Orcs Must Die! Unchained – FAQ/Walkthrough

5 Star Walkthrough Introduction

Master

What changes in Master?

Not as much as you might think. The primary addition are Unstable Rifts:

• Unstable Rifts spawn at certain locations on the map, but there are two things static about them:
  • They will always appear on the same wave, for that given map.
  • They will always spawn the same minions.
• Their locations somewhat vary. It depends on the map, but they have a set of static locations for the given wave that they spawn on. So let's say an Unstable Rift spawns on wave 3 - the location that appears at, may be one of 2 or 3 different locations it could potentially be. To clarify, they can't spawn anywhere but their spawn locations are randomized between a set of maybe 2-4 specific locations.
• Sometimes it's better to ignore them completely - However, this takes an understanding of the map. You usually want to prioritize Unstable Rifts before all else, but there are certain maps it's sometimes better to either let it open, or kill of whatever minion is currently spawning. A great example is the very first Master map of Cliffside Clash - on wave 3, you'll get a Rift, that could potentially be south of the current gate. However, at the very same time, you get a large group of Kobolds from the gate that is open. I would generally recommend getting the Kobolds first, because if you let the Unstable Rift open, it should be a pack of Orc TNT Archers, which may just head up to the Guardian instead of the Rift (unless you didn't put a Guardian down).

Other than that, you do get a number of different new minions that will appear, including minions that are strong to certain elements, but weak to the opposite element (Frost Orcs, Fire Elementals, etc.). Here are some of the more notable minion additions:

• Orc TNT Archers - They are just like regular Orc Archers, only they fire rockets at you. They are flagged as "yellow" minions, but they don't prioritize attacking Barricades (like Kamikaze Kobolds do); they will still prioritize killing you and Guardians. However, they are still EXTREMELY dangerous to Barricades, because their rockets produce an explosion, which has a HUGE blast radius. It can clip through walls as well, so you want to make sure you don't kill them near Barricades. They also deal extremely high damage, so you need to be really careful killing them regardless of where you are, especially as a melee character. My recommended way of dealing with them is having your traps deal with them, and leave them alone. In addition, you'll need to start being mindful about how close your Guardians are to Barricades, due to the rockets blast radius.
• Hobgoblin Shamans - These minions do nothing but heal other minions, but they also take less damage from traps. Due to this they can cause some problems with waves that they're mixed into, but I only find they're a problem when I leave my traps alone to try to clear the wave by itself. It is also important to note that they have no attacks which means they will walk right by Guardians.
• Stilt Orc - These aren't too common, but there are a couple of maps where they are prevalent. These minions are mostly unaffected by floor traps (I think there might be a couple of floor traps that do work, but I'm not 100% sure), so you have to rely on wall/ceiling traps for them, if you're not killing them with your character.
• Frost minions - By which I mean Northmun, and Frost Clan Orcs. The Northmun are the "frost" version of Order minions, which means they're strong to frost damage, but fire damage will do more. The Frost Clan Orcs are the same thing, only they are well....Orcs. Both of these types of minions (as well as any frost-type minion) will not only do frost damage, but you get a debuff whenever they attack you. At 4 stacks of this debuff (it looks like a snowflake, it'll be above your HP bar), you'll be frozen for a few seconds. It can be kind of annoying, but usually it's not too dangerous unless you're playing a character with low HP.
• Fire Elementals - They have the same graphic as Earth Elementals, but they're more of a danger to you and your Barricades, rather than your Rift. Similar to Earth Elementals, the larger ones will "split", but this time, they will split into a single "Fireling" which basically acts as a Kamikaze Kobold - it will prioritize your Barricades and attempt to destroy it. The Firelings are particularly dangerous to melee characters, as it is quite easy to sit and spam your primary attack, killing multiples of them in succession as they spawn, and have them explode, dealing damage to you.
• Swiftyhooves - This is the only boss minion worth mentioning, as he is probably the most dangerous in the game. Swiftyhooves is a gigantic satyr, and not only will he ignore the player and Guardians and bolt straight for your Rift, but he also hops over Barricades which means you don't have much time to kill him. When he spawns, he is ALWAYS the priority to kill (he takes the Rift down 6 points, so it's not necessary if you don't care to 5 Star). However, if you haven't noticed yet, boss spawns are static, so you can learn and predict which wave he spawns on, as well as the gate, and just be prepared to kill him immediately as he spawns.

These are not the only new minions that have been added, I just thought they were the most important. You can always check the "expand info" to see any information about any minions you don't recognize on each map.

Preparing for Master

I was able to earn 5 Stars on the first 2 maps at Account Level 24, with the exact same loadout I was using in the last half of War Mage.

However, Frostbite is where it gets tough, as the Northmun minions are quite the damage sponges. At that point I felt like I needed to upgrade. I will be using the same traps, but do be on the lookout for Great Wall Barricades and Haymakers because they will be used in the near future (particularly the Great Wall Barricade).

My loadout as of Frostbite:

• Barricade (Tier 3)
• Tar (Tier 3)
• Brimstone (Tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (Tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (Tier 4)
• Swinging Mace (Tier 2)
• Grinder (Tier 3)

The upgrades to these traps (from my previous loadout at War Mage) came to a total of 4500. If you've been following my guide exactly, you should have significantly more than this, so you really should think about buying another character, because you're going to see a huge slowdown in leveling. Although experience will be greater than previous difficulties, you have probably noticed it takes quite a few matches now to get to the next level. Check the Heroes section of the guide if you want to see some information about the characters.

