weight: Heavy Rift Value: 1 Coin Value: 75 =============================================================================== ======= (9.0) WAVE DATA - All maps, War Mage and Nightmare difficulties ======= =============================================================================== All wave data was obtained by simply playing through the level and recording the type and numbers of enemies as they appeared. The exact numbers of "horde" enemies (Orcs, Kobolds, and fliers) is not recorded (assume a group of 5 to 20) but all others are noted. Due to the method of collection, I can only speak with ~90% accuracy on levels with 2 or more distant spawns. If you see any errors, please inform me of it and I will confirm and correct. About notation used (example): -1st: Orcs + Ogre x1... -2nd: Orcs + Gnoll Hunter x2... This indicates that the first set of enemies will be a group of Orcs and an Ogre. After a noticable pause, more Orcs and 2 Gnolls spawn. The time between sets of enemies isn't exact, but this should be enough of a general indication. When enemies are grouped together by +'s, assume the order of their appearance doesn't matter. For example, Orcs, Ogre, and more Orcs would simply be Orcs + Ogre x1. Directions given (left door, right door) assume YOUR left/right as you face the spawn. If (each) is given, then the set of enemies is spawned twice, one for each spawn. *Endless has 101 pre-set wave patterns but collecting the relevant information *"by hand" is beyond my current skill/patience level. *Waves on Apprentice difficulty will not be recorded at this time When looking for a specific level, search for the level's name and (WMs) for War Mage single, (NMs) for Nightmare single, and replace "c" for "s" for co-op. --------------------- (9.1) Story (War Mage, single) -------------------------- -- The Edge (WMs) -- Wave 1: 1st: Orcs 2nd: Orcs Wave 2: 1st: Orcs 2nd: Orcs 3rd: Orcs Wave 3: 1st: Orcs 2nd: Orcs 3rd: Orcs 4th: Orcs GO BREAK Wave 4: 1st: Orcs 2nd: Orcs 3rd: Orcs 4th: Orcs -- Tunnels (WMs) -- Wave 1: 1st: (Left) Orcs 2nd: (Left) Orcs 3rd: (Left) Orcs Wave 2: 1st: (Right) Orcs 2nd: (Right) Orcs 3rd: (Right) Orcs Wave 3: 1st: (Left) Orcs 2nd: (Both) Orcs 3rd: (Both) Orcs 4th: (Right) Orcs GO BREAK Wave 4: 1st: (Left) Orcs 2nd: (Left) Orcs + Earth Elemental x1 (Right) Orcs 3rd: (Right) Orcs 4th: (Left) Orcs 5th: (Right) Orcs + Earth Elemental x1 6th: (Left) Orcs Wave 5: 1st: (Left) Orcs 2nd: (Left) Orcs + Earth Elemental x1 (Right) Orcs 3rd: (Both) Orcs 4th: (Both) Orcs 5th: (Right) Orcs + Earth Elemental x1 --------------------- (9.2) Story (War Mage, co-op) --------------------------- *To be added* --------------------- (9.3) Story (Nightmare, single) ------------------------- *To be added* --------------------- (9.4) Story (Nightmare, co-op) -------------------------- *To be added* --------------------- (9.5) Classic (War Mage, single) ------------------------ *To be added* --------------------- (9.6) Classic (War Mage, co-op) ------------------------- *To be added* --------------------- (9.7) Classic (Nightmare, single) ----------------------- -- Lunch Break (NMs) -- Wave 1: 1st: (Top) Orcs 2nd: (Top) Orcs Wave 2: 1st: (Top) Orcs + Crossbows 2nd: (Top) Gnoll Hunter x2 Wave 3: 1st: (Both) Orcs Wave 4: 1st: (Top) Orcs (Bottom) Orcs + Crossbows 2nd: (Both) Kobolds Wave 5: 1st: (Top) Orcs (Bottom) Kobolds 2nd: (Top) Crossbows (Bottom) Gnoll Hunter x1 3rd: (Top) Orcs + Gnoll Hunter x1 Wave 6: 1st: (Both) Orcs 2nd: (Bottom) Crossbows 3rd: (Both) Orcs Wave 7: 1st: (Top) Orcs + Kobolds (Bottom) Orcs 2nd: (Top) Orcs (Bottom) Orcs + Kobolds 3rd: (Top) Mountain Troll x1 (Bottom) Ogre x1 Wave 8: 1st: (Both) Orcs 2nd: (Both) Orcs (Top) Kobolds 3rd: (Top) Ogre x1 (Bottom) Kobolds + Mountain Troll x2 4th: (Bottom) Orcs Wave 9: 1st: (Top) Orcs (Bottom) Orcs + Kobolds 2nd: (Top) Orcs 3rd: (Both) Orcs 4th: (Top) Mountain Troll x1 (Bottom) Orcs + Ogre x1 -- Finale (NMs) -- Wave 1: 1st: (North, left door) Orcs 2nd: (North, right door) Orcs + Fire Ogre x1 Wave 2: 1st: (East, right door) Orcs + Kobolds 2nd: (East, right door) Sappers 3rd: (East, left door) Orcs + Sappers (East, right door) Orcs 4th: (East, left door) Kobolds Wave 3: 1st: (South, both doors) Orcs 2nd: (South, both doors) Crossbows + Gnoll Grenadier x2 (each) Wave 4: 1st: (West, both doors) Orcs + Troll x1 (each) 2nd: (West, both doors) Swamp Troll x1 (each) Wave 5: 1st: (South, left door) Frost Ogre x2 (South, right door) Fire Ogre x2 2nd: (South, left door) Crossbows + Frost Ogre x2 (South, right