Orcs Must Die! Unchained – FAQ/Walkthrough

5 Star Walkthrough Introduction

Apprentice

The first couple of maps on Apprentice shouldn't have you struggle much, but by the time you hit the 3rd map, you can tell that the difficulty is increasing.

As you will see in the videos, it is entirely possible to earn 5 Stars on each map without having to upgrade anything at all. The only thing that is semi-random to acquire is the Brimstone, but it is a fairly common trap to find, so you should be able to attain it within a few chests.

I keep my Account Level at a pretty extreme minimum, and most of the videos in this section were done sequentially, where I didn't level up between maps. In other words, my level only increased from my first time completions (I didn't grind anything at all). I did do the Weekly Challenge once or twice, so I may have leveled up once from that.

Remember to always finish your Daily Quests, and I would recommend at least trying to attempt the Weekly Challenge each week.

I will say again - My videos show that I know the maps very well, and that's where most of the expertise comes from (it has little to do with actual skill). This just comes with practice. Also, don't feel as though you need to earn 5 Stars immediately, as you can always come back and try again at any time.

The Baths

Account Level: 1

Hero used: Max

Traps used (all at tier 1):

• Arrow Wall
• Floor Spikes
• Tar
• Swinging Mace
• Concussive Pounder
• Barricade

Easy enough map to start off with.

The middle of the map splits into two different "lanes" so you will want to use Barricades to block off one of the lanes. By doing this, it forces all minions to go down a single lane, which makes it easier to kill any minions that manage to get by you. If you don't, you run the risk of the minions splitting up, which puts your rift at risk.

Focus on placing traps down in the area at the gate (2 floor traps side-by-side down the middle, alternating different traps). If you look above the gate, you'll see the wall is slanted, you can put an Arrow Wall there to shoot diagonally downwards.

Make sure you place your Guardian at the spot near the gate. If you want, you can also put down a Guardian at the opposite end of where you used your Barricades (if you barricaded the west, place the Guardian at the east spot); this isn't necessary though, as I don't do it in the video.

On the last wave you'll get a boss minion. With Max, the best single-target combo is Absolutely Stunning Bolt (L2) with In Your Faces (Square). Absolutely Stunning Bolt keeps the boss in place, then you can aim quickly at him with In Your Faces, and you should do a significant amount of damage.

Eventide Ramparts

Account Level: 2

Hero used: Max

Traps used (all at tier 1):

• Arrow Wall
• Floor Spikes
• Tar
• Swinging Mace
• Concussive Pounder
• Barricade

The first map with 2 separate gates. What you'll see me do is barricade off the north pathway (funneling the minions from the north gate eastwards), and then later barricade the south pathways that are closest to the east gate.

This forces all the minions to loop down into the forge area, but I still focus on trapping both gate areas. You may want to start thinking about where the minions converge (which will be hallway between the east and north gates) so you can trap that if you feel that it's necessary. Pay attention to where the ghosts are during the breaks to ensure that they're not squeezing past your Barricades.

If you're going in with lower level traps, you may want to utilize the environmental traps located around the north area (the things with the targets). Once shot, they'll release an exploding barrel which will roll forward from its location. You can either shoot this as it rolls, or it will blow up on its own after a few seconds. They do really good damage, but each one has a limited amount of uses.

This is the first map with more than 2 Guardian locations, but 2 should be enough. As of patch 2.6, you can spend more coin to put another Guardian in the forge area if you wish.

Banquet Hall

Account Level: 3

Hero used: Max

Traps used (all at tier 1):

• Arrow Wall
• Floor Spikes
• Tar
• Swinging Mace
• Concussive Pounder
• Barricade

The way that is shown in the video is not the most commonly trapped version, as it's potentially very risky. The way I see people in matchmaking barricade this map is like this:

So use that video above if you want to go the safer route. That first wave might get a little risky, but you should be okay with the two Guardians placed, just make sure to prioritize the Kobolds when you see them. In the video, after the first wave, you see me extend the Barricades in that room, so you can even force the minions to path further (guiding them along the southern wall, which you can trap). I wouldn't recommend doing this until you have extra coin though, which is why you see me sell the Barricades afterwards.

The strategy I use in my 5 Star video (shown below) is done with the Par Time in mind. If you go the safer route mentioned above, the minions take a long time getting to your traps, which means you may not make the Par Time. This can be compensated with a higher Account Level and better traps though, if you wish to just come back and use the safer route when you're stronger.

The Barricade strategy in the 5 Star video entails blocking off the entrance just north of the Rift, then using Barricades further to force the NE minions into the "Kitchen" area.

At the end of the first wave, put 2 more Barricades down just SW of the "Kitchen" Guardian spot, at that SW entrance to the Kitchen. This will force the minions to go into the NW entrance to the Kitchen, which will force them into combat with the Guardian. I then spend my remaining coin putting traps at one of the NW gates, where the minions will enter.

