Year 10 Noob Survival Guide

This guide gives a shallow run-through of the game mechanics and a less shallow walkthrough of how to survive year 10 as a noob for them sweet bragging rights (And a ton of cornucopias to spend on cats).

*Can help with Years 5-9 as well*

Getting Started

[Up to date as of the -1.41 Feline Good Update-]
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CHARACTER SELECTION:

Lavender - 20% faster growth speed is very useful overall for faster roses, heartbeets, and crop harvests to fund your shopping sprees. The 2 Bees are great since they speed up growth of crops AND mega-crops.

Rye - Starting with a turret is a godsend if you get unlucky with camps on Day 1 or 2. Having a 50% chance of keeping your gun is also handy if you managed to get good upgrades, but you might have to switch it out anyways if you plan on clearing a biome that doesn't suit it.

Robusta - Purely for self-challenge, do not pick if you are bad at twin-stick shooters or multi-tasking like a god. If you do pick him, good luck!

Dandelion - Starting with Cleats, Crampons, and Flying is amazing. Moving like a drunk ostrich on Day 1 in Year 10 is not amazing. Do not pick for Year 10. Probably more fun for a casual run.

Thyme - Best choice in my opinion. You get around a whole minute more during daytime and extra time between night waves. However, you lose -20 seconds whenever you get hit, but if you're getting hit often enough that it negates the extra time in Year 10, you're dead anyways. (And the free pig is really nice too)
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ANT UPGRADES:

Legacy upgrades (bonuses you get for completion of a previous run) are not necessary, but they are extremely helpful since you can get some excellent starting items like Lard or Rake. Otherwise, I recommend getting as many ant upgrades as you can, especially ones that improve running speed or daytime length.

*Note: The Alien Ant upgrades are definitely worth grinding for, since they all upgrade your starter gun which can help immensely during Spring.*
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Quick Tips:

>Multitask by uprooting any nearby weeds wherever you walk, this saves a lot of trouble later on and gives a headstart for energizing. If you're quick, you can uproot weeds while shooting enemies to stay energized. Uprooting *small* weeds is also the fastest way to get energized early game while your farming stats are low.

>Don't be idle. Uproot weeds or water/fertilize crops if you're not doing anything else, be constantly busy, even while you're scrolling through seeds and avoiding bullets. Feel free to pull up the map/menu for a mental break if needed.

>Always plan to sow seeds in a 2x2 if you can, so that you can make mega-crops whenever you have enough fertilizer (If you have 3 fully grown crops, merging with a fourth crop will still make the mega-crop ready to harvest!). In particular, aim for Mega Roses/Sunflowers whenever possible. Extra roses go a long way, and a fully fertilized Mega-Sunflower is worth a whopping $1500. Only plant single sunflowers during Spring or when you feel like you need a bit of extra cash for the next day.

>Strafe Strafe Strafe and Kite! Circle around enemies to avoid being in a barrage of bullets and try to pull individuals away from camps/waves so you can pick them off one-by-one. And avoid standing in the middle of the farm right when the next wave hits.

>Never stop moving in order to avoid off-screen threats. Year 10 throws a lot of enemies and bullets at you at high speed. That said, sometimes a shadow-bird or bull will catch you off-guard, but don't worry about it. Unless you're at one heart, then yes you should worry.

>Know which guns are best for which Biome. Guns with fast reload or fire rate are best for the Plains/Jungle Biomes due to the enemies' high speed and numbers. Guns with high single-target damage or long range are best for the Desert/Tundra Biomes where enemies spam bullets from afar and have tricky movesets.

>As of the Doom & Bloom update, you will no longer be punished too harshly for not weeding your outer farm as (with the right upgrades) they can eventually turn into flowers which are worth quite a lot when harvested. You should still try to weed large clumps early on to avoid weed monsters from spawning however!

*Disclaimer: I did my practice runs and final runs with Thyme, but the guide should be helpful for other characters since they don't differ that much in terms of gameplay in the long run*

*Additional Disclaimer: I completed Year 10 using Mouse + Keyboard controls. It's clunkier than a game controller, but I think more accurate aiming and farm management is worth it*

Quick Guide for Tractors/Guns/Animals

TRACTOR TIPS:

>Megaton Tractor: All-purpose nuke, if you have this, congratulations, you've won the run as long as you don't run into bullets/enemies. Can clear camps, insta-grow crops/tree harvests, and expands your farm. Don't be afraid to use a charge if you're in trouble outside your farm, better to waste a charge than be dead.

