Necrodancer ~100% Achievement Guide

A guide to help you complete ~100% achievements in Crypt of the Necrodancer!

Introduction [Sync WIP]

This guide consists of strategies that will help you achieve 100% in Crypt of the Necrodancer, all DLCs included!

Unlike most other games, Necrodancer is extremely skill based. There is no easy step 1-10 of getting all of the achievements. However, all of them are fairly doable as you gain enough practice and keep trying (except the last four; more on that later). I'll list everything I know so you can atleast get ~95% completion!

If you need to know game mechanics, or want advanced help, check out the resource compilation! (I've even moved non-achievement content originally here to there).

Resource Compilation for Necrodancer
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2969481978

Achievement Hunting FAQS

A quick rundown of achievements for those who don't know what to expect.

Any permanently missable or forever locked achievements?

None at all!

Any alt storyline or "pick between X or Y" achievements?

Still none!

Any IRL time-based achievements?

Nope!

Anything that requires multiplayer?

The game encourages some achievements to be done in multiplayer, but none actually require another player or an online connection! Multiplayer labeled achievements can be done fun and easy on your own, with no additional hardware nor help required.

Any rng achievements?

The earliest ive heard of can be acquired after ~54hrs, but i doubt this would ever be a problem if you're naturally playing to get the others.

Any grindy achievements?

Nothing monotonous, just requires 10 wins in a row; requires around 30 mins each (total of about 2-5 hrs) of streaked Cadence runs (the base character).

DLC locked achievements

Quite a lot, but I highly recommend all the DLCs. Respective achievements tied to them conveniently identify themselves in their own descriptions.

DLC(2) locked achievements

[Sync DLC WIP]

Any Notorious Achievements?

Known as the final four achievements, these require complete mastery of the entire game. These are generally considered to be insanely hard. The last two more so, but these are proven to be doable!

Playtime/Achievement Ratio

Theoretically, this game can be 100% within about a day all in one sitting! As there is no achievement locked behind arbitrary roadblocks (excluding the rng stated above).

However, due to the games difficulty, most players require some time to learn the game. This game is worth ~250 hrs (minimum) to about ~1k hrs in terms of achievement hunting, all of which I personally enjoyed and never regretted.

Anything that disables achievements?

Disables Achievements:

• Changing the .XML file (mods or otherwise)
  
• Changing the Quirks menu
  
• Custom Music (altered beat pace)
  
• Custom Rules settings
  
• Debug Console
  
• Enabling Lvl Editor Ingame
  
• Lobby / Training Mode
  
• Seeded Mode (only allows very few)

Allows Achievements:

• On / Off DLCs
  
• Resource packs
  
• Single Zones Mode
  
• Phasing Mode (along with the other modes)
  
• No Beat Mode (but invalidates character clear ones)
  
• Getting multiple achievements per run

There are some loose cases, but a good basis is if doing it defeats the purpose of the achievement, it likely invalidates it.

Setting Up [Sync WIP]

Be sure to customize your setup for less risk of misinputs and control issues.

Selecting the Soundtrack
Reserve different tracks for characters with unique gimmicks. Different soundtracks help subconsciously distinguish between the 10+ different character playstyles. Relevant in Story Mode or All Chars run, where varying playstyles are played nonstop back-to-back.

Music and Audio Volume
Some prefer max music with no audio to fully concentrate on beat keeping, but audio cues signal important information (miniboss aggro, enemy attack cycles, Mary's Sheep, Tempo's Clock).

Keybindings
Relying on multi-button presses can be fun ('having your fingers dance on your keyboard') but for later runs you really can't afford a single mispress. Be sure to tailor your keybinds to what you most feel comfortable with!

Beat Latency (WIP)
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Other

• Heart Hud / Screenshake Off are heavy recommendations as they can be distracting.
  
• Boss Intros give more breathing room against Boss levels as they don't move to the beat immediately.
  
• Enemy Hearts help keep track where they are, and are a good reminder when fighting double health 'lords'.

Installing DLC or Uninstalling DLC?

Depending on what you're trying to achieve, its optional to turn on and off the DLC pack to make some achievements reasonably easier.

Suggest doing on non-DLC:

• Undeadly (Cadence Deathless Mode Streak 10)
  
• Speed Demon (Cadence in under 15 minutes)
  
• Flawless Victory! (Aria Low%)
  
• Polyamorous (All Chars)
  
• Lowest of the Low (All Chars Low%)
  
• Impossible, Right? (Coda)

This is completely fair as the first completionists achieved these when the DLC isn’t even available.
Turning off the DLC is a fair, optional alternative to lessen the steep learning curve.

DLC	Non-DLC
More bloated Item pool Warhammers, Axes Strength Shovel, Battle Shovel Strength Torch, Torch of Walls Heavy Glass Armor Familiars, Magic Food Throws have Piercing Zone 5, Metrognomes Fortissimole	Compact Item pool No Warhammers, but also no Harps and Staves Winged Boots perform better Ring of Phasing Pre-nerf Ring of Courage Shrine of Risk and Peace are more punishing Ooze Golems are more Punishing Shorter, less riskier runs Harder Eli runs (lack of Eli's Prosthetic)

Single Zone (Cadence Zone 1, 2, 3)

Single Zone Mode serves as a second tutorial; feel free to take your time and learn the enemy movement patterns. Try familiarizing with enemies, weapons, traps and shrines and get comfortable using and dancing around with them. It's always better to watch how an enemy moves first before interacting with it. Do NOT brute force your way as that would rarely help.

The game is hard because it forces you to learn these things simultaneously:

• Keeping on the beat
  
• Enemies and their patterns
  
• Miniboss and Bosses
  
• Items
  
• Zone Properties

Expect to die a lot! Everyone starts like that and the game is purposely built that way. If you are stuck, try prioritizing getting upgrades and unlocking Lobby NPCS. Necrondancer may be a roguelike, but during Single Zones Mode it allows upgrades to be carried to be easier to starting players!

• If an enemy is still confusing, try rescuing the Beastmaster (Zone 1) to practice with enemies in a safe environment. This also goes for minibosses and bosses (Bossmaster).
  
• Better items also help so buy new items from Hephaestus or Merlin (Zone 1). Optimize the item spawn pool with the Janitor or practice with them with the Weaponmaster (Zone 2).
  
• Feel free to miss beats on your first few tries. You can always play as Bard to learn enemies and items first before learning to keep the beat.

Achievements

In The Zone
Complete zone 1 with solo Cadence!

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Zone 1 enemies are fairly easy, and only the minibosses are actually dangerous. Know which enemies to prioritize and practice how to deal with them. Remember to 'synchronize' with enemy movement patterns!

Recommended Priority of Dealing with Enemies:

1. Wraith, Monkeys (Per beat movement)
   
2. Skeletons, Ghosts, Miniboss
   
3. Bats(R), Bats(B), Zombies
   
4. Slimes(Y), Slimes(G,B)

*You do not want to aggro a miniboss while dealing with a swarm of lesser enemies, so clear rooms as you go. This applies to ALL zones.

General Zone 1 Properties

• Miniboss can either be a Dragon, a Minotaur, or a Direbat.
  
• Water tiles require a beat to get out of, and is then removed.
  
• Guaranteed Blood Shop in Zone 1-1 or 1-2 (Lure MB to break tiles if you can't dig them).

In The Zone (2)
Complete zone 2 with solo Cadence!

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A little harder, but nothing too daunting. Almost everything is more complex and they all have their specific required counter-plays. Still, this area is generally tame if you approach one enemy at a time. Avoid tar tiles when enemies are nearby.

Recommended Priority of Dealing with Enemies:

1. Wights (Per beat movement)
   
2. Shields, Mages, Moles, Miniboss
   
3. Golems, Armadillos, Bats
   
4. Spore Mushrooms, Clones
   
5. Tar Monsters, Wall Mimic

General Zone 2 Properties

• Miniboss can either be any previous miniboss, a Nightmare, or a Banshee.
  
• Tar tiles act like water tiles, but they cannot be removed.
  
• Shops can have Exploding Mushrooms on their corners; prompt them for some extra gold.
  
• This Zone has an abundance of Bombs in secret rooms; scour the level if you need them.

In The Zone (3)
Complete zone 3 with solo Cadence!

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Now not only are you dealing with new enemies, you have to dance around the tile hazards they produce too! This Zone is also the most open zone so expect to get swarmed a lot. You need to be very reactive and on the move on this zone.

Recommended Priority of Dealing with Enemies:

1. Knights, Ghasts, Shove Monsters (Per beat movement)
   
2. Hellhounds, Miniboss
   
3. Elementals (Hazard-makers)
   
4. Yetis, Beetles
   
5. Goblins, Slimes(I,F), Mimics

*Spend a few beats evaluating spawn; lure and prioritize what has already aggroed, clear what direction looks safest, and do NOT explore needlessly as that incurs aggro. This applies to ALL zones.

General Zone 3 Properties

• Miniboss can either be any previous miniboss, or a new Dragon Variant.
  
• Ice tiles prevent movement once slided on, while coal tiles incur dmg if stayed for more than a beat. Having ice and coal on the same tile makes a water tile.

Single Zone (Cadence Zone 4, 5, All)

In The Zone (4)
Complete zone 4 with solo Cadence!

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This Zone has the most strategic types of enemies: Blademasters and Ooze Golems can't be brute forced; Monkeys, Liches, and Warlocks employ disorienting tactics; and Bombers and Pixies have ways to retaliate. Always identify between the four different pig gargoyles as they each have counter-plays and be cautious of ooze tiles.

Recommended Priority of Dealing with Enemies:

1. *Harpies, Ghouls, Monkeys, Pixies (Per beat movement)
   
2. Goblin Bombers
   
3. Liches, Blademasters, Miniboss
   
4. Bats, Armadillo(O), Sarcophagi
   
5. Warlocks, Ooze Golems
   
6. Sentry Goblins, Spiders, Gargoyles

General Zone 4 Properties

• Miniboss can either be any previous miniboss, an Ogre, or a Mommy.
  
• Ooze tiles prevent the player from doing dmg, doubles any dmg received, and prevents digging.
  
• Zone 4 is predominantly squared-shaped.
  
• It's recommended to clear horizontally first, and then vertically. Dragons and Mommies are best dealt with by attacking from above or below (See Mommy Dance / Dragon Dance).
  
• Trapdoors don't spawn.

In The Zone (5)
Complete zone 5! (DLC Required)

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Conduit tiles are extremely helpful in clearing and weakening crowds of enemies, but be careful not to release Devils out of their shells prematurely. This zone also introduces Electric Mages, which attack from afar so be sure to get out of its line of sight. Mages also destroy walls which lets enemies flank you from multiple directions!

Recommended Priority of Dealing with Enemies:

1. Wraith, Waterball, Orcs, Gorgon (Per beat movement)
   
2. Devils, Miniboss
   
3. Mages, Skulls
   
4. Eyes, Zombies

General Zone 5 Properties

• Miniboss can either be any previous miniboss, a Metrognome, or a new Dragon Variant.
  
• Conduit tiles have infinite range if enemies are positioned correctly, so utilize this when possible.
  
• The zone walls retract with the default shovel so instead of opening a flood gate of enemies, you should dig a tile to peek the room layout, lure some enemies, and wait for the wall to reform safely back up.
  
• New Scatter traps spawn. No trapdoors on 5-3.

So Hardcore!
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Cadence.

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If you beat all Single Zones Mode individually, you are more than capable of completing an All Zones run! Just keep practicing!

General All Zones Properties

• You have lesser health, but all items are unlocked.
  
• Items cost more due to being able to collect gold across multiple Zones.
  
  
• No Spike Trap / Trapdoors (outside closets) on 1-1.
  
• Bloodshop is on 1-1 or 1-2.
  
• Catacomb rooms can appear on 1-2, 1-3.
  
• A Green slime spawns only in the exit stairs in 1-3.

Run Summary

Per Run

Exactly all 8 secret shops spawn
At most one SSS (10%, ~27%)
Exactly one Leprechaun can spawn
At most one Thief (1/80 or 1/100)
At most one Urn (~0.5% per room)
At most one either Potion room or Vault
At most one locked shop (25%, 1-2 onwards, guaranteed bomb on floor)

Per Zone (selected on a random floor)

Exactly one random shrine (except 1-1)
Exactly one secret trapdoor (except Dove, Zone 4, Zone 5-3)

Per Floor

Exactly one free chest / mimic
At least one loot container / mimic (excludes Urn, Crate room)
Exactly one gold wall tile (except Monk)
Exactly one Roofpig (Zone 4)
Exactly one Sarcophagus (Zone 4)
At most one spirit (Zone 4, Zone 5)

Repeatable

Crate room
Green bat (1/5001)
Monster shopkeeper (1%)
Shrine mimic (2%, shrineless floors)

Miniboss Generation

Miniboss chances (no Peace / War, Aria / Tempo, etc; cap of three excluding traps)

1-1, 1-2: 33% of either Dragon, Minotaur, or Direbat
1-3: 50% of either Dragon or Minotaur
Zone 2 : 25% Dragon, 25% Minotaur, 20% Banshee, 15% Nightmare, 15% Direbat
Zone 3: same as above, all Dragons are blues
Zone 4 : 20% Dragon, 25% Ogre, 25% Mommy, 15% Banshee, 15% Nightmare
Zone 5 : 50% Dragon (25% Earth, 12% Red or Blue), 25% Minotaur, 25% Metrognome

Notes

• Avoid generating two of the same miniboss type and the previous floor’s miniboss type.
  
