Guide to Horde Mode (Crypts)

How to defeat skeletors.

Basics - Horde Mode

Horde mode is a Player vs. Enemy AI gamemode where a few players are matched up against as many bad AI enemies the game can throw at you without breaking. The "Crypts" map is a rather claustrophobic dungeon map, set in 25 waves of enemies and usually allowing six players, though Horde Rotation servers can support up to 18 players, and standalone servers running the map can host as many players as they want.

In Horde Crypts, you gain new weapons and equipment based on how many enemy kills you have totaled, and your current class. Earning points will earn passive attributes for your class, such as increased speed, jump height, and maximum health. Your class can be changed at any time between waves. Unfortunately, equipment for each class is static and cannot be chosen from.

The match is started by bonking the three ritual skulls in the center of the "lobby" room with your fists. You can then choose a class by using the apropriate class statue to gain that classes' weapons and abilities based on your kills and score, respectively. On the righthand side of the room (looking at the class statues), there are two large skulls over their own basin. These are preference settings for your gameplay and can be changed at anytime between waves by dealing damage to them.

The first skull toggles "All Rooms Mode". With All Rooms Mode off, when a wave starts, one of the three gates will open at random. Players will be restricted to that play area until the end of the wave. If toggled on, all three gates will open allowing players to roam all three areas. Unfortunately there is a limited number of enemy AI spawns for the map, so opening multiple rooms does not mean more enemies. The enemies will in fact be split up between all three rooms. Fighting with one room will concentrate the enemies in a smaller area.

The second skull toggles "Hard Mode". Having hard mode on reduces the enemy spawn time to instant. During normal gameplay, enemies will slowly trickle from spawn points until a limit on the number of active enemies is reached. Once enough enemies are killed, enemies begin spawning again. With hard mode activated, many enemies will spawn all at once. Once enough enemies are killed, a new wave of enemies will spawn instantly from the spawn points. This keeps the horde moving and allows you more kills in a shorter timespan.

About the map, there are three Health Fountains and three Manual Level up Statues. These objects can be interacted with to heal you and get new weapons and equipment before the next wave, respecively. Health is added to the health fountain randomly upon an enemy kill, and keep in mind that you can use health in the fountain even if you're fully healed, so don't spam interact with it like a ♥♥♥♥♥♥. The level up statue can be used to replenish consumables (Firepots and throwing weapons) and get the next weapon level (if you have enough kills) before the next wave.

The match ends when all living players die, or when you beat all 25 waves of the horde. The final wave of Horde Crypts is in a special arena, away from the rest of the map.

Classes

Weapon level-ups are attained at the following number of kills: 6, 15, 25, 50, 100, 200, 350.
Character level-ups are attained at the following total points: 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000.
Late joiners receive free upgrades at waves 3, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, and 25.
Note that golden gear does nothing but look flashy.

character levels
LV 1: Base
LV 2: 1.5x HP, Class ability
LV 3: 2.0x HP
LV 4: 2.0x HP, Faster Movement (MAA Higher Jump)
LV 5: 2.5x HP
LV 6: 3.0x HP, Class Buff
LV 7 4.0x HP, Class Buff

Archer/Ranger

The first statue is that of the Archer. Naturally, they have lesser resistance to damage, but make up for it with ranged attacks, allowing them to stay back from most danger and still deal damage. Archers can be valuable in the later stages of the game, where holding a line is more important. This way the front line is not clustered with living players, and the Archer can still soften targets from the rear. With a very high score, the Archer's class buffs allow them to learn powerful headshots that deal up to four times as much damage at the final level.

Archers do not require ammunition, as it is refilled upon firing their last shot, so they don't need to stick around anywhere in particular to make sure they can shoot. Unfortunately the Archer suffers from poor overall damage dealing. While their headshots can deal massive damage, their top weapon, the longbow, does not offer a very fast rate of fire, and you are subject to missing your mark. If ambushed or cornered, they die very quickly.

Equipment:
LV 1: Broad Dagger
LV 2: Sling, Broad Dagger
LV 3: Sling, Crudgel
LV 4: Shortbow, Crudgel
LV 5: Longbow, Crudgel
LV 6: Longbow, Broadsword
LV 7: Longbow, Longsword

Man-At-Arms/Rouge

Men-At-Arms are quick and use fast weapons to deal quick strikes and then back out of danger. His early-game weapons include the Quarterstaff and Mace, the latter of which can dispatch most enemies in two overheads easily. Unfortunately late-game he will loose the mace for a longsword, which is not as effective, and gain infinite firepots, which unfortunately cannot deal enough sustained damage to be useful.