As of right now, I am still not using Traits or Parts so that should certainly give you an extra advantage over my videos. If you are following this guide exactly, you have 5 traps to put some parts in, so I would really recommend doing that.

Cliffside Clash

Account Level: 24

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 2)
• Tar (tier 3)
• Brimstone (tier 3)
• Floor Spikes (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 3)
• Swinging Mace (tier 1)
• Grinder (tier 2)

I don't feel that this one was as much of a jump in difficulty in comparison from going from Apprentice to War Mage, but it still can be difficult.

The very first thing I need to point out here is the first Unstable Rift spawn on wave 3 - I got lucky, period lol it can spawn much further south, and if it does, you'll need to head down there to destroy it. Although the Kobolds are going to get through your traps, you can place another Guardian on the west side to help you clear them. Depending on how fast the Unstable Rift gets destroyed, you can either head back north (if the majority of the Kobolds managed to get killed) or wait near the western entrance to the Rift to make sure you get any of the Kobolds that get through.

The other option is to let the Unstable Rift open, but that's a little dependent on where it spawns. The Unstable Rift will always spawn Orc TNT Archers, and they may end up prioritizing your Guardian over moving into the Rift (if there's a Guardian nearby). So if you'd prefer to kill the Kobolds, you can place a Guardian at the spot closest to the Unstable Rift, and they should attack the Guardian instead, allowing you to kill the Kobolds. This is probably the most risky if you get a SW Rift spawn, because if the Archers manage to kill your Guardian, they have a fairly short path to your Rift. However, chances are the Kobolds will be cleaned up by the time the Guardian dies, so it kind of depends on your damage output, as well as your movement speed.

Other than that you just see me place down a lot of damage traps. I don't use Barricades here, as I wasn't sure how viable it was; truthfully, I couldn't remember how many barricade-destroying minions there were. In retrospect, I could have snaked the minions at the NW, and probably the NE as well (since Orc TNT Archers don't directly attack Barricades) but it still worked out.

This is also another map that would benefit highly from placing more Guardians down, but I don't do it just to show it can be done with only 2.

The Falling Folly

Account Level: 24

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 2)
• Tar (tier 3)
• Brimstone (tier 3)
• Floor Spikes (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 3)
• Swinging Mace (tier 1)
• Grinder (tier 2)

Make sure to bring Push Traps! Like Gates of Thuricvod, they make a big difference here, even at tier 1.

It's kind of an intimidating map, as they open both gates on the first wave, and the east gate starts off with a single boss minion. Someone needs to confirm this for me, but it could be that Mr. Moneybags (the boss minion you only see on this map) does not count for Rift points. I know I've seen him go into the Rift in Sabotage, and not lose any points, but this was in previous patches.

Only 3 Barricades placed in total here. Initially, I only put down 2 - one goes on the NE corner of that square structure to block off one side, than the second ones goes on the opposite corner to force them into a single lane. I eventually put a third one down on the SE corner just to funnel them a little better, and to force them into another Grinder.

You want to place the Push Traps so they push minions towards the Guardian area. 95% of the time they'll get pushed off the edge, while the other 5% of the time (always at the NW) they'll get pushed back to the Guardian. This really cleans up the first wave, and it allows you to defend with minimal coin spent.

Stilt Orcs make their appearance here, and they're not affected by most floor traps (if not all), but I never found them to be a threat. Other than them, you'll get a lot of Earth Elementals on that first wave, and you'll see them in subsequent waves as well.

For the first wave, prioritize the south gate first, as it opens first and has the Earth Elementals. As soon as you hear the other "They've broken through a gate!" message, head back up to get Moneybags. Your Push Traps and Guardian should be able to handle the rest of the south gate, but I would still keep an eye on the mini-map. Moneybags can be tough to kill, but it should be much more manageable if you come in at a higher level than myself. Killing Moneybags is ideal, as he'll drop a bunch of large coin bags; if you don't kill him, you're going to have problems putting more traps down.

One thing to point out - If you're ranged, you can stand at the edge of the wall at the east gate (next to that SW Barricade) and shoot the minions at the south gate from above. I don't do this because 1) Viewers may be playing a melee character and 2) I'm a terrible shot. I wanted to show that you do have time to get up there if you trap correctly, and time it right.

I would recommend making use of the Rolling Boulder traps that are found in the western part of the area (north and south of the Guardian). Melee can't hit the activation switch south of the Guardian (I think), but they can hit the north one.

Frostbite

Account Level: 27

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 3)
• Tar (tier 3)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Swinging Mace (tier 2)
• Grinder (tier 3)

This is VERY TOUGH to do at this Account Level. I do NOT recommend attempting it while being this undergeared, but it is still possible. Even at a higher level, this map can be hard, because the minions take a lot of damage, and there's just a ton of them.

This map takes a lot of explanation, as there is a lot going on here. First off, the Barricade strategy:

First - If you have Great Wall Barricades, use them here! It will save you a LOT of coin, and you can place almost all of them the exact same way as I do with regular Barricades (as I set all but the ones in the NE in pairs).