Once all of that is done, just continue to places traps along the gates where the minions enter, and the Kitchen area.

In the 5 Star video, you see me use only a single Guardian. If you're new to the map, I would recommend using a second, placing it on the spot near the Rift, just in case any get by you.

Cliffside Clash

Account Level: 4

Hero used: Max

Traps used (all at tier 1):

• Arrow Wall
• Floor Spikes
• Tar
• Swinging Mace
• Concussive Pounder
• Barricade

This is the first map that might give newcomers problems. This is due to how there is no way to converge the 2 gates, which forces players to protect only one side, while the other side needs to be appropriately trapped to clear the minions for you.

Not only that, but you'll see Kobolds mixed in with both gates, so there's a good chance they may rush past all of your traps. For both of these reasons, this is the first map I would recommend you try to "snake" minions with Barricade placements. By doing this, you force minions to take a longer route, which will allow you more time to jump between each gate to help clear the waves.

Once minions are spawning at both gates during the same wave, you'll want to start to watch the map and hop between both of them accordingly.

With patch 2.6, you can utilize every Guardian spot, if you have the coin to spend. For new players, I would recommend this, if only while you get accustomed to the map. The extra Guardians should help immensely as you learn how to set your traps up to clear waves without your involvement.

There are a number of environmental traps in this map, so look around for them (they can be around the ceilings, like the chandeliers), although some are easier to use than others. The west gate features some slanted walls to put Arrow Walls on if you wish to use them.

Throne Room

Account Level: 4

Hero used: Max

Traps used (all at tier 1):

• Arrow Wall
• Floor Spikes
• Tar
• Swinging Mace
• Brimstone (new addition)
• Barricade

Here we are with another map that might give newcomers issues. The map is not necessarily difficult to trap or protect, but this is the first map that features Order minions which take increased damage when they're near death. This buff that they get activates when they're around 10% HP, and they reduce ALL damage, no matter how much it is, down to about 20-25 (it has about a 75% activation rate I think, which means it doesn't always happen). This means that you'll probably need to hit each one 2 to 3 times more than any other minion, even regardless of your Account Level or traps.

This means that this is may be the first map you'll have problems getting the Par Time on. At this point, I have changed my loadout to include the Brimstone trap due to the fire damage. Fire damage is nice for Order minions, because it's a damage-over-time effect that lasts a few seconds. This means it has a better chance of finishing off Order minions in comparison to other traps that only do high damage in a single hit.

You will also see the Grizzly minions for the first time, and you will also notice that some have Shields. The Grizzly minions get a set amount of HP restored when they're near an ally that dies (I think it restores 25% of their total HP), and it has no cooldown, which means they can potentially get back to full HP in a matter of seconds. Although you'll see waves of nothing but Grizzly minions, try to focus on them individually (rather than spreading your damage around), to reduce the occurrence of the HP restoration.

Shield minions block everything from the front, and from what I've seen, the block extends more than what is directly in front. In other words, they can partially block from the side as well. Since these minions are almost always spawned before everything else, this means they'll run right into some of your traps, block all of the damage, allowing the rest of the wave to pass by without any damage until your trap resets. Some traps do go through regardless (like most ceiling traps) but some don't, it just take some experimenting. You'll need to practice some to get used to what areas you can damage with them.

As for the map, I put down Tar traps on the north and south bridges to allow the minions to group up to be damaged by the gigantic swinging mace you can activate. This environmental trap is really nice because it will push smaller minions into the acid, killing them instantly. It also has a fairly short cooldown on its use, and you can use it as much as you want.

Again, I only use 1 Guardian here, but feel free to put down one in the kitchen area in the northeast, just in case things manage to get by.

Water Garden

Account Level: 5

Hero used: Blackpaw

Traps used (all at tier 1):

• Arrow Wall
• Floor Spikes
• Tar
• Swinging Mace
• Brimstone
• Barricade

This is one of the new maps that was included in patch 2.5, which introduces a few new minions. As it turns out, out of all the Apprentice maps, this is probably the most difficult to get 5 Stars on with a basic loadout.

The Wu Xing minions that are in this map have an innate elemental resistance, which means any character that does elemental damage (like Maximilian and Gabriella) will have their damage reduced (this is why I use Blackpaw). Not only heroes, but traps that do elemental damage, like Brimstone will do decreased damage as well.

You may still want to bring Brimstone, because this is also the first map that introduces Earth Elementals. Earth elementals are particularly dangerous, because they move at roughly the same speed as Kobolds, but they cannot be slowed down nor hit with any crowd control effects, such as stuns or freezes. They have no elemental resistances though, so fire damage is a great way to get rid of them.

My strategy barricades the north bridge, which forces minions from the north gate eastwards. After the first wave, I barricade the southeast lane, forcing them to move back north, into the pathway of the Guardian spot, then down towards the southwest. This allows the maximum amount of travel time from the north gate, while still forcing the east gate (which will open at wave 5) through a longer path.