• If depth and level = 1, downgrade all minibosses (bar Earth).
  
• If level = 1 and depth != 4, downgrade Banshees, Nightmares, and Metrognomes.
  
• For Aria, Dragons operate based on depth not zone.

Some Data on Zone Floor Generation by u/wilarseny

Zone 1	Zone 2
Zone 3	Zone 4

Originally posted by u/wilarseny:

Zone 1 exit stairs [...] are weighted heavily toward the bottom right.
Zone 2 [...] Exits are mostly corner-weighted, [then] left or right [then] above or below [being] rare.
Zone 3 [...] only conclusion is that exits directly left or right are somewhat rare.
Zone 4 [exit stairs spawn opposite of corner spawn].

In Zone 5 players can follow the conduit tiles to the exit stairs, and rooms with other doors never lead to the exit stairs.

[Placeholder]

All Zones (Melody)

Lute that Loot
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Melody.

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Starts with a flimsy 2 hearts, but her starting weapon (Lute) more than makes up for it. Melody attacks as she moves, so simply moving towards or away from most enemies are enough to pacify them. She covers six tiles, and unlike other characters she doesn't need an additional beat to expend attacking.

General

• Since moving is all you need to do, it is crucial that Melody moves at all times; she doesn’t even need to attack, and requires more of a hit-and-run playstyle.
  
• Unlike other characters which need to follow even-numbered spaces to synchronize with the enemy, Melody can afford to move toward them even at odd numbers (as long as the enemies are near death).
  
• Due to the automatic attacking nature of the Lute, Melody clears floors fairly quicker than others so feel free to stroll for items when its safe.

Weapon / Dmg

• Her starting Golden Lute can never be increased in dmg.
  
• While her stating weapon is strong, it takes time to kill minibosses and even just bulkier enemies; use damage Spells, Infernal Torch, Conduits or Grenades for some burst dmg.
  
• As with any other weapon-locked character, all shops contain only two items.
  
• Black Chests only contain Boots and Armor. Black Boss chests guarantee either Glass Armor, Plate Armor, or Heavy Plate. Try to get the black chest off your first flawless Zone 1 boss.

Enemies / Tiles

• Peace Ring helps cap the health of minibosses while War Shrine is just bad.
  
• As she likes moving, coal and ice are a non-issue. Likewise, windspells, bounce traps, and Shove Monsters are beneficial as this makes her attack automatically.
  
• Melody will always fight The Necrodancer 2 as her Zone 4/5 boss.

Character Specific Table (Melody)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Miner's Cap Blast Helm Explorer's Boots Shovel of Courage Infernal Torch Fireball / Pulse Peace Ring Fear Scroll Holy Water Dove Familiar Grenade Charm Traps/Tiles (Movement) Bounce Ice Conduits Enemies (Movement) Skeleton Mages Shove Monsters Shrines Shrine of Space	Enemies Bomb Mushrooms Warlocks Pixies Tiles Water Tar Ooze Other Being unable to move Non-Lute Weapon Not Recommended War Shrine	Weapons All Weapons Scroll Enchant Damage-Increasing Ring Courage(?) Ring of Might Ring of War Karate Gi Glass Jaw Sunglasses Spiked Ears Boots of Strength Torch of Strength Shovel of Strength(?) Strength Charm Risk Charm Both Drums Boots of Pain Balance Boots of Leaping Boots of Lunging	Shrines Blood Shrine (Weapon)

All Zones (Aria)

You Don't Miss a Beat, Do You?
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Aria.

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Aria is a difficult character, so try to save her for the last batch of characters. She's an instadeath character; everything kills her, including missing the beat. Thankfully Aria starts with a Potion, so even when playing low% she has atleast a 1% margin of error. Gather and abuse as much protection items to increase you margin of error further. Aria tests your mastery of the game and you really can't afford to make mistakes.

Item / Spawn Pool

• Aria's item spawn pool is particularly well tailored to her already; no useless def armors, no health-related items (except health consumables since those still offer i-frames/buffering).
  
• Due to only being able to use the Dagger, practicing with the throwing mechanic can net some good results especially against bosses (Coral Riff / Death Metal).
  
• As with any other weapon-locked character, all shops contain only two items.
  
• Black Chests only contain Boots and Armor. Black Boss chests guarantee either Karate Gi, Glass Armor, or Heavy Glass. Try to get the black chest off your first flawless Zone 1 boss.
  
• Glass Armors can often respawn on Black Boss Chests / Conjurer.
  
• Aria appreciates protection items, but the Crown of Tele has risky sudden teleports.

General

• Staying near diggable walls is the best way to buffer as Aria can't miss a beat; don't linger around non-diggable walls for too long (failed digs misses the beat).
  
• Bats are the only RNG-based enemy; make them a non-issue (w/ Lucky Charm) asap.
  
• Don’t mess with your playstyle; avoid items that drastically change how you play (Ring War / Courage, Sunglasses).
  
• Use Spells sparingly as they can kill you with blood magic.
  
• Possibly three potions maximum (Starting, Scroll of Need, and Potion spawn).

Enemies / Tiles

• Level progression is reversed; starts in Zone 4/5 and progresses to Zone 1. Enemies from higher-numbered zones will continue to appear as she progresses.
  
• Sarcophagi spawn on all floors. Spiders appear in Zone 1. Monkeys appear in Zones 3 to 1.
  
• Aria will always fight The Golden Lute as her Zone 4/5 boss.
  
• The Golden Lute can be rushed (especially with Shield Scroll), but I recommend playing safe.

Character Specific Table (Aria)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Glass Jaw Spike Ears Karate Gi Ring of Becoming Ring of Peace Potion Scroll of Need Luck Charm Protection Items Glass Armor/s Crown of Teleportation Ring of Shield Frost Charm Shrines Glass Shrine	Enemies Armadillos (orange) Monkeys Traps Trapdoors Tiles Coal Ice Ooze Others Missed Beat Any taken dmg Non-Dagger Weapon Not Recommended Sunglasses Crown of Teleport Ring of War Ring of Courage Health Consumables	Weapons All weapons Scroll of Enchantment Armor Items All defense Armors Ring of Protection Helmet Hargreaves Protection Charm Health-Related Items Ring of Regen Crown of Thorns Heart Containers Gluttony Charm Risk Charm Boots of Pain Both Drums Other Ballet Shoes	Enemies Red / Black Bats Ooze Golem (non-DLC) Shrines Blood Risk Peace Shop Blood Food

All Zones (Dorian)

Leaps and Bounds
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Dorian.

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Dorian's kiting pattern might seem initially hard, but he actually starts with the most starting gear; the 2nd best armor, a usable ring, a tier three pickaxe, a compass and a chunky 4 hearts. Once you get used to his playstyle, the starting gear he has makes it easy to overpower things.

Kiting

• Feel free to miss beats instead of kiting enemies with the Leaping of Boots
  
• You can also use the boot's toggle to waste beats, just be sure to turn them on afterwards!
  
• The pickaxe offers multiple buffers, so staying near walls has its benefits.
  
• Try to kite perpendicularly while waiting for enemies to approach, or try backing up two spaces then one space forward.
  
• Use the unbreakable entities or tiles (shop walls, barrels, outer unbreakable walls) as infinite buffer sources and lure enemies instead of kiting.

General

• Due to the double movement of the boots, Dorian clears floors fairly quicker than others so feel free to stroll for items when its safe.
  
• Collecting gold is slightly more difficult.
  
• Be careful of secret shop layouts; the boots of leaping makes it hard to purchase or even navigate and exit the store! Thankfully this never happens in the normal store.
  
• The toggle of the boots makes throwing impossible, and reloading gets janky.
  
• Dorian has no consistent way to deal with Ice and Coal tiles.

Character Specific Table (Dorian)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Any 2+ tile Weapon (less buffer / kiting / miss beats)	Enemies Elementals (hazards) Ooze Golem (ooze) Blademasters(?) Tiles Coal Ice Ooze Other Boots Toggled Off Not Recommended Throwing Weapons	Footwear All Footwear Armor All Armor Other Ring of Gold

All Zones (Eli)

Bombs Away!
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Eli.

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Eli's playstyle revolves around bombs (and shoving them) so he tends to play more distantly as bombs tend to clear multiple tiles indiscriminately. Use his ability to chuck bombs to play at a safer distance.

General

• Eli excels in clearing crowds from a distance; be sure to space yourself accordingly.
  
• Rarely use your shovel; use thrown bombs to dig walls instead to allow Eli to better respond from a safe distance to enemies rushing from the broken wall.
  
• Since there are no shovel spawns, Eli can never increase his DL (aside from Miner's Cap / Gigantism).
  
• As with any other weapon-locked character, all shops contain only two items.
  
• Can always aggro and kill the shopkeeper with bombs.
  
• Is the only character to be directly affected by installing or uninstalling the DLC (Eli's Prosthetic).

Enemies / Tiles

• Bounce, Bomb, and Confuse traps are the only way to avoid taking dmg from adjacent per beat movement enemies (non-DLC). Bombing while sliding on ice is also feasible!
  
• When dropping down trapdoors with alive minibosses, drop two bombs immediately and take cover; Eli can't do much in a crowded space.
  
• Beetles are the only enemy Eli needs to be up close with. Everything else should be dealt from afar.
  
• Ice / water tiles can be destroyed by bombs.
  
• Eli has no issues with Zone 4 enemies.
  
• Conduit tiles barely affect Eli at all; conduit tiles also get easily destroyed.

Character Specific Table (Eli)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Miner's Cap Explorer's Boots Boots of Leaping Boots of Lunging Ring of Gold Ring of Phasing (non-DLC) Fireball Pulse Earth Earthquake Fear Holy Water Rat Familiar Ice Familiar Dove Familiar Traps (non-DLC) / Tiles Bounce Bomb Confuse Ice	Enemies Monkeys Ghosts Mimics Knights Beetles Orcs Banshees Tiles Coal Ooze (can't shove bombs) Others (Instadeath) Non-Prosthetic Weapon	Weapons All Weapons Scroll Enchant Damage-Increasing Ring Courage Ring of Might Ring of War Karate Gi(?) Glass Jaw Sunglasses Spiked Ears Boots of Strength Torch of Strength(?) Strength Charm(?) Risk Charm(?) Both Drums(?) Boots of Pain Balance Blast Helm Grenade Charm Bomb Charm Other All Shovels Bombs Bomb Spell	Enemies Moles Shrines Blood Shrine

All Zones (Bard)

A Beatless Beatdown
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Bard.

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Bard is considered the easiest and safest character, although definitely not a free one. Play him when you're a beginner, when trying things out, or save him last to wrap up an All Chars run.

General

• Stages will never time out, and songs will loop indefinitely. This makes trapdoors and the exit stairs the only way to progress.
  
• Turning off the music could help; Bard isn't restricted by rhythm, and following the beat might prompt a reflex.
  
• If you need to waste a beat, you could cast on a spell slot you don't have, or buffer against the outer tiles (or items like crates) to waste some beats.

Items

• Since wasting a beat gets harder when fully equipped, items with toggle such as the Boots of Leaping and Lunging, or reloading and throwing weapons act as buffers.
  
• Those boots also gets Bard out of those softlock bounce traps.
  
• Due to how Bard runs can go on for an infinite length of time, having Ring of Shadows and Transmute spell for the Conjurer and Transmogrifier are exploitably powerful.

Character Specific Table (Bard)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Boots of Leaping Boots of Lunging Ring of Shadows Transmute War Drum Blood Drum	Others (Softlock) Bounce Trap Tar Monster + Rune Not Recommended Miner's Cap Shovel of Courage	Beat-Related Items Heart Transplant	Shrines Rhythm

All Zones (Dove)

Peace Out
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Dove.

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Dove has by far the most unique type of playstyle. She has no way of personally killing enemies so the way enemies spawn and clump together makes her runs relatively RNG-dependent. Her starting weapon makes her playstyle irreplicable by other characters.

General

• Since the exit stairs are always unlocked and she can't kill enemies on her own, Dove almost always wants to rush to the exit.
  
• She also dies when ending the song, amplifying the need to rush.
  
• Gold is only relevant for the Conjurer, Transmogrifier, and Shrine of Chance, so confusing enemies for gold serve no purpose other than for score.
  
• As gold doesn't matter, there is no need to beat keep as much to max out the gold multiplier.

Items

• Try not to waste too much time finding items. This risks more enemy aggro.
  
• The Obsidian Torch has a high Visibility of 3 w/o the high aggro other torches have.
  
• All shopkeepers give one (and only one) item for free.
  
• As with any other weapon-locked character, all shops contain only two items.
  
• With no bosses and only one item per shop, Dove can have a hard time getting items.
  
• Ring of Peace makes a harder Luck Charm. Can you even get Luck charm?
  
• Replacing her ring is NOT recommended, as this forces more enemies, makes Minibosses harder, and leaves Dove at 2 hearts.