How I placed the Barricades is very difficult to describe in text. What happens at the north is that I start off at that one corner, place two, then place a Tar (just because it's all I can afford). After the first wave, I place a Grinder at the Tar, and I will start to block the "Kitchen" area off, with 4 Barricades in a straight line, right above the Guardian spot.

I then place 2 more Barricades at the corner of the wall where that Grinder is. I then place 2 more, connecting them to the previous 2, to the east. I then go over to the eastern side, and place 3 Barricades directly to the far south of the NE gate, to block off that path. Then, I go back to the previous Barricades, and place 3 more, extending the "line" to the south, until it hits the stairs. It forms a shape that looks like a "n".

The idea behind this is to traffic all of these minions into a single lane, where you can set up Grinders to do the damage. As you can see in the video, I actually mess up the Tar placements after I set the last 3 Barricades, because they're supposed to line up with the Barricades evenly. If they're even, you can either place another Brimstone at the northernmost square, or put another Grinder.

Once I gain more coin, I further extend the lane beyond the stairs. To do this, you want one "square" of floor space, so the first Barricade is placed that lines up right next to the "pillar" that slightly juts out of the eastern wall (it's where the torch is). You then just go in a "L" shaped line with the rest of the Barricades, so again, you can force them into a single lane against the western wall.

Okay so that's the north. For the SE, I place Barricades later (not when it first opens) because I don't have the coin for it. Once I did have the coin, you can make a diagonal with 2 Barricades, connecting with the "island" in the middle of that room (where the tree is). This will force them to path north, around that island.

For the SW, it's fairly simple - just place 2 Barricades in between each each column. This will force them to loop through the entire room, instead of just heading directly north.

The SW is the only thing to mention about the traps, and that's because I go pretty fast. You can open up the gate in the SW and place some traps in that area, where the minions initially start, which is what I do.

As I watch this video, I realize I should have put more traps in the SE. At the time, I was really worried about making the Par Time, so I was going a lot faster than I should have been.

I got semi-lucky with the Unstable Rift on wave 4, but it shouldn't really matter regardless. The Rift can spawn in 1 of 3 places (I believe) which is just north of the Kitchen area (which is where mine was); it can be just the NE of the NW Guardian spot (in the Forge area, so just below those stairs); or it can be on the floor ABOVE the Forge area.

That last spot may give you problems if you're new to the map, or if you're playing melee. If it spawns up there, if you're ranged, you can angle your shot in such a way to hit it from below (that takes getting used to, but Max can 1 shot it with In Your Faces). However, the other option is just to let it go and have it open. The reason why is because it takes the minions a while to get to the Rift, and you really need to focus on getting the northern minions cleared.

The second Unstable Rift (wave 8) can be safely ignored - it always spawns Pride Hunters, which don't hurt your Rift.

Other than that, try to get the Gnome Destroyers (wave 5) as best you can. I would recommend Unchained at wave 3 (Mercenary), wave 7 (Mercenaries) and if you have it again, wave 10 (Boss). I used mine at wave 8 because I had a minion get REALLY close to getting to the Rift (the stupid Dwarf Shamans shield minions).

As a final note about the Guardians - If you have a Jailer and/or a Priest, bring them, it will help more with the southern areas. If you can manage it, put down a Guardian at the spot just south of the Rift, and one at the NE (just south of the gate) would also be helpful, if you have the coin.

Orcatraz

Account Level: 29

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 3)
• Tar (tier 3)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Swinging Mace (tier 2)
• Grinder (tier 3)

It's getting to the point where it is becoming extremely difficult to do this without any Parts and Traits, so you may see me add some in, or possibly upgrade my traps further if I continue to struggle. I can defend the Rift here fine, but I manage the Par Time by ONE SECOND. So I really hope you have better damage output than I do.

Barricade strategy - I start out with the "Mickey Mouse" placement on the west side, starting on the corner of the southern wall. This forces them along the northern wall, where I put a couple of Grinders. After wave 1, I go into the gate, and place a diagonal of 2 Barricades, to again, force them near the wall for another Grinder.

After wave 2, I proceed to block off both northern entrances that lead to the Guardian areas. I completely forego trapping the northern gate, and instead I make a diagonal of Barricades right to the NE of the "Anchor" Guardian. This funnels all of the minions back up to the middle area, which really helps extend their path.

Truthfully, this is the second time I've ever used this Barricade strategy, because I realized my previous strategy wasn't working with how low my damage was. In order to make this strategy work, you REALLY have to protect your Barricades, as you get a constant flood of Barricade-destroying minions from the north gate, starting at wave 5.

For this reason, I would always recommend being at the north gate, and you can put a decoy Barricade somewhere around there (as I did) just in case one manages to get by you.

On wave 7, things get worrisome because not only do you get Kamikaze Kobolds from the north, but you get Fire Elementals from the east. This can be decently problematic, because the Firelings may get to your Barricades in the SE. To deal with this, you can either make sure it's decently trapped, or you can put a decoy Barricade somewhere either in the east hallway, or near the SE corner.

After you deal with the Kamikaze Kobolds, you need to make sure you deal with the Fire Elementals yourself, to ensure that you kill the Firelings that spawn after each Fire Elemental dies. Since Max's fire rate is so fast, he can kill the Firelings as soon as they spawn.

