Badge Dojo Fire stage 3

Chapter 3 opens a six-stage run on one grid, and the whole of lane 3 is left empty. Lane 1 stacks three deep: Pyrohound in row 1, Firecoil in row 2 and Azurion in row 3. Lane 2 starts a row back, with Kitjitsu in row 2 and Flametail in row 3.

The left column is a classic tank, healer and damage stack. Pyrohound takes the hits and answers with a pillar of fire over an area. Firecoil sits directly behind it, close enough for its ring of fire to heal it and raise its attack, and Azurion lobs fireballs over both of them that scorch a small area and leave enemies burning.

The middle lane is lighter. Kitjitsu is its first line, standing in row 2 next to Firecoil so the ring reaches it too, and Flametail's fireworks shells land on whatever Kitjitsu is fighting.

Enemies from the empty right side drift inward, so most of the pressure ends up on these two columns. That is normal for this grid, not a sign the setup is wrong.

The most useful tip for this run: if you lack damage, try swapping the places of your damage dealers, or move them up a row so they start hitting sooner.

The grid is the 3-1 one, so this page is about Azurion in row 3 of lane 1, the only third-form unit on the board.

Azurion is the third form of the Blueflick line. Its fireballs scorch a small area and leave enemies burning, and that burn can be made stronger. From row 3 it fires over Pyrohound and Firecoil, so it is protected by two units while it works.

The burns matter beyond Azurion's own damage. Kitjitsu in the middle lane heals itself whenever its strikes land on a burning enemy, and enemies that Azurion has set alight often end up in reach of it. When the two are working together, Kitjitsu holds its row with very little help.

This also means Azurion is the unit that sets the pace of the fight. A stronger Azurion burns more enemies for longer, which feeds Kitjitsu and takes pressure off Pyrohound.

If your Azurion is underlevelled, the alternatives show what else can sit in that role. One alternative layout moves Azurion to row 4 of lane 1 with Flametail in row 3 and Tindercub in row 2 instead of Firecoil, placing Firecoil and Pyrohound in the middle lane. Another alternative pulls everyone back to row 3, with Scorchwing at the back of lane 1 and Azurion in row 4 of lane 3.

On the third stage of the run, the focus is Firecoil in row 2 of lane 1, the healer the whole layout leans on.

Firecoil is the evolved form of Ashlarva. Its ring of fire damages enemies around it, heals allies in range and raises their attack. Its cell is chosen for reach: directly behind Pyrohound, beside Kitjitsu in row 2 of the middle lane, and right in front of Azurion. Every unit except Flametail is next to it.

That position also keeps it safe. Pyrohound stands ahead of it in its own lane, and Kitjitsu covers its side, so enemies have to get through one of them before they can reach the healer.

The catch is that losing Firecoil takes out the sustain for three units at once. If Pyrohound starts dying mid-fight, look at Firecoil's level before Pyrohound's, because the tank is usually only as durable as the healing behind it.

An alternative layout moves the healer to the front instead: Firecoil stands in row 1 of the middle lane with Pyrohound behind it in row 2, Flametail in row 3 and Azurion in row 4, while Tindercub replaces Pyrohound in row 1 of lane 1. That suits a stronger Firecoil and gives lane 2 a deeper stack.

Midway through the run, this page is about the board's weak spot: the middle lane has no unit in row 1, and lane 3 is empty.

Kitjitsu is the first thing enemies meet in lane 2, and it starts a row back. That gives it a little more time before contact, but it also means it has to hold by itself. It hits groups with chi strikes and heals off burning enemies, and when it gets into danger it backs off to meditate. While it is meditating, Flametail behind it has nobody between it and the lane.

The fix in Lineup 1 is mostly levels. A stronger Kitjitsu spends less time retreating, and Azurion's burns give it more chances to heal. Firecoil next to it helps as well, as long as Firecoil itself survives.

One alternative builds the board around a different support instead. In it, Kitjitsu moves to row 2 of lane 1 with Sizzribb behind it as a substitute, Firecoil sits in row 2 of the middle with Grillhog behind, and Azurion goes to row 4 of lane 3. As the replacement support, Grillhog trades its own health for heavy patty throws, gives allies a BBQ shield, and heals its neighbours when it falls, which covers Kitjitsu's quiet moments. In place of Azurion's burns, Sizzribb's fire breath sets groups burning and keeps Kitjitsu fed.

This stage keeps the same grid, and the page turns to Flametail in row 3 of the middle lane, the second damage source.

Flametail is the evolved form of Sparkit. It fires a fireworks shell that explodes when it lands, which suits its cell: from row 3 it can drop those shells onto the enemies Kitjitsu is holding in row 2, hitting the whole group rather than one target. It does not set anything on fire, so it adds damage without feeding Kitjitsu's healing.

Flametail is also the unit most exposed when the middle lane goes wrong. If Kitjitsu backs off to meditate, nothing in lane 2 stands between Flametail and the wave.

An alternative layout drops Flametail and Kitjitsu entirely. Pyrohound and Firecoil keep rows 1 and 2 of lane 1, Azurion moves to row 2 of the middle with Nekoflare behind it in row 4 instead, and Tindercub stands in row 2 of lane 3 as a substitute. Nekoflare is the evolved form of Flameow and throws jewels that bounce between more and more enemies, so it gets better the bigger the wave. It also shares an attack-speed bond with a Lightning cat partner, which a Fire Dojo board cannot use. Tindercub is the base form of Kitjitsu and fills the empty lane cheaply.

The last stage on the 3-1 grid is a good place to judge levels and difficulty. Lineup 1 is all second forms apart from Azurion, so the team it asks for is a developed Fire roster rather than a rare one.

