![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery I - Crumbled Bulwark (5 Stars) @Hellwolf36](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fgx8rznOyfM/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded September 2018 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M1
Map: Crumbled Bulwark
A Timed Build Phase with extremely tight defense survival requirements. You will need to bring your best and be swift in order to prevail on this map.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
====================
- Survive all 5 waves
- All Build Phases must be completed within 30 seconds or less
- No defenses can be sold or destroyed
- No defenses can be repaired
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
=====
Due to the build constraints, you must setup at least 1 blockade and 1 or 2 defenses to protect it within the first 30 seconds. Your best bet is to consider the Northern lanes as 1 massive lane by building at the steps going north next to the altar. I recommend building the top floor defenses first before you jump down to the bridge below as it takes longer to go up the stairs than to drop down. The Abyss Lord can setup defenses instantly at the cost of a delay before attacking. You should exploit this by building his stuff last.
If a defense is about to fall, either upgrade it or sell and replace it. Your blockades should be armed with Protective Downgrades and Hardened for maximum durability. You may also consider using Auras, Traps and Nodes as they cannot be destroyed or targeted.
The Obelisk can be useful as it's Smite can decimate most enemies at this point in the game and a fully appeased Mystic can turn it into a Flamethrower to repel attackers. The Volcano can also be useful given the size of the map. The Volcano can still do damage to Shield Goblins. Both can also be moved around when necessary. Dryad Defenses and the Earthshatter if placed correctly can handle more than 1 lane. If you got Fissures of Embermount with the Embermount Flames servo, place these in front of the spawns so they can leave the burns.
Spread out your anti-Shield Goblin choices across the lanes. Any projectile towers will need Piercer Servos or placed at an angle that will shoot the back or sides without the defense itself being targeted by other enemies.
While you aren't dealing with the more dangerous foes yet, you will need be aware of Kobolds, Javelin Throwers, Drakin and your defenses wasting time on Shield Goblins. Make sure you dispatch the more difficult targets first before you go for the small fry. Also keep an eye out on your Life so you don't get slain.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
=============================
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
CHARACTERS
============
Jenocres (Abyss Lord, AP DPS) - Skeletal Orc, Ramster
Lenneth (Dryad, Hero DPS) - World Tree, Harpy's Perch, Angry Nimbus
Tsumiko Kuri (Initiate, AP DPS) - Flame Aura, Skyguard Tower
Shilf (Huntress, AP DPS) - Poison Dart Tower
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M1
Map: Crumbled Bulwark
A Timed Build Phase with extremely tight defense survival requirements. You will need to bring your best and be swift in order to prevail on this map.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
====================
- Survive all 5 waves
- All Build Phases must be completed within 30 seconds or less
- No defenses can be sold or destroyed
- No defenses can be repaired
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
=====
Due to the build constraints, you must setup at least 1 blockade and 1 or 2 defenses to protect it within the first 30 seconds. Your best bet is to consider the Northern lanes as 1 massive lane by building at the steps going north next to the altar. I recommend building the top floor defenses first before you jump down to the bridge below as it takes longer to go up the stairs than to drop down. The Abyss Lord can setup defenses instantly at the cost of a delay before attacking. You should exploit this by building his stuff last.
If a defense is about to fall, either upgrade it or sell and replace it. Your blockades should be armed with Protective Downgrades and Hardened for maximum durability. You may also consider using Auras, Traps and Nodes as they cannot be destroyed or targeted.
The Obelisk can be useful as it's Smite can decimate most enemies at this point in the game and a fully appeased Mystic can turn it into a Flamethrower to repel attackers. The Volcano can also be useful given the size of the map. The Volcano can still do damage to Shield Goblins. Both can also be moved around when necessary. Dryad Defenses and the Earthshatter if placed correctly can handle more than 1 lane. If you got Fissures of Embermount with the Embermount Flames servo, place these in front of the spawns so they can leave the burns.
Spread out your anti-Shield Goblin choices across the lanes. Any projectile towers will need Piercer Servos or placed at an angle that will shoot the back or sides without the defense itself being targeted by other enemies.
While you aren't dealing with the more dangerous foes yet, you will need be aware of Kobolds, Javelin Throwers, Drakin and your defenses wasting time on Shield Goblins. Make sure you dispatch the more difficult targets first before you go for the small fry. Also keep an eye out on your Life so you don't get slain.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
=============================
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
CHARACTERS
============
Jenocres (Abyss Lord, AP DPS) - Skeletal Orc, Ramster
Lenneth (Dryad, Hero DPS) - World Tree, Harpy's Perch, Angry Nimbus
Tsumiko Kuri (Initiate, AP DPS) - Flame Aura, Skyguard Tower
Shilf (Huntress, AP DPS) - Poison Dart Tower
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery I - Crumbled Bulwark (5 Stars)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fgx8rznOyfM/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery I - Crumbled Bulwark (5 Stars)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M1
Map: Crumbled Bulwark
A Timed Build Phase with extremely tight defense survival requirements. You will need to bring your best and be swift in order to prevail on this map.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- All Build Phases must be completed within 30 seconds or less
- No defenses can be sold or destroyed
- No defenses can be repaired
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
Due to the build constraints, you must setup at least 1 blockade and 1 or 2 defenses to protect it within the first 30 seconds. Your best bet is to consider the Northern lanes as 1 massive lane by building at the steps going north next to the altar. I recommend building the top floor defenses first before you jump down to the bridge below as it takes longer to go up the stairs than to drop down. The Abyss Lord can setup defenses instantly at the cost of a delay before attacking. You should exploit this by building his stuff last.
