Peril levels and ranked runs explained

Once you can reach the boss, the game gets harder through Peril levels, and from Peril 7 you can play ranked.

Peril levels

Winning a run unlocks the next Peril. Each level adds a new rule, and the rules from lower levels stay in effect.

Peril	Name	What changes
1	Fewer Hearts	You start with 2 lives instead of 3
2	More Curses	Every entrance hero carries an extra curse
3	Lean Start	You start with 5 gold instead of 10
4	Armed Enemies	Enemies wear trinkets from the first battle, and more often
5	Veteran Enemies	Enemies reach levels 2 and 3 earlier
6	Slim Pickings	Battle rewards offer 4 heroes instead of 5
7	Inflation	Shop prices rise 25%, and rerolls start 1 gold higher
8	Poor Treasure	Treasure rooms offer 2 trinkets or 25 gold
9	Deadly Ambushes	Ambushes are more common and stronger
10	Empowered Boss	The boss army has +25% health and +1 power

What to change as Peril rises

From Peril 2, read the curses at the Entrance. Some are close to harmless on the right hero, and others can wreck a hero. Blunted is dangerous on a low-power hero, and Frail hurts a hero with little health.

From Peril 3 or 4, don’t rush into a two-hero fight. With less gold and armed enemies, the first battle gets dangerous. If you can, find a Shop or Tavern first, so you bring a third hero. Five gold is enough for one Shop hero at these levels.

From Peril 7, plan your gold more carefully. Everything costs more, so rerolls and restocks need more thought.

From Peril 8, Treasure rooms are weaker. Don’t go far out of your way for one.

At Peril 10, make sure your team can survive a tougher boss army. It hits harder and lasts longer. See the boss guide.

Ranked runs

Ranked unlocks at Peril 7. In a ranked run, you play through the tower as usual, with duels against other players’ saved teams, also known as ghosts. These come on floor 5, on floor 10, and once more after the boss.

Ghosts are saved teams, usually from other players’ runs, so expect builds that are more refined than most monster groups. A loss costs you a life and lowers your rating, and a win raises it.

Tips for the duels:

• Have five heroes by floor 5. A full team of low-level heroes usually beats a few higher-level ones at this stage.
• Check your lineup before each duel. Slot order can decide a fight. Think about who gets hit first, and who your Bolts and Thunderclaps will reach.
• Reach level 3 on a hero or two before floor 10. This is where many teams stall.
• Learn from losses. After a duel, the replay shows exactly what the enemy team did. If a particular team keeps beating you, look at what it uses and work out an answer.

Earning Aether

Aether buys new champions, at 400 each. Ranked duels are the main source, with later duels paying more. Ilse and Pip are free, so you can reach ranked with either of them. See the champion tier list for ideas on which to buy first.