This means that you want to prioritize killing things at the west gate because not only will they have the shortest path to the Rift, but the west gate is the one that spawns Earth Elementals. There will not be many that come from the west gate per wave (maybe at most 6), but all it takes is 1 to screw up that 5 Star. So make sure you're looking for them; it might be a good idea to kill things away from the gate, rather than at them, as sometimes they can get overlapped with the other minions, and you might not see them. By killing things away from the gate, you can almost always see them filter through due to their speed.

While killing things at the west gate, try not to get distracted by the Hunters (the blue dragon things) as you may see them hop over the barricades and head towards your Rift. If they enter the Rift, it won't cost you, so don't ignore the west gate for the sole purpose to kill these things (unless you're confident with what you're doing).

Try to have your Unchained up for wave 6, as you'll have 3 bosses during that wave. The east gate spawns first, and I would recommend using Unchained at that point for Bulgod, as you don't want him disabling your traps. The north gate will then spawn, but prioritize killing Vitality when you see him, as if you don't he can just revive what you've killed. Move to the west gate the second minions appear there due to how short their path is to the Rift.

All that said, this is a great map to utilize the change in patch 2.6 with the Guardians. By using my barricade strategy, you can force the north gate minions into encounters with all 3 Guardians. Chances are you'll have the north Guardian die, so feel free to replace him when he does. Although you can use all 3 Guardian spots, I would say that the southwest one is probably the second most important, as it can help with Earth Elementals if they get by.

Unchained Fortress

Account Level: 6

Hero used: Max

Traps used (all at tier 1):

• Arrow Wall
• Floor Spikes
• Tar
• Swinging Mace
• Brimstone
• Barricade

This map is very similar to Cliffside Clash, because you have 2 different gates that can't be merged into a single lane. However, this map features the Order minions and Grizzlies.

This is another good map to try to "snake" minions on, particularly at hallway near the east gate. The west gate is a little more difficult to do that with (and I wouldn't recommend it) because of how large the area is; I just don't think it's really worth the coin spent on it.

Again, once both gates are open at the same time, you'll just need to pick one side to focus on, then readjust as the other gate makes further progress towards the Rift.

Once more, feel free to utilize all Guardian spots if you want to, although it shouldn't be necessary.

Highlands

Account Level: 6

Hero used: Max

Traps used (all at tier 1):

• Arrow Wall
• Floor Spikes
• Tar
• Swinging Mace
• Brimstone
• Barricade

This map can be considered a harder version of Cliffside Clash/Unchained Fortress, as you have to now deal with 3 separate gates that cannot be merged into one lane.

The positive side thing to this is the fact that the minions have to walk a long way from the gate to the initial area where all the traps are, giving you some time to adjust as they first spawn.

For this map, each gate spawns a predictable set of minions. The north (first to open) will have the usual mixture of regular minions with a few larger ones. The east (opens on wave 3) will primarily consist of Ogres and Orc Archers. The west (opens on wave 5) will be almost exclusively Kobolds. For this reason, I would recommend fighting at each gate as it opens - so when the east gate opens, fight there until it's cleared, then move back to the north. When the west gate opens, fight there until it's cleared, then make sure you go back to it for the last wave.

I would highly recommend killing the Kobolds from the west gate yourself as there are much more than what you're used to seeing. For this reason, I overuse the Tar trap - this allows you to slow them down and pick them off yourself, instead of having to rely on traps.

In the video, you see me snake the minions on the north and east gates, although there's not a lot of room for it. I also use Guardians for the north and east gates, but you can use more if you wish.

Training Grounds

Account Level: 7

Hero used: Max

Traps used (all at tier 1):

• Arrow Wall
• Floor Spikes
• Tar
• Swinging Mace
• Brimstone
• Barricade

Training Grounds isn't particularly interesting in my opinion, but the layout of it is slightly different, as you can path the minions in different ways with Barricades.

You'll be facing more Order and Grizzly minions here, but you should at least be familiar with them at this point. The Barricade strategy I use is fairly simple here, as I force them into the "barracks" area (the west Guardian spot) so the Guardian can assist. You can place Barricades in the barracks area to snake them, but it's not really necessary on Apprentice.

The Barricades in the southern "middle" part you may have questions about - You can place a single Barricade at a diagonal with the corner of the south gate, and the tree, to block that first opening. Moving north, although you can place them in the areas in between the "medians", I move them one square to the east so I can funnel them all into a single lane near the eastern wall. This is kind of optional here, as it doesn't matter with Arrow Walls, but this becomes much more helpful in the harder difficulties of this map, once you have Grinders.

The east gate will open on the last wave, but strangely, the south gate will also close. This means that you can sell all the traps at the south gate at the break before the last wave, in case you need the coin (or have reached the trap limit).