Enemies / Traps

• Dove only deals with enemies by luring and deaggroing them with confusion. Try to outrun enemies and force their movement to distance themselves.
  
• Being swarmed can be a death sentence; enemies in double files can't be avoided as the outer one blocks the confusion from luring the confused enemy away.
  
• Walls and closed spaces also act as deadly; confused enemies can't escape if they are wall-blocked.
• Enemies can only be killed by traps, Miniboss trampling, and other enemy friendly fire.
  
• As such, enemies that destroy traps (Moles, Elementals) or those that ignore traps altogether (Bats, Ghosts, Knights) are the most problematic.
  
• Flight Boots and Heavy Boots let her abuse traps even more.
  
• Bombs do not damage enemies. It teleports them instead.
  
• Dove can't kill shopkeepers.

Character Specific Table (Dove)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Miner's Cap Circlet of Telepathy Blast Helm Torch of Foresight (traps) Obsidian Torch Earth Spell Fear Scroll Rat Familiar(?) Frost Familiar Map / Compass Shrines Rhythm (Escape) Traps Spike Bomb Roofpig Enemies (Friendly Fire) Red Dragons (if not Ring of Peace) Ogre Goblin Bomber Pixies Explosive Gargoyle	Enemies Moles (trap-clearing) Flying / Giant Enemies (trap immune) Spore Mushroom Black Bat (w/ Luck Charm / Ring) Others (Insta-Death) Song Ended Non-Flower Weapon Not Recommended High-aggro Torches Other Rings	Weapons All Weapons Scroll of Enchantment Damage-Related Ring of Might Ring of Courage Boots of Strength Boots of Pain Infernal Torch Glass Jaw Sunglasses Both Drums Fireball Balance Ring of Gold Ring of Phasing (non-DLC) Dove Familiar Other All Shovels Crown of Thorns Boots of Lunging	Enemies All Bosses Harpies Sarcophagi Trapdoors Shrines Blood Sacrifice Shop Arena

All Zones (Monk)

Vow Down!
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Monk.

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Even as an instadeath character, Monk requires the most attention out of all characters. Unlike Aria, Mary, and Tempo, Monk has no safety nets for his mechanic (not even Potion procs) so he needs to play as attentive as possible; he doesn't even have audio cues! With no safety net, nothing takes priority over evading gold tiles. Additionally, for some reason Monk is the only instadeath character with a non-3 starting health (excluding Aria's); this makes trapping (limited Blood Shoveling) and dying frequent as Monk is limited by his low health.

General

• Monk requires unlearning some habits: don't haphazardly kill enemies and instead lure them to out of the way corners, and learn not to instinctively move onto enemy tiles after killing them.
  
• Gold is relatively useless, so killing enemies serve no purpose other than neutralizing the area.
  
• Taking the exit stairs (not trapdoors) collects all gold. This is only relevant for the Conjurer / Transmogrifier / Shrine of Chance. Otherwise, this simply is for score.
  
• As gold doesn't matter, there is no need to beat keep as much to max out the gold multiplier.
  
• Prioritize finding shops as all shopkeepers give one (and only one) item for free.
  
• Due to always avoiding gold piles, Monk clears floors slower than others so be efficient with your movement.

Gold / Vow of Poverty

• His lose condition stays indefinitely, so being able to get around deadly gold piles is necessary, or you could simply manipulate where enemies drop their gold. All enemies now drop gold, making things messier.
  
• Kill as many enemies on the same tile as possible; enemy death tiles are your death tiles.
  
• Since avoiding gold piles takes extreme priority, Monk likes to be able to dig around freely.
  
• Be mindful of digging walls, as they may have hidden gold piles (non-DLC).
  
• Conduits can camouflage Gold, so be extra careful in Zone5.
  
• Be sure to be wary when exiting secret shops, as you may step unto gold upon teleporting; TeleCrown also may place you unto gold unknowingly.
  
• Throwing weapons are risky as they can land in gold piles with no way to recover them.

Removing Gold Traps

• Monk can always abuse the ending song to progress whenever he gets trapped.
  
• Bombs (especially with the Blast Helm) can be used to remove gold piles. But be careful since bombs take 2 hearts, and Monk dies unless other items are in play.
  
• Earth also functions the same, but saves items unlike bombs; this is the only way to acquire items on a gold tile such as the Lucky Charm (on a bad encounter) or thrown weapons.
  
• Some enemies (like Moles) also remove gold piles. Warlocks can also move gold piles.

Character Specific Table (Monk)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Blast Helm (bombs) Miner's Cap (w/o Blood Shovel) Monocle Better Shovels Boots of Leaping (leaping over gold) Earth Heavy Items Lead Boots Heavy Plate Heavy Glass Enemies (gold-clearing) Moles Pixies Bombers Fortissimole	Enemies Leprechaun (Gold Trail) Skeleton Mages Shove Monsters Liches Warlocks Monkeys (Zone 4) Nightmares Deep Blues Traps Bounce Confuse Teleport Scatter Tiles Ice Others Vow of Poverty Boss level softlock (gold) Not Recommended Gold Weapons Rapier Axe Ring of Charisma Ring of Shadows Crown of Greed Crown of Teleport	Gold-Related Items Ring of Gold Ring of Courage Riches Scroll Shopkeeper Familiar Ring of Shadows (except Dark Shrine)	Shop Pawnbroker

All Zones (Bolt)

Tachycardia
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Bolt.

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Bolt technically plays no different from as Cadence, only at double tempo. However, that simple mechanic is enough to push Bolt's playstyle off the edge, making it one of the more difficult characters. Bolt is by far the most reaction-based character.

• Try to practice beat keeping first; since Bolt's double tempo is a mechanic only found on them, practice on double tempo is scarce and this makes it harder to get used to.
  
• Feel free to miss beats instead of kiting enemies while at double tempo; alternatively you can also use buffer items to waste beats but that gets exhausting fast, mentally and physically.
  
• Capitalize on your spear's length actively; attack from a distance for an extra beat of safety.
  
• Bolt also is an extremely straining character. Be sure to take breaks and frequent hand stretches.
  
• Unless Coda-levels of beat keeping, the Luck Charm can be harder to acquire due to low multipliers halving gold pile values; likewise the flawless boss chests are also harder to get.
  
• Beat-related items fall off for Bolt, due to extraneous, excessive beat keeping.
  
• Mindless items like the War Hammer, Cutlass, Piercing Ring, and Rat Familiar help out since Bolt's reaction time is cut in half.
  
• Due to double tempo, Bolt clears floors fairly quicker than others so feel free to stroll for items when its safe.
  
• Calibrate your beat latency.

Character Specific Table (Bolt)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Any 2+ tile Weapon Warhammers Cutlass Explorer's Boots Heal Spell Ring of Piercing Heart Transplant Rat Familiar Ice Familiar Shrine Rhythm (optional)	Enemies Mimic variants Beetles Blademasters King Konga Death Metal Tiles Coal Not Recommended 1 tile Weapons Obsidian Items Glass Items Spiked Ears	Balance Ballet Shoes	Enemies Red / Black Bats

All Zones (Nocturna)

Bat to the Bone
Complete "All Zone Mode" with solo Nocturna!

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Nocturna is a particularly strong character; her starting weapon and starting (toggable, permanent) spell are powerful headstarts. Other than that, she is effectively a stronger and easier to use Cadence with Zone 5 areas scattered between all zones.

Transform / Bat

• Transform doesn’t make use of any equipped items while active (except spells); prevents armor usage making you more vulnerable, but also prevents Glass items from breaking, and the Ring of Becoming, Ring of Darkness, and Crown of Greed from activating.
  
• Since Transform can’t use shovels, attempting to dig buffers her instead.
  
• Bat attacks are 1 tile range 4 dmg attacks; opens barrels and crates.
  
• Transform heals 0.5 every 5 kills. Endlessly farms health from spawned enemies,
  
• Transform prevents death when not already in bat form like a renewable Potion. With the regenerative healing, this spell acts as a frequent safety net.
  
• Transform effectively acts like a free Circlet of Telepathy (gains vision of all enemies) and Winged Boots (ignores all floor hazards and traps).
  
• Transformation gives invincibility on that beat (two beats?).

General / Enemies

• It is strongly recommended to keep the Cutlass for its two-tile range attacks and the irreplicable, busted parry mechanic; it excels in spamming enemies and even contributes heavily in the final boss given the enemy spam.
  
• Since cutlass attacking grants invulnerability, enemies that prevent attacks (Monkeys, Ooze Golems, Waterballs, Gorgons) are problematic.
  
• The Cutlass and Transform help deal with each others flaws. Cutlass acts as long range, crowd control. While Transform deals with bulky single targets, ignores the tiles (Water, Tar, Ooze) that disable the Cutlass' parry, and offers free iframes and heals too!\
  
• Conduits are on every Zone, so utilize them when possible.

Bosses

• Fights Frankersteinway as her Zone 5 boss.
  
• Keep 2 bombs for the boss' orbs to bypass the need to deactivate his shields multiple times.
  
• You can swap places with the electric floors(?) when they're directly above you during FSW.
  
• FSW also dies immediately when hit by a Dragon's Fireball.
  
• Fights The Conductor as an additional Zone 5 Story boss.
  
• Waterballs (spawned with every 3rd enemy spawn cycle) drains / destroys a battery regardless of charge when it turns the corresponding conduit tile to a water tile.

Character Specific Table (Nocturna)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Heart Containers Cutlass (starting) Warhammers Crown of Greed Ring of Becoming Ring of Darkness Ring of Peace Spells (any) Scroll of Enchant Glass Items	Enemies Monkeys Ooze Golems Waterballs Gorgons Red Dragon (Fireball) Blue Dragon (Freeze) Tiles (when not in Transform) Water Tar Ooze Other Transform (bat -> human) Not Recommended All other weapons Heal Spell (competes with Transform) Ring of Mana Ring of War Shrine of War

All Zones (Diamond)

A Cut Above
Complete "All Zone Mode" with solo Diamond!

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Diamond moves diagonally with the corresponding multipresses, and rebinds his consumable (left + right) and bombs (up + down) to accommodate for all four diagonal directions. Because of this, he losses all of his Spells and other multipress-related items, but by abusing his directionality it’s obvious how the game isn’t designed around letting the player move in eight directions at all!

General / Items

• If you haven’t practiced enough for his diagonal movement, he's basically a spellsless Cadence.
  
• Don't force yourself in always using the diagonal, the cardinals are still just as powerful. Only use the diagonals when its convenient for you.
  
• Due to his multi-directional movement, Diamond clears floors fairly quicker than others so feel free to stroll for items when it’s safe.
  
• Bombs are his only other slot besides the one (1) consumable, so stacking up is beneficial.

Diagonal Movement / Enemies

• The diagonal movement allows him to squeeze between walls to move and flee easier, and makes dealing and avoiding enemies safer and more effective. This allows cheese sniping enemies from corners.
  
• Enemies and bosses are made easier to outsmart and outpace along the diagonals.
  
• His diagonal movement technically allows moving two tiles per beat, so he has no need to buffer.

Character Specific Table (Diamond)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Gold Weapons (easier activation) Battle Shovel (easier activation) Ballet Shoes (misinputs) All Familiars Bombs Scrolls Stackables Cookies Tomes Enemies (easier) Leprechauns Armored Skeletons Armadillos Goblins Orcs Death Metal	Not Recommended Throwable weapons Miner's Cap Ring of Becoming Ring of Mana(?) Ring of Piercing	Weapons Warhammers(?) Flails Broadswords Whips Axes Cat o' Nine Tails Reloadable Weapons Rifle Crossbow Bluderbuss Spells All Spells Toggleable Boots of Leaping Boots of Lunging Other Shurikens Backpack Pack of Holding Holsters

All Zones (Mary)

I Love Ewe
Complete "All Zone Mode" with solo Mary!

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Mary (more specifically her lamb Marv) functions similar to Aria, but different enough. Unlike Aria, Mary is a perfectly normal character, but since her sheep dies in one hit and needs to be protected, Mary's playstyle revolves around escorting her sheep safely by tanking and abusing i-frames instead!

General (Mary)

• If Mary loses her lamb she will die in 2-5 beats, unless she exits the level before she's killed, and the lamb will respawn safely.
  
• Since the lamb dies in one hit and Mary doesn't, Mary prefers getting hit instead of the lamb. This forces Mary to play defensively.
  
• Mary starts out with Cookies which doubles as Mary's healing, and i-frames for both of them. But unlike other Health consumables, Cookies offer multiple i-frames!
  
• Use Cookies for i-frames instead of heals; Cookies don't offer much healing so its best to use them to prevent dmg in the first place.
  
• Heal + Ring of Mana function as i-frames as above, but with unlimited uses.

Mary / Marv Movement

• When both are occupying the same tile all attacks will only hit Mary, effectively making the lamb invulnerable. This usually locks them in place, until the coast is clear.
  
• Mary often needs to reposition her lamb to safety before she can attack.
  
• Weapons that can snag can prevent Mary (and her lamb) from moving out of danger.
  
• Weapons that auto move Mary are also problematic as this changes their positioning.
  
• Enemies approaching from behind will injure the lamb if its in the way.
  
• They can wait out the song if they both got trapped.

