This is a guide for the Steam achievements for Defenders of Ardania. There are twelve in total. Several of these achievements are fairly straightforward but there are a few that are hard to do without a particular strategy. This guide assumes the player has knowledge of the game's controls and basic gameplay. A few helpful keyboard tips for the game that a new player may not be familiar with: F1 displays a grid, where towers may and may not be built. F2 displays health bars. F3 displays the path where air units travel. F4 toggles fast mode on and off. It doubles the game speed. Very useful for Limited Resources Mode. Backspace skips dialogue. Rookie: Finish the First Mission This should be trivial. Just follow the instructions provided. If this is your first time playing, the first level serves as a tutorial and explains the game's controls, features and objectives. Librarian: Use the Unit Info 10 Times Another simple achievement. Click the middle mouse button on an enemy unit ten times in the first mission and this could be your first achievement for the game. Demolition Man: Destroy the Minotaur Base This is for the level called "Ghosts of the Past." Typically, if Zagadu is in the temple for three minutes straight, the level ends. When Zagadu is in the temple, if an enemy minotaur enters it, it'll reset the timer. To get this achievement, you have to destroy the enemy's base before Zagadu finishes his work at the temple. To do that, don't build towers in the southwestern corner of the map. This will keep most minotaurs alive long enough to reach the temple. Be careful, because minotaurs could attack your base as normal. Use wizards to destroy enemy towers and use rogues to attack the enemy base. Cunning: Win a Level Without Towers This is probably best done on the level called "Hero of the Day" since you start with an ally who builds towers. Allied towers don't prevent you from getting the achievement. Use rogues and some wizards to take out the enemies. "Kind of Magick" might also work for this achievement but you can't build wizards in it, though your ally can. Straight Flush: Build All Tower Types of One Race in One Mission This isn't doable until some of the final levels of the game when all towers are usable. It unlocks as soon as you have one tower of each type available, so you don't need to complete the level. It's probably best to start a game on the last map, build one tower of each type, then quit when the achievement is unlocked. Vacuum Cleaner Agent: Sell 10 Towers in a Single Mission This is like Straight Flush in that it unlocks as soon as the requirements are met. Start a level, build ten towers, sell them, get the achievement and quit the level. Master Economist: Use All Economy Upgrades in One Mission Again this is like Straight Flush and Vacuum Cleaner Agent in that it unlocks as soon as the requirements are met. It isn't doable until some of the final levels, either. It probably isn't necessary to go out of your way to get this achievement because all the economic upgrades are useful and probably something you'll want to do anyway. Veteran: Finish the Campaign This won't be a step-by-step guide to complete every level, but rather some general advice, since most levels can be approached the same way. -Wizards and rogues are the most valuable units. Wizards destroy enemy towers, while rogues are cheap and move quickly. Their hero units are very powerful and should be trained whenever possible. Don't bother with most other units. An exception can be made sometimes for the Dwarf, which can damage enemy units, which might occasionally be useful if you're desperate. -Start off each level by researching some upgrades. The one that reduces the cost of all other upgrades should be first. Then the one that reduces the cost of building towers, the one that increases the rate of resource growth, and the one that decreases the cost of units. Get others as time and money permit. -Only build repeating crossbows (the anti-air tower) in the path of air units. Press F3 to see the path air units take. Generally no more than two are necessary. -Flame towers work best when it is closer to the enemy base, since it does damage over time. They work poorly when close to your base. You should typically just need one of these. -Ballista towers deal good damage to "swarm" units (like the guardsman) but they are inaccurate, so only build one of these. -Crystal gun towers deal a lot of damage to a single target, and should compose the bulk of your towers in later stages. -Remember, there must always be at least one path free of obstructions between your base and all computers' bases. However, there's nothing stopping you from selling a tower and building another tower somewhere else, freeing up an alternate path and blocking off another. This will force enemy units to back track and go through the freely opened path. It is crucial for completing the final stage of the game versus the final boss. Say, for example, you have this: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx --------------T-----------B xxxxxxx|xxTTxxx|xxxxxxxx ---------OO-----xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Where B is your base, T is one of your towers, - and | represent unobstructed paths, O are enemy units and X are tiles you can't build in. You could sell the top tower and build one at the bottom, like this: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx --------------------------B xxxxxxx|xxTTxxx|xxxxxxx ---------OO--T--xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx And the enemy units will have to go back the long way around, getting shot at by the two middle towers. This is a very important tactic to master. -Don't forget your spells. One of them repairs 200 health to your base. It's very important to use if damaged, but it has a somewhat long recharge time. The lightning spell can take out a single tower. Overload isn't that useful, but can help if you have extra money laying around and nothing better to use it on. -In the first moments of a level, it's best to build a chain of towers towards an enemy base and try to box them in, preventing them from building towers far from their base. If a good portion of the map is empty of enemy towers, this helps keep your units alive longer. The second to last level, "Three Kings" is an exception to this rule because there are three enemy bases and you won't have enough towers to do this. Survivor: Survive 60 Waves on the Survival Game Mode There are significant differences between Normal Mode and Survival Mode: -You can't build units, or research technology that improves units. -There is no victory condition. You play until you lose. -The computer does not build towers. -The computer does not build air units, at least until Wave 60, so there is no need for anit-air towers. All other rules are as normal. The best level to do this on is called "Valley of Death" since it is fairly large and you can build up to 15 towers. Early on, you'll need at least one dwarven fire tower and ballista tower to take on swarm units. Eventually you'll want to replace all towers with crystal gun towers. This should get you to Wave 50 or so. To get those last 10 waves finished, you'll need to use the tactic of opening and blocking off paths as described above in the Veteran achievement. The achievement unlocks as soon as Wave 60 starts, so you don't need to defeat all enemies or even finish the map; you can quit the moment it unlocks. Remember to use spells. Grandmaster: Complete All Levels in Limited Resources Mode Here are the differences between Normal Mode and Limited Resources Mode: -You start with 20,000 gold. -You do not receive gold over time, or for defeating enemy units, or when the rogue hero enters an enemy base. -You can't build a tower on a tile that provides gold. This makes a couple of levels slightly more difficult because they are usually good strategic positions for towers. -You can't research the technologies that increase the amount of gold you receive over time, or that increase the maximum amount of gold you can have. Other technologies, including the ones that reduce the cost of things, are available as normal. -Selling towers provides gold (though it is not all that much, as usual). -The computer (including allies) seem to play as normal. For the most part, Limited Resources is easier than Normal Mode because you can rush a bunch of towers and rogues and wizards quickly. Speed is key. Do not be conservative; attack with as much as you can as fast as you can. It's possible to beat a number of the levels with as much as 10,000 gold remaining. If you can complete the normal campaign, Limited Resources Mode shouldn't be too tough. The only one that might be difficult is the second to last level, "Three Kings." It's hard to give a specific strategy for that one other than to practice. There are three bases to destroy, and each of them has a boss to defeat. Don't spend any gold upgrading towers since it isn't worthwhile. Crystal guns are helpful here but don't forget to block off some paths with cheap towers. You can't afford to waste any money. You can complete the levels on Limited Resources Mode in any order, as long as you can complete all of them. It's best to manually keep track of what levels you've completed, since the game doesn't. Lucky: Win 5 Multiplayer Matches in a Row This is the only multiplayer achievement. The easiest way to go about this is to find someone who is willing to intentionally lose five times in a row. Getting this achievement "organically" takes far too much time and effort. Don't Panic: Unlock All (other) Achievements Self-explanatory. Copyright 2015 by Bouchart. This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site except for www.gamefaqs.com, or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.