Map Navigation & Path Planning Guide

A standard monster face icon represents normal combat, which provides gold and a card reward upon victory.

A purple or distinct monster face indicates an Elite fight, which is harder but guarantees a relic drop upon completion.

A blue chest icon denotes a treasure room where you receive a guaranteed relic without fighting.

A question mark represents an event room with random encounters that can offer transforms, removes, boons, or negative outcomes.

A dollar sign or shop icon leads to a store where you can buy cards, relics, potions, and remove cards for 75 gold.

A campfire icon is a rest site where you can either heal 30% of your missing HP or upgrade one card in your deck.

The boss icon appears at the end of each act and must be defeated to proceed to the next act.

Plan your path by identifying which nodes you need most—elites for relics, rest sites for upgrades, shops for removal.

Always look at the entire map before choosing your first path; rushing a decision costs HP and upgrades.

Use the draw tool to mark important nodes including rest sites, elites, shops, and event rooms.

Prefer paths with branching options so you can adjust based on HP and deck state after each fight.

Early elites are risky but relics from Act 1 elites (Gremlin Nob, Lagavulin) carry your entire run when you survive.

Plan rest sites after elite fights whenever possible so you can recover before the next challenging encounter.

Avoid paths that force multiple elites in a row without rest sites in between unless your deck is very strong.

Question mark rooms provide variance; hit them when you need transforms, removes, or boons to improve your deck.

Shops are valuable for card removal; path to at least one shop per act when possible to thin your deck.

Act 1 focuses on building your deck foundation with damage and block; take 1–2 elites if you are above 70% HP.

Act 1 boss (Slime Boss, Guardian, Hexaghost) tests whether you have solved damage and block; prepare accordingly.

Act 2 tests scaling; your build should be taking shape—prioritize key synergy cards and relic finds.

Act 2 has harder hallway fights and elites; ensure you have AoE and scaling before entering.

Act 3 finalizes your deck; remove dead weight at shops, upgrade keystones at rest sites, and shore up weaknesses.

Act 3 boss requires a clear win condition—whether infinite, scaling damage, or massive block.

Boss fights end each act; never enter a boss floor without a plan to win the fight.

Path to maximize rest sites in Act 3 so you can upgrade key cards before the final boss.

Elite relics are the primary way to power up your run; skipping all elites leaves you underpowered for later acts.

Fight elites when you are above 70% HP and have a solid deck with damage and block options.

Avoid elites when you are low HP, missing key defensive cards, or have drawn poorly in recent fights.

Gremlin Nob punishes skills and buffs himself; Lagavulin debuffs you—learn each elite's pattern and prepare.

Some elite fights are harder for specific builds; Poison bypasses block, while Strength struggles into certain matchups.

Boss relics after Act bosses often define your run; Energy relics, in particular, enable expensive builds.

Taking a risky elite path can pay off with a game-changing relic; evaluate based on your current power level.

If you must choose between an elite and a rest site with low HP, the rest site is often correct.

Card removal for 75 gold is often the best shop purchase; remove Strikes first, then Defends.

Save gold for strong relics when you have enough; a synergistic relic like Vajra or Mummified Hand beats multiple cards.

Buy potions before hard fights (elites, bosses) if you have spare gold; they can save runs.

Check shop cards for build-defining rares you haven't seen offered yet; shops can fill key gaps.

Colorless cards in shops can fill strategy gaps (Apotheosis, Flash of Steel) when your class pool doesn't offer what you need.

Avoid buying mediocre cards at shops when removal or a relic would serve you better.

Prioritize removal over new cards in Act 1 and early Act 2 to thin your deck for consistency.

Some relics are overpriced; evaluate whether 150–300 gold is worth the effect for your current build.

Deviate from your planned path when your HP drops below 40%—path to rest sites instead of elites.

If you take heavy damage in an elite, skip the next elite and prioritize healing at rest sites.

Event rooms can offer better outcomes than combat; consider pathing to question marks when you need transforms or removes.

Shops become more valuable when you have specific purchases in mind (removal, key relic, potion for upcoming boss).

If you find a build-defining rare early, adjust your path to maximize upgrades and removal for that build.

Boss relic choices can change your path—e.g., Coffee Dripper means you need more rest sites for safety.

Don't stubbornly follow a plan when the run has gone poorly; prioritize survival over optimal pathing.

Learning when to deviate comes with experience; note which paths led to deaths and adjust in future runs.