General (Marv)

• Bleats as an audio cue whenever it is immediately cardinally adjacent to an enemy (including Mushrooms / Shopkeepers).
  
• Always moves to the tile Mary last occupied, but only if Mary moves away from the lamb. In other words, the lamb always immediately follows Mary but may stay on the same tile if Mary moves backward to the lamb.
  
• With the Boots of Leap or Lunge, the lamb jumps over multiple tiles like Mary and may be multiple tiles behind.
  
• Unaffected by water, tar, hot coals, ice, spikes, player spells, Earth Dragon walls, and Leprechauns (although the Lep will escape without stealing gold after hitting the lamb).
  
• Only enemies, explosions and enemy Fireballs (Dragon, Roofpig) kill the lamb.
  
• Enemies will ignore the lamb, only attacking it if it is in the way of reaching Mary.

Bomb

• When using bombs, you have just enough beats to keep you and the lamb safe. Any more and something gets hit.
  
• Bomb Charm makes bombs safe for the lamb, but a Blast Helm won’t (having Mary on the same tile prevents this).

Special Enemy Interactions

Enemies will ignore the lamb, only attacking it if it is in the way of reaching Mary. Some have special interactions

Lamb Phasing Enemies	Ignorable 3x3 Splash	Lamb as a Wall	Friendly-fire
Ignores lamb completely Monkeys Tar Monsters Pixies Evil Eyes (dashing) Coral Riff's tentacles (phase one)	"Splash" won’t harm Mushrooms Yetis Metrognomes NOT Boss Splashes (Coral Riff / Fortissimole)	Treats lamb like a wall tile Shove Monsters Gorgons Water Balls	Not aims but may hit Red Dragons Roofpigs Ogres Electric Mages Spiders Black Bat

Character Specific Table (Mary)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Any 2+ tile Weapon Heal Spell Freeze Spell Earth Spell Ring of Mana Ring of Piercing Bomb Charm Cookies Escape (Sheep Death) Trapdoors Shrine of Rhythm	Enemies Bats Beetles Goblins Warlocks Orcs Electric Mages Roofpigs Red Dragons (Fireball) Ogres Tiles Water Tar Ice Other Mary's Sheep Not Recommended Axe Rapier Cat o' Nine Tails Ring of Courage Shovel of Courage		Enemies Ghosts Harpies Blademasters

All Zones (Tempo)

Keeps on Ticking
Complete "All Zone Mode" with solo Tempo!

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Tempo is the most multifaceted character; his attacks have infinite damage, enemies spawn from all zones regardless of what Zone it actually is (so conventional Zone strategies like having an enemy priority bracket per zone don’t work), and most importantly he is limited by a 16-beat timer. If the timer reaches 0 and isn’t reset, he will die the next beat. To balance this out, Tempo has a permanent telepathy effect akin to Circlet. The timer can only be reset by these listed below, ultimately making him a speedrun character.

1. Enemy Kills (excludes Pixies, but includes Shopkeepers)
   
2. Health Consumables
   
3. Purchasing / picking items (throwing or swapping doesn’t count)
   
4. Opening Chests (but not crates / barrels)
   
5. Reaching the exit stairs

General

• Despite the infi-dmg, ‘shielded’ enemies can still block.
  
• An extra mini-boss will spawn and must be killed.
  
• Thrown weapons have Piercing and kills from afar, but has a 2-beat requirement plus pickup.
  
• Bombs are slow for Tempo due to their delay. Be sure to account for the 3-beat fuse.
  
• Tempo struggles most with Zone 1 due to the its narrow passageways, lack of shovel, and Spiders, Blademasters, and Orcs stalling him.
  
• Prioritize getting defensive and healing items as you already have infinite dmg.

Routing

• Spend beats evaluating the minimap; use the telepathy effect and compass to route / trace a path between your and enemy map icons to the stairs and use that as a roadmap.
  
• Avoid areas with no enemies and avoid re-routing at the last minute.

Clock Resets

• Since health consumables reset the timer, Pack of Holding / Backpack or just a stack of Cookies act as very powerful items.
  
• Shrine of Risk also helps by giving both two health items and a Pack of Holding. The dmg per floor is negated by blood weapons anyway.
  
• Chests have 2 reset counters (chest opening, item pick up). Use this to dig walls in between.
  
• Save and lure enemies for later to reset the timer. Balance between digging, transversing, and killing enemies to max the allotted 16-beats.
  
• Repeatedly bopping the Shop Chest when you can’t afford it offers infinite timer refreshes.
  
• Missing a beat deducts two beats from your timer(?).

Shopkeeper

• OHKO Glass, Blood, and Health shops for free items if you manage to pass by.
  
• If still unkilled, Zone 2 allows multiple Shop visits due to corner mushrooms.
  
• Getting the Pack of Holding from the Conjurer (infinite consumables; infinite resets) poses big risks due to the distance between Rune and the Conjurer. Be sure to plan beforehand.
  
• The Transmogrifier and Pawnbroker are weak for Tempo for the same reason cited above.

Boss

• On Boss floors, use the Sarcophagus to refresh your timer. If you have a Blood Weapon, you can farm for health before the fight if needed. Doesn’t work if you skipped the miniboss prior.
  
• The starting Blood Dagger can quick kill Deep Blues and Death Metal if you throw them right.
  
• If at the 4th bottom row or higher (and in the same column as the chest room), Tempo can open chests on time. Don’t detour for the gold or change paths midway.

Character Specific Table (Tempo)

Synergistic Items	Deadlier Enemies	No Spawn Items	No Spawn Enemies / Shrines / Shops
Items Blood Weapons Tier 2+ Shovels Shovel of Courage Frost Dagger (Piercing) Dagger of Phasing Rapier Axe Cat o' Nine Tails Spear Fireball (Range Kills) Crown of Thorns Blast helm Miner's Cap Boots of Leap Boots of Lunge Health Consumables Cookies Backpack Pack of Holding Shurikens (Piercing, Range Kills) Map / Compass Traps/Tiles Trapdoors Shrines Shrine of Risk Shrine of Space Enemies (Multiple Kills) Sarcophagi Skulls	Enemies Armadillos Beetles Blademasters Orcs Tiles Ice Other Tempo's Clock Not Recommended Crossbow Rifle Blunderbuss Scroll of Enchant(?) Pawnbroker	Weapons Titanium Weapons Obsidian Weapons (except shrines) Glass Weapons (except shrines, Scroll of Need) Jeweled Dagger Scroll of Enchant(?) Damage-Increasing Ring Courage Ring of Might Ring of War (except Shrine of War) Karate Gi Glass Jaw Sunglasses Spiked Ears Boots of Strength Torch of Strength Shovel of Strength(?) Strength Charm Risk Charm Both Drums Boots of Pain Balance Ring of Piercing Ring of Courage Other Circlet of Telepathy

All Zones (Klarinetta) [Sync WIP]

Klari Clear
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Klarinetta (Synchrony DLC Required)

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[Awaiting for character finalization at Early access release]

Theres a klari sword guide out there seems good
Coral Riff Cheese V2

All Zones (Suzu) [Sync WIP]

Suzuper
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Suzu (Synchrony DLC Required)

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[Awaiting for character finalization at Early access release]

Piercing ring, terrain footwear, war drum seems good
Snowbro, Freeze Spell seems good
Suzu Chess

All Zones (Chaunter, Reaper) [Sync WIP]

Enchantée, Chaunter
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Chaunter (Synchrony DLC Required)

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[Awaiting for character finalization at Early access release]

Regen Peace Becoming Piercing Rings seem good
Pain Boots seems good
Blood Cast abuse + transmute + Wonder ring win
Warlocks seems good, pixies seems bad
Theres a chaunter guide out there very well made

Virtuosoul
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Reaper

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[Awaiting for character finalization at Early access release]

[Placeholder] [Advanced Cadence]

Cadence isn't a difficult character, so her favorite items are instead used exclusively for her helper and her two bosses.

Dead Ringer	Necrodancer1	Helper	Not Recommended
Bell Lane-Attacks (Fireball, Staff) Earth Spell / Battle Shovel Quake Scroll / Bombs Frost Familiar / Freeze items Dagger of Frost / Onyx Weapons Phasing Dagger Blood Drum	Shield Spell Dash Spell Leaping Boots Lunging Boots Any Tier 4 digging (for the stage)	Shield items Freeze items Ring of Peace Warhammers Flails Other easy-use weapons	War Shrine Crossbow Rifle Blunderbuss One-tile weapons Glass Items

Boss Strategies

• There is no need to activate the bells. Destroying them also works.
  
• The gong act as safe buffers to line the boss up.
  
• Prepare for Necrodancer1. Collect items that benefit Dorian as well.
  
• Throw Dorian's dagger in the spawn area to prevent weapon misswaps.
  
• Give Dorian your weapon as Cadence will use the Lute.
  
• Before destroying the stage the boss is on, use Shield spells. The game miscalculates and gives an extended Shield duration.
  
• Controlling and losing Dorian is a frequent run-ender.
  
• Keep them together as one can die offscreen while managing the other.

Cadence Achievements

Undeadly
Get 10 wins in a row in Cadence "Deathless Mode"

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Requires playing as the Cadence through consecutive runs until defeated or aborted. No equipment will be carried over between runs.

There are no checkpoints, but pauses are allowed. Expect a total run time of ~2-5 hrs which is a grueling test of focus and endurance. Just be sure to not risk too much and practice safer plays.

Risks to avoid

• Speedrunning
  
• Killing Shopkeepers
  
• Taking Risk items
  
• Taking Challenge Shrines

No I Won't Back Down
Complete "No Return Mode" with solo Cadence (DLC Required)

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Avoiding the No Return Tile (NR) is similar to learning a playstyle on par with the harder characters. Thankfully, this isn't an instadeath so this is more forgiving to mistakes. Treat this as a hard character and expect the same amount of deaths.

No Return Tile

• NR does 0.5 dmg per mistake. They do add up so recuperate with healing items.
  
• NR act as external enemy damage, which breaks glass and triggers Ring of Becoming. Shields and protections items prevent it.
  
• NR is only generated upon movement. This includes player movement (recoil, leaping) and external movement (bounce traps, wind mages).
  
• NR only stays for a beat, and is automatically removed regardless of player action.
  
• Buffering generates no NR. Throwing, attacking, digging, spells, and other action slots like eating all don't make NR.
  
• Skipping beats generate no NR. Feel free to skip beats if needed.
  
• Do four-beat cycles (kiting in squares) instead of the usual two-beat cycle (pacing back and forth, side steps).
  
• Unique weapons add a layer of learning on top of the NR, so try to avoid them.
  
• Controlling and losing Dorian is a run-ender especially with the added NR.
  
• Keep them side-by-side at all times to lower the NR from two to one.

Additional Recommended Items

• War drum (anything that buffers)

Misc Char Achievements

Tachyarrhythmia
Complete Zone 1 in "Double Tempo Mode" with solo Bolt

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Single Zones Bolt is the easiest way to do this given how it has more lootable chests.

Strong items include:
Freeze, Berserk Spells
Warhammers
Frost, War, Piercing Rings
Heart Transplant, Grenades

Hardmode Nocturna

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Requires Nocturna.

Thankfully, Nocturna is one of the best characters for this mode. Hard Mode has three major differences:

• More enemy spawn
  
• Hardmode Sarcophagi
  
• Minibosses in Boss floors

Abuse the parry mechanic to thin out the denser crowd; parrying with the cutlass ignores all the attacking enemies. This also goes for boss floors against minibosses. Just keep the cutlass and be wary of Nocturna's weakness to certain enemies (See All Zones Nocturna).
The sarcophagi can only be destroyed by bombs, so try to stay away from them as possible (they can spawn enemies at the worst times / adjacent to you).

Good items include:
Bomb Items (Spell, Charm)
Enemy Reduction (Nazar, Ring of Peace, Paw)
Blood Items (Weapons, Shovel, Drum)
Spells (Cooldown, Bloodcasts)
Sacrifice Shrine

[Moving][Wip]

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Deathless Cadence
No return cad

Étude
Complete "No-Beat Mode" as Aria

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Just follow Aria All Zones or Aria Low above. This is basically an easier version of Normal Aria

Extra Modes (Easy)

Carpe Diem
Complete a Daily Challenge

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Requires Cadence.

It's recommended to finish an All Zones Cadence run first. Just keep trying everyday and this wouldn't be a problem.


What Just Happened?
Complete "Mystery Mode" with any character (DLC Required)

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Conceals enemy and item sprites for the entire run, including equipped items, Minibosses and Bosses! An experienced player can usually identify enemies by their patterns alone. Concealed items take subtler cues to be identified.

Strategy

Observe and identify enemies before engaging. Treat each enemy as their war variant. Be careful of Zone 4, especially with Pixies / Gargoyles.

Identify items by their fixed shop prices (such as Monocle selling for 88 in Zone 1). Items cannot be dropped when picked up (see trouble items), so prepare to carry them. Swap items out as needed. Be attentive to which slots items go to, and if they have subtle effects.