>Tunneler Tractor: Handy if you need to get back to base quickly, and steadily expands your farm. (Try to use natural burrows rather than the tractor since 1 charge = 1 extra soil plot)

>Wood Chipper Tractor: Great for clearing out camps and enemy waves while making fertilizer. Especially useful versus minion-spamming bosses like The Bundertaker or U.F.B. or during Blood Moons. Be wary about being hit by enemies that get dragged to it!

>Sprinkler Tractor: Excellent pickup if you haven't gotten many cows yet by mid-year. Can be strategically used to farm high-tier crops for their seeds and even tree saplings (rarely) if needed.

>Wacker Tractor: Excellent for seeds/weed harvesting if you're bad at clearing weeds or have no chickens or weedwacker item. However, depending on your build setup, having more weeds can be a good or bad thing, and the damage the tractor can do to enemies is outdone by the Wood Chipper.

>Carrot Tractor: Very strange and requires some skill to use, but can be a good tractor depending on how you use it. If you're surrounded by enemies, a few seconds of invincibility could be the difference between survival and game over. Energizing your allies is also quite helpful for breaking out of a bad situation.
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GUN GUIDE:

>Cattling Gun: No longer as good since it got nerfed, but still an excellent pick for most situations, especially boss fights. Avoid using in the Plains/Jungle Biomes if you have no upgrades that reduce slowdown. Being unable to avoid the more numerous enemies due to the slowdown is a death sentence.

>Biodegrader: Good on its own, overpowered when fully upgraded (especially with the triple ammo upgrade). Can clear any camp with a few well placed volleys, fast reload, great crowd control.

>Spud-Rifle: Great all-purpose weapon on its own and can be upgraded with zap/homing. No reloading needed, so you can just hold the fire button and concentrate on aiming/dodging.

>Parsniper Rifle: Excellent for Desert/Tundra Biomes and deals massive damage to bosses. Terrible at crowd control without zap/piercing upgrades. The critical damage was nerfed, so if you aren't confident with your aiming, get a gun with faster reload.

>Jack-Rabbit 12: Rapid Fire shotgun is good for close encounters and crowd control. Unfortunately, many enemies like to shoot bullets from far away. Can perform well in all Biomes if used correctly though.

>Sriracha Soaker: Bad without upgrades. Decent with upgrades and for clearing Jungle/Plains Biomes. Terrible boss damage (Except for the Mushroom).

>Rusty SMG: Not great compared to other guns, very solid when fully upgraded, but avoid if you can't afford any upgrades.

>Squirrel Launcher: Can net you extra seeds if you're low on crops and it deals decent damage. Requires precision aiming and ammo conservation to use properly. Not easy to use during Year 10 when everything is hyper-caffinated.

>Shallotgun: Upgrades can make this quite powerful. But really only useful for players that are good at getting up close to enemies and for the Plains/Jungle Biomes due to the number of enemies that like to invade your personal space.

>Blunderbloom: 2x Damage up close with lots of explosive area damage upgrades? Good! Obscuring your field of vision in a twin-stick shooter while doing low damage to bosses with an abysmal reload rate? Bad. I don't recommend picking it.

>Butcher's Knife: Actually decent gun for early game in the Desert/Tundra Biomes if you have nothing better. Just as hard to aim/use as Squirrel Launcher. Slightly better than Blunderbloom, but has no crowd control.
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ANIMAL MANUAL:

>Pigs/Hogs: Tills Soil for you, sometimes expands your farm, and makes better tilled soil! Hogs also do knockback damage to enemy minions! Cows are more important in the early game, but 4-6 pigs/hogs can do wonders for your farm management.

>Cows: They water your crops for you. Enough Said. Always pick cows over any other animal in the early game. You'll need around 4-6 cows if you want a self-sufficient farm, depending on its size. (I like to keep the number of cows and turrets around the same if possible)

>Chicken: Chickens are a situational pick. If you have the Weedwacker/Wacker Tractor, you can just harvest the weeds yourself and pick another more useful animal. If you manage to get the Fertilized Eggs upgrade, then it is absolutely worth grabbing 1-2 chickens to grow a flock of chickens for weed management and their eggs.

>Bee: Very cute. Makes your crops and mega-crops grow faster. Useful early game with Lavender. Can be great with the right upgrades. Probably not better than a cow/pig/turret in Spring though.

