Getting Started

So it seems every day or two someone comes along and asks questions, and they tend to be some of the same questions. So, I though we could use this as a place to compile together some tips for new players.

*Disclaimer: Most of the tips written here are taken from various sources. I just add some more stuff especially to make the tips more relevant with the current condition of the game.*

## The Game's Basic

Hire some Heroes from the inn and go out into the areas, starting from the Forest. As you play, you will gain items and gold, as well as eventually unlocking other places to recruit more heroes. The inn and other recruitment locations can also be upgraded to unlock more heroes.

Remember to redeem various codes for some extra resources and items that can help you to get through early game easier.

## Heroes

If you don’t have enough gold to recruit heroes, they can also be hired as guest mercenaries, who will help you for a cut of 10% of your gold, but who will leave you after one run. This is a useful feature at first, because having extra party members significantly increases your ability to survive for longer.

All of the heroes in the game have pros and cons. In the beginning, a well-balanced party that consists of Tank/Damage/Heal/Support is essential. As well, the Thief or Ranger can help you build up an arsenal of good equipment quickly. In my opinion, there is no best hero, although specific heroes are more recommended depending on your current situation or goal. Experiment to find combinations that you like or synergies between the heroes.

Every hero grants passive bonuses to all heroes' stats (**Hero Mastery Bonus**). These bonuses are unlocked on recruiting the hero, and then again at levels 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500. These bonuses encourage players to try all of the heroes from time to time as your get further through the game and are able to reach higher and higher character levels. The bonuses are as follows:

* On recruiting for the first time: 10%
* Level 10: 15%
* Level 25: 25%
* Level 50: 50%
* Level 100: 100%
* Level 250: 125%
* Level 500: 150%

Heroes also get a multiplicative bonus to only their own specific stats at levels 10, 25, and 50, which can be viewed in their status screen.

## Leveling Up

Heroes gain experience by being present in the battle when an enemy dies. Experience is split, so for example one monster could give 10 exp each to a party of 4 heroes, or 40 exp to a hero going solo. Experience gain can be increased through equipment, leveling up the appropriate statue, or fighting stronger enemies. Experience bonuses from equipment apply only to the hero wearing them. **Heroes will not level up during a battle**. Experience is applied at the end of a battle (upon defeating the area boss, party death, or escape).

## Equipment

Everybody loves loot! There are lots of base items in the game, which can be dropped in two types: **Common** or **Rare**. Common items are dropped in red boxes and have the item's base stats and can be made more powerful by increasing the item's bonus level at the Blacksmith. They can be made Rare at the Enchanter. Rare items are dropped in blue boxes and have all the benefits of common items, but can also spawn with a prefix and/or an suffix, which each offer additional bonus to the equipment.

The bonuses are usually self-explanatory. Bonuses to character stats add a flat bonus and a percentage bonus (e.g. +20 Spirit means +20 Spirit + 20% Spirit). Like most equipment bonuses, statistic bonuses between equipment are additive (e.g. a +20 Agility armor and a +20 Agility helmet means +40 Agility and +40% Agility).

Aside from Common and Rare equipment, a third type, **Legendary** equipment, can be found in purple boxes at a lower rate. These items are not base item types with potentially random attributes, and instead are always the same. They have very good item stats, with most items having 3 or more bonuses and a few pieces having bonuses that can only be found on Legendary equipment. With the exception of some items, Legendary equipment is not eternal by default, and will be lost on time warping. As well, Legendary equipment is not so powerful as to make Common or Rare items obsolete.

## Gems

Gems are the premium currency in this game, although they can be gotten for free at a fairly decent rate. Gems can be used to unlock special heroes. Gems can also be used as an alternative option of watching ads to unlock things, or to increase the battle speed (this speed increase stacks with watching an advertisement on the mobile version). Gems are also used as the cost of doing Alchemy. Gems can be earned from purchasing them in the store or fighting area bosses and area bonus mini-bosses. There is one gem mini-boss per area, which is unlocked after beating Stage 4 of the area.