On wave 8, Swiftyhooves appears to the east. If you're using Max, try not to miss with Absolutely Stunning as I did, because it might be a problem if In Your Faces misses.

On wave 9, you can see something very strange that happens - the Dwarf Priest actually moves around the Barricades. I was really confused by this, because nothing else moves like that, so it's interesting how he doesn't obey the regular minion path. You may want to use Unchained on wave 9 instead of 10, because 2 Mercenaries are on wave 9. If you get Bouncer Bear, he can REALLY mess things up, so if he spawns, you need to either kill him quickly when he's on the map (he sometimes likes to camp in gates) but you also need to make sure no Earth Elementals are getting to the Rift.

This is a tough map just due to the extreme variety of minions you see. If you've picked up a Haymaker, try to use it here. I've used it on this map before, and it seems to help a lot (the more upgraded the better, as I'll recommend Haymakers later). You can place it on the ceiling in the north gate, which will help with crowd controlling the various minions there. You can even place them inside the gate area in the north (there should be 2 spots for it), as well as in the west/east hallways, such as where I placed my Swinging Maces.

Unchained Fortress

Account Level: 32

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 3)
• Tar (tier 3)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Swinging Mace (tier 2)
• Grinder (tier 3)

This map is tough for only one reason - you get very large groups of Satyrs from both gates at wave 8, 9, and 12. Happily they don't appear at the same time, and the groups kind of alternate in appearance, so you do get some time to react to it.

You also get Swiftyhooves on the last wave, who appears at the gate on the right. If you're playing as Max, try not to miss with Absolutely Stunning like I did (again).

Barricade strategy - In the east, I begin to place Barricades to snake them initially, then I start to form a long line of Barricades to funnel them all into a single lane. In the west, I block it off the same was as I do in Apprentice, but this time I snake them through that western hallway. By doing this, it forces the Satyrs to loop around things, and if you place down a decent amount of Tar, it allows you time to go to catch up to them to kill them.

With this strategy, you really have to be careful about the Dwarf Grenadiers that start to appear at wave 9. You can either try to kill them at the gate, or just wait until they get to the Guardian area. By killing them near the Barricades, the Grenadiers might blow them up. The only thing to point out about that is that if you kill them at the Guardian area, realize it'll hurt your time a little. However, chances are you are doing more damage than I am anyway (as I don't run with Traits or Parts), so it may not be a big deal, as I still have a minute left on the Par Time.

The map shouldn't be that difficult outside of the Satyrs though, so it's really about getting past wave 7 and 8 without losing any Rift points. By the time you reach the last wave, you should have enough coin to be able to handle the rest of the Satyrs with less issue.

This was actually a recapture of this map (hence why you see I already had the 5 Star), as my previous capture had me running down Satyrs, some of which got close to the Rift. I didn't really like how that happened, so I tried to use more Barricades, and it worked out a lot better. The only time I had to run down a few Satyrs was on the last wave, when I kind of messed up killing Swiftyhooves.

Water Garden

Account Level: 32

Hero used: Blackpaw

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 3)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Spikes (tier 4)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Swinging Mace (tier 2)
• Grinder (tier 3)

I used Floor Spikes here (it's also upgraded to tier 4) because of the elemental resistance the Wu Xing minions get. Just like in Apprentice, I also used Blackpaw instead of Max, for the same reason.

Barricade strategy - This is different than the Apprentice version. I block off the SW lane, which will be helpful when the west gate opens. Right before the west gate opens, I block off the northern part of that western area, to force them down into a single lane, along a wall of Grinders.

I then place a row of 3 Barricades above the Guardian (starting at the corner), to funnel them into a single lane once more. I then place 2 Barricades at the SE entry, so the eastern gate is forced to move northward. Finally, I place 2 more Barricades behind the Guardian to try to snake the minions around the Barricades some, to extend their path.

Since the Wu Xing are strong to element attacks, I don't use a lot of Brimstone here, and you see me put down a lot of Floor Spikes. Brimstone is still useful however, as you get Earth Elementals from the west gate.

You also get Fire Elementals/Firelings from the east gate, so I would prioritize killing minions on that gate when it opens. You do get Kamikaze Kobolds from the west on the last wave, but it hardly matters, as they should run to the Barricades that are blocking the northern lane (which is not an issue at the last wave).

You also get a Mercenary on the last wave as well, but as you can see in the video, I don't even bother with him. The map will still complete even if he's still alive, so you can focus on the minions if you get a Mercenary that isn't much of a threat to you.

I make the Par Time by 15 seconds, but I also died, so that probably made a difference.

Training Grounds

Account Level: 34

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 3)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Great Wall Barricade (tier 2)
• Grinder (tier 3)

The Great Wall Barricade is very useful here, because I'll be using a lot of Barricades to snake the minions. You can still snake them using regular Barricades, but be aware that this will cost you more coin, and since you'll have to place more regular Barricades, the trap limit may cause you problems. However, if your damage is higher than mine, you may be able to get away with it; if things are dying fast enough, obviously there is little need to extend their pathway.