>Turkeys: Eats weeds fast and eggs are worth a lot, especially with egg upgrades.

>Hummingbird: They're Bigger Better Stronger Bees.

Heartbeets/Blood Moons/Other Things

HEARTBEETS ARE CONFUSING:

Heartbeets are extremely confusing to figure out for a new player. After a lot of personal experiments and comparing notes to other players, here are a handful of key rules to keep in mind when using your precious heartbeets efficiently for the madness of Year 10. (These are personal tips so they may be wrong, and I don't know the official percentages used in the game).

(1) The only way to increase your life total is by planting and harvesting Heartbeets (Aside from special item upgrades). In order to obtain 1 extra heart, you must harvest 4 Heartsprouts (unofficial name). If you are at full health, harvesting 1 unfertilized Heartbeet will contribute 2 Heartsprouts to your life total. If you are at less-than-full health, harvesting 1 unfertilized Heartbeet will contribute 1 Heartsprout to your life total.

(2) Fertilizing a Heartbeet consumes slightly more fertilizer than a normal crop. Fertilized Heartbeets have an *increased chance* of yielding an additional Heartsprout. It's not guaranteed *unless you fully fertilize the Heartbeet*, so if you are low on fertilizer and money, prioritize fertilizing your more valuable crops first and just harvest the regular Heartbeet if needed.

(3) Merging a Mega-Heartbeet is very fertilizer-heavy. Fertilizing a Mega-Heartbeet is even more fertilizer-heavy. An unfertilized Mega-Heartbeet yields 5 Heartbeets = 2.5 extra Hearts if you're at full health. A Fertilized Mega-Heartbeet can yield up to 2 additional Heartsprouts for a total of 3 extra Hearts.

(4) Conclusion: Unless you have the Participation Trophy item which merges crops for free, it's more efficient to plant and fertilize individual Heartbeets as soon as you get them in order to increase your life total. And even if you have free merging, it's not worth fertilizing Mega-Heartbeets unless you have nothing else better to fertilize.
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HOW TO RECOGNIZE IF A BLOOD MOON WILL SCREW YOU OVER:

There is now a fairly high chance of a Blood Moon appearing at least once during your run. These can affect how well you do during Year 10, depending on what season it appears, what type of moon it is, and how much loot you get from it. As far as I can tell, the type of moon you get is completely random. What is not random, is that the Moon-Muncher (unofficial name) will always appear soon after the Blood Moon begins. I recommend avoiding it and finding the nearest burrow back to your farm.


Moon-Muncher (unofficial name). The possible lunar cousin of the Chain-Chomp

BLUE MOON:

If a Blood Moon appears during Spring, pray that it's this one. During Blue Moons, no enemy waves will spawn! In addition, Harvest Turnips (unofficial name) will appear instead. Shoot or walk through them to earn free fertilizer. It's a great time to manage your farm without any worries.

Blue Moon (unofficial name)


Harvest Turnip. Although it could be a Rutabaga

PURPLE MOON:

Purple Moons are a cause for worry, but if you have a good gun and defenses, the potential loot might be worth the trouble. During Purple Moons, unique enemies will spawn in addition to the normal waves! Of note are Fire Slugs which set your crops on fire, Bird Swarms which can catch you off guard, and The Bunny Witch who can cast an area spell that resets your crops' growth. Harvest Turnips will also appear, so if you grabbed any Fertilizer Mushrooms, you could potentially rake in a lot of fertilizer. The Bunny Witch in particular, has a decent chance of dropping pigeon scrolls, but has a lot of health.

Purple Moon (unofficial name)


The Bunny Witch. (unofficial name)

FULL BLOOD MOON:

If a Full Blood Moon shows up during Spring on your Year 10 run. I recommend immediately quitting and starting a fresh run. In addition to all the enemies that show up during a Purple Moon, UFOs will also appear and try to abduct your farm animals. Don't worry if they manage to be abducted, since any animals that were taken will be returned to the edges of your farm inside of a Goo-cocoon after a while. Even if you manage to survive the onslaught, you probably didn't get a good crop harvest for that day if this happened early in the year. While Blood Moons are usually bad, they're a nice way to mix things up during a casual run in addition to the potential fertilizer drops.

Full Blood Moon (unofficial name)


Goo-Coccon. Shoot to pop.
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SCROLLS, SHRINES, AND SATAN

(1) Save a few of your best Pigeon Scrolls for the end of the Final Boss fight so you can build up your surplus mode meter for a ton of extra cornucopias!