Identifying Items

Some have obvious immediate effects:

• Armors (visually seen)
  
• Rings (Peace, Gold, Charisma, Shadows, Mana, Phasing, Pain)
  
• Torches (Walls, Glass, Foresight)
  
• Head (Monocle, Circlet, Miner, Sunglasses, Thorns, Greed)
  
• Foot (Winged, Leap, Lunge)
  
• Consumable Stack x6 (Cookies)

Some can be tested:

• Weapons (by swipes, range)
  
• Weapon Material (by performance)
  
• Shovels (by dig)
  
• Spells (by trial)
  
• Rings (War, Frost, Pierce, Might, Courage)
  
• Torches (Strength, Infernal)
  
• Head (Blast Helm, Spiked Ears)
  
• Consumable Stack x3 (Shuriken, Grenade, Fireball, Earth, Pulse)
  
• Consumable Stack x2 (Transmute, Freeze, Shield)

Unidentifiable Items

• Torches (those unmentioned)
  
• Rings (Regen, Luck, Shield, Protection)
  
• Head (Helm, Teleportation)
  
• Foot (Glass Slippers, Hargreaves)
  
• Consumables (except those that stack)
  
• Most Charms

These items are indistinguishable before its too late to swap back, drop, or recall their effects.

Some items are dangerous to pickup. Avoid hoarding too much as there is the possibility of being stuck with these.

• Karate Gi
  
• Head (Thorns, Jaw)
  
• Foot (Pain)
  
• Rings (Pain, Shadows, Becoming)
  
• Need Scroll
  
• Cursed Potion
  
• Blood Drum

Be careful in unknowingly picking these up, especially the Ring of Becoming and Glass Jaw! Swap any unidentifiable items for more identifiable ones to negate these risks.

Recommended Characters

• Melody cannot have Gi, Jaw, Pain items. Usable default weapon.
  
• Eli cannot have Gi, Jaw, Pain items. Usable starting Bombs, kills from a safe distance.
  
• Nocturna has usable starting Weapon and Spell. Lives from Jaw, Becoming.
  
• Aria cannot have Thorns, Pain, Blood Drum, Cursed Potion. All the other risk items are synergistic. Beware of Pixie bleed.

Mix Master
Complete "Randomizer Mode" with any character (DLC Required)

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Only randomizes at the start of Zone 1-1. All enemies spawned afterward still retain the same behavior and attributes as the one fought one floor before.

Randomizes the following:

• Enemy Damage - ranges from 0.5-3.0 dmg.
  
• Enemy Health - ranges from 1-9 hearts.
  
• Beat Cycle - beats required to complete its attack cycle (how often it moves / attacks).
  
• Attack Directionality - determines if the enemy can attack cardinally, diagonally, or both.
  
• Aggro - whether the enemy actively pursues or not.
  
• Flight - determines if the enemy is grounded or not.
  
• Phasing - if the enemy is able to ignore walls.
  
• Drops - amount of gold dropped after defeat.

Their numerical attributes may change but their core patterns do not. (Mushrooms are still stationary and still attack in all 8 adjacent squares every X beats; Armadillos still remain still unless entering line of sight and roll toward the player to attack while invulnerable)

Inversely, this can also numb down Minibosses and Bosses and caps to 3 dmg. An effective practice is to just observe before engaging, and keep retrying for a better seed.


A Haunting Performance
Complete "Phasing Mode" with any character (DLC Required)

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Shovels are made irrelevant and tiles can only be destroyed by bombs or enemies (such as armadills and minibosses). Weapons cannot attack through walls, but bombs still can.

Strategy

The most forgiving mode. Spend as much time strategizing inside walls as needed, as most enemies can't get to you. Be careful of Spiders and Spirits.

Torches greatly help navigation, and hoard bombs when possible. Stealing from the Shopkeeper is also easier.

Recommended Characters

Eli can bomb inside walls to do safe attacks, and can destroy tiles. Shovels don't spawn. Spirits
don't spawn, making Spiders the only issue. Notoriously easy.

Other chars

• Melody for her movement based weapon.
  
• Dove for her immediate stair access, no shovel spawns.
  
• Tempo for less beats wasted on transversing.
  
• [Sync WIP] [Suzu, Reaper] [Check spells]

Score Modes (Any, Nocturna)

I love gooooooold!
Have 6000 coins in a single run

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Playing as Bard is recommended, as he is the most strategic character to play when aiming for score. 6000 gold is a naturally achievable score once you are aiming for it. Follow the core strategies of Score Runs listed below and you'll be set!

Score Strategies

As collecting gold is the main objective, some items have increased priority.

Core Components	Shop Targets	Enemy Targets	Courage Duping
Crown of Greed Destroying Shop Walls Harder variant Enemy Gold Boss Gold rewards	Shopkeeper Pawnbroker Health Shop Blood Shop (BDrum) Arena SSS (10%, ~27%)	Leprechaun Goblin Bombers Pixies Sarcophagi Gorgons Skulls Lords Miniboss	Recoil / Parry / Courage Items Earth + Familiars Bounce Traps / Ice Warlocks / Shove Monsters / Mages

Since the Crown of Greed is required, know how to kill Shopkeepers reliably (see Merchanticide).

Killing around Zone 1-3 or 2-1 is a good mix between allowing good shop item spawns and getting the Crown of Greed as soon as possible. Kills can be done as early as Zone 1-1 if the items are amazing, and can be delayed until Zone 2-3 if shop item RNG is uncooperative.

Assuming maxed multiplier, the following outlines how much gold you miss with no Crown:

• Zone 1: 150g
  
• Zone 2: 375g
  
• Zone 3: 600g
  
• Zone 4: 750g
  
• Zone 5: 900g
  
• Cad/Noct 2nd boss: 750-900g

Total opportunity cost: >2775g

Score Items

Score Items	Shop Wall Items	Regen Items	Mitigating Gold Drain	Shrines
Crown O Greed Gold Weapons Ring of Gold Ring Shadows Ballet Shoes Riches Scroll	Blast Helm Bomb Charm Bomb Spell Blood Shovel Blood Drum	Blood Weapons Ring of Regen Heal Spell Shopkeeper Familiar Potion	Boots of Leap/Lunge Other Headwear (temporary)	Blood (Weapon/Shovel) Boss War Darkness

Miscellaneous

• Winning the run isn't required.
  
• Only pick up gold when wearing the Crown of Greed. The effect applies when you pick up gold, not when you kill enemies.
  
• Max out the multiplier. 3x gold gain is a run breaker.
  
• Be frugal. Do not waste gold buying unnecessary items.
  
• Expend all bombs by the end of Zone 4 or 5. Saved bombs are wasted bombs.
  
• Calculate how much bombs should be used per floor. Expect Bomb Charm so do not use bombs immediately.
  
• Bomb shop wall corners for the most profit.
  
• Secret shops have additional shop walls to profit from.
  
• Avoid Ring of Peace.

Golden Loot
Have 8000 coins in a single run with solo Nocturna (DLC Required)

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Requires Nocturna.

She's no Bard, but she still is a particularly strong character when used effectively; her starting weapon and spell are very powerful headstarts.

• Nocturna's Bat form (Transform) negates the Crown of Greed's gold drain.
  
• Ring of Shadows is also ignored in Bat form.
  
• Bat form also has faster built in healing.
  
• Her Cutlass offers two-tile range attacks and the busted parry mechanic.
  
• The Cutlass also easily solo kills the shopkeeper after aggro.
  
• Nocturna (and Cadence) encounters two Zone 5 bosses which doubles the Boss gold reward.

Other Score Strategies

I advise abstaining on these as I doubt these are the "intended" way to play, but these do work. Again, try the ones above first.

• Randomizer Mode randomizes gold drops.
  
• Ring of Courage (along other items) can dupe gold, but that's entirely unnecessary.

Speed Modes (Cadence, Nocturna, Suzu)

If needed, go through the Resource Dump Guide to optimize for Zone Exit Stairs, Item Changes, Shop Kills, and Boss Quick Kills.

General Speed Strategies

• Treat each dig / attack as an additional second to your time.
  
• Do not kill unnecessarily. Minibosses are the only needed kills to progress.
  
• Higher damage means faster kills.
  
• Identify exit stairs pattern. Go immediately right in Zone 1. And through rooms in Zone 3.
  
• Take trapdoors instead of just pacing around. Torch of Foresight locates those.
  
• Do actions as you descend (exit stairs / trapdoors). Healing / spellcasting on them saves a beat.
  
• Spellcasting on the stairs do not incur blood costs. Abuse these for free dashes, berserks, or heals.
  
• Practice moshpits. Miner's Cap and Pulse Spell excel in those.
  
• Speedruns are minimalist runs. Only pick up items that are near. Do not farm.
  
• Do not actively search for shops. It may contain useless and unaffordable items.
  
• Shops are rare, making gold less important. Don’t collect gold from random enemies.
  
• Rely on boss gold to be able to purchase on shops. Flawless boss chests are also helpful.
  
• Kill shopkeepers when the shop items are powerful but unaffordable.
  
• Know Boss Quick Kills. (See resources).
  
• Earth and Freeze Items synergize as powerful ~2 beat killers.
  
• Pause and zoom out on Zone 3. This may instantly reveal the stairs and other keypoints.
  
• Use Telemonkeys / Teletraps. Only use this if lagging behind or with a strong build.
  
• Break Tempo Traps with Bombs or Hazard making enemies to make the tempo up permanent.
  
• Always use Shrine of Space (Map or Miner's Cap). Always take Shrine of Pace. Take Rhythm Shrine on the start of 5-3.
  
• Treat health as a resource. Push aggressively if you have excess health.
  
• Speedruns have a huge amount of item luck to them, so keep retrying!

Speedrun Items

Movement + Kill	Crowd Control	Movement + Dig	Transversal	Tanking	Other	Not Recommended
Axe Rapier Cat o' Nine Tails Ring of Courage Boots of Pain	Electric Dagger Harp / Staff Ring of Pain Ring of Peace Nazar / Monkey Paw	Shovel of Courage Miner's Cap Dash Spell Berserk Spell	Boots of Leap / Lunge Phasing Ring Torch of Foresight / Walls Map / Compass Dove Familiar Trapdoors / Secret Trapdoor Shrine of Rhythm	Any armor Any healing Potion	Ring of Luck Reflect Shield Pulse Spell Earth + Freeze Items Shrine of Space Shrine of Pace	Winged Boots "Snag" Weapons Glass Items Rifle Crossbow Blunderbuss

Turning Amp / Sync off may save time in exchange for some useful speedrunning content. Turning Sync on has longer runs on average due to lowered trapdoor spawns.

Content Changes to Speedrun Items

Additions	Nerfs	Removals
Staff / Harp Electric Dagger Shovel of Courage Torch of Walls Ring of Pain Dove Familiar Monkey Paw Earth Spell Pulse Spell	Additional Zone5 Nerfed Ring of Courage	Removed Ring of Phasing Removed Shrine of Pace
Additions	Buffs	Nerfs
Dash Spell Berserk Spell Reflect Shield Secret Trapdoors	Buffed Winged Boots Buffed Ring of Luck Buffed Earth Spell (Boss)	Nerfed Shovel of Courage Nerfed Ring of Peace Nerfed Trapdoor spawns Increased Torch of Walls price Increased Torch of Foresight price Increased Map price Increased Compass price Changed Conductor Phase2 Kill

Achievements

Speed Demon
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Cadence in under 15 minutes

---

Minimum Time of Completion

• 52sec/floor is required for Non-Amp.
  
• 42sec/floor is required for Amp.

Sync is optional.

Cadence Speed Strategies

• Remember Cadence's favorite boss items.
  
• Dead Ringer has a lot of quick kills.
  
• Bomb Necrodancer1's stage instead of doing the slow puzzle.
  
• Cadence can use non-Amp (allows Shrine of Pace).

Like a Bat Out of Hell
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Nocturna in under 15 minutes (DLC Required)

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Minimum Time of Completion

• 42sec/floor is required for Amp.

Amp is required. Sync is optional.

Note that her two bosses are lengthier than Cadence's so spare some time for those.

Nocturna Speed Strategies

• Remember Nocturna's favorite items and general strategies.
  
• Keep the Cutlass as it excels in both the bosses.
  
• The Cutlass excels in the miniboss trapdoor moshpit.
  
• Use Bat form's 4 damage for faster kills. The telepathy helps in floor scouting.
  
• Bat form can't enter trapdoors nor can it dig, so use it only as necessary.
  
• Use Bat form's 4 damage, iframe, and hazard immunity for bosses if needed.
  
• Avoid using Rhythm Shrine even if 5-3. The bosses are too long to benefit from it.
  
• Keep 2 bombs for Frankensteinway's orbs to permanently disable his shield.
  
• Line up Frankensteinway so it receives heavy damage from a Red Dragon's Fireball.
  
• Use Waterballs on the Conductor's second phase.

Pandaemonium
Complete "All Zones Mode" in under 10 minutes with solo Suzu, or 12 minutes when playing with AMPLIFIED content (Synchrony DLC Required)

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Minimum Time of Completion

• 37sec/floor is required for Non-Amp.
  
• 36sec/floor is required for Amp.

Sync is required.

Since the times are so similar, one might as well do Amp.

Suzu Speed Strategies

• Remember Suzu's favorite items and general strategies.
  
• Suzu can use non-Amp (allows Shrine of Pace).
  