The same Barricade strategy I used in previous difficulties is used here, but it starts out different because the south gate opens first. When the north gate opens, make sure to block off that area just north of the Guardian (as I have forgot to a number of times).

In addition, you see me snake the north and south gates as follows - Starting at the west corner of the stairs that are just north of the Guardian, place Barricades moving south until you can't go any further. Then start to extend them eastward, all the way down to the first "pillar". This significantly extends the minions path, allowing you more time to react.

For the east gate - I do the same thing as before as well, blocking off the north lane with a single Barricade, then block off the north lane just west of the Guardian. Afterwards, try to make a line of Barricades (3 Great Walls preferably) at the SW corner of the open lane, then extend it northward, so you can extend the pathway, if only slightly.

The reason why I snake them here is because of all the runners. You get a lot of Earth Elementals and Satyrs on this map, so trying to delay them this way (particularly when multiple gates open) can be helpful.

Swiftyhooves appears from the north gate at wave 6, so be prepared for him.

Just so you're aware, the east gate, when it's open, will always spawn minions first. There is also usually a slight delay in when the waves appear when multiple gates are open, which allows you some time to clear before moving to a different gate.

On wave 9, make sure to wait for the Unstable Rift! This is the reason why you see me wait around in the western area at the start of wave 9. It may be less important with better traps, but having to backtrack runs the risk that you won't be there in time for the Satyrs that come out of the east gate. An option is to have it open (if you've trapped sufficiently), but be aware I believe it spawns a group of Earth Elementals.

I barely make the Par Time by about 5 seconds, so this can be a tough map. I knew from my previous attempts that the Par Time was going to be close, so I almost always immediately started the next wave on Go breaks.

Storm Drain

Account Level: 35

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Great Wall Barricade (tier 2)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Swinging Mace (tier 2)
• Grinder (tier 3)

This is probably one of the easiest maps in the game, as you can set up Barricades to force the minions into an extremely long pathway. You just have to place Barricades at the NE, N, W, and S to force them all to take the eastern entry to the Rift, which takes them a very long time to do.

The only real threat here is Swiftyhooves, who appears at wave 6 from the north gate. He's got a really short distance to get to the Rift, so I would really recommend saving Unchained specifically for him. He will go down that middle "ramp" just south of the gate, so you can put a line of Tar down to help slow him down.

Other than that, this map shouldn't really give you any problems. Although normally I would trap the western hallway (because all lanes merge there), and you see me do it a little, try to trap the gates more. The reason why is because the eastern gate has to take a very long time to get to the western area, which means you should try to set up traps to clear them out near their respective gate. By having them travel to the western area, it just takes longer to clear, which may cost you time.

Par Time seems to be fairly forgiving though, as I beat it with over 2 and half minutes to spare, even with my lower damage. For this reason, this would be my vote to get the "Un-Unchained" Trophy/Achievement (which is to 5 Star a map without using Unchained). It should be more than reasonable, considering I managed Par Time by that much without Traits or Parts, let alone a couple of tier 2 traps.

Of course, this means you really need to be confident in killing Swiftyhooves, so you may not want to do it as Max (unless you know you can hit him with In Your Faces). Blackpaw is an option, especially if you take the upgrade that gives Wound the Prey a 2s slow (Thin The Herd at level 4). Hitting Swiftyhooves with Wound the Prey then Go For The Throat might just kill him outright, depending on your Account Level.

Stables At Eventide

Account Level: 37

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 4)
• Tar (tier 4) - XP Siphon Part
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Great Wall Barricade (tier 2)
• Grinder (tier 4)

This was a tough map, as it forced me to not only upgrade some, but use my first Part as well (it's just an XP Siphon, but still). Similar to Thuricvod Village (on War Mage), you get a lot of large minions, but not a lot of coin in the beginning waves. You do get a ton of Trolls, so bringing in the "Grandmother was Eaten by a Troll" Trait, if you have it, can help here.

It's the same Barricade strategy that I used on War Mage, with a slight variation - in the SW, place the Barricades in a Mickey Mouse shape to snake them at first. In the SW hall, I then place a Barricade to force minions into a Grinder, and I eventually do that 2 more times when I have the coin. For the north, I block off the western exit of the "Temple" area, and then connect another Barricade to force the minions to go around the wall.

It will probably take some practice to get a feel for how much you need to trap each area for each wave; it's difficult to only trap one area well, since you get a lot of strong minions from both gates. I do try to get that long line of Grinders at the north first, but it does take a lot of coin, and you don't want to sacrifice too much damage in the SW.

Try to use the Cauldron and the Boulder traps in the SW, as they will really help. The Cauldron can be used once per wave, but the Boulder has a limited use on it (I think 5) so try not to use it all on one wave, unless you feel it's absolutely necessary. Not all melee Heroes can hit the Cauldron, but some can. Also keep in mind that you can shoot at the Cauldron from that wall that has all the Grinders on it, which helps trying to cover both areas.

You see me use Unchained on wave 3, and that's entirely because I try to protect my Guardian (using a "Stable" Guardian at that north spot for the HP/Damage increase would help). Having Unchained available at wave 8 should also help for Urza, as you don't want him to die among the Barricades, since he will release Firelings on his death.

Swiftyhooves makes yet another appearance, who comes form the north on the last wave. He's the first thing that spawns on the last wave, so just as long as you're there when the wave starts, you should be able to kill him in time.