(2) Shrines are pretty good to get, but are high risk, high reward due to the high level enemies guarding them. I always pick Farming Stats but Fighting Stats might be better if you're struggling against enemies or you're not playing as Thyme.



(3) The Deervil Den contracts are potentially game-breaking in how good they are. The risks are generally not worth it in Year 10 unless you're really good at the game however. The "safest" contract would be the one that converts all your health into Heartbeets and doubles them. If you survive the trip back home, it could easily give you enough health to survive the rest of the year!

Spring (You Died)

Spring Summary:

*This guide assumes you already know basic game mechanics like sunflower/pumpkin seeds, mega-crop merging, Cashews & compass directions, hitting tab to see the map because the tutorial doesn't tell you anything*

Hardest season of the run to survive since you have FOUR HEARTS and zero upgrades/items (Unless you have legacy upgrades). However, if you can survive Spring and not get screwed over by RNG in Summer, you're good for the rest of the year.
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Day 1:

You WILL die, this is inevitable. But it is a part of the learning process, for each time you die, you shall arise like a glorious phoenix, and remember to smite that cockroach that came in out of nowhere.

Serious talk now. As soon as the game starts (and you grab a time capsule if you have one)...

DAWN: Hit the well and grab any weeds you can on the way to the Desert Biome. If you got a cow and/or seeds from your time capsule, till and plant crops first before journeying to the west. (In previous versions, I greatly emphasized weeding your farm, but this is no longer as important for later reasons)


A solid setup with legacy rewards

DAY: If you are good at avoiding bullets and enemies, good for you, just clear camps as normal. If you are a mere mortal who was not born to avoid bullets every waking moment, avoid any camps with the Hermit Crab enemies, get rid of any Scorpions or Cockroaches near the camps you're tackling, and kite like a madman.


Enemy Hermit Crab

Make especially sure to avoid the elite enemy camps at this point! Unless they're guarding a turret or cow, then it might be worth tackling if you're skilled with a peashooter. Also, try to find the Golden Pupa for a free upgrade and Berry Bushes for cashews!


Top priority

NIGHT: Once Dusk hits, finish off any easy camps on the way back to the farm (Only two slugs on wave 1, so no need to rush back). If you have 12 fertilizer, merge the best crops you have and water them while dealing with enemies (prioritize slugs).


Murder these Cropmunchers first

If you don't have 12 fertilizer, grab some from weeds/enemies and then merge the crops. Fertilize any mega-crops if you can and you should have enough cashews for a new gun by the time the day is done.

TOWN: Buy a better gun, literally any gun is better than the default peashooter. Even the Butcher's Knife is better. If you have leftover cashews, buy some seeds or a pickaxe from the Garden Shop. If you managed to get roses, flirt with someone if they have a good upgrade/item. DO NOT BUY HEART BEATS. You should have at least 1-2 in your inventory by now, and Roses are extremely valuable early game.


Unless you're low health and/or only have 3 heart beat seeds, avoid all game
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Day 2:

"Birdemic". Seriously, the Shadow-Birds can pivot very quickly on Year 10. Do not let them gang up on you or you will die in an agony of squawks.



DAWN: Your new morning routine consists of weeding your soil, tilling your farm, planting seeds, and then picking one biome to spend your day in.

DAY: Head West and finish clearing out the remaining camps. Don't waste time checking for every camp unless you missed the Golden Pupa. If you managed to get both animal/turret camps and the rose camp, you can head East if you have the time, or head back to the farm and take care of the weeds and crops.

Alternatively, you can head to the Plains Biome if you already got most of the good stuff from the Desert Biome.

NIGHT: Rinse and Repeat. Clear out immediate enemies that spawn (prioritize crop-eaters), sow seeds and fertilize if you can, survive until morning and collect any ready crops while weeding.

TOWN: Buy a new gun. This is your life now. Always get the first upgrade at least. Buy pickaxes/seeds with the leftover Cashews and flirt if the offerings are good.

Note: Focus on getting gun upgrades on Day 2 of every Season since you have to fight the boss.
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Day 3:

"Birdemic 2: The Battening". Your biggest obstacles on the plains are the Bulls and the Bat swarms. There is a more than likely chance you will get ganged up on by the Bulls the second you enter the area, so keep your eyes and ears open.