• Suzu can use Winged Boots (Sync buff).

[WIP]
Kill towards the exit (not away from it) to prevent losing time going back and forth between dashes.
Floaty boots? bounce traps?
trapdoor dash?

Extra Modes (Challenging)

Storybook Ending
Complete "Story Mode" (DLC Required)

---

Never attempt this unless you're completely confident with Aria. Unlike in All Chars you can't pick the order so Aria is always saved for last (despite being the most difficult). Even experienced players attempt a few Story mode runs due to some bad rolls or misinputs. Since this is a DLC achievement, include Zone 5 on your Aria training runs.

Since you know how to speedrun both Nocturna and Cadence, retrying isn't much of a slog than what it should. When losing as Aria, you need to redo three runs again so don't invest on your Nocturna and Cadence runs for too much. Some days are unluckier than others so take breaks if it starts to get frustrating. Lastly, this gets easier once you've trained enough to finish Aria's Low%.

Extra Modes (Aria Low%)

Flawless Victory!
Aria Low%. Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Aria without picking up any items or using any shrines. (Picking up gold is permitted.)

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Turning off DLC for this achievement is a heavy recommendation. Aria non-DLC Low% is more forgiving over the DLC one; do yourself a favor and turn the DLC off before attempting this, atleast as your first time. The main advantage of doing Aria DLC is her access to the Heavy Glass Armor, but with Low% she effectively can't use it.

Aria DLC Low%	Aria Non-DLC Low%
Piercing Throws Zone 5, Metrognomes Fortissimole	No Ooze Golem spawns (Aria) Shorter, less riskier runs

Aria's Low% can be done alongside Aria's All Zones achievement, but if you do be sure to do Aria's Single Zones 5/4 to 1 to unlock the Golden Lute Boss practice in the Lobby first. Hopefully you've set your soundtrack already!

Practicing

• Try to keep alive for as long as possible. Most instantly restart when they lose their potion at 4-3 but when practicing it’s better to see how far you can go.
  
• If you’re’ having trouble with Zone 3 despite being consistent with Zone 4, practice with Single Zones 3 for now instead. Take small, realistic steps and tackle one Zone at a time.

Back to Basics

Try to apply everything you’ve learned so far. Since low% plays slightly differently for Aria All Zones, here are some tips that retained relevancy:

• Thankfully she spawns with a Potion, so even when playing low% she has atleast a 1% margin of error.
  
• Staying near diggable walls is the best way to buffer as Aria can't miss a beat; don't linger around non-diggable walls for too long (failed digs misses the beat).
  
• Due to only being able to use the Dagger, practicing with the throwing mechanic can net some good results especially against bosses (Coral Riff / Death Metal).
  
• Level progression is reversed; starts in Zone 4/5 and progresses to Zone 1. Enemies from higher-numbered zones will continue to appear as she progresses.
  
• Sarcophagi spawn on all floors. Spiders will appear in Zone 1. Monkeys appear in Zones 3->1.

Zone Properties

Zone 4

Originally posted by author:

[..] it's recommended to clear horizontally first, and then vertically. Dragons and Mommies are best dealt with by attacking from above or below.

Zone 3, 2

Originally posted by author:

Dragons … are best dealt with by attacking from above or below [using vertical space].

Zone 2 Pattern WIP

Originally posted by author:

Zone 1

Originally posted by author:

Relatively easy due to slimes taking some of the spawn. Still, keep your guard up against Monkeys, Spiders, and Knights.

Zone Generation

Originally posted by u/wilarseny:

Zone 1 exit stairs [...] are weighted heavily toward the bottom right.
Zone 2 [...] Exits are mostly corner-weighted, [then] left or right [then] above or below [being] rare.
Zone 3 [...] only conclusion is that exits directly left or right are somewhat rare.
Zone 4 [exit stairs spawn opposite of corner spawn].

Low% Basics

• Always rush to the exit stairs; the longer you stay the more opportunities to mess up. You don’t need any items, chests, bombs, gold, shops, and shrines for low%.
  
• Low% equipment is weak, so lure and deal with enemies one at a time; on their own you can take them head on, but when against a crowd the player falters fast.
  
• You also have one bomb; you can technically survive without ever using it, but I personally used mine against the most RNG-based boss (Deepblues) for both DB consistency and my bomb-usage consistency.
  
• Take breaks in-between floors to calm your nerves.
  
• If you’re freaking out, try to relax and don't rush yourself. If you've come this far, you're already proven capable at beat keeping. Don’t try to pressure yourself on focusing too much. Instead relax and defocus and let muscle memory do the work. Your attention should be placed on how to deal with the situation.
  
• Practice all bosses; (Aria only) she encounters 3 normal bosses (instead of the usual four) due to the Golden Lute taking the last boss slot. An effective practice is to just assume the worst of the worst so practice dealing with all the Bosses.

Golden Lute

• Since you can't rush the Golden Lute (not consistently anyway) due to lack of equipment, it's better to play it slow and safe.
  
• The Lute can never attack you on the lowest two rows; the highest two rows are relatively safe as well. Only Roofpigs are a threat.
  
• Try to wait out or synch with the Roofpigs; you don’t want to miss doing double dmg to the confused Lute just because of a Roofpig intermission.
  
• Destroying the Sarchopagi removes unnecessary enemy clutter and allows you to focus more on the Lute, the confusion, the Roofpigs, and the Dragons. Throwing your Dagger to destroy the White Sarcophagus is viable but that’s unnecessarily risky.
  
• Even with the Dagger's base 1 dmg the Lute can be killed in three cycles minimum: (1) Player-Confusion cycle, (2) Double Dragon cycle, (3)Roofpig Fireball Spam cycle. The Lute takes extra dmg when being attack while it’s confused, so try to abuse that.
  
• Utilize bounce traps to deal with Knight spawns, or when attacking the confused Lute head (although I recommend a different tactic for dealing with the Lute head).
  
• Be sure to identify which tiles the Bosses body (the hitbox). The Lute has a 2x3 body and a 1x1 head segment.
  
• If confused, retreat and wait it out. There are rows where the Lute can’t reach you and without Sarcophagi only Roofpigs can attack you there.
  
• Be sure to be able to deal with the double dragons. Technically they can be quick killed (by the Lute in two ways, by the Roofpigs, or by Dragon Friendly-fire), but these are inconsistent as far as I have experienced. Assume the worst of the worst and practice dealing with the Dragons on your own.
  
• During the Fireball spam, perform sidesteps until the Fireball is directly above you and then move up as it descends.

Originally posted by author:

You can always play as Bard to learn enemies and items first before learning to keep the beat.

If you still need a little breather you can always go Co-op Bard and practice the basics. Let Aria or Bard die and fight the Lute beatless.

Build Related Achievements

Heartthrob
Have 10 heart containers at the same time.

---

You'll naturally get this as you keep playing and collecting items. May require ten fully healed, non cursed hearts to trigger.

Fully Loaded
Equip an item in every possible slot (Synchrony DLC Required)

---

There are 15 total slots, listed below:

• Eight equippable slots (see Conjurer slots)
  
• Two action slots
  
• Two spell slots
  
• One bomb slot
  
• One charm slot
  
• Backpack/Holster

Running as Bard + Shadow Ring + Trans/Conjurer + abusing Transmute guarantees item spam.

Sunk Cost
Sell your belongings to the Pawnbroker (Synchrony DLC Required)

---

Sell seven items in one run. The player can naturally pickup eight items to sell so hoard as much as possible.

Spells, Bombs, Charms, Consumables are not sellable.

Pawnbroker

It is a secret shop hidden behind a cracked tier 3 wall.
Guaranteed to spawn once per run, on a random floor (this means you have to lookout for it).
Doesn't spawn as Monk.

No build? What now?

Don't worry, as no matter what zone your selling your full build in, doing this always guarantees a way to win the run.

Conditional Achievements

Conditional Achievements are naturally acquirable as you progress and play the game. They usually unlock by themselves, but these can be triggered intentionally.

Additionally, Single Zones have predetermined bosses at the end unlike All Zones Mode. Reset as needed.

• Singles Zone 4 has story bosses.
  
• Singles Zone 5 has Fortissimole.

Use this in conjunction with the Diamond Dealer to start with the necessary items.

Kill [Number] of Enemies Using [Item]

Requires any group of enemies. Some require enemy manipulation and repositioning. Flee, lure, and freeze or fear as needed.

These below are consistent sources of enemy swarms:

• Bats Closet (3x3 secret room)
  
• Skeleton Closet (3x3 secret room)
  
• Three Skulls (Zone 5)
  
  
• Deep Blues
  
• King Conga's Zombie lines
  
• Fortissimole's Skeleton crowd

Use this list for the three achievements below.

8Ball
Kill 8 enemies with a single bomb.

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Bombs can stack on enemy occupied tiles, so you can actually blow up 9 enemies at once. (25 with Bomb Charm!).

There are two ways to do this, both are mutually exclusive:

• Playing as Eli.
  
• Getting Bomb Items (Blast Helm, Bomb Charm, Grenades, or Bomb Spell).

Eli acts as if he has starting grenades, but Eli can't get Bomb Items so its a permanent 9-tile blast radius. Heavily requires precision, and enemy manipulation.

Bomb Charm + Grenades allow for wider radius, but these may not spawn. This build has less need for repositioning enemies. Nukes.

It is also possible to acquire Eli's infinite bombs at Pawnbroker with a bit of preparation.

ElecTrick
Kill 8 enemies at once with electricity.

---

This can only be done while attacking on conduit tiles, or with an Electric Dagger.

• An Electric Dagger against listed enemy swarms above.
  
• Zone 5, by lining up three Skulls, or some enemies.
  
• Nocturna has conduit tiles on all her zones.
  
• Fighting Conductor. The boss fight includes conduit tiles and constant enemy swarms.

Peace Shrine and Enchant Scroll help spawn in the Electric Dagger.

Smitemaster
Kill 4 enemies in one swing as Klarinetta (Synchrony DLC Required)

---

Requires Klarinetta.

Half-Swings can kill up to five at once. Use damage ups to kill instead of just damaging them.

Use the listed enemy swarms above.

Rare Enemy Generation

Bat Trick
Kill three green bats.

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Green Bats spawn in 1/5001 rooms, with multiple capable of spawning on one floor. I got three in ~200 hrs but there are records as early as ~50hrs.

Some servers / groups report if there are Green Bats in the Daily Challenge.

Miniboss Related Achievements

Increasing the number of minibosses increases these odds. These are stackable:

• Taking a trapdoor to force a miniboss down a floor. Multiple can be carried.
  
• Using a Boss Shrine.
  
• Playing in Hard Mode (Tempo non-stackable).
  
• Spawning from a low chance Dice Trap.

Some one-offs:

• Bombing the Shriner, or his unsold shrines.

Use these for the two achievements below.

Friendly Fire
Use a red dragon's fireball to kill another miniboss.

---

Requires a Red Dragon, and another miniboss.

Can spawn two (or more) simultaneously, infinitely:

• As Cadence, during DR (War Shrine) and ND1.
  
• As Aria, during GL.
  
• As Nocturna, during FSW and TC.

Limited, Few / Once per Floor

• In an Arena.
  
• Hard mode Zone 1 Boss floor.
  
• Playing as Tempo (Hard mode non-stackable).
  
• Chaunter possessing a Red Dragon.
  
• Pawnbroker offering Chaunter's Lantern.
  
• Dupe Scroll in multiplayer.

Shrine of War upgrades all Green Dragons.
Ring of War upgrades Dragons into Reds.
Ring of Peace downgrades Reds into Greens.

Doppelgänger
Kill a miniboss while possessing one of the same kind as Chaunter (Synchrony DLC Required)

---

Requires Chaunter, and two same minibosses.

There are five ways to do this:

• Bombing yourself as a Miniboss (bug?).
  
• Increasing Minibosses per floor. (See above).
  
• Carrying a single one for multiple floors.
  
• Matching Arena spawns with the floor spawn.
  
• Dupe Scroll in multiplayer.

The game avoids same type Miniboss generation, and it avoids spawning same kind consecutive floors.

Zone 1-3 has a guaranteed Dragon or Minotaur.
Zone 1-1 Direbats don't meet their kind until Zone 2.
Zone 1 has the highest odds of same kind miniboss.
Zone 4 has Ogres, Mommies. No Direbats.
Zone 5 has Metrognomes. No Nightmares, Banshees.

Normally, it would require one boss at minimum to be kept alive for three floors (plus enemy luck generation) just to trigger this.

• Damage ups speed up miniboss possession. Makes killing other minibosses easier.
  
• Heart Containers prolong the miniboss. Healing works as well.

Boss Floor Exclusive

En Passant
Get captured by a Pawn while trying to leap past its attack (Synchrony DLC Required)

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Requires Boots of Leaping, and Deep Blues.

Achievable as:

• Any character, encountering the boots.
  
• Dorian, and his starting boots.

Diamond, Klarinetta, Melody, Reaper ban the boots so they cannot be used.

[WIP][hard to describe how to do it pic pending]
Performing the En Passant:

1. Kill pieces as needed.
   
2. Leave a pawn at no less than the third rank.
   
3. (Earth, Freeze, Fear, or Tank to stall, optional).
   