If a defense is about to fall, either upgrade it or sell and replace it. Your blockades should be armed with Protective Downgrades and Hardened for maximum durability. You may also consider using Auras, Traps and Nodes as they cannot be destroyed or targeted.
The Obelisk can be useful as its Smite can decimate most enemies at this point in the game and a fully appeased Mystic can turn it into a Flamethrower to repel attackers. The Volcano can also be useful given the size of the map. The Volcano can still do damage to Shield Goblins. Both can also be moved around when necessary. Dryad Defenses and the Earthshatter if placed correctly can handle more than 1 lane. If you got Fissures of Embermount with the Embermount Flames servo, place these in front of the spawns so they can leave the burns.
Spread out your anti-Shield Goblin choices across the lanes. Any projectile towers will need Piercer Servos or placed at an angle that will shoot the back or sides without the defense itself being targeted by other enemies.
While you arent dealing with the more dangerous foes yet, you will need be aware of Kobolds, Javelin Throwers, Drakin and your defenses wasting time on Shield Goblins. Make sure you dispatch the more difficult targets first before you go for the small fry. Also keep an eye out on your Life so you dont get slain.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
CHARACTERS
Jenocres (Abyss Lord, AP DPS) - Skeletal Orc, Ramster
Lenneth (Dryad, Hero DPS) - World Tree, Harpys Perch, Angry Nimbus
Tsumiko Kuri (Initiate, AP DPS) - Flame Aura, Skyguard Tower
Shilf (Huntress, AP DPS) - Poison Dart Tower")
![[Doom II] Japanese Community Project (JPCP) - MAP23: Thermal Disposal Place (UV-Max)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hE-OgL5bMd8/mqdefault.jpg "[Doom II] Japanese Community Project (JPCP) - MAP23: Thermal Disposal Place (UV-Max)
Game: Doom II
WAD: Japanese Community Project (JPCP)
Mode: UV-Max
Source Port: Zandronum 2.1.2
Recorded using Bandicam
MAP23 isnt too difficult at first glance, but the problem was trying to UV-Max this map as fast as possible, which always adds onto the difficulty in any map. In order for this to be done, I have had to slip past monsters with minimal damage until I get better weapons, primarily the Supershotgun and Rockets. All kinds of tricks have to be exploited in order to do this map successfully and quickly.
But given my experiments, it is a lot more faster to get the Blue Keycard first over the Red Keycard, due to the Backpack and having a Plasma Rifle speeds things up on the Red Path.
MAP STATS
Map: 23 - Thermal Disposal Place
Author: Guna
MIDI: Rise of the Triad OST - Chant
Enemies: 318
Secrets: 6
SECRETS
1) At the start to your left is a pile of boxes with a Rocket Launcher and some Rockets on it. Behind these boxes is a switch that will lower the Rocket Launcher Box down to ground level. Grabbing the Launcher counts as a Secret.
2) Halfway into the Blue Path, you will press a switch that was guarded by an Archvile. This switch allows you to continue the level but also reveals a switch in the previous room you came from (it is to the left of the doorway when heading back). Pressing it will open a door to the left on the way back. Inside is Green Armor, 2 Stimpacks and 2 Energy Cells.
3) On the way back, you will find 2 Cacodemons and 2 Pain Elementals coming out of large compartment that was revealed when you pressed the Archvile switch. Slay all the enemies and you will find a tiny button to the right of the hanging torso texture. Shooting this button with a Pistol or Chaingun will open up a door back in the Archvile Room. Inside is a Medkit, Box of Bullets and a Yellow Keycard (you will need this later).
4) Near the end of the Blue Path, you will find a Lost Soul come out of a tiny compartment on the wall. Before this is a series of screens. The one with the red text doubles as a switch. It will open up a compartment up the hall to reveal a Computer Map.
5) In the Red Paths first room, there is a red button that will reveal the Supershotgun and open up the next room. Face the button and to your right is a wall in the corner that has a distorted texture. This wall can be lowered to reveal a switch. Pressing the switch counts as a Secret. It will open up 2 doorways to the pillboxes where the Shotgunners and Chaingunners were attacking you from so you can pick up their weaponry. Inside the pillboxes are also 2 Medkits, a Bulk Energy Cell and a Box of Rockets.
6) Before you enter the final room, there are 2 rooms you can pick up supplies from. One has a MegaArmor, Medkits and ammo. The other one has to be unlocked with the Yellow Keycard. Inside this locked room is a BFG and some Energy Cells.
TIPS
- Off the bat, try to claim the Green Armor from 2nd room. Use any means to get it, but try to avoid damage if possible so you dont take the Medkits from the other side.
- Regardless of which path you take, you will have to evade the more tougher monsters and deal with them at a later time to conserve time and ammo.
- Which path you take first is up to you. Both have strengths and weaknesses. The Blue Path is the only way to get a Backpack and a Plasma Rifle, plus the Yellow Keycard sooner, but you need to work through a longer path. The Red Path has the earliest Supershotgun and the only way to get the Berserk Pack for the level, at the cost of a lack of advanced weaponry and a slower time. Regardless of which path you do first, the other path will be a lot easier to handle.