Tip: Hide behind walls and trees to deter them

DAWN: Weed Soil. Till Farm. Sow Seeds. Maybe shoot a garden pest for fertilizer.


Don't underestimate these

DAY: Head East and keep your trigger finger ready. Kill any Bulls wherever you decide to go and try not to walk in a straight line to avoid Hornets.


Hornets and Dragonflies have a large aggro range

Clear camps however you like, but I prefer to zig zag, slowly moving from one side to the other. Prioritize finding the Golden Pupa and Berry Bushes followed by animal/turret camps and rose camps like before. It is okay if you do not find all the camps. Finding a nearby tunnel to avoid enemies is valid if you fear for your survival.

NIGHT: Try to avoid the boss grabbing you as long as possible since that instantly starts the Night Wave. Clear camps or find a tunnel shortcut to use before the fight begins.

Spring Wrap-Up

SPRING BOSSES

Monstropod:

Monstropod is very straightforward like in every other year. If you have a good gun, finish him off as quickly as you can. Otherwise, just focus on crop management and shoot him whenever he comes near. And be wary of the higher health slugs in Year 10 and supporting wave minions.

Monstropod. A gardener's worst nightmare

Unfriendly Worm:

The Unfriendly Worm is considerably tougher than Monstropod. No extra slugs to deal with, but it directly targets you instead of your crops. It also enters an enraged mode after a certain amount of damage is done to it. This wriggling menace can very easily catch you off guard with its movements. It's fast and aims for where you are, but is slow at turning corners, making it weak to circle kiting. Depending on your turret setup (If you have any), just move in a fairly large circle while constantly turning to avoid being hit by the worm and shoot to your heart's content.

Unfriendly Worm. A gardener's best nightmare?.

Note: If you have any sunflower seeds, use at least one and fully fertilize it before the day ends, you will need the quick Cashews.

TOWN: Buy a new gun and upgrade it, then talk with the mayor. The crop score for getting full rewards in Spring is at least [1000] points. It's fine if you don't get all the rewards, but you should at least aim for getting the free heartbeat and the stat upgrades. Afterwards, you can spend your roses however you like or save them for flirting. If you have leftover Cashews, buy seeds/pickaxes and at least one bridge repair kit.

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SPRING WRAP-UP

If you've made it this far, congrats, it's about to get a lot harder. But at least you have a foothold now. Now for Q&A:

Q: "What about tractors and gun types?"
A: Tractors and Gun RNG are highly variable, and can make your runs a lot easier or harder, so the guide assumes you at least have average picks. More info is found in their respective sections.

Q: "When should I get married?"
A: Normally, at least after you turn 18. But in the game, I recommend waiting until someone has a good upgrade or item before you flirt with them. If you see the polygamy upgrade, grab it right away. More spouses = easier farm management and boosted stats. They all have their own strengths & weaknesses, but generally the fighter ones will be more helpful (Even Norman).

Q: "I'm not good at multi-tasking and am being overwhelmed by weeds and dehydrated crops, how fix?"
A: One solution is to keep practicing until you habitually water and uproot weeds while fighting and/or crop managing. Otherwise, don't worry too much, you should eventually find some cows or weed upgrades to make things easier down the line.


3 different weed sizes. Grab the smallest ones first and the big ones when energized.

The important part is remembering to water/fertilize mega-crops and avoid letting weeds clump and spawning weed monsters.

Summer (Things are Heating Up)

Summer Summary:

You're probably thinking, "Oh that was tough, but not too bad. I might actually do this!". If this is you, take a coffee break and prepare for the butt-whooping coming your way.

The North and South biomes are objectively harder by far in Year 10, and if you're screwed over by gun RNG before the boss fight, you're gonna have a bad time.
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Day 1:

"Why are there so many cockroaches!?". Don't underestimate the roaches. Kill them on sight.


The deadliest enemies in the game, but now slightly more forgiving since their bodies don't have hitboxes anymore

DAWN: Weed. Till. Sow Seeds. Don't forget your free tree if you got Daily Orchard.

DAY: If you got the Sniper Rifle , Spud Rifle, or other single target focused gun, we head North and fight those godforsaken Owls and Snowmen.


These can easily gang up on you, kill right away

If you got the Cattling Gun, Biodegrader, or Spud Rifle with Zap/Homing, we head South and develop a fear of Cats and Insects. (Although to be fair, you can head North with these weapons as well).