If the run has been getting harder, the usual order of upgrades is Firecoil first, because Pyrohound and Kitjitsu both depend on it, then Azurion for burn damage, then Pyrohound. Flametail matters least for survival.

The alternatives on this stage are useful if Lineup 1 still falls short. One alternative pulls everything back to row 3: Kitjitsu in row 3 of lane 1 with Scorchwing behind it, Firecoil in row 3 of the middle, and Pyrohound in row 3 of lane 3 with Azurion behind it. That gives every unit extra time before enemies arrive and uses every lane, at the cost of a shallower stack. In that alternative, Scorchwing fires a rapid string of fireballs and then rests.

Another alternative swaps the front of lane 1 so that Firecoil stands in row 1 there, with Flametail, Azurion and Scorchwing stacked behind it, and Pyrohound moved to row 1 of the middle. Kitjitsu drops out entirely.

Remember the tip from the start of the run: swapping your damage dealers' places, or moving them up a row, often turns a near miss into a win.

After six stages on the same grid, this board spreads out. Nothing stands in row 1. Kitjitsu holds row 2 of lane 1, Pyrohound holds row 2 of lane 3, and the middle lane stacks Firecoil in row 2, Azurion in row 3 and Flametail in row 4.

Starting everyone a row back gives the team a moment before contact, and it puts Firecoil level with both edge units. Its ring of fire heals and raises the attack of allies in range, and from the middle of row 2 it reaches Kitjitsu on one side and Pyrohound on the other.

The middle column is where the damage comes from. Azurion right behind Firecoil sets enemies burning with its fireballs, and Flametail drops fireworks shells from the very back. The burns also help Kitjitsu, which heals itself when its strikes land on a burning target.

The risk sits with Firecoil. It is the front of the middle lane as well as the team's only healer, so a wave that pushes through lane 2 hits the unit holding everything together.

An alternative layout pulls back another row instead: Kitjitsu in row 3 of lane 1 with Scorchwing behind it, Firecoil in row 3 of the middle, and Pyrohound in row 3 of lane 3, without Azurion or Flametail. With Lineup 1, keep Firecoil levelled first.

Here the front row is full again. Firecoil holds row 1 of lane 1, Pyrohound holds row 1 of the middle with Azurion in row 3 and Nekoflare in row 4 behind it, and Tindercub holds row 1 of lane 3.

The key unit is Nekoflare at the back of the middle lane. It is the evolved form of Flameow and throws jewels that bounce between more and more enemies, so the bigger the wave, the more it hits. It shares an attack-speed bond with a Lightning cat partner, but on a Fire board it works on its own. Stacked behind Pyrohound and Azurion, it is the safest damage dealer on the board.

Azurion in front of it sets enemies burning, and Pyrohound's pillar of fire holds the middle. Firecoil on the left heals and raises the attack of allies in range, and from row 1 of lane 1 its ring reaches Pyrohound beside it.

The weak spot is lane 3. Tindercub is still a base form, and Kitjitsu is its evolved form. It can retreat to meditate and heal, but it sits outside Firecoil's reach, so its level decides how long the right side holds.

An alternative layout pulls the team back instead: Kitjitsu in row 3 of lane 1 with Scorchwing behind, Firecoil in row 3 of the middle, and Pyrohound in row 3 of lane 3.

This is a hard stage, and even a good layout can take a few retries. Lineup 1 puts Firecoil in row 1 of lane 1 with Scorchwing in row 3, Pyrohound alone in row 1 of the middle, and Kitjitsu in row 2 of lane 3 with Azurion in row 4.

The board is spread across every lane, which means no lane has much depth. Firecoil is both the front of the left lane and the healer. Its ring heals and raises the attack of allies in range, and from row 1 of lane 1 that reaches Pyrohound next to it. Scorchwing behind fires a rapid string of fireballs and then rests while it recharges.

On the right, Azurion's burns help Kitjitsu, which heals itself when its strikes land on burning enemies, and Kitjitsu can back off to meditate when it gets into danger.

Wins here tend to be close, sometimes with only seconds to spare, so small changes matter. Two alternatives move Azurion to row 4 of the middle instead, behind Pyrohound, and one of them also replaces Pyrohound with Puffbelly, a tank that punishes close attackers and feeds allies attack-boosting sushi. Another moves Scorchwing to row 4 of lane 1 with Azurion in row 3 of the middle.

If you lack damage, swap the places of your damage dealers or move them up a row.

Chapter 3 ends on a board built around a fast kill. One shrimp enemy here needs to go down quickly, so the middle lane is stacked for damage: Azurion in row 1, Kitjitsu in row 2 and Nekoflare in row 4. Pyrohound holds row 1 of lane 1, and Firecoil holds row 1 of lane 3.

Putting Azurion in row 1 is unusual for a damage unit, but it means its fireballs start scorching and burning enemies the moment the fight begins. Kitjitsu right behind it heals itself on those burning targets, and Nekoflare at the back throws jewels that bounce between more and more enemies as the wave grows.

The edges are there to keep that middle alive. Pyrohound's fire pillar holds the left. Firecoil on the right heals and raises the attack of allies in range, and Kitjitsu benefits from the attack boost when it is close enough.

If the result is close but not a win, swap your damage dealers' places first. If that still does not work, try swapping Pyrohound and Firecoil between their lanes.

An alternative layout moves Firecoil to row 1 of lane 1 with Scorchwing behind it, Pyrohound to the front of the middle, and Kitjitsu with Azurion in lane 3 instead. Another pulls everyone back to row 3 and keeps Nekoflare in row 4.