Happily the last wave hardly has any minions in it, so keep that in mind if you're worried you're not going to make the Par Time.

Also, don't be an idiot like me and close the gate on yourself.

The Wall

Account Level: 38

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Great Wall Barricade (tier 2)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Swinging Mace (tier 4)
• Grinder (tier 4)

This map plays out almost the exact same way as it did on War Mage, but the only major difference is you'll see significantly more large minions. Since all you really get are minions with a ton of HP, this basically means that if you're having trouble with it, you just need to increase your damage. You do see a lot of Ogres here, so the Trait that increases damage towards them may help.

The only other thing to point out is the Unstable Rifts - this is the first time you'll see more than one in a single wave. You get a single one on wave 6, then you get 2 on wave 9, and finally another 2 on wave 11. Not only that, but they spawn in 6 different locations - the NW/NE corners, the larger rooms on the E and W, and in the NE/NW corners of the area where the Cauldrons are (above the north gate).

This means you really need to be comfortable with traversing the map. You'll see me go really fast getting to certain areas, but this just takes practice with using the teleports. I do let one Unstable Rift open (on wave 9) but that was only because I was more worried about the minions that were getting close to the Rift. Happily since each Unstable Rift generally is located so far away, if it does open, you have some time to react (unless it's in the E/W, prioritize those), but having to kill the extra minions will cost you time.

I do come in with fairly low damage (still no Traits, and I removed the Part from Tar), so there were a couple of minions that got close to the Rift. Not only that, but I barely make the Par Time by 5 seconds.

I still only use 2 Guardians here though, and chances are you'll have the coin to place more, so by all means do so.

Avalanche

Account Level: 39

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 4)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Swinging Mace (tier 4)
• Grinder (tier 4)

This is actually one of my favorite maps, as it's not too difficult. Minion spawns aren't too bad; Par Time is fairly forgiving; and the coin generation is a lot better than most maps.

Barricade strategy - Start off by blocking off the middle, which forces them all into the NE corner (into the "Barracks") where you can then put a line of Barricades to force them into Grinders. It works out really well because the Guardian (particularly if you set the appropriate one) can attack all the minions as they move through all the Grinders.

I try to get them all the way into the corner of that room, but if you go in with higher damage, it might be overkill. You'll also kind of see me get kind of confused while placing the Swinging Mace; it was actually the first time I've brought the Swinging Mace here (I usually have used Pounders or Ceiling Ballistas), so I was struggling finding a place to put it. I'm thinking the graphic was clipping into the "torches" that are on the wall, so it wouldn't let me place it.

For the east gate, just place 2 Barricades at the top of the stairway, so you can force them all down into the SE corner. Then, you can do the same thing - make a line of Barricades (start at the corner of the stairs, then make a diagonal, then a line south) to force them into Grinders. You can then connect that line into the first pillar, and that really helps extend their path.

For the west gate, just place Barricades at the top of the stairs to force them into more Grinders. I would recommend putting a Guardian down in the "Kitchen" area (as I do), just in case.

You do want to trap the area that blocks off the NW gate and forces them east; you see me put down my various traps there. By doing that, the Kamikaze Kobolds that appear in wave 5 shouldn't be an issue.

I also let the Unstable Rift open on wave 7. I didn't want it to open, but since I had little traps down at the east side, I decided to just let it open. That specific one should always be 2 Mountain Trolls, which wasn't too much of a threat, given where the Unstable Rift spawned.

Just to point out - You can use Great Wall Barricades here instead if you wish, but trying to put Great Wall Barricades in the Barracks area as I did makes it look really strange, and you can't extend the line quite as far in that area (there's not enough room). Everything else works out the same though, so if you're confident with your damage at the north, it should work fine. Another option is to bring in both the regular Barricade and the Great Wall, so you can still Barricade it like that, while saving coin in all the other areas.

Castle Gates

Account Level: 39

Hero used: Blackpaw

Traps used:

• Great Wall Barricade (tier 2)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Swinging Mace (tier 4)
• Grinder (tier 4)

I bring Blackpaw here because Max will have lower damage with the Wu Xing's elemental resistance. Blackpaw is also kind of nice here for his "Thin The Herd" upgrade at level 4; you get a new minion here that randomly buffs other minions with increased movement speed, so the slow can help things.

Personally I didn't find this map to be too bad, but it's mostly because I understood that it doesn't give good coin at first (hence the Great Walls), and I knew to be expecting the Firelings. If you know to prepare decoys for the Firelings, you should be fine.

Barricade strategy - Pretty simple to follow, as I funnel them into the north, where the Guardian is. I put one Great Wall down just west of the Guardian to force them into a single lane, and you can place a few more Great Walls just west of that (you'll see me do it starting at wave 8) in a straight line to extend their path.

For the Firelings - You need to have a decoy Barricade at the east before wave 4. If you don't, you might have some serious problems. Firelings also appear in the last wave from the south gate (and the east gate), so you at least have some time to put down another decoy down there before they show up. You also should be careful about killing any Fire Elementals (Urza too) around Barricades...and try not to die as I did while doing so.