These chameleons ended 3 of my runs, very deadly baby

Regardless of which biome you pick, the general plan is the same: Find Golden Pupa and Berry Bushes, followed by animal/tractor camps and rose camp. However, now that you should have an upgraded gun, feel free to murder any Beeson in your way for good fertilizer drops.

NIGHT: Take out the more dangerous elite wave minions and remember to clean up weeds if you can. (Vegetaskulls used to show up every waking moment instead of elite enemy camps. Be thankful to the devs for getting rid of them).

TOWN: Same as before: Buy new upgraded gun, maybe flirt with the locals, get some seeds and pickaxes, and possibly a few bridge repair kits (You only have to buy 3-5 throughout the whole run unless you have flying)
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Day 2:

Don't forget to take a break once in a while to compose yourself or have a sip of tea before diving back into the madness.

DAWN: At this point, the morning routine should be habit, so no more Dawn sections.

DAY: If you have a non-crappy gun, feel free to clean up whichever biome you were in on Day 1, and head for the other biome you didn't do yet. If you do have a crappy gun, take a relaxing day to dodge garden pests and farm up your crops/roses/heartbeats and maybe clean up the weeds.

NIGHT: Waves will only get harder from here on, but not much else to say, so Night sections will get axed as well until bosses. (Tip for cherry bombs, just run near them to set off their explosion so you don't get distracted by all of them chasing you).

*As before, save up cashews for an upgraded gun to fight the boss*

TOWN: Same as previous day, but choose your gun wisely (No Squirrel Launcher or Sriracha Soaker if possible).


This is what hard mode looks like
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Day 3:

DAY: You may want to give yourself some spare time before dusk to clean up the homefront. Any weed monsters or unharvested crops will just cause more trouble during the boss fight. It might actually be better sometimes to only have a few crops to protect since that means you have to water less during the fight.

Summer Wrap-Up

SUMMER BOSSES

SOL:

Sol does not like you or your crops. Take out the wave minions before attacking him and try to water crops if you don't have many cows. Feel free to use a Rain Scroll if you have any. He isn't actually that different from previous years in terms of difficulty, but the much faster, bullet-spamming wave minions will make things miserable for you. Sol also has a much larger health pool than before. It's very likely you won't kill the boss until near the end of the night, if at all due to the massive health pool. Just focus on staying alive and saving any trees you have and you should be fine even if you don't get the boss rewards.

Sol. The bigger the target, the easier it is for both of you to hit each other

U.F.B.:

The U.F.B. is faster, has much bigger attacks, and spams a lot more bullets during the second phase than Sol. In addition to this, U.F.O. minions will constantly spawn and try to abduct your animals. Despite all this however, U.F.B. is slightly easier to deal with than Sol in my opinion. U.F.B. has more difficult-to-avoid attacks, but has a significantly smaller health pool and the beam attack doesn't set your crops on fire (despite the visual effects). And even if your farm animals are abducted, they're "returned" later inside Goo-coccoons, which is slightly less trouble than running around making sure your crops don't burn. Just stay on your toes and keep your distance during Phase 2 and you should be fine.

U.F.B. (Unidentified Flying Bunny?)


U.F.O. (You should still try to save your animals).

TOWN: It's really hard to focus on farming when both bosses constantly hover over your field, taking up half the screen with their attacks, so don't feel bad if you couldn't get the full Season Rewards which requires at least [3000] points.

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Summer Wrap-Up:

You're halfway through, give yourself a pat on the back and silently cry as you realize that you have to deal with the Fall bosses next.

Fall (Call of Harvest Moon)

Fall Summary:

If you haven't already gotten married, you probably should, as you get a lot of bonus stats and a very useful helper on the farm or in the battlefield (Except for Norman, I'm sorry baby, but you're not that useful). Your biggest challenge isn't the clusterfrak of onscreen enemies and bullets during the nightwaves or in the farland biomes, but the boss at the end.


Norman being occasionally useful
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Day 1 and Day 2:

Find any remaining animal/turret camps or Golden Pupas that you've missed, and then head for one of the farland biomes. The North/South biomes require 3 repair kits per bridge and the East/West biomes require 2 repair kits per bridge. Don't underestimate these during Year 10, especially the South and West farland biomes. It's very easy to get overconfident and then die due to the intense enemy spawn rate and speed.