4. Position a Knight's move away from it. Two ranks down, any one file to the side.
   
5. Be sure Leap Boots is on.
   
6. Be sure you are below the Pawn.
   
7. As the Pawn prepares to move, leap two tiles forward, aiming to leap into the tile directly adjacent to the pawn.

Although Training Lobby disallows achievements, practicing how to do it may be helpful.

Diamond and Chaunter can En Passant themselves, but the achievement specifically requires the pawn to perform the En Passant, not the player.

Destructive Interference
Kill Dead Ringer with his own attack (Synchrony DLC Required)

---

Requires Cadence, and Reflect Shield.

Dash, Berserk, nor Suzu do not trigger this.

On top of finding Reflect Shield, it needs to be preserved as well. It has two durability, regenerating per floor.

Performing the dash kill:

1. Clean up enemies.
   
2. Proceed to Phase 2.
   
3. Move away from the Gong.
   
4. Move away from the boss. He doesn't dash at point blank.
   
5. Aggro Dead Ringer from a distance, taunting him to dash.
   
6. Face or move toward him as soon as he prepares to dash. This prepares the Reflect Shield.
   
7. Do not look away as this moves the shield.

Ring of Shielding is helpful, as it protects the shield.

Puzzle Achievements

Being puzzles, these require very specific, intentional steps rather than just being naturally encountered. These are intended to be solved, so hints are provided. Spoiler warnings are provided before the solution.

• Works in Single Zones, in conjuction with Diamond Dealer.
  
• Works in No Beat Mode.
  
• Doable in both Solo and Co-op.

Mostly Harmless
Get killed by a Green Slime.

---

Green Slimes never aggro on players. They can still attack, but only if they are forced to move into a player.

SPOILERS

• As Co-op Eli, simply push/attack the Green Slime into the other player (DLC).
  
• As Single Zones Dove, purchase a Scroll of Need or a Fear Scroll (Diamond Dealer or Shopkeeper), and confuse a Green Slime, then use the scroll.

END OF SPOILER

Fool's Mate
Checkmate Deep Blues without harming another piece

---

A piece should not receive any damage whatsoever, while still killing the king.

SPOILERS

• Diamond, Eli, Bard

Use Diamond to weave through enemies. Bard can play tactically. Eli plays like Grenades.

• Freeze, Earth, Charm Spells
  
• Fear, Earthquake Scrolls
  
• Frost, Dove Familiars
  
• Grenades
  
• Tank Items

Use items to stall as you rush the King. Grenades work by 'Bomb priority', the King needs to be at the top left of the explosion.

END OF SPOILER

Ghost in the Pot
Possess 'Teh Urn' (Synchrony DLC Required)

---

Since the Urn spawns so rarely, practice with the level editor before your attempts (you don't want to lose an Urn spawn and then have no way to solve).

There are multiple solutions, all requiring 3+ items.

1. A specific zone unique enemy is required to possess the Urn.
   
2. The Urn needs to move, and is only movable by player action.
   
3. Chaunter needs to move at the same time the Urn does.

SPOILERS

1. Warlocks
   
2. Bounce Traps, Weapons (Wide, Recoil, or Move-attack), Other Players
   
3. Warlocks, Wind Mages, Shove Monsters

Merchanticide Achievement

Merchanticide
Kill the shopkeeper.

---

There are multiple ways to kill the Shopkeeper. Trying out the Codex can be an effective hands-on experience if you want to practice yourself, and its entirely safe! You can even make or download level editor maps to practice even more! Normal Shopkeepers deal 10 hearts of damage, drops the Crown of Greed (for Score Runs), and offer no other benefit outside of making shop items free so murder at your own risk!

No Risk	Negligible Risk (X beats** / self-dmg***)	Minimal Risk (Killing blow)
Earth Spell (x2; needs enemy kills) Earth Tome (x2) Pulse Scroll / Pulse Spell + Mana Bomb Spell + Mana Throw Blood Weapons + 1/2 heart Throw Gold Weapons + Rich Scroll Throw Frost Dagger + Ring of Frost Throw Electric Dagger + Conduit	Throwing Stars (x3) Pulse Tome (x2) Pulse Spell (x2; self-dmg) Fireball Tome (x3) Fireball Spell (x3; self-dmg) Blast Helm + Bombs (x3) Grenade Charm (x2) Any Throw Weapon + Blood Drum (self-dmg)	Bombs (x2; same tile) + KB Fireball Scroll + KB Fireball Spell + Mana + KB Aggro + Phasing Mode / Ring
Medium Risk (Effect expires)	High Risk (Active combat / kiting)	Non-Kills (No Achievement)
Aggro + Freeze (Spell, Scroll, Tome, Dagger, Ring, Familiar) Aggro + Shield (Spell, Scroll, Tome, Ring) Aggro + Battle Shovel Aggro + Gold Weapons Aggro + Cookies (iframes) Gigantism + Infernal + T3 shovel	Aggro + High dmg Weapons Aggro + knockback (Flail / Ring of War / Lunge / Eli) Aggro + Cutlass Aggro + Spikewalls / Traps + (optional) Flight / Lead Boots Aggro + Leap / Lunge Boots + >2 tile weapon Dragon Aggro + Combat Quartz Armor (w/ Heart Containers) + Tank	Earth Spell (Multiple uses) Earth Tome (Multiple uses) Fear Scroll Boots of Lunging Dragon Aggro + Fleeing Aggro + Trapdoor

*aggro refers to anything that can dmg the Shopkeeper
**be sure to space yourself accordingly as you require X beats
***necessary Blood Magic use (account for health accordingly); else turns into a higher risk

Shopkeepers' Health	Fireball Values	Pulse Values	Bomb Values	Other Number Values
Regular - 9 Blood - 8 Glass - 8 Pawnbroker - 6 Transmogrifier - 5 Health - 1 Conjurer - 1	Scroll - 8 Ring of Mana - 8 Torch - 8 Tome - 3 Spell - 3	Scroll - 10 Ring of Mana - 10 Tome - 5 Spell - 5	Ring of Mana - 999 Grenade Charm - 6 Spell - 4 Normal - 4	Earth - 999 Shuriken - 3

Other Tips

• His Ghost spawns on the next zone on the same floor he was killed (ie 1-2 kill spawns on 2-2)
  
• Use Blood Magic in a pinch; <2 self-dmg is always better than the Shopkeeper's 10 dmg
  
• Remember to differentiate between Scroll, Tome, and Spell variants
  
• Bomb Charm and Grenade Charm also change the kill strats so check if you have them first
  
• If not doing for the achievement, there are non-kill strategies for free shop items
  
• There are specific character and Shopkeeper kill interactions
  
  • Melody can kill just by moving at a long highway
    
  • Aria / Coda cannot perform Blood Magic safely
    
  • Dorian can outrun with Leap Boots
    
  • Eli can always aggro Shopkeepers
    
  • Dove cannot harm Shopkeepers at all
    
  • Nocturna's Cutlass can solo the Shopkeeper
    
  • Tempo OHKOes any Shopkeeper
    
  • Mary performs the same base strategies, but requires a few more steps to position her sheep safely

It is unknown if the special Shopkeepers are included in activating the achievement, but they are listed for reference and for more intermediate plays (See Intermediate Tips above).

Conjurer (Throwable, Bomb, Fireball, Pulse, Earth)

Throwable, Bomb, Fireball

Pulse, Earth

Health Shopkeeper (Bomb x1 OR Pulse x1)

Beat 0 Pictured above; Beat 1 Places bomb (non-bomb charm); Beat 2 Move Mary to Sheep tile

Beat 3 Mary is on Sheep tile; Beat 4 Pictured above; Beat 5 Move Mary to Sheep tile; (Pulse follows beats 4-5)

Health (Fireball x1 OR Throw x1)

Beat 0 Pictured above; Beat 1 Mary Throws / Fireballs; Beat 2 Move Mary to the Sheep tile;

Transmorgrifier (Fireball Spell x2; self-dmg)

Beat 0 Pictured above; Beat 1 Fireball	Beat 2 Fireball (Blood Magic) or attack w/ 2 dmg
Beat 0 Pictured above; Beat 1 Pulse	Beat 2 Transmogrifier dies
Beat 1 Place bomb; Beat 3 Pictured above; Beat 4 Move right	Beat 5 Pictured above; Beat 6 Attack Transmogrifier

Pawnbroker (Bomb x1 + KB x2)

Beat 1 Pictured above (place bomb)	Beat 3 Pictured above	Beat 4 Pictured above (move down)
Beat 5 Pictured above (get out of tar); Beat 6 Attack	Beat 7 Repeat beat 4 (move down) Beat 8 Repeat beat 5 (get out of tar) Beat 9 Repeat beat 6 (attack)
Beat 0 Place bomb; Beat 1 Pictured above (bomb again)	Beat 2 Move left; Beat 3 Pictured above (move left)	Beat 4 (get out of tar, Monkey dies)

Pawnbroker (Fireball Spell x2; self-dmg)

Beat 1 Pictured above (Fireball)

Beat 2 Pictured above (Fireball, Blood Magic)

Pawnbroker (Pulse Spell x2; self-dmg)

Beat 1 Pictured above (Pulse)

Beat 2 Pictured above (Pulse, Blood Magic)

Pawnbroker (Earth Spell)

Beat 1 Position below; Beat 2 Pictured above (Earth)

Co-op Achievements

Even though the game encourages multiplay, these achievements can actually be acquired without external help. No other player or additional hardware required!

There are two options for Co-op, and one for "simulated" Co-op.

• Online Co-op (Synchrony DLC)
  
• Local Co-op (multiple players, different inputs)
  
• Local Co-op (multiple characters, one input)
  
• Any mix of these

Two Can Tango!
Complete "All Zones Mode" while playing Co-op

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This is a particularly fun challenge. Even with no other person to play with, you can bind the 1st and 2nd characters movements to a single key to move them simultaneously. The gist is similar to the Necrodancer 1 where you control two characters at once. Feel free to have fun and allow the death of one character, as you only lose when both characters die and you always respawn with two per floor. Mix and match different characters for more fun!

Alternatively, picking Bard and intentionally killing the other character per floor is also viable. This ends up like a normal All Zones Bard run, but where's the fun in that?

Family Trip
Complete "All Zones Mode" as Cadence, Melody, Aria and Dorian in co-op mode (Synchrony DLC Required)

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Polyphonic
Complete an "Ensemble Mode" run (solo or co-op; Synchrony DLC Required)

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Doable both Solo or Coop

Ensemble Mode

A variation of All Zones, which each floor playing as a different character. All 17 characters are used and Cadence, Melody, and Aria are used twice to fill all twenty floors.

Passing and Stashing Items

Any item that is obtained is carried across floors. Each character will use their starting gear when no other item for that slot has been picked up. Starting items are never shared.

Characters that cannot use specific items will have those items "stashed". While stashed, items provide no effect and cannot be interacted with. Stashes are kept until the next valid character is able to equip them.

Stashes only apply to fully-banned items, so characters can play with generation-banned items, like Axes on Diamond or Ring of Courage on Tempo.

Full-bans / Stashes include:

• Shovels (Eli, Suzu)
  
• Weapons (Melody, Aria, Eli, Dove, Suzu, Klarinetta)
  
• Armors (Dorian, Klarinetta)
  
• Footwear (Dorian)
  
• Spells (Diamond, Klarinetta)
  
• Backpacks / Holsters (Diamond, Klarinetta, Chaunter)
  
• Heart Containers (Aria, Chaunter-base)

Each floor uses enemies, items, shrines, traps, and level generation for the current character. Runes are except from this, making all 8 shops available for anyone.

Other Ensemble Changes

• All story bosses are ignored.
  
• Aria always spawns with her starting Potion.
  
• Mary loses her starting Cookies.
  
• Dove stashes all rings.
  
• Monk stashes Ring of Gold / Courage, Shopkeeper Familiar, and Shield of Shove.
  
• Boots of Leap / Lunge are banned completely.
  
• All characters start with their weapon (throw-then-abandon weapons are now viable).

Character Line up Strategies

Zone 1

• Hard chars like Mary, Bolt, or Aria on the early floors make them easier.
  
• Monk and Dove start builds early using their free shop items. They both also have good starting shovels.
  
• Zone 1-3 has a guaranteed Red Dragon / Minotaur so avoid placing Mary there.

Miscellaneous

• Trapdooring as hard chars skip them completely, albeit having a moshpit for the next character.

Boss Floors

• Monk can never song end on boss floors if trapped in gold. Dove boss floors are also dangerous.
  
• Bosses are the fastest floors so Aria has less time to slip beat misses.
  
• Tempo can quick kill bosses. Boss floors also have no zone bleed.
  
• Diamond, Dorian, Eli, Melody, Klarinetta, and Suzu are also strong on boss floors.
  
• Klarinetta has damage ups and shields, while Eli and Melody have armors on flawless black Boss chests.

Zone 3

• Bard and Nocturna are good for Zone3 as they handle swarms better.
  
• Eli and Melody can deal with floor hazards.
  
• Dorian's Leap boots are hard to use on Zone 3 and 4.

Zone 4

• Dove can immediately head for the known Zone 4 exit stairs. She also shares the lack of trapdoors on this zone.
  