- When you grab the Keycard at the end of that path. The 2nd room will flood with monsters. In both cases you get Imps, but the Blue Path gives you Revenants and Mancubi, while the other has Demons and Hell Knights. Regardless, use your advanced weaponry on the higher health enemies and try to mix infighting to save rounds. Beware of projectiles and when using rockets!
- In the final room, grab the Soulsphere before you trigger the Spider Mastermind and monster flood. Once it spawns, fire your weapon if you are Invisible. Try to get the Spider Mastermind and monsters to infight and use your BFG from Secret 6 to kill groups of Imps or to smite Barons when you can get an opening. Dont spam or go overboard with the BFG. You will need to save 120 Energy Cells to finish off the Spider Mastermind and the Archviles that get involved at the end before they get dangerous. Finish off any stray Imps with the BFG or conventional firearms. Make sure you keep an eye on your Health while you are fighting.")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery VI - Forest Crossroads (5 Stars)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/h_1oUZuc-Wc/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery VI - Forest Crossroads (5 Stars)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M6
Map: Forest Crossroads
I find this to be one of the easier Forest Crossroads maps when you compare it towards Chaos IV and Vs intense warfare. It still a map where you need to have strong defenses, especially if you bring a Dryad.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- You cannot build Auras
- You cannot build Towers
- You cannot upgrade any defenses
- You complete all the above in the same run
PLAN
Due to the constraints, you must use a combination of Blockades, Traps and Nodes to repel attackers. You can build Reflect Beams in front of Blockades in order to protect them from Hex Thrower fire. Having a Dryad with strong World Trees helps immensely as not only her defenses are strong, but the way the map is design can allow some of their defenses to jump to other lanes and help with DU Splitting. Huntress Traps can be placed where Hex Throwers or Snooki congregate to swiftly dispatch them so they dont pile up. If you arent using Trees as Blockades, place them out of the way of other blockades.
Because of the lack of upgrades, you need ensure that whichever Blockade you use must be able to withstand punishment. Hardened and Protective Downgrade Servos assist you greatly. Maw of the Earth Drake, Colossus and Skeletal Orcs can naturally take punishment if you need them to.
When placing Nodes, make sure you dont place them too close to your Blockades. All it takes to hinder your damage is have one was cursed and it spreads to your other nodes.
If you plan on using Dryad defenses, you will need to pay attention to air units and make sure you can help them if your Bees or Nimbus cannot attack them.
If you have any Stun or Slow abilities, use them as an opener when attacking Hex Throwers and especially Kobolds directly. A Tier 3 Kobold can deal up to 100k damage to a fully specced Squire and Hex Throwers can spell your doom while you fight dogpiles, Snookis, bosses and other tough enemies.
On wave 3 and onwards, you will be harassed by Dark Assassins. If you have any abilities to break yourself free, then use them. Otherwise, pull them near defenses that can kill them quickly or break their lock fast. A Skyguard Tower in range will be very helpful.
Alongside Hex Throwers, you must keep Kobolds, Witherbeasts and Snooki from doing excessive damage to your defenses as they will also be threats. If you are assaulting Hex Throwers directly, try to pull a few of these enemies into the crossfire to save time. As stated above, be aware of what you are attacking, especially if it is Kobolds.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
Vicious Strikes - Anything that benefits from the increased range.
Radiant Critical Power - The hero you will be most active with. Fight near your auras, traps and nodes or use ranged near your towers to take full effect of this.
Explosive Shielding Guard - Whichever Blockade will benefit from the Shielding and Explosive effects. Preferably one that is in multiple lanes.
Thunderstruck - Your most active hero, preferably one with high offensive power. This is a useful shard when trying to keep Dark Assassins pacified long enough to kill them before they disappear.
Destructive Pylon - Give this to 1 of the towers in your Diversity Quota and try to incorporate it with your other defenses.
CHARACTERS
Yojimbo (Squire, Hero DPS) - Spike Blockade
Cinnamon (Series EV2, AP DPS) - Reflect Beam, Weapon Manufacturer, Proton Beam
Lenneth (Dryad, Hero DPS) - World Tree, Angry Nimbus, Moss Hornet Nest
Jenocres (Abyss Lord, AP DPS) - Colossus
Tsumiko Kuri (Initiate, AP DPS)")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery VI - Little Horn Valley (5 Stars)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hi8iAIpvxpo/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery VI - Little Horn Valley (5 Stars)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M6
Map: Little Horn Valley
This map can be incredibly rough as you cannot build Blockades and both you and the cores must stay in one piece. You must have a combination of strong offense and defense if you are to survive this map.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- You cannot build any Blockades
- You cannot have any Hero Deaths
- Both Gate Locks and Barricades must stay above 90% health at all times
- You complete all the above in the same run
PLAN
Without Blockades, the only hope you have of impeding attackers is to use Obelisks, Volcanos and Frostbite Towers with Totems to wall off enemies and/or have strong Auras, Traps and Nodes to kill enemies before they even get to the sub objectives. Reflect Beams can be used to deflect Hex Thrower attackers from the sub objectives or your psuedo-walls.