By now, you should stop detouring for regular berry bushes, and look for the glowing ones instead

Same guidelines apply for the farland biomes, but this time, keep an eye out for the Unique Camps. There are 4 every run, and one per farland biome. It is randomized where each one spawns. The best ones are the Animal Pen and Treasure Chest, since they offer a lot of long-term value. The Captured Slug and Squirrel Sage are great if you're low on farm resources.


Upgrades ALL your seeds to top tier ones


More animals is always good


Drops a literal crap-ton of fertilizer


As long as you don't get Hotwire, this is always worth getting

TOWN: Try to find a loving husbando or waifu to call your own and level up your stats in doing so. If you have the Polygamy upgrade, try to get multiple spouses to help out by the time Winter hits (I managed to get 2 at most, but I got lucky with rose drops on my run).

Day 3:

DAY: Clear a few camps, but mostly focus on getting ready for the boss and harvest as much as you can before the season end for the mayor rewards.

Fall Wrap-Up

FALL BOSSES:

Old Mech-Donald:

Old Mech-Donald is the hardest boss in my opinion, even harder than the final boss. His pathing makes him to move in a square around the edge of your farm, but that just means you have to deal with the minion waves up close if you want to avoid the ever-constant smog clouds. Pray that the boss doesn't use the screen-wiping tire attack (which can only be avoided if you're fast enough, or if you run behind the boss before the tires spawn), and take him out as quickly as possible if you want to make it to Winter. (Fun fact, the smog clouds can obscure enemy minions and bullets, making them even harder to dodge than usual).

Old Mech-Donald. (Much easier with the Parsniper Rifle, otherwise a pain in the exhaust pipe)

The Spore You Know:

This boss is not...difficult per say, but is very annoying if you leave them alone. The Spore You Know starts with one giant mushroom which you should kill as soon as possible. It will then constantly split up into smaller and smaller mushrooms as you get rid of them. Each time you kill a mushroom, it will launch spore bullets which *might* become another mushroom. The boss will lose health as you get rid of all the mushrooms, but if you miss one and it grows into another Boss-mushroom, it will add more health and more mushrooms which add more health in turn. You have to be extremely thorough and circumnavigate the edges of your whole farm, wiping out every mushroom you see (Mushrooms can spawn behind signposts by the way, so you can't tell they're there unless you shoot it).

The Spore You Know. (Fungus Among Us)

TOWN: By now, your field should be big enough, so you shouldn't need seeds or pickaxes, but feel free to pick them up as a precaution. The required amount for full harvest rewards is at least [6000] points.

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FALL WRAP-UP:

At this point, RNG has either been fairly kind to you, or you're barely hanging on by the edge. But generally speaking, the Winter Season is fairly easier compared to Summer and Fall since you have lots of options in terms of what to do. You should have a fairly high income now, and should be using only silver/gold ranked seeds by now, and maybe have a few fertilized trees to supplement your crop harvests. You can risk it in the Outer Biomes for much more loot to make the final bosses easier, or you can play it safe and just farm at home all winter, strengthening your defenses, depending on how confident you are. Either way, aim for having enough cashews to get full upgraded guns by Winter's end.

Winter (is coming)

Winter Summary:

If you feel like the guide has been moving too fast, and you're not nearly on schedule with what I've been recommending... You're not wrong, I am moving forward assuming you're making good progress. The thing about Winter, is that, you can do what you'd like to prepare for the final two bosses. You can just turtle up and farm at home, or you can try to get one of the farland biomes for their super good camps.

*Note: On my Year 10 Run, I only managed to clear out two farland biomes by the time Winter ended, but I was very comfortable in terms of resources, health, and defenses/animals. I also managed to get full Season Rewards for Spring, Fall, and Winter. However, I also got super lucky and got the Megaton Tractor on Day 1 of Summer, which helped immensely with farming and camp clearing.*
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Day 1 and 2:

Follow the guidelines so far, and do what feels most comfortable depending on your resources/gun/farm setup. I recommend increasing your harvest score and getting upgrades/items from camps, especially if you couldn't get the full season rewards from before. Every little bit helps in the final battle.

Day 3:

DAY: Deal with any weeds you have and get any last camps you really want before the 3rd Day ends and Nuclear Winter hits.

Winter Wrap-Up + Nuclear Winter

WINTER BOSSES:

BUNDERTAKER:

The Bundertaker is actually quite manageable, especially with the recent nerf. Don't take your eyes off him and do as much damage as you can so he doesn't spawn rabbitholes. If he does, focus on taking them out first since the Year 10 rabbit minions are fast as sniper bullets and they track you. You can't actually damage him during his sleep cycle (which lasts about 5 seconds). Just clear out any rabbitholes and minions and start shooting the second he wakes up.