• Mary bans two enemy types in Zone 4.
  
• Eli has no issues with Zone 4 enemies.
  
• Chaunter has strong enemies to possess.
  
• Aria has no zone bleed for Zone 4 and 5.

Zone 5

• Suzu and Melody benefit from conduits.
  
• Suzu dashes are unimpeded in the long open halls.
  
• Chaunter, Dorian, Dove, and Eli struggle using conduits.
  
• Diamond and Klarinetta cannot turn off Winged Boots in Zone 5.

Know What Items to Keep

Keep universally useful items. Avoid situational gimmick items that are a hit-or-miss between characters.

• Melody, Tempo, Eli, and Dove have no use for damage ups.
  
• Aria prefers glass but Suzu, Tempo, Dorian, and Chaunter break them easily.
  
• Tempo, Dove, Eli, and Melody appreciate Miner's Cap but Dorian, Aria, and Diamond do not.
  
• Mary plays differently depending on the weapon.
  
• Monk also needs to be aware of his inherited build.

All Chars (Base, Amp)

Polyamorous
Complete an "All Chars" run

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*Refer to the achievement below this one for a complete guide

Remember that this one does NOT require DLC, however some content is unavailable.
Notable differences between Base and Amp:

• Eli's prosthetic
  
• Monk's removed gold walls
  
• Aria's Heavy Glass Armor

I still advocate for Non-Amp first for a less steep learning curve, but it is totally up to the player if they want more content in exchange for going through Z5.

Very Polyamorous
Complete an "All chars (including DLC)" run (DLC Required)

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It's up to personal playstyle when selecting which ones go first, but there are usually three groups that should be played in relative order.

The InstaDeaths

Tempo - Getting speed items, backpacks, or cookies are usually run winners.
Mary - Prioritize items that benefit both of them. Be sure to have a escape route, panic button, or backup plan for Marv.
Aria - Usually can afford a few mistakes due to multiple protection items and possibly even three Potions.
Monk - The only instadeath character with no safety net. Play this one with the most caution.

*When playing as an instadeath, it doesn't matter how good your equipment is or how much experience you have, 1-2 mistakes results in game over.

Gimmick Characters / Mixed Bag

Bolt - As long as the miniboss is dead, one can play safe and not to finish the level and just seek refuge in the shop or a safe area.
Dove - Do not explore aimlessly. Risks increase the more you stroll.
Melody - Is very frail, but has good crowd control. Always make sure to have a space to move to.
Eli - Play safely from a distance and clear enemies. Be sure to adapt if he has his Prosthetic (DLC).
Dorian - Has generous starting equipment so be sure to take advantage of that headstart to acquire more gear.

*These have such vastly different gimmicks from one another so it may complicate things

Cadence but with extra steps

Cadence - The default with nothing good, but nothing bad either. Has two Story bosses, and you should always prepare for the Necrodancer1.
Nocturna - Starts with an overpowered weapon and a safety net of a spell, her only risk comes from her two Story bosses.
Diamond - Don't force yourself in always using the diagonal and only use the diagonals when its convenient for you.
Bard - Try not to rush and pace yourself as long as you need. Avoid his softlocks.

Each character has their own way of playing so try to accomplish the most unique characters first (Bolt's double tempo, Aria's missed beats, Dove's pacifism, etc) so they don’t interfere with your playstyle later.

Remember that every character has their own strengths and weaknesses, so be sure to remember which is which when switching between characters.

Acquiring builds

Usually, the starting zones are the only issues as all (but the instadeaths) are only hard if they have no build. As such, be sure to scour Zones 1 and Zone 2 of all items and try to get your boss chests asap. Prep each character up as early as possible, give them their favorite items, and it snowballs from there.

Know which items are okay to risk for and which aren’t worth it. Remember that there are 13 chars to go through, so try not to rush and be greedy.

Luck Factors

RNG is a huge factor (sudden rare enemies, Lords, Zone3 swarms, Polka DM, Boss order, and good items not spawning), and if these don't go as planned the run is significantly made harder. This may take a few tries, but this game is as half luck as it is half skill so don't blame yourself too much on it.

Win Consistency

If you beat each character individually before, that means you're theoretically capable of doing All Chars already, its only a matter of dedication. If you are dying on one character, keep playing as them to increase their win consistency.

This is the hardest mode so throw everything you got as the game throws everything it can at you. Strategies that feel cheesy don't even matter as the real exploits are already cleared out, so do whatever you can to win and don't hold back! We'll have harder times so try to enjoy this one.

All Zones (Coda) [WIP]

Impossible, Right?
Complete "All Zones Mode" with solo Coda

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As if Coda wasn't an abomination of the three hardest non-DLC characters enough, Coda also brings extreme desynergy between these three playstyles.

• Coda has instadeath on missed beats, but not being Aria has no starting Potion.
  
• Has Bolt's double tempo, but can't miss any of them due to Aria's missed beats
  
• Bolt is at double tempo, but is forced to use Aria's Dagger-only (no Spear or any 2+ tile weapon).
  
• Aria appreciates Dagger-throwing but Monk's gold risks losing your only weapon.
  
• As Aria is weapon-locked, all shops contain only two items.
  
• Since Monk can't pick up gold, shopkeepers give one (and only one) item for free.
  
• Bolt and Monk like waiting out the song, but Aria can't.
  
• Bolt's tempo is strenuous and requires breaks, but Aria doesn't allow that.
  
• Aria and Bolt functions in open spaces, but Monk's gold messes tiles up.
  
• Monk and Bolt can tank hits to negate some of their downsides, but Aria can't.
  
• Monk can't easily control where gold piles land due to the double tempo of Bolt.

Despite everything, Coda does have some good character traits:

• Bolt's double tempo makes transversing around Monk's gold easier
  
• Not being Aria, they start out at Zone1
  
• Not being Aria, Coda has access to the War Drum and the extremely synergistic Risk Charm!

Aside for these desynergies, Coda virtually plays like all of its three sub-characters combined so apply all the strategies from them to Coda as well.

Lastly, a lot of previous / early Coda clears have been done with Phasing Ring / Mode, so its entirely up to the player if they choose to have their Coda clear this way.

Low% [WIP]

Lowest of the Low
"All Chars" low%. Complete an "All Chars" run without picking up any items or using any shrines. (Picking up gold is permitted.)

---

General Low% Issues

• No healing (mistakes are permanent)
  
• No damage ups (slower kills)
  
• No crowd control (enemies swarm worse)
  
• No shovel (tiles can trap you)
  
• No enemy vision (enemy jumpscares)
  
• No mapping (slower floors)
  
• No Luck Charm (higher bat rng)
  
• No Nazar (unfair spirits)

Seem simple enough? These things add up over time and across nine characters. Do not underestimate it. All of this makes a truly terrifying experience.

Character Specific Issues

Melody
Spike traps, ND2 bombs, Goblin bombers does all of her health
Cannot use her bomb when surrounded for the same reason
Prone to being unable to move due to more undug walls

Dove
Enemy spawn is extremely rng; enemy encounters may happen at the worst places
Elementals clog tiles which prevents safe digs
Bat closets are deadlier

Bolt
Tends to lose hp faster than other characters

Monk
Cannot use his blood shovel often due to lack of heals
Cannot use his bomb when surrounded for the same reason

Dorian
Leap boots may accidentally get items

General Low% Strategies

• Intentionally miss beats if you have to (even in boss floors). There is no need for money / multiplier
  
• Take things slow; lure and kill enemies one at a time. Don't barge in enemy crowds
  
• Stay in one place. Unscouted (ie dark, unvisited) areas heavily attract swarms
  
• Always try to set a safe space; scout a safe place, then slowly lure and kill enemies there one by one
  
• Be careful and back up when you reveal tiles; some enemies can snipe you in the dark (Minotaurs, Spore mushrooms, Armadillos, Hellhounds, Yetis, Knights)
  
• Be more cautious when items are nearby (Nightmares, Wind mages, Shove monsters, Liches, Warlocks)
  
• Hidden chests are a thing to look out for
  
• Be wary of traps (*especially* bounce ones) but make use of them when you can

Exit Stairs + Minibosses

• Remember how zones generate for faster safe exits
  
• Gold and items don't matter so don't farm the floor
  
• Check the other side of secret rooms (especially on Zone 2 and 3)
  
• Dig corners to avoid spilling enemy closets
  
• Rarely enter rooms with chests, traps, or shrines. Miniboss rooms never have those
  
• Listen for and lure out the miniboss instead of barging into the crowded miniboss room
  
• Defeat the miniboss; all other enemies are optional (wait for song end or trapdoor out)
  
• Learn enemy dances and lures

Boss Floors

• Learn Boss lures
  
• Look up quick kills for GL, DR
  
• Look up spawn caps for ND1, DM
  
• Zone 3 bosses have harder variations for DM and KC
  
• DM3 can be spawncamped with either beetles or bats, both are better than knights
  
• Memorize which bosses have been fought so you can plan if want to use the bomb there or if its better to use it now

Other Enemies

• Use slower abusable enemies (Golems, Armadillos, Goblin Bombers, Skulls) to break tiles
  
• Pixies offer healing but only spawn in 4-3
  
• Allow Leprechauns to spawn early so they won't interfere later
  
• Remember how Lords can spawn

Bomb Low Usage

Generally, and aside from those listed below, the starting bomb can be used in tight situations (such as Zone 3). You can spend your bomb in your last boss / floor

Monk
Best saved for DB (coin clearing / crowd control)

Aria
Save for late DB, GL Dragons, or Zone 1 Tier 3 wall rooms

Cadence
Usable in DR bells or ND1 stage

Melody
For making open spaces

Dove
Emergency button

Character Specific Strategies

Cadence
Dead Ringer lures
Necrodancer1 spawn cap, lures

Aria
Learn to use throws (as buffers, etc)

Eli
Remove items by bombing
King conga bomb + missbeat strat

Bolt
Coral Riff cheese strat

Dove
Snuff out torches (when possible) to reduce confusion reaggro
Digging is better than going through rooms; walls have no enemies
Learn to hook (or trap) enemies behind walls

Only confuse enemies when you need to; don't confuse random enemies

Send enemies far away, behind you, or into dark spaces. Confuse them away from the exit

(If a minotaur is charging, leave him untouched. If confused, he will be sent right back to enemy crowd)

Stand back, lure enemies, and go around. Don't charge into packed rooms

Outro

Overall, the weight of most of these strategies / problems can't even be recognized by first triers. But after a few tries the gravity of the situation start to sink in. Be sure to come back to check if you miss anything!!

Closing

I am sure there are some grammar, spelling, and formatting mistakes. Sorry in advance! Once I've been notified that I've missed something, I'll get to it as soon as I can.

If a section or achievement is still particularly troublesome to get, I might be able to help out further in the comments! I've tried to be extremely brief when creating the guide (as guide sections have limited number of characters), and I've cut many details and other tips due to that!

Thanks for reading and ratings are much appreciated!


I hope this guide helped you in any way and I hope you have fun getting ~100%! Also Happy 7th anniversary Necrodancer!

[Koto Idol]

I love this game, and this guide is the best

[Kano Alf]

Sheesh, this is so good. I already feel like using it every time playing CotN.
Yes, part about achievement disabling is a little odd, but it's not that important.
What is, can I translate this guide to my language? Surely, I will refer to you as primary author.

[Giteryman]

Not sure where I read it, but an easy way to find green bats is:

1. Pick Nocturna
2. Bind quick restart to something easy
3. Zoom out the map all the way
4. Start All Zones
5. Turn into a bat
6. Look for a green bat
7. Quick restart if there isn't one
8. Repeat until you find 3

This ended up being a pretty good strategy, I found the last one I needed in 20-30 minutes

[Milk Time is at 7:45 PM]

I am a little confused on the wording of the "disables achievements" section. Does turning on No Beat leave achievements on unless it's a character run? What does that include? What about Phasing mode?

Excellent guide, though. Great job.

[pesialg]

i found and replied to ur discussion post, i hope that helps in the mean time

[orian34]

I see, nice! I couldn't find anything about it on steam, do you know how the urn can get possessed?

[pesialg]

the new ones are discovered already (and quite fast too bc of the dedicated fanbase), its just that i havent got time to put that here for the moment

[orian34]

Some of the new achievements I have no idea how to obtain. I left a discussion post, but hopefully we'll figure those out soon.

[pesialg]

@jd oh youre right i dont have that here, thats embarrassing on my part lmfao. i prolly lost that section when i was forced to segment the guide due to the limited character per section thing, thx for the catch!!

as per the newer achievements i am fully waiting for the full release of the synchrony dlc before i update the whole guide given the early access changes are extremely volatile and sometimes literally game changing (ie the infamous dove spikewalls, chaunters shopkeepers etc) but i will def update the guide when sync fully releases! again thx for the catch and thx for the wait!

lastly the score achievements already mentioned randomizer making things a lil diff from normal, guess i should emphasize that part more! imo the 6-8k bar is set extremely forgiving compared to what can actually be achieved (check the score leaderboards!) so a few tries is all thats needed.

[pesialg]

@celox only the amplified dlc changes the spawn of the ring of phasing; sync and base game leaves it untouched ie spawnable!