In some places, the Weapon Manufacturer, Flame Aura and Lightning Strikes Aura can be placed to handle multiple lanes to help with DU Splitting. You can also place Fissures of Embermounts with the Embermount Flames Servo at the spawners to burn up enemies over time. The Obelisk and Volcano can also handle multiple lanes nicely if you decide to use them for offensive purposes.
Make sure you bring your best hero that can dish punishment and take it just as well. If you must, use a Last Stand Chip on your weapon. Be careful when engaging Cannon Ogres and use any means to keep your health up. Serpents Coils, Healing Fountains and Arcane Bubbles with Sanctuary help immensely.
If you have any Stun or Slow abilities, use them as an opener when attacking Hex Throwers and especially Kobolds directly. A Tier 3 Kobold can deal up to 100k damage to a fully specced Squire and Hex Throwers can spell your doom while you fight dogpiles, Snookis, bosses and other tough enemies.
On wave 3 and onwards, you will be harassed by Dark Assassins. If you have any abilities to break yourself free, then use them. Otherwise, pull them near defenses that can kill them quickly or break their lock fast. A Skyguard Tower in range will be very helpful.
Alongside Hex Throwers, you must keep Kobolds, Witherbeasts and Snooki from doing excessive damage to your defenses as they will also be threats. If you are assaulting Hex Throwers directly, try to pull a few of these enemies into the crossfire to save time. As stated above, be aware of what you are attacking, especially if it is Kobolds.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
Vicious Strikes - Anything that benefits from the increased range.
Radiant Critical Power - The hero you will be most active with. Fight near your auras, traps and nodes or use ranged near your towers to take full effect of this.
Explosive Shielding Guard - Whichever Blockade will benefit from the Shielding and Explosive effects. Preferably one that is in multiple lanes.
Thunderstruck - Your most active hero, preferably one with high offensive power. This is a useful shard when trying to keep Dark Assassins pacified long enough to kill them before they disappear.
Destructive Pylon - Give this to 1 of the towers in your Diversity Quota and try to incorporate it with your other defenses.
CHARACTERS
Cinnamon (Series EV2, AP DPS) - Weapon Manufacturer
Lezard Valeth (Apprentice, AP DPS) - Frostbite Tower
Shilf (Huntress, AP DPS) - Poison Dart Tower
Tsumiko Kuri (Initiate, AP DPS) - Lightning Strikes Aura, Skyguard Tower
Mishera (Adept, AP DPS) - Hailstorm Tower
Kasuti (Mystic, AP DPS) - Obelisk")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery V - Forest Crossroads (5 Stars)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hk092oTYjtw/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery V - Forest Crossroads (5 Stars)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M5
Map: Forest Crossroads
Another intense Mastery V. The real problem is the combination of affixes and the way enemies behave on this map. You will need to be swift and definitely think outside the box in order to win this.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- You cannot build any Blockades
- You cannot let a Defense get destroyed
- All Build Phases must be completed within 30 seconds or less
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
Since you cannot build Blockades, your only hope of impeding advancing enemies is using Volcanoes, Obelisks and Frostbite or Flamethrower Towers armed with Totems as psuedo-walls, then back them up with strong defenses. The Volcano can handle multiple lanes and the Obelisks are map-wide, plus double as Flamethrowers with a max appeasement Mystic.
Because of the Cyber Orc threat, your best bet for Defenses is to use Towers. If you plan on using Auras, Traps or Nodes, make sure that the device is out of reach from their EMP attacks or slay them before they use their EMP effect.
Dark Assassins can get shredded by Skyguard Towers and Hailstorm Towers with great effect. Status ailments like Poison, Stun, Slow and Freeze can help at contending with Dark Assassins. If your hero has an ability that applies ailments, use it right away so you can disable as many Dark Assassins as you can. The Overwhelm Shard and Gato Pets Dazzling Sparkle can allow all heroes to apply Stun. The Earth Toss, Vipers Fangs attack and Geyser Traps can launch Dark Assassins off of you as well.
Aside from the Dark Assassins, you will need to be vigilant towards the other enemies as well. The Kobolds, Snooki and Witherbeasts are the biggest threats to your defenses. You will also need to factor in a Geode and a few Shield Goblins on Wave 4 and 5 (there is a bug in the game that spawns a group). If you see a Geode coming, immediately kill it before you get locked by a Dark Assassin.
The real problem is the Northwestern double lane. A single Volcano cannot cover the entire lane. Snooki and Cyber Orcs are prone to ignoring this Volcano and will go for a straight beeline for the Crystal Cart. This can also be a problem if you do what I did and use Poison Darts or a strong offense tower to impede progress. Your hero will be babysitting this lane frequently and you will need to keep tabs on upgrades and repairs. A Boost Aura can help reduce damage here as well.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
Vicious Strikes - Anything that benefits from the increased range.
Radiant Critical Power - The hero you will be most active with. Fight near your auras, traps and nodes or use ranged near your towers to take full effect of this.
Explosive Shielding Guard - Whichever Blockade will benefit from the Shielding and Explosive effects. Preferably one that is in multiple lanes.
Thunderstruck - Your main DPS hero. A standard attacker is best suited for this shard. A tower with Water Elemental can help you apply Drenches and a Lightning damage weapon are recommended.