## Time Mana

**Time Mana** can be gained by fighting area bosses, time bosses, and bosses at x-10 levels. It can also be earned in small amounts for selling equipment with the "eternal" prefix or "of time" suffix. Time Mana is used to upgrade statues at the temple and upgrading Tier level of weapon & armor in Manasmith. Statues can be found and upgraded after the first time warp. Not all statues are available at first, and a certain number of time warps will unlock new statues. There are ways to increase Time Mana, which include a certain late game statue, piece of equipment, or increasing the level of the x-10 enemies. Increasing enemy level is done by progressing further into a dungeon, going to a more difficult dungeon, or going to a higher dimension. Earned Time Mana is displayed in parentheses and cannot be used until a time warp is done.

## Time Warps

Carefully read the warning before performing a Time Warp as doing a Time Warp will get rid of all heroes, gold, and any non-eternal/imbued equipment. It will also reset your buildings. Doing a time warp will also present the player with a choice between a normal timeline or an alternative timeline. Alternative timelines present a challenge or handicap to the player in exchange for a higher rate of Time Mana as well as either a new modifiers for equipment or a unique Legendary item.

## Dimensions

*See also: Dimensional Gate.*

A new dimension is essentially a New Game+. After finishing all the main areas for the first time, the option to ascend to a new dimension is introduced. Ascending to a new dimension removes all of the same things that a time warp would, such as items, characters, and buildings. Finishing the game provides **Ascension Tokens**, which like Time Mana, are displayed in parentheses and cannot be used advancing to the next dimension or going backward to the previous dimension. Warping to a new dimension also greatly increases the difficulty of the game by increasing the levels of the enemies. This also allows easier and faster access to high level equipment as well as larger sums of gold and experience. After ascending to the second dimension, you will also be presented with the option to return to a previous dimension, in case the new dimension is too difficult.

## Ascension Tokens

Every time you beat a new dimension, you tentatively gain 3 tokens, which can be used after ascending to the next/previous dimension. Tokens can be used for one of three things: unlocking skill gems, imbuing equipment, and increasing Statue of Ascension. Extra ascension tokens can be earned by going back to previous dimensions to beat them again. One token is rewarded (instead of the original three) for clearing a dimension which has already been cleared. Half a token can also be tentatively earned by selling a skill gem or imbued item.

## Skill Gems

You will have access to heroes’ skill gems after recruiting them for the first time. Most heroes can equip them. Skill gems can be chosen from active skills or passive skills. Much like how there is no best hero, there is also no best skill gem. Experiment with or think about good synergies between heroes and skill gems to find ones that you like. A very popular choice is the Cockatrice's **Firey Breath** skill, because it allows a normal attack to target all enemies, which can greatly speed up the progression through an area for most heroes. Also Monk’s **Chi** skill, which offers a great utility for skills and essential for some powerful combination. Unwanted skill gems can be sold back for half an ascension token.

## Imbuing Items

Imbuing items confers two benefits. For one, it makes the item eternal, so it will persist through time warps and ascensions. As well, it will confer a bonus to all stats, equal to 5 + item bonus level. Ascension tokens are quite precious, especially at first, so careful consideration should be made into what to imbue. Alternative timeline equipment is also a good candidate for imbuing, because this allows it to be taken outside of those timelines. Unwanted imbued items can be sold back for half an ascension token.

## Dimension Orbs

Alongside the Ascension Tokens, every time you beat a new dimension, you gain one Dimensional Orb. The Orbs can only be earned by clearing new dimensions and cannot be earned in any other way. There are 4 special statues that can be built and upgraded using Dimensional Orbs. These statues are finite/capped. As higher dimensions are obviously harder and your orbs are limited, you need to think which statue needs to build first. 3 Dimension Orbs are also used to unlock Hero Facet feature.

## Additional Information

For further information, you can read the documentation made by the community here.

You can also check the list of redeemable codes here.