Tips & Advanced Strategies

This page collects advanced tips and strategies that go beyond the basics covered in our beginner guides. Start with the official Top 10 Newbie Tips from Butterscotch Shenanigans if you are still learning economy, Relic Pool control, and boss mechanics.

These are the insights that separate players who average wave 30 from those who consistently push past wave 100 and the G.O.A.T. on round 105.

Economy Management

Business Dude Compound Interest

Butterscotch’s official advice: treat runs like an investment sim. Business Dude doubles your cash across three investment rounds ($1K → $2K → $4K → $8K). Skimp early on Relics and consumables when you can survive without them — a late-game cash mountain buys nearly every shop Relic.

When to Save vs. Spend

The biggest strategic decision in every run is Gold allocation. The common beginner mistake is spending everything as soon as you have it. The advanced approach:

• Save 200–300 Gold before wave 10 — this gives you a buffer to react to unexpected Relic opportunities
• Prioritize Relic purchases over Dude upgrades early — Relics are more likely to appear in the pool than Dude upgrades
• Spend aggressively between waves 20–40 — this is when your synergy should be coming online and Gold spent here pays the biggest dividends
• Never empty your purse — keeping 100 Gold minimum lets you respond to Wandering Dude events

Workin’ Dude Timing

Workin’ Dudes generate bonus Gold per win. The optimal timing:

1. Recruit Workin’ Dude by wave 3–5
2. Build 1–2 more Employed Dudes by wave 10
3. By wave 15, your economy should be generating 1.5–2x normal Gold income
4. Use this advantage to buy every Relic that fits your build from waves 15–40

Positioning Mastery

Frontline Placement Rules

The leftmost Dudes on your roster take enemy aggro first. Use this:

• Knights always go left — their taunt and temporary HP absorb focused fire
• Glass cannons always go right — keep Wizard, Ninja, and other high-DPS Dudes as far right as possible
• Medics and Clerics in slots 3–4 — middle positioning lets them heal everyone without taking front-line aggro

Wave 50+ Positioning Adjustments

Past wave 50, enemy density forces a rethink:

• Stagger your tanks — place tanks in slots 1, 3, 5 instead of consecutive slots 1–2 to spread enemy targeting
• Move glass cannons to slot 4 — the middle-right position gives maximum protection while maintaining attack range
• Save one flex slot — keep one slot open for emergency repositioning when a tank goes down

Relic Pool Manipulation

Family Commitment Timing

The most impactful Relic Pool decision is when to commit to a family composition:

• Commit by wave 5 — if you have 2 Dudes from a family by wave 5, lean into that synergy
• Re-evaluate at wave 10 — if your initial read is wrong, you can still pivot to a different family pair
• Do not chase multiple families past wave 15 — by mid-game, your synergy should be coherent; spreading too thin costs you stack depth

Wandering Dude Events

Wandering Dude events occur randomly and offer Relic opportunities:

• Always take Wandering Dude events if your squad has open slots — extra Dudes contribute to family synergy counts
• Prioritize Wandering Dudes that fill gaps in your synergy — if you have 1 Undead Dude, a Wandering Undead Dude immediately adds synergy
• Do not replace a well-itemized Dude with a Wandering Dude unless the replacement significantly upgrades your synergy

Synergy Reading

Reading the Draft

Every run presents a different set of available Dudes. Learning to read what the draft is offering:

1. Count family representation — if 5 of your first 10 Dudes are Undead, the draft is telling you to go Undead
2. Check for key pairs — Wizard + Cleric, Zombie + Necromancer, Hacker + Medic are all strong pairs worth building around
3. Watch for Wandering Dude themes — if Wandering Dudes consistently skew toward one family, lean into that
4. Do not force a losing draft — if your available Dudes have no strong synergy, pivot to the least-bad option and try to make it work

Pivot Indicators

Know when to abandon a synergy and pivot:

• You have 3+ waves with no Dudes from your target family appearing
• A Relic appears that works better with a different family combination
• Your current build is failing wave 20 consistently despite correct play

Act Boss Preparation

Tier 1 Boss (Wave ~20)

The first Act Boss tests your early synergy. Preparation:

• Ensure you have at least 2 Dudes from your primary family
• Have at least 1 tank (Knight or Spartan)
• Budget 150–200 Gold for pre-boss Relic purchases

Tier 2 Boss (Wave ~40)

The second Act Boss tests mid-game scaling. Preparation:

• Your primary synergy should be at 4+ stacks by now
• Relics should be starting to shape your build
• Have a Trinket strategy in mind for the post-boss selection

Tier 3 Boss (Wave ~60+)

The final Act Boss tests late-game resilience. Preparation:

• Star ratings on key Dudes should be 3+ for boss-tier enemies
• Relic composition should be fully shaped and coherent
• Have backup plans for if the boss has anti-synergy mechanics