CHARACTERS
Arohongui - Lavamancer (Hero DPS, Volcano)
Ngamahu - Lavamancer (AP DPS, Volcano)
Kasuti - Mystic (AP DPS, Obelisk, Serpents Coil)
Apophis - Mystic (Hero DPS, Obelisk)
Shilf - Huntress (AP DPS, Poison Dart Tower, Geyser Trap)
Marcion - Squire (AP DPS, Ballista)
Tsumiko Kuri - Initiate (AP DPS, Boost Aura)")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery VII - Temple of the Necrotic (5 Stars)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hztEpWTLKsU/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery VII - Temple of the Necrotic (5 Stars)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M7
Map: Temple of the Necrotic
This map asks the question: How good is your Dryad? If the answer is Yes, then this map is ridiculously simple with the only real issue being the size of the map.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- You cannot build any Auras
- You cannot build any Towers
- You cannot build any Nodes
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
Due to the restrictions placed on this map, your best bet of winning is to bring a Dryad capable of building good Moss Hornets, Angry Nimbus and Slime Pits to deal most of your damage. Huntress Traps and Mystic Snaking Sands help in stalling enemies. The World Tree can be used as a Blockade, but if your tree is just there to setup defenses, make sure it can withstand Kobolt divebombs and you have another Blockade type. You may need more than 1 tree due to its collision size being small.
Due to the range of the Dryad defenses, they can help handle multiple lanes if necessary, but make sure you build extra so they can handle multiple attackers. They must also be able to target Air units for you if necessary. The skeletons in the middle are relatively weak and dont need too much of your attention.
Keep tabs on the Radar, Kobolts are easy to spot (orange air unit) and should be downed as soon as possible to avoid shut down of your other defenses. On Wave 5, there is a chance that Zapper will spawn and his explosion is not only larger, but his stun duration is longer as well. This guy must be destroyed as soon as possible. DO NOT PROVOKE OR CONFUSE IT! You can also use low cost defenses to bait them into divebombing them to protect your main line. Skyguard and Hailstorm Towers can be deployed effectively to shoot down Kobolts, but having Tenacity on them helps immensely.
On wave 3 and onwards, you will be harassed by Dark Assassins. If you have any abilities to break yourself free, then use them. Otherwise, pull them near defenses that can kill them quickly or break their lock fast. On Wave 4 and 5, Hex Throwers will be added to the mix and must be slain as to avoid getting your defenses Cursed.
Aside from Kobolts, you will have to be vigilant against Hex Throwers, Snooki and Kobolds as they can still do considerable damage to your defenses. Witherbeasts can also pose a problem if you got a meat wall in front of your defenses. These things can also be a problem when a Cannon Ogre or a boss spawns alongside them.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
Vicious Strikes - Anything that benefits from the increased range.
Radiant Critical Power - The hero you will be most active with. Fight near your auras, traps and nodes or use ranged near your towers to take full effect of this.
Explosive Shielding Guard - Whichever Blockade will benefit from the Shielding and Explosive effects. Preferably one that is in multiple lanes.
Thunderstruck - Your most active hero, preferably one with high offensive power. This is a useful shard when trying to keep Dark Assassins pacified long enough to kill them before they disappear.
Destructive Pylon - The World Tree if it is close to any defenses
Automation - Whatever your main Blockade is.
CHARACTERS
Lenneth (Dryad) - Hero DPS (World Tree, Angry Nimbus, Moss Hornet Nest, Slime Pit)
Yojimbo (Squire) - Hero DPS (Spike Blockade)
Shilf (Huntress) - AP DPS (Geyser Trap)
Cinnamon (Series EV2) - AP DPS")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery II - Siphon Site D (5 Stars, No Cores Lost)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iS0aeqwgqJQ/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery II - Siphon Site D (5 Stars, No Cores Lost)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M2
Map: Siphon Site D
Unless you know what you are doing, the time limits on both battle and build phases are killer. This is probably one of the more annoying maps in Mastery II.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- You must complete all Battle Phases in 3 minutes or less
- You must complete all Build Phases in 30 seconds or less
- The Main Pump Valve must stay above 90% health at all times
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
The Abyss Lord has the wonderful setup where his Defenses build instantly at the cost of a startup animation. With this, you can easily get a wall and a tower down for offense with it. You will need to double wall for the west lane.
Before you go, make sure you got 3 other builders that can setup defenses on the fly and they are capable of battle if necessary. Try to have your defense plan setup by Wave 2.
Keeping tabs on the radar to make sure nothing falls is important. Make sure you protect the sub objective at all costs or a spawn point right next to the Valve will be your doom if a Drakin or Javelin Thrower spawns down there.
As always, the Obelisk and Volcano can help you defend multiple lanes due to range. The Volcano doesnt need a Vicious Strikes here as the map is small.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Mass Destruction - Any tower you setup across all the lanes
Vicious Strikes - Any tower you feel would improve with Range
CHARACTERS
Kasuti - Mystic (AP DPS, Obelisk)
Jenocres - Abyss Lord (AP DPS, Skeletal Orc, Ramsters)
Shilf - Huntress (AP DPS, Poison Dart Tower)
Etanaru - Monk (AP DPS, Skyguard Tower)
Arohongui - Lavamancer (Hero DPS, Volcano)")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery VI - Nimbus Reach (5 Stars)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iWpRxv69j4c/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery VI - Nimbus Reach (5 Stars)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M6
Map: Nimbus Reach
Much like Dragonfall Sewers, this map is very dependent on your Dryads performance to determine the ease of difficulty. Although you are down 2 defense categories, you shouldnt have a problem if you know what you are doing.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- You cannot build any Towers
- You cannot build Auras
- Both Relic Lenses must stay above 90% health at all times
- You complete all the above in the same run
PLAN
Due to the constraints, you will need to build Nodes and Traps to fend off attacking forces. A Dryad should consider using the World Tree as a Blockade in this map and you may opt to using Reflect Beams to protect them from focused Hex Thrower fire. When placing Nodes, make sure you dont place any Nodes too close to World Trees or other Blockades as the Curse effect from the Hex Thrower will apply to all Nodes if but 1 Node is cursed.
