So, tactics for The Hive?

[El Muchacho Andre]

I've been experimenting with the new DLC and, seriously, The Hive is quite complex. I've figured some ways to five skull it, but all of them involve using archers for the flyers. Since I don't really like using them, I decided to come here and ask you guys:

Do you have any tactics for The Hive?

[cowface]

For the flyers i have found archers are the best for that level, but I do agree they are overrated. the dwarf missle launcher is pretty good on that level since the flyers are so spread out. Since they group together as they come, its acually more efficient to kill them half way down, rather than attempt to take them on right off the start. As for the land stuff I have found that if the only trap you use is wall arrows, or acid sprayers, then things are pretty manageable. Not the perfect strat, but its a start

[Celicni]

This is like an ancient necro, but the hive has been the level I never beat. I played this game a lot and it's one of my most loved games, and I consider myself skilled at it, but I could never solo 5 skull the hive (par time is ridiculous).

Today I wanted to try beating it and seen all these videos of people, but not a single thing worked (they were all similar tactics though).

I finally did it (and achieved a way less score than when I did it without 5 skulls) with crossbow with mana regen, lightning ring freezes enemies, dwarven missile launcher, arrow walls with fire, coinforge, coin boosting trinket (whatever it's called), mana rage trinket, archers, trap reset trinket and guardian trinket. Put a coinforge on both sides on first two waves, and use the coin trinket when you can. You get such an incredible amount of money, I had arrow walls lined up from the very top all the way to the bottom on both sides, guardian cap with archers, and I had a very large amount of gold left over (I think it was like 15K).

Finished at like 13 minutes, way before par time.

Just in case someone else has had trouble with this level like I did.

[El Muchacho Andre]

Wow, haha, didn't even remember I posted this thread.
But that's nice, glad you pulled it off.
Haven't played OMD in ages, now I miss it!

[Sir Thomas]

This is an old thread, but as someone that looked all over for proper strategy. I thought I would share what eventually worked for me. I used the strategy in this guide as baseline.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=128181806
With some adjustments for warmage build.

I used the following layout: crossbow, ice amulet, flame braces, ring of lightning, mana trinket, scavenger trinket, tar, floor scorcher and archers.

This loadout actually made it very easy.

You start on the side with orange portal. The trap layout is very simple. Scorcher near the edge so if an orcs walks on it gets flipped of the edge. Put tar in front of the floor scorcher. Repeat as much as you can.

Start the level. The focus should be sappers. Lightning ring is great for this.

After round 1 quickly use the portal to get on the small platform with the two portals. Place as many archers as you can near the orange portal. When the flyers spiral down they get near this side. Which allows the archers to shoot them better. Move to the other pathway. This round you won't have any traps to help you, but you can use the mana triif you're having trouble.

For round you should put the same trap placement as you did on the other side. I the advice to quickly jump down to make sure the kobolds don't reach the rift.

From this point you can experiment with what you need or prefer. I used my money to put max amount of archers and then repeating the traps.

I eventually ended up with more money than i knew what to do with and only needing to focus on the ogres or trolls. Which is easy with your elemental attacks. It also helps to support your archers in killing fliers so reach the time goal.

It ended up being quite easy. I didn't really use the scavenger trinket so you switch it out for the trap trinkit or shock sappers.

Best of luck

[piper.spirit]

I just finished 5 skulling this game on nightmare setting, so i have some appreciation to the complexity of this map. The Hive by far is the most challenging level to complete, as there is a lot going on and you can lose in multiple ways, time especially being one of them.

There are many ways to complete, some being harder than others, however I reckon the strategy I used gives the best chance for success.

In a nutshell, you basically want to use push traps and scorchers for the bulk of your kills against the enemy walkers. Place the traps as high as possible because you need to kill enemies fast to make the time. For the fliers, position archers on the top of the bridge, keep them spaced out. This is beneficial as you kill fliers much faster being higher. Make sure the archers can self heal.

It is also highly beneficial to understand the first few waves and the order of trap placement.

Wave 1- Basic enemies will come out of orange side only.

At the start head to the top of orange side, place 10 push traps from the very top all the way down to the bottom of the first set of stairs. Now place a scorcher on the outside of the path facing away from the rift- this will flame anything that gets past, but will also flip enemies off the side and they die from the fall.

Use the rest of the money on archers. Place 9 on the top of the bridge, 3 on the ground beside the rift- 2 at the entrance from orange side and 1 beside entrance from green path.

Start the round and kill enemies as fast as possible- don't let anything past.

Wave 2- Enemies come from green side only- basically slightly more this time with 2 frost ogres and fliers.

As soon as you have finished killing enemies beside orange entrance(wave 1), if you drop directly down, you land on green stairs. Basically, run up to the top of green path to the entrance and set up the same thing again. You have enough money for maybes 7 push traps, so keep getting kills, and use the money to buy 10 push traps and the scorcher.

Wave 3- Enemies will spawn from both paths- however runners will only spawn from orange. 2 fire ogres spawn, one from each path and more fliers.

Wave 3 is probably where things start to go wrong for most players. At the start of the round, you need to be on orange side to eliminate the runners that enter at the very start of the round. They are the only enemies that can evade the push traps- kill them! A second batch will enter later in this wave, so I recommend any money you have you place more scorchers on this side (on the outside of the path facing away from the rift). The archers you have on the ground can help kill the runners. Now kill the 2 fire ogres. Once this is done help the archers with the fliers.

The ice amulet and flame bracers are great for the ogres, but also excellent for the fliers too. Make sure you always target the last fliers in the line, the archers target the first ones in the line.
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Once the first 3 waves are done you basically just want more of everything but in particular scorchers and archers. Eventually only the ogres and trolls will get past the push traps, so start placing scorchers on the paths in the other direction, so everything gets flames. You also need scorchers at the entrances to the rifts to help defend the archers on the ground- who are basically there to slow the enemy down till you get there. Keep your eye on the mini map!

My loadout for The Hive
Stone Staff, Flame Bracers, Ice Amulet, Floor Scorcher, Push Trap, Trap Reset Trinket, Scavenger Trinket, Mana Rage Trinket, Guardian Trinket, Archer Guardian.