The only other thing to mention is the Unstable Rift at wave 3 - mine was really convenient. It can also spawn just south of the east gate, as well as the corner that is located just east of the southernmost Barricade. You can consider putting down more traps at the north (maybe just a couple of Tar) for this reason, but I personally didn't need it on previous attempts. On a previous attempt (with Max) no less, I had it spawn south of the east gate, and then I even missed In Your Faces, and I still managed to keep things out of the Rift after I destroyed it (it was kind of close though).

Docks At Eventide

Account Level: 40

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 4)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 4)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 2)
• Arrow Wall (tier 4)
• Dragon's Lance (tier 1, new, for this map)
• Grinder (tier 4)

I really hate this map. I get the Par Time by one second, but it can be frustrating to earn, regardless of what your damage output is. I do think that this is a map that wasn't really tested, as the waves spawn in odd manners; they don't immediately spawn (which is a problem) on waves 4, then 6-10. On each of these waves, you're waiting around for around 10 seconds, which costs you almost a minute in total. I would highly recommend coming back to this map when your damage output is really high.

You'll notice I'm generally killing things at the gate entrances. In just about every other map, if you're killing things regularly at the gate, you should be fine in terms of Par Time. In other words, if minions are dying at the gate, they literally can't be dying any sooner than that.

Obviously I do have lower damage than what is probably expected, but it shouldn't be this close, as even the unguarded gate (which is generally the south one) normally doesn't even get to my line of Grinders. I also clearly recall having issues with the Par Time here on my first account - I remember coming back at around level 60 or 70, and still struggled making it in time.

Anyway, I bring in Dragon's Lance because I need more damage output, and there's not really a lot of viable options for ceiling traps. Since Rift Lord gets unlocked at 40, you may just have some Ceiling Ballistas to use; you can use them instead, as I will be using Ceiling Ballistas in Rift Lord.

If it wasn't for the Par Time, this would be an easy map. Barricade off the eastern section of the map, then I just put 2 Barricades near the Guardian to force them into that single spot with 2 Grinders, then I just force them along the wall with even more Grinders.

Orc TNT Archers will come out of the south gate, so you need to be careful of them. If they start shooting at you while you're standing next to the Barricades (the ones just north of the south gate), they run the risk of being destroyed. So you may want to just let them path beyond the Barricades before you pick a fight with them.

Not really much else to say, as it is fairly simple to trap this map. The Unstable Rifts may cause you some grief - you can get one around the SE corner. I wouldn't really recommend letting it open as you do not want any more minions than you already have, but maybe you'll be doing better in time than I am. If you do get one in the SE, I would loop back north to the Rift and meet the minions where the Grinders are, because that's where they'll end up being after the Unstable Rift is destroyed.

Crogon Keep

Account Level: 44

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Barricade (tier 5)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 5) - XP Siphon Part
• Floor Scorcher (tier 3)
• Arrow Wall (tier 5)
• Swinging Mace (tier 4)
• Floor Spikes (tier 4)

This is probably the most challenging map of Master, as there are a ton of minions with high HP, large groups of Kobolds, and the Par Time is pretty tough to manage. If you go in with roughly what I have, you will need to bring your A game. Although I make the Par Time by just under a minute, this was because I was going extremely fast and putting down traps during waves, which not only takes practice, but you need to be comfortable with the map. Do not expect this 5 Star to be done easily.

I bring in Floor Spikes as I needed the extra damage, and there are hardly any places to set up Grinders. My usual line is Floor Scorcher, then Brimstone, then Floor Spikes, then Tar.

Barricade strategy - Doesn't change much from Crogon Keep on War Mage, as I still block off the western entry to the Rift (which is done at the end of wave 3). I place 2 more Barricades (as wave 4 is starting) between two posts of the makeshift bridge in the NW, which manipulates the minion's path to go south at first, then head back up north. I do this because I need the extra time and you can place a line of floor traps on the boat (which I do at a later wave), allowing them to potentially run by the same trap twice. My last 2 Barricades are placed on wave 8, to funnel the north gate minions to the SW.

Unstable Rifts - It seems like there is only one Unstable Rift location; it always spawns at the exact same spot, in the middle of the western area, just north of the Guardian spot. For the first one, you can stay there as the wave starts just to finish it off quickly with no need of backtracking. Wave 7 has the second Unstable Rift, and you should be able to destroy it since I would recommend covering the north gate at first (since it spawns a Mercenary); try to get the Mercenary first. The last is at wave 10, which can be safely ignored, as it always spawns Gnoll Grenadiers.

Mercenaries - They appear at wave 7 (north gate) and wave 11 (NE gate). Although I didn't get him, I know from previous experience that Chaotic Kobold can really mess things up here if he spawns. Given how he's so fast, he can run the entire map in a matter of seconds. For this reason, I would really recommend using Unchained on him, and you may want to break off from the SE to kill him if he spawns on wave 11 (only if you feel you can spare the time). He doesn't always do it, but he can place a crystal down on the floor traps I have that are east of the teleport, so you need to make sure you break it if he does (if you have traps there). If you can handle the Mercenary at wave 7 without Unchained, save it until wave 8, as you get a ton of large minions during wave 8.