Due to the design of the map, Dryad DEfenses and the Weapon Manufacturer can handle multiple lanes if placed correctly. This helps with DU Splitting, but you may need to consider using extra if your Traps focus too much on one side and not the other.
Be wary of Air units. They may slip past defenses and direct assault the Lenses. Defending the subobjective is optional, but make sure your defensive line to the north can handle 3-4 lanes at once if necessary.
If you have any Stun or Slow abilities, use them as an opener when attacking Hex Throwers and especially Kobolds directly. A Tier 3 Kobold can deal up to 100k damage to a fully specced Squire and Hex Throwers can spell your doom while you fight dogpiles, Snookis, bosses and other tough enemies.
On wave 3 and onwards, you will be harassed by Dark Assassins. If you have any abilities to break yourself free, then use them. Otherwise, pull them near defenses that can kill them quickly or break their lock fast. A Skyguard Tower in range will be very helpful.
Alongside Hex Throwers, you must keep Kobolds, Witherbeasts and Snooki from doing excessive damage to your defenses as they will also be threats. If you are assaulting Hex Throwers directly, try to pull a few of these enemies into the crossfire to save time. As stated above, be aware of what you are attacking, especially if it is Kobolds.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
Vicious Strikes - Anything that benefits from the increased range.
Radiant Critical Power - The hero you will be most active with. Fight near your auras, traps and nodes or use ranged near your towers to take full effect of this.
Explosive Shielding Guard - Whichever Blockade will benefit from the Shielding and Explosive effects. Preferably one that is in multiple lanes.
Thunderstruck - Your most active hero, preferably one with high offensive power. This is a useful shard when trying to keep Dark Assassins pacified long enough to kill them before they disappear.
Destructive Pylon - Give this to 1 of the towers in your Diversity Quota and try to incorporate it with your other defenses.
CHARACTERS
Lenneth (Dryad, AP DPS) - World Tree, Angry Nimbus, Moss Hornet Nest
Cinnamon (Series EV2, AP DPS) - Weapon Manufacturer, Reflect Beam
Apophis (Mystic, AP DPS) - Vipers Fangs
Tsumiko Kuri (Initiate, AP DPS)")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery II - Liferoot Forest (5 Stars)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iugtjz0lY3U/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery II - Liferoot Forest (5 Stars)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M2
Map: Liferoot Forest
This maps gimmicks are tedious. Being unable to upgrade hurts but making sure no defense falls is the real issue. With the right hero DPSer and tower combination, this map is very beatable.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- No defenses can be upgraded
- No defenses can be destroyed or sold
- No hero deaths
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
It would be recommended to let the Quab fall and double up your defenses on the central path. Just make sure you have Anti-Air Defenses or the air lane coming up the middle. For the middle wall, either use a Maw of the Earth Drake (massive size and petrification powers are useful) or double 30 DU wall.
The Obelisk and Volcano can take up multiple lanes. Use them!
A good combination of towers should be able to handle ground forces effectively. Just make sure that you dont have towers directly behind walls or Javelin Throwers and bosses will spell your doom.
Make sure you keep tabs on your radar to ensure no defenses are low on life. If you see a yellow or red box, immediately get involved and repair it. If you have a crowd control skill that can mass stun or kill, use it while you are repairing to give it breathing room.
Make sure you kill all Witherbeasts and Javelin Throwers when you see them. They are the biggest threat to your defenses overall survival. For bosses, dispatch them as soon as possible and watch for the Skeletons (Slekleon especially), any Ogres at the wall and Malthius resurrecting skeletons that slip through.
For your DPS hero(es), make sure they are able to handle groups and bosses. Dont make risky moves, especially if you are playing as a squishy hero or you are lagging and fall off the map. Heroes that have crowd control powers are extremely recommended due to massive dogpiles near the end of the waves.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Mass Destruction - Any tower you setup across more than one lane.
Vicious Strikes - The Volcano with this can cover all the lanes if placed correctly but the size of the map makes this counterproductive. Give it instead to a tower you use across all the lanes, preferably the Ramster or Earthshatter.
CHARACTERS
Agent Tanya - Gunwitch (AP DPS)
Ngamahu - Lavamancer (AP DPS, Maw of the Earth Drake)
Arohongui - Lavamancer (AP DPS, Volcano)
Apophis - Mystic (Hero DPS, Vipers Fangs)
Kasuti - Mystic (AP DPS, Obelisk)
Etanaru - Monk (AP DPS, Skyguard Towers)
Shilf - Huntress (AP DPS, Poison Dart Tower)
Mishera - Adept (AP DPS, Earthshatter Tower)
Marcion - Squire (AP DPS, Ballista, Cannonball Tower)")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery I - Gates of Dragonfall (5 Stars)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/j2axvq4gpYM/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery I - Gates of Dragonfall (5 Stars)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M1
Map: Gates of Dragonfall
Welcome to the world of Mastery. Where your knowledge of the game, strategy and skills will be put the test for rewards such as Flair, Medals, Gold and even the powerful Hyper Shards.
