Hard mode planner

Hard mode planner

Spend your hard mode points the way a run actually charges them: each level of a shard costs its own step, not a flat multiple. Your tier is the total you spend, and each reward tier pays out only when you clear a run at it.

Loading the shard table…

A reward tier pays out only when you clear a run at it, and clearing a higher tier does not hand you the tiers you skipped. To collect them all, take one tier at a time.

Demon

  • Agile Claws
    1. Layer 1 (+2)

      Increases enemy Move Speed and ATKSPD by 20% during combat.

    2. Layer 2 (+2)

      Increases enemy Move Speed and ATKSPD by 35% during combat.

  • Combat Stance
    1. Layer 1 (+3)

      All bosses attack more aggressively.

  • Evil Energy
    1. Layer 1 (+1)

      Damage taken by enemies in Super Armor state is reduced from 65% to 50%.

  • False Vanguard
    1. Layer 1 (+2)

      Mini bosses become stronger.

  • Ferocious Claws
    1. Layer 1 (+1)

      Increases enemy damage by 8%.

    2. Layer 2 (+1)

      Increases enemy damage by 16%.

    3. Layer 3 (+1)

      Increases enemy damage by 24%.

    4. Layer 4 (+1)

      Increases enemy damage by 32%.

    5. Layer 5 (+1)

      Increases enemy damage by 40%.

    6. Layer 6 (+1)

      Increases enemy damage by 48%.

    7. Layer 7 (+2)

      Increases enemy damage by 56%.

  • Festival of Blood
    1. Layer 1 (+3)

      Enemies recover 15% HP when they attack the player. Mini Boss and Boss recover 6%.

  • Protective Armor
    1. Layer 1 (+1)

      As stages progress, enemies' Defense increases by 2.

    2. Layer 2 (+1)

      As stages progress, enemies' Defense increases by 4.

    3. Layer 3 (+1)

      As stages progress, enemies' Defense increases by 6.

  • Tenacious Body
    1. Layer 1 (+1)

      Increases enemy HP by 15%.

    2. Layer 2 (+1)

      Increases enemy HP by 25%.

    3. Layer 3 (+1)

      Increases enemy HP by 35%.

    4. Layer 4 (+1)

      Increases enemy HP by 45%.

    5. Layer 5 (+1)

      Increases enemy HP by 55%.

    6. Layer 6 (+1)

      Increases enemy HP by 65%.

    7. Layer 7 (+2)

      Increases enemy HP by 75%.

World

  • Decline
    1. Layer 1 (+2)

      HP recovery effects are reduced by 5%.

    2. Layer 2 (+2)

      HP recovery effects are reduced by 10%.

    3. Layer 3 (+2)

      HP recovery effects are reduced by 20%.

  • Proliferation
    1. Layer 1 (+1)

      The number of regular enemies appearing increases by 10%.

    2. Layer 2 (+2)

      The number of regular enemies appearing increases by 25%.

  • Rebellion of Machines
    1. Layer 1 (+1)

      Increases trap damage by 100%.

    2. Layer 2 (+1)

      Increases trap damage by 200%.

  • Severed Exchange
    1. Layer 1 (+1)

      Increases merchant Barter by 20.

    2. Layer 2 (+1)

      Increases merchant Barter by 40.

Plan

  • Deterioration
    1. Layer 1 (+1)

      HP Restored on Level Up attributes decrease by 10%.

    2. Layer 2 (+1)

      HP Restored on Level Up attributes decrease by 25%.

    3. Layer 3 (+1)

      HP Restored on Level Up attributes decrease by 40%.

    4. Layer 4 (+1)

      HP Restored on Level Up attributes decrease by 60%.

  • Dispossession
    1. Layer 1 (+2)

      The grade of tablets dropped by the boss is fixed to 1.

    2. Layer 2 (+2)

      The grade of tablets dropped by the boss is fixed to 2.

  • Dizziness
    1. Layer 1 (+2)

      When selecting an artifact or tablet, the number of choices is reduced by 1.

    2. Layer 2 (+2)

      When selecting an artifact or tablet, the number of choices is reduced by 2.

  • Heavy Heart
    1. Layer 1 (+2)

      You will start the exploration with 'Heavy Heart', an artifact with no abilities that cannot be discarded.

  • Tension
    1. Layer 1 (+1)

      Cannot use Potions during combat with Boss.

Reward tiers

  • Tier 3 +1
  • Tier 6 +1
  • Tier 9 +1
  • Tier 12 +1
  • Tier 15 +1
  • Tier 18 +1
  • Tier 21 +1
  • Tier 24 +1
  • Tier 27 +1
  • Tier 30 +1
  • Tier 35 +2
  • Tier 40 +3
  • Tier 50 +5

Clearing every tier in turn is worth 20 talent points in total, but no single run collects more than one tier.

Run guide
New-player basics

How hard mode points actually work

Hard mode is bought one layer at a time, and each layer charges its own step rather than a flat price. The total you spend is the tier you play at, and sixty points is the whole budget. A reward tier pays out only when you clear a run at it, and clearing a high tier does not hand you the ones you skipped — so the ladder is walked, not jumped.

How to use this planner

Hard mode is bought one layer at a time, and each layer charges its own step rather than a flat price. The total you spend is the tier you play at, and sixty points is the whole budget. A reward tier pays out only when you clear a run at it, and clearing a high tier does not hand you the ones you skipped — so the ladder is walked, not jumped.

  1. 1

    Raise the shards whose effects you can actually play around; each control shows what the next layer costs and what it does before you buy it.

  2. 2

    Watch the readout: it shows the tier you land on, what clearing that one tier pays, and how many points you spent past it for nothing.

  3. 3

    Aim at a reward tier exactly rather than overshooting it, then check the artifacts and talents that answer the pressure you just chose.