At later levels, the Man-At-Arms will gain abilities giving them increased stamina, faster stamina regeneration, or at endgame, unlimited stamina. Unfortunately this only negates stamina loss from blocking or doging, not from feinting, which may be used very often to block incoming strikes while comboing. This much stamina is not as useful compared to the latter classes' weapons and abilities.

Equipment:
LV 1: Thrusting Dagger
LV 2: Shortsword, Thrusting Dagger
LV 3: Mace, Shortsword, Thrusting Dagger
LV 4: Quarterstaff, Mace, Shortsword
LV 5: Longsword, Quarterstaff, Mace
LV 6: Longsword, Quarterstaff, Firepot
LV 7: (Golden Gear), Longsword, Quarterstaff, Firepot
LV 8: (Golden Gear), Longsword, Quarterstaff, Infinite Firepot

Vanguard/Warrior

The most heavily armed class, made for dealing damage. The most effective class for killing things and the go-to for most players. At later levels will get spears in addition to greatswords to deal large amounts of damage to crowds, and increased combo aggression, whatever that means. Probably more damage the more strikes you combo? I don't really know.

May falter in the team damage department. If your teammates play smart they won't try to jump on your kills and hit you in the process, but most public players will try and change the settings and kick you for changing them back anyways so don't count on it. At maximum weapon level, they gain infinite throwing axes, making them a much better Archer than the actual archery class. It can also cleverly be used to resupply your own team's axes if they run out.

Equipment:
LV 0: Hunting Knife
LV 1: Hatchet, Hunting Knife
LV 2: Longsword, Hatchet, Throwing Knives
LV 3: Greatsword, War Axe, Throwing Knives
LV 4: Greatsword, Spear, Throwing Axes
LV 5: Greatsword, Brandistock, Throwing Axes
LV 6: Zweihander, Brandistock, Throwing Axes
LV 7: Zweihander, Brandistock, Infinite Throwing Axes

Knight/Paladin

The most heavily armored class, for taking punishment and then dealing some back. While great lategame for dealing some damage with the Maul and surviving many blows, the Knight suffers early game from poor weapon choice. Still, well rounded and not too shabby. Eventually can learn improved armor resistance, not only giving them extra health, but take less damage as well.

Unfortunately their early weapons don't deal much damage and you'll have a hard time killing heavier enemies. Weapons like the Hunting Knife, Saber, Flail, and Longsword all just don't deal enough damage to use all the time, so it may be wise to choose another class first until you can work your way up to the higher levels.

Equipment:
LV 1: Hunting Knife
LV 2: Saber
LV 3: Saber, Buckler
LV 4: Sword of War, Heater Shield, Saber
LV 5: Flail, Longsword, Kite Shield
LV 6: Maul, Longsword, Kite Shield
LV 7: Maul, Longsword, Tower Shield
LV 8: (Golden Gear), Maul, Longsword, Tower Shield

Rooms

Lobby

Main spawn room where the team convenes before each wave. Here is where you start the game, modify the game's two difficulty settings, and change your class. There are three gates leading to each sepearate room out of the lobby, where waves take place. Enemies will not spawn until a player leaves the lobby and enters a horde room.

West Gate (Cave)

The west gate leads into a large cave. In the center is a small tomb with several spawn points in the middle of it. On the left and right sides are two spawns each where enemies drop down. In the back is also a tomb with spawns circling all around it. The manual levelup statue is straight back, through the first tomb. The Health Fountain is located to the left of the statue, on the far left wall.

This room is notable for terrible enemy pathfinding in the first tomb. Enemies will run back and forth around the center of it while players hold in the lobby, allowing a Man-at-Arms with a fireport to create a skeleton oven (See: Auchiwitz). The choke point heading back into the lobby is useful for funneling the enemy late game.

North Gate (Bridges)

The north gate leads to a two-story area with mutliple spawns above and below. While this area is not as claustrophobic as the next, there are not any good points to defend or use as a choke point against the enemy, so you'll typically be running and kiting the enemy a lot. The health fountain is located on the bottom floor in the center, on the left wall. The manual level up statue is located on the opposite side of the first wall, on the second floor.

It can be very easy to get trapped on both sides of a staircase, so avoid them if possible. Flanking will always happen to you on this map, so stay moving in later stages.