Each level will have a set of 5 requirements that must be met within 1 match in order to achieve 5 stars. My video series will give you assistance or ideas to help you complete Mastery on your own. I recommend having every hero purchased and your equipment in order with all of them before you begin undertaking Mastery. You dont need AP (Ancient Power) to handle this, but it helps greatly if you have it.
In Chaos 1, you will be facing the default enemies but now there are Shield Goblins or Vanguards to worry about. Although they are larger than most Goblins, their health pool is small. However, their massive shields can cause any incoming projectile attack to deal 0 damage, no matter how strong it is. You must either use melee, Auras, Traps, Nodes, Shield piercing defenses or Piercer Servos and Chips to bypass this check or angle your defenses so they hit the back or side.
The first map isnt too rough, but you must make sure all your defenses withstand the entire game.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- The Crystal Cart must stay above 90% health at all times
- No defenses can be destroyed
- You must complete all Combat Phases within 3 minutes or less
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
Due to the size of the map, you will not have to worry about the timed Combat Phase as enemies come pretty fast. However, you will need to factor in bosses that come at the end of the waves, especially if Malthius spawns with them. Having heroes with Anti-Ranged, Miniboss or Support servos will help kill these threats.
When placing defenses, make sure they cannot be targeted by the ground forces and repair them before they get destroyed. If you have any Protective Downgrade and Hardened Servos, your Blockades will be able to take extra punishment. Make sure you also dont place a Vipers Fangs or World Tree in the middle lane as the central hitbox will cause Javelin Throwers to throw their weaponry at an angle that can hit the blockade but also pierce the structures behind and the core itself.
The Obelisk can be useful as its Smite can decimate most enemies at this point in the game and a fully appeased Mystic can turn it into a Flamethrower to repel attackers. The Volcano can also be useful given the size of the map. The Volcano can still do damage to Shield Goblins. Both can also be moved around when necessary. Dryad Defenses and Weapon Manufacturers can be placed to handle multiple lanes to help with DU Splitting.
Spread out your anti-Shield Goblin choices across the lanes. Any projectile towers will need Piercer Servos or placed at an angle that will shoot the back or sides without the defense itself being targeted by other enemies.
To help with DU Splitting, merge the Southeastern Lane by placing your Blockade setup so that it is 1 lane. You can then double down defenses or hold the line yourself. Dont forget to pay attention to the other lanes for damaged towers or for leaks.
While you arent dealing with the more dangerous foes yet, you will need be aware of Kobolds, Javelin Throwers, Drakin and your defenses wasting time on Shield Goblins. Make sure you dispatch the more difficult targets first before you go for the small fry. Also keep an eye out on your Life so you dont get slain.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
CHARACTERS
Yojimbo (Squire, Hero DPS) - Spike Blockade
Tsumiko Kuri (Initiate, AP DPS) - Flame Aura, Skyguard Tower
Shilf (Huntress, AP DPS) - Poison Dart Tower
Jenocres (Abyss Lord, AP DPS) - Ramster")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery III - The Dead Road (5 Stars, No Cores Lost)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jjnNdcX0Dpw/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery III - The Dead Road (5 Stars, No Cores Lost)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M3
Map: The Dead Road
For a Diversity Map and the affixes, this is going to be one of the more challenging maps as you are also imposed with a timed Battle Phase and you cannot lose any defenses. Overall, this map wont be too difficult as long as you are fast (I myself was 1 second over on w5 with my first run)..
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- All Battle Phases must be completed within 3 minutes or less
- No defenses can be destroyed or sold
- You must have at least 10 different types of defenses during all Battle Phases
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
Combining the barrier piercing towers (Ramsters, Earthshatter, Sand Viper, Obelisk and Flamethrower) with Traps, Auras and Nodes is the best way to ensure all angles are covered. The Obelisk has the added bonus of being map wide. You can use any method you wish for the Skeleton lane, but you will still need to wall up.
Diversify your Blockades and your Anti-Air and you should be able to cover most of your Diversity requirements (both AA and at least 3-4 walls). You will then be able to finish it off with barrier piercing defenses along with auras, traps and nodes.
Because of the time limit, it will be wise to defend BOTH Soul Stones and you should pull up your defensive line more closer to the spawnpoints, especially along the Forest Paths and the Eastern Soul Stone.
Some defenses when setup correctly (Angry Nimbus, Earthshatter and Weapon Manufacturer) can handle multiple lanes, allow you to save on DU splitting. Consider this when preparing defenses.
When building towers, make sure they are outside of range of enemies and not directly behind the walls. Showoffs (Javelin Throwers), Skeleton bosses or even Kobolds can easily cost you a 5 Star if you arent careful.
At the Center lanes, you should consider using 1 or 2 Vipers Fangs as your blockade so that you can bubble up enemies for your Skyguard or Hailstorm to eradicate them. You will need a counter measure to dispatch any Geodes so these projectiles dont deflect.