Guardians - I think the one in the SE corner is more or less required, but I would recommend placing the other at the West, SW, or South (or all 3 if you have the coin). The West will get the most combat, and the South will get the least. I choose the SW because it's a bit in-between for the majority of the waves; he won't get much at first, but later he'll see a lot of combat. Obviously if you want to put it here, bringing in the Cook/Bartender would help if you have either of them.

In terms of combat, you'll see me do two things - First, I utilize the teleport in the middle of the map. Try to get to the point where you're comfortable with how the waves appear, and use the teleport to jump between the minions on both the NW and NE; start with the NW gate, then as the NE gate gets closer to the teleport, start heading over there to jump over. Afterwards, the NW gate you started with will more than likely be coming close to the teleport, so you can jump back over again, so you don't have to move very far in order to clear the minions. I hop back-and-forth on occasion, trying to clear each side evenly, which reduces the amount of time wasted by having to hunt them down further along the path.

The other thing you see me do is backpedal while shooting. This allows me to cover some distance while still doing damage. It really helps a lot here, because you have to cover so much ground when the last gate opens. If you're playing Max, watch your cross-hairs though, as you'll be really inaccurate from longer distances if you hold your button down.

What you don't see me do (as you can't) is that I am constantly glancing at the mini-map, particularly the NE minions. They are the biggest threat until the SE gate opens, and you should not underestimate how much damage some of the minions can take. This is especially true when the Hobgoblin Shamans appear, as they can keep them healed, making your traps nearly useless.

Once the SE gate opens, they become less of an issue, as I would recommend covering gates in the order of SE, then NE (because of the crossroads between them), then north, then NW. By the time you get the SE and NE cleared though, chances are the minions from the north/NW will be further south, so you may just want to head down the south entry to the Rift, and meet them along their path.

Orcri-La

Account Level: 44

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Great Wall Barricade (tier 3)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 5)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 3)
• Arrow Wall (tier 5)
• Swinging Mace (tier 4)
• Grinder (tier 4)

This was done at Account Level 44, with a mixture of tier 3, tier 4, and tier 5 traps. Brimstone and Arrow Wall are at tier 5; Swinging Mace and Grinder are at tier 4; Floor Scorcher and Great Wall Barricade are at tier 3.

If you managed to get the 5 Star on Crogon Keep, this should be significantly easier. The only thing I noticed here is I was taking a ton of damage (the Archers killed me twice). I decided to keep the capture through, as I think it's good to see I'm not perfect.

Barricade strategy - I block off the eastern entrance to the Rift. I then block off the middle in a way that forces them all to move eastward around the wall, and then they'll loop back west. This is nice because they will move right along the wall, making it easy to set up Grinders. Another Barricade will need to be placed that is near the east gate (eventually), to force the minions from the east gate into the wall of Grinders.

The westernmost Barricade is quite important, as you'll get Gnome Destroyers from the west gate on wave 7. This means you'll need to set up a decoy so they don't destroy it. It also needs to be replaced, as they'll reappear on wave 10.

Gnome Destroyers also appear from the east (and NE) gate at wave 9, so I have a decoy at the east gate, and having the NE trapped will help clear them out.

The only other Barricade-destroying minions here are Dwarf Grenadiers, but I didn't have a problem with them. I think they only show up from the NE gate, which is all the more reason to add some traps there. For some reason they didn't really pay attention to my Guardian as much, so my Barricade near the Guardian was never destroyed. It still runs that risk though, which can really affect your damage towards the rest of the minions. You may want to consider trapping the west area (the area right at the end of the staircase) in case this happens.

Swiftyhooves appears on wave 4, so I would recommend saving Unchained for him. Other than that there's just a lot of Satyrs on this map.

Shark Island

Account Level: 44

Hero used: Max

Traps used:

• Great Wall Barricade (tier 3)
• Tar (tier 4)
• Brimstone (tier 5)
• Floor Scorcher (tier 3)
• Arrow Wall (tier 5)
• Swinging Mace (tier 4)
• Grinder (tier 4)

This should be a relaxing map to finish off Master. If you use the same Barricade strategy as I used in the War Mage video, you shouldn't really have much problems. If anything you'll just need to put down more damage traps, but this map gives a ton of coin, so there should be no issue with that.

Barricade strategy - The same as my War Mage video; block off the eastern entry to the Rift, then block off the easternmost lane of the NW corner. Then, use Barricades in the NW to force them into Grinders. At the north gate, block off the western lane (just south of the "Anchor" Guardian spot), forcing them east towards the "Kitchen" area. Finally, when the last gate opens, block off the SW entry to the Rift.

The only thing to mention here is that you do get a ton of large minions from the NW gate, so you may want to prioritize covering that one. Large minions do get mixed in with the other gates though, and the order that the gates spawn kind of varies a little, so use your best judgement about where you should be.

The last wave will have 3 of the 4 gates will spawn large minions. Start in the SW, then go to the north, then the NW. Chances are the large minions will survive the majority of your traps on this last wave.

As I mentioned, you do get a ton of coin, so feel free to put down more Guardians as you see fit. I wouldn't put one down in the NW, because it may pull the minions away from their pathway. I don't think they'll continue south if he does pull threat, but it's probably better just to get them to path eastward into the traps. I also wouldn't put one down at the north "Anchor" spot, as I believe Orc TNT Archers spawn at the north gate, which will put your Barricades at risk if a Guardian is there.