Badge Dojo · Fire 4-3

Four stages share this grid, and it has no healer. In lane 1 sit Pyrohound in row 2 and Azurion in row 3, the middle lane is empty, and lane 3 stacks Kitjitsu in row 2, Pyroprawn in row 3 and Flarevix in row 4.

Without healing, the board has to win on damage and on Kitjitsu's own sustain. The design leans on burns. Azurion's fireballs leave enemies burning, Pyroprawn's punches sometimes set them on fire, and Kitjitsu heals itself whenever it strikes a burning enemy. When it gets into danger it can also back off to meditate.

Pyrohound has no such loop. Its pillar of fire burns an area, but every point of health it loses stays lost, so lane 1 holds only as long as Azurion behind it kills things quickly.

The empty middle is the other feature. Enemies from lane 2 drift toward the outer lanes, so both edges take extra pressure, and nothing on the board covers the centre directly.

Every alternative for this run adds Charflutter, the third form of Ashlarva, whose large ring of fire burns enemies while it heals allies and raises their attack. The next pages look at lane 3, the empty middle, and levels.