You should keep tabs on all your blockades. Get involved with repairs and upgrades when needed.
If you see Malthius on a boss lane, dispatch him ASAP as his Skeletons will be a waste of time and resources.
For your hero, pick something that can move around the map well and can dispatch enemies swiftly. A hero with a Stun ability or Overwhelm shard is recommended for disabling bosses and Geodes. Dispatch Witherbeasts, Kobolds, Geodes and bosses as top priority as these do the most damage to defenses. A Serpents Coil is recommended for healing purposes, especially if you play as a Mystic or Dryad.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is inost or all lanes.
Vicious Strikes - Anything that benefits from the increased range.
Radiant Critical Power - The hero you will be most active with. Fight near your traps and nodes or use ranged near your towers to take full effect of this.
CHARACTERS
Apophis - Mystic (Hero DPS, Serpents Coil, Vipers Fangs)
Yojimbo - Squire (Hero DPS, Spiked Blockades)
Lenneth - Dryad (Hero DPS, World Tree, Angry Nimbus)
Jenocres - Abyss Lord (AP DPS, Skeletal Orc, Ramster)
Mishera - Adept (AP DPS, Earthshatter Tower, Flamethrower Tower)
Etanaru - Monk (AP DPS, Flame Aura, Skyguard Tower, Lightning Strikes Aura)")
![[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery IV - Molten Citadel (5 Stars)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jrradKWVRFI/mqdefault.jpg "[Dungeon Defenders II] Mastery IV - Molten Citadel (5 Stars)
Game: Dungeon Defenders II
Port: PC
Mastery Diff: M4
Map: Molten Citadel
This map is a hurdle, but only because the first two waves will make or break your strategy as you are both timed in building and you must have unique defenses. Once you are able to setup, maintenance is relatively easy.
5 STAR REQUIREMENTS
- Survive all 5 waves
- You cannot build any Blockades
- You must complete all Build Phases within 30 seconds or less
- You cannot have more than 1 of a specific Defense at any time
- Do all the above in 1 run
PLAN
Because of a lack of Blockades and a Time Limit, you will need to use a Totem Frostbite, Obelisk and a Volcano to wall off opposition and the builders must be able to build at least 2-3 other defenses alongside it. .So having a good Apprentice, Mystic and Lavamancer that can fight will be paramount. Your 4th hero can be anything you need.
The Obelisks have not only the added bonus of being Map wide with Smite, but they also apply status ailments past Tier 1 and double as souped up Flamethrowers when your Mystic has Max Appeasement.
Make sure you understand the strength and weakness of each of your Blockades and give them Tower support that can balance both AOE and single target to cover all angles. You will be repelling not only Snooki, but you will have to push back Orcs and Warboars hacking at your psuedo-Blockade.
Like in Mastery III, a combination of barrier piercing towers (Flamethrower, Serpents Coil, Sand Viper, Ramsters) mixed in with auras, nodes and traps can handle most to all opposition. You will need some extra elbow grease for the Snooki.
Once you get past the initial attacks, the enemies spawn in a pre-set pattern. Before you move onto the next dogpile, slay all the difficult enemies (Snooki, Kobolds, Witherbeasts) or at least put it to a point that your Defenses can handle the opposition without your aid.
Although Snooki are Slowproof, they arent Stunproof or Freezeproof. Various Stun shards and skills can pacify them long enough for you or other defenses to dispatch them. The Mystics Call to Madness and petrifying other enemies can cause them to hack at each other.
If a Defense is in the Red zone, upgrade it or repair it and then intervene. You will need to ensure your faux-Blockades hold up, especially the Frostbites against Snooki and Kobolds. Make sure you also dont put towers too close to your Blockades if Skeleton-class bosses reach the wall.
On Wave 3, one of the lanes will have 20 Kobolds rushing alongside them. On Wave 4, one of the lanes will have 3 Witherbeasts travel alongside other units. Wave 5 will have a large amount of Snooki, a Witherbeast and possibly Gnash the Flame Lance (a boss Snooki who can ignite defenses on hit). Your hero(es) must slay Snooki, Kobolds, Witherbeasts and Geodes as top priority by any means necessary. Crowd Control will be essential to slow down and contain Snooki and their assistance.
HYPER SHARD RECOMMENDATION
Hyper Destruction - Any tower that is either facing bosses or handling multiple lanes or a specific one that is in most or all lanes.
Vicious Strikes - Anything that benefits from the increased range.
Radiant Critical Power - The hero you will be most active with. Fight near your auras, traps and nodes or use ranged near your towers to take full effect of this.
Explosive Shielding Guard - Whichever Blockade will benefit from the Shielding and Explosive effects. Preferably one that is in multiple lanes.
CHARACTERS
Arohongui - Lavamancer (Hero DPS, Volcano. Fissure of Embermount, Oil Geyser)
Kasuti - Mystic (AP DPS, Serpents Coil, Snaking Sands, Sand Viper, Obelisk)
Lezard Valeth - Apprentice (AP DPS, Frostbite Tower)
Etanaru - Monk (AP DPS, Skyguard Tower, Flame Aura, Lightning Strikes Aura)
Cinnamon - Series EV2 (AP DPS, Weapon Manufacturer, Proton Beam, Reflect Beam)
Shilf - Huntress (AP DPS, Poison Dart Tower, Blaze Balloon, Geyser Trap)")