*Quick Tip: If you're being overwhelmed by white rabbits, focus on damaging The Bundertaker, as all his minions fall asleep whenever he does. Clear them out during the sleep cycles.*

Bundertaker. (But what are the strings attached to?)

ITSY BITSY:

Itsy Bitsy is fairly difficult, but not as terrible to deal with as Old-Mechdonald or even Bundertaker in my opinion. This overgrown arachnid's gimmick is to catch you off guard by moving in and out of the edge of your screen at ludicrous speeds. Alongside spawning spider minions and shooting occasional bullets, Itsy Bitsy can easily end your run if you aren't paying attention (There's no harm in taking a pause-break mid-fight to take a breather). This boss is essentially just Monstropod on drugs, but just shoot whenever you can and you'll be able to chip away at its health and beat it before the night's end. (It doesn't seem to really matter where you are, but you might as well hang out near the center in-between waves where all your turrets are.

TOWN: First, get a mostly maxed out gun, try to go for single-target guns. Buy high tier seeds and any turrets from the gardening shop with the leftover Cashews and talk to the mayor for Season Rewards which require a ludicrous [12000] points for all items. Spend roses on whatever helpful items you can afford, then go ahead and spend everything left on the Casino since you won't be using those Cashews any more.

Don't spend any Cashews here until the final day
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NUCLEAR WINTER:

The almighty Corpse-a-Copia returns, and he's actually really challenging this time. If you take too long, there will be around 5-7 Vegetaskulls on screen at all times, so plan to finish him off in two or three crop volleys when he gets to half health (Megaton Tractor makes the fight even more of a cakewalk). It matters more than ever to kill the Demon Vegetables popping out of the ground for the fertilizer and seeds, especially if you just spent all your seeds and fertilizer for the Winter harvest. Otherwise, it's a battle of attrition: Will the boss die first or will your eyes start bleeding from all the nonsense on screen you're trying to avoid?

Corpse-a-Copia. (Imagine this, but about 25% more chaotic)


Demon Vegetable. (These aren't a problem as long as you keep their numbers down)

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FINAL SUMMARY:

And there you have it, a guide for noobs, made by a noob to get that Year 10 feeling of accomplishment, and maybe a high tier cat (I got a tier 5 cat).


Pretty sure this is actually a dog

There's probably a lot more details and finer bits I forgot to go through, but due to the rogue-like nature of Atomicrops, most problems can be solved with a bit of effort and divine luck on your side.

*Disclaimer: Most pictures were taken from screenshots ingame of a Year 7 Run. Trying to take good screenshots during Year 10 is madness*

[Resplendant Hue]

cunny!

[Resplendant Hue]

hmm so you see health gain as those sprout bits that go towards a full heart, understood. i guess it has to be that way.

[TheAWKLORD]

@fuckin'shiih: (1) It wasn't a very good or clever joke in hindsight, I may just edit it out. (2) If you are referring to the Heartbeets section, then yes I do mean 2.5 hearts. 5 heartbeets = 10 heartsprouts; 1 extra heart = 4 heartsprouts (assuming you harvest at full health)

[Resplendant Hue]

"The Bunny Witch. (Don't shorten the name you naughty children)"
i don't get the joke, are you being creep?

[TheAWKLORD]

NOTICE: I will not be addressing paid DLC content in the guide, because it's not guaranteed everyone will have bought any.

[TheAWKLORD]

@HalfGraham: I actually did not know that about bees/hummingbirds since I rarely ever grab them. I'll add that info to the guide though, thanks for correcting me.

[HalfGraham]

Bees don't " fertilise crops... slowly " they greatly increase the growth speed of crops in between waterings. Which is why trophallaxis is so OP, the bee just sits on the crop and finishes it near instantly.

[RuffyRuffy]

One of the best upgrades I've found for helping on Corpse-a-Corpia & general economy is Glass Bottle, which makes your cows produce milk. Super frequent production rate and worth a good amount.

[mrorange]

Okay, thanks this helps. I thought it is a Noob Guide. ;)

[TheAWKLORD]

@mrorange: This guide is not for beginners, so you should look for a different guide if this is your first time playing. To answer your question though, the final boss only takes damage from you harvesting crops.