door) Crossbows + Fire Ogres x2 Wave 6: 1st: (North, left door) Kobolds + Gnoll Hunter x2 2nd: (North, right door) Kobolds 3rd: (East, left door) Sappers + Gnoll Hunter x1 4th: (East, right door) Sappers + Gnoll Hunter x1 5th: (South, left door) Sappers + Gnoll Hunter x1 6th: (South, right door) Sappers + Gnoll Hunter x1 Wave 7: 1st: (All 4 directions, left door) Orcs Wave 8: 1st: (East/South, right door) Crossbows + Gnoll Hunter x1 + Cyclops Mage x1 2nd: (East/South, right door) Orcs + Cyclops Mage x2 Wave 9: 1st: (North, both doors) Orcs 2nd: (North, both doors) Armored Ogre x1 (each) 3rd: (North, both doors) Orcs 4th: (North, both doors) Armored Ogre x1 (each) Wave 10: 1st: (North, left door) Kobolds 2nd: (North, both doors) Sappers 3rd: (North, right doors) Kobolds 4th: (South, left door) Sappers 5th: (South, left door) Kobolds (South, right door) Sappers + Fire Ogre x1 Wave 11: 1st: (All 4 directions, left door): Crossbows + Cyclops Mage x1 (each) 2nd: (West/East, right door) Frost Ogre x1 + Hobgoblin Shaman x2 (each) Wave 12: 1st: (North, left door) Fire Ogre x1 + Hobgoblin Shaman x2 2nd: (North, right door) Fire Ogre x1 + Hobgoblin Shaman x2 3rd: (East, left door) Armored Ogre x1 + Hobgoblin Shaman x2 4th: (East, right door) Armored Ogre x1 + Hobgoblin Shaman x2 5th: (South, left door) Frost Ogre x1 + Hobgoblin Shaman x2 6th: (South, right door) Frost Ogre x1 + Hobgoblin Shaman x2 7th: (West, both doors) Armored Ogre x1 + Hobgoblin Shaman x2 (each) ---------------------- (9.8) Classic (Nightmare, co-op) ----------------------- *To be added* ---------------- (9.9) DLC: Fire and Water (War Mage, single) ----------------- -- Traffic Jammed (WMs) Wave 1: 1st: (South) Orcs + Fire Elemental x2 Wave 2: 1st: (North) Orcs + Fire Elemental x2 Wave 3: 1st: (Both) Kobolds + Fire Elemental x2 (each) GO BREAK Wave 4: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (each) Wave 5: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Crossbows + Fire Lord x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (each) Wave 6: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs 3rd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (each) GO BREAK Wave 7: 1st: (Both) Kobolds 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) 3rd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (each) Wave 8: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) 3rd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) Wave 9: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) 3rd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (each) 4th: (Both) Fire Lord x2 (each) -- Double Decker (WMs) -- Wave 1: 1st: (South) Waterling x4 + Gnoll Hunter x1 Wave 2: 1st: (South) Orcs + Waterling x4 (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 2nd: (North) Orcs + Gnoll Hunter x1 + Waterling x2 Wave 3: 1st: (South) Orcs + Waterling x2 (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 2nd: (South) Waterling x4 (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 GO BREAK Wave 4: 1st: (South) Crossbows + Ogre x1 + Waterling x2 (North) Orcs + Waterling x3 2nd: (South) Waterling x4 (North) Orcs + Waterling x3 Wave 5: 1st: (South) Orcs + Waterling x2 (North) Crossbows + Ogre x1 2nd: (South) Waterling x4 + Gnoll Hunter x1 (North) Orcs + Waterling x3 + Gnoll Hunter x1 Wave 6: 1st: (South) Orcs + Crossbows (North) Orcs + Waterling x3 2nd: (South) Waterling x4 (North) Crossbows 3rd: (South) Waterling x4 (North) Orcs + Waterling x3 GO BREAK Wave 7: 1st: (South) Orcs + Crossbows (North) Orcs 2nd: (South) Waterling x4 + Crossbows (North) Orcs + Waterling x4 3rd: (South) Orcs + Waterling x4 Wave 8: 1st: (South) Orcs + Crossbows + Waterling x4 (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 2nd: (South) Waterling x6 (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 Wave 9: 1st: (South) Ogre x1 + Orcs (North) Orcs + Waterling x3 + Ogre x1 2nd: (South) Waterling x6 (North) Orcs + Waterling x5 -- The West Wing (WMs) -- Wave 1: 1st: (South, left door) Orcs + Waterling x2 (South, right door) Orcs + Waterling x3 Wave 2: 1st: (South, fliers) Frostbats 2nd: (South, right door) Fire Elemental x2 (South, fliers) Thunderbats -3rd: (South, left door) Fire Elemental x2 (South, fliers) Frostbats Wave 3: 1st: (North) Orcs 2nd: (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 GO BREAK Wave 4: 1st: (North) Orcs (South, fliers) Thunderbats (South, right door) Waterling x2 2nd: (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 (South, fliers) Thunderbats 3rd: (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 Wave 5: 1st: (South, right door) Fire Elemental x2 + Fire Lord x1 2nd: (South, left door) Fire Elemental x2 + Fire Lord x2 (South, fliers) Thunderbats 3rd: (South, both doors) Kobolds Wave 6: 1st: (South, left door) Fire Elemental x3 + Orcs (South, right door) Waterling x3 + Orcs (South, fliers) Frostbats (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 2nd: (South, left door) Fire Elemental x4 (South, right door) Waterling x4 GO BREAK Wave 7: 1st: (South, both doors) Fire Lord x2 (each) 2nd: (South, both doors) Kobolds 3rd: (North) Fire Elemental x2, Fire Lord x1 (South, both doors) Kobolds Wave 8: 1st: (South, left door) Fire Lord x2 (South, right door) Fire Lord x1 (South, fliers) Thunderbats 2nd: (South, right door) Fire Lord x1 (South, fliers) Frostbats 3rd: (South, fliers) Thunderbats 4th: (South, fliers) Frostbats Wave 9: 1st: (South, both doors) Orcs (North) Orcs 2nd: (South, both doors) Fire Lord x1 (each) 3rd: (North) Fire Lord x1, Waterling x2 (South, both doors) Waterling x4 (each) 4th: (North) Orcs (South, both doors) Orcs GO BREAK Wave 10: 1st: (South, left door) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (South, right door) Orcs + Waterling x2 2nd: (North) Orcs + Waterling x2 (South, left door) Orcs + Waterling x2 (South, right door) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 3rd: (South, left door) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (South, right door) Orcs + Waterling x2 Wave 11: 1st: (South, left door) Fire Lord x1 (South, right door) Waterling x3 (South, fliers) Frostbats (North) Orcs 2nd: (South, left door) Fire Lord x2 (South, right door) Waterling x5 (North) Orcs 3rd: (South, left door) Fire Elemental x2 + Fire Lord x1 (South, right door) Waterling x7 (South, fliers) Thunderbats (North) Orcs + Kobolds + Waterling x3 4th: (South, left door) Fire Elemental x3 + Fire Lord x1 (South, right door) Waterling x9 ---------------- (9.10) DLC: Fire and Water (War Mage, co-op) ----------------- *To be added* --------------- (9.11) DLC: Fire and Water (Nightmare, single) ---------------- -- Traffic Jammed (NMs) -- Wave 1: 1st: (South) Orcs + Fire Elemental x2 + Fire Lord x1 Wave 2: 1st: (North) Orcs + Fire Elemental x2 Wave 3: 1st: (Both) Kobolds + Fire Elemental x2 + Fire Lord x1 (each) Wave 4: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x2 (each) Wave 5: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Crossbows + Fire Lord x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x2 (each) Wave 6: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 + Fire Lord x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs 3rd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (each) Wave 7: 1st: (Both) Kobolds 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 + Fire Lord x1 (each) 3rd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (each) Wave 8: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 + Fire Lord x1 (each) 3rd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) Wave 9: 1st: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 (each) 2nd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Elemental x1 + Fire Lord x1 (each) 3rd: (Both) Orcs + Fire Lord x2 (each) 4th: (Both) Fire Lord x2 (each) --------------- (9.12) DLC: Fire and Water (Nightmare, co-op) ----------------- *To be added* =============================================================================== ====================== (10.0) COPYRIGHT / CONTACT INFO ======================== =============================================================================== Copyright 2012 Edalborez (Matthew Halverson) This may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. -- Credits -- -Robot Entertainment for creating the game and its predecessor. -Various users on Robot Entertainment's official forums (including but not limited to: Fryedegg, Nananea, WarDrake, and Rogotin) and community representatives for sharing strategy and game mechanics information testing with the community, some of which has been incorporated into this work. -- Contact Information -- If you wish to use this guide or an element of it as part of your own work, please send an email with "Orcs Must Die 2" as the subject line to [email protected] If you have a correction or addition to make to the guide, here are a few ways to get in contact, in order of preference -Send me a private message on GameFAQs -Send me a message on Steam (Edalborez) -Sent an email (listed above, please put "Orcs Must Die 2" in the subject line)