East Gate (Crypt)

A larger two-story map, with the lower story being connected via long and narrow staircases that are a classic deathtrap. The stair cases are a great chokepoint, but new enemy spawns will typicaly come from the side you're not looking at while you're trying to defend yourself, trapping you. It may be beneficial to stay on only one floor.

This map is also noted for awful enemy pathfinding, who will get very stuck in stairs and usually kick one another to death over the course of a few minutes. Staying on the top floor, they cannot path from the bottom floor to the top without becoming stuck on the bottom of the stairwell. Once you get close enough though, they'll manage. The Health Fountain and manual level up statue are both located on the bottom floor on the far back wall.

Final Wave

The final, 25th wave, will teleport you into a large open arena with no health fountain or statue. You'll be forced to kite enemies for about 20 minutes in order to win here. There's nothing of note and not many ways to exploit the enemy in this wide open map so just run and go for it.

Enemies

Enemy spawns scale with number of players present at the beginning of a wave. More players means more enemies needed to be defeated before a wave ends. If there's three or less enemies remaining, you may instead choose to survive for two minutes (in the case of enemies in unreachable locations) instead of defeating them to complete the wave.

Waves have a small random chance to start as a "Ghost Wave" or "Troll Wave". These waves have more enemies than usual to defeat, but spawn the same enemy every time.

Light Enemies

These enemies are cannon fodder and easy to defeat by virtue of having practically no health. One good whack from just about anything kills them instantly, though they still have blocking AI.

• Shambing Villager - Unarmed peasant. Only appears on wave 1. Laughably easy to kill.
  
• Skull Trooper - AKA the "Level 1 Basic Skeleton". Lightly armed, white colored skeleton that starts appearing on wave 2. Easy to defeat and is armed with a one-handed weapon like a broadsword, one-handed axe, or dagger, and sometimes a buckler shield.
  
• Sleepless Skirmisher - Light buffed skeletons with a faint pink tint. Easy to defeat, but may be equipped with a ranged or heavier weapon. Ranged versions can be equipped with a dagger and a sling or shortbow (and terrible AI), while melee versions have a very fast movespeed and are equipped with a light greatsword or a polearm, like a Claymore or Fork.

Standard Enemies

Now we're getting into the range of normal health. These enemies can take a good two or three whacks to bring down, depending on your weapon.

• Sleepless Skirmisher - Moderately armed skeleton with a light tan color. Usually equipped with a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon and sheild, which can make them more problematic to defeat. Usually equipped with a Grand Mace or a Falchion/Flail and Heater Shield.
  
• Spooky Pillager/Spooky Ghostington - Lightly armed enemy that only appears on Ghost Waves. Equipped with one-handed weapons and spooky facewear.
  
• Smelly Troll - Lightly armed enemy that only appears on Troll Waves. Compared to ghosts, they're a bit harder to defeat.
  
• Troll Commander - No matter the wave or enemy type that wave, near the end of the wave, the last spawn will always be the Troll Commander. He has normal health and always has a Halbred. He's worth a few more points than usual.

Heavy Enemies

Now we get to the tedious part. These "super heavies" have large amounts of health and are difficult to defeat by virte of them being able to out hit-trade you for days. Eventually in the final waves, the enemy composition will be 90% super heavies.

• Filthy Wraith/Spectral Echo - Heavy enemies equipped with two-handed weapons like a pole axe or maul. Easy to spot because of blue and semi-transparent character model.
  
• Tom - Heavy enemy with a barbarian model. Usually has a Maul or Quarterstaff for maximum annoyance on both ends of the spectrum.
  
• Mudman - Troll with high health and equiped with either a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon and shield.

[Skeleton Man]

bls no ;_;

[Tearex]

you mom gaye lol

[sp♠de]

for the knight its not longsword its messer

[摩诃不可思议]

I died in the twenty-fifth pass。。。。。。。。。。。

[QQQQQQWERTY]

wait what?

[Skeleton Man]

tru

[ken oh]

FALSE I WIN

[Skeleton Man]

crypts is much higher skill level

[QQQQQQWERTY]

everyone who plays hordetown knows this xD

[ken oh]

well skeleton man i shall grant you infinite knowledge
ill teach you all how to win in the other Horde mode, CREDITS TO CARBON357 MY GOOD FRIEND I GHOSTED
step 1. buy slingshot
step 2. run in circles making all the npcs run into fire
step 3. shoot the fuckers in the head because